He's Only Just Begun

I am watching my six year old nephew a few afternoons this week. We didn't have school Monday. Why? Because he changed all the passwords on his parent's computer, locking them out. 

It was an accident, of course, as he was just trying to make sure it was HIS name not his DADDY'S name that came up on the screen for all of his friends to see.

I am sure there are those (like his parents) who found the entire ordeal frustrating. I, on the other hand, was so stink'n proud of this little guy for being that clever.

The Golden Ticket

I was totally ok with this pandemic-thingy until about a week ago. Then, Marty got his third company e-mail saying lots of flowery words about "voluntary employment" and "righting the ship" and other stupid phrases which mean, "layoff." And to top it off, the "golden ticket," e-mail, as some snarky executive referred to it, would be in select employee's e-mail inboxes on April 27.

We have been through this before. In 2009 Marty WAS laid-off and we were a few weeks from living in Seattle when one of the local managers got wind and offered him a position. Plus, every few years there is the whole layoff scare and he cleverly finds ways to be extra-useful. This time is no exception. However, that didn't stop the Golden Ticket from ending up in Marty's inbox.

Now then, here is how the company is playing their "voluntary" layoff game.

An employee with the Golden Ticket has the right to take the layoff package, take the severance and go on with their lives.

OR:

An employee with the Golden Ticket has the right to ignore the voluntary layoff package, not take the severance, go on with their lives, and hope that enough folks did take the package. Therefore, one who doesn't take the severance package might just keep their job until the next layoff. However--there's a catch--if enough people didn't willingly leave, those with the Golden Tickets who stayed are then on the Brass Ticket list and can summarily be escorted out the door without a severance. Essentially, they had their voluntary chance to leave, so bye.

There are a lot of circumstances and options to factor into Marty's decision of whether or not to leave or roll the dice and stay. Marty will make a decision this weekend. At this point, I am ok with whatever he decides.

The Quality of Mercy

Just a Word About Dee and Her Merry Felons:

Please understand, I don't agree with what Dee's Merry Felons did to get them where they are. I have never personally asked the ones I have known what they have done--though some have voluntarily given me a snapshot. It isn't pretty. 

Dee's program is discriminate. She doesn't take everyone who applies to be part of her Merry Felon Gang. But the ones who she does take in have to pass a vigorous screening. I know for a fact, I would never take on the kind of ministry Dee has. Never. Kudos for Dee for this calling. She may have saved more souls than she knows.

Incidentally, all of the Felons Dee hangs with have a positive attitude. They are kind and humble--at least around me. They say and do what is expected to better their lives. Isn't that what we all should be doing? Nothing in their behavior suggests they would make the same choices again. But I have to tell you, all of them I have met--no exception--have been a lot nicer to me than many of the law-abiding folks I have helped in the past 17 years buy and sell a house.

The quality of mercy is not strained.

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.

'Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes

The thronèd monarch better than his crown.

His scepter shows the force of temporal power,

The attribute to awe and majesty

Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;

But mercy is above this sceptered sway.

It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings;

It is an attribute to God Himself;

And earthly power doth then show likest God's

When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,

Though justice be thy plea, consider this:

That in the course of justice none of us

Should see salvation. We do pray for mercy,

And that same prayer doth teach us all to render

The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much

To mitigate the justice of thy plea,

Which, if thou follow, this strict court of Venice

Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant

there.

— Portia, The Merchant of Venice 

Dee's Home Inspection

Saturday afternoon, Dee had her home inspection. Now, I should preface with the following: when one has a home inspection, one generally hires a home inspector who goes through the house with a fine tooth comb and then gives a report to the home buyer. The process generally takes about four hours.

Or, you could be Dee, who has lots of friends who learned the trades while locked up for years and let them emerge on the property all at once.

Anyway, I arrived at 3:45 to a mass trespassing. Dee and--I am not making this up--15 felons (along with Mr. Dee) were in the back yard, waiting for me to arrive. When I opened the sliding glass door, I got a "HI!" from all 17 and then, Dee stood in front of them and exclaimed, "Go inspect." At this point, like curious kittens the Felons scattered to various corners of the house.

