I read somewhere that every property is listed "as is" so there's no need to point it out. I believe what you're fearful of is the buyer coming back and wanting a bunch of repairs based on the inspection report, correct?

A friend of mine had the same issue, so she reviewed the comps and priced her home to take into account the issues her house had that would be of concern to most buyers. Then, the realtor took pains to communicate this to the buyer's realtor during the offer/counter offer process. I believe the buyer still included a contingency that they could walk if the cost of the repairs were to exceed "x" amount. It all worked out well in the end.

Jewel654, You are correct. We don't want a list
of repairs presented as a bargaining chip. Your
idea of a fair price explained by our realtor is good.
You mentioned that "As is" is not necessary to
point out. I guess it is always the buyer's option
to have an inspection with a contingency clause.
Thanks. I have conditioned myself to think that
a house must be perfect in order to go on the market.

"As is" does have a negative connotation to most buyers and just confuses the rest. It reads like - "seller knows something is wrong but won't tell us what." or "there are a lot of things to do but seller can't be bothered to do them or pay for them" It's most commonly used with distressed property because the seller (banks) don't know what's wrong or the items are too numerous to mention.

List it at fair market value (little buffer for repairs) and don't worry about the rest until you get an offer.

Put your best foot forward- Gorgeous older home, updated systems!

"As-is" is generally taken to mean "there are serious problems with this property that the owner can't or is not going to fix prior to sale". While all houses are, in fact, offered as-is, putting it in the listing is a red flag. It probably turns most people off, some of us investigate further as that red flag may indicate a possible bargain if the issues can be dealt with readily. There's a world of difference between a house that is full of some hoarders hoard and needs several dumpsters to clear and one sitting in a bog with a failed septic system and no way to install a new legal one.

Your property does not sound like it warrants the "as-is" flag in the ad.

Sometimes I see a listing note like "Home is in need of some updating and is priced accordingly." As a buyer that raises fewer flags than "As is." There are other sort of realtor-speak ways to gently communicate the same thing, "Just waiting for your finishing touches" is another one I see (although that can mean anything from hanging curtains to drywall).

As a lover of historic homes - have one, and will be looking for future one(s).

Needs work pretty much comes with the territory. A lot of us actually prefer to get something priced a little lower rather than have to pay top dollar for remuddling or even repairs that werent done as well as we might have liked - windows fer instance, I would love something were I can put some sweat equity into getting them functioning (painted shut is no big deal IMHO) vs paying for someone's cheapie replacement windows.

BTW, if painted shut windows is the worst thing ... or one of the worst things.... about it, then you have nothing to fear!

I appreciate the replies. As I suspected, "As Is" does indicate the need for more serious repairs than our house needs. I like the idea of listing with a price that will allow for a little wiggle room if a buyer notices the need for minor repairs. As it is today, our house is move in ready.

I think anyone who buys an old, historic property would want to put their own stamp on it---updating and restoration are to be expected. I just don't want to be the one who continues to do it in THIS house. (What if we had all the original windows restored, then the new owners decided to replace them with something modern because it suited their taste?)

"As Is" will not be stated in our listing. Thanks for your help!

I agree I'd never list as-is, there is no need.
During showings and negotiation you can easily convey you will not accept repair requests.
An informed buyer will understand it is as-is.

As someone who has lived in more then one 120+ year old houses, it is good to read you are not listing it "as is". It doesn't need to be. The majority of buyers looking at historic houses know the process of upgrading/restoring is a never ending process. There will always be something that needs doing. The painted shut windows are not a big deal. I have those also. The bones of the house are what is important. Wiring, plumbing, foundation, are the areas we always look at when we have purchased our old houses. As long as those are in good condition, (no knob and tube wiring, foundation issues) I don't think you have to much to worry about. Historic home people are diy'ers to begin with. They know there will be work to do. Just price it as another poster has said. Wiggle room. Hopefully you have chosen a realtor that knows how to sell a historic home. NancyLouise

Use of "as-is" is another one of those local things. Here in Florida, it is absolutely normal to see listings state "Use As-Is Contract" because that's the one we use for 99% of the residential sales for various reasons. The "as-is" contract has a default inspection contingency period as well.

If we see "as-is" in the listing, it can mean anything. But usually means that the seller planning to fix anything.

But, if the sellers attach a comprehensive disclosure, then what it means to me is basically this, "Here is the house and all the issues we know about. Make your offer based on what you see and what we said. You can still get an inspection, but unless it uncovers something new or different from what you can see or what we told you, the contracted price of the home is not negotiable."

