Most of us who have been in real estate any length of time at all have come across situations that would be a great chapter in a book.  I may never write "The Book", but thinking of these incidents as a chapter helps me close the door and go on and focus on the next chapter.

I met this woman through an internet lead.  We emailed and talked on the phone for awhile.  She called me and told me that she was driving  from Tennessee  to Kansas City to look for a house.   She and her fiancée were getting married.  He was preapproved for a particular price range but they wanted to stay under that range. We had talked about the Kansas City real estate market extensively.  I had emailed her listings and arranged a meeting at another Keller Williams office that was more convenient for them.  When I met them, it was very evident that they weren't on the same page, but that happens.  I scrambled around and found some listings that might more closely make them both happy.

He didn't have his preapproval letter with him and I broke my rule and took them out anyway  (because she had driven several hundred miles to look for a house, of course they were ready to go.  Lesson learned).  My car was in the shop and I rented a larger car so they would be comfortable.  She also was unfamiliar with the area so we did a wider tour of areas.   The next day I took her alone to search for their home.

We found the house and she was excited.  It was brand new - well within  the price range and had everything she wanted.  When she told him that she had found the house, he had something to tell her.  As it turns out, this man had another wife here in the city and had no intentions of getting married, buying a house, or anything else. This woman had already bought her wedding dress, was in the process of putting her own home up for sale, and making arrangements for her children to change schools.

I was angry for her and angry at myself for allowing myself to get duped.  If I had stuck to my own rules requiring proof of the preapproval, it wouldn't have played out like that.  She and I had some interesting conversations and perhaps I was put in her path to minister to her at a very difficult time.  I can only trust that God had bigger ideas than my idea of selling them a home.  I have talked to her since she returned home and reassured her that she will be all right.  She's a strong woman who is better off now than she was before we met.  And I am going on to find the next chapter for the book.

From time to time I get questions about Kansas City real estate investments. The Kansas City area is a great place to invest in real estate. I have helped many saavy buyers invest in Kansas City real estate through outright purchase, or using a 1031 exchange to get into our affordable housing market in Kansas City. Rental income and demand for rentals is increasing with the credit crunch so it's a great time  to buy rental property in Kansas City.

Our market has historically seen steady appreciation, not subject to wild swings up or down.  While our current market is a little slower than it was a couple of years ago, we are still not faced with extreme conditions. Sellers do need to be competitive in price, condition and location. Well priced properties in good locations and in great condition are still selling relatively quickly, sometimes with multiple offers. I recently sold a home that had 4 offers come in on the same weekend--and it had been on the market about 60 days. We didn't change anything to elicit the offers. Our strategy just seemed to kick in at once.

As of the end of October, overall, in the Heartland MLS that serves the greater Kansas City real estate market, we have almost 6% more inventory than we had last year, with about 9% fewer buyers. Agents are seeing buyers write lower offers and having higher expectations in neogtiating for repairs during the inspection period. Prices are generally down somewhat, varying by county. For the Heartland region in total, the average selling price in 2007 was $176,751 compared to $184,719 in 2006. In Johnson County, KS real estate market, the average selling price in 2007 has been $260,552 compared to $258,444. In Wyandotte County, KS real estate market, the average selling price in 2007 is $103,758 compared to $108,772 in 2006. On the Missouri side the average sales price in Jackson County dropped to $141,429 in 2007 from $148, 574 in 2006.

Properties that are selling, generally are selling quickly, with 51% of the properties being sold within the first 60 days. On the other hand, 26% are taking more than 120 days to sell. These statistics point out the importance of being competitive in the market place if you want to sell. Buyers, too, need to realize that in this market not all properties are lanquishing on the market. Some buyers have the idea that a low ball offer will buy any property and that's just not the case.

All in all, the Kansas City real estate market is a little slower than it has been. It certainly is a more normal market than many other parts of the country are experiencing. If we do have a freeze on the adjustable mortgage rate increases, I would expect to see our market normalize a bit more and pick up a little. Sellers who found themselves between a rock and a hard place in needing to sell to avert the higher mortgage payments, but unable to sell because of inadequate equity will find a breath of relief and probably stay in their homes until appreciation does work on their behalf. I am expecting to see an uptick in the market this spring, especially if interest rates stay low. They are currently below 6%, and that's a good deal historically. Kansas City offers some of the most affordable housing anywhere and that fact is quickly being recognized acorss the nation.

