Most believe a Realtor’s life comprises the listing of a home, going back to the office and waiting for the phone to ring, showing it maybe once or twice and then selling it, going back to the office and remain seated while waiting for the closing day to arrive so the commission check can be picked up and deposited. One of my sharp-tongued long-term clients was playfully wicked enough to brand me with that definition of my job many years ago.
Of course he knew better, but unfortunately there are those in the general public who are more convinced of such crazy ideas. It made me think of it today because many of the things I did was out of the normal scope of my profession. First off, I had to race over to a home I have listed that tenant just moved out of, to let him in so he could meet Alliant Energy there to do a read-out on the electric meter. The tenant had inadvertently locked himself out. Another little side job, was to go and get a key made for a tenant that just rented a home belonging to of one of my clients who felt it necessary to have another key. Whenever little requests like those surface, I just go do it instead of trying to pass the buck or lay blame.
The phones weren’t as busy as usual today which meant more people were focusing on plans for their 4th of July celebrations. I’ve already been hearing all the more fireworks going off these past days. I just hope there’s no injuries or fires started tomorrow. Sometimes in the heat of celebrations, people get a little more bold as well as careless when playing around with fire. Personally, I have no plans for tomorrow, which means I’m just going to playing it by ear, and whatever unfolds, I’ll just go with it.
While I was busy with first of the month accounting, my thoughts went back to an idea that’s been coming to mind all the more often. I may be all wet in thinking this, but I’m beginning to believe we are going to be seeing all the more younger professionals re-locating to the upper Midwest from the South, the East, and especially the West.
Just about every day I hear of the prices people are paying for homes and condos in metro areas around the Country, and I can’t help but think many potential buyers are priced out of the market–especially those first-time buyers. What I believe is going to trigger this influx, is the new mode of business models which corporations are all the more encouraging their employees to work from home. As we all know, the internet has grown all faster and more sophisticated to where nearly everything can be done online, and if there’s a meeting to be attended, they schedule tele-conferences. Perhaps once or twice a year employees may have to make personal appearances in brick and mortar corporate buildings.
The upside to moving somewhere like Mason City and North Iowa, is that our fiber optic infrastructure is being continually expanded which any online employer/employee would certainly appreciate. So if North Iowa has the infrastructure for working remotely, then there’s no reason for many of those employees to keep from moving here when finding they’re able to purchase beautiful homes or condos for hundreds of thousands less. I personally had such a situation take place with me when I was being encouraged to take a transfer to a bank’s home office in Minneapolis. I didn’t do it because it was less that a lateral move for me. The cost of living was far more than I was accustomed to here in Mason City.
We will see if I’m correct in my thinking, if and when we start seeing all the more “remote” workers moving to our area. Yes, North Iowa and Mason City has its negatives, but we all must remember, we have to take the bad with the good because there is no paradise on earth.
Wishing you all a delightful 4th of July.
The following was shared with me today which gave me a good laugh.
Tonight’s one-liner is: A Catholic’s recipe for holy water, is to place a quart of water in a saucepan on the stovetop, turn up the heat, and boil the Hell out of it.
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