In Episode 2 of The Fitze Is Right, Maryland realtor Jen Fitze shares one of the wildest buyer stories you'll ever hear... and it all started with a phone call about a nightmare.

A military buyer relocating from Arizona to Aberdeen, Maryland found the perfect home; a beautiful rancher near Ripken Stadium. Offer accepted, deposit down, everything moving forward. Then Jen gets a call one morning. The buyer had a nightmare that the big tree in the front yard fell on the house. She no longer wanted to buy it.

Not because of the inspection. Not because of the appraisal. Not because of financing. Because of a dream about a tree.

From that point, the buyer completely ghosted Jen. Wouldn't answer calls, texts, or emails. The only thing she would say was that she wasn't buying the house. She missed her entire inspection window which was her only legitimate way out of the contract. She didn't schedule the appraisal. She just disappeared.

Meanwhile, Jen is documenting everything in writing, keeping her broker in the loop, and communicating with the listing agent. Then a week before settlement, Jen gets a phone call from an attorney. The buyer had hired legal representation to get her out of the contract... because of a dream about a tree.

The attorney reviewed everything Jen had documented, called back the next day, and delivered the verdict: the buyer cannot get out of the contract. She has to buy this house. And the attorney charged her an extra $1,500 just for wasting her time.

But here's where the story takes its wildest turn. After weeks of ghosting, fighting, and hiring lawyers, the buyer shows up to the final walkthrough and says "Oh, I just love this house. I just love it." She walked through picking out where to put her furniture, barely spoke to Jen, and settled on the house like nothing ever happened.

Jen and the listing agent sat in the family room after closing and stared at each other in disbelief.

In this episode you'll learn: → The only ways you can legally back out of a real estate contract → Why skipping your inspection window can cost you your only exit → What to do when a deal starts falling apart from the buyer's side → Why documenting everything in writing saved Jen when the attorney called → What sellers should know about packing before the deal is final → How to handle stress and anxiety during the home buying process without derailing your purchase

New episodes weekly. Follow Jen Fitze on social media for daily real estate tips.

Thanks for listening to The Fitze Is Right with Jen Fitze... the real estate podcast that tells you what your agent won't.

New episodes drop every other week. If this episode helped you or made your jaw drop, leave a 5-star review; it's the single best way to help new listeners find the show.

Got a real estate horror story of your own? We want to hear it. Send your story to @jenniferfitzecompassrealestate and Jen might read and react to it live on a future episode.

CONNECT WITH JEN: All socials @jenniferfitzecompassrealestate

WORK WITH JEN: Buying or selling a home in Maryland? Jen has over 20 years of experience helping families in Harford County, Baltimore County, and beyond. Reach out at jensellsmd@gmail.com

In the very first episode of The Fitze Is Right, Maryland realtor Jen Fitze takes you all the way back to where it started... her own first home buying experience. And it was a disaster.

In 2003, Jen and her husband were young, broke, and desperate to buy their first house in a competitive market. They finally landed a $72,000 home in Edgewood, Maryland. Sounds like a win, right? That's where the nightmare begins.

The seller's wife, who wasn't even on the deed, physically blocked them from doing the final walkthrough. At settlement, that same woman came over the table screaming and threatening Jen. They had to split into separate rooms just to close the deal. The listing agent was so concerned about the situation that he put up his entire commission as a guarantee the sellers would leave the home in good condition.

They didn't. Jen showed up on move-in day to holes in the walls, trash everywhere, a destroyed fence, and tire marks across the backyard. The agent lost every dollar of his commission.

But it gets worse. Fifteen months later, a drug raid hit their court. Jen found herself on the floor of her bedroom in the dark at midnight while helicopters circled overhead and suspects ran past her house. The for-sale sign went up two weeks later.

Their next home? A $138,000 house in Abingdon with 22 showings and zero offers, because the inside was trashed. A daycare operator with seven kids had left the home with poop on the bathroom walls, destroyed carpets, and a smell so bad they had to sit outside during the home inspection. Jen and her husband saw the potential and bought it anyway.

To start renovations before closing, they agreed to pre-occupancy which meant waiving the final walkthrough. That one decision cost them everything. After closing, they discovered the basement was soaked, the walls were wet, and behind the drywall was black mold running up every joist. They couldn't afford to fix it and had to sleep on an air mattress in that basement with the mold for three months while they rehabbed the rest of the house.

No one would go to court to help them. Their agent stopped returning calls. They were on their own.

These two nightmares are exactly why Jen became a realtor. She never wanted anyone else to go through what she went through... and now, with over 20 years of experience in Maryland real estate, she makes sure they don't.

In this episode you'll learn: → What a final walkthrough actually covers and why you should never skip it → What pre-occupancy means and why it can strip away your only protection as a buyer → Why your agent's obligation to you legally ends at settlement → What to do if you discover damage or hidden problems after closing → The one mistake first-time home buyers make that costs them thousands

This is the episode that started it all. If you're buying a home, selling a home, or just love a wild real estate story... hit play.

New episodes bi-weekly. Follow Jen Fitze on social media for daily real estate tips.

Thanks for listening to The Fitze Is Right with Jen Fitze... the real estate podcast that tells you what your agent won't.

New episodes drop every other week. If this episode helped you or made your jaw drop, leave a 5-star review; it's the single best way to help new listeners find the show.

Got a real estate horror story of your own? We want to hear it. Send your story to @jenniferfitzecompassrealestate and Jen might read and react to it live on a future episode.

CONNECT WITH JEN: All socials @jenniferfitzecompassrealestate

WORK WITH JEN: Buying or selling a home in Maryland? Jen has over 20 years of experience helping families in Harford County, Baltimore County, and beyond. Reach out at jensellsmd@gmail.com