Wednesday WTF: No Seriously, Clean Your House Before Photos
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Editor’s Note: We’ve had a few people call us out. But here’s where we are coming from: If we are going to remain a voice about elevating the industry, then we have to call out photos like this, and we have to point out that the realtor did the client a disservice by having the property photographed in that state. It’s all about the discourse.
It is sad that someone lived like this. And hopefully, this can start a real conversation about how we take care of the elderly and disabled, and we welcome that conversation and hope everyone who took the time to comment today will join us in having it. But the weekly Wednesday WTF has always been about the off-the-cuff, human reactions we have to shocking things. And this is indeed shocking.
So before I begin this week, I need to tell you that all this WTF has not only ruined my browser history for life, it’s also gotten in my head and now I have weird dreams about Cher standing in my bedroom watching me sleep or being forced to clean houses that have been home to 500 cats at once.
Or last night’s dream, where my brain took me to a place where the government tore down all our houses and then made us build them again. But to earn bricks to build a new house, one had to say “fudge.” Only not actually “fudge,” but something saltier and more adult. Every time you said “fudge,” a new brick was delivered to you.
I had a new house in a week.
Anywho, this week’s Wednesday WTF is a local doozy. Seriously, I looked through the listing after Candy sent it to me and immediately scuttled my first choice, and went with this one. Then I took a Silkwood shower.
From the outside, as you can see above, it looks like a nice little duplex. The Fall foliage makes it even look a bit picturesque.
But let’s go inside. I mean, not actually because flea dip is not something I need for my life, but let’s look at pictures of the inside.
Like this door. That’s the front door. It appears that it’s never been cleaned. And that carpet. 
And it’s not an outlier. Hi, stain on the floor of the bedroom. Are you DNA or wine? Please never tell me.
And Jesus, Joseph, and Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, what is up with the doors in this place? I get that fingers are grubby and doors are white, but dude, clean that. Wipe it down. It comes off. And if not, trim paint. My eyes are mad at me now and my gag reflex won’t allow me to entertain the thought about what that brown splotch on the door is.
I mean for the love of Judge Judy, Mr. Clean even looks like this now so just go get you some cleaning product and wipe that down. Wipe it.
And for real, what is this? WHAT IS THIS?
And this?
And this kitchen. I have run out of words but my retroperistalsis hasn’t. What kind of smatchet would allow real estate photos to be taken of this obvious crime scene?
And is this a bedroom, or the room from the movie “Room?”
Listen, I know this says it’s a great investor property, so replacing flooring and painting isn’t necessarily a cash outlay someone might want to make to sell a bargain property.
But I can’t help but think that even minimal cleaning, decluttering and, I don’t know, trash removal might just make people more interested in taking a chance on this house in Peak’s Suburban Addition.
“Bring your ideas and enjoy this lovely area,” the listing says. I think we all know what the first one should’ve been.
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I had my belly laugh for the day! Thank you, thank you.
I would not enter through the front door. You will get bugs.
Obviously this belonged to someone with disabilities (the walker) but those dirty doors! Wiping doors with Clorox is one of my rituals on busy doors… but what the bejesus did they have on those hands? I don’t want to know! But did anyone notice the neatly arranged bottles in the kitchen? Was that the only moment of organization this place has ever seen?
Estate owned property, occupied by elderly, disabled tenants. I’d like to see Bethany Erickson’s home put under a public microscope for open mockery. Let’s make sure she has the same income and health conditions that these folks are living with first. You deleted my first comment. Dishing out mockery at the expense of those less fortunate, but can’t take a little constructive feedback yourself? This is the wost. Please do the right thing and REMOVE THIS POST: https://candysdirt.com/2018/01/24/wednesday-wtf-no-seriously-clean-house-photos/. Seriously, WTF?
Amanda. This is not directed at the tenants. We understand that some people have limitations, our focus is on the agents who either don’t prepare the property for sale or write copy that is not congruent with the reality. This is a real estate blog. We look at everything from that perspective. I don’t know about any deleted comments but I am not only showing yours but responding to it. We welcome discourse! Happy to show you what my house looks like right now: my office looks like a cyclone hit it. If you saw it, you’d call me a hoarder. We may poke fun at other properties, but we poke fun at ourselves first.
Prior comment which appears to have been deleted: “Wow. You know what is appalling? Self-absorbed, shallow and sensitivity-devoid MEAN GIRLS are appalling. Per MLS, this property was built in 1918 (so generations of wear and tear are showing), and is advertised as being both owned by an estate (meaning the owner passed away) AND tenant-occupied. Further, as another reader pointed out, we can see the presence of assertive devices in the photos. Making fun of someone’s limited means or ability to keep up with YOUR living standards is poor form. This is someone’s home. Show some respect.”
