Isn’t downsizing the buzz word of the quarter?

Things have been busy busy with downsizing due to unemployment. Talk about timing. With lockdown all over and social distancing requirements, not to mention the mask situation, the complexity of moving houses has never been more engaging or entertaining with a devastating outcome. If masks make us blow holes in the civilized fast food drive-thru ordering system, “downsizing” on a house order is proving to be more mind boggling than the magic trick of making a plane disappear in front of a live audience. Houses are empty, yet none can be found.

And just when you think that office politics are tough, real-estate and associated agents’ politics makes the office crap seem like an introduction. Similar to that magic trick, real-estate agents can make your information appear out of nowhere, along with your past events, and, not an exaggeration, tell you your future. At least the future of where you will live, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

One property, ten agents

Thats less agents than the FBI has sent after the most notorious on the most wanted list. But that’s the number of agents coming after me per one listing. I was receiving different offers by different real-estate agents, all quoting different rates and conditions, and all accusing the other nine of being untrustworthy. It feels like I am the judge, the jury, and at the same time the defendant who lost the appeal. I am reaching a point where taking a loan to avoid moving, and risk not paying it back was the safest solution when downsizing. Its got a ring to it too. Downsize your savings to save your downsizing. I think you agree with me that it does not make sense! But its got that ring to it, right?

As per the law, kapumfs pvv tak dim purr. Exactly my thought: Huh?

Real-estate agents are kings. Market is up, prices increase as they wish. Market is down, still prices are as they wish. 10% of the population left the country, and real-estate prices go up. To answer your question, no, those who left did not take the houses with them. They are still were they are, and empty. Still, let me clarify the “pricing is up” comment I made a few sentences back. In reality, real-estate rental pricing dropped. Finding these properties is mission impossible. It will seem like they are hidden from the market until things improve. Very astonishing really, downsizing the listings!!

Select area, scan for desired specs, arrange viewings. That’s it!

So here’s the thing, we pick an area, filter five places that have what we are looking for in the description, and arrange for viewings since all of them are of similar price and within budget. The agent of the first place we want to see informs us that it will be open, and security will let us in. This is impressive social distancing considerations. That was not expected really, given that other agents insisted on meeting us for viewings of other listings of interest. I knew it was too good to be true, and as soon as we entered the apartment, it became clear that this agent was practicing social distancing between him and the apartment. It was horrific.

I think my spouse went without sleep for a week. I’m not sure cause I resumed normal sleep patterns on the 3rd night, and she looked worse than previous days until a week after we saw that apartment. I can’t believe that I wrote a whole thing on pictures being a thousand words, yet cannot put one in here to show you how bad it looked – and that’s leaving out the smell part.

There were no floor tiling, which must be because they had to remove them to get the rotten bodies of whomever were buried there. The place smelled like carcasses galore. This must have been the first and only time I thanked God for COVID that made me wear a mask during this home hunt. I am still unable to explain why we did not inform the authorities that some atrocities possibly took place in that apartment.

A few weeks later and voila

We found the community we were happy to move into, picked the house number, and accepted the offer the landlord “sent” through the agent(s). All 10 of them. Seems that one of the nine should usually be the better agent, and when you stick to them, the other nine suddenly start rooting for you and trying to get you better deals.

Still though, it was really an amazing experience when one is begging for someone else to take their money. Signing the contract and receiving the necessary documents to register the rental contract under the government real-estate regulations authority was sloooow. It took forever. There are excellent services in Dubai, probably the best in the world, yet, some processes are so strange, and dysfunctional.

Eventually, we moved in, and all the required documentation, fees, and processes were completed. I am sitting on my desk from the new place writing this, and the feeling of not having to move for another year, hopefully, brings such joy, I am appreciating the minutes of staying at a new home now.

Moving on a Budget is Hard – Conclusion

In summary, I moved 3 times in the last 5 years, and all moves were relatively easy. Though moving on a budget, the amount of support you get will shrink, and the awfully helpful agents you encounter normally are nowhere around. Literally downsizing in everything. There’s much to learn and this will make future moving practices much easier. This glimpse into the real-estate dog-eat-dog world is not a pleasant one, but to learn to differentiate a good agent from a bad one is a definite plus.

First, ignore the website details. Use them sparingly.

The biggest ones are propertyfinder.ae and bayut.com. They serve as an indication to the areas of interest, an overview mainly and where you can search for a reputable agent at best. Sadly, the listings on these sites will not be accurate (unless you click on above-market-price listings), and there will be issues with almost every listing you check. Listed pricing are rarely what the agent tells you when you phone them. Sometimes, you get a response confirming the listed price, but then the properties and their details are almost never accurate. Find a reputable company, and look for specific agent reviews under such companies. Phone them up, and tell them what your interest is. That is the best bet to get reliable feedback and responses. Mind you, it may not be what you want to hear, but its more likely accurate than BS.

Second, plan ahead.

You may see a multitude of listings for one community. They are as fickle as the weather in Britain. Rain for a moment then sunshine – repeat. Several visits will be required. There’s some roulette algorithm running these listings. It’s pretty confusing and can make you doubt yourself.

Third, stick to agents who have keys for a property.

Never stick to ones who seem to rely on someone to get the keys, or one who shows you a property and assures you it is the exact as the unit you asked about. These are almost always desperate attempts at keeping you hooked.

Fourth, verify all documentation

Check the title deeds and note number of owners (they all need to sign the contract). Check the contract. The main form is as per government requirements. But the addendum is not. Make sure you understand everything. They sometimes are tweaked to favor the owner.

Finally, workout the utilities and internet shifting to the property, along with the moving dates based on the rules of the community you are moving to, and ensure you have the right approvals to move out from your current property.

Happy moving, while I move to the next post!