At some point, Ari walked over and said hello (he's one of my favorites) and then turned to Dee to let her know the wiring was all good to go. In fact, there were extra spaces left in the electrical panel in case a welder and a hot tub were to be eventually added. Kevin let us know the cabinetry was high-end (he works for a cabinet shop). The one trained in plumbing and HVAC gave his opinion. Someone went into the attic too--though there was no ladder--and puttered around looking at the level of insulation. And there were 11 others milling around, reporting to Dee their opinion.

Honestly, it was like a big party. The energy was high. There was a lot of laughing. Everyone was positive and super kind. At some point, I looked around and wondered if someone had suggested I would ever end up on 19th Avenue and Buckeye, standing in a home with 15 high-level Felons who at one time committed some heinous crimes, laughing hysterically at corny jokes would I have believed them.

The Felons gave the home a clean bill of health with only minor issues. We were done in an hour. But I smiled for the rest of the day.

Pandemic Adventures

Dee got her charming little home in a questionable neighborhood. She didn't get it for the low-low price she was hoping for. But, it was less than asking price. There really will be a 45 day escrow. I talked to other lenders. Long escrows are the new normal.

____________________________

Yesterday, my nephew regaled me with a center of gravity discussion. I have no idea if he was wrong. I'd never met a six year old who talked about the center of gravity with such enthusiasm before. Also, he watched vacuum cleaner videos. Did I mention he has been banned from taking apart vacuums at his home, his grandmother's home, his grandfather's home and my home? What he really wanted to do was "play" on Amazon--kind of like my generation "played" with the JC Penny catalog, I suppose. But I thought that might be slightly dangerous to his parent's bank account. Additionally, he tweaked his catapult so that he could hit targets of different sizes and shapes. We painstakingly practiced this for more than two hours. I have a few shifts next week with this adorable kid. I'm totally looking forward to it.

____________________________

And finally, I am two months into a six month listing with my seller. It still isn't on the market. It hurts my head.

The Nephew

My brother and his family live 50 miles away. He and his wife had a late-in-life baby who is now six years old. However, my brother and his wife have jobs, mortgages and other obligations that require them to work.

After a month of me darn-near begging, my brother got a brilliant idea: how about letting Auntie come on over and hang out with her fabulous nephew. I couldn't agree more!

So, this week I got to hang out with Nephew. I suspect it will be a regular thing for a while.

I should preface the rest of this post with the following: On the second week of first grade, Nephew, in front of his entire class, praised his teacher for her proper use of the word "combustible." Apparently, there are those who don't use this word correctly. Who knew?

Tuesday I was regaled with a very long dissertation of how manual transmissions work.

We also spent--and I am not making this up--about 4 of the 6 hours I was with him aiming his catapult (that he built) at plastic dinosaurs. He carefully aimed, measured the distance and angle finding the most efficient ways to pop an orange ball on the T-Rex and friends. FOUR HOURS. It was a blast. By the way, part of that time was taking said catapult and dinos to my father's house so that he could painstakingly show his latest invention to his Pop Pop.

In addition, there was a bit of school work done. But who cares about coloring a piece of paper when there are transmissions and weaponry about! I have been trying to explain to my brother: the boy isn't going to fail first grade if he doesn't complete a ridiculous amount of busywork every day that the school is piling on. In fact, it seems Nephew is way beyond needing the busywork. And please, just let him play.

Another Dee Story

I just wrote an offer for Dee's latest love: a 2020 new-build on 19th Avenue and Buckeye. The offer is  massively low (of course) and the lender tells me they can close in 45 days. FORTY-FIVE FREAKING DAYS! I am sure the seller will love those terms and conditions, if they bother to counter back at all.

