I think if there are any more very early starts with my days, It’ll likely become hard-coded into my daily modus operandi which could be a good and bad thing because if that indeed happens, then I’ll likely be ready to hit the hay an hour or more earlier each night. Oh well, in these “immediate seating” times in real estate, one just has to go with the flow.
I was pleased to find a signed purchase agreement in my email early this morning which was another confirmed sale of a new listing I just signed up yesterday, and being one of those diamonds in the rough which with the right improvements, will be one heck of a “flip” or long term investment. Unfortunately the general population is losing its ability to envision which is why the homes that need work take beatings while the lipsticked pigs get over-sold. It’s becoming a bit of a vicious circle where the savvy investors snap up those diamonds in the rough at great discounts, and then do quick fixes with their cheap upgrades of flooring, countertops, fixtures and paint. They’ll then add a few cutesy light fixtures an accessories, and then throw them back on the market to be sold to naive buyers. Yes, it’s becoming quite the gig.
It came as no surprise we already had three offers on 666 – 9th NE since it was listed not even 24 hours before. I had an early appointment to meet with the seller, and by the time 7:30 a.m. rolled around, it was under contract. I was getting calls on it throughout the day, so once I get that file put together tomorrow, I think I’ll stop out a place a sold rider atop my sign. There’s no question the new owner is going to enjoy that home as much as my mother did, as well as the current owner. I still can’t believe those oak floors look just as good as they did the day I finished getting it ready for sale six years ago. If anyone’s a lover of natural light, that home’s got buckets of it.
My closing of 4 Bittersweet went very well today without even the slightest of hiccups. We were the closing longer than normal, and only because the buyers must’ve had more documents to sign. When I went out to get my lockbox off the front door and pull the yard sign, I noticed at least twenty or more rose bushes in bloom, and some of them appeared to be of the vintage type. The honey bees were frantically working at gathering the nectar and pollen from them. Since I’d not been out there since I listed it, that blast of natural beauty was a shocker.
I had a mid-afternoon meeting with a seller which lasted longer than we both expected, and mostly because they’re still on the fence regarding whether they should sell it direct or list it with me. The word has got out about them selling, so there’ve been people stopping by and asking for tours. All I could do was listen and weigh the pros and cons of selling direct. I fully understand why today’s sellers don’t want to pay for our services because oft times if it’s a good home, it sells right out of the gates, but unfortunately they don’t understand the whole “back-room” process that’s involved in not only getting a home sold, but more importantly, getting it to the closing table without any major stumbling blocks. If I were a seller, I’d much prefer the “distancing” from buyers which comes when having a Realtor involved.
Now back to 36 S. Illinois. Would someone please tell me truthfully why that home is not yet under contract? We now have it at a bargain-basement price which is almost embarrassingly low. I’m gonna have to keep on pushing it because there’s gotta be someone out there who sees the up-side value I see every time I’m there showing it. I know it’ll sell, but I was wanting it sold yesterday.
Due to my having to wait until the day before a scheduled closing for title work from an attorney’s office, I had to make a mad dash to Hampton this afternoon which ate up a good two hours of my day. Fortunately the attorney in Hampton warned me about the bridge work just south of Sheffield, and was good enough to tell me where to drive, just so I wasn’t going in a big circle.
For the first time in my life, I actually found myself driving thru the little town of Chapin which can’t be more than three or four miles south of Sheffield. There’s a grand home on a corner that’s painted a dark taupe and trimmed in white which had me so taken by its look, I was almost ready to stop and take a photo of it, but then didn’t because I wouldn’t have wanted someone thinking I was a stalker.
After my meeting with the sellers of tomorrow’s closing at their attorney’s office in Hampton which was just so I could get their signatures on original transfer documents, I couldn’t help mentioning that grand home in Chapin. Wouldn’t you know, that attorney knew exactly which home it was talking about, along with reciting the names of the current and previous owners.
Now keep in mind I’m more than jaded when it comes to office buildings and the professionals working in them, and with that said, I can say without resign how impressed I was with their attorney, as well as his place of work. In but a few words, I’d say he’s a very intelligent and fully “grounded” man who’s far above all those others who’re stumbling about trying impress their clients, along with the general public. If I’m not mistaken, he mentioned something about that law firm being in his family for over eighty years. Now that’s a heck of a testimony of one family of lawyers serving a community the size of Hampton for that many years. Good for them.
Tonight’s One-liner is: Fond memory brings the light of other days around me.
