I wonder how thin the walls must be in this condo!

What are the chances that two units, side-by-each, come onto the market on the very same day?

Is it possible that one neighbor overheard the other neighbor talking about putting their condo up for sale, and decided to follow suit?

Problems with neighbors have been well documented for about as long as people having been cohabitating our planet, and from time to time, I like to vent about my own personal issues with those who live around me.

But aside from being noisy, messy, or dealing drugs out of the garage, what is the worst case scenario with having a “bad neighbor?”

Three years ago, my friend “Bubbles” told me that his parents would be selling their Moore Park home.

They weren’t just going to slap up a FOR SALE sign and cross their fingers, but rather they spent week after week emptying the house of the clutter that had accumulated in the previous twenty years and completely overhauling the front and back yards to try and get the property in tip-top shape.

Bubbles’ parents weren’t exactly keeping their impending sale a secret from the neighbors.  If it wasn’t already obvious with the amount of work that was going on around the house, his parents actually told the neighbors that they were planning to list after May-two-four weekend.

Bubbles’ parents insisted on doing most of the work themselves, and the amount of sweat-equity that they poured into that house couldn’t possibly be quantified.

After five long weeks, the house was ready for the open market.

The house came out for sale at $1,495,000, and the feedback was very positive.

But exactly five days after Bubbles’ parents house was listed, the house right across the street came out for $1,449,000.

Sneaky bastards!

Surely the neighbors didn’t simply list the house on a whim, did they?

Surely they had been planning this for weeks!

But not once during the many “friendly” conversations with Bubbles’ parents did these neighbors ever mention that they too were going list their house for sale.

And sure enough, the buyer that was contemplating a purchase of Bubbles’ parents’ house ended up buying the house across the street.

And then, Bubbles’ parents’ house sat on the market for three months until they had to terminate the listing, renovate the house, and relist it.

What a story!

And even more amazing is that we actually call this grown man of 29-years, “Bubs.”  But I digress…

Today, two units at 255 Richmond Street East, aka “Space Lofts,” were listed for sale on MLS.  They happen to be right next door to eachother.

Coincidence?

It simply must be.

The two condos are owned by two different people, listed by two different real estate companies, and for sale at two different prices.

One condo is about 640 square feet and is listed for $288,000.

The other condo is 750 square feet and is listed for $309,800.

For those playing along at home, you’ll deduce that the larger condo is a much better deal.

These are both two-storey units, both facing south from the 8th floor.

Both have standard kitchen and bathroom finishes, and neither have any significant upgrades.

I would consider $288,000 and $309,800 to be in the same “price range” for buyers, so we aren’t dealing with two unlike products.

So what does this mean for the two respective sellers of these side-by-side condos?

It means that they are battling eachother for buyers.

I think that the larger unit costs less per square foot, so the owner of that unit has the head start.  But had the smaller unit been priced at $274,900, these two racehorses would be neck-and-neck.

I don’t believe in “fate” or “luck,” but I have to wonder what the chances are that these two owners were both contemplating selling around the same time, and both decided to do so….on the very same DAY!

There is no advantage to selling at the same time, so it isn’t like they planned it.

So for the next few weeks, these two people have to scour at eachother in the elevator, and keep track of how many people are coming in and out of the other’s unit.

It can’t be a fun time for anybody.

Selling your house or condo is never an easy proposition, now imagine knowing that your neighbor is fighting you for buyers and then try sleeping sound at night.

And you know that every single buyer that walks into one unit, is going to turn around and walk right into the other.  At the same relative price, in the same building, and being situated eight feet away from eachother, these units will be viewed in unison by anybody looking in the building.

Unlike Bubbles’ parents’ situation, there are far more buyers for $300,000 condos than there are for $1.5 Million houses.

But that won’t stop these two sellers from wondering why they didn’t wait a couple weeks to sell.

Or, perhaps list a few weeks sooner…