The Washer, Dryer and Refrigerator are generally NOT Real Estate items that go with a house. They are considered to be Personal Property. That is why sometimes you will see a spot where these things go…but no appliance there. That will pretty much NEVER happen with a stove or oven or dishwasher.

A house comes with a stove and oven…pretty much always. It either comes with a dishwasher or it doesn’t, but if it doesn’t have one, it’s not because the seller took it with him. It’s because he never had one. More typical in very old homes, of course, than newer ones.

Because they are personal property, even when the washer, dryer and refrigerator ARE included, they are not usually inspected by the home inspector, nor are they covered appliances in a normal home warranty basic package. Yes-Stove. No-Refrigerator. Yes-Dishwasher. No-clothes washer.

Now let’s look at the odds of your getting a washer, dryer and/or refrigerator in your home or condo purchase.

72% of the sellers of homes sold that were not bank owned or short sales, offered the refrigerator as included in the asking price.

47% of the sellers of homes sold that were not bank owned or short sales, offered the washer and dryer as included in the asking price.

90% of the sellers of condos sold that were not bank owned or short sales, offered the refrigerator as included in the asking price.

70% of the sellers of condos sold that were not bank owned or short sales, offered the washer and dryer as included in the asking price.

52% of the short sale sellers of homes offered the refrigerator as included in the asking price.

29% of the short sale sellers of homes offered the washer & dryer as included in the asking price.

Before I post the stats for Bank Owned Property Sales, note that a bank generally makes “no representations” or guarantees. So there may BE a refrigerator or washer and dryer in that bank sold home, but they are not warranting that it will still be there at closing. If it’s there; it’s there. If it’s not; it’s not. In other words, you can’t refuse to close because the refrigerator took a walk during escrow. Nor can you demand that the bank seller buy you a new washer, dryer or refrigerator if that happens. It’s treated like any other Personal Property left in the home by the previous owner before it foreclosed. It just may happen to be there.

That said, some REO property listing agents did note the following as included.

Only 4% of REO homes sold noted the washer, dryer AND refrigerator as included.

17% noted the Refrigerator as included.

6% noted the washer and dryer as included.

So you are more likely to get a refrigerator in that home purchase

than a washer and dryer

by all accounts.

By no means is it a “given” that the washer, dryer and refrigerator will be included. On the other hand if there is a stove, an oven, a dishwasher and a garbage disposal, it would be rare indeed if any of those appliances were not included and those are usually all covered in the home warranty basic plan.

Microwaves? Most always yes if they are built in like a range hood…and not if they are sitting on the kitchen counter like the toaster and the coffee pot.

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(Required Disclosure) Stats are not compiled, verified or published by The Northwest Multiple Listing Service.) Seems odd to have to disclose that, given I’ve never seen an mls do stats about appliances…but just to be safe, including the required disclosure.

If you are buying a home, it is important to know if your agent views you as a Customer or a Client. You may ask “What’s the difference?” until you read a post like this one written by an agent titled “Are you a Customer or a Client? Do you know the difference?” and the many comments by agents that follow.

Here is a quote from that post, written by a Real Estate Agent in Idaho, in case it is later removed by the writer from public view:

“As a Realtor, I work with both customers and clients.  Do you know the difference? I am a real estate agent when I’m working for my clients.  I am a non-agent when working with my customers.  The difference is whether or not you and I have entered into a written agreement for agency representation.”

I personally don’t agree that is the case in the State of Washington. Below is my comment on the above linked post:

“As Nathan said…in his State of Florida the default is NO representation. In my State of WA Buyer Representation IS the default.

NAR cannot legistlate this nationally …and this post is NOT true in the State of WA where all buyers are granted full representation by our Agency Laws, unless they are dealing directly with the listing AGENT not the listing Company.

There is only ONE person in this State of Washington who does not represent the buyer by Law vs by Contract, and that is the Listing AGENT.

Unfortunately, many agents here read posts like this and think it applies to them. Even the ABR class is taught that way here…that buyer is customer without a written contract…even though that is NOT TRUE here. Drives me bananas.

IF you work in the State of Washington…read that pamphlet on The Law of Agency that you hand to buyers. It says that you REPRESENT that buyer…by Law…without the need for a buyer signing a written contract to be a “CLIENT” vs a “customer”.

We have no buyer “customers” here unless the buyer signs a NO AGENCY agreement. You have to waive the representation by contract here…not get representation by contract. It is the opposite of most States, unless the buyer chooses to work with The Agent for the Seller aka The Listing Agent. All other agents, including every other agent in the Listing Brokerage…represents the buyer, by Law.

But likely 95% of agents don’t “get” that…because of writings like this one. There is NO national standard on this. State Laws apply.”

I run into agents all the time who do not understand that in the State of Washington ALL buyers are represented as CLIENTS, unless they choose to work with The Agent for the Seller or sign a NO AGENCY agreement. Agents read posts like the one I linked to…or take National Courses noting the distinction between Buyer as Client vs Buyer as Customer, and think they can treat a buyer as a customer they SELL something TO vs a Client that they represent in all facets of home selection and purchase.

Drives me absolutely bananas!

Ask your agent how you can become a Client vs a Customer. If they say you must sign a Buyer Agency Agreement to be a client…or if they say there is no difference…then they are likely treating you as a “customer” vs a client…and there IS a difference.

We all remember Tom Hanks in “A League of Their Own” and that great line “There’s no CRYING in Baseball!” That doesn’t mean it NEVER happens, that means it is not SUPPOSED to happen.

When it DOES happen it is usually a Joe Biden sized BFD!

Same goes for a Late Closing in Residential Real Estate transactions…with some exceptions. In a normal Residential Real Estate Contract, you put down Earnest Money WHICH YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO LOSE under certain conditions. People often don’t know this OR they forget this.

Most often agents probably don’t say “Oh, by the way you may lose that $10,000” while the buyer is writing the check. They just “assume” the buyer knows what Earnest Money is. Telling people they may lose $10,000 is just not something most agents like to say when someone is making an offer on a house. BUT if the day the buyer may lose it, is the first time they’ve heard of that possibility, the *chocolate* is going to hit the fan…and often does!

Earnest Money is the amount you ARE WILLING to lose if…

If you COULD NOT LOSE YOUR EARNEST MONEY we would not require Earnest Money as a “BINDER” in most Residential Real Estate Transactions. Still the minute the “you might lose your Earnest Money if…” situation comes up, people act like no one should ever utter those words. Odd…but true.

Buyers write those big, fat Earnest Money Checks without much thought to LOSING that money…until faced with the words “Your Earnest Money is NOW in Jeopardy”. Late closings enter that realm of possibility. Often that can turn into a “Let’s SHOOT the Messenger” knee-jerk reaction. But the reality is…someone, sometimes, has to be the bearer of that bad news.

So why IS the main rule  “No LATE in Real Estate