Thanks for the happy ending for what very well could have been a very sad story.  I never even paused to think that auctioneers could have a heart.  I thought that it was just a job.  Thank you for your side of the story.

Robert ..... Thanks for ending my day with such a wonderful story.

Alan

Great ending...unfortunately in your type of business I am sure you have a lot of unhappy ex home owners.  I am glad this one worked out well over all.  I think small victories are more rewarding that some of the big ones.

Great story. Some days are more rewarding than others.

Robert,

Thank you for this insight.  Like Roger, I would have thought of this as just job.  It never occurred to me the owner would be there, and how perceptive of you to recognize her.  Wow.  How nice to be able to know you help someone in such a hard place in life. 

Inspiring post...Congratulations on it being featured...well done.

Robert ~ I'm glad you made this lady very happy.  You made her day very special and she will alway's remember you. Thanks for sharing your story.

I never even thought about the daily processes of an auctioneer.  Nice story!

I suppose that you find your job difficult when you're auctioning people's beloved homes.  I'm happy that this one worked well for you.  The best deal is one that works for everyone, right?

Real Estate is about touching people's lives, so it's nice when it has a positive ending on what was previously a negative ending for the homeowner. 

Thank you for all the warm responses.

As Auctioneers, we should never lose sight of trying to helping people. Our positions place us sometimes in difficult situations. Divorce, Estates, Foreclosures, etc. I think we should be licensed counselors as well.

When the 80 yr. old Widow Ms. "Smith" calls us to sell her only assets...a $10,000 doll collection and her $150,000 "as-is" home. You tend to not keep track of the hours you have spent on making sure she gets the most money possible for her possessions. Especially since you heard her life story, how she met her late husband during the war, what they have done with there lives.....it's like helping your Mom and Dad....you would do anything for them.

The Bi-Product of all this is I make a fair living for my family......life IS just as it should be. 

Robert, thanks for sharing this very touching story. Stuff like this makes it all worth it at the end of the day!

Robert,

With foreclosures on the rise, its nice to hear a happy ending every now and again.

I had a listing go to auction once...

the sellers were in major trouble financially and had much higher hopes for the outcome than realized...

it came down to a bidding war between two neighbors and a developer.  There was a path of progress through the big parcel that made it perfect to develop as a new phase for an adjacent neighborhood.

The family ended up getting a great deal on a repo'd double wide and a lot in a nice area... and the money got them squared away

in the end - they were all sad to see the family land go - but they were relieved that their debt was gone!

Interesting day Robert. It is always so gratifying when someone appreciates your services and efforts to assist them. Thanks for sharing this.

Robert, GREAT post! It's so cool to read about others' meaningful moments in the business. We all have them, or at least we should. If there's someone who doesn't, they're in the wrong business. But anyway, those moments are what keep us sane and give us the self-respect and peace of knowing that we're making a difference. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you again for all the warm responses.

"The Bar is there for a reason...now go and rise above it"

This story really struck home with me, I can't even imagine being in that situation.  Thank you for sharing

Ana, thank you. These are stressfull times for MANY people. I have a client now that after booking an auction, was put in the hospital for a week for stress. He just couldn't handle it all. It is very difficult sometimes. Although we have to separate ourselves and not make their problems ours, we can offer a glimmer of hope in all areas of this business.....not just auctions. I see it as well in traditional sales.

Robert:

Great story.  For what it's worth, I was raised in Northern Harford County (Norrisville).  I come to Bel Air almost every week.  I'm just getting started in the Auction business.

 Mike Morris

Mike, it's nice to know you are working in PA. Send me an email sometime and so we can talk. Welcome to Activerain. Great place to network!

Great story Rob!

 We are still looking for one homeowner to give them $33,000.00 in overage from a foreclosure.

They probably think the calls and certified letters are still collection

Have a great day.

Good story!  How much did the lady get after everyone else got theirs?

Endea - I believe she will receive approximately $60,000 +/- at settlement. That is just my guesstimate! - at $380,000 - That included the fees. Not sure of the incidentals.