Professionalism

Back story: Jane is out of town. She has buyers. The wife has not seen the house the husband picked out. However, they have been under contract for two weeks. The wife was going to be in town to see this property while Jane was away. She asked me if I could show it to this couple.

It is crucial to know, as I don't represent the buyers or the sellers, either party could have a significant problem with me showing this property. And they should. Jane ran this by Mrs. Hufflepuff and verified it wasn't an issue with her brokerage. The selling agent SHOULD have a problem and probably should have showed up under the circumstances.

What could happen you ask? With no representation there, the parties might feel like they can just renegotiate. The sellers could be home and the buyers and sellers could start talking and work up a gentleman's agreement of items that may be illegal or are not in the contract. You would not believe how often this happens ("You don't need to fix the air conditioner, it's not that warm today...") . It never ends well.  Additionally, the seller may not want someone who doesn't represent the buyer in their home. They live there.

Anyway, here was the madness to make sure I covered my bases.


E-mail to the seller's agent.

Hi Bev,

I am assisting Jane with Hufflepuff Realty while she is out of town. She has asked me escort her clients tonight, so they can view the property. She made this appointment last week for 5:30 this evening. I wanted to ensure the sellers will not be home. Also, I wanted to disclose to you, I don't work for her brokerage, I know nothing about the property, nor the contract. 

If you would, please verify the sellers will not be home.

Thank you. 

Reply e-mail from someone named "Terri"

Home is under contract

My response: 

Hello Terri, I am aware the house is under contract. I am assisting the buyer's agent who  made an appointment for her clients to see it tonight. which is what I wrote below. Please verify the sellers will not be home, as I have no agency with the buyers. Or, perhaps someone could return the phone call I left earlier if you need to discuss further.

Thank you,

Terri's response: 

There was no voice mail. 

My response: 

That's unfortunate. I left it with Bev's voice mail. I haven't heard back from her. However, this does not really resolve my concern. I am: 1) verifying the appointment for this evening is still on. 2) confirming the sellers will not be home and 3) disclosing to Bev that I have no agency with either party, and I wanted to verify this would not be an issue. 

This, apparently, was too complex for Terri and Bev was nowhere to be found. Ashley took over. 

Ashley:

Jane confirmed this appt with me for tonight at 5:30 and the sellers will not be home.

But please do not just open the door and leave the clients inside the home with the key.

Me (wondering WHO JUST OPENS A DOOR AND LEAVES STRANGERS WITH A KEY??): 

Of course! I will be with them the entire time. I just wanted to make sure everyone knew I don't have agency.

Nobody got back to me with a concern about the agency issue. I am guessing Bev didn't have a problem with it. Hopefully. 

Good News, Bad News

The photographer came to Inga's house yesterday. I was pleased to see she had moved the couch from the kitchen into living room. Progress!

I was not pleased to see the toilet sitting in the front yard.

Dave The Carpet Guy

I met Dave the Carpet Guy over the phone when he called me while sitting with Liam and Inga. Turns out, he had this super-duper exciting idea he wanted to throw at me: list their home for $10,000 more than we were planning and then offer a carpet allowance for a full-price offer.

You see, Dave the Carpet Guy was once a loan officer. Back in the day, lenders didn't mind "carpet allowances." They do now. However, Inga and Liam simply LOVED the idea of listing their home for $10,000 more than any other home in the given square mile. Especially because the carpet guy said that was a good idea.

Meanwhile, I was back in my basement office 45 miles away, listening to Dave on speaker phone sell my clients on this nonsense.

"Take me off speaker, Dave." was my only reply.

In the end, I managed to convince Dave not to say such things to unsophisticated sellers, on tight budgets. And for the love of all that is holy, he is sitting in this house and why on earth would he suggest they can get $10,000 more for their house when he hasn't run the comps and he can see what I am up against? And while we are on the subject, because he already managed to convince my clients to purchase carpet, maybe he could throw in flooring in the living room--which was the only room that actually needed the carpet--at his cost.

