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A Real Estate Agent In Winter - 2011

Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Destiny Real Estate Cambridge, MA

February 14, 2011 03:20 PM

A day in the life - Winter 2011

It's a challenging season for Massachusetts real estate agents. We won't soon forget the winter of 2011.

8:30 am: Leave the house for work. Realize that you can't leave since the front door is frozen shut.

9:30 am: Actually leave the house for work having successfully opened the door after wedging it open wide enough to throw ice salt on the stoop and hammering at the ice pile repeatedly - for an hour.

9:45 am: Arrive at the office.

9:45 to 10:15 am: Circle the block - over and over again - trying to score a parking space.

10:15 am: Bingo! Nab a parking spot at a meter in front of the office. So what if you're parked five feet from the curb? So's everybody else. Fold your mirror in - you're lucky you still have one. No need to fish for quarters - the meter's buried.

11:00 am: Boots back on - it's time to head out on tour. Bummer - that means you've got to vacate your hard earned parking space.

11:10 - 11:30 am: Good thing you allowed for extra time - there's nary a parking space to be found. Finally move a chair out of a shoveled space two blocks away - hopefully you'll be back before the owner of the chair comes home.

11:30 - 11:40 am: After clambering through snow banks and walking in the street - while dodging cars that don't have a full lane to drive in - you arrive at the property with your buyers. Boots off, quick run through, boots back on.

11:40 - noon: The next stop is just five minutes away but sitting behind a recycling truck takes up an extra 15 minutes.

Noon - 12:10 pm: Arrive at the second property on your tour. Boots off, quick run through, boots back on.

Repeat. Ad nauseum.

4 pm: Leave work early in time to hit the hardware stores. Rumor has it that one store is getting a shipment of ice melt. You're too late. Third store is taking deposits for future shipment. Sign up for two bags - the maximum per customer.

6 pm: Arrive home. Park at end of driveway - there's a big storm in the forecast. Boots off one last time today.

10 pm: Head off to bed. Dream of spring.

Comments (16)
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Patrick White

Home Driven Realty, Inc - Baldwin, NY

Driven to bring New Yorkers home

Good Evening Elizabeth

Thanks for the post and information. Have a great day.

Feb 14, 2011 03:23 PM

Ruthmarie Hicks

Keller Williams NY Realty - 120 Bloomingdale Road #101, White Plains NY 10605 - White Plains, NY

That's pretty much my life right now. NY has had a coupleof warmer days....That took some of the trahery out of my walk to the car.

Feb 14, 2011 03:24 PM

Joan Valverde

HomeSmart - Colorado Springs, CO

GRI,CDPE,CNE,MRP,SRES Colo Sprgs, Blk Forest, Monu

Elizabeth, Very interesting day. I was thinking as I was reading that you are thinking SUNSHINE AND SUMMER! It will be here soon....... but until then, keep your boots handy.

Feb 14, 2011 03:25 PM

Elizabeth Bolton

RE/MAX Destiny Real Estate Cambridge, MA - Cambridge, MA

Cambridge MA Realtor

Hi Patrick ~ Thanks for stopping by.

Hi Ruthmarie ~ We had a warmer day today too though it's going down to 16. I think we'll need a few weeks of 60+ temps to really put a dent in these glaciers.

Hi Joan ~ It will be here soon for sure - but boy it sure is hard to remember that some days - we're all at the end of our ropes.

Liz

Feb 14, 2011 03:34 PM

Marjorie Taylor

Florida Homes Realty and Mortgage - Saint Augustine, FL

New Homes in St. Augustine Florida

I was a Broker in Manhattan - schlepping around showing property in the snow was NO fun. I love living and working in St. Augustine Florida -- No snow! Hang in there -- Spring will be here soon.

Feb 14, 2011 03:42 PM

John Saari

Worcester, MA

"The Mortgage Buddy"

Stay positive we are going to get some melting this week, I just hope it doesn't melt too fast.

Feb 14, 2011 03:43 PM

Sharon Parisi

United Real Estate Dallas - Dallas, TX

Dallas Homes

The snow in your photo is unbelievable! I love living in Texas, after spending 30 years in the Chicago snow!

