This morning I drove to Independence, Mo. to talk with a group of widows and a widower. This
group is a part of Skillbuilders which is a program designed to assist widows and widowers
in adapting to a new lifestyle and teach them life skills which they suddenly need, One
class has to do with personal safety, another has to do with managing finances, another is geared
toward maintaining an automobile, a couple are geared toward grief support. It is a wonderful program
where people who are dealing with deep painful emotions can find safety and share their experiences,
pain, and achievements.
I talk about the real estate market and getting your home ready to sell. Generally, these
people are not ready to sell their homes. Their grief is too fresh. I encourage them to
take time and make their own decisions and not feel pressured by someone else who "means
well". Not all of the widows and widowers are older. There's no guarantee that you will
have a long life together before you're faced with widowhood. Today, most of the audience
were older and had owned their homes for several decades.
I explain a little about the real estate market, the way to choose a good real estate agent,
and the importance of pricing the property to sell. Then I talk a little about improvements
that make sense,staging and home warranties, as well as the home buying process including
inspections and appraisals. Many times these people have lived in their homes 30-40 years.
Some of the questions they asked today were:
- Should I choose a friend to list my home? (My answer- I don't know. Sometimes it can be a
good choice. Sometimes your friend is selling real estate as a hobby and not a career. Do
you feel comfortable if your friend knows about your finances? Do you feel comfortable with
your friend telling you that you need to lower your price, clean your shower, or any other
type of honest feedback that real estate agents must give if they are doing their job.)
- If I find a house that I want to buy, do I call the listing agent so that I have to make
multiple phone calls to see multiple homes? That lead to a great discussion of buyer agency
and seller agency and designated agency.
- If I list my home and someone wants to see it, should I leave? Should I answer questions?
How can I explain all the idiosyncrasies of the house and how to take care of it.
- I don't want to do extensive fix up work. Can I still sell my house? That lead to a great
discussion about the market and how buyers think and who the competition is and who the
target buyer is, as well as the observation that price overcomes all obstacles.
I'm writing this post to remind agents that this particular market segment may have very
basic questions. As real estate agents, we tend to think of first time home buyers, but
sometimes first time sellers have those same basic types of questions.
