[View this post in Original and Lovely Format at The Real Estate Lounge Chicago]
The weekend that just passed was a pleasant time spent with the family in a to-and-fro motion between Dallas and Chicago. To Dallas we went last Thursday and fro Dallas we returned last night to experience the real chill that we don't seem to be able to shake in Chicago. And so it goes... But the story today isn't so much the fine time we had in Dallas and being the proud and loving godfather to baby Ya Ya or a festive engagement party Sunday night or even about hustling the boys last night into a sushi place in Andersonville on Clark Street with them dressed essentially in pool gear after summer weather down south. Instead it is to recount the great time we had the week before as we celebrated the second birthday of our lovely boy Lucas. For all of you out there keeping notes, you know that Lucas' real birthday is March 10th. 
Yep. The mighty winged stork descended into our room at Prentice Women's Hospital at Northwestern University two years back. And it was Cinco de Mayo en el ano pasado that Lucas commenced his ongoing escapade of walking. But instead of being restricted by the calendar and the foul weather that typically comes with March, we hesitated the scheduling of his bash until the middle of May to try to score some temperate climes. Our patience was rewarded as the skies conspired to gleam an opalescent blue punctuated by white clouds that drifted like weightless filaments. And the setting in our sideyard and rear patio was perfect as we gathered friends and family for a puppet show, a pinata bashing, a bit of arts and crafts, some delightful sugar-free Red Velvet cupcakes from Bleeding Heart Bakery, and more than a small portion of fun. 
When it was all said and done the folks gathered agreed that what we had had was fun. Good old fashioned fun on a beautiful spring day. The kind of fun that you look back on and exhale with delight that you had been there and been part of it. The kind of fun that Nicole and I had had in mind when we hatched the idea of having a puppet show-themed party with the type of weather we prayed for after the swamping the day before and given the entirely damp forecast for the day. But it all came together. What also came together as the party was nearing its natural conclusion was an offer I had submitted earlier the same day for a home for sale in a nearby suburb of Chicago. New to the market, my clients and I had zoomed in to see this new introduction to the Chicago real estate market it with the alacrity of a hand hitting the snooze button on a Sunday morning. And we then returned Saturday morning to confirm our suspicion that this house for sale represented what we were seeking in a home. 
The answer was yes and our commitment to act followed swiftly as we penned the contract on the hood of my truck. The good news is that the folks on the other side of this part of the Chicago real estate pie weren't in a stalling state of mind. And so we completed the negotiation to purchase this home by 6pm. With the holiday weekend fast approaching we set in motion the other elements of the process. We arranged for the estimable Peter Neuman of Prairie Home Inspection Services to inspect the premises the following Tuesday afternoon while forwarding the contract to Jack Arfa, a reputable real estate attorney also handling the sale of my clients' Wicker Park penthouse condo. Is there a point to all of this? It could have easily rained on the puppet show we had arranged for Lucas' birthday. And had that happened we would have gone to plan b. And what plan b is I don't know, but we would have concocted it and the end result would have been a frosty mug of fun. And the house in Oak Park, perhaps a second viewing would have unearthed something we didn't see the day before. Or the inspection might have pointed out something entirely unexpected that put the kibbosh on the deal. Or the folks selling might have proven to be obstinate just as we might have been. But these scenarios did not play out. What we had was a coming together of reasonable parties. What a relief! Much in the same manner that the skies turning from a slate gray at about 1.30 that afternoon to a peaceful blue proved to be. 
And the point? I don't know that there's much more of a point than patience. Some of the bruised feelings and damaged bank accounts associated with what is transpiring in Chicago and the national real estate market can be attributed to acting without enough (accurate) information. We waited to hold Lucas' party. And even with the delay there was a chance that the day of might have been called due to rain. But at the end of the day everything worked out just fine. With the clients I represented in buying the home in the Chicago suburb, we were patient enough to be willing, like several other clients of mine, to rent a place rather than moving forward with a place that didn't meet our criteria. Unlike the Chicago real estate market a bit more than two years back when action preceded cogitation and contemplation, today Chicago real estate consumers are willing to see a place sell before making a decision that doesn't feel comfortable or right. I know which scenario I prefer. And that which suits my clients. Which leads inexorably to the question that the savvy Chicago real estate consumer needs to contemplate and answer - does the Chicago real estate professional with whom I am working view things like I do? Or am I just a statistic that he is trying to close?
Comments(0)