Back to the Drawing Board

So yesterday I showed Dee, Mr. Dee and Seth the Felon a home that is on the corner of Buckeye Road and some single-digit avenue. The house was built in 1916 and it is a far cry from "flip," even though that was how it was touted.

Dee simply loved it. She loved the space. There was enough room for parking in the back yard. She loved the layout--two bedrooms on each side and the middle was a living/family room. The once back porch had been converted into a kitchen/laundry/bathroom. She loved the new HVAC. She loved the new(er) floors that covered up the super-soft spots beneath. She loved the fact the kitchen was big enough to hold a super-sized refrigerator if one existed. However, I don't think the floor would hold it. The floor actually sagged significantly beneath the stove and refrigerator--which were on different walls. Then she even pointed out, as we stood outside, "oh look! I can see where the new roof was added!" She pointed the the microscopic patch on the side of the roof where the only new tile lay.

"Can we offer $50,000 less and close by Friday?" She asked. While I processed that, she included this gem, "I don't think we need a home inspection."

My head throbbed.

I did ask her to take a minute to walk around with Seth and Mr. Dee and make sure they could find (and fit) into the crawl space. Also, why not find the attic and ensure the duct work for the new HVAC was adequate for her tastes. I asked if she was ok with the idea that the floor was spongy in many places (LIKE UNDER THE REFRIGERATOR) and with a crawl space below it might be kind of a problem. After all, the termites have had 104 years to eat the floor joists. Nevertheless, Dee was simply thrilled.

And to be fair, truly for her purposes, the home really would work well for what she wanted. Plus, between Seth and the rest of the gang, there is talent abound to fix everything that might possibly be wrong with this place.

In the end, I asked her if she wanted me to ask the agent to provide the right amount of evidence for this flip (forms, and what is included in the Arizona Revised Statutes). "That won't be necessary." She said.

I didn't sigh until I got in the car.

As I drove home, rehearsing how I was going to present this low-ball offer to the other agent, Dee changed her mind. Actually, the parole board changed Dee's mind. It turns out they won't let her felons live in this particular neighborhood. It was too close to other like-minded felons, so unless they could move the house 400 feet (yes, really only 400 feet),  this wasn't going to happen.

Dee's Latest Delight

I love Dee. I really do. But when she gets an idea she holds on to it. She may be a super-gracious person and is a wonderful client, but she makes me work. 

Her commercial property didn't work out. That's fine. I was pretty sure it wouldn't for a whole lot of reasons, too long for this patch of cyber-space. Today we are looking at her latest 1916, three bedroom, two bath. She said it looks "perfect," which is true. From what I have seen, the space works really well. However, given where it is located (7th Avenue and Buckeye Road), I found the description written by the selling agent of in, "Delightful Phoenix," a bit of a stretch.

This property is a flip. The selling agent says in the private remarks the seller is not willing to disclose anything about the house. I sighed heavily when I read that. I hate these kinds of fights. My job is to protect my buyers and that requires me to push back, cite Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S. 32-1121, if you feel like looking it up) and start a relationship off on a bad foot when the seller and the agent get pissy because I made them do their job. Or worse, when I contact the selling broker and gently suggest his agent needs a bit of coaching. I hate being that person. I really do. 

All this anxiety is happening even before we go look at the house.

Walked Away

My chat with Dee was relatively pleasant, with me reminding her that she likes it when I am her agent because things go smoothly. "I guarantee if I represent you on this purchase, it will not be smooth. Here's why: I have been working on how to structure this deal for two days and I still don't know what's in your best interest."

"You'll figure it out," was her sweet reply.

I appreciate Dee's faith in me. But I can't in good conscience take this weird sale. I don't know what I don't know. And I don't want to learn at her expense.

Commercial Woes

Dee has her eye on the prize! It is a gem too--if you think two 900 square foot buildings just shy of the Maricopa Freeway and built in 1940 is a gem.

Oh, I should add, even though there are residential tenants in both units, the property is zoned commercial. And that is posing a true issue.

