Holtz Realty

Having become a Realtor during the height of the savings and loan crisis, I well remember the homes sitting on the market for years due to the excess of inventory as well as the fixed interest rates topping out somewhere around 16%. The savings and loans were bleeding profusely due to the increased number of foreclosures and subsequent lender owned properties. How well I remember those years and the suffering innocent sellers went through attempting to unload their properties at a break-even price. I will share one story of many sellers who were trapped by what happened in those years. I sold a home to the most wholesome young family who carefully viewed each and every of the many properties I showed them to make sure they were purchasing the best property for their hard earned money. They decided on one that met their family’s needs and purchased it at a fair price. Not one year later, the husband called me to tell me he was offered a better paying accounting job in another State. He said after several days of soul searching with his wife, the position being offered would be the best for their family. They decided they wanted me to list their home for sale. Well, unbeknownst to me or them, we had not yet reached the peak of the crisis at that time. I did nearly everything I could do to sell their home for nearly a year until the husband called me and asked if I would find a tenant for him because keeping up the mortgage payment on the home here in Mason City and the rent payments current on his current home was causing too much of a burden on their family. I told him I would find a tenant for him but likely that would create even more of a difficulty in finding a buyer at that time. Well, I found a tenant for the home, and then another tenant about 2 years later, and another one about 4 years later and finally, I was notified that the home was being foreclosed upon. Some time in the near future, I will attempt to find this seller and have a heart to heart chat with him. Most people think that Accountants are bean counters and ticker tape readers, but he and his wife were the most kind and understanding people. They beamed goodness. Perhaps this is why even today I really do continue working at providing the best for my clients and customers—especially the young. They don’t need to be coddled, but they deserve be fully informed. So, with this story told, I find myself immersed in four years of the same “financial gunk” that I found myself in too many years ago. It looks like we have gone the full circle in financing.