In other words, you tell your buyers via disclosure that 20 windows don't work (if your MLS allows attachments, your sellers disclosure can be seen before the offer). They should factor that into their offer. They should not say, our inspection found 20 broken windows, so we want a $10K reduction because they already knew that and should have factored that into the price they offered.

cmarlin20, Great advice, thanks!

nancylouise, The realtor we like owned a home in our neighborhood and knows the in's and out's of the historic market here. We have turned our house from a real mess to a very nice property in the 15 years we have owned it. Your comments are reassuring.

c9pilot, A full disclosure will be provided. I will remember your sound advice. ;-)

I was initially turned off from "as is" but recently bought a home that was listed as such. It sat on the market for a long, long time (by NoVA standards), but the bones were in good shape and the roof and heat pump were new (everything else was outdated though... think '80s). I guess good for us... we were able to negotiate conditions (seller subsidy) in a market that's pretty hot.

Just something to think about. "As is" doesn't always mean there's a huge problem with the house.

I agree with Robotropolis about the line about being "priced accordingly." "As is" always makes me think the well or septic or foundation is shot. It says "Buyer beware!" to me.

Re: 20 "broken" windows supposedly don't work???

They do work - they are just painted shut! Might be worth hiring someone with a heat gun to get them operational - if sashes are not deteriorated and made of good old growth wood matching the trim - then these are an asset, not a liability. That's where you need a professional with expertise and love of historic properties to advise you

I would not advise listing it As - Is. When you do, you are letting the other party know how you plan on negotiating the deal, even before there is one. And this causes the buyer to react to your AS - Is proclaimant when they are preparing their offer. I would point out all defects and deferred maintenance and go from there. Let the buyers get hooked emotionally first, before showing all of your cards.
On another note, remember that you are only interested in the net dollar amount that you will receive at closing. So, if you really are persuaded to do some repairs for the buyer, it may not be a big deal as long as your net dollar amount is still what you need to see.
Your thinking shouldn't be that "We will not do any repairs!", rather it should be "We will do what ever it takes to Net a certain amount, even repairs".
Good luck on the sale.

kashka kat, It would be worth it to at least find out what it would cost to unstick the windows. Even if we don't hire someone to do it, we would be able to figure in an accurate amount to use in a counter offer.

ncrealestateguy, Absolutely great advice. I can tell you have a lot of experience in making deals.Who knows? The right buyer might not think the needed repairs are even worth noting.

Pink, actually depending on how much work is needed... reglazing, broken ropes, etc. the cost of paint removal/window renovation could be comparable to yanking em out and putting in new ones (cheap- midprice new onesf that is) which is why it happens so often, and some of the remodeler or contractor guys will not even consider repair/renovation.... its very labor intensive (but easy, not rocket science) which really makes it the ideal owner sweat-equity type of job. Again, a historic specialist-renovator type person can give good advice about cost, what approach - even if some wood rot or sashes in poor condition it could be a matter of rebuilding just a few sashes vs. all new good quality replacement windows. If yours is a thoughtful, good quality renovation (sounds like it is) I would not think about cheap or vinyl replacement windows - only renovating original ones or quality replacements that look like they could be original and keep your original wide old growth wood trim and architectural detailing. The old house forum might be a good place to get some cost guesstimates - good luck and thank you for your work in caring for your old house! Trust me there are people who go by who you'll never meet or know,who appreciate your house (like me and my old house pals on a car trip - we always go on the B roads thru the old parts of towns! )

We are starting to look at listing my mother-in-law's house as she gets ready to move into assisted living. She is no longer mentally capable of filling out the disclosure form & none of her children ever lived in the house. We know nothing about any problems & suspect there aren't any because it's a really nice house that was well taken care of while my father-in-law was alive. We plan on listing it lower than the comps in the area & basically "as is" because we know nothing about the house. No idea how that will go over with buyers, but it's in a great location & very pretty, so we're hoping to get the most we can for her. Thoughts?

**We plan on listing it lower than the comps in the area & basically "as is" because we know nothing about the house.**

Good plan, although another option is to get an inspection done, fix the issues identified, then list the house similar to the comp prices.

I agree. If you have not lived in the home, I would advise getting an inspection and repairing anything that any buyer would want repaired. Repair it now or later or pay for it even more when the buyer puts his fix price on it.
Even if you opt to not repair anything, at least you will be prepared to explain everything to the buyers and not be caught off guard.

I would never use 'as is' in a listing unless it were a true fixer upper. In reading the listing, potential buyers will get the idea the house needs more than painting. I also feel if you're seriously looking at a historical home to buy, you might automatically assume there could be some issues, and ask for an inspection of the structure, as well as disclosing problems you ARE aware of, since it is a law. Don't open a can of worms if you don't have a can opener. ;)