It has been a tough two weeks. It started out routinely enough--regular Tuesday office meeting and then tour. I was skipping tour because I had a coaching session and needed the time. The cell phone rang about 11:00 with unidentified caller ID. I usually don't answer those, but that day I did. I heard my mom say, "Your dad has a mass and it's inoperable. We're on the way to Des Moines to the hospital and you don't need to come." I said, "I'll be there as soon as I can."

When I got to the hospital, I learned that Dad was scheduled for an ERCP Wednesday morning to relieve an obstruction and hopefully allow him to eliminate some bile to make him more comfortable. They were unable to do that procedure as his organs started shutting down. Friday evening, I cooled the wash cloth on his brow, pushed his pain medication, and kissed him good night with an "I love you, daddy." I went to my room for a few minutes. When I returned to his room twenty minutes later, the nurse told me that he had passed away. It would be just like my dad to make it easier on everyone else and make sure he was alone.

Now, I feel alone. I feel like I've lost my biggest cheer leader. I feel like I've lost my life lesson teacher, and I feel like I've lost my mentor. My dad was always there for me. I remember when I got my driver's license and took the car for the first time. I drove to a little town 20 miles away because my boyfriend and future husband had been in a motorcycle accident. I had an accident there and hit the juvenile court judge's brand new car. He was not happy! In fact he was so unhappy that the policeman told me that he didn't want to give me a ticket, but it would be his job if he didn't. I was charged with reckless driving when in fact I had stopped at a stop sign and turned too wide. My dad went to court and argued that I hadn't been reckless, but had made an error in judgment--something everybody had done at least once in their life. He was my hero. I knew I still had to pay a fine and lose my driver's license for 6 months, but my daddy had defended my intentions.

My dad was the one who taught me to count the cost and in order to do that, you had to know your multiplication tables. I admit that I liked spelling words better than memorizing multiplication tables, but today when I'm figuring prices and discounts and costs of doing repairs, I am grateful that he insisted on all those multiplication tables and math skills.

My dad was the one who taught me to change a tire and take care of myself. Before I could get my driver's license, I had to know how to change a tire. I thought it was silly because I didn't think I had the strength to do it, but he was insistent that I know how to take care of myself.

My dad was the one who taught me priorities in life. When I was a little girl, he ran the wrecker (tow truck). In those days in my little Iowa town, they didn't have ambulances. The hearse would be there to pick up the person and transport them to the hospital or the funeral home. The guys who ran the wrecker got into some horrible accident scenes. My dad was affected by that. He always said "Cars can be replaced, metal can be repaired. If no one is hurt, it's not a big deal." When I watched other dads and husbands react to news that there had been a fender bender, I  will always remember him saying, "it's not a big deal" if it can be repaired.

My dad was the one who taught me honesty in life--even in the little things. I remember him telling the admissions people at the amusement park or movie our true ages when it would have been easy enough to shave a year to save a few dollars. I remember him talking to my mom after some of their friends had lied about their kids' ages that he was not going to teach his kids that it was ok to lie to save a few dollars. I remember that at a time when a few dollars were a lot of money to my family, but honesty was more important.

My dad taught me to be grateful for the little things. He would sometimes stop the car along the side of the road and pick some wild asparagus or bring mom a wild rose that was growing in an Iowa ditch. He wasn't much for ordering flowers from a florist, but he often picked a bouquet and presented it to mom.

My dad was not formally educated beyond high school, but he was so smart and was always learning. He had become quite interested in gardening and flowers. He was saving seeds to plant the next year. When I had seen him in early September, I'd teased him that I thought he was working awful hard for $.35 worth of seeds. On Sunday before he died, he wanted to go with mom on the Cub Cadet and drive all over the back fields of the farm. He wanted to pick wild flowers and save the seeds. They spent the afternoon picking wild flowers and came back with a big bouquet. He couldn't name them all so he so he got on the computer and tried to identify them. I think it's neat that my dad was learning up until the very last. That love of learning is something that he gave me. I hope I can do as well as he did.

