"Jessica, we've tried and tried, but we can't ever get the house we want!

Lately, I've had several very frustrated home buyers tell me that word for word (or some slight variation of it).

It seems these potential home buyers have been looking all over town and discovered several "great deals". Despite the fact that they've jumped 'immediately' on them, and despite the fact that they've made "good" offers...they keep getting outbid. They keep losing their "dream home".

Not just once...

Not just twice,

but several, several times.

Of course, the home buyer quickly becomes tired of the emotional roller coaster ride: all the searching, deciding, preparing the offer, waiting, waiting and waiting some more...

and then being heartbrokern and completey crushed because their offers keep being rejected (again, and again again...).

Yet, despite the constant setbacks, the home buyers continue to press on...

So, they go online searching for Henry County Real Estate and stumble across my path. "Just great! Another dang real estate agent!", they think upon finding my site. However, the fact that I don't require my visitors to register in order to search thousands upon thousands of homes (updated daily) via the Georgia MLS is very appealing to them.  They decide to stick around a bit (if only to find the catch...).

And, they begin to search (again)...

Quickly they discover: the market is filled with many "great deals" in McDonough, Stockbridge, Hampton, Locust Grove and the surrounding areas. Excited beyond belief and with newly found strength and vigor and great expectations, they pick up the phone and call me about seeing the "great deals" in person.


And that is when I hear:

"Jessica, we've tried and tried, but we can't ever get the house we want! Will you help us?!!!!"

I explain that I may very well be able to help, but before I can say with absolute certainty...I would like for them to explain what happened (what went wrong) with their previous attempts to purchase a home.

The conversation goes something like this:

Buyer:  "Well, we found a home (gives me the address) for $139,900 that has 2,600 square feet, on 1-Acre, 4 Bedrooms and 2.5 Baths and a bonus room. We offered on it a few days later, but somebody beat us to it."

Me:  "If you don't mind me asking, what did you offer?"

Buyer:  "We offered around $129,000! It was a good offer in this market!"

Me:  "And what are you qualified for?"

Buyer: "We're approved for just over $200,000, but we aren't going that high!"

Me:  (I'm pulling the property up on the MLS while I talk) "I see. Did you ask the seller to pay any closings costs?"

Buyer:  "Yeah. We asked them to pay 3% or so."

Me:  (The property is now loaded and I'm looking at its listing history)  "Did you ask the seller for anything else?"

Buyer:  "Yeah. We asked for a Home Warranty, refrigerator, washer and dryer and to pressure wash it. I think we wanted new sod in the front yard too. I don't really remember. Hey Honey! Come here! Did we....."

Me:  "In other words: You got caught stealing the pens!"

Buyer:  "Huh? What pins?  I don't remember seeing any survey pins and we certainly didn't touch them!"

Me:  "Not pins. Pens.  As in ballpoint pens..."

Buyer:  (frustrated) "Jessica, I don't understand what in the world you're talking about! Would you care to explain yourself?"

Me:  (laughing slightly)  "Look I don't mean to laugh about you losing the home, but after I tell you what I'm about to tell you, you're either going to want to work with or you're not. You're either going to be in a better position to buy the next home you want, or you probably won't ever be. But I'm going tell you anyway. OK?"

Buyer:  (Dripping with sarcasm) "Yes mam! I'm all ears!"

Me:  "Let's go into "pretend mode" for a minute, shall we?"

Buyer:  "OK"

Me:  "Now pretend that you're a bank robber for a minute...."

Buyer:  OK

Me:  "Now pretend that you're going to rob a bank..."

Buyer:  "I'm pretending..."

Me:  "Ok. You successfully rob a bank and go to walk out and get away...

Buyer:  "Sounds Good..."

Me:  "But you don't!  You stop. You've got all the cash in the bank, but you decide to go back and get all the change too."

Buyer:  "Ummmmm. Ok...."

Me:  "The alarm is going off like crazy, time is running out, but you've gotten all the cash and you've now gotten all the change too. You go to walk out. You've done it..."

Buyer:  "I need to hurry the hell up!"

Me:  "But you don't! You decide to go back in and grab all the coffee cups with the banks logo on them and all the little plastic ballpoint pens with the cute little logo's on them too. After all: they're just asking to be took..." 

Buyer: "I wouldn't do that. That's..." (I interrupt)

Me:  "And while you're grabbing the very last pen....the police come in and grab you! They handcuff you and haul you off to jail!"

Buyer: "That's not very realistic. Nobody would do that. I sure wouldn't..."

Me:  "Did you know that this home was previously on the market for $245,000 before it was foreclosed?

Buyer:  "Yeah. That's why we wanted it! It's a dang good deal!"

Me: "Yeah, but you tried stealing the pens too when you offered on it!"

Buyer: (Laughing) "Yeah. I guess I see your point.  I never really thought about it like that before."

Me:  "So what day you want to go rob a few banks?*"

Buyer: "Saturday would be great. And, no more trying to steal the pens!"


The moral of this story: There is nothing wrong with trying to get a better deal, or even trying to get the best deal possible. However, sometimes you are already getting the best deal possible and if you really, really, really want the house...don't try and steal the pens - just take the money and run!



*I'm talking about looking at houses! If you don't have a sense of humor and realize that: please go read something else and find another agent to work with. You won't like me and I certainly won't like you.

However, if you don't think buying a home should be the equivalent of going to the dentist for oral surgery without getting any Novocain...call me: 770.841.2760! I would love to meet you and help you rob the bank! Everybody knows that's where the money is! ;)