The following is from a blog I posted in September of 2009:
I guess if you asked most REALTORS® what they remember the most about their first real estate transaction, you would get a wide variety of answers. The thing that I remember vividly about my first real estate transaction, which took place almost a decade ago on Amelia Island Florida, starts with the tears that the wife shed when I asked what I thought was a typical question.
I was sitting floor duty on a chilly December afternoon when I received a call asking about a specific property that was listed for sale.
He asked me was the price and when I told him it was listed for $135,000, he thanked me and I could hear the disappointment in his voice. I asked, "Was that within your projected price range?" He told me he was hoping to be able to buy a house for less than $100,000. (OK, well I guess that tells you how long I have been a REALTOR®!) I suggested that I could find him some listings in his price range and email them to him. He didn't have email access in the property that he and his wife were renting, so I offered to drop some copies of listings off after I got off work. He was more than happy for me to do that so that where the story begins.
When I arrived at their rental house, I gathered the MLS listings that I had printed, pulled out a business card, picked up my briefcase and walked to their door. My very first customer answered the door, invited me in and introduced me to his wife. (In order to protect their privacy I will call them Harry and Pam.) Harry explained to me that he and Pam had met in Mandarin China when he worked there, temporarily.
They told me that they needed to buy a house within a short distance of the Ritz Carlton where Pam worked. Harry further explained that she didn't drive and would have to ride her bike to work. I immediately had a deep respect for her work ethic because the weather can be pretty harsh on Amelia Island, Florida especially in the winter.
I asked why they wanted to buy a house and that is when the tears started. Since Pam was emotional, Harry spoke up for her. He told me about her 13 year old daughter back in Mandarin. They wanted to bring her to the US and said that the INS would look a lot more favorably at their request if they owned a home. I felt a big lump in my throat and thought to myself, I have to find this couple a house, no matter how hard it is to find one in their price range. At that moment I didn't care about the commission on the sale or the excitement of working with my first buyer, I just wanted to help this young mother whose heart was breaking because she missed her daughter so much!
The rest is history. I began showing them houses on December 23rd and we had a fully executed contract by the end of the year. After the inspections and appraisal we had a successful closing the end of January.
A few months after closing, I dropped by the house to see how Pam and Harry were doing and to give them a thank you gift. Pam was so excited to introduce me to her daughter who had just arrived!
So here are a few things I learned from this first transaction:
People have many reasons for wanting to buy a house.
A family really needs a house they can make into a home.
The rewards of helping a family get their first home are priceless!
Comments (14)Subscribe to CommentsComment