I have been guilty of making a deal seem easy. I've had clients claim they would like to go into real estate because it looks so easy. Most times, I am a skilled troubleshooter that keeps a cool head in a sticky situation.
As agents well know, there is a lot of turmoil that goes on behind the scenes. You have to be quick on your feet to come up with a plan when all hell breaks loose.
Things need to look calm on the surface to keep the contract alive.
On a recent deal, the appraiser needed to come back to see if a door frame and deck had been painted.
There had been a bit of flaky paint here and there. It was an FHA loan.
The seller's agent and I figured out a way to get a painter to paint it fast and both parties divide the costs.
All seemed fine after that until the final walk through.
An hour before closing, I met with the buyers to see if everything was finished.
As I flipped on some of the lights, I could see that not all would turn on, the heat pump was acting strange and nothing in the kitchen and master bath turned on. The garbage disposal was supposed to have been newly installed and that wouldn't turn on at all.
I called the seller's agent and he stopped by. He couldn't figure it out either. We actually thought that lighting had hit the house the night before. Everything was fine in the fuse box. No circuit breakers turned off.
As we went over to meet the attorney for closing, a last minute plan was to hold all the checks until the seller could make things right. It was too late to escrow funds for repairs.
All papers were signed and by the next day it was discovered that the electric company was at fault. The seller had put in an order to turn off the electric too soon and they had not correctly turned it completely off. Some juice was still flowing to the house.
I was blessed to have buyer clients that were so patient and understanding. The lender and title attorney were seasoned pros that kept everyone calm. The seller and his agent were helpful and willing to see that everything would be taken care of.
It's not always this way. We deal with personalities, egos and crazy situations. Every deal is different. Not every deal makes it to a successful closing. Sometimes, I just feel lucky to be alive at the end.
Right after it's over, it's time to start all over again with a new client. The thrill of a new deal keeps me going.
Lizette Fitzpatrick - Principal Broker at Lizette Realty.
859.979.2834
For more information on Kentucky Horse Farms, Richmond and Lexington KY real estate click on Lizette.us.
Copyright © 2010 By Lizette Fitzpatrick, All Rights Reserved
*Miracles That Happen To Keep A Deal A Deal*
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