I have a letter from Dee, telling me she would like me to represent her in this transaction. That's awesome. I can do that. But is it truly in Dee's best interest? I can write a contract. From the research I did this morning, it can be a residential contract (because both units are rented out). That nugget comes from a commercial title officer.

From the other research I also did this morning, it can be a commercial contract because the property is zoned commercial and the front building was once a tavern. That research consisted of calling a commercial agent friend and asking for his take on the situation.

No matter what, Dee's loan will be commercial and the selling agent is a commercial agent. So there is no getting around this.

The selling agent ran figures giving the property a reasonable value of a commercial property. I ran figures giving the property an under market residential value. Seriously, it is a bargain as a duplex--even in the 85007 zip code.

In my head, I have rehearsed a scenario where a hypothetical agent came to me, asking if they should take on this sale. "I have the expertise and the knowledge of to handle a duplex sale." They say.

"Yes, but if you aren't on the same playing field as the commercial seller and agent, how are you going to best represent your client?" I reply.

"My client has given me written permission to represent them. It's ok." They say.

"Is it though? It is your client's money you have to loose. Let me ask you, if you have a home for sale and you receive a commercial contract because a commercial agent has a client who wants to make your listing a warehouse, what would you do?" I ask.

"Well, I would tell them that is the wrong contract and the property isn't zoned for commercial." They say.

At that point me and the hypothetical me get into a longer and more winded circular argument with nothing gained. Then I called my Broker Pal Sally and had the exact same conversation, including the winded circular argument. with nothing gained other than she agreed my hypothetical agent working under me needed to go to a different brokerage.

But in the end, I think I need to have an unpleasant chat with Dee. I've been selling homes for 17 years. If I have to spend 20+ hours trying to figure out something that should be simple under other circumstances, I am probably not right agent for this sale.

Stay Home

I am about to give a very unpopular opinion. Baseball and all of its minions should not host the entire 2020 season in Arizona. For those of you who haven't been following Major League Baseball this year--and how are we friends under the circumstances??--this has been a brainchild of someone who thinks that the entire 164 game season can be salvaged and played right here in Arizona.

Now then, let me start by saying this: I want baseball to return as soon as possible. I miss the games, the banter and the bizarrely weird friendships I have made, bonding over this sport. I miss getting together with my brother for an early dinner, making it to the stadium before the National Anthem and the fifth inning ice cream run to ensure we don't end up on the Kisscam. I miss talking to the kids about how giving up is wrong and then showing them some phenomenal walk-off win, courtesy of the Diamondbacks.

I miss it all.

But now then, let's talk about this notion that we should have all of the MLB games played in Arizona. Or, conversely, half of the games played in Arizona and the other half played in Florida--though I hear that idea isn't getting the same kind of love because some Florida teams are 200 miles from other teams (gasp! Airplanes people!). This idea sprouted because these two states have spring training facilities available for MLB teams.

So, going back to the original let's-play-it-all-in-AZ idea... Think of it this way, the Angels have a spring training stadium already in Tempe and the Rockies have one in Scottsdale so let's have a party! The idea being if we move all of the games to the Valley, uninvite the fans and social distance the trainers, coaches, players, umps and camera crew the season can exist. That's well and good, but it seems obvious the League hasn't taken a few tid-bits into consideration.

First, the only domed baseball stadium in the Phoenix metro area happens to be Chase Field. As a fan, I am all for home team advantage. In fact, if it makes my boys play better, so be it. But that leaves 29 other teams playing in open-air stadiums in the dead of summer. As a former softball player, I happen to remember as a kid, playing games starting at 8:30 at night because otherwise it was too hot. Then, we sometimes got rained out half-way through the game because of monsoons. So, unless MLB doesn't mind playing their games, which tend to last three to four hours, into the wee hours of the morning so their players don't have heat stroke, I don't see this being a good idea.

