
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, April 14, 1991                   TAG: 9104120084
SECTION: AMERICAN HOME WEEK                    PAGE: 19   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Genny Elias
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

MAN'S BEST FRIEND IS NOT BEST FRIEND TO POTENTIAL BUYER

You are walking with the REALTOR up to the door of a cute house that you are quite interested in buying. As you get to the front door, and the REALTOR inserts the key into the lock, a series of loud barks emerge from the other side. Would you enter the house?

If you said yes, you are one of the few, according to Roanoke REALTOR Dave Carty. Many potential home buyers will not go into a house if there is a barking dog inside. Yet, many sellers fail to see the danger in keeping a dog or cat inside the home while it is being shown.

In regard to pets, Carty said he has one sentence of advice to home sellers: "Get rid of 'em."

Although this step may sound drastic, getting rid of pets may mean boarding them at the vet's or at a friend or relative's house, or even confining them to the backyard until the home is sold.

Pets are always a problem, Carty said. Whether the animal is friendly or not, the potential buyer is there to look for a new home, not to play with a dog or cat.

"The home buyer is looking for a pleasant experience. An animal obstructs them from that goal," be it an obnoxious dog that jumps up looking for attention or one that growls at the potential buyer, Carty said.

Small dogs have a negative effect on men and large dogs have one on women, he said. In addition, cats that are left roaming free in a home may run outside when a REALTOR opens the door to show the home, leaving many home sellers angered.

Another problem with pets is the odor, Carty said. "Most homes that have a pet have an odor that people will not tolerate."

Although the matter of pets may seem like a touchy subject to broach with many home sellers, Carty said he feels it is the REALTOR's responsibility to tell the homeowner of the problem.

"You're going to have to tell sellers the truth if they want to sell their property," Carty said. "You have to assume your professional role and tell them what's the best way for them to sell their house."

by CNB