The White Family Up The Street....

I farm the neighborhood I live in.  The agents in my office will routinely call me if they have questions about this neighborhood from either a listing, or buying perspective...and I am always happy to help.

Well, last summer I had the listing directly across the street from my home.  A good friend/agent, Tom, in the office called and asked, "I forgot my key today and I wanted to show two listings on your street.  Can you let us in?"

Help a friend in need.  You bet!!  I met them at a competitor's listing a few houses up from mine, then took them to my listing.  This family had a lot of questions, but I know my role. I kept my mouth shut until specifically "wound up and let go."  Tom said, "Chris Ann lives across the street and can answer just about all of your questions about the neighborhood."

Mr. Buyer wanted to know if there were young children in the neighborhood his daughters age.  I told him the ages of the girls on the block, and there were some matches with the age range of his girls.

Mr. Buyer wanted to know how strict the HOA was, and other related HOA stuff.  I'm the HOA President.  I can answer that.

Mr. Buyer also said he loved the neighborhood, but thought my listing was overpriced.  (It was terribly overpriced and I knew the seller would rather rent than take market price).  Were there other homes on the market he hadn't seen?  Or anything coming on the market soon?    I exchanged a nonverbal with Tom to get his okay. 

"Well, the house we just came from is a great value.  But if you are looking for a knock your socks off house with all the upgrades, the White family up the street is putting their home on the market with a of couple days.  I've been there many times and it is one of the nicest homes on the block.  I don't know how it's going to be priced, but you ought to stop by and knock.  Tell them I sent you up."

I couldn't understand why they were all giving me a goofy look, but I took my cue and shut up.  Tom did a quick recap for them and hustled them out the door.  We said our goodbyes and I locked up the house.

It wasn't until I got home and repeated the story to my husband that I realized what I'd said.  "The White Family up the street...."  Holy crap!!  They all thought I was calling someone out by their race.  But the owners were Mr. & Mrs. White......and in an ironic twist of fate, had they actually taken the time to stop by, they may have run into the White Family and realized I was doing anything BUT.  The Whites are actually black.

Next time I saw Tom I explained it to him. He said, "I know you well enough to know that you'd either just fallen and hit your head before meeting us, or there was a simple misunderstanding."