It has taken me a long time to tell this story and laugh...but in these days of iffy financing, I thought I would share it so everyone can have a chuckle.
Quite a few years ago I had a very unusual - definitely not a clononial.. Clone-onials? I'll Sell Them But.... - home to sell. It had five bathrooms and two bedrooms (no I didn't reverse those numbers), no basement, a swimming pool, and it was ON the Baltimore beltway, I-695. Not only could you hear the roar of the traffic, you could read the license plates if the traffic was moving slowly enough! Not an easy property by any means, and this was my second time listing and selling this same house. Agents asked, "Why would you take that house again?" What can I say? I do love a challenge.
One day I had a phone call from a couple who described the property to me in detail and who wanted to schedule an appointment. They knew about the floor plan, the location, and were very interested. They had one of my business cards with the photo and features of this house on one side and my contact information on the other that they got from the seller's place of employment.
They loved everything about the house; they were ready to write a contract and wanted a 30-day settlement. When I asked, "Who is your lender?" they responded, "No we are paying cash, won't need a mortgage." So we wrote a contract at full price, with a $10,000 check for the deposit. It was a weekend and they needed until Monday or Tuesday to "cover' the funds for the deposit. No problem, I thought, after all they were sent by the sellers. Home inspection was scheduled for the next Tuesday.
They paid cash to the inspector and still loved everything about the house. My sellers, who were on vacation in California, came home to prepare for the quick move. When you have this type of property, you do what the buyer wants to get it sold!
While sitting at the table discussing the results of the home inspection, I asked the buyers again about the deposit. They needed a bit more time. This immediately gave me that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Time to ask the big question: "Where IS your money coming from?"
So very straight, so very serious, this not-so-young couple said together, "From our father." And then I realized – they weren't talking about their daddy! They meant "Our Father who art in Heaven…." They told me they, yes both of them, had a dream and this was the right house and the money would be there for them, not to worry.
What do you say at a time like this? What do you say to your sellers who just cut their vacation short? Here is what I said: ''I know you are both believers. I am a believer, the sellers are believers. However, the seller's attorney is NOT a believer, and he needs the money now!!''
Looking back it is a funny story. At the time, it was an absolute catastrophe! It was a good thing that up front I told the sellers that I knew nothing about these "buyers," even though they had a card which only the sellers had in their possession. I assumed the sellers knew these people. Clearly, none of us really knew them!
Anyone else have this type of story to tell?
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