Home Showing Took A Wild Turn. The Sellers Neighbor Watched From Her Window And… | Latest Lifestyle News
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Selling a home while living in another state is never easy, but one Reddit user had no idea just how badly things could go. A few years ago, a homeowner listed their property for sale after moving a few states away. Everything seemed routine until they got a late-night call from their elderly neighbor who lived next door.
“She was concerned because she watched a woman pull in her car that evening, shut the gate to the carport and started moving items into the empty home,” the poster wrote in the r/RealEstate subreddit. It turned out this woman had attended an open house earlier that day, lingered for an hour, and told the real estate agent she planned to pay in cash.
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An Open House, An Unlocked Door And A Locksmith
But there was a problem: the woman wasn’t an actual buyer. She hadn’t made an offer. Instead, she returned later, using doors and windows she had quietly unlocked during the showing to let herself back in.
The homeowner called the agent, who only then realized something was off. “I had to chew out my agent when it clicked in her head the ‘buyer’ was a nut job, no official offer was made, and she didn’t secure the home properly prior to leaving,” the post said.
When police arrived, they found the woman actively moving her belongings into the house. Even more bizarre: a locksmith arrived shortly after, ready to rekey the home at her request. Police removed her, but not before she attempted to run and was chased around the backyard pool.
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“Neighbor got to watch the whole scene unfold from her window and called me laughing as the cops chased her around the pool,” the homeowner added. “Glad I had good neighbors.”
The story struck a nerve with Redditors, many of whom emphasized how valuable good neighbors can be. “Sometimes a ‘nosey’ neighbor can be a blessing!” one person wrote. Another shared, “Neighbors can make or break the experience of living in a home. Unfortunately, that is the hardest thing to find out prior to purchase.”
Others were shocked by the real estate agent’s lack of responsibility. “I check all doors, windows and lights on every house I show before I leave because we are responsible as agents for the house we show,” one agent replied. Another added, “That agent needs her license revoked! You are responsible for someone else’s home. Do your job right or get out of the business.”
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Many pointed out that this wasn’t a random incident. “The fact that she coordinated a locksmith to arrive at the same time she is moving in proves to me that she has done this before,” one commenter wrote, suggesting the woman may have been a serial squatter. The original poster agreed, saying she was likely both mentally unwell and intentionally taking advantage of squatter-friendly laws.
Real estate horror stories like this one sparked deeper discussion about squatter laws, especially in states like California, where removing unauthorized occupants can take months. In this case, the home in question was in Texas, where the woman was caught before she could establish residency.
“Luckily, she was breaking and entering and caught in the act,” the homeowner said.
After that, the homeowner swore off open houses entirely: “I have never done another open house for any property again.”
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This article Home Showing Took A Wild Turn. The Seller’s Neighbor Watched From Her Window And Called To Laugh About The Chaos—’Glad I Had Good Neighbors’ originally appeared on Benzinga.com
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