Second, let's talk housing. In February in Maricopa County is is darn near impossible to get a short-term rental, hotel room or other housing that would be necessary for thirty teams (or if I ran the universe, twenty eight and the cheat'n Astros could just sit this one out. And frankly, I don't like the Dodgers so they could just stay home as well), coaching staff, families, roving reporters, scouts, and all the other extraneous folks associated with this business. Oh... keep the families at home? Yea... that's not happening. This may not be February, but there is still a short supply of homes available. I guarantee it will still be a tight housing squeeze. Fortunately, hotels are more or less empty in the summer.

Third, baseball players are human. They need rest, hydration, nutrition and medical assistance. Playing in the heat will diminish all of the above. Playing double-headers (another suggestion) will be even more detrimental. I can't imagine the player's union agreeing to double-headers on a regular basis. These human players also need a strong morale. Being away from home for six months, living in hotels with cranky wives, children and significant others might not be as enjoyable as being locked up at home during a pandemic.

Fourth, apparently there's a pandemic. Let's start with the wildly popular premise that this virus is something super scary and taken seriously. How do we keep players, et. al., healthy? This weird virus seems to be transmittable in a variety of ways. Do we keep the families away (see the comment about morale)? How do we keep a bunch of young, 20-something well-paid men entertained during off times so they don't go wandering around the city? And what happens if they do get sick? Do we expand the roster upfront to ensure we have enough players if a couple are down for fourteen days? What about testing? Do we hold back tests for the general population because Babe Smithers is pitching tomorrow and we need to make sure he is healthy? And what happens if someone happens to get sick and spreads it to the entire team? What then?

I am estimating (minus significant others and families), we are talking about a population of about 2,000 people. Personally, this would be great for the AZ economy. And, as much as I would like baseball to return, it doesn't make sense to just to pull this season off in AZ. I think more than ever a sporting event is something we Americans can get behind. We need need to know there is something in our future. We look forward to these rivalries and friendly games. But not here. Not now. It isn't the season.

Essential-ish

Governor Ducey has decreed that real estate agents are considered essential businesses. And just like anything else with multiple facets, the social media trolls are having a field day with this one. There are those of us sitting on the bleachers, with buttered popcorn as we digest everyone's heated expert opinion of the current events.

The fact of the matter is, people need a place to live. Are there those who are putting off their home search until there are greener pastures? Of course! Are there those who are soon to be homeless no matter what is going on in the world? Yep. I spoke with my title officer today who tells me escrows have not slowed down. Yet. So, apparently those who have time to bash others on social media for a differing of opinion aren't working as much.

As for me. I have a hesitant seller. She has concerns about the market taking a dive (so put the house up for sale already!). She is reading lots of Internet posts about real estate and how the 2008 market was terrible. Plus, she is talking to survivors of the last housing crash who are giving her lots of advice. I took a hit on my commission for this one, so my advice on the state of the market isn't as valuable as if she were paying me something reasonable. Therefore, she isn't listening. That is my personal lesson: don't undervalue my service.

I have a buyer who has a house to sell first. They live in another state where real estate agents aren't considered essential and there is no point in putting a sign in his yard. So, he can't move just yet. Plus, he would be ecstatic if the housing prices plummeted here before we wrote an offer. So, he can wait. I think I will keep him away from my seller.

There's also a renter who needs a place to live in a month or two. And another buyer who may or may not use my services. And I have Dee--but she is for a different blog. Right now I have enough to keep me busy and off social media reading the troll comments from those who have nothing better to do.

Happy Easter

Easter is my favorite holiday. Easter this year, as with everything this year, is different. I managed to snag a ham recently. Buckaroo has launched a campaign to eat the ham sooner than later. He will have to wait.

Until this year, after Mass (I really, REALLY miss going to Mass right now), my extended family would come over and we hold two Easter egg hunts. The first is for the "big kids" ranging in age of 22 to 17. The second is for the six year old cousin, who then gets all the candy from the big kids' eggs. But not this year--though I hear a certain teenager in my home picked up jelly beans when she went forging for food this week--just in case.