"Yea, I can do it for $637 dollars," he said.

"How about $400," I countered and Dave agreed. I saw the invoice. They really did pay $400 when all was said and done.

Dave and I are now Facebook friends. He invited me to join a referral group he had going. I did, and got a public shout-out from him to the group. Also, I just sent him three carpet leads.

Dave is also a Yankees fan. Bless his heart. We just agree to disagree on that one.

I will tell you the one sweet story that came out of this. Inga and Liam independently told me Dave shared with them I was a good agent. He said I was looking out for them and it showed. I am pleased I got the kudos from him. And I am even more pleased Liam and Inga thought to share this with me.

Alfred is Leaving the Bat Cave

The Latest Go-To Destination, Meadview AZ

Many years ago when I first got into the business, I was selling a piece of land in a subdivision. One day I got a phone call from Alfred. He had a lot down the street and he was thinking about selling it. But more to the point of his phone call, he had called six agents and I was the first one who answered the phone.

Alfred and I have stayed in touch since that day. I know all about Alfred's mother, who passed away about 10 years ago. I have heard about his brother in San Diego and his sweet nieces. And, I have heard loads about Alfred's job. Alfred works for the Wayne family as a valet. He has been living in Santa Barbara with them for years, helping out Master Bruce and the gang. A few years ago I sold the Wayne family's home in Chandler.

Through the course of time, I hear from Alfred on occasion. When the big fires hit a couple of years ago in Santa Barbara, I found out Grandmother Wayne, the matriarch, was moved about two hours before her residence burned to the ground. She is now holed up in some 10,000 square foot hovel in Carpenteria.

Sometimes when Alfred comes into town on Wayne business he calls to say hello. Sometimes he just calls to say hello when he isn't in town. It is always fun to hear the latest in his life. Even as I write this, I am smiling. Alfred brings out the smiles in me.

A couple of days ago, Alfred called me. He wants to retire in Meadview Arizona and he wanted me to be his agent. I had no Earthly idea 1) there was a Meadview Arizona and 2) where it could possibly be. It turns out it is an hour North of Kingman and two hours East of Las Vegas, for those of you dying to know. It looks like harsh desert and I am not about to attempt to do business up there. I told Alfred as much. I would be learning on his dime and that wasn't fair to anyone.

I did find Alfred a loan officer. I also found him (through a bit of digging) an agent. I am not asking for a referral fee from the agent on the less than $70,000 house he is looking to buy.

Alfred has been calling me though. He was wondering if he should just not use the agent so he can get a "better price." Dear Heavens, NO! Alfred lives in Santa Barbara. He knows nothing about the Mojave Desert. He doesn't know about water rights or building practices in Meadview Arizona. He doesn't know about environmental concerns and possible expansive soil issues. He doesn't know about possible land leases or what are the egress rights for crossing through the West Rim of the Grand Canyon to get to Meadview. For that matter, neither do I!

I know just enough to ensure I want to talk to Alfred for another 16 years. So, I want to make sure he was in super-capable hands. So please Alfred, listen to your new agent. She's got your back.

Of Dead Plants and Misplaced Couches

Yesterday, Liam told me I am to list his house for $15,000 more than it is worth because of all they had to "do" to it. What they had to "do" was make repairs--repairs that should have been made all along. Repairs that should never have waited until the last minute. And by the way, they have not put $15,000 worth of repairs into their home.

As he is dictating this to me, I am counting backwards from 10, knowing eventually I am going to have to say something moderately intelligent and not the least bit impolite. Pro tip: when counting backwards from 10, if you count by .001, it takes a long time to get to zero.

In some ways, I found Liam's particular bit of logic amusing. I have given them several lists of to-do items that will help their home sell. These items included touching up the exterior paint, decluttering the house and planting a few flowers in the front. All of these items are practical and fit their budget, which is quite limited. None of them they heeded. In fact, they have their own list that keeps getting weirder.

