This story begins with Lorri and Lisa, two first-time home buyers, moving from New York to Western Pennsylvania to take care of their elderly mothers. Having grown up in quite modest circumstances, neither had the slightest experience selling or buying property. Fortunately (or so they thought) one of them had done some babysitting years before for a child of Roslyn Neiman, a well-known Pittsburgh real estate agent in the employ of Howard Hanna, a firm of the highest scruples -- or at least that's what they'd like everyone to believe.
And so Lorri and Lisa signed on with Roz Neiman, confident she would never steer them wrong (oh no, never). Roz quickly worked on gaining their trust, sending them listings of prospective homes, complete with brief, and very candid, evaluative notes in her own hand. Several houses on the list were just "awful", another sported a "disgusting plan" but if a house was termed a "DOG" -- as several were, even some represented by other Howard Hanna agents -- we knew for sure to stay away. (See the document below, in Roz's own handwriting describing houses as "dogs" and the like.) Thankfully Roz had taken us under her wing and provided confidential information about properties we felt fortunate to have.
Here's what we ended up buying. It looked so nice... on the surface. So long as you didn't look under the cover-ups that were used to pull the wool over our eyes. After we took ownership of the House of Horrors, though, everything changed... water damage, extensive feline urine damage, mouse and pest infestations, bowed foundation, multiple structural defects -- all concealed quite handily.
In late April, Roz introduced Lorri and Lisa to 211 Hunt Road, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Roughly two months later (June 15), with the active encouragement of Roz Neiman, dual agent and a client of Mark Exler through his family-owned accounting practice, Lorri and Lisa reluctantly agree to forego the home inspection in order to expedite the sale.
Question: If Roz Neiman is selling your house, is she describing it as a "dog" --
Competing agents -- How is Roslyn Neiman describing your listings to her clients?
Something to think about...
And so Lorri and Lisa signed on with Roz Neiman, confident she would never steer them wrong (oh no, never). Roz quickly worked on gaining their trust, sending them listings of prospective homes, complete with brief, and very candid, evaluative notes in her own hand. Several houses on the list were just "awful", another sported a "disgusting plan" but if a house was termed a "DOG" -- as several were, even some represented by other Howard Hanna agents -- we knew for sure to stay away. (See the document below, in Roz's own handwriting describing houses as "dogs" and the like.) Thankfully Roz had taken us under her wing and provided confidential information about properties we felt fortunate to have.
Here's what we ended up buying. It looked so nice... on the surface. So long as you didn't look under the cover-ups that were used to pull the wool over our eyes. After we took ownership of the House of Horrors, though, everything changed... water damage, extensive feline urine damage, mouse and pest infestations, bowed foundation, multiple structural defects -- all concealed quite handily.
 |
In late April, Roz introduced Lorri and Lisa to 211 Hunt Road, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Roughly two months later (June 15), with the active encouragement of Roz Neiman, dual agent and a client of Mark Exler through his family-owned accounting practice, Lorri and Lisa reluctantly agree to forego the home inspection in order to expedite the sale.
As she had on at least one potential purchase before this one, Roz urgently informed us that if we insisted on keeping an inspection, the whole deal would fall through, knowing that we were running out of options and preying on our vulnerability. Then she vociferously argued that Mr. Exler was trustworthy, that she knew this because he was her longstanding accountant, and that she knew personally that 211 Hunt Road was “a great house” and that any problems we may find would undoubtedly be minor.
See below for Roz Neiman's descriptions of other houses (some for which she was herself the SELLING AGENT, and others for which her colleagues at Howard Hanna were the agents).
Question: If Roz Neiman is selling your house, is she describing it as a "dog" --
or "disgusting" or a "total gut" -- to prospective buyers?
Competing agents -- How is Roslyn Neiman describing your listings to her clients?
Something to think about...
So guess who ended up getting the REAL "dog" of all the houses Roslyn Neiman knew about? Us, that's who. And guess which house was really "disgusting" and in need of a "total gut"? Yeah. The one Roslyn Neiman pushed on us, that's what.
Hey -- Thanks, Roz, for all of your help!
Or just maybe not . . .
