Strange clients we all get them! Some even close, some become friends, most just pass through our lives wasting our time. Many such strange clients leave stories we can’t tell for many years because the people could be identified. Some so strange no one would believe them. But, some are heart warming! I’d like to share one of the latter.
When I returned to lending I opened a mortgage banking and brokerage office at Lake Tahoe on the Northen Nevada side. Incline Village has allot of great second homes, even their dumps were great, little did I know it would be three years before I do a conforming loan or for that matter one with less than 6 digits. Like Dorothy said "We’re not in Kalamazoo any more" or something like that.
Rich clients were nothing new not even supper rich, but rich and single were. The "Sugar Daddies" I had no experience with them. Not to mention the occasional "Cougar!" People in Kalamazoo didn’t ack like this, not in public anyway!
The "Sugar Daddies" always acted the same. they’d showed up at my door late Friday or more likely by referal from some strange Agent* begging for an appointment on Saturday. It was the same each time an older client with a much younger girl at his side. They were in town for the week end and found a million dollar second home they just had to buy. The child always sat quietly listening to the application, listening to all the money the client had. Listening in awe!
Some of these children were young enough to be the clients Grandchild. I remember one saying they’d been gambling and I remarked I didn’t think she was old enough to even get in before her man could say anything she said "it’s no problem, I’ve got my sister’s ID." We’d take the application, although they never had any normal exhibits to go with it, never, never, never, never. They’d mail them to me Monday. Monday, I’d get a call cancel the application and thanks for a great week end!
*This was part of the reason I only took referrals from REALTORS® I’d solicited and I only solicited business from the top two agents in each office. But, there were still the walk-ins.
One Saturday morning a top agent from an office I’d never cracked called me. I wanted in, they were across the parking lot from me, but in a year and a half I’d never gotten past their receptionist. I opened the office they had to come to me, all 100 feet.
I soon learned that the buyer was a 60 year old pharmacist, his intended was a recent pharmacist graduate who had interned in one of his three stores until a month earlier. They’d taken a week skiing to celebrate her graduation, she’d agreed to marry him and they wanted to buy the house they rented, $1,500,000.00. Ya right! He told me about his three stores, but it all sounded fake. The dirty old man.
Late Monday morning the call came. Marie, my secretary came in to tell me who was on the phone and giggle. I answered: "I hope you had a good week-end, I’ll tear up the application, goodby." "No, no, no" came his reply. I said look we both know you were making up the details as we talked! He responded that it was true, but he wanted the house!
The guy went on to explain he’d been widowed for over a decade and that girls threw themselves at his money every day. This girl had worked for him and he got to know her, she’d though he owned only one store until he had to spend some time in the other two. He didn’t want her to know the truth she though he was near broke, until after she agreed to marry him. The next morning his accountant was waiting at my door. It seems he didn’t own 3 stores he owned 21! The three she knew about, the ones he’d told me about were losing money, but the communities need them the other 19 were extremely prosperous. When the accountant and I finished I called him, he asked if we could close in two weeks. They were married two weeks later we closed that same afternoon. A week later they asked to see me. He left me with a request to show her his file and explain every thing to his wife. She started by telling me her family had money and she’s see that the payments were made. She still though he was broke. I told her every thing.
I only saw them once about a year latter, he was looking much younger and she was looking very maternal.
I’ve had stranger clients as a lender and as a REALTOR®, but none I enjoyed as much. I did get more applicants from that agent, they were all fall-out from his broker's cousin, I closed them.
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