Assistive devices – typos are terrible.
Oh, Amanda. Clearly you don’t understand the purpose of the Wednesday WTF, and also appear to be seriously lacking in the sense of humor department. It’s OK, you can still sit with us.
Just kidding. Not with those sweatpants.
ON WEDNESDAYS, WE WEAR PINK!
Thanks for recreating it. This blog is all about discourse and discussion. We show every home respect, but because we are a blog and have opinions, we dole those out.
@Andrea – You are so right. I just don’t find it fun or funny to mock people’s living conditions. I find it incredibly rude, insensitive, and tasteless.
@Candy – I am without words. I cannot believe you would think this is acceptable behavior or content, and it reveals far more about this website and it’s bloggers than it does about the misfortunate targets of your collective ridicule.
Thank you for your opinion.
Walker in the bedroom tells the story…elderly or disabled. Probably the best they can do
I have listed lovely, immaculate homes and I have listed not immaculate and not attractive homes. I have priced accordingly. I have helped people clean in the past. I have also looked around and decided there was not enough money in the world to make me to clean. Sellers either can’t clean or don’t or won’t. Reading the comments, you say this commentary is about the Realtor, not the sellers. What is the Realtor lesson here? Are you saying we turn down the listing, or clean ourselves. or not post photos? I don’t see the description, does it not match with the real condition? Don’t want to see one of my less-attractive listings in this blog as the Wednesday WTF, but also don’t want to turn away listings just because they are ugly — ugly homes still sell and investors love them. I appreciate that these photos show it like it is. You know exactly what you are getting into – no bait and switch or photos so dark you can’t tell what is happening in them, or just the photo of the front of the home and you have no idea how bad bad can be inside. Please expand on what you expect from the Realtor.
Excellent feedback, Brenda Kronenberg. Thank you for saying that.
We want your opinions! I think you make some valid points!
This must be an AS IS sale.. so why not put ONLY the pic of the exterior up and scratch the rest? This realtor needs some counseling. Even better, make it a lot sale…demo the house. That said, I feel sorry for the folks who live here. Sorry they’re in that situation and hope they are going to a better place. And that wherever they go has a serious cleaning crew!
This is what I was wondering. The righteous indignation isn’t hitting the Realtor, who allowed photos to be taken and put on MLS in the first place.
I agree with Amanda it is in poor taste! Help the poor folks out! We might all end up living in these conditions when we are older or worse a nursing home!
@Amanda – I found this stick. I think it fell out of your ass.
I agree with Amanda. I don’t find this article helpful. Candy, you are discrediting the tenants. You obviously know there are elderly people and som one with disabilities living in this home. This entire article is making fun of their living conditions. You are also making fun of their living conditions in the comment section. You’re articles are becoming tasteless. If you want to help someone, help out these folks.
Duly noted.
I just felt incredibly sad viewing these pics. Certainly didn’t laugh.
Oh dear,
Ok, we are always writing glowing things about properties in Dallas. We lift Dallas up every day, in every way. We love Dallas, we love homes, and we love our Realtors. So, there is no need to be jumping down Bethany’s throat for what is clearly satire- that is the POINT of the Wednesday WTF. Thicker skin my dears, is warranted. But if you want to break it down as non satire— even when it clearly IS satire, then here are some pointers.
I’ve consulted on many homes where people have little money and also have disabilities. They STILL have a clean home. My own elderly parents, on a fixed income, managed a clean home when they were BOTH in wheelchairs facing surgeries. Crying disability does not wash (LOL-more satire ya’ll) with me. This home has not been cleaned in YEARS. Built in 1918? I write about homes built in that era all the time. They have been cleaned since 1918, however. So are we to think NO ONE, IN 100 years, maintained this home? I call b.s. How can anyone, including a buyer, show respect for someones home that clearly does not respect it themselves?
So, we are supposed to feel sorry for the holders of the estate? They allowed these tenants into the home. YES, the estate managers have a responsibility . They are hoping to make money from the sale. They need to put some effort into the process of that sale. And yes, I’ve dealt with many estates and the bank DID assign money to take care of the basics like cleaning and moving out tenants prior to the sale.
I’ll add no Dallas realtor was called out. The address was not printed.
Putting a home on the market requires some thought. Who is your buyer? If it’s an investor, then show only what is going to lead an investor to the home. The lesson is, as one dear reader said, put up only a photo of the exterior. That tells an investor what they are in for, believe me. Otherwise prepare to be called out. ESPECIALLY ON WEDNESDAY WTF!
