Annie Hart Cool, Cape Cod Real Estate Specialist

Realtor Safety Seminar

Hosted by Century 21 Cape Associates, Falmouth Police Department and Rockland Trust

Thursday October 9th 2008

Time: 3:00-5:00

Falmouth Police Station

750 Main Street

Route 28

Falmouth

Community Safety Training

(Sellers ,Buyers and Realtors)

Thursday October 23rd, 2008

Falmouth Police Station

Time 6:30-8:00

A refresher course on staying safe in Our Business.

Call 508-540-9000 for more details

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Staying Safe is top priority for all Real Estate Agents. I heard a couple of really great tips at the MLS breakfast this week.

1 Have a code to call the office with that will alert people you are in trouble.

2. Make sure you have 911 programed in your phone

3. always walk behind your clients...never in front

4. Carry your keys... use them as a weapon and or hit the security alarm on your car to get help from neighbors.

I know you can contribute to the list... help me ... send me your safety tips....

Cape in North Falmouth neighborhood! Great for year round or summer living. Close to proposed bike path and town beaches, this home features four bedrooms, including a petite first floor master suite, 2.5 bathrooms, living room, dining room, fabulous great room with cathedral ceilings and Palladian window and the large open, eat-in kitchen. The full walk-out basement and the one car garage are the bonus features! Relax on the deck in the back yard and gaze at the gorgeous southwestern vista views and sunsets!

Beautifully sited on the knoll overlooking southwestern views. Full walk-out lower level could be finished for added living space.

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My buyers are ready to move. Their stuff is in the truck. The kids are in the local school. The sellers of the home they are buying have graciously allowed them the opportunity to put some of their stuff in two of the 4 garages that come with this home. Everyone one is excited. The Sellers will be moving into a rental until their 7000 square foot home is complete this spring and the Buyers are starting a new life on Cape Cod.

And if you are waiting for a shoe to drop, this is where the resounding CLUNK happens.... the closing scheduled for 2pm today has been int erupted (she says hopefully) by the once "committed Mortgage" which has now decided not to fund. Let me first acknowledge that my buyer went to an Internet provider of Mortgages not a local provider so the "advocating" has been difficult for the buyer and the attorneys.

The Buyer, who makes 7 figures and has put several 1,000 down, told me yesterday that the underwriter has called for employment verification 4 times, according to his HR department. The company has recently changed names thru a merger and because it can not be cross identified when searching on the web or phone records there is some skepticism as to it's viability.

Needless to say... the family hangs in the balance. The Seller's who are confident the Buyers can buy ...even if they have to switch banks... Will let the Buyers move in with a use and occupancy agreement until the situation can be worked out... But for now... Wounds are being licked, "I told you so's" are flying and just one more family falls victim to the economic climate of today.

When the owners of Seatucket invited me to list their house, I was excited. Cute, close to the Cape Cod Coast, well decorated... When we sat together They said "we are either going to rent it or sell it...and we don't really care which". I figured in this market... this could be a long listing. I gave them my price, and they said " No, we want to start, $20,000 higher, we love our house and we don't have to sell."

Now, I took the listing. Some of you in ActiveRain land are shaking your heads. Some are just certain I compromised my integrity and bowed to the pressure of getting the listing. But I have some history with this family. First... I really like them. They are really nice people. I met the wife in the shallow water of Wood Neck beach 10 years ago and gave her my card (no kidding) from within the beach towels back at my chair... She has since sent me referrals. Her father in law bought from me several years ago. There is history here.

I took the listing. I had an open house the first weekend (3 days into the listing) on a Sunday from 10-12 AM. After all, I knew I had to sell it quick or lose it to a rental. I had 16 people come to the Open House and I had a contract for the price the sellers wanted by Wednesday the following week.

Some times, Humble Pie is SWEET!.

Moral of the story. Real Estate is not an exact science. Sure, we are waiting for the appraisal to come from the bank. This is a 22 day closing. Yup, the banking crisis has certainly made selling for the price you want a little tougher... but, you know...

Sometimes it;s good to be able to say.... "Mr and Mrs Seller, you were right...Congratulations!"