Sometimes being a real estate agent is the worst! Sometimes things just go out of control and sometimes there is nothing to do except admit defeat. I was hired to sell a home because the seller had found his “dream” house and had put a contingent offer on it. Together, we worked hard to get his current home sold so he could remove the contingency and move in. We finally got an offer we could live with. My seller sold most of his furniture (a new home deserves new furniture every time!), put as much into storage as possible and moved the rest into his new house…after all, our contract closing date was a week away and we had agreed to possession at close. To our horror, the buyer of our home could not close at the last minute because his buyer ran into a typical financing glitch. It was no one’s fault…just another example of what this economy is doing to our lives. 4 homes did not close that day….4!! They were all “back to back” closings and since the first one failed, they all failed. My sellers were distraught naturally and declared that they had enough. They pulled their home off the market and began the laborious process of moving back in. They told me they were fine, that they had learned a valuable lesson about “possession at closing.”  They were upbeat and even consoling to an agent (me!) that had yet another “first”in her 25+ year career. They are wonderful people and got through the whole mess with dignity, patience and understanding. I respect them beyond measure for their word and their action. I know there is nothing ahead for this couple but the very best…this all happened for a reason…I do believe that!!!…and they will  be better off for having lost their dream home. Time will tell

I love staying in touch with my past clients, as most realtors do. Yes, the chance for referrals is much better if we remind our clients through any kind of contact that we do appreciate past business. However, it is even more true that after spending on average one month of time with each client in pursuit of this home, that follow up is natural. Afterall, friendships are made with less contact! We have these clients in our cars for hours and we acquire an awful lot of personal information from them in order to be able to help them find that perfect home. Childrens names, interests, passions, dislikes, immediate family members, Moms and Dads concerns and personal health, disturbing incidents in their lives and great moments as well! So much is shared! To me it would be even more unusual to not stay in touch. I send holiday post cards, personal and professional emails, I visit and try to call as often as possible. I can’t tell you how good it feels to renew those relationships and catch up! This truely, is one of the most rewarding aspects of my career…and I hope it continues!

I just left a message for a past client who closed on their second purchase with me a year ago. “Happy Home Anniversary Beth and Bill, I hope you are well and still enjoying your home. We closed a year ago today and I wanted to be sure that you know that I am thinking about you and wishing you the best. Thank you so much for the trust and friendship!”…especially the friendship!

For lack of much activity in this market I have decided that open houses are a must. Not only does my seller look upon this activity as another opportunity to sell his home…and any activity at this point in this economy is good,  but it keeps me  going and puts me in touch with any potential buyer that may be out there!

I have been holding opens every Sunday since the first week in February. To my surprise all five opens have been well attended. In fact, I would say that they have been better attended than any open house at any point in my 25+ year career! I have experienced a steady stream of traffic of potential buyers. Yes, some had homes to sell, but the vast majority of them were qualified, motivated buyers. Some were working with other agents but most were not! They were mostly at the beginning stages of there looking…but looking they were!

The problem comes with committing. When it comes right down to it buyers will continue to look until they find that “perfect” home, and then the fear of commitment in this economy makes them realize that they better wait. But, they are looking. Sooner or later this will change and a few brave souls will sign that contract…and thereby encouraging others to do the same.

So, Open Sunday will continue with this agent. Watch realtor.com, or remax.com for my opens and come through and say hi! I am glad to meet you and anxious to share my ever improving future with you.

I am rarely political..but today, I need to stand up and say…good job America. Good job in seeing the virtue and promise of this new President. We have all in the past spoken of the flaws in our political machine. The corruption of the person and their office alike. The waste and spending that goes on in Washington…the selfish, what’s in it for me elected official. How many times have we all voted for someone we really believed in only to be disappointed by their later actions?

 Today I was asked to rise to the level of courage, selflessness and dedication of our troups currently serving on foreign soil. It was said that these men and women feel a responsibility to something greater than themselves and choose this course of action at the risk of their own life, and with the fear of hurting those closest to them.  The challenge of equalling that mineset has been issued by a man who is also accepting the challenge himself.

We don’t know what will happen in the coming administration but in general the promise of something better is with most of us. If we all get involved and accept the responsibility of what we can do to help this change or change ourselves and those around us to unite for this struggle; we can and will return to a calmer and more secure place. What can I do?  For one, I am going to stop placing blame and only look for solutions. I am going to be more positive about where we are going and how we get there. I am going to be more attentive to what is going on in Washington and not make judgements but give support. Locally, if I see something I can do to make a difference for someone, I will do it. I will be courageous (as in this post) and make my voice heard and yet be mindful of others opinions if they differ from mine. I will respect those different opinions because I realize that differences are good. They cause us look at the other side and see something perhaps we never realized before. I would love to hear from you on how you think you can join this crusade towards a better America. I would love to hear your positive thoughts.

