Can your realtor report the issue to the local board of realtors? (don't know if there's much help there, but it should be reported.)

Try to set up a 'sting' with a realtor showing the property to someone, and really questioning the 'neighbor', or at least try to see where she comes from or get a car tag.

Try to figure out who the neighbor is and then hire a lawyer.

First, I would talk to your realtor to get some corroboration for the claim that this has happened before. Then talk to an attorney, I would probably have the realtor recommend one.

Your agent should be able to get some information from other agents. Don't do any real detective work, just find out if this has happened before.

Is the house 2 doors down still for sale?

The buyers agent won't give us any details about who this woman is because she doesn't want her to get in trouble. My agent believes that this woman is lonely and mistaken about which house she's talking about. The flip 2 doors down just went into foreclosure (again) a couple of weeks ago so it's currently vacant. We've never been thrilled with our agent. In fact, we tried to fire her a few months ago but she wouldn't let us out of the contract without a hefty penalty. I asked if she could try to corroborate the claim that this woman has spoken to other potential buyers but she basically told me "that would be a lot of work".

Agent is probably holding on to you until the contract expires or she has a buyer that wants your property but not at the price you have listed. If she has a broker report her to them. If not you may have to set up your own sting to find out who it is. Probably not even a neighbor if they do not recognize that they are talking about the wrong house.

Either send a friend in to do a sting or write a letter and send to every house on the block explaining that your house isn't the one that has been flipped. Maybe invite the neighbors over to see the house.

Maifleur01 - We only have 13 days left on our current contract with her (I haven't been counting..LOL)

Either way, I still need to unload this house and I'll have to let our new agent know about this. I don't think it would hurt necessarily to send a few friends to see the property and try and lure this person out.

I agree with bossyvossy... sounds like there is more to the story that is not known, or is not being told.

Do you know who the buyer's agent is? Is she a fictitious person?

Ask your agent for her advice. If she suggests to drop the price, may be she wants a fire sale before contract expires.

Send a friend to your agent to "view" your house. I say that because it sounds like the problem may be your agent so let your friends try and flesh out what the problem is. If there is a "neighbor" badmouthing you, you'll find out, or if, as I'm suspecting, it's your agent, you'll also find out.

The buyers agent won't give us any details about who this woman is because she doesn't want her to get in trouble.[...] I asked if she could try to corroborate the claim that this woman has spoken to other potential buyers but she basically told me "that would be a lot of work".

Just to be clear, I am not sure people have a choice in this matter. So I would let your agent know that a polite inquiry is how you prefer to proceed, but you will not simply be dropping this matter.

There is a time to just let things go, and there is a time to aggressively pursue a resolution. If you really believe this is an ongoing thing, then actively putting a stop to it, is the only option that makes any sense.

The flip 2 doors down just went into foreclosure (again) a couple of weeks ago so it's currently vacant.

Does the flipper still own the house? Because if that has sold and went into foreclosure, I suspect you found your guilty party, and if that house hasn't sold and you suspect the same neighbor could be sabotaging that sale, you need to let them know.

This could be a neighbor problem or it could be an agent problem. To find out, you need to get a friend or attorney to request a showing before the listing runs out. You will find out if you are being sabotaged by the agent or if there is really a neighbor that goes to this much trouble. Very few neighbors are going to go to this kind of trouble.

My guess is that this is really coming from the listing agent. The agent already knows that you are unhappy with their performance when you requested to be released from the listing contract. She probably wants a way to remove blame for her failure to perform. Your listing information and sales flyer should address this issue with information indicating when and how work was completed on the home through your years of ownership. It won't square with whatever may be said no a possible noisy neighbor.

It's unusual for an agent not release a seller from a contract. Most don't want to work for someone that doesn't like their work. The moral of this story is never sign a listing agreement for an excessive period of time. I've only had to fire one agent in all of the many homes I have bought and sold. I had cause. They were more than willing to cancel the contract. They didn't want an unhappy client, either. I'm willing to bet this is coming from the agent. Start looking for a new agent, now.

Assuming the initial description is correct, the solution is a suit for slander? Can't wait to see how that turns out.

