When a buyer backs out of a sale at the last minute, it’s usually safe to assume that it was probably due to a poltergeist, or so the thinking goes in Saint John, New Brunswick, where Remax agent Jake Palmer had to put up a “Not Haunted” sign when he put the property at 376 Douglas Ave back on the market. “This house was kind of an ideal spot to try this for a few reasons, partly because of the (young) demographic that it is going to attract, the location and also because the sellers have a really good sense of humour,” Palmer told the Toronto Star.
The house, listed at $197K, is not only ghost-free, it also includes a “spacious dining room (that) can accommodate the most debonair of dinner parties or quaint family get togethers” and a “wonderful, meandering backyard bordered by mature maples and soft woods,” according to the listing on Palmer’s website. Seems like the guy’s got a bit of flair with the written word, as well.
That said, when he put the property (back) up for sale, Palmer was told there’s no place for humour in real estate—and he’s not kidding. Had he resided in neighbouring Quebec, he’d already have been reprimanded. On June 28th, Remax Quebec pulled a video from YouTube less than 24 hours after it first appeared. Real estate agent David Bourgon, a 22-year Remax routier in the Magog region, was looking for a creative way to sell a $1.75-million luxury home on Lake Long, leading to the following video concept (as per Journal Le Guide):
“Le scénario implique une dame qui se demande pourquoi son conjoint revient toujours épuisé de son camp de chasse. Une visite du courtier immobilier permet de découvrir que la fatigue de cet homme n’est pas causée par la construction de caches et l’abattage d’arbres. Le prétendu camp de chasse s’avère plutôt un véritable domaine comprenant court de tennis, champ de pratique de golf, île privée, maison d’ami, une vaste résidence ainsi que des invitées et du personnel plutôt attirants…”
In a nutshell, a woman wonders why her husband is always so tired when he comes back from his hunting grounds. The real estate agent pays him a visit and discovers that his “hunting space” is actually a mansion with a tennis court, driving range, private island and guest house, complete with some rather attractive guests and personnel—and all this can be yours for less than two-million! Apparently, Remax thought all this went “against the company’s values,” and the video was replaced with a PG version after some 15,000 views.
Perhaps Mr. Palmer, who’s reportedly rotating such cheeky placards as “Indoor Plumbing; Love Shack, Baby; It’s a Brick, House; No Dandelions; Fog Resistant; Batteries Included” on his Saint John property will think twice before selecting one that says “Scantily-Clad Women Inside”…
