It looks like we’re headed into a scorcher of a weekend now that the humidity has returned and bringing higher temps with it. Thank goodness I didn’t have to be out in it much today with the amount of desk work I had piled up.
There were more than the normal walk-ins today which came as a bit of a surprise since it’s Friday and hot. One of the visitors was a gentleman who I talked to about a month ago about moving here from the Des Moines area, and the main reason being the difference in the costs of housing. He did manage to find a place to rent for the time being, and stopped by just to let me know that once he’s settled in and acclimated to our City, he’ll be getting in touch with me to look at homes.
There was another visitor who stopped in this afternoon asking about what it would take to become a Realtor. Since I was up at the front desk and immersed in files, he thought me too busy to talk and asked if he could stop back later. I closed the file I was working on, and then asked him to take a seat.
After about 45 minutes of questions and answers, I’d say he was about filled to the brim with more information than he’d expected. During our conversation, I mentioned more than once how important it would be for him to understand that you can’t take the real estate market by storm in one, two, or even three years. I’m sure it was a dis-appointment when I said, “Ten percent of the Realtors have ninety percent of the business.” I sounds pretty sad, but more times than not, it’s more closer to being the truth. With all the others, I told him to hang on to his full time job until he’s close to being certain he can go it alone.
One question he asked caused me to pause a moment, and that being, “After all these years, are you glad you became are Realtor?” After a brief hesitation I replied, “Mason City has been good to me over these long years, but I also know I’ve worked diligently at doing my absolute best for those residents of our City who’ve come to me with their real estate needs.” I couldn’t help but also add that if I hadn’t built a good and long-lasting relationship with a number of my clients and customers over the years, I would’ve had to close my doors years ago. What I’ve found the most touching, is whenever being referred to other members of those families to where I can safely say I’ve worked with some that span four generations.
When asked about some of the under-handed things he’s heard about on the street, all I could say was, “All the way back when I first started, I mentioned to my mother that if I ever find that I’ve done something that will keep me awake at night with shame, I’d be turning in my license and looking for another job because even back in those days, I remember seeing and hearing first-hand some pretty shady shenanigans being committed by real estate agents, and to this day, I refuse to be a part of such underhanded dealings.”
Later today, a client of mine called and said she emailed me a link to an article that was published in the Globe Gazette back on the 9th of July. Since she knows I normally don’t read that newspaper, she thought it would be of interest to me.
The article was written by Lionel Foster who was our Human Rights Director here in Mason City for over 30 years. He brought up some very interesting facts and questions regarding these recent happenings with our so-called River City Renaissance project. After reading it, I was once again filled with a great concern that our City is going to be deeply buried in debt for a very long time if that build-out fails to bring in the revenues they’re forecasting. My biggest concern is that in many ways, our City fathers are placing the cart before the horse, and whenever that happens, there’s all the more chance of future failures. I fully wish the best for our community, but I’m growing all the more concerned over what appears to be an “open check book” policy by those who’re hell-bent on getting that project completed.
I’ve added the link to that article if you haven’t already read it. Transparency missing in River City Renaissance deal: Letter
Please don’t forget about my public open house tomorrow at 415 – 1st St. SE which will be starting at 1:00 pm. It’s very important that people look at the whole package because that party-sized deck off the family room and its gorgeous fenced rear yard makes it all the more attractive. With tomorrow’s expected heat, you’ll be amazed at how that home’s canopy of trees has a distinct cooling effect on it. Believe me, you’ll love this home’s quality and charm.
Tonight’s one-liner is: It is only at the first encounter that a face makes its full impression on us.
