So on Monday, I posted about an irate email that I had received.  I chose to respond to the angry consumer in a public forum so that she would feel that her concerns had been heard.

She responded back, and boy, did she unload her issues!  Take a read:

"I really don't have time for blogs and the like.
 
Problems that I have seen in the industry -
too much focus on commission and no focus
on service and information.
 
This is especially true when it comes to HOA
information and the problems that are now prevalent
in the industry.  Just because it works once doesn't
mean that it can always be duplicated.  Legislation
is woefully behind on enforcement and uniform
standards.  It is to the detriment of your
profession when no less than 4 or 5 realtors in a
development get caught because they never
read their own HOA docs and to my amazement
never even checked into the retention basin or
county infrastructure of the development once
the builder pulled out.  This has happened time
and time again in VA - I am originally from a northern
state and code enforcement is obviously not uniform
across this country despite regulations. However,
try and find a realtor who understands what I just
said and knows how to direct their client.  Now, I know
exactly what to avoid but I have yet to find a real estate
professional who is willing to direct me.
 
Something else that I have seen - ridiculous pricing.
Crazy pricing with absolutely no rationale behind WHY!
Just because someone wants to place a price on a house
doesn't really belong.  This crazy run up in pricing was
fed on many things - GREED was primary.  Not VALUE
or the house itself. 
 
Put yourself in the chair of a bank lending the money -
would you lend money to Mr. and Mrs. John Doe or
Mr. Smith as an individual or Ms. Jones as an individual
without adequate resources?  I rented properties - sure
I had a few tenants who wanted to rent an apartment
they could not afford and I suggested the efficiency -
but they were not getting the more expensive apartment!
I owned it and unless they could justify HOW they
divided up their paycheck to me so that ALL expenses
were paid - I just wrote them off.  My rents were not
outrageous - but I did place standards on my qualifications
for what my expectations were with payment and I did
not want my tenants hating me for demanding payment
for my property.  Why?  Because I had bills to pay as well
and a small profit for my time and effort as well as some
kind of percentage of return because of the money tied up
in the property.
 
Too many realtors believe that all properties must appreciate
in value!  I would love to meet the person who started this
nonsense because they never had grandparents who lived
through the Great Depression.  Read about Tuxedo Park in N.Y.
where some of our great scientists lived.  See what happened
to Tuxedo Park when people no longer had money to pay for these
homes.  There are communities like this across America that
fell during the Great Depression.
 
Last but not least, I think you have moral obligation to both
sellers and buyers (particularly buyers) in your community.  It
really does no one any good when house after house goes into
foreclosure.  As a taxpayer who SAVES and invests - I do not
feel that I have an obligation to bail out people who buy on
credit!  Sorry, but I don't - but on the other hand look what
happens when people use too much credit.  It destroys our
communities.  I come from a part of the country that is old -
much older than younger communities in the south that have all
of this NEW building.  One thing that I have noticed is that in
older neighborhoods you do not have many foreclosures (if any).
Why?  Because people did not have new housing to buy and
people stayed in their homes and fixed them up or added on to
them.  I am not saying that growth is bad, but we need to
control building and credit just like we must manage our trash
and be responsible citizens in our community. 
 
Too many people stay up watching infomercials dreaming of
wealth instead of working and saving their salaries.  Greed
based off selling is not the road to wealth. 
 
This actually happened last year - I tell the story about a physician friend of ours (elderly man
who is now semi retired) talking to a realtor friend who
is the owner of two too many houses in an HOA.  She has
been desperately trying for over 3 years to sell her first house.
Our wise/old and experienced physician friend asks her about the
market and what is the current status.  Realtor friend goes on and
on about unrealistic buyers and sellers who are demanding too much
for their homes.  Basically, stating what your association tells the
papers - Dr. friend then says - "please then explain what is the
problem with the sale of your house?"  She turns heel and leaves -
totally embarrassed.  Why?  Because her home was way over
priced.  Another realtor that I know has a house on the James River -
basic house and it is okay but nothing special.  She buys it for
$350K or less about 4 years ago.  Last year she put a price of $500K
on it - last week she listed it for $575K!  Give me a break - people
are not stupid and even if they were - you had better believe that
this nasty bank person is NOW against the wall to justify pricing and
unless this realtor finds a nut with cash - she won't get the price
to fly past the mortgage or bank people!  This is how business used
to be done in the good ole days when the country wasn't broke.
 
