I have
owned and sold ten (10) homes (in series) in my short life. Well, technically I've bought and sold nine because I'm still living in my tenth. These ten homes were located over three States -- CA, VA and TX; beginning in 1976 and ending in 2012.
Interestingly, I missed the housing boom by two years (sold too early) then missed the bottom of the market by about six months (bought too soon). I also overbuilt for the neighborhood once (never do that), bought in a distressed neighborhood hoping for a revival (also a bad idea) and did NOT buy undeveloped land when my instincts told me to do so (and have now missed out on literal fortunes because of it).
Oh, and the most egregious of errors: I bought a condo in 1982. You remember 1982 right? That was part of the
'creative financing' years. Uh huh, I had a 7% first and a 25% second!! Seriously. And only the conventional part of the loan was assumable. I never thought we'd get out of that one!!
More times than I care to remember, I've had two escrows going at once, as both seller and buyer, but I have to admit, the best part of all the disclosure statements and escrow forms and packing boxes is that I've been fortunate enough to work with
amazing realtors for every transaction. In all but one instance, I can honestly say all the agents have been quite good -- on both sides of the deal.
One realtor in particular though had a
profound effect on me. If my memory serves, it was the realtor who sold me a home in 1984. I was a young wife and mother, with two daughters under the age of five. Our family had outgrown the condo we bought in (egad) 1982 and we decided to get a little ranch style home in Simi Valley, CA.
That realtor (and I've forgotten his name but I can still see his face -- he was a Century 21 agent) drove us around to see lots of listings, and when we walked up to the first one, he turned and said matter-of-factly
'Never buy a house with a green door'.This was home #3 for us but I didn't understand what he meant. He went on to explain: A house purchase is an
emotional purchase. Don't be swayed by the cosmetics; the paint colors, the carpet, the appliances -- all that can change.
Look for the 'bones' of the house. Is there enough storage? Are the bathrooms and bedrooms big enough? Look for the placement of the electrical outlets and are there enough of them?
Is the wiring new or old? What about the plumbing? The HVAC? How old is the roof? Back in those days he even pointed out to look for telephone jacks (remember those? Yes, yes, you used to have a telephone tethered to the wall). He educated us about the really important aspects of home buying and to this day, even though some of the features have changed, I still hear his words whispering in my ear anytime I even think about looking for a new property.
The point I'm trying to make is that
a realtor is important and in some cases, actually more important than the home purchase itself. The really good ones care more about their clients than they do the commission. They want to place their buyers in homes that will enhance their lives so they will be happy -- maybe start families or, as is often the case here, to spend their twilight years in comfort.
As you go about the daily business of being a realtor -- remember that purchasing a home, especially for the first timer, is intimidating. Know that you have the opportunity to
positively impact your clients. Be a mentor so that maybe you can
make a difference in their lives. Offer your clients guidance and advice and maybe you too will have a profound impact that lasts the next 30 years. Oh, and while you're at it,
make sure they never buy a green door....
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