Real Estate Contracts, or an Old-Fashioned Handshake?

I didn't ask them to sign the exclusive before I left town!

Wow! What a busy week, I've been helping some of the new transfers to the Fairfax Assembly plant in the Fairfax District of Kansas City find homes. Many of them have homes back in Ohio or Tennessee that they still have to sell, many of them are looking to rent until that happens.

One couple from Ohio called me a few weeks ago looking for some property where they can keep a horse. As a horse lover myself, this is something I definitely understand. As we worked on finding them the right home, I learned what really mattered to them.

1. Five Acres or more!
2. Equestrian Property
3. Good schools.
4. No more than a one hour drive to the Fairfax GM plant.
5. A pond!
6. A basement.
7. A country setting.
8. Working with someone they felt comfortable with.

We had discussed them coming into town earlier, and I had told them I would be out of town Friday through Sunday. They called me early Thursday morning and informed me they were in town!

Oops! We had discussed the idea that they may come in early but I expected to meet the the following Monday!

Don't panic, just make appointments and gas up the truck, were going to do some serious driving. They had driven all night and wanted to see properties NOW!

While driving to meet them I called several of the agents to schedule showings, I lined them out in my GPS and picked up the family. They were happy to see I was driving a CHEVY, and said they wouldn't use a Realtor® who drove a foreign car!

We drove over 130 miles Thursday, and in all the rush I didn't have them sign an exclusive. The Friday trip was planned in advance and I had no choice but to go.

We shook hands and I told them I would be back Sunday night. I handed them a stack of MLS print-outs to check out and bid them good night.

Friday and Saturday I had no cell phone service at all. On my way home Sunday I called them to see if they had tried the restaurants I had suggested while they were in Kansas City. I told them we would get a fresh start at it on Monday morning and we would find them a new home.

Checking my messages I found that several agents had met with them over the weekend and they had all tried to sign them up! My clients told them they had shaken hands and that was enough for them.

Monday we drove another 100 miles or so and finally fell in love with a beautiful home on acreage North of Kansas City in a little town called Gower, MO. It had nearly 8 acres, a great pond full of Bass and Catfish, three bedrooms a basement and plenty of wildlife!

We had traveled from Lenexa, KS to Harrisonville, MO back to Lenexa, KS up to Smithville, Lake, Mo and finally wound up in Gower, MO.

Their two little pre-school girls had sat all this time in the confines of the back seat of my truck and been complete angels.

I ordered a pizza to be delivered to my office at 6:30 PM we came back to Kansas City and ate pizza until all the forms were signed.

I really love working with honest hardworking folks who still believe in the value of a handshake!

Welcome to Kansas City GM Fairfax workers, I hope all of you find an agent you can trust and work with too!

D. Ben Edsall

Broker - ARM, AEREP
Turn-Key Properties LLC
Real Estate
7312 E 67^th St.
Kansas City, MO 64133
816-313-8876
http://www.turnkeyproperties.org
http://www.batescountyrealestate.com

Please call me if I can help you find a home in the Kansas City Area, weather you are a GM employee, or whatever you do. I know the areas, the properties and I will listen to what you are looking for. If a handshake is good enough for you, it's good enough for me!

As an Accredited Equestrian Real Estate Professional I have special knowledge and training in helping you fulfill your horse property or equestrian property dreams.

And YES I do Drive a Chevy!

Turn-Key Properties LLC where a handshake still means something!