Because Easter is important to me, I didn't work on Good Friday. After all what is the point of the miracle of Easter without Good Friday? My phone was turned off. Social media was turned off. The world could wait until today. It turns out I have a few phone calls to make. Dee is back to wanting this crazy tavern/duplex property and she wants me to represent her. My millineal client has a ton of questions.

And it turns out my seller (who hasn't put her property on the market just yet) wants an update on what I think her house is worth. Plus--and this is just a fun bonus--she was apparently sick with a cough and fever about a week ago. I found that out from her daughter. I don't wish to be paranoid, but I also need to have a quick chat with her about how healthy she feels now. Who ever thought that would be part of a normal day in the life in real estate?

Anyway, for those of you who celebrate such events, Happy Easter. May this be the beginning of a beautiful new season.

State of the Real Estate Market Notes

I am currently sitting in a state of the real estate market meeting. I do one of these every month (usually in person). This isn't my usual meeting. But it was sponsored by my marketing representative and friend, Sarah, so I said I would go. It gives me a chance to stay current on what I am being told is an ever-changing market. There are at least 500 agents on this meeting. And I happen to know one is recovering from COVID-19. Glad to see he made the meeting.

Here's the latest take-aways on the Arizona Real Estate Market as of 4/9/2020.

1. Not everyone knows how to mute themselves on a virtual meeting and it is apparent someone is eating sunflower seeds or something equally as obnoxious.

2. There are currently 14,208 real estate units for sale in the Maricopa County/Pinal County area. Of that, there are 11,300 single family homes for sale.

3. The guy running the meeting is telling us to start talking to our clients by asking about their health and welfare first. Really? That needs to be said. Ever? At any time? Isn't, "how are you?" kind of a standard?

4. For those in AZ and are in need of financial housing assistance. Go to the AZ Department of Housing. They have several resources to help people keep their homes. There has been $20 million dollars allocated for this program.

5. "Only when the tide goes out do you discover whose been swimming naked." --Warren Buffet

6. By March 23 the Ibuyers (Zillow, Redfin, Offerpad, Open Door) all pulled out of the market. Most of their purchases were under $300k.

So most contract fallouts have been under the $300k market. In fact, 50 percent of all contract fallouts under $300k were Ibuyers. My takeaway is that the Ibuyers and investors were monopolizing the first-time buyer market.

7. There were 853 contracts written for homes under $300k last week. Given the Ibuyers have pulled out, it stands to reason these are buyers looking for single family starter homes and not investors.

8. There were 145 properties taken off the market last week. The majority of these homes (over 60 percent) were over $500k.

9. Property values are not going down.  Just because the stock market is burning, real estate values are on their way up. There is a slight change in seller expectations. Homes may stay on the market longer. There may not be as many multiple offers. There isn't seller price reductions right now. Prices are steadily up. However, there might be more closing cost assistance and seller repairs. And appraisals might be weird because appraisal processes are weird anyway.

10. Prices in real estate are still rising. This is steady even through the stock market crash 8 weeks ago. We are still in a hot market. Plus, to convince a seller they need to fire sale their home when there were 11 offers six weeks ago, would be very difficult.

11. Rental supply has increased 17 percent in the past month. However, some of this is likely to be vacation rentals that have been converted to long-term rentals. The rental pricing though has stayed steady for more than a year.

12. The same home a buyer would pay for in 2006 has a payment of $200 more a month because of the difference in 2020's interest rates. Good to know!

13. Supply is still low. However, supply has grown 27.3 percent in three weeks. However, inventory is still 30 to 40 percent lower in supply than this time last year. A "healthy" supply is 35,000 homes on the market in this area. There is not a huge increase in supply in the luxury home market.

14. There are currently 2.07 buyers for every seller. There is a 52.2 percent drop in supply from this time last year.

15. There were 1,508 new contracts throughout the Phoenix metro area (in all price ranges) in the last week. This is similar to point number 6, except this is for ALL properties.

