House Hunting in Florence on Saturday

My kids people are grown and have left the nest & my husband is out of town. I love them dearly, but was so happy that I was free to show houses this Saturday to a charming young lady who is attending college here in Florence.

Does anyone remember being 21? I do. It was 1975 (anyone love "That 70's Show"?) and my mindset was scattered. Yesterday, I was with a 21-year old who was focused. Focused on her studies, her boyfriend, and her future. As a matter of fact, before she met with me, she had done something that most of my older cllients don't think to do. She had already been preapproved for a loan. She is a treasure and a joy to be with. Before we even went to preview the first home, she asked me to be her exclusive buyer's agent.

We spent the day looking at houses listed for $35,000 to $60,000. She has family that does construction so she was looking for a fixer-upper to live in for a couple of years and then sell as her investment property. Normally, I don't get calls to see houses in this price range and was not optimistic about the potential homes we might find. As a matter of fact the first home we looked at had a celler straight out of a first-class horror movie. Neither one of us was adventurous enough to venture down the stairs. I could seriously envision someone reaching from between the stairs and grabbing my ankle!

Admittedly, about half of the houses we looked at were rambling, leaking, and moldy; but, there were a few that were absolute surprises in the rough! Some had great hardwood floors that had been painted with "groovy" designs, pocket doors, decks that overlooked creeks or golf courses, arched doorways - a few even had new tilt-in easy-clean windows! We were like two kids in a candy shop!

Admittedly, my commission won't be much when this sale is made, but what fun the journey will be!