God Bless America…and our new President!

How can I not write about the snow?! We were dumped on over the weekend…about 10 inches worth. My car has rear wheel drive which makes it very difficult to do my job! It slides all over the road. Showing homes is not an option until the roads are more passable and listing homes…well, try to put a sign in the ground when you can’t see the ground and when you find it, penetration is impossible!

This morning, car willing, I start with a new client. This client is coming in from out of town and they are looking in the $300,000’s. This price range, is a lot of fun and right now there are a plethora of homes throughout Perrysburg available from $250,000 on up. This is only the initial visit to look at homes so the list is short. Basically, we are laying the ground work this morning. We will be in five different neighborhoods so they can see the different areas and building styles. Also, I should be able to form a clearer vision of what they are looking for so future house hunting will be more productive. This procedure is necessary in most price ranges with most clients.  The home they currently own is not yet sold (surprise!) but the transfer to Perrysburg is imminent since the husband has already begun his new job. With kids in tow they will more than likely wait until the current school year is done. Transferring is not easy and my job is to make the Perrysburg side as problem free as possible. Being patient and being available to provide information at the time they need it is key.

I always enjoy the challenge of finding the right home for each buyer and this one is no exception. I enjoy meeting new clients and welcoming them to the area. Wish me luck!

Well 2008 is now a memory…and not a very good one. The economy is promising but I’m afraid that it is not going to come fast enough to help all those that need it. Myself? Well it’s going to take a couple of years to get back on my feet.

Last evening I met with some very nice people who have been trying to sell their home for several years now. The husband is laid off from his job and isn’t sure when or if he’ll be asked to come back. He is the sole breadwinner. After purchasing their home in 2003 they added an addition. Unfortunately that addition priced them out of the neighborhood. (Never over improve your home. Make sure you know the average value in your neighborhood and keep your improvements in line with that!) Now, with a strong need to sell they are finding it difficult. The cruel reality that they are facing is that they are not going to get enough to cover the addition. They will probably take a loss for it. They have decided to wait until Spring to see if the market will pick up to try again. Was that the right decision? Hard to tell. It seems dubious that the market will pick up enough for them to recover their $50,000…. but only time will tell. I wish them the best, and hope that for their sake they find some peace of mind! Their home is their retirement fund and it is at risk now. Being close to retiring age this couple is very concerned and stressed. And I feel helpless…there is nothing I can do to alter their situation. All I can do is support their decision to wait and help them in the meantime to take care of some minor issues with the home to make it more attractive in order to find a buyer.

I can not end this blog on a down note. So, here’s my thought…everything happens for a reason. I’ve seen it time and time again and I have strong feelings that this will be another example. They may not recover their addition cost but they will sell in the Spring and when they get to their chosen destination they will make a killing on the home they buy there. Not only will they get this home for a good price but the home will be their dream home which they never expected to be able to buy. And that is how this story ends. Mr and Mrs Seller, have faith…it will work out.

Getting ready for the inspection tomorrow the seller needed to provide all the utilities for the buyer. Because the home had been empty for over 6 months the seller had shut off all the utilities. So, gas, electric and water needed to be again supplied to the home. Seller made the calls and then contacted me to be at the home for them (they are out of town) when the utility companies showed up to complete the connection. Yesterday the gas was to be put on, today water and then electric. Upon arriving at the home to let the water department in I found a note on the front door from the gas company saying in effect that they need the electric on before they can turn the gas on. The water department arrived to say that they cannot put the water on until the gas is on. The electric company is due today at noon…..The other two appointments need to be re-scheduled and hopefully they both can come back today! I am expecting to be spending the rest of my day at the home and on the phone making these arrangements so we can meet our deadline for the inspection. Not a big deal, Realtors are champions at doing what is necessary at the time. This is an excellent example of how a day will get away from us, and truthfully there are few days that don’t contain little “emergencies” like this one.

The moral of this story is all about putting your ducks in a row…electric first, then gas and then water! This was indeed a lesson for my seller…lets hope it turns out… and on, ok!

