Growing Out Of Our Navels

I'm pretty much back into my morning grove with getting up and out early enough to have my personal errands run, and then to the office where I can be fully readied for calls and drop-ins that begin around the hour of eight. Someone asked me not long ago why I'm at my office far earlier than most, and because it's been asked enough, me knee-jerk response is, "So I can get my desk work done without interruption, and as most know, the more you get interrupted, the likelihood of making a mistake increases.", which most times, ends up leaving them continuing to wonder why. In spite of multi-tasking being in corporate favor, I'd rather not get that started again because studies have shown that it has long-term effects on the brains of humans.

Before walking down to the closing company, I had my seller stop by my office to get the last of the closing documents signed, just so she wouldn't have to be bothered with them while there. By the time we finished, it was five minutes before the hour we were to be there, so we headed out and walked that short block to the escrow/closing company. On our way down, I shared my thoughts about what'll likely take place once her mother's estate is fully settled, which I believe was well-received. What I've oft times found happening, is that if the executor was close to the deceased, the real grieving process doesn't start until the yoke of being an executor is lifted off of his or her shoulders, which makes absolute sense to me.

The closing didn't take nearly as long as the seller thought it would, and in spite of her spending extra time talking about keys and garage door openers and mailbox, we were out of there in less than twenty minutes. While walking back to the office, I soulfully thanked her for the opportunity to sell her mother's home for her. She teased me a little when saying she'd planned on listing it from the very beginning in spite of my getting mixed messages about her possibly selling it "For Sale by Owner". Before driving off, I encouraged her to drop by whenever she happens to be in town. Yes, it was a good soft-landing of a sale and closing.

After reporting that sale in our MLS and seeing how few active listings we have, I have got to start beating the bushes a little more, just so we have something to market. I know all the other offices are crying for listings, which at least gives me comfort in knowing it's city-wide, but still no reason to keep from chasing after new clients. Yes, there's been an increase in "For Sale by Owner's", but each and every time I hear of one, I'd soon discover either the sellers sold too cheap, or the buyers paid far too much.

Just last night I received a call from a buyer who's been trolling our market in search of a "buy", and the first thing he said was, "I found a house I'm gonna buy.", and of course it was a FSBO. He then went on to ask if I'd handle all the paperwork for a flat fee, and my response was, "Sorry. I've quit doing that years ago, so I think it's best you hire yourself a real estate attorney." There was a little hesitation until he more timidly asked, "Do you have any recommendations?" Since it was late, I suggested three area law firms he could contact in the morning. After hanging up, I couldn't help thinking to myself, "Many of today's buyers have about as much loyalty as we have hair growing out of our navels." My grandmother's saying which is quite appropriate to be mentioned again, also ran thru my mind which went, "Those that go out looking for wool, oft-times come home shorn."

My showing over at Prairie Place on 1st went very well this afternoon to where we were there for well over an hour and a half. I believe the buyer is interested enough to where she'll be wanting her children to look at it, which has always been pretty the standard with those sales. From that long showing, I'm pretty confident she'll be a good fit with that group of residents. I'm almost certain I know which of those two available units she'll end up purchasing.

I was sent a text message this afternoon from a relative of a seller, asking that I contact him at my convenience, so after I got back to office, I placed the call. Pretty much everything we talked about, were confirmations and clarifications on what needed to be done with the home, as well as the suggested list price. Since there hadn't been many days that'd passed since I made my personal inspection of it, I remained steadfast in believing it'll sell in the given price range I'd mentioned after walking thru it. As long as we don't have a sudden spike in mortgage rates, I'll stick to my guns with the listing price I quoted, along with remaining hopeful it gets listed soon.

My last appointment of the day, was to head up to Rock Falls and take a great many photos of a new office listing that'll be hitting the market either tomorrow or Sunday. Just giving you a little head's up, that homesite is one that's turned many heads for years because of the innumerable hours it must've taken to create that stone beauty.

While driving back, I could already "see" in my mind, someone from the Western States purchasing it because of the many extra features it has to offer, and since the laundry room is on the main floor, it'll more than likely appeal to those who've cashed-out in a metro area, then buying it, and living their "dream" retirement life. I'd give my eye teeth for its two-storied garage/workshop, because with today's prices, that alone would likely cost $80K+ to build.

Having told a colleague of mine that I was heading to Rock Falls, he strongly suggested I stroll thru their creepy cemetery while I was there, but my time was limited, so that'll likely be my next photo session since I'm running out of photos to share with all of you.

Tonight's One-liner is: Utility is when you have one telephone, luxury is when you have two, opulence is when you have three - and paradise is when you have none.

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