Admin

Tales from the BPO Crypt!!!! Scarrrrrrry....

By
Real Estate Agent with 360 Realty 239529

Okay, so I have slacked off on the BPO's of the week...but DO I have a doozy for you this week!  I actually felt real live fear this time and had to run for my life!

So here is how my day started...

   I worked my butt off on my 11 REO's that were all closing in a two week period, not to mention the multiple pre-listings and other BPO's on my plate.  Well, my assistant was busy and I had 1 hour before a showing (yes I still show houses to real live buyer clients too :) so I decided to go and hit up 4 homes with BPO photos. 

   I am using my Garmin, which incidentally I have named Charmin.  She is barking orders at me and I am doing my best to follow her stupid directions.  Finally, she drives me to a dead end and tells me to go straight.  I tell her, Charmin I know my car has special powers but this is ridiculous!!!".  She yells back "U-Turn. U-turn" as I try to turn around.  Finally after the two of us yelling at each other for who knows how long...she begrudgingly says (and it sounded a little more quiet than usual, like she was holding a grudge) "Recalculating".  Thank goodness.  I was on a street where graffiti was rampant and seeing as how my car is wrapped and can be seen from space...I stuck out just a bit.

   So I finally find my first house and head to the second one.  Here I am thinking that since the first one was so easy the other 3 will be too!  WRONG sister, this just ain't your day.  I head to the other house, which is a lovely (insert dripping sarcasm here) street called Julian, right off Martin Luther King.  I pass three prostitutes, a bum, and pull in front of the yard where a crack head is pacing in front of and scratching himself. He was a dead ringer for the crack head character Dave Chappel plays on TV.  He starts walking towards me, I guess looking to see if there is any copper piping hanging from my person...and I stroll QUICKLY towards the house, unlock the lockbox, and lock that door behind me.  I took my photos so quickly that 3/4ths of the pictures came out blurry.  I walked with a quickness, my friends. 

    I finish the photos, head to the door, and lock it behind me.  I was ready to ROLL, and started towards my car.  The neighbor on the other side yells at me, "did you lock that door?"  I have no idea who this woman is, so I speed up a bit and answer politely, "yes maam, all locked up tight".  Well, she heads towards the door and sees the lock and then starts RUNNING towards me.  At this same time, Crackhead Joe as I like to think of him decides that his copper is running away...or maybe the snakes were after hiim again, who knows.  Here I am in my bright blue 360 Mobile with a crazy lady coming at me one way, and crackhead Joe itching towards me (haha). 

   I am on my cell in the hopes that no more conversation will arise, and run towards my car.  This invigorates them both and they match my speed.  I finally throw myself into my car, banging my head and jamming my key in the lock so hard it jarred my arm.  I THROW the stick into drive with my left foot completely out the door.  I am so far out the door that I scrape the bottom of my heel on the ground as my car makes a horrendous sound pulling away.  I jam my right foot down and Charmin decides that this is the best moment to tell me "U turn" in her most screeching voice.  I drop my cell phone, Snap on my seat belt and get the hell out of dodge.

   The best part of the story is that the neighbor that was chasing me was just a concerned citizen, and crackhead joe had me so scared that I was running from a perfectly nice woman.  You ask yourself at this point in the story, "how did she find that out".  Well, it was about the time that the listing Realtor called me and asked me if I was in jail.  I said no, because I obviously was too busy running for my life for $50.  He said that the neighbor had called the cops and put out an APB on my vehicle.  As if I would try to break into a house in my wrapped Scion!!!  Fortunately it all worked out, but my day was shot.

 

So NO MATTER how bad your day is, remember that it CAN be worse :)

 

Tracey Shrouder

360 Realty

Show All Comments Sort:
Joel Weihe
Realty World Alliance - Wichita, KS
Helping you to use your VA home loan benefits

HOLY MOLY!!

That is one memorable BPO! Glad you survived it, and maybe you need to get a stealth BPOmobile....

Sep 13, 2008 05:17 PM
Melissa Sall
Sulek & Dutton Real Estate - Saint Clairsville, OH
Realtor ~ Belmont County ~ Ohio

Sounds like one heck of a day. The stories we can tell in this business!!

Sep 16, 2008 06:17 AM
Elena Martinovici
MY HOME GROUP 602-321-1273 - Phoenix, AZ
Associate Broker- Phoenix , Arizona

This was funny .... glad you're OK/

my first few were like this one ... now,  I choose and pick the bettter areas since my life is worth more than  $ 50 .

Sep 18, 2008 11:38 AM
Robert Machado
HomePointe Property Management, CRMC - Sacramento, CA
CPM MPM - Property Manager and Property Management

Yes, I could be the one driving in a wrapped car!  Funny story.

Oct 04, 2008 04:59 PM
Freddy A. Saavedra
Essential Properties - Goodyear, AZ

Sounds like you had quite an adventure there, Wow, I guess it goes to show that there are concerned citizens in any neighborhood and things arent always what they seem.

Oct 10, 2008 09:52 AM
Aspen Robinson
Century 21 Tri City Realty - Saint Marys, GA

I think Crackhead Joe lives in our area too...

Oct 10, 2008 10:33 AM
Nick Good
The Good Home Team with eXp Realty - McKinney, TX
www.TheGoodHomeTeam.com

I must say -- this is a great story!  Very well written... I could feel the panic and fear that you were going through.  Excellent Job!

Oct 12, 2008 04:21 AM