Just remember - I have been both buyer and seller, landlord and
property owner for well over 30 years.  I look at things different
because I learned a long time ago that owing the bank meant
I could end up homeless.  This country will not survive on endless
amounts of credit.
 
As for how I feel about the realtors of today - I have been bullied,
lied to and basically ignored regardless of what we request.  I am
appalled at the number of people who buy and then attempt to sell.
What I see is this - they want to buy house ABC for $100.00 but
their house is only worth $50.00 maybe $75.00.  So they attempt
to make up the difference by raising their sale price - meanwhile,
they put their purchase on a contingency contract HOPING that a sale
will happen on the remainder.  Do you know how many people were
paraded through our home under the premise that they were QUALIFIED
to buy - every single one, but nary a one actually qualified!?  I was able
to do my own search after the fact just using their names and
addresses!  This is a FACT!  Sure I am upset - I was lied to time and time
again by no less than 20 or 30 realtors not to mention the listing agent!
 
As for stories about builders and other lies we have met up with in VA -
I don't even have the time anymore which is why we are leaving the state.
It is not my fight to fight.
 
One thing I learned as a landlord - try to see how your tenant looks at you.
How do I want to be treated?  What would I expect from my landlord?! 
Same thing goes for contracts - any good contract is only as good as the
person negotiating.  It is not just about price or commissions.  It is
about information and other consumer oriented draws.  If you are selling
less expensive homes to a family - it is about relationships that will
carry over to a larger home.  If it is about elderly people - it is about
how to relocate them.  It is about service and answering questions.    
 
I didn't mean for you to take what I said as a personal attack - it is
about the real estate profession as a whole today.  How do you think
I feel when I give a young mother a chance to list my house and then
learn that she doesn't take calls or even return calls because she is
busy transporting her kids?  Do you know how many times I have called
a realtor in VA and I am still waiting for a return call?  We had to call
the homeowner to get a showing through their realtor on one house!
 
My personal belief is that most real estate sold itself - today it is an
entirely different business and market."

You know, after chatting with her over email, she and I have discovered common ground.  I don't do business in the way that she has experienced, and in fact I AGREE WITH HER on so many fronts. 

Do YOU have the ability to put your 'big girl panties' on and admit that perhaps you're part of the problem?  I am delighted at the number of agents fleeing this industry.  I've said it before and I'll say it again-we need to get back to the folks who are passionate about real estate as a career and calling and away from those who got licensed to save a couple of bucks or who were just bored. 

Folks, this job isn't a game.  If you're selling 2 houses a year on the side, you are endangering every person you come in contact with.  I cannot imagine wanting the kind of liability that goes along with this job for that.  In fact, it would not occur to me to hold myself out as a professional if I weren't dead flat serious about every transaction in which I'm involved.

"Maybe some of your people need to go back to understanding what it is like for
both the buyer and seller - you job is a broker - you are brokering
deals.  The best broker forgets the commission and goes for the
deal." 

She's RIGHT.  If you are seeing commission dollars at the end of each deal, then you're thinking transactionally and not relationally.  If you're seeing the human impact of each real estate deal and figuring out what you can do to improve the situations for everyone involved, then SPEAK UP. You are part of the solution, too.  Good agents have a duty to call out bad agents-turn them in to your state real estate commission or local board and let them get called on the carpet.  We have to police ourselves if we are ever to change the impression that those who came before us left.

