DEAR Jasminda,

CLOSE friends have recently put in an offer on a house that we told them about.

They’ve said it’s strictly a business decision and nothing to do with our friendship.

We are now considering putting in a higher offer.

What do you think?

Fiona W.

Dear Fiona,

Real estate decisions are brutal.

It’s not a game for the faint of heart, or, in this market, for the light of wallet.

I can see this situation regressing into a War of the Roses saga with both couples pitted against each other until the bitter end, one of you falling from the chandelier in the foyer, the other planting prawn shells in the curtain rods for revenge.

The only winners will be the current owners and the real estate agent. Is it your dream home? The one you’ve spent your entire life looking for?

If so, push ahead with your best offer. If it’s just one of many possibilities, still put in your best offer to jack the price up.

When your so-called “close friends” gloat that they’ve secured the property, you could, (if you’re feeling particularly unforgiving, and let’s face it, who wouldn’t) mutter something about the building defects, the westerly sun that makes the kitchen feel like a sauna, the inevitable downward trend in property prices, the strange axe-wielding neighbour named Norman.

Have some fun with it, at their expense, since it’s clear, from their actions, that the friendship is expendable.

In future, you have to go about property purchases as though you are a secret squirrel.

Say nothing to anyone until the sale has been secured.

Carpe diem,
Jasminda.