Sometimes helping family gives you new perspective

Seeing my mom cry has giving me a new perspective on real estate and why it is so important to hire a real estate professional to help you through the process of buying and selling a home.

You see, my parents were in a situation that they would never move from their house that they have lived in for the past 30 years. But, three weeks ago, they were thrown the opportunity to buy a property that my grandfather built that appraises for $700,000 for only $250,000. This property is an amazing property that overlooks the river from the deck.

However, the process was so overwhelming for her. My mom and dad are both teachers, and very smart, but this was even more than they could understand. Despite me talking to my dad everyday, I realized that he doesn't completely understand what I do or what I do in the background of every transaction.

My mom was being told something by the lawyer for the trust and because she didn't understand she just broke down. It was something simple for me to understand when dad called me on the phone with the question, but answering over the phone just something that couldn't be done.

I ended up going over because I heard mom was in tears because she didn't understand and thought she was going to lose the home. In reality, it just needed something creative to be done and the lawyer and the trust had to be involved. Something simple for the lawyer and me, but to her, she just didn't understand.

But, it made me think. How often have I had a buyer or seller break down in tears because they didn't understand the process? Instead of calling me like dad did, they just broke down in tears?

 What I think is simple to understand may not be to someone else. PMI, Capital Gaines, Title Insurance...Things we deal with everyday, but to buyers and sellers they are totally foreign. I think from now on, I'm going to be more proactive and more understanding. I will run things by my dad and if he doesn't understand, then maybe I will call the buyer or seller back and break it down to terms they CAN understand.

I now understand how so many FSBO (For Sale by Owners), and the buyers of these homes, get in to trouble so easily. There are so many things that go into the buying or selling a home that if you don't understand it, can cost you thousands, or even the home of your dreams. I know had I not got involved with this transaction that it would have never gotten to close.

Thanks mom and dad for making me a better real estate agent during the process of this complicated transaction, and I look forward to helping you move in to your new home. (With a smile, I Promise.)

Todd Clark - broker
Kastings & Associates
Phone: (503)524-9494
Fax: (503)622-8739