Is it just normal business? Mom died a month ago. For the last week or two I keep getting letters from real estate agents or real estate agencies. They want to buy mom's house or sell it for me. Most of them say they got my information through public records. And that they see the home might come up for sale soon. My brother is living in the house. There will be no sale. I'm disturbed about the letters. I may not have been close with mom but it's still moms house.
If you want to feel some sense of retaliation, call a few of them and tell them that you were in the market for a realtor but wouldn't consider someone like him/her because they prowl the public records searching for clients. Tell them you've selected a prominent, well respected, realtor who DOESN'T snoop through public records looking for potential clients.
Dad also gets personal letters asking if he wants to sell. There is no way anyone knew that my Mom had passed. We had no obituary. There must be some State record that businesses can get their hands on.
Heavens, even I get the very same letters as my Dad... we are both senior citizens. Dad's mail is forwarded to my house. Most mailings say they will buy your house today and you can settle next week. These are flippers who want a bargain deal hoping the seniors who live there are strapped for money, want out, and don't know how much their house is worth.
My parent's home is on the market For Sale by the company where I work as we occasionally sell residences. And even then, the company will get offers to purchase the house for some ridiculously low price. Forgetaboutit. Ain't going to happen. I had my parent's house Appraised, so I know how much it is worth.
Hadnuff, just be lucky you aren't getting telephone calls... thank goodness for the Do Not Call List :)
Some ads I had to chuckle about, like memberships to a gym, children's day-care centers, college courses, new car advertisements, etc. Dad, at 94, better not need a children's day-care center :P
I did get one nice letter from a Realtor who had clients who lived next door to my Dad's previous address, and their son was interested in my Dad's house. So I did contact him, but the son found the house needed too much updating, which is understandable, not a first-time-buyer type of house.
Usually when I get the mail from my mailbox out front, once in the garage those types of letters get tossed into the recycling without even opening.
I still think it is demographic type mailings, as there are mailing companies that can sell addresses depending on what demographic a client is needing. These are mass mailings, big time.
If I had the guts, I would love to call up these quick sell places and tell them they can meet me Saturday morning at 9:30 at the house. But I would hate to do that to the new owner.