Karen, the blog post links to the listing on Realtor.com — in the paragraph where it says, “Anywho, this week’s Wednesday WTF is a local doozy. Seriously, I looked through the listing after Candy sent it to me and immediately scuttled my first choice, and went with this one. Then I took a Silkwood shower.” The address is named. Listing agent is named. Listing broker is named.
Sometimes putting a home on market is a necessity, not a choice. Sometimes people pass away, and the estate and heirs do not have the means to do anything more than sell a property as is. Maybe it isn’t your reality — or Candy’s reality — but it is THEIR reality. Don’t like the house? Don’t buy it. But what purpose does it serve (outside of website traffic and site monetization) to make fun of people who have less than you? Who live less than you?
By the way, Realtors have a duty to present an accurate representation of a property, which the listing agent does with these photos. The photos are for MLS use — not for this.
There’s your Wednesday WTF, people.
Amanda thank you for pointing that link out. I’ll lobby to have it removed as I don’t think publishing an address is appropriate. We understand your duty as a Realtor. But, Realtors are not obligated to run more than one photo. We see it all the time. This home has a specific buyer base. I tell you what, I’ll offer a free consultation to the next agent that comes up against a property like this. I have a lot of resources.
Karen, thanks for your help in advocating for what’s right. More than the link needs removed. This outlandishly judgemental and utterly insensitve blog entry should be removed.
There are a multitude of incorrect assumptions being made here, including the circumstances of the Seller and sale, the success of the broker’s listing efforts, and site’s authority to use licensed content (photos) for the purpose of this blog.
As a candidate for Dallas City Council District 11, someone might want to reconsider how her “opinions” and actions might reflect with constituents. Putting down the least fortunate among us isn’t the best strategy for bringing a respectful, transparent vision to the great city of Dallas.
Amanda, remember no one here is out to hurt a Realtor or a seller. There is a bare minimum that needs to be met to put a home on the market…regardless of circumstance, or it needs to be a hip pocket. The point has been missed on several levels. We are not putting down the unfortunate circumstances of the tenant. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t this now a bank owned property? So, the bank has money. They can put forward some funds to relocate the tenants, and clean the home. Again, I’ve been there, done that, in similar circumstances. It sound like you may have unique insight on this property. I invite you to submit a guest blog, and discuss the challenges Realtors face with these particular properties. Let’s create a constructive conversation on how to best market them. And if this is a friend’s listing, I’m happy to provide a free consultation to the Realtor and the bank trying to sell the property.
@Karen — no it is not “bank owned”. If the “journalists” had done their homework (C has access to the MLS as a Realtor®), they would know the circumstances in context of the listing. The home is marketed specifically toward investors, and the distressed condition of the sale is described in the listing. But readers don’t get the benefit of those details here, do they? The see what the bloggers want them to see. HA HA – so funny.
This is not a case of some lazy Lucy listing agent doing a half-hearted job. This is a story about family members losing a sibling who provided for their housing needs. The home is owned by the estate of the decedent. Occupants clearly do not live lavishly, and are ill equipped financially, physically, and in other ways, to invest in this property. They are losing their home, and struggling to find a transition solution. This is their reality. A better use of everyone’s time and energy would be spent asking how they could help assist these folks — not leverage their cirmustsances for thoughtless click bait. And Karen, unless you are going to don a pair of working woman’s gloves to lend a hand, I’d suggest you quit trying to pander and self promote on this thread. It makes you guilty of the same thing we are so upset with Candy about on this issue — leveraging other people’s misfortune for your own benefit.
Don’t you think the snarky comments would hurt your feelings if this was your home — or your mother’s home — or your Nana’s home? Don’t you think being painted in the light of a “disservicing broker” would hurt your feelings if you were busting your butt to help people in their worst time of need — and getting it done for them? The listing agent isn’t a personal friend, but I took the time to reach out and understand. Wish more people would do the same and then tell me what the laughing matter is here. They keep suggesting the listing broker has done something wrong by uploading these photos to the MLS. The only one who is doing something wrong with the photos are the bloggers who are twisting the story for the benefit of traffic and content (and don’t have permission to use these photos). These are real people, who are terribly hurt and shocked to be used — exploited — in this manner. The blog post is wrong on so many levels. Now do you understand?
boo Bethany!
Louis, Bethany is a lovely human being and an incredibly talented writer. Why don’t you have lunch with us sometime.
Amanda can join us!