16. In the past three week, we have stopped seeing contracts coming in over asking price. Last month 28 percent of all contracts were over asking price. This isn't the case right now. It is becoming a "regular" market where the buyers have some negotiation room.

17. Buyers should not be thinking they should pull out of a deal because they might get a "better deal" next month. That's probably not going to happen.

Drat

Dee has been eyeing another property. The place in question is zoned commercial. However, it appears to be an apartment in the back and what was once a bar in the front. It is located South of the State Capital in a neighborhood where I don't like to venture much during daylight.

Yesterday Dee asked if she needed a commercial agent for this sale. Possibly. I have handled multi-family housing before. In this case the building in front--the former bar--is just an empty shell. So, is it really a commercial sale?

The way the AZ real estate rules are stated, agents should not go outside of their scope of expertise unless they have written consent from their clients. For example, I am not too familiar with Gila Bend AZ, but if my client wants to buy a home there and is willing to put in writing I should be the agent, all is good. However, if I made a mistake because I am not familiar with Gila Bend, the liability is still on me.

This sale is a bit different. I certainly know the 85007 zip code (thanks to Dee) and I know how to write a residential offer. And I know how to structure a multi-family property contract. However, I know enough about commercial real estate to fully understand I might get myself in front of a judge if I make a mistake. And, because there is a vacant bar involved, one could argue this sale could be structured in many different ways.

I explained all of the above to Dee. She sweetly absorbed it, telling me she wasn't too worried about there being a problem. And then she asked if she needed to have an environmental impact study done. After all, that was part of a commercial sales process. The fact I could not answer that question tells me I am not the agent for this sale. (Though, I honestly don't think she needs an impact study done in this case, but I am not willing to stake my license on it).

"That's too bad." Dee said when we realized I wasn't a good fit. Her disappointment was high praise. And I wish I could be involved if she goes forward. But I would rather she found the right property with the right agent who knows about such things as environmental impact studies. 

As we left it, I gave Dee my notes on how I was planning on structuring this offer if I had been the agent. I had already written a couple of clauses for the purchase contract I thought she would need. I also asked if I could tag along if she buys this one. This way I can learn a thing or two.

Public Service Announcement

In case you live in Maricopa County and pay your property taxes outside of escrow: please know this: Property Taxes in Maricopa County are still due May 1.

This hasn't changed. There have been a few rumors of a date change, but it's not true at this time.

April's Grievance Committee Meeting

I never did write about the grievance committee meeting. Honestly, it wasn't spectacular. Here were our cases:

1. We agreed that a seller contacting a different agent wasn't a violation (for the agent) of "public trust."

2. We did agree that one case should go to arbitration because the agent had done hours of verifiable legwork and could prove it. Therefore, she was allowed to go to arbitration and plead her case for a commission she felt she was earned.

3. We had a case where it was decided there was enough evidence to go to high inquisitor squad of an agent who fast-talked a seller. The seller wants out of their listing agreement. Pro tip: if you are going to lie to your client, don't put it in writing. Also, perhaps as an agent it is best to explain the paperwork to your client. Personally, I think we owe this to them.

4. There was a case about an agent who called another agent something along the lines of a "stinky-poopoo-caca-head." There is actually a code of ethics violation for that. So, that one is going to the high inquisitor squad.

5. And finally, we didn't feel like it was a violation of public trust that another agent tried to rent a home from a property management company. The agent refused to give the security deposit and sign the lease so the property management company moved on after a few days and found another renter. We felt that the property management company did nothing wrong.

Just Fine With Me

Seventeen years ago today I wrote my very first real estate contract. It was on the house still I live in now. My babies were little. They have grown up here. There have been parties, games, celebrations, joy and laughter in our home.

I love my home. As we have been holed up for weeks waiting out the pandemic, I have been beyond grateful this is where I am.

This picture was taken in 2007 when the accidental business was taking off and it looked like we were relocating to West Georgia. Life didn't work out that way. But that isn't a problem. I have loved being here. If you look carefully at the front door, you can see the stained glass window my father made for me--the last stained glass window he has ever made.

