All Together Now

Oh woe is me. I had to work aallll weekend. Wah. A continuing theme with me is, "I don't have anything in the pipeline/Why do people keep calling me at home so I can sell a house."

This past weekend, I felt as though my life wasn't my own, which it wasn't. It was my client's, which is as it should be. When one is in the middle of negotiations, in this case the results of a whole house inspection, it behooves all to get things wrapped up as quickly as possible lest some other problem rear it's ugly head. And GET IT IN WRITING. Duh. Duh? You would be amazed at what some brokerages try to do without having it in writing. Now, yes, this is a small town and there is still such thing as a gentleman's agreement. But small town or not, have you ever watched Judge Mathis? The disputes are real, the courtroom is real and it is full of friends suing friends and relatives suing relatives because of a gentlemans's agreement. Ultimately what happens is that when the whole sordid thing is over, there is not a gentleman standing.

So my negotiations this weekend centered around what the buyer(the other guy) and my seller would agree was the responsiblity of the other party. Initially, the buyer's agent said they wanted A and B. My sellers said that they would do A but that their contractor said B was not necessary. Weellll, the buyer's agent hadn't put anything in writing so I did. I typed in what was requested and what my seller's were willing to do. And, lo and behold! The sellers wanted MORE! (Please sir, I'd like some more.) You want more, you want MORE!?

Yep. So now the buyers wanted to send over their contractor. Okay. A fact finding mission for their own edification. Or so I thought. But not wanting to stir a pot that doesn't yet stink, I advised my people to let the buyer's contractor take a look. What was I supposed to do? I knew that the buyer's could walk because they didn't want to buy a pig in a poke. And, lo and behold! They, well, you get the drift.

To make a long story short, all is now thankfully signed and delivered. A little more money out of my seller's pocket but it has kept the deal together and everybody is slightly happier. The buyers get the house they want and the sellers can get the heck out of Dodge.

A realtor(r) told me once that if everyone at the closing table isn't mad, then he hasn't done his job. That sounded just horrible and insensitive at the time. But now, having gotten a whiff of the shoe being on the other foot, I can see where one just doesn't want to stick around to see if the other shoe will drop. It is best to keep truckin' and try to cut everyone's losses.

Won't I be surprised when the closing finally comes, and it will, and someone stands up at the table, bangs their large brogan on it and yells, "Order! Order!"

I'll take a ham on rye.

Roll Over Beethoven

All Things Must Pass

This blog seems to be leaning a bit more towards the Beatles lately. It's not necessarily because I don't have anything better to do, because I do. But it is becoming more apparent that the more creative I have to be ( such as thinking of ways to drum up business) the more creative I am.

So I am dipping my toe into the waters of video making. This is my first attempt, so please bear with me. As my creative juices start to flow, there is no telling which way they will go.

The moral of the story is, keep moving. Don't let the grass grow under your feet. If you can't do exactly what you want (like sell houses), then do something. The more you do, the more you will do. Keep the universe stirred up a bit. A rolling stone gathers no moss. Or is that The Beatles...

So in this case, The Beatles help me to gather no moss. They are the background music of my life. And even though the housing market is down, this too shall pass.

I'm Happy Just to Dance with You

Bob, the secretary treasurer of the Clinton County Board of Realtors, sometimes needs Robin, the assistant to our broker, to help him with his secretarial tasks. Gee, I guess that's one secretarty helping another. Is that like one hand washing the other? Anyway, Robin must have had too much coffee that afternoon and decided to dance it off. We are a strange lot.

This week, despite the cold, the wind, the snow, the rain, we have actually had 8 homes get accepted contracts. The place is starting to feel like a real estate office again. But as you can see, we still have time for fun and games.

My one and only listing just suffered a whole house inspection in preparation for the closing next month. I say "suffered" because the inspector goes over the house with a fine tooth comb, pokes at sore spots with a stick and crawls around on the floor, and under it, with a magnifying glass. Quite a humiliating experience for the poor house. "And he invariably comes up with something, which is his job. Now we have to deal with these issues which could ultimately cost the sellers more money. Whole house inspections are always the "touchiest" part of a sales contract but we must push forward knowing that this too shall pass.

So in the meantime, let us dance.