Bethany should use her powers for good, not evil.
Ok.
https://candysdirt.com/2017/10/05/school-food-pantries-feed-students-with-community-help/
https://candysdirt.com/2017/08/30/dallas-isd-set-welcome-youngest-harvey-evacuees-can-help/
https://candysdirt.com/2017/08/23/dallas-isd-needs-wont-disappear-but-you-can-help/
https://candysdirt.com/category/houses-of-cards/
And yet, you will be defined in you career by this one. I wouldn’t want my name attached to it if I were you.
Just saw the editor’s note. You still don’t get it… it wasn’t that someone “lived” this way (not that it would make this any better). This is the present condition of the current occupants you are openly disparaging. The listing broker isn’t doing a dissservice by photographing a true and accurate depiction of the property. Instead the photos serve to manage expectations for potential buyers of what you see is what you get. No photos you say? Consider that these photos could help minimize unwanted and unqualified showing traffic and reduce strain on already burdened folks who are doing their best to transition in the worst of circumstances. Do your research before you post unnecessarily hurtful and unwarrantedly cruel remarks. Better discernment is needed. I previously wished that you would remove the blog entry. Now I think it better serves to remind folks that they too will get what they see if the editor is elected to City Council… a lack of empathy and inability to relate to those who might live differently from her own standards.
Ok ,we will just have to agree to disagree. I would never, as an estate manager, allow a property to be marketed this way.
“I would never…” That’s a statement that lacks perspective and experience. Sometimes you play with the cards you are dealt, bear down and do the best you can with what you have. Performance evaluation is between the listing broker and seller. To suggest that the listing broker isn’t serving the seller… that simply isn’t true. (If C or C’s staff checked, they would learn that.) And what gives this website or it’s contributors the right to publicly humiliate and ridicule the living conditions of anyone else? It’s a completely unfair and ill mannered attack all around from title to conclusion. The listing broker’s photos on the MLS are doing the job intended in accordance with Seller’s wishes. The perverted use of those photos on this website… how in the panko-crusted fresh hell does tearing people down elevate the industry?
LOL
That ship has sailed
Agreed Realtors should assist with the presentation of the property. I don’t know the condition of the estate or heirs. Maybe not able to clean or see.
I would like to offer to clean it for them or free and do some prep to better present it. 214-415-2192 cell Wendy North
Houses By Wendy. We can help them with Deep cleaning and Handyman Repairs
Facebook.com/HousesByWendy
That’s sweet of you Wendy. The listing broker has the property under contract. There is no shortage of demand or interest in the property…that is one of the pieces of misinformation this blog post unfortunately perpetuates.) However, they may appreciate your assistance (they do need help) and I will pass your info along to the listing broker. Very kind of you.
Any decent realtor would have taken an exterior photo and called the house As-is and left it at that. There’s absolutely no need to have taken these interior photos. It will likely limit the potential buyers. I do applaud that these appear to be professional photos and not just blurry cellphone photos. I guess if you’re going to fcuk up, go big!
This makes me sad! Obvious an elderly person, just sad no family member, neighbor or friend reached out to help this person. I’m not surprised, I once sold a home and could not believe how this woman lived and she had family that checked on her regularly. It looked as though this person tried to do the best she or he could, items were arranged neatly. Bless their hearts…..
Tacky and unnecessary. You don’t know the circumstances of this situation… hope you feel superior now.
I don’t think this post was intended to reflect on the people that lived in the house. The real wtf is for the realtor that posted these pictures on MLS. Why? Surely you didn’t think they would help sell the place.
Great article! The only realtors who would object are the ones too lazy to insure a good visual presentation for their client! I think property pics are more a reflection of the quality of the listing agent than anything else.
Agreed
I would have suggested decluttering or would have moved some things myself to make a better photos of a couple of rooms and only used those photos of the interior. I feel like it’s part of the job. When I see photos like these, and they aren’t that unusual, I think it’s more of a statement about the agent than the occupants.
It is shameful that you would use the misfortune and limitations of other poor souls as material to poke fun at in your column. I can only imagine how hurtful your article was to the homeowner, obviously an elderly person living with limited income and trying to get through another day. I suspect you did not write the article, as the spirit of it seems excessively cynical and hateful; more like a vicious gay bar queen, sitting near the entrance with their entourage after one martini too many, making fun of people as they enter. I also read your follow-up article, attempting to back peddle and calling on your readers to help our less fortunate neighbors. What a hypocrite!
A tiny amount of due diligence and kindness would have saved you from looking like a complete a-holes. “Unfollow”