Feb 14, 2011 03:58 PM

Gail Robinson

William Raveis Real Estate - Southport, CT

CRS, GRI, e-PRO Fairfield County, CT

Elizabeth - I lived in West Newton and Watertown, but I know the streets in Cambridge are narrow. It's been tough here, too, in Bridgeport. Buyers just started coming out three weeks ago. All my listings are getting showings. Just had a closing and put a new listing up today, getting another one tomorrow. I think this will be a great Spring! This winter was one for the books. Unbelievable!

Feb 14, 2011 05:25 PM

Lottie Kendall

Compass - San Francisco, CA

Helping make your real estate dreams a reality

Geez, that's some snow. Your description of trying to work in that circumstance makes me realize just how lucky I am. Soon, though, you'll be smiling again.

Feb 14, 2011 10:04 PM

Elizabeth Bolton

RE/MAX Destiny Real Estate Cambridge, MA - Cambridge, MA

Cambridge MA Realtor

Hi Marjorie ~ That sounds like a good move! Especially this year - from the sounds of it it's been a tough winter in Manhattan.

Hi John ~ I really do think we'll need a lot of days to clear the parking spaces. Usually there's one big pile that sticks around and seems to take forever to go away - this year the entire city is covered by gigantic rock hard piles. But I like your optimism!!

Hi Sharon ~ The scenes you see around here and the crazy narrowed streets - major ones - are just nuts. I bet you appreciate your weather all the more after your share of tough winters.

Hi Gail ~ I too definitely have the feeling it's going to be a good spring. Lots of activity in our market already as well - which says a lot under the circumstances. The Cambridge streets continue to boggle my mind - I've driven on as few as possible so keep seeing new sights. One last night blew my mind - the snow on one half of the street was only inches from the yellow dividing line - and the other lane wasn't completely clear either.

Hi Lottie ~ It definitely is a season that tries one's patience. We're usually much much luckier than this in the city. We tend to get a few storms but often have a lot of melting in between so it never gets out of hand. This year is very unusual. We were up to over 150 - or maybe it was 170 - roof collaspses last time I noticed. I don't ever remember a year like this.

Liz

Feb 15, 2011 01:25 AM

Joseph D. Federico

MVP Realty - Naples, FL

Southwest Florida Homes with Joe Federico

Liz-Great picture and blog. I went to Home Depot on Super Bowl Sunday, and they had sold 10,000 pails of ice melt in 2 days.

Feb 15, 2011 02:11 AM

Hannah Williams

HomeStarr Realty - Philadelphia, PA

Expertise NE Philadelphia & Bucks 215-820-3376

Liz ..I like the part about about being nausea's .. it has been a horrid winter ..Here is too beautiful Spring Market !

HelpfulHannah

Feb 15, 2011 10:15 AM

Elizabeth Bolton

RE/MAX Destiny Real Estate Cambridge, MA - Cambridge, MA

Cambridge MA Realtor

Hi Joe ~ Isn't it crazy? Were you part of the Great Roof Rake Search of 2011? I had one luckily but I hadn't used it in a couple of years and lazy me - I had left it out in the backyard because I couldn't get the handle undone. The roofers moved it so when they did my roof so I had to do an archaeological dig in the snow in the backyard - wading through the drifts shoveling test holes. Happy to have it though after I unearthed it.

Hi Hannah ~ Happily we haven't had more snow in over a week I think but the blankety blankin' piles aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Liz

Feb 15, 2011 01:16 PM

Gabrielle Kamahele Rhind

KGC Properties LLC, Tucson Property Management & Real Estate - Tucson, AZ

Broker/Owner

HI ELIZABETH! OK - I will not complain again about weather! I too would hate to lose a good parking spot - after all that effort! Happy weekend to you! -- G

Feb 18, 2011 07:09 AM

Hugh Fitzpatrick

New England Title/ Fitzpatrick & Associates, P.C. - Tewksbury, MA

Right on. I cannot wait for Spring either.

Feb 21, 2011 06:55 AM

Thom Abbott

MyMidtownMojo.com |770.713.1505 | Intown Atlanta GA Condo Living - Atlanta, GA

Midtown Atlanta GA Condos For Sale

I can't imagine showing property in all that snow. How do you see what the yard is like, test a/c units, etc.

Of course when we get snow here in ATL the world stops.

Hope you are now enjoying the warmth of Summer!