You can call me a diva or a barracuda or just call me Leigh.  I'm here for today, for tomorrow, and still watching over the folks from yesterday.  This crazy profession is what I know and what I do.  I just hope to continue finding ways to improve.

Angry web consumer, THANK YOU.  Thank you for letting me know what got you to this point.  I do hope to be your trusted advisor-I think that you and I will get along famously for years.

Leigh
 

Dear Angry Web Consumer:

First of all, thank you for visiting my website. I thought it would go unsaid, but I feel it's necessary to point out that YOU visited MY website. No one forced you to visit and take advantage of the free information I provide therein.

You visited my website 8 days ago. You did not provide a name or a telephone number or an address, just an email. You did not respond to my emails, so I did add you to my automatic email campaign so that you would know your information had been received.

Perhaps there is something negative going on in your life right now. Perhaps you had a bad experience with a Realtor in the past. I can understand that. We all go through rough patches and have our own stories to tell.

But I'm not that Realtor. I've never met you. I'd love to help you, but it's awfully hard to help when you do not provide contact information and do not reply to messages.

You said in your email that "damn realtors like you care more about your damn
commission than really helping people."

I take exception to that. I do help people-and I enjoy it. My compensation for helping happens to be commission-do you hate the bank teller for getting paid to process your check? Do you hate schoolteachers for getting paid to teach? Do you hate doctors for billing for your medical visit?

You also said in your email: "To be
perfectly HONEST and yes I am being honest with you - if people do
not have their financing in order - it is NOT your job to do it!  You are
part of the problem - not the solution.  You is not to be taken as an
individual but plural for most of the people in your profession!!!!!!"

I also take exception to this statement. See, I've been selling real estate full time for almost 10 years now. I know a fair amount about the mortgage world and feel that as a Realtor professional, it's my duty to help keep an eye on that process to make sure everything is legitimate and that you are not endangering yourself with a loan product that could hurt you over time.

You also said: "GET A LIFE and begin to understand that this
damn country is facing a DEPRESSION -not recession (read BARRONS
TODAY)"

I am a fact-based individual. Are there economic issues right now? Sure. Will more come down the pike? Probably. But are unemployment rates at 30%? No. Are there bread lines stretching for blocks on end? No. Are there shanty towns in our cities? No. So let's come back to reality and not call this a depression. I refuse to be held hostage by your 'chicken little' attitude. I know that part of-perhaps the biggest part of-our problem today is a pervasive sense of fear and negativity. Houses have been bought and sold in every market and market condition. Folks will always need a trusted advisor when it comes time to deal with this huge single financial transaction. I will be here for them. You may not need me, and more power to you. But I will not leave my clients to the uncertainty of facing this market alone.

Oh-and when I replied to you that I am praying for you? I am. I pray daily for people who have allowed fear to overtake their lives and I pray for those who feel a need to drag others down with them.

***update-the consumer responded!  Read her thoughts here***

Leigh 

Good Neighbor Next Door program houses available immediately:

*eligible buyers include firefighters, police, EMT, and preK-12 teachers*

*houses are available at 50% off list price (that isn't a misprint!).  Purchaser must live in the house as their primary residence for 3 years, at which time the equity is theirs!*

4421 Roadway St                    Charlotte NC 28208

            $41,000  3 bedroom/1bath

4047 Cindy Woods Ln           Charlotte NC 28216

            $71,000  3 bedroom/2.5 bath

2617 Meadow Knoll Dr          Charlotte NC 28269

            $73,000  2 bedroom/2.5 bath

8242 Kings Creek Dr              Charlotte NC 28273

            $86,000   3 bedroom/2 bath

10915 Wiltshire Ln                Charlotte NC 28262

            $92,000  3 bedroom/2 bath

6409 Castlewynd Ct               Charlotte NC 28212

            $99,000  3 bedroom/2.5 bath

Call Leigh Brown for more information, 704.688.5005.  Deadline for placing a bid is midnight, December 9th.  Houses will be made available to the general public on December 10th.  If you are not quite ready to purchase but would like to be informed of these houses as they come available, please email us at leigh@leighbrownandassociates.com to be placed on the watch list.