For example, last week Inga told me the flapper on the front potty was broken. They break. Ace Hardware sells a replacement flapper for  $13.99. I mentioned this to her. I promised, it was so simple to replace, that even I can do it. So, don't worry. It won't be costly. What do they do? They bought a new solid gold toilet. Then they hired a plumber with a PhD to install the toilet. The almost $14 flapper cost as much as a bathroom remodel.

The week prior to last, I got a call from Dave. He was the flooring sales person. He was sitting with Inga and Liam and discussing what kind of flooring they should put in their home. I was thrilled they were willing to go to this expense. After all, the vinyl was completely torn up and was a major eye sore. However, they weren't replacing the vinyl. They were replacing the carpet, which really didn't need to be replaced. I explained this to Dave, Inga and Liam. None of them cared. Realizing  I was fighting a losing battle, I got Dave to throw in the living room carpet at cost. They now have lovely, but unnecessary new carpet and an even smaller budget.

What I find interesting, is all of the repairs I have asked them to make that they ignore. For example, the back patio roof has an awkward piece of wood dangling from it. I don't know why. I have suggested fifteen times or so that they fix this. Doing so will accomplish two major items. First, it will not be unsightly and make a potential buyer wonder why there is an awkward piece of wood dangling from the roof. Second, it is a bit of a hazard.

What do they do instead you ask? They moved all the furniture to the garage. No, not all the furniture. There is now--and I am not making this up--a couch in the kitchen where Inga will be sleeping until further notice. I suggested putting the couch in the living room where couches are usually found, but that didn't seem like a practical suggestion to them.

To their credit. They did buy the plants I asked them to buy. But, they got the inexpensive seedlings, which are still sitting in the flower pots they came in, smack dab in the back yard. Tomorrow it will be 100 degrees. But no matter, right now now they look rather crispy so it is rather immaterial at this point. Liam feels it is most economical to just let the sprinklers water them, instead of planting them and putting a hose on them.

Yesterday Inga asked me what an inspector might call out on an inspection list. I told her, in order to get an inspection, she needs a buyer. In order to get a buyer, she needs to get the house on the market. In order to get the house on the market, she needs to have the photographer come by and take pictures. In order to get the photographer to come by and take pictures she needs to move the couch out of the kitchen and by all means, stop finding things to fix.

Mother's Day

Bonus Mom

A Happy Mother's Day to all of you out there.

The most significant moment in my life happened almost 19 years ago. I held my baby for the first time and nothing until that moment in my life truly mattered.

It took 31 years to decide I wanted kids. My Polly taught me about love. Buckaroo taught me to laugh.

This past week I spent most every waking moment in tears or at least on the verge. Mother's Day now means one less card to buy. One less person to honor. It also brings out a flood of memories. Bonus Mom chose me to be hers. I miss her. I grieve and don't know how to heal. But I don't mind the pain, because it means I had her love first.

I don't want to be known for being a real estate agent. Motherhood is what I want to be remembered for. It is what I remember Bonus Mom as. There is truly nothing like a mother's love. Nothing. 

Beach Bound

I need a vacation.

There's an old adage in real estate: Want to get busy? Book a vacation.

So I got a call from a dude today. He was referred by my brother. He needs to move in the next six weeks. No pressure. Except I am leaving town sometime soon. And I am a one-woman show. Back in the days when I worked in a brokerage I could just have another agent from my office handle this. Now, it isn't so simple.

Anyway, knowing I have a slight and possible conundrum, I contacted Mrs. Hufflepuff. Would it be ok for me to do a 50/50 sale with Jane if necessary? I wasn't going to offer this if Mrs. Hufflepuff's brokerage said no. I know enough other agents who would say yes, under the circumstances, but I would rather give the business to Jane.

I now have Mrs. H's blessing to allow Jane to work with me on this sale--if it turns into a sale. Jane has been the one in charge of us since 1974. It might be kind of fun to boss Jane around for once.