Here we are at the 20th of April and it’s feeling like we’re still in the month of March. It was good to get the rain today, which should help to kick-start the greening-up of our landscapes, but the gray skies and dampness all day, wasn’t.
Most of my morning was spent clearing more “stuff” from surfaces at my office, and most of it was comprised of periodicals, newsletters and out-dated Realtor magazines. It’s amazing how we humans can grow so very accustomed to our surroundings to where we no longer “see” that crap piling up over the months. Most of it was sent to the trash and the rest ended up in the shredder.
I received a call from an old client asking if I’d take a look at her home because she’s thinking more along the lines of downsizing into a smaller home with less yard to take care of. Her and husband go back decades, and all the business I did with them, always turned out to their benefit. You can bet I was thankful she thought of me when the thought of selling came to mind.
We decided on mid-morning tomorrow for my walk-thru, so this afternoon, I spent a great deal of time searching for comparable sales, and luckily I found enough to give me at least an idea as to what her home is worth. I made the appointment early enough, just so she wouldn’t be crunched for time when getting to a Noon meeting she’d be attending.
When visiting with the agent who showed 1125 W. State, it’s sounding like the buyers are still thinking about it, so maybe we’ll have an offer on it before the weekend arrives. I so much encouraged them to move into their new home, just so I could take new photos, but they’re of the mindset that it shows better furnished. They’re still working on getting their new one readied for their move, but what they’ve got left, isn’t anything that would keep me from moving in. This darned weather hasn’t been helping in the least bit, so hopefully we’ll soon get some warm and sunny days.
While visiting with several colleagues today, we all agreed that the sales this year have been all over the map. I just about fell off my chair when seeing a bungalow in a not so popular neighborhood, recently being listed at a price well over $200K. Whomever pays anywhere near that price, I would deem as being totally illiterate to the values in our City’s districts.
While I was pulling comparable sales, I made a point to look up the new owners, and just as I suspected, the ones that paid the most, were from great distances away. Two particular properties which I thought had been over-sold by about $50K, were from out of State. Should they decide they don’t like Mason City any longer, I do hope they don’t even think about calling me because I really don’t like being the bearer of bad news.
Not but a few years ago, there was another home purchased by an “out-of-Stater” who decided Mason City wasn’t anything she was expecting, so it went back on the market after she’d gone ahead and made too many un-necessary improvements to it. Well, when it did sell, I figured she took a bath on it because those improvements didn’t warrant any sort of great spike in value, and especially the transitioning neighborhood in which her home was located. I was especially glad to have had nothing to do with that purchase or sale.
Just in these last two days, I’ve received email inquiries from people who’re moving to our area this summer and wondering if my office had any rentals available. I replied to all of them saying there’s nothing right now, but I’d keep their information on file if I should hear of something. Truth be told, it’s getting pretty scary with our City’s rentals because most don’t want to live in apartments, and the decent homes with rents reasonably priced, are few and far between. For sure you can find some unctuous “shacks” in not so sought-after neighborhoods, but otherwise it’s tight. Each and every time I post a rental for one of my clients, I get bombarded with emails and phone calls.
While visiting with a friend of mine several days ago, we talked about how that United Nations spokesperson who’s representing Russia, can go on and on with his mile long speeches which are filled with lies. It seems all the spokespeople for that government have been fully trained to lie thru their teeth. I had to laugh when my friend said, “Whenever I listen to that Russian giving speeches before the United Nations, I feel like I’m listening to a free fiction from Audio Books.” Too funny.
I was delighted when reading today about that oligarch posting his very negative comments about Putin’s war with Ukraine. For sure he’s the first one to step up to the plate and tell the truth, so perhaps the rest of them will follow suit. No doubt he’s gonna have bodyguards with him at all times because we all know how Putin manages to exterminate those who’re not in lock-step with him.
I’ve not been watching the happenings in Ukraine as closely as I have been because whenever seeing those innocent civilians suffering, and especially the children, upsets me to the point of tears, and then a deep anger fills my bones. I’m sure most of us never would’ve conceived such happenings would be taking place in a European country, but that’s what happens when you’ve got a maniac steering a country’s boat.
Oh by the way, I heard recently that the reason those Russian soldiers are stealing Ukrainian toilets, is because in those villages where those conscripts are coming from, still don’t have regular toilets. Talk about being over a 100 years behind the times.
Tonight’s One-liner is: One can find so many pains when the rain is falling.
