Good morning friend! :)
Just a heads up... I'm oddly sleep'deprived-hungover feeling (having not drank anything) This is a really cool real estate story I've been eagerly wanting to share. I hope that in my exhausted state it reads well. hahah! way to sell it Josh! >D
Do you ever have one of those moments where you're just kinda knocked on your ass a bit?... one of those - damn! life went full circle in about 2.5 seconds and you're suddenly at the beginning of the relationship and then bam! you're at the present? a gud one of course! Well, I had one of those this past week. It was special, emotional, and just a flat surprising and cool real estate story.
When I was getting started in real estate I worked with someone else so I could learned the ropes of things. To my benefit, this guy had an unpleasant disdain for buyers..[not cool] To his benefit though, he did earn between 50-30% of everything I closed. [wrong] he felt buyers were wishy-washy with decision making, didn't like driving around serving them, had zero patience for them (unless the price point was $300k or greater) [wronger] just plain would rather list houses than help buyers.. I get knowing what you like.. but dude. It was uncomfortable at times to hear the rant. It felt like someone bashing a president, ex-wife, a religion.. like flinching (inside) with each verbal stab. I can't make this shit up.
So! after all that nonsense!, I fortunately got to serve all the buyers that didn't make the financial cut!...a total win for me! :) Although the commission split sucked major ass, helping people made up for that...
I digress....
Today I'm on my own team and with 100+ experiences of helping/leading families [not selling them] I can feel how a transaction shakes out and categorize it within my heart. Still nothing feels stranger than helping a family sell the very home you helped them buy just years ago. In a flash I can suddenly recall the moment we saw the home for the first time, it was someone else's house, filled with their stuff, their memories - but you could see your peoples new life in that space..
Now, I've cracked open a cold beer, so cold it leaves a ring on the counter while the heat of the pizza makes the bottle sweat... (or cry) all while talking about the selling game plan.. time stops for a moment (just in my heart) I'm suddenly surrounded in their stuff, their memories, their life. <3... It's an indescribable feeling. Maybe like seeing your babies grow up and surprise you in life with some youthful adult comment or perspective they may have... wait... this isn't supposed to happen.. you're not allowed to grow up... no, you're not allowed to sell this house?!
Having started off finding them a house to call home, then sharing a life together now as good friends [the way it should be] to now having earned their trust to be welcomed back to the table (cause all great things start & end with pizza and beer) and talk about their next steps of selling their home is absolutely incredible. Year to date this has only happened 4-6 times or so... but they all have the same kind of feeling. It's very hard to describe.. all I know is that it's a grateful one.. <3
This past week we closed on a transaction with one of my earlier hand-off families. A family that did not make the cut, one's whom I, we, love to call family. My entire little family calls them family.. true, unequivocal family.. I thank the universe for them and the hand-off.... so much so my kids call them Aunt Hole and Uncle Scuba Steve (long story)... they were my very first! pizza and beer clients - ever!... I remember being in their apartment.. their location sucked enough that you so you could hear the annoying pool party taking place as we were looking at houses on the MLS together. These were homes they were soon to call one of them home.... then bam! we're at their new home.. while there, I introduced them to cream cheese on a burger at their first "come see our new house all moved in dinners" kinda deal. To be there, now, in their home, having been sent pictures of their building, painting, updates over the years (cause that shit makes my heart smile! so they do so).. there I am. Bam! you guys were just babies! what the hell.. :(
I'm so grateful, I'm so proud... but dude, you're selling my home too... sad face :(
But this time... this time it's a different kind of sale... one that makes you say "yeah... that ain't happening again".
For me, as I left the special evening with my clients, friends, turned family... I go show houses just down the road from Aunt Hole and Scuba Steve's house to a near another dear friend of ours, Jarod & Jean.. I've known Jarod longer than my Chas... and Chas is old! >D haha
That evening after quickly seeing a shit-hole of a house (man it needed love.. .I felt really bad for the house) we were out in a flash... with a little time to kill I gracefully presented the idea of showing Aunt Hole & Scuba Steve's house.. I said this house isn't on the market yet and it's literally 2 minutes down the road. I followed up with the understanding that I know it's higher than your budget, so there is zero pressure to do anything, but if nothing else.. it'd be great feedback for my sellers AND it'll let us burn up some time..
So... days before we hit the market, hell, pictures weren't even taken yet, we had our first showing....
and that was the last time we showed the house.
Ever.
Have you ever introduced a friend to a really good band or like cream cheese on a burger???.. days later all they can do is talk about how good that song was, how enthralled they are with the tunes... or how just AMAZING cream cheese tastes on a burger and it must be present every time one is consumed?... one of those kinds of things?...
Well... after leaving that showing and thinking nothing of it we head off to our next house. Once pulled up, Jean comes out of the truck just raving about the house!! like MAN! cream cheese tastes so, SO F'n gud man! hahahha! one of those kinds... the entire time we're looking at the other house she can only rave and love and comment about the house they just saw. All because of some lame ass quick just appease me for feedback showings kinda of showing.... and they loved it! Sometimes I can tell a terrible story! hahah.... You may have already guessed it... they wrote an offer on the house the following morning...
Uncle Scuba Steve, Aunt Hole & Mr Bitch (long story too) :)
Life long friend Jarod and his new wonderful bride Jean :)
In a single moment I had just sold my dear friends' house - crazier yet! - to another, dear, life long friend, and they each don't even know each other.. yet here I know so much of the both of them! While I take this picture of Jarod and Jean, I'm brought back to being a kid... there Jarod is laying in Chas's lap, playfully inebriated, calling her his love, asking how his love is doing.. hahah... or recall his brother turning 15, holding him to do a keg stand, then losing his dinner in the washer... like total kids... but there I am, taking a picture of my buddy buying his first house... dang..
Another odd outcome....
As we wrap up the closing of the transaction I happened to recall when they bought the home... sure'nuff... it was exactly 4 years ago when they were in escrow and buying this house... [weird] we would ultimately close within days of their 4 year ClosingBday?!
I don't think we could have handed off the torch any better... like at all. This transaction, this real estate story, is in a category of its own... I cannot come to words on the feeling's I have as I think about this... not thoughts, but deep down genuine emotional feelings. <3
Sometimes this business can be total hell... like throw in the towel, going to live in a box cause I can't stand houses anymore... hell. But it's moments like this, moments that somehow were already written, ones destined to happen at sometime, yet you had no fart in the wind idea it would, let alone to have had a hand in it... all in all to been granted, blessed, whatever you'd like to call it.... presented such a grateful opportunity to be a part of someone, a persons life. <3 It just makes doing this worth it.
Damn.. no more words.
Well there it is friend! ... one wild ass real estate story for the books. One of the more deep rooted ones that's for sure. :) Now enough about my stuff, let's look at a picture of where we'd love to be right now!! Hawaii... :) this is awesome picture sent to me from my cousin. Damn. I can hear them crashing right now.
If there is anything Chas and I can do for you or someone you know - please let us know; we'd be grateful to help. If nothing else, have them contact us so I can rave about how good cream cheese is on a burger. :)
I hope you enjoyed this special real estate story. :)
Have a grateful weekend friend! :)
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