Throwing away things was difficult for dad. He didn't hoard things for himself, but somebody might need that some day, and he didn't want to waste something that might be needed. My dad donated over 12 gallons of his own blood because somebody  needed it. When the blood mobile came to town, if he was able, he was donating blood.

He liked trying some new things. At the age of 62 he began a new career at the post office as a rural mail carrier. When he was 65 he bought a motorcycle and he and mom rode from Iowa to Branson, MO, and Nashville, TN, and who knows where else. He wasn't much for just traveling. He liked the farm best of all, but when I needed him, he was at my door.

I know this isn't real estate related, but I just wanted my Active Rain friends to know a little bit about the man my father was. I'm going to miss him.

Reading Sarah Cooper's post "How Do You Do It"  and the comments, along with reading yesterday's devotional from Turning Points Ministries inspired this post.  Sarah wrote about how hard it is to stay in the middle when things are neither new and exciting nor winding down to an end with the ultimate prospect of something new and exciting.   She wrote about the weariness of keeping on keeping on and she wrote about how hard it is to see friends suffer. Sometimes life seems like you're treading water and getting nowhere and you wonder if it's worth it to keep treading. In yesterday's devotional,  David Jeremiah wrote about the following experiment,

An experiment was conducted in which a group of scientists observed some rats in a tank of water to see how long they would survive before drowning. The average time was 17 minutes. They repeated the experiment, this time rescuing the rats just before drowning. When the "rescued" rats were submerged in the water again, the average survival time increased to 36 hours! The scientists explained that the second time around, the rats had hope and believed they could survive because they had been saved before.

Isn't that a great story?  And how many of us have ever felt a like drowning rat?   It is my desire to offer a little HOPE--not a weak namby pamby wishin' and hopin" kind of hope, but the kind of hope that drives people to believe they can overcome.            

There are times in life when you just have to hold onto what you know is truth and go through the motions of life. Do the actions and have faith that they will pay off someday.   I'm not suggesting that people should be robots.  Perhaps it is time for some to think about new careers.  Sometimes restlessness and discomfort force us to take risks and do new things that we would not do if our place in life continued to be comfortable.  Sometimes restlessness and discomfort cause us to improve in areas where we can capitalize on that improvement and provide better service or serve more people.  Sometimes it is time to call it quits and do something else. That's not failure--it's a new beginning with new opportunities for success.   Each person will have to make their own decision about where they are.

I could write a book about feeling like I'm in the middle.  At times  I've talked to God and said, "God, You said You wouldn't give me more than I can bear, but are you paying attention?"  Or I've had times when I said to Him, "You may have eternity, but I'm on a schedule.  Can we just move on?"  It is good that my God is gracious.

When those hard times come to me and my lesser mind and feelings start driving the train, truth has to get control of the engine.   I start by making lists.  The first list is all of the things I have to be grateful for. That is a very long list and helps get me in the right frame of mind for the next list.  The next list is a list of things that I have accomplished.  So I'm feeling lower than whale poop and don't feel like I've accomplished much, I can start with -OK- you learned to walk and you fell down a lot doing that.  You learned to drive a car in the city--Remember the first time you did that and how relieved you were to pull into the parking lot.  Remember how you had to learn to pump gas for the first time.   (I can get pretty good at talking to myself.) If I keep going,  I'll finally figure out that I've accomplished a fair amount and overcome some significant adversity.   The next list is a list of things I want to do and experiences I want to have.  There was a time in my life when this was the hardest list of all.  I absolutely could not see a future.  When I couldn't see a future that I wanted for myself, I focused on the future that I wanted for my loved ones.   My next list is a list of what is keeping me from having that future.  Most of the time that's a short list and it's located between my ears-stinking thinking and bad habits.   The next step is just developing an action plan to make a change.  By going through this exercise, I have gained hope.

As far as helping our friends, it is hard to see our friends challenged by circumstances.  It is enormously freeing to believe that there is a God and I'm not Him.  As long as I thought I had to "fix it" for others, I felt a heavy burden. Once I realized that my only responsibility is to express God's love to them in words and deeds, I was freed of the responsibility of the outcome. 

