If we have to endure weather like we’ve been having for all the many winter days ahead, I’d say there’ll be crowds of our residents ready to pack up, move, and never come back. I’ll wager I was the coldest thus far while showing a vacant home today that had no heat or lights. For some reason, those ice boxes always seem colder on the inside than the out of doors.
One of my appointments today was to do a preview of a home that’ll likely get listed in the coming months. It was a real treat to find a family home that’s been so well taken care of since the time it was built back in the 1950’s. The walls, ceilings, woodwork, and even the floors were in exceptionally good condition, and after doing my full inspection, I said to the sellers, “If this home is priced within its range, it’ll sell quickly because of how clean and well cared-for it is.” I made sure to tell them that buyers in these times are all the more willing to purchase homes that are move-in ready, instead of those needing something even as minor as wall paint. The first-time buyers are the worst when it comes to not even being able to see past the existing color of a given room’s walls.
Believe it or not, I’m still working at getting a home sale closed that’s been hanging fire for far too many days. It seems every week there seems to always be something the buyers’ lender finds with their file that needs clarification and/or confirmation. What makes it even worse, is that it happens to be an on-line bank with its offices out West. If we do end up getting it closed, I’ll swear that if I ever hear the name of that bank again, it’ll be too soon.
I have an appointment to list a home tomorrow that’s in a very much sought after neighborhood, and knowing what it’s going to be listed at, I’m confident it’ll get sold quickly. It happens to be one I sold to the current owners about 20 years ago, and I’d say they’ve done a very good job at making it all the better than it already was when they purchased it way back then. In spite of my listing it between Holidays, I’m remaining hopeful there’ll be a buyer who’s been quietly waiting for a home to get listed in that particular neighborhood.
Unfortunately, some of our old reliable neighborhoods that’ve been many Realtors’ bread and butter for a great number of years, are coming under attack by the rental barons along with those who are wanna-be slum lords. It’s not something that’s happened overnight, but rather the slow erosion of homeowners living in those neighborhoods.
Over the weekend, I was in conversation with a couple who’ve lived in one of those neighborhoods of which I speak, and while listening to their recollections of how things used to be in their block, I couldn’t help but agree with them while also adding a few other tidbits of information they’d forgotten regarding just how wonderful their district used to be. Before they left, I encouraged them to stand their ground and be all the more pro-active by taking steps to reverse that erosion. One of the best deterrents for naughty-minded night creepers, is to install very good exterior lighting that’ll remain on the entire night. As far as I’m concerned, the new LED lighting that’s available is one of the best of recent inventions for keeping crimes from taking place in given locations. Just remember, dark minds don’t like bright lights.
Speaking of dark minds, I was reminded not long ago how much two particular tenants eschewed natural light when seeing how they made sure all their basement windows panes were painted black along with all their many room darkening roller shades. I don’t know what they were up to, but I’m sure it was no good, but if you’d see them in a grocery store, you’d swear they were as normal looking and acting as any in the general public, but as they say, “Never judge a book by its cover.”, and above all, be all the more careful of shifty-eyed and fast-talking blokes who always seem to have your questions answered before you’ve have them fully asked. I not so endearingly refer those types to be nothing more than, “layer-talkers”.
I’m sharing with all of you a rather creepy Youtube video of a young man’s experiment with Google and what appears to be their ever-evolving and super-sophisticated ways of knowing everything about you. It’s really too creepy to think what they’ll be up to next. I can still hear in my mind one of my family members saying to me many times a number of years ago, “Did you Google yourself today?”. These days, I believe such a question should be turned around by asking, “Did you get Googled today?” So now tell me, are they really listening?
Tonight’s one-liner is: What people think and believe are very important, but what they do, is the thing that counts the most.