The Stained Glass Window

Our home is no longer brown. There is a cobblestone walkway up front. I don't work for a company with a gold sign post any more. Right now my trees are in bloom and there are more flowers out front. And that's just fine with me.

PS. This seems to be the oldest picture I could quickly find of the babies in my digital library. However, it isn't 17 years old. It was taken in 2006.

Living the Introvert Dream

Can I just go on record please? I am loving this particular time in our culture. My usual high-stressed life is so relaxed, zen and uncomplicated that I revel in bliss. If I could go on like this indefinitely I simply wouldn't mind.

Ok, sure there is uncertainty in our world. Sure there are health concerns. If I were to turn on the news, I would probably not be ok and anxiety would take over.

But I can't control what I can't control. Therefore I choose to be happy and relaxed. Right now, I am living an extended micro-staycation while my adrenal glands recuperate from the past 20 years of adulthood.

Every day I hear from a few of folks. Every day I call or text a handful of people. I like to rotate my contacts because I don't want to forget any friend. And I have to tell you, every time someone reaches out to me, I feel extra love and joy--someone took the time to think of ME! I don't take that for granted.

My emotional tank is full, happy and bright. Those extroverts in my life are cowering in the corner. I know how that feels. I lived that every day of my life until three weeks ago.

Eventually this solitude will come to a screeching halt. There will be repercussions and ramifications. There will be work to be done. Our economy will see some affect. Baseball season will too. But right now I am resting and regenerating until that time. All the while I am cherishing every minute of this quiet life.

An Afternoon with Dee and her Felons

The best room in the house. 

Dee called me. She and her Merry Band of Felons are on the search for another property. And, she might have found The One. Offered for $136,000 this 1916, 642 square foot gem might just do the trick.

I pulled up Dee's latest crush with the car doors firmly locked and the engine running. I wasn't getting out of the car in this freakishly scary neighborhood without a few Felons to guard me. When Dee and her gang showed up at some point, we all discovered the fence around the perimeter was padlocked--something the selling agent neglected to mention.

Looking at the chain link fence and knowing my own physical limitations, I called out to the Felons, "Who wants to do a little B & E?"

The Kitchen

None of them originally jumped at the chance. But chivalry eventually won out, with me promising Seth he would not get arrested for being my "assistant," hopping over the fence and searching the premises for a padlock key--which, by the way, he found.

That was the most exciting part of the entire ordeal. The house boasted a brand new roof. However, the roof and the termite mud was probably the only way this place was standing. The bathroom floor was rotted through, and if one happened to take their phone flashlight they could see the ground in the crawlspace underneath. The ceiling was missing only here and there, which was more than we could say about the windows, plumbing, HVAC and electric.

With a unanimous vote, Dee and the Felons opted to pass on the place.

April's Grievance Committee

I am currently waiting for my Grievance Committee meeting to start. We are on hold, as the VP of the Association finishes another meeting. This month's meeting is via cyberspace. I have been looking forward to this all week. In fact, I may have even showered, put on a freshly clean shirt (as opposed to one that was subtly clean, and possibly worn for a couple of days) and blow dried the hair, just for the opportunity to be heard (and maybe seen) by twelve others.

There are five cases today. All of which I read through. Twice. I also re-read the Code of Ethics, just to make sure we didn't miss anything. Woe be it for anybody in front of the Grievance Committee this month, when we have lots of time on our hands to dot every i and cross every t. Twice.

Today I am peer reviewing a case that doesn't have a lot of gravy, but standing on its own, raises an eyebrow. I will be surprised if it doesn't go to the High Inquisitor Squad, only because, well, see the paragraph above. Essentially there is probably enough evidence to move it forward. In fact, I am adding another violation to this person's complaint because I think the complainant missed something. I am curious if the other three peer reviewers went to this much effort with their cases. I suspect they have time on their hands, too.