| Is your pet worth $100,000? It may be if you | | | | bedroom, house with a fully finished, walkout |
| don't make accommodations for it when selling | | | | basement that supposedly didn't have pets. It |
| your home. | | | | was a nice house, but the whole house smelled |
| A Hundred Thousand Dollar Pet? | | | | strongly of pet odors. The furniture in the |
| A house I'd seen with a potential buyer in an | | | | basement was shredded - truly not too strong a |
| attractive neighborhood built around two lakes | | | | word to use. I've never seen furniture in worse |
| sold for $100,000 less than was typical for the | | | | shape. The front of the house was nicely |
| neighborhood. Do you know what caused it to sell | | | | landscaped. The back of the house was a |
| for that much less? A pet. Actually, two pets. | | | | disaster. The door frames and exterior doors |
| I can hear you thinking, "How can that be? Surely | | | | were scratched and gnawed. The lawn had |
| she doesn't know what she's talking about this | | | | beaten paths and patches. There wasn't a flower |
| time. How could two pets reduce the sales price | | | | or a shrub to be seen. The "buyer" couldn't get |
| of a home by $100,000? Is that even possible?" I | | | | away fast enough. |
| understand your skepticism, but it's true. Let me | | | | I later found out the owner of the house had a |
| tell you how I know. When I made the | | | | German Shepherd. The second "dog" was a wolf |
| appointment for the potential buyer to look at the | | | | and shepherd mix. The house stayed on the |
| house, I wasn't told about the presence of pets. | | | | market longer than typical, the price was reduced |
| We arrived at the house, knocked on the door, | | | | several times and the final sales price was |
| and when no one answered our knock, I got out | | | | $100,000 below what was typical for the |
| my electronic key to open the box containing a | | | | neighborhood. Now you tell me, what cost that |
| key for brokers to use. While I was doing this, we | | | | seller $100,000? |
| began to hear some loud barking from large dog | | | | Don't misunderstand, I know pets are wonderful. |
| or dogs inside the house. The buyer said she did | | | | Over time my husband and I have enjoyed living |
| not want to go into the house with "dogs on the | | | | with a German Shepherd, two Siamese cats, |
| loose." I have to admit I wasn't thrilled with the | | | | assorted adopted stray cats, fancy guppies, gold |
| idea either, so we went on to the next house she | | | | fish, koi, and various sorts of wounded critters |
| was considering. | | | | our two sons brought home. |
| She asked me if we could see that house the | | | | Pets enrich your life. They don't enrich the sales |
| next day sans pets. I called and made | | | | price of your home. Take the right steps though, |
| arrangements. | | | | and they won't rob you of any of your equity. |
| The next day we looked at a two story, 5 | | | | |