Alphonse and Gastonwas an American comic strip by Frederick Burr Opper, featuring a bumbling pair of Frenchmen with a penchant for politeness.
The strip's premise was that both were extremely polite, constantly bowing and deferring to each other. Neither could ever do anything or go anywhere because each insisted on letting the other precede him.(Wikipedia)

Yesterdays closing should have been without incident.

My Clients ,The Buyers, of a Bank Owned property had cleared through their financing in record time. They were happy with the agreed upon price and the Seller (NHHFA) had even granted concessions on Closing Costs. The Home Inspection revealed no surprises and we were set to close.

(I should have known better)

WE had our early afternoon walk-thru and headed back to the office for closing.
When I came through the door My Buyers Mortgage Broker was sitting there with his head in his hands....I had that sinking feeling....

It seems the Seller was refusing to sign all of the closing papers. In order to limit any possible hint of any liability....they will only sign 3. (the deed,the title and the HUD). On the other hand, The Buyers Lender insists on having 5 signed. The 3 above and two other innocuous ones (something about correctness of address)
Neither would give....we were at a standoff. And all of the decision makers were at lunch.
My Buyers were beside themselves.

When the "lunch-goers" returned, at least an hour was spent going back and forth with each player insisting that they were right and the other should give in....as a result....nothing was happening!
At that point the closing attorney announced that he had one card up his sleeve. He went into the other room to make a call. He returned with a big grin on his face.

WE WERE OK !!!

It seems 25 years ago he had worked with one of the decision makers at NHHFA. He explained our situation and she said....in a human, sensible, logical NH fashion...well that's just silly! I have no problem signing those. It was as simple as that!

We were fortunate to be able to circumvent the red-tape with a personal contact.
Most others are not so lucky!
How many other transactions have been stopped in their tracks for such foolishness?
Whatever happened to common sense and people power?

I'm still shaking my head ........
.

The headlines were there. Bold and in your face!

On October 18th our local paper, The Concord Monitor, reprinted an article by David Brooks of the Nashua Telegraph.
The article was yet another Housing "State of the State" based on statistics and opinions of  NHAR