 Finally, one of my short sales has passed the approval of the two banks involved and has moved on to the inspection. The buyer has the inspection set up for Thursday morning this week. What does this, or any other inspection include? Well, everything! Notations are always made of the small stuff…clogged drains, broken windows, loose roof shingle, etc. But its the big ticket items that buyers are really looking for and they become the biggest concerns. Here’s a list of the most common major issues:

• Structural Issues: slopped floors that can cause doors and windows not to operate correctly. Tell tale signs include large cracks in the walls both above ground and below. Bowed walls in the basement.
• Water penetration: signs of water present in basement or crawl space and/or a musty smells. Discolored basement or crawl space walls will send a signal. Plumbing and roof leaks.
• Aging roof: cupped or curled shingles and missing shingles. Damaged or missing flashing, loss of granules, missing gutters or downspouts.
• Wiring: improper or old wiring, missing junction boxes and inadequate amperage or voltage.
• High radon levels
• Insect infestation
• Mold
• Lead based paint
• Asbestos
• Heating plant: old and faulty furnaces, carbon-monoxide leakage.

Warning: do not use this list to analysis these issues without the help of a good home inspector. I have seen so many times where buyers will discount a home they like based on their own interpretation of a potential “issue.” Leave the interpretation to the trained inspector. It may not be an issue at all.

It’s politics…and I hate to even mention it here in my blog…but, I had a long talk at a Christmas party last evening with an engineer with the marines who just came back from Iraq. I had asked him several questions regarding his stay. The manner in which he answered my questions and the enthusiasm with which he spoke lead me to ask a question we probably all ask ourselves from time to time. ” Was President Bush right  about his decision to go into Iraq?” Without hesitation, this marine gave me a firm and definitive “yes!” He followed it up with “don’t believe what you read and hear from the media.” He was there to build schools, bridges, fire stations and other such projects that the Iraqis had asked for help on. The people of Iraq were most grateful and were very glad that we were there to help in the multitude of ways that we have. I was further interested in knowing about the training of the Iraq enforcement units…was it going well and in his opinion would they be able to take over when we were gone. Apparently, this too may be misrepresented in the media.In his opinion the trainings are going well and several police/soldier/security forces are already in place and doing a great job. This marine engineer wants to go back….truely a testimony to his statements. I wish him the best, where ever life takes him and I thank him for his service on our behalf. Doug, God bless you!

I am currently in the middle of two short sales. One for a listing of mine and another for a buyer. Both are nightmares and are presenting me with challenges I hope to never encounter again. I think the banks are so overwhelmed with the number of these sales that they do not have an efficient way to deal with them. It truely does not have to be as hard as they are making it. The listing that I have that is involved with this situation is listed at $119,900. I received an offer on it back in July for $106,000. Very good offer for a home that has been empty so long and has certain maintenance issues. The first mortgage is $92,000. Pretty easy to see that the bank should take it and run, don’t you think?! The plot thickens here with the addition of a second mortgage. The second mortgage is for $32,000. So in order to get this together I had to get from the first mortgage the amount they will give to the second mortgage in order for them to sign off on their loan so the first mortgage could close. Today is December 10th and I still don’t have approvals to close from the second. The dollar amount for the second was agreed upon two months ago but we can not close until this is all in writing. I am so thankful that we have a dedicated buyer that is still on board…however, everyday I expect a call that he wants out of this crazy ride! I now call the second mortgagor every morning to see if he has sent our letter…”any day now” he tells me “probably this afternoon.” I just left him another message!

The second short sale is with a buyer who is able to pay cash. His offer was accepted because he had cash…even though in our opinion the offer was very low. The buyer suggested “we start at…” indicating to me that he would offer higher if need be. But, the low offer was accepted almost immediately. We were all pleasantly surprised. The date on this contract is November 11. While this bank (different from the first) seems to have a better handle on the necessary procedures it employs today’s technology to ”simplify” things. All paperwork must be scanned in pdf format and uploaded to their web site. While I applaud them for their efforts to streamline an impossible scenario, they are relying on the fact that everyone is to that level of expertise…scanning doc’s (to a readable size  that is clear, centered and in the proper format) and uploading the paperwork without compromise to their site. Our paperwork took lots of time and energy with the scanning process.  My scanner was ruled unreadable (funny, no one else has ever complained), my clients scanner was OK but the final result was not in the pfd format, and the listing agent scanned and scanned several times to satisfy his client. Every time a new document was needed we went through this scanning problem. And, no, this property has not closed yet either. I think and hope that they will both close before the years end…but I am not counting on it. Indeed, “short sale” is the wrong name for this transaction.”