We are getting very close to Closing of this Ormond Beach 2,000sf+ home. After losing a buyer, after going back and forth with contracts, after all that we are soon to close on it (keeping my fingers crossed).
This is a relatively rare case where we are the listing agents. Not because we suddenly ventured into taking listings, this came as a referral from attorney Richard Zaretsky. The Seller was his client, but they needed a real estate licensee to get them the Buyer, and Richard referred them to us, as we worked with him on a few transactions, and maybe because he did not work with anyone else in Daytona Beach area (Thank you, Richard).
I got a call from the agent working with the Buyer. The Buyers wanted to look at the home again. The home is occupied by a tenant, who are very cooperative, and who are genuinely nice people. So, we set the time, no problem. She will take the kids to soccer training, and we can show the house.
Their agent is out of the country, and, obviously, he can't show them the house. He, however, is happy that we agree to do it. Not a problem. The showing is at 6 PM, and I go with my wife Olga, so that we can go home after the showing.
We have not met the Buyers yet. Though we are working with the Seller, their agent asked me to talk to them and explain the final phase of short sale, as they are concerned with it. Being a transaction broker comes handy (LOL).
The Buyers came on time, parked the car, a short introduction, and we go inside. They already know that relying on memory only is treacherous, so this time they have a small digital camera and are taking photos. They finally figured how many bathrooms are in the house, and how exactly the bedrooms are laid out, and many other details.
While I am accompanying Kevin, who is tirelessly checking every corner of the house, demonstrating pretty good knowledge of construction and remodeling, the women sat on a sofa. When we were done and they were already leaving, Pam turned to my wife and said: "Don't forget to tell your husband about blue jeans"
What about blue jeans?
Turned out Pam, like, Olga used to be, is a teacher. She quickly figured that Olga was Russian, and here came the story:
In 1978 Pam was a young teacher. Her class of high school seniors decided to go on a cruise. She contacted the travel agent, and they came with two options:
1. for $xxx they could go on a 3-day Carnival cruise or
2. for the same $xxx they could go on a 7-day cruise in Western Caribbean. Not the nicest ship though, but 7 days.
It was easy. Even then money was an object (LOL). There were two ships of that company going from New Orleans - Odessa and Kazakhstan, both under the USSR flag. Wow, how interesting. So, they went on a week-long cruise on a Soviet ship and with a Soviet crew. And for 28 free-minded American teenagers that was the experience of their lives.
They quickly noticed that everyone was serious. Armed guards, who were there not to control passengers, but to keep an eye on the crew. In the ports only 4 members of the crew would be allowed to leave the ship to avoid mass defection. This was not a huge super cruise liner of today (it was built in England in 1974), but still there were at least a few hundred crew members. Only 4 at a time.
The level of control and the lack of freedom stunned young Americans. They suddenly could see with their own eyes the way people were treated, and they were not ready for that. They initiated conversations with the waiters, cleaners, other crew members. It was hard for them to understand that not only these people did not feel humiliated, on the contrary, they felt lucky to be able to have a chance to work abroad, and they were afraid of losing this privilege.
Why were they trying to work there?
Oh, they still had a chance to buy things that were not there back home.
Like what?
Like blue jeans.
Blue jeans????? What's the big deal?
You just do not get it...
When the ship returned to New Orleans, 28 American teenagers left the cruise ship more mature. They left it with a different perspective on life, with different outlook on freedom... not on the paper, not in the textbooks... The only thing that was missing... were the blue jeans. 28 blue jeans that they left in their rooms for the crew
A small price for a lesson
P.S. What a twist to a showing, oh my...
;)
;)
What a valuable experience for anyone of any age, but especially for teenagers. You will probably never forget the experience.