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What finding the right home is all about

By
Real Estate Agent with Re/Max Boone Realty

I've been thinking about this all night and I guess it has woken me up and I can't sleep.  Tommorrow morning I close on a deal to help a man restart his life. 

 

A couple of months ago I was contacted by this man who told me he had $20,000 and wanted to buy a house.  I thought "Great, this will be hard and will probably go nowhere"  This man rents a room out of house, shares a phone with others, has no car, no computer and has to call me at appointed times.  So every few days he would call to see if I had found anything.

Unfortunately, there are some out there who would not have helped this man either because of his price, time involved, or income potential.

Finally in March a property came up.  We went to see it.  The best thing about the house is the roof does not leak.  He can move right in.  I could actually see past the condition of the home and see what he could turn it into.  The paint on the outside of the home is pealing off, some boards need to be replaced.  The plaster is cracking off the walls in some areas of the home, the wood floor is broken in some areas and the carpet is glued to the floor, worn bare in some places and it smells.

 

But we are both are very excited for him to get into this home.  He has been buying little things here and there every couple of weeks to outfit his home, he has plans to clean up the yard, plant some flowers, get the paint off the house and repaint and then get to work on the inside.  It will be a long process as he is on a fixed income but over time he knows and I know it will all come together.

 

I never thought I would be so excited over a $20,000 fixxer upper.  But this is what this business is all about.  Finding the right home for a buyer.  Getting a person into homeownership who is starting his life over and turning his life around is an incredibly rewarding experience. 

 

It goes to show that you can't prejudge your clients, they may surprise you.  And that sometimes the feeling of helping someone better thier life and start over is more rewarding than anything else! 

Show All Comments Sort:
Julie Rodriguez
Home-Flip.com - Fort Lauderdale, FL
Realtors like you make a difference in peoples lives. I really appreciate this story. Thanks for bringing a smile to my face!
May 08, 2008 01:23 AM
Erik Hitzelberger
RE/MAX Alliance - Louisville REALTOR-Luxury Homes - Louisville, KY
Louisville - Middletown Real Estate

Like Julie, I am glad you posted this story. The reason that I entered this profession is to help people accomplish their goals.  Your client deserves the opportunity to own a home (especially one that he can afford and is willing to work on to improve).

May 08, 2008 01:42 AM
Maria Holland
RE/Max Homes & Estates, ABR,GRI, CDPE, SFR - Nashville, TN
Realtor, ABR, GRI, CDPE, SFR
Good for you. I like making a difference in people's lives as well.  It is the reason I enjoy my job.
May 08, 2008 01:49 AM
Jessica Horton Jessica Horton Realty
Jessica Horton - Jessica Horton & Associates - Griffin, GA
Jessica Horton: I'm not #1... You Are!

April:

I apologize for taking so long to get over here.  This is a great story and I enjoyed it very much.  You are right...it's about finding the right home for our clients.  Even when it isn't a million dollar deal.  It is the client that counts.

May 11, 2008 05:26 PM
John MacArthur
Century 21 Redwood - Washington, DC
Licensed Maryland/DC Realtor, Metro DC Homes

April,

I followed internet bread crumbs from Jessica to find this post. I think it should be featured. Not because of your efforts. In my opinion, they should be the norm. We don't deserve accolades for doing our job. It is our job.

No, it should be featured because consumers need to know that there are many of us that find pure delight in accomplishing our job.

This story represents what a Realtor does.

Thank you for sharing.

May 12, 2008 03:32 AM
April Ferrao
Re/Max Boone Realty - Columbia, MO

Thank you for such kind words, John.    As a follow up to this story, we closed on Friday.  I drove him to the place he has been staying and he talked to me about how much he appreciated my help, that most people would not have helped a man who walks into their office with many of his belongings in bags (because he walks everywhere), rough looking, complete with tattos.  Let alone someone with a criminal past, (which he finally divulged on our second meeting)  He was so apprecitive that I did not judge him and I was so happy to just help him.

 

I dropped him at his house and told him I had a few things for him.  His favorite item was a glider chair and footstool that my neighbor was getting rid of.  He said to me, "Now I will have someplace to sit".  I thought he was going to cry.  The happiness that he felt from purchasing a home and starting a new live was such a rewarding feeling. 

 

Next time a client contacts you to help them with a low-end purchase, be sure not to judge, the reward you may receive for the help you give could be PRICELESS!

May 12, 2008 03:45 PM
Richard Green
U.S. Cybertek, Inc. - Houston, MO

You have to admit, Missouri has to be one of the only states that you can find a home for $20k.  Way to set a great example of treating every client like a million bucks.

Jan 09, 2010 04:52 PM