New Palestine, IN

HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE WE HAVE HEARD THOSE WORDS?

Our listing contracts now allow us to disclose the existence and terms of other offers.However, the image of our profession can be one of greed, manipulative, and dishonest. Yesterday my daughter, sold a home and there were two Buyers wanting the Carmel home. She advised the buyer agent that there were two competing offers, and they should advise their client that they Counter with their highest and best offer.

One buyer exceeded the list price,With no contingencies. The competing buyer did not write the best offer, and had a contingency, subject to the closing of of another home.The listing agent gets a bad "rap" for doing their job. The public, seems To think Realtors, control how a buyer or seller will respond. That is so Not true. But, yet she received an angry email from the buyer that lost the negotiation, for a home they really wanted.

It doesn't matter how many times we try to explain. BUT....BUT....BUT..We are still seen as the Greedy, Bad Realtor. Our job is to do our very best for our client. Highest and Best means you are in competition for this home.

It is not the money!. That is a byproduct of our job. It is not looking at pretty houses! It is about finding the "jewel" for that buyer who put his trust in you to help him make the right decision.

After looking for a few weeks we looked at a home that was active taking backups. I quizzed the other agent on the status and found it worth our time to at least look at it for comparison. Of course, my buyer and I both fell in love with this property. 5 acres with 2 barns, a greenhouse, and fenced. A perfect spot for a young man to have his cows, raise a 2 year old son. There is more to his background that makes me want to watch over him like a grandmother. Back to the story...................

We wrote a full price offer. totally realizing that the possibility of getting it may not be in the cards. The next morning, I received a call from the other agent.........................We had an accepted offer. But wait, what about the first buiyer?

HE SIGNED A RELEASE. i FELT LIKE i HAD WON THE LOTTERY. BUT YOU KNOW IT IS NOT ABOUT THE MONEY.

Maybe a horse and buggy will be in our future. Cars eat corn(ethanol) Horses eat corn too. I bet horses won't use quite as much and we could figure out what to do with the biproducts.(phew) Our money buys us less and less. Less gas, food,clothing. Where are the trains? What happened to mass transit. Indianapolis does not have it. Half our busses run with 1 or 2 people in them. Personally I love the little golf cart we drive around our apartment complex.

I I wake each morning, with my cup of coffe and move to my desk and watch the birds, along with Blondie, Frady and Kitty.

The show begins with every kind of bird here in central Indiana. We have several feeders and thistle socks that hang like ornaments in front of our windows. We so enjoy this display of cooperation among the birds. The only one that is not welcome is the "hawk". But it is only about survival, they all sense that here is here only for a meal. They do not want to be his breakfast. This wonderful community of birds come and go peacefully, and there is room for all, without prejudice.

The image of a Realtor is misunderstood by most outsiders and even those in the profession. It is not about selling houses. It is about SOLVING PROBLEMS. Many sellers put their life on hold just because of a

house. A few years I met a young lady who was a victim of a "flipper". She was litterally burried in the

house, her fiance was in Michigan waiting for her to get married. She had already waited a year, before I met her. Someone else had listed her house for thousands of dollars over its actual value. The bank

was of no help. Short sales were unheard of at that time. The appraiser, Realtor, were nowhere to be

found. When I met her, I told her exactly what had happened. I Sent her to all the right people and she

had no luck. She eventually gave the home back to the bank and moved on with her life. It is critical that we realize what is expected of us when we place our sign in the yard. Six or Eight months is a long

time for someone to put their life on hold, waiting for something to happen. Sometimes we already know what is going to happen.