One of my favorite movies is 'Shawshank Redemption' - the story of Andy Dufresne, a young banking executive who spends nearly two decades doing hard-time in Shawshank State Prison for the murder of his wife and her lover despite his claims of innocence. Andy overcomes tremendous adversity, and through dogged determination and extreme patience, over a span of almost 20 years, is able to tunnel through solid walls, crawl through 500 feet of underground raw sewage pipe, and make good his escape.
As I was remembering this movie, it occured to me that Andy's plight is a lot like navigating through a short sale. At times, the process feels like it draws on for decades. The walls/layers of bureuracy and red tape appear cold and inpenetrable. Much of the time, we feel like we're up to our necks in....well,....difficult challenges, to say the least. And we just feel like tossing in the towel and giving up!
But then, there's Zihuatanejo!
That magical port of hope that helped keep Andy's dream of escape alive!
Andy: "Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Little place right on the Pacific. You know what the Mexicans say about the Pacific, Red? They say it has no memory. That's where I'd like to finish out my life, Red. A warm place with no memory. Open a little hotel right on the beach. Buy some worthless old boat and fix it up like new. Take my guests out charter fishing."
So what's 'my' Zihuatanejo' when I'm facing the tough adversities of getting a short sale to close? What gives me hope and encourages me to keep keeping on?
Well, quite simply, it's our clients. It's the Buyers and the Sellers. It's helping someone to crawl out from under a massive amount of debt, and at the same time, helping someone else to realize their dream of home ownership.
So yeah, at the time, a short sale isn't much fun. But the destination is truly worth the struggle!
Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional with Keller Williams West Sound, providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife, SoundBiteBlog, and Crabbing in the Hood, or e-mail: kitsapagent@gmail.com
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