For most active Realtors and Brokers, no two days are alike. There is always something to do, 7 days a week. If we are honest, time management is the difference-maker for our profession. For me personally, as the Broker of my (so far) small boutique firm, there are no "off" hours. I've done business from a houseboat on Lake Shasta, from various soccer fields, the grocery store parking lot, family get togethers, and even a wedding one time!
In early Spring of 2016, I was hosting an open house, when a couple popped in to check out my latest Mansfield listing. We got to talking and made an instant connection. Their bright spirit and humor instantly engaged me and I was able to really get an idea of what this couple wanted for their family in terms of a home. Their first stop, of course, would have to be financial pre-approval. And a STOP it was! Like so many working families raising teenagers, debts were high and their credit score was borderline. On top of that, they didn't have a pile of money in the bank, so buying a home was not going to be an immediate option.
With the specific guidance of my preferred lender, this amazing couple spent the better part of the next year paying some debt down and saving as much as they could. They were genuinely surprised that the process was not complicated and found that they had many misconceptions as to HOW to improve their credit score. I reached out a time or two over the months, but mostly didn't hear too much from this sweet couple. As it turns out, the husband was taking on a great deal of overtime in an effort to fulfill his promise to his sweet family to provide a home.
In April of 2017, the ringing of my cell phone woke me at about 6:30 a.m. There were two familiar voices on the other end of the line, giddy with laughter and excitement. This sweet couple I'd met a year before was bursting with joy in telling me that they had something for me and could I please stop by their rental home that morning.
Because "time blocking" isn't my strong suit, I ignored anything on that morning's to-do list and sprung to action. After a quick trip to the donut store (mom always said don't show up empty handed!), I arrived at my now friend-client's home and was handed a notebook FULL of financial statements, W-2's, copies of driver's licenses, etc. These items are normally sent directly to the lender, but they were so excited to show me they'd done EXACTLY as the lender said and they were READY to buy a home! After some discussion, we nailed down a price point and some "must haves" and I was out the door on my latest mission.
With pre approval in hand, we set out to find just the right home for this beautiful couple and their two teen-aged kiddos. Within weeks, we found THE ONE. Complete with a pool! But the kids were strategically left out of the entire process up until closing day... yep, you heard correctly. The kids never saw the home and didn't know the parents proceeded with the purchase process. Until closing day.
Here's how it went. We (the couple and I) met at the title company, closed, and I got keys. I made a bee-line to get a GIANT pool floatie, new pool towels, pool snacks, and a giant tub to put it all in. Then it was off to the party store for balloons for each of the kids' bedrooms. Finally, I blew up the giant floatie and headed for the new house... I got the "all clear" that we were funded and the buyer could take possession of the home. I called the new owners and told them to grab the kids and meet me at the home. I got there in time to "stage" the house with the goodies I'd gathered and I swear the smile on that giant floating duck's face was a mile wide when I put it in the pool...
The entire family showed up shortly after I did for what the kids thought was the first showing... we toured the home as though we'd never seen it. Mom, dad, and I shared tickled glances as the kids fell in love with the home, pointing out the two huge living areas and the balloons in the bedrooms. Then we went to the back yard. Dad asked the kids what they thought. The were wide-eyed and enamored with the pool. Dad kicked off his flip flops and proudly said, "I just bought it!" as he jumped in the pool. And the rest, as they say, is history.
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