Received this story from a friend. Thought it was funny and also a lesson in "working the system"
THE ITALIAN TOMATO GARDEN
An old Italian man lived alone in the country. He wanted to dig his tomato garden, but it was very hard work as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament
Dear Vincent, I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a gar den plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me. Love, Dad
A few days later he received a letter from his son.
Dear Dad, Don't dig up that garden. That's where I buried the bodies. Love, Vinnie
At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left. That same day the old man received another letter from his son.
Dear Dad, Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances. Love you, Vinnie Ciao
Well, I had my settlement last week on my first foreclosure transaction. I represented the buyer. I'm happy to say that things went pretty smootly. Lots of moving parts and lots of interaction with people you never see in real life but everyone in this case was pretty responsive.
I had heard so many horror stories that I went in with some trepidation but now that I have one under the belt and have seen how things can go when everyone stays on top of things, I ready for the next.
There was a good article in the Washington Post Magazine this weekend about buying real estate. It followed a couple buying their first home. They were tense but realized this may be the bottom or at least it's close.
February was an extraordinarily busy month for me. A new condo listing I put on had four contracts within days, I ratified my first foreclosure sale (representing a buyer), ratified a $1M+ home and ratified another contract for a buyer. Tons of open house traffic too.
It's not just me either. I looked at the ratified contracts board in our office and they were running out of room to post new sales. Phew. What does this mean? I think it means things are starting to come together. The new tax credit that doesn't have to be paid back is motivating folks, interest rates are great, FHA is providing a great option for first time buyers, the high end sellers have come down enough so buyers aren't so tense and the foreclosures are too good to pass up.
Here's a link to an article about the new $8000.00 first time buyer credit.
Important notes are that you don't have to pay this one back, but you must buy before the end of 2009.
There are income caps so if you make over $75,000 as a single or $150,000 as a couple you'll need to consult a tax advisor. Good idea to do this anyway.
Sales are definitely up. Prices are not but have the finally reached a point where people are buying? Looks like it. We're even seeing some competition for well priced homes.
Yes, I know there are foreclosures and short sales out there. Especially outside the beltway. However, we should all remember that we are NOT the typical real estate market that is on the news every night.
We have VERY low unemployment as compared to the rest of the country and that situation is only going to improve with new government spending.
Buyers continue to be suprised that they have to compete for well priced, well maintained and/or unique properties. With the very low interest rates and new government jobs (and contractor, and attorney, and etc., etc) there are buyers out there. Really.
Don't believe me? Here's what Forbes had to say about the DC market for commercial and residential real estate. Yes, we are # 1 for 2009.
I had a settlement this week with a client who got an interest rate of 4.78%. I was having interest rate envy. It's good out there. Houses are cheap and rates are fabulous. Go buy a house. I am going off to do a home inspection with another smart buyer.
So I walked to the door and knocked. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie.
By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.
There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.
'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.
She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated'.
'Oh, you're such a good boy', she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?'
'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly.
'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice'.
I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued. 'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.
'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.
We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.
'How much do I owe you?' she asked, reaching into her purse.
'Nothing,' I said
'You have to make a living,' she answered.
'There are other passengers,' I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.
'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said.
'Thank you.'
I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.
I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?
What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.
We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.
But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, ~BUT~THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.
Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well
dance
This is a story that is being passed around the interenet. I don't know if it's true or not but it doesn't really matter. It's how we should live our lives. When we serve others we bring joy into our own lives. Making other people feel good is the best way to get to feeling good ourselves. This applies to our real estate clients as well as every other aspect of our lives. Go Dance. Life is Good.
Here are some average interest rates for the week for the Northern Virginia area courtesy of First County Mortgage:
Conventional 30 years fixed to 417k: 5.99% with ½ point loan origination fee
Conventional Jumbo between 417k - 729k): 6.375% with ½ point
FHA/VA: 6% with ½ point
FHA Jumbo: above $363,500: 6.75% with ½ point
I sent a small rant to Jim Webb this week after watching some of the congressional testimony of our corporate leaders. Yikes, talk about men without a plan, and a sense of entitlement. I am not against corporate socialism if it will stave off a deeper recession but I REALLY don't want to contribute to these guys having private jets, 16 million dollar salaries, etc, etc. Not only that but they have no shame about it. Egad! And still.....no real help for homeowners.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
;)
;)
