Loans that have typically taken 30 days to close are now taking a little longer.. I have talked to lenders who say there are so many loans in the pipeline right now -- it is slowing things down.

With that being said, grass stops for no man does it?... Nor do weeds.

Buyers have asked me if they can PLEASE cut the grass at the house they are about to buy.. or pull some weeds.

Sometimes it's hard to tell them...

No. 

Don't touch the house until you close on it. 

Don't cut anything...

pull anything...

scrape anything...

paint anything...

or -- for that matter -- wash anything on-or-in the house until you close on it.

Of course you know you don't own it -- BUT, you are about to own it... None-the-less, until we close, the complete responsibilty for maintenance, risk, loss, utlitilies, anything related to the property and it's ownership belongs solely to the seller.

Besides that -- what if something happens and we don't close?

Sometimes it's hard to watch when a seller isn't taking care of things the way you want them to.

My advice is -- don't look, don't drive by it, don't think about it... (easy for me to say, I know.) 

You know, there is a PENALTY for making any kind of change to a piece of property you don't own without permission.. it falls under tresspassing.

I'll tell you how I know that..

A past client of mine had an accepted offer on a house here in Terre Haute.  Cash.  11k.  The house had a covered (not enclosed) patio on the back. 

Shortly after the offer was accepted, I get a call from the listing agent. 

He was a little "freaked out" when he told me that my client was building an addition on the back of his listing.

What?  I couldn't believe my ears.. My client had just asked me if I thought it would be ok to purchase lumber for an addition they wanted to make.  I had said "Sure.. but keep your receipt incase -- for some reason -- we don't close."

I was at home.. I piled the kids in the car and headed over to see for myself.

I took the alley so as to get a good view of the back of the house

Sure enough.. there sat about 8 ladies in a semi circle in the back yard facing the house.. watching their men hammer away on an enclosed patio.

With a lead foot I drove straight home and called my broker.  That's how I learned this type of behavior ..allthough seemingly harmless to this buyer of mine  ...was/is considered tresspassing to a seller.

So don't temp yourself.  Wait till you close!! You will enjoy working on your new home SO MUCH MORE after you officially own it!

(BTW I called my buyer immediately and asked them to stop working on the house.. I spoke to the wife... Her response was "You told me I could buy the wood!"  My response was "I did NOT tell you you could nail it to the house!!")