Buying or selling a home involves a lot of things, it also raises questions. In this column ‘Ask Bob’, real estate expert/broker Bob Bartikoski of RE/MAX Paradise Homes Bonaire answers a real estate question from a reader. This time:
Question: I’m considering listing my house on Bonaire for sale but my extended family doesn’t want me to sell it, what should I do?
That’s a great question, and thank you for asking. When my clients are thinking about selling their home, sometimes the children or other relatives don’t want them to sell because they like the idea of having a house on a tropical island where they can visit anytime they want, it doesn’t cost them anything to own, and they can use it for free when they visit.
In reality, I find that those same relatives never actually use the house. They like the idea of a vacation home, but usually they are too busy with work, children and their own lives to actually get away to a somewhat distant place like Bonaire for vacation. I often advise my clients it might be cheaper for them in the long run to sell their house now, and then pay for the children’s vacations on Bonaire than it is to keep the house and pay the costs of the ongoing maintenance and taxes on the house.
If you decide to list your house for sale please contact me at [email protected], the real estate market is good right now, when we get to November we will start into our busy season for selling.
Do you want to buy or sell a house in Bonaire, or do have a real estate question for Bob? email him at: [email protected]. Call for free from the US: 1-866-611-7362 or Bonaire: +599-717-7362. See all our listings here.