USCDiver
01-30-2007, 03:32 PM
I got a piece of mail today. That's snail mail, in my mail box, delivered by USPS. It was address to me as [First Initial Middle Initial Last name] and [Address] in that 'script font' that looks like handwriting. No return address. My initial response was to toss it but I opened it instead.
There's a pretty simple letter inside I'll quote the entirety of it (I assume it isn't copyrighted).
Hello,
My wife and I are new to [my hometown] and wish to purchase a house in [my neighborhood].
We are 80 years old - not investors or real estate agents.
If you are thinking of putting your home on the market in the next six months, give us a call [phone number] - promptly. If your home meets our wants and we can agree on a price, we'll purchase it now - you can stay for some months if you wish.
If you have a firm price in mind, fine. If not, you can hire an appraiser. In any event, we will hire an appraiser. We can then add the two appraisals together, divide by 2 and subtract 3%.
This way we will pay 3% less, you will receive 3% more than if you sold it through a realtor - less a few hundred for a real estate attorney.
The letter is then 'signed' with a [name], signed as in cursive font printout
I Googled the phone number which led me to a person in my hometown, but not the same person that 'signed' the letter.
Veromi.net give a listing for the number, but it doesn't give me any information without paying.
The local Online Parcel Information System doesn't have a listing for that name or address, but the address is probably for a local apartment complex.
Anyway, the only reason it intrigued me so much is that I am interested in selling my house in about 6 months, and I don't think this is a home an 80 year old would want to buy, although the neighborhood is filled with older people, who buys a house at 80years old and claims not to be an investor?
How should I proceed? I can toss it in the garbage or call the number on the letter. I think I might call the number and ask for [Google Name] (not the name from the letter). Then confront the dude on what the scam is. Is there anything illegal about sending such a letter? Can I report him to a better business bureau or local law enforcement or something?
There's a pretty simple letter inside I'll quote the entirety of it (I assume it isn't copyrighted).
Hello,
My wife and I are new to [my hometown] and wish to purchase a house in [my neighborhood].
We are 80 years old - not investors or real estate agents.
If you are thinking of putting your home on the market in the next six months, give us a call [phone number] - promptly. If your home meets our wants and we can agree on a price, we'll purchase it now - you can stay for some months if you wish.
If you have a firm price in mind, fine. If not, you can hire an appraiser. In any event, we will hire an appraiser. We can then add the two appraisals together, divide by 2 and subtract 3%.
This way we will pay 3% less, you will receive 3% more than if you sold it through a realtor - less a few hundred for a real estate attorney.
The letter is then 'signed' with a [name], signed as in cursive font printout
I Googled the phone number which led me to a person in my hometown, but not the same person that 'signed' the letter.
Veromi.net give a listing for the number, but it doesn't give me any information without paying.
The local Online Parcel Information System doesn't have a listing for that name or address, but the address is probably for a local apartment complex.
Anyway, the only reason it intrigued me so much is that I am interested in selling my house in about 6 months, and I don't think this is a home an 80 year old would want to buy, although the neighborhood is filled with older people, who buys a house at 80years old and claims not to be an investor?
How should I proceed? I can toss it in the garbage or call the number on the letter. I think I might call the number and ask for [Google Name] (not the name from the letter). Then confront the dude on what the scam is. Is there anything illegal about sending such a letter? Can I report him to a better business bureau or local law enforcement or something?