I Should Have Known Better

Okay, I didn't realize that you couldn't rotate a video image with my software. Anyway, I am adding visual elements to my blog to better illustrate the life of a realtor. Sometimes words just can't express what goes on around here....

This is my desk today. The conversation is between an administrative assistant and one of our agents. It seems that there is a question regarding an envelope.........

Here, There, and Everywhere

My life has finally come full circle. And I thought I was just running around in circles. I keep up to date in my profession by, in part, reading a publication put out by the National Association of Realtors(r), oddly enough entitled Realtor(r). The current issue is dedicated to home design instead of just selling. Of course the emphasis is on how design influences people's buying pyche, both positively and negatively. I have a degree in interior design and now I have permission to use it!.

I have never been fond of the idea of going into someone's personal space and telling them that they have to paint everything white or the house will not sell. Poppycock! I think most people are savy enough to know that the seller actually lives in the house. But that doesn't absolve the seller from taking some action to make their home more broadly attractive and tasteful. I was pleasantly surprised that my professional publication acknowledged that color is good. But there is still no substitute for taste. Everybody's taste can't be the same but I certainly hope that a potential buyer recognizes taste even if it isn't their own. (Well, that might be wishful thinking but I'll give the public the benefit of the doubt for now.)

One school of thought is that the realtor should be aware of design trends in order to help their buyers visualize their new space. The flip side of the coin is that the seller should think in terms of classic. Once again, this doesn't mean that an extreme makeover is in order. But it does mean that the realtor must guide the seller to see their home as others may see it. We all get used to a certain amount of clutter that is the necessity of our lives. But eventually you cease to see it. A well informed and experienced agent can point out simple yet effective ways to spruce up without tearing up (tearing up?)

The bathroom, perhaps one of the most overlooked yet underdecorated room, is the one we spend the most time in. Spice it up! Don't go out and buy a polkadot shower curtain but bring in some contrasting curtains and towels and consider bringing in a small piece of furniture if space allows. This will warm up the space and make it look less utilitarian and more inviting.

Entryways are debris magnets. Come in the door, drop the shoes, the purse, the soccer ball, the mail, and next thing you know you have a mess. Clear up the debris and create a focal point that will literally draw people in. A bright pillow on a chair, a striking vase on a table and a decorative rug goes a long way. And once again, you don't have to spend money, just rearrange what you already have.

The living room can suffer from either over use or under use. It is either a showplace where no one is allowed to enter, or it is so lived in that it looks shabby, not chic. Again, bright accents will liven up the room; flowers, pillows, paintings, especially in red or yellow. Clear out that overflowing bookcase and set those old books packing. But don't make a sterile environment. If a potential buyer doesn't even want to set foot into that room, then it may as well not exist.

Lighting is always important but that doesn't suggest 300 watt bulbs in every fixture. Then you have an operating room, not a home. Warm, ambient lighting sets a comforting mood in living areas. Shine up that chandelier and dust off those lamp shades. Consider going to your local big box store and pick up a couple inexpensive accent lamps for the living room and master bedroom. If the buyer wants more light, let them reach for the wall switch.

The kitchen is perhaps the single most important selling point of a home. Clear away that mouse nest of unpaid bills and replace it with a basket of fresh fruit. Set the table with bright dishes, put a green plant by the sink and hang beautiful dishtowels. A bright enamal teakettle on the stove reeks of "home."

Come on sellers! Give us tired realtors a hand! Spice up, clear up, warm up and shine up. Then the next thing you know, you'll be packing up! That is the point, mmkay?

And Your Bird Can Sing

Yes, these are the male realtors of Bennett Realty that are vying for the opportunity to sell you a house! So sad.

If I fell

Sexy Sadie

Let us all have a moment of silence for the passing of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

For those uninitiated, he was the "guru" of The Beatles in 1968. Because of their trip to India and their sojourn into transendental meditation, made popular and Westernized by the Maharishi, The Beatles had a time of R and R that was much needed. Also, because of the cleansing of their bodies and minds and the opening of the mind, they wrote prolifically during that period and released an almost unprecidented double album know as "The White Album". The album cover itself was shocking in its absolute stark whiteness, except for the embossed words "The Beatles" along with a serial number. The white cover was a reaction to the complete and total image overload of the previous album "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

At the time of the recording, their producer, George Martin, tried to talk them into gleaning only the "best songs" and shelving the rest. But by then, the lads were feeling their oats and insisted upon the whole enchilada. When asked decades later about that decision, Ringo said, "I always thought it should have been released as two albums, The White Album and The Whiter Album." We love Ringo.