I don't know how the painful experiences we have will be used in the future, but I do know one thing.  God loves us too much to waste our pain. 

I have been around boats since I was a little girl and my dad built a little red rowboat that we put on Lake Nodaway in Greenfield, Iowa. That lake was too small for any kind of motors, and I have fond memories of my dad rowing the boat, catching bluegills and being on the water.  When I got a little older, my parents bought a little outboard and then a bigger, but still a little outboard. We had so much fun with that. I was never sure whether my husband fell in love with me or with my dad's boat. Several yars after we were married, we bought our first boat----it was an 18' 1963 Duratech outboard--not too impressive, but again, so much fun. Then finally we were able to get a 24' foot and keep it at Lake of the Ozarks. That's certainly not an impressive boat by Lake of the Ozarks standards, but again, so much fun. I've often said that if it floats, I like it.  I enjoy canoeing with Living Waters Canoe Ministry where I also serve on the Board of Directors.  Canoes, power boats, sailboats, jet skis, parasailing, and even a floating lawn chair with a good book are all good times as far as I'm concerned. 

After many years of being a great first mate, the time had come to be the captain.  I read up on all the Missouri watercraft regulations and made sure my boat was properly registered and equipped. paid the insurance with Boat U.S. and had it checked out by the mechanic.  I am comfortable driving on the open water.  I love the feeling of the wind as I drive down the lake. I'm not so crazy about the feeling I get in my stomach when it's time to dock the boat. I learned that Marine Max at Lake of the Ozarks offers a free class they call Women on Water. They offer it all over the country and their mission is to teach women to feel comfortable with their boats and docking. I signed up and Saturday was the class.

J.D. Schmid was our instructor.  He is from St. Louis and teaches there, as well as at The Lake.  The class was two parts--a classroom session where we learned the names of the parts of a boat, some boating safety and maintenance, and how a boat operates differently from a car.  Then we went to the boat.  SeaRay builds a beautiful boat, and Marine Max let us use one to learn to dock. J.D. was amazingly patient and helpful. In addition to teaching us the basic mechanics, he knew each of our personal boats well enough to be able to point out some nuances and things that we might encounter in our own watercraft. I know we all felt more confident in our knowledge and abilities at the end of the class. We all got certificates. Normally, I'm not a big fan of certificates,  but this one has already been framed! Thanks,  J. D., I am looking forward to  practicing and perfecting the skills you taught us.  Sometime soon I'll think about the connection between docking and real estate but that  will be another blog!

Do you ever have God remind you that you are in the business of changing lives and not just selling houses?  I was reminded of that when I received a newsletter from a ministry that is very close to my heart.  I won't cite the whole letter, but will give you a glimpse of what warmed my heart.

Chad wrote:

Dear Family and Friends

A little over three years ago, Allison and I were able to buy our first home.  I won't go intogreat detail, but we could tell God definitely wanted us in this house.. it involved the homeowners going way down on their price, and the two realtors working together to get us into the home.  It didn't take us long to realize possiby why God had placed us in this particular house "for such a time as this"...enter our neighbor, "Tim".  It was evident right away that Tim needed the Lord.  He shared his family struggles and addictions.  God gave me a real burden for Tim and I began to pray consistently for him.  His life went from bad to worse.About 3 weeks ago, Tim came to me and asked for help in finding an AA recovery group.  I went with him to a Christian recovery group.  Tim asked where we went to church and if he could go with us. The pastor was preaching on The Prodigal Son and Tim was there by divine appointment.  Since that Sunday Tim has continued to go to several different AA meetings and to church with us on Sundays. 

We give all praise to our God who hears our prayers.  God works in His own time and in his own ways, but He does hear our prayers.  I hope this story encourages you to keep praying for those that your heart is burdened for, and to not lose hope.  Tim could also use any added prayers on his behalf.  God is bringing him through it.  ......

Chad and Allison
DeSoto Youth Ministries
DeSoto, KS

I remember what a joy it was to help Chad and Allison get into their home.  We had no doubt it was a "God thing."  We had no clue how God would use that home to witness to a hurting neighbor and build His Kingdom.   So...I am reminded that we are on this earth for a time and sometimes selling and buying homes is just the vehicle to get people positioned where God wants to use them and us.   And that, I believe, is The Secret of life.