I've bought literally dozens of houses and never once do I recall speaking to the neighbours beforehand. Though they do wander over later, inevitably wanting something.

"First, I would talk to your realtor to get some corroboration for the claim that this has happened before."

Exactly!

Something is fishy. Even the most dedicated neighbor could not have come outside to accost people that had viewed your property at various times and days of the week.

"We have had a TON of showings with fantastic feedback..."

Make that a TON of feedback without even one agent mentioning the neighbor?

As Judge Judy would say, "If it doesn't make sense it is probably not true."

Hope your next agent does better by you.

We have had a TON of showings with fantastic feedback, but no interest and we have no idea why....until today.

Or as Sophie said, it's the price. Who set the price initially? You or the agent?

I buy a lot of houses. I always arrive early ahead of my realtor, so I can start looking around. In one instance, last year, the next door neighbor came over, told me how awful the guy was that previously owned the property and how he'd died....on the property.....in his waterbed and cooked him like a chicken. Gross story, she seemed to think she was making friends. Then the neighbor behind the house leaned over the fence & asked if we'd purchased the property, he wanted a new fence. We still low balled an offer, none of THAT stopped us.

I think you should take "for sale" house fliers around to ALL the neighbors detailing how long you've owned the property and all it attributes....asking if THEY know anyone looking to buy a house. Set the facts down on paper and look neighborly.

That waterbed story is something!

Nicole, what a great idea!

jannicone....there's more to that story....:0) The previous owner had a row of flood lights mounted along the side of the house, surveillance cameras & a busted window(round hole like a rock was thrown threw it, plywooded over). The neighbor said he'd accused her 4 sons of parking on his side yard and bouncing their basketball against his house.....like it never happened...he was lying. Then my husband looks over and says isn't that a Kia Rio? Yes, she says, my oldest sons car. Weeeeeeeell it's got a stolen BMW hood ornament mounted on it! lol

I'm not following the parking/baskeball/BMW hood ornament story... lol

To clarify my story.....the neighbor was telling me what angels her boys were, how awful the dead guy was that had owned the property next door. Her 4 boys really did bounce their basketball against the neighbors house. They also threw a rock threw his window.

My husband noticed a BMW hood ornament on the oldest kids car....the hood ornament was stolen. The kids were juvenille delinquents and the mother was an enabler. The mother allowed her kids to do anything they wanted and lied for them.

Only a little more decipherable. lol

I am a little surprised by some of the posts here. The two things that will have me fleeing from a property fastest are any evidence of hidden problems and bad neighbors.

I have personally never loved a house enough that if a neighbor walked over and said it was a flip with lots of problems, I would buy it anyway.

I am not saying anyone is wrong, I am just surprised.

Bad neighbors are a big NO in my book too.

You can't change stupid!

One of us has missed the point of this (too) long thread. I thought the point was the suspicion that there was no trash talking neighbor at all, just a Realtor reporting that as a reason for not selling to cover either over-pricing or his/her (other) incompetences.

Maybe I'm confused...

I would like an update from OP

One of us has missed the point of this (too) long thread

------

Regardless what the point of this thread is, there have been posts that played down the effects of bad neighbors.

As to whether or not the realtor is making it up, it doesn't really matter. The next step is the same for either case.

This does happen. Stephanie, an ex neighbor wanted our buyers to have kids so her kids would have playmates. She was quite vigilant about accosting people touring our house, until we put a stop to it. The realtors let us know immediately, but she wasn't wrapping it in information about home problems.

"I would like an update from OP"

I, also.

OP?

Hi everyone, sorry life got away from me. There's no real update per se. The "neighbor" has not returned that we're aware of. I had some friends look at the house and no neighbor appeared either. My agent has made it very clear that she's notified other agents about this person as well. Our contract is up with her tomorrow.

Sophie Wheeler - to answer your questions, I've lived in the neighborhood for 10 years, so yes I know my neighbors however we live near the largest Navy base in the whole world so "turnover" is high. Yes there have been substantial upgrades to the house but we are not asking for "substantially more money". We purchased the house for $215k and the current asking price is $200 - that's right in line with comps in the neighborhood. So no, this house is NOT a flip. I hope this clears things up for you.