Which brings me to the topic of improving. Can you really have too much of a good thing. If a little is good, isn't more better? Maybe when it comes to the Beatles, but not when it comes to improving a home.

There is a movement in these days of foreclosures whereas the people who buy investment properties are having a field day. Especially if you are a handy person and like to fix things yourself. Now if you are slum lord and are just looking to flip a house or move in some unfortunate soul, then you can change the channel now. However, if you are a fixer-upper kind of person please try to restrain yourself. Here's why:

Say you find a bargain for $35,000. It is run down to the max but has good bones and a good foundation. You want to make this home a showplace; clean, neat and so sweet. New siding, new windows, new porch, refinished floors, updated plumbing and wiring, new kitchen, added bath, fresh drywall and insulation in the attic. Now you are the proud owner of a fabulous house. But, and this is a big but, the other homes in the neighborhood are only worth $80K. Ooops! All that work, time, money and pride of workmanship and you are stuck with a white elephant. Would you pay $125K to live in a $80K neighborhood? Doubt it.

The other scenario deals with the seller who is extremely house proud. They built the house themselves, sometimes even with their own hands. They have a gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances, wood floors, jacuzzis, custom woodwork, hand built cabinets (sweated over for months in their own woodworking shop) personalized touches everywhere. A year later, they realize that they need to retire to the sunny climes of Florida. They have put their blood, sweat and tears into the house and they know it is the finest home around. And they are right. And here's that big BUT again, a comparable stock home typical of the area goes for waaaayyyy less. But these homeowners are ssoooo proud that they can't imagine why someone wouldn't want to pay for all of their good taste.

So yes Virginia, you can overimprove. Which is not to say that you shouldn't do all of the above. Just remember that if you do, do it for your own enjoyment and not with the idea of raking in loads of mula when you sell.

Rule of thumb; white elephants don't turn into White Albums.

All I've Got to Do

I hate to go on and on about the slump in the housing market, but I will anyway. The economic news has stated that housing starts were at an unprecedented low last year. So what does that mean? It means that builders aren't building because buyers aren't buying. "Housing starts" is not the only way you can tell that the market is down but it is one of those "economic indicators" that economists must use because they can't call all of the real estate companies in the country and say, "Hey! How's business!"

Housing starts is like the unemployment rate, the cost of living, the stock market, the rate of inflation, the gross national product, the national debt, ad nauseum. The bean counters have to count something so they make little charts then count the little dots. I'm not saying that these indicators are not useful, they are. But they can be a bit misleading because they are averages for the country. Every region, state and community are different. Look at Detroit. Car manufacturing has been slipping for decades and the place is drying up and blowing away.

One of Wilmington's economic indicators that I have noticed is a new little subdivision that used to be the hottest thing since sliced bread, canned beer and indoor plumbing. Three years ago, those houses were going up almost overnight and selling just as quickly. They were priced for the upper middle class family and for the upwardly mobile. I drive through that area now and it looks like a ghost town. There is an unfinished street, empty lots full of tall weeds, piles of construction debris, new construction that has never sold and empty homes whose first inhabitants have moved on only to abandon the house to the vagaries of the real estate market.

Gee, I sound like some armageddonist. But if you are going to sell real estate these days, you have to get real (no pun intended) then don't take anything for granted. When things are slow, you don't just sit back and prop your feet up. You must work even harder.

For the first time in my real estate career, I have invested in marketing books. I have always eschewed the inspirational writers and speakers because they sounded so slick and evangelical to me. So one of the books I purchased has true funny stories of sales people's blunders then an analysis of what went wrong. The other book has business letter templates for marketing, prospecting and follow-ups. And...I have actually been using them, not just trying to learn by osmosis.

So far, no good. But if you keep doing what you've always done but expect different results, you are clinically insane. You may be right, I may be crazy. But it just might be a lunatic someone is looking for. And when that time comes, I can proudly stand up and say, "I'm a lunatic! Let me sell your house!"

I think I have internalized the sales blunders. Ooops!