What a thought.  I love this business.  

Lea Deo, Realtor, Shawnee, KS

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National Civic League has named Shawnee, KS as a finalist for the 2007 All-American ity Award.  This is a great honor for Shawnee, KS--one of 21 finalists for the award.  The award, one of the oldest and most prestigious for civic contributions, has been called "a nobel prize for constructive citizenship." by George Gallup.

According to the president of the National Civic League, Gloria Rubio-Cortés, "This program spotlights hope and a can-do spirit behind the ability to achieve results.  Every year people from finalist communities tell us how they're transformed through the application process and the competition." It is a great honor for Shawnee, KS to be among the finalists.  Our city will compete in the finals June 6-8, 2007 in Anaheim, California.  The winner will be announced June 10.  Regardless of the outcome, we who live in Shawnee, KS  know we're real winners for living life in Shawnee.   It is nice to be recognized nationally.

I loved case studies when I was in school.  It was so fun to read about real life companies that made decisions and what the results/fallout of those decisions were.  Then, with the benefit of hindsight, we "smart college kids" could jump on the better way of doing things.  I felt sooo smart sometimes. 

I was teaching some new agents in our office this week about market statistics and where to find them in our systems.  We digressed into a discussion about the need to price properties right if we intend to get them sold.  I told them about this actual case study.  Here's what happened: 

I was a new agent sitting on an open house and this couple came in and invited me to interview for a listing they had.  (Score!--or so I thought.)  I made the appointment for a listing presentation and looked over their home.  They told me the price they wanted and although it felt a little high and the home was covered with wall paper, I, in my early real estate experience,  took the listing and proceeded to try to sell it.  Another more experienced agent in our office who had also interviewed for it and turned the listing down told me that the house was at least $15,000 overpriced at $359,900. In addition it was competing with new construction in the same subdivision. I went about trying to convince myself that the killer back yard overlooking green space with trees was worth a lot to the right person and worked very hard at marketing the home. Needless to say that person who would think the back yard was worth the $15,000 never came in the door.  All the time I was also working on the sellers  for a price reduction.  They agreed to come down to $355,000--still over priced.

I hosted a broker open tour and asked the top agents and more experienced agents to come give me feedback.  They showed up and the feedback was to immediately reduce the price to $345,000 or at most $349,000.  I steeled my backbone and made my plan.  I decided that I had spent enough money on this house and that the sellers were becoming more demanding  in their expectations of an agent.  It was my moment of truth.  I took the feedback and a price reduction form.  I presented the information and their response was, "We're not going to sign that."  I said, "I didn't think you would so here's a cancellation form because I'm not putting any more of my money and time into trying to sell this house at this price."  They quickly signed the form.  I left, pulled my sign, and felt almost as good as if I'd had a closing.  

Another agent came in and took the listing.  The home would almost certainly have sold in the $340's at that time.  I have included a graph of the pricing history.  It finally did sell--2  years later at $318,000.  As the old song, "The Gambler",  said, "You gotta know when to hold them--Know when to fold them--Know when to walk away and When to run."  Lesson Learned. 

Our men and women serving in the Armed Forces are some of our finest.  We need to remember them in our prayers and say thanks to them  for giving up their time and their lives for us.  My niece and her husband recently returned from Iraq.  I am grateful for that.  She was in Kansas City last weekend and we met for dinner.  She was here for training.  Her unit's responsibilities are shifting from postal services to military  honor guard.  She was being trained to provide final honors to our fallen, learning how to deliver somber messages to families, and how to be helpful at that time. It's a job that most of us would not apply for.

This morning someone sent me this YouTube video.  I was extremely moved and inspired.  The pictures are wonderful, powerful, and realistic.  A part of the reality our young men and women face is that some do not return.  Some of the pictures capture the pain of  loved ones when that happens.  I say that as a warning for those who may be dealing with that kind of grief.  I would not want you to be emotionally unprepared. 

Our young men and women are doing great  jobs.  Do  you know someone who would appreciate a letter or card? If you personally do not know a member of our Armed Forces, but would like to say thank you to someone, Xerox has made it easy to say thanks.  Use this link and say thanks to our troops.