Ouch! I can tell we’re rapidly moving toward Fall when seeing how chilly it was outside this morning. I was even seeing ground fog on my way to work. We are now in the time where once the sun starts setting, it begins to cool down quickly to where one must always have a light jacket or sweater on hand when out after dark.
My first and foremost job this morning was to get the remaining bills paid and the rest of my accounting finished up for the month of July. To my delight, I finished it in near record time due to no corrections having to be made. Of course making a correction is easy, but the hard part is trying to find what caused the mistake.
I called a customer of mine about a home I’d seen that’s listed with another Realtor, and since she had time to look, we met out the house about an hour later. I made sure to point out all the features and qualities I found the last time I was there, but I’m not sure if she liked it enough to take another look, or perhaps convinced it being in need of too many updates which most people don’t want to deal with. I gave my opinion, and that’s about all I could do.
When I got back to my office, I made sure to call a dear past client of mine and wish her a happy birthday since it just happened to be today. I think she was feeling a little down about it, but I did remind her that every age has its beauty as long as we look for it. I was surprised she wasn’t having some sort of celebration, and even when her husband offered to take her to dinner, she still refused. I had to remind myself that she’s never been one to make such a fuss over birthdays.
We all have stories to tell about prior years, and since we were acquainted with each other long enough, about five years ago she told me a very sad story regarding what she went thru with her mother’s illness and death. Most would consider her a saint for all she did for her mother long before and after her passing. Back in those days, they didn’t have Hospice or today’s sophisticated pain meds to deal with slow and agonizing deaths. Those months of watching and listening to her mother slowing dying had a lasting effect on her to where even to this day, she’s not completely, and will likely never be, over it.
Speaking of sad deaths, one of my colleagues told me not long ago about what happened to his mother-in-law who was forced into a nursing home in another city by his wife’s brother who was living out of State, but had the authority to place her there. From what it sounded like, that too had a lasting effect on his wife because of how her mother was simply wheeled into a lonely and isolated corner, which was the bulk of her days until she died.
It’s funny how so many children of elderly parents “think” they know what’s best for them, and especially when they usually live hundreds of miles away. My thoughts were confirmed some years ago by an elder-specialist when saying, “The most problematic children of elderly parents, are the ones that live the farthest away.” I’ve always thought those being the ones who make the biggest scenes and splashes because of the guilt they’ve had building within for years due to their refusal to make sacrifices of time during the years their parents were younger. Like they always say, “Out of sight, out of mind.”
I met with an attorney today regarding an inspection of a home I’d recently done for him. Thank goodness I found enough sales to support the estimated sale price I gave him. As with most neglected homes, the assessed value on it was considerably more than what I thought it would bring, and fortunately I was able to educate him on the reasons for those amounts being markedly different.
Just yesterday another client of mine stopped by to complain about his property taxes. He said they went up 50% more than what they were last year, and with a stern look he said, “If they go up again next year, I’m selling and moving somewhere else because my social security and retirement won’t be enough to cover my household expenses.” Too many of our governing bodies haven’t a clue when it comes to living on fixed incomes.
Before I called it quits for the day, I started emailing prospective out-of-State buyers, copies of my new listing which is The Lady Bug Restaurant in Clear Lake. If there be a turn-key restaurant operation on today’s market, The Lady Bug would certainly fit the bill. I’ve heard many rave reviews over the home-style lunches they served, and someone just mentioned yesterday how their parking lot was always full during business hours. If I worked in Clear Lake, you can be sure I’d be frequenting it often and having a yummy salad with a side of something for lunch. Please put the word out on this great money-making opportunity.
Tonight’s one-linger is: Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and sublime experience if only one had colored pencils long enough to reach the ceiling.