If you're not eligible for the Good Neighbor Next Door program, but would like to be informed of great foreclosure deals-or just great discounted homes in Charlotte and surrounding areas-email us and let us know what you're seeking.   You can also search on our MLS site to your heart's content for all real estate for sale in Charlotte NC!

 We're always glad to help! 

So you're feeling a little anxious these days?  Worried about the economy and the election?  Come get things back into perspective starting this Saturday, October 4 2008 as we begin the construction of the Leigh Brown house for Habitat Cabarrus in Concord NC.

We have a family ready to go to work, ready to get out of substandard housing here in Cabarrus County- into a home of their own where they have a safe place to live-and can build their own wealth.

I've been setting aside a portion of each commission for the past two years to fund this house. I feel very strongly about giving back to the community in which I live and work-and this is more than me.  Many of my clients have matched my efforts and we are ALMOST funded on the house.  If you feel so moved, you can make a donation to the Leigh Brown house (tax-deductible of course).  $60 buys one square foot of the house.

If you're not entirely familiar with Habitat for Humanity-or perhaps have just never looked into the specifics of the mission-here's the scoop.   Our Partner Families aren't getting anything free-they are hard-working folks who make less than the median income in the area, perhaps have a credit glitch or three-but are willing to commit to extensive financial counseling, home maintenance classes, and are willing to spend their Saturdays building homes for others and then themselves.  Upon completion of the requirements, the Partner Families have a home built for them which is provided on an interest-free mortgage to make it as affordable as possible.  In Cabarrus County alone, over 110 families have boosted themselves out of substandard housing with a little help from friends-like you.

For more information, to find out the build schedule, or to volunteer, please email me today.  I am so proud to serve my community-I have received so much, I can do no less than give back in any way that I can.

(drumroll, please)

Yes, you heard it right-Leigh Brown is now Cabarrus County's (that would be Concord, Kannapolis, Harrisburg, Mount Pleasant, and Midland NC) ONLY EcoBroker.  (I'm the 6th one in greater Charlotte-we're getting there, slowly but surely)

Proof that even if you are a fiscal conservative like myself, who has always made it a point to poke fun at the tree-hugging, non-leg-or-armpit-shaving liberal types, you can still make a difference.

Going green in regard to real estate is so much more than the political pandering of the Sierra Club.  It's got more to do with being fiscally and environmentally responsible.  And heck yes, it might even make your house easier to sell one day!

For more information about buying or selling a green (or brown or blue or whatever) house anywhere in the greater Charlotte NC area (especially Cabarrus County), call or email Leigh Brown directly.  I'm always glad to help!

I do have to wonder how many buyers are swayed by the media barrage of the National Association of Realtors, which is currently pushing for buyers to 'get off the fence.'

I have to say, if I were currently planning to purchase a home or condo or land or anything else real estate related in the Charlotte NC market-heck, anywhere-that campaign would be off-putting to me.

As Realtors, we have a bad enough reputation in the marketplace already. It gets worse daily, as the liberal media continues to slam everyone involved in the mortgage debacle...yes, there were shady Realtors involved (real estate agents, too), shady lenders, idiotic buyers, you name it. So those of us who have soldiered on, taking great care of buyers and sellers alike (and may I add, not one of the hundreds of homes that I have listed or sold here in Charlotte NC has gone to foreclosure-in fact, I've saved a couple of my sellers from foreclosure but that's another topic altogether), are still being lumped in with the snakes. Do we really have to hurt ourselves even more with crap like this?

Yes, it's a great time to buy in many markets, including Charlotte NC and most of our suburbs *but not all-did you note that i didn't say it's a great time to buy in every corner of this market?*. But I have to admit that it drives me absolutely nuts when the media and even our own trade organization thinks we have to trick people into buying. Facts and statistics are one thing-for many buyers, seeing that we are likely in the trough for pricing is enough to get them to think positively about purchasing. However, to use only emotion just makes me feel a little icky.