                                             
N.H. home sales increase while prices keep sliding
 Median price falls 8 percent in year (By David Brooks - The Telegraph)
~~~~~~~~~

The article went on to point out that NH home sales were up 3% over the same quarter in 2008.  A spokesman for NHAR was quoted as saying he believed that the increase in sales plus the decrease in inventory will eventually lead to an increase in prices.

Now....I may be naive when it comes to the nuances of Marketing. And I, as much as most, want to believe that our Market is improving. But where is the fine line between Hype and Help? How much is wishful thinking? How much is "if we build it they will come"?

These types of Headlines are not only local..... you can hear about how "it's getting better" on any given day in any News Publication or TV Network. Bits and pieces of positive news blown completely out of proportion ....3 little pixels presented as the whole picture.

I think we will all agree that sales have seen improvement these past few months....it's amazing what the promise of $8,000 will do! And yes, I do believe the Inventory has dropped... Bargain Sale foreclosures, some loosening of Lender hurdles and $8,000 will help with that.

But that isn't the whole picture! The articles fails to mention the new Foreclosures anticipated because of ARM's resetting this year, the new Foreclosures anticipated as unemployment starts to effect Mortgage payments. They also ignore the plight of people on fixed incomes who can no longer wait it out....and are forced to sell.
None of these "News" sources point out that it has taken years for us to borrow, spend, speculate and over-extend ourselves into this position. And we are not going to wake up some sunny morning and find it all has passed. That's just not going to happen

I for one want them to tell it like it is....I'm a big girl, I can take it.
I want to be able to tell my Sellers that they need to be making decisions on what is now....not on what someone is telling them "is coming"
My Buyers on the other hand, are beyond being sucked in anticipating a "bargain".  They have developed a lase' fare attitude and are taking their time.  At this point I'm thinking the only thing that could make them take note would be a rise in Interest Rates!

Ordinarily I am not a pessimistic person, and when it comes to my business....I appreciate an occasional infusion of Hope. But lately....in my humble opinion....it's really starting to look like Hype

One of our long standing contributors to Active Rain, Joan Whitebook, just received The NHAR Good Neighbor Award.

Joan's championship of the New England Pet Partners organization is familiar to all of us who read her Local, Informative and Interesting Posts here on Active Rain.

This is just another example of the caliber of folks we find here on Active Rain.

I'd love to see everyone jump over to Joan's Blog and give her a "High Five"
I'm betting it will make her day!

Joan Mirantz~Concord New Hampshire Area Realtor

Concord NH Area Realtor

Concord Area NH Realtor

One of the perks, of our recent move, was that our new place had a Doggie Door.
This was fantastic!
No more having to get up from that comfortable chair..... or out of bed early to "let the dogs out".

Tidbit and Dandi had other ideas...   

We tried pushing, tempting with snacks, clapping, pleading and cajoling.....to no avail. They wanted no part of it! They wouldn't venture through that little hole with the scarred thick plastic leading to... who knows where?

We cleverly decided to replace the plastic with screening.

Observations:

Dandi...led with his foot "feeling out" what lies ahead. (But his claws got caught.)
Tidbit...led with her nose so she could see before she went. (But her sight is failing and she couldn't see the screen.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now..... how about you?

How do you approach the "doggie door" of new technology? Do you do Newsletters, Twitter, Text, do Social Networking Sites? Do you add the Widgets, check the Stats and Link the Links?

Or......

Are you a Dandi feeling it out....(but pulling back because it's "uncomfortable"?)

Or a Tidbit....not even venturing out...(because you can't "see" the value?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Solution:
We edged the screening with bight red duct tape. It slid over Dandi's paws and attracted Tidbits eye!
                                                                       

What's your Solution?

                                                                       Are you a Dandi or a Tidbit???



                                                        

Concord NH Area Realtor

There was an article in my local paper this morning about the plethora of "Town Hall" meetings being held across the country and how they are evolving!

More and more people are expressing concerns that these have become nothing but shout-fests and mantra chanting gatherings. There is no "Listening" going on.

I, personally am seeing them from two perspectives.....

I am a born and bred New Englander and these are like no Town Meeting I ever attended (and I have attended my share). I am accustomed to having the Moderator recognize the questioner who stands up and says his piece. There are always a few moans and groans....even shouts...but he is allowed to finish and whomever has a raised hand, is recognized and allowed to rebut (or agree). Each person is recognized and heard no matter what the opinion. If shouting ensues....the gavel is vigorously wielded until there is silence.

AS a Realtor I am involved in written and verbal negotiations in every transaction. My job is to do the best for my client and at the same time try to ensure a smooth transaction for all concerned.
If I allowed my negotiations to be reduced to shouting at the other Agent or to making lengthy demands of the other party.....my closings would fall apart.

I am constantly counseling my clients- Buyer or Seller- that respecting the other person and where they are coming from helps to create a plan that both can be happy with.

So I'm thinking....perhaps those protesters who have chosen to shout out  would be more effective if they learned how to communicate.

Where's Dale Carnegie when you need him?

Concord NH Area Realtor

I have heard that phrase every August....for 40 years!

My husband and I just celebrated(?) our 40th  wedding anniversary this month and every year he uses the occasion to remind me we had the opportunity to attend the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival and have a lot more fun!

So this year, since we were taking a brief car trip get away to Corning NY, I plotted a return route that would finally take us to Woodstock and free me from the mantra!

My first discovery was that the Woodstock festival wasn't in Woodstock at all. After many obstacles to production the promoters moved it to a cow field in Bethel NY ....."just down the road apiece". It was actually at least 50 miles away, but on the route...so we made the detour!

Now I knew a plaque had been erected and last year they had opened a small museum, but I wasn't prepared for what we found!    

But....a little more in the spirit (of peace and simplicity)....down at the bottom of the hill was the commemorative plaque! (you New Yorkers may have caught us on the evening news...we were interviewed by an AP correspondent who liked our story)

    
                                                                                 Can You Read Those Names??

We soon found out that the beautiful building we first saw was the Bethel Woods Music Hall.  The museum tribute to "Woodstock" was in a separate area of the building. 
Because this was the 40th anniversary month, there was a special acknowledgement of the occasion.

            This  says it all!             

This is the closest my husband will get to fulfilling his fantasy!

 No picture taking was allowed indoors so I have none of the exhibit itself but I can tell you there was lots of information and great presentations that were strangely able to make you feel you had ALMOST experienced just a bit of the moment!

Funny...when we left there I came close to agreeing...

 We Shoulda Done Woodstock!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Concord NH Area Realtor