How do you handle a "difficult" listing scenario? You don't hear much discussion about how to market homes where challenging circumstances necessitate a sale, be they divorce, death, separation, foreclosure, job loss etc. The reality is that a very significant portion of homes which are on the market are being sold for one of these reasons. In West Michigan, the foreclosure crisis has some estimates predicting between 6000- 10,000 homes being placed on the market due to foreclosures within the next 1-2 years! To give perspective, our current board average of home listings is 10,000+.
A decade ago, the prevailing wisdom was to obscure the "real reason" for the sale in difficult situations. But, that may be changing. As the nation mourns the loss of President Gerald Ford whose hometown of Grand Rapids will be his final resting place, we are reminded of the hallmarks of his character which were heralded because his commitment to integrity, honesty and just plain decency were virtues which healed our nation at a very tumultuous and empty time in history. Perhaps, these qualities can still challenge us to choose to see what needs to be healed through exposure to light rather than obscuring the truth in darkness and non-disclosure.
I do understand the need to protect the interests of our clients and to protect their investments. This is inherent to being a fiduciary agent. However, sometimes in doing so, we marginalize the power of their stories and the triumphs of their lives. Sometimes the nastiest of situations can offer opportunities to engage life in a different way and encourage our clients to remember what is truly important. This post is about a radical change in my marketing strategy of a home in the midst of a "difficult situation".
The obscure sign at the end of the street indicating a lot was "for sale" caught our attention. We'd been to the neighborhood almost 7 years previously to tour a parade home. I didn't remember where the home was located as I have a poor sense of direction...miraculous in a real estate agent. But, I did remember the interior of the parade home as it was the home of the elderly lady from whom we had bought our first home nearly a decade ago. Incredulously, at our closing, she had jokingly intimated that when she was old enough to go into a nursing home, we might consider purchasing her new home.
I remember thinking the comment was "interesting", and now here I was, looking at a vacant lot blanketed with trees just opposite the parade home I had visited so many years ago. The neighborhood had changed significantly. Several handsome bungalows had been built, the latest being a stucco Mediterranean ranch style home that was just opposite the lot we were considering.
This particular lot which harnessed our attention had traded hands many times. Our "potential" new neighbor Tom provided us with interesting facts and commentary about the community. All the streets were named after horse breeds, Shire, Arabian Way, and Clydesdale. The neighborhood was somewhat reminiscent of the early version of a gated community; the initial foray into residential development by a local pediatrician whose oversight and engagement with each new homeowner created a setting that was unlike the usual garden variety subdivision.
Tom & Chris had an unusual love story. We met Tom first because he was always outside. A lover of nature, he could often be seen in the garden, the pool area or the garage. The basketball hoop outside engaged the attention of our boys who soon began to join impromptu games with Tom & other neighborhood kids. I met Chris on one such evening as I stood outside; she walked over very carefully and introduced herself. Chris was accompanied by two delightful Pomeranian dogs, Barnum & Bailey who obviously enjoyed the chance to be outside their normal territory. I soon realized that the walk across the street was a journey of great strength and courage as Chris, a double amputee and cancer survivor 3 times over willed herself to move on with life in spite of everything.
Over the next year, Tom & Chris welcomed numerous people into their lives and home. Tom loved to cook and the kitchen was a hub of activity. He had reduced his work schedule significantly to care for his wife during her health crisis. The house design accommodated her handicap and its many unique details and accents were testimony for Chris's love and attention to details. Several custom designed leaded glass window inserts and the elegant leaded glass door framed within the pillared front entry were her personal artistic creations. Chris loved the royalty and sumptuousness of purple and lavished it generously throughout the home.
During the fall of that year, I had a spa party which Chris attended but had to leave early. It was at that party that a unique friendship developed between Chris and Mom Comfort whose prayers and encouragement became a tremendous source of inspiration and comfort....just like her name. Two ladies, small in physique...Mom Comfort is very petite & Chris had lost her legs, but giants in hope and courage! Chris celebrated life at every opportunity, often sitting poolside to watch the action outside. After her passing, Tom decided to put the home on the market, his life had also passed into another stage.
I am reminded that Chris minus both legs and with many physical limitations accomplished things beyond what many healthy people do. This is a story where the frames of grace encompass love in the midst of difficulty and hardship, openness and embrace rather than shutting down, engaging the choice of hope in the midst of despair and perhaps most simply stated..."just keeping on, keeping on'.
As a listing agent, our profession is sometimes at odds about what to do with a loss which places a home on the market. It's not unusual and certainly understandable that many of us choose to neglect to mention the history of a home so as not to create inappropriate prejudice. But the reality is that life and death are part of the natural rhythm of life. And, there are far more ugly things that take place in homes such as abuse and and the despair of neglect which create "living nightmares & soul death" in the lives of current occupants.
So, we made a conscious choice to celebrate life. In memory and celebration of Chris' life, we are donating 10% of the proceeds on our commission towards Gilda's Club which provided an unparallel level of care and support to the family. At the first Open House, local businesses donated furniture, prizes and food. Neighbors came to tour and reminisce. The healing of this house is still on-going, but the fact that difficulty and loss is not insurmountable and does not signal the end or loss of dignity and hope is clearly evident as well. If you would like more information about Tom & Chris's home, please visit us on-line at http://www.auduhome.com/. The address is 2728 Shire, Grand Rapids, Mi 49534.
Please e-mail lola@auduhomes.com for comments on this post.
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