One thing I love about selling real estate is that no two days are alike and we can make them whatever we want them to be. There are days however that I just wished I had stayed in bed.The following story should have been one of those days.
One of my more interesting and thicker files, took place years ago as I excitedly took my first listing. It was a bank owned home and this was not a down market. I knew that I could find the right buyer and that the while the house was a mess, there was a lot of potential in the 5 acres that accompanied it.
I headed right out and put up the sign, filled the flier box and placed a well worded ad. Then the next thing I knew the phone rang and an offer was on it's way.
It was a good offer and the other agent was great to work with. I wish I could have said the same for her client or her clients boyfriend who had just been released from prison.
The bank took the offer and I let the other agent know. She sounded happy and said she would tell her clients immediately.
I was in the area and I decided to swing by the property and check on the flier box to make sure it was still full. After all we had a deal but not a closed transaction yet.
As I pulled up the twisting drive I immediately spotted smoke coming from the property. Not a good sign. I parked and ran up to the home only to see a large flaming burn pile in back of the house. Nearby was a hose and an aquarium pump spewing the contents of the septic onto the property. The doors to the home had been pried open as the buyer boyfriend hurried around with his busy work.
I managed to explain to them that the buyer had not bought the property yet and that he would need to leave or be accompanied by his agent. He did not agree, so I got the Buyers Agent on the phone to explain.
I thought all was resolved as I watched him clean up and leave. Apparently we were still not on the same page though, as a week later when I stopped by all of the flooring had been removed from the home and replaced.
In the end the property did close with another buyer. The original buyers check did not clear escrow and they eventually moved on. And I finished writing a pile of notes that my Designated Broker read with her mouth open in wonderment. Some clients are special some are VERY special.
So, do you have any stories to share about an adventure in real estate? I would love to hear them!
Follow all of the latest market updates and hottest deals e-mail Dinah Griffey @ dinahleegriffey@gmail.com or call Dinah at 360-551-8888 For all of your Real Estate needs.
Now Dinah, that's a really unique story. Stuff you simply cannot make up. I'm not going to try to match it, but I know someone will. Best of success to you and I suggest!
I have had a few others that were interesting but that one always seems to stand out!
I did, however, spend an hour on a sunny Saturday afternoon pulling weeds from a vineyard in a fixer property in Napa that my clients were in escrow on. I figured the grapes were worth salvaging and the weeds needed to go.
Dave- that is really cool that you would weed for your clients.
I have always wondered if the couple I dealt with trying to buy that house ever got married.
Those can be difficult and taxing moments in RE but if the close the are just memories.
So true. It was definitely one to remember. I recall as a new agent going into my brokers office to explain the situation and him shaking his head with a ...what? I had to start over several times. Now it is funny, at the time I was horrified. The boyfriend just getting out of prison was not much of a comfort either.
Dinah, I've also had listings on which over-eager buyers wanted to start working. I was broker in an office where we sold the property with the youngest sibling included. My former termite guy found a dead body wrapped in plastic in the crawl space. That made the news. I've had the buyer move into the home with the seller AFTER close of escrow. I agree with you...never a dull moment. Glad your deal closed with no more problems.
Thanks for sharing Lloyd! I am fortunate not to have found a body yet-LOL. Never a dull day!
While it's true that no two days are alike, I sure wish I could have more days that are alike, preferably in a positive away with good clients and good commission checks.
Jim- I totally agree!
I'm not even in real estate, but I read that with eyes wide open and mouth agape.
Hi Dinah,
I just dropped by to congratulate you on reaching 300000 AR points!
Phil
Thanks- Phil!
Congrats on another great blog topic and hitting 300,000 points! Wow, your knocking thier socks off lady! Keep up the great job! Hopefully you won't have too many "special" buyers!
;)