Was looking at purchasing a home with a different realtor, that Home Town Realty of Spencer had listed for sale. This is a victorian home and the seller had done lots of remodeling, but this was the first time this realtor was in the home and we could not find a heating duct or source of heat, other than the gas fireplace and a few electric space heaters.
We checked the seller disclosure and for the heat source the question was left blank, the seller had not filled it in. My realtor called the seller and all the radiators were pulled out and were sitting in the garage. The seller heated the home with a gas furnace with no blower fan and electric portable heaters, as he told the realtor it was more economical.
We had agreed upon purchase agreement, depending on boiler inspection since there was no real source of heat, which is important in Iowa. Of Course, the boiler is bad and needs to be replaced. Had my realtor notify the seller and Hometown realty that boiler needs replaced.
Hometown realty, while not legally responsible for filling out the disclosure form refuses to do anything and is comfortable selling a house in Iowa without heat. They are comfortable collecting their sales commission for not doing anything to really sell the home and apparently comfortable selling homes without a heat source.
I wrote a BBB complaint and Norma Haack, co-owner of HomeTown Realty, with her Husband Greg, replied that " The seller was given the estimate and he decided not to participate in the repairs of the house because of a handshake between between the seller and the buyer with the buyer's realtor present" That is lie, I have never met the seller, ever. I have never spoken to the seller at all, not even over the phone, my realtor took care of all of that, and I am sure my realtor will confirm there was no handshake deal.
Norma continued "with the realtor present stating if seller left a street light in his back patio, the seller would not have to lift a finger do any more repairs."
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