I can only imagine how often the liberal news media is going to trumpet that now is a great buying opportunity once there's a new President in office...they will single-handedly try to make the market go up to prove that whichever candidate is elected was responsible for the turnaround (which is plausible since they did a lot to create the drama that's going on now).

Just for the record. Neither I nor many of my like-minded Realtor brethren believe in pushing anyone off of a fence. Yes, we want you to know about changes in financing, the end of down payment assistance, changes in pricing of mortgage insurance, tightening up of list price/sales price ratios. But it's up to YOU to make the decision to buy. If you want to wait until prices have already started to move up, that's your call-not mine. I'll be here whether you buy today or in a year. I'm in this for a long time to come (and you guessed it-that will mean more market cycles-so I'll wager that you will call or email when you need the expert who evaluates market changes and doesn't run from the challenges of a new marketplace).

You know you love Highland Creek-who wouldn't?  A full golf course (public, with special privileges for residents of the community), 5 pools, tennis courts, miles and miles of walking trails, pocket parks throughout...and residential homes from the mid $100s to over $600,000.

Which makes this particular house for sale in Highland Creek at 5907 Hornbeam Court an even more attractive option...you'll be in the lower end of pricing for one of Charlotte NC's all-time best selling neighborhoods!

This home has been staged and is clean as a whistle, plus it's priced to sell at $192,500.

For more information or to schedule your private showing, please call or email Leigh Brown today-we're always glad to help!

If you're on a budget but still want to be in the heart of desirable Huntersville NC, within a stone's throw of Birkdale Village for shopping and dining, and want to be in a great school district as well, this may be your next home.

This great townhome for sale in Huntersville NC is located at 13047 Meadowmere Road in the Crosswinds community.  The place shows like brand new, and the owner is so sad to be leaving!

And at $134,900 it's one of the best values going (plus you get a garage!!!)

For more information or to schedule your private showing, please call or email Leigh Brown directly.  We're always glad to help!

This is the cream of the crop in the desirable Leacroft community (aka The Villages of Leacroft), in north Charlotte NC.

In the heart of north Charlotte's shopping, minutes from TIAA-CREF, I-85, Concord Mills, Leacroft is a great neighborhood with quite the happening swim team!

This home for sale at 4501 Bellmore Court in Charlotte NC is on an oversized cul-de-sac lot (yes, a third of an acre is oversized, for all you relocating families-I know it's an adjustment!), heavily wooded with plenty of privacy for that first cup of coffee.

$230,000-for four bedrooms, both formals and a great room, and new frieze carpet throughout!  It's well-priced and won't last long (no, seriously, it's had two second showings in the first week on the market). So call or email Leigh Brown today for additional information or to schedule your private showing.  We're glad to help!

I must admit, I'm remiss.  I listed this fabulous home for sale in Ellington Farm in Mint Hill a week ago today...and the lucky buyers cropped up on Saturday so we're officially under contract. 

Yes, you heard me correctly-this home for sale in Mint Hill NC (that's just barely east of Charlotte NC) sold in not even 3 days!!!  In a challenging market, no less.

Why, you ask?  Well, the sellers correctly priced the home (at $375,000), got the house in showing condition (no wild colors or wallpaper), cleaned the heck out of it (those hardwood floors were shining!), made it available for showings (when the agent called for an appointment, the sellers cleared out), and then most importantly-they answered my phone call late on a Saturday night when we had a 3 hour deadline to respond to the offer to purchase!

If you have a home to sell in or around Charlotte NC, call someone who can get it done.  Maybe not in 3 days but we can always hope!  Or if you happen to be interested in this home, let me know and I can add you to the list should this contract go south.

For more information on this home or any other, please call or email Leigh Brown.  We're always glad to help!