Good Thursday to All...Waiting on our next snow storm that is supposed to push through in about 5 hours or so...and then the bitter cold sets in!
Thinking about warm weather and green fields...thus the above photo!
I was finishing up some computer work last night and began reading a blog from Liz and Bill Spear asking "Do you have your why?" You can read it here: https://activerain.com/blogsview/5824851/ask-an-ambassador---do-you-have-your-why-
It is a great blog and I encourage all to read it. Of course I had to respond and give my "why" I went into real estate back in the early 1990's. Inside the quoted remarks are what I posted on Liz and Bill's blog...and then after re-reading it this morning...yep it was the foundation for my next blog that you are now reading. AFTER the " " marked section, I will elaborate a little. Here goes:
" The why I went into real estate over 31 years ago:
Because we had a terrible agent "helping" us look for a home in Colorado Springs. She was lost most of the time...and when we did find the home we were supposed to be at...NONE...I mean NONE of them met the parameters we had set for her.
My wife was being relocated by her company and I was coming without a good job...so I figured why not give it a try...could not do any worse than that agent.
We left without buying a home on that trip and went back 3 weeks later.
LUCKY for us...the agent was on vacation...so another lady agent: Maria Martin...who was fantastic...helped us buy the home we lived in for 7 years! 3 months after we moved in, I was a licensed agent in Colorado...and the rest is an ongoing saga!! "
One of the things to remember here is that in 1992 there were big thick books, tear sheets, and no internet per se. Papers and flyers were sent via fax and most fax machines were not very good...so you did not have a lot of chances to be prepared like we are today.
I knew we were in trouble when we finally (after being lost for 30 minutes) got to the first house and it was a tiny 750' home with an unfinished basement.
We had given "PH" (the bad agents initials); our parameters of: 1400 sq ft or larger home with a basement that was finished or partially finished. Preferably a ranch style home with 2 car garage. That is what we currently owned and were comfortable with.
We got to that home and it had 2 tiny bedrooms on main floor and an unfinished basement with a 1 car garage.
Our first argument came when I mentioned 2 car garage and she said I never requested that. I mentioned that we had sent her photos of our current home and it showed the layout and front and back with the two car garage.
We went to the 2nd house and again it was tiny and 1 car. I asked her and this is an exact quote: "why the hell are we were looking at these cracker box houses? We told you we wanted 1400 sq ft or larger with a full basement!"
She turned and looked me straight in the eyes with her hands on her hips and said in a very loud and condescending voice, "you told me you wanted a 1400 sq ft home with a full basement. This home has 750 feet on each level and that makes it 1500 sq ft." To which I replied, " NO it doesn't...we want 1400 sq ft on the main and 1400 in the basement." To which she replied: "You should have said that!" My blood boils when I recall that conversation and I have shared that story with dozens upon dozens of people and newer agents.
When you are working with out of area buyers...actually any buyers...you need to make sure you, buyer agent, are on the same page on wants and needs and sizes and all of that of your clients. DO NOT assume you know what they want.
We left heartbroken and worried and decided that we would try again in a few weeks. PH had introduced us to Maria Martin since PH was going on vacation. A life changing introduction as we hit it off perfectly with Maria and we came back with very specific requirements. 
My wife and Maria looked at a total of 8 houses and narrowed it down to three while I was on a job interview in Denver. I only looked at 3 homes and agreed with my wife on the one we bought.
We bought this 4 level home on Ptarmigan Lane and loved living there for 7 years before we were able to build high on the bluff!
Maria encouraged me to look at real estate as an option and gave me great advice when I was making my decision.
It was not an easy first couple of years getting started in a new city with few initial friends. I will save those stories for another blog as this one is way too long.
Until Next time... You don't know what the correct answer is if you do not ask the right questions!
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