My 9 Year Old - A Short Sale Negotiator

The apple does not fall far from the tree....

Those of you who are real estate lifers - you know that deals never sleep.  You likely have to answer the phone at the oddest times and places, stop in the middle of Wal-Mart to send a text message, find yourself checking your email religiously, always need to run by a property for this or that, etc......  If you have a family, then you know that the kids end-up"working" with you. 

We have been negotiating distressed property deals in Atlanta (short sales and REO buys) for several years as a family owned investment group while I also work as a real estate agent.  Our managing members include 3 under the age of 10  [shhhh! - we don't share that with our business affiliates.]  - okay - kidding.... BUT I swear that our kids have absorbed enough at their young ages to successfully negotiate a real estate transaction even as challenging as a short sale.

In fact, my 9 year old proved that to me the other day.  I caught him walking a Friend of his into our loss mitigation department.  Before I could remind him that he is not to be in that area - I overheard him explaining to his friend what we do - and I got a real laugh.

His friend asked him if he sold houses - and his response: 

"YES, OUR team sells houses for people that are under-the-water and the banks they pay their mortgages to have to let them sell their house for a cheaper price.  It is a lot of work and we don't make guarantees - but everyone comes out better."

To help his Friend understand better - he gave the following example - note the personal twist:  "It is kinda of like this:  You gave me a box of baseball cards and I promised to give you $3, but my Mom would only give me $2 - So, you have to be willing to take the $2 or get nothing.  Better to get something."

The freind says: "Then I'll just take the baseball cards back."

My son's response: "Maybe the baseball cards you gave me were worth $3 when you gave them to me - but now they are only worth $2....If you take them back you won't be able to sell them to anyone else for anymore than $2.  Might as well take the $2 bucks now"

And it gets better:  "We can get a baseball card store to tell us what they are worth, I know they will agree with me, but at least you can take their word on it and not mine."

Result: The Friend took the $2

Now, either my son is devious, smart, or has just heard too much over the years.  Anywhoo - I just wanted to share - Thank you for reading.

For those of you working hard at short sales, TO YOUR SUCCESS!  It is those of us working in-the-dirt to get them done that will bring stability to the market, NOT the government. 

Short sales can be MORE PROFITABLE and Easier to Complete

We love to hear short sale tales - please share

Amy Ransdell - Distressed Properties, Atlanta Short Sales

The Manage My Short Sale Team - "Always Moving Forward"