Kathy Hyatt

Does Anyone Believe in the Stella Awards? I mean like really!

It's time again for the annual 'Stella Awards'! For those unfamiliar with these awards, they are names after 81-year-old Stella Liebeck who spilled hot coffee on herself and successfully sued the McDonald's in New Mexico where she purchased the coffee. You remember, she took the lid off the coffee and put it between her knees while she was driving. Who would ever think one could get burned doing that, right?

That's right; these are awards for the most outlandish lawsuits and verdicts in the U.S. You know, the kinds of cases that make you scratch your head. So keep your head scratcher handy.

Here are the Stella's for the past year:

7TH PLACE: Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas was awarded $80,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. The store owners were understandably surprised by the verdict, considering the running toddler was her own son.

6TH PLACE: Carl Truman, 19, of Los Angeles, California won $74,000 plus medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Truman apparently didn't notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbor's hubcaps. Go ahead, grab your head scratcher.

5TH PLACE: Terrence Dickson, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, who was leaving a house he had just burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Dickson, the automatic garage door opener malfunctioned and he could not get the garage door to open. Worse, he couldn't re- enter the house because the door connecting the garage to the house locked when Dickson pulled it shut. Forced to sit for eight, count 'em, EIGHT, days on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food, he sued the homeowner's insurance company claiming undue mental anguish. Amazingly, the jury said the insurance company must pay Dickson $500,000 for his anguish. We should all have this kind of anguish. Keep scratching. There are more...

4TH PLACE: Jerry Williams, of Little Rock , Arkansas, garnered 4th Place in the Stella's when he was awarded $14,500 plus medical expenses after being bitten on the butt by his next door neighbor's beagle - even though the beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced yard. Williams did not get as much as he asked for because the jury believed the beagle might have been provoked at the time of the butt bite because Williams had climbed over the fence into the yard and repeatedly shot the dog with a pellet gun. Grrrrr.Scratch, scratch.

3RD PLACE: Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania because a jury ordered a Philadelphia restaurant to pay her $113,500 after she slipped on a spilled soft drink and broke her tailbone. The reason the soft drink was on the floor: Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument. Whatever happened to people being responsible for their own actions? Scratch, scratch, scratch. Hang in there; there are only two more Stellas to go...

2ND PLACE: Kara Walton, of Claymont, Delaware sued the owner of a night club in a nearby city because she fell from the bathroom window to the floor, knocking out her two front teeth. Even though Ms. Walton was trying to sneak through the ladies room window to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge, the jury said the night club had to pay her $12,000....oh, yeah, plus dental expenses. Go figure.

1ST PLACE: This year's runaway First Place Stella Award winner was Mrs. Merv Grazinski, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, who purchased a new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On her first trip home, from an OU football game, having driven on to the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver's seat to go to the back of the Winnebago to make herself a sandwich. Not surprisingly, the motor home left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Also not surprisingly, Mrs. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not putting in the owner's manual that she couldn't actually leave the
driver's seat while the cruise control was set. The Oklahoma jury awarded her, are you sitting down, $1,750,000 PLUS a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit, just in case Mrs. Grazinski has any relatives who might also buy a motor home. Are we, as a society, getting more stupid...?

This comical moment was brought to by Kathy Hyatt, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Not at $4.00 a Gallon are you getting in my car!

With Gas Prices at an all time high, I am more conscience than ever where I am driving. Do I really need to go to the store or drive half way out of town to go to a concert? With the massive amounts of "Foreclosures" and "Short Sales" it seems that buyers are literally coming out of the wood work. But are these Buyers truly able to Buy and Close on a House is the Question.

I had a Buyer I was working with (had is the operative word) who told me she was a "Cash Buyer" and previously sold her home in a divorce. I thought man this is great, I never had a Cash-Buyer before. So I drive all around town and we find a home to make an offer on. She makes this ridiculous offer and it is rejected, but it turns out she was not truly a "Cash Buyer". She had $75K. Well heck Man that does not make you a cash buyer you simply have a down payment. We were looking at $350K houses. (How does that go.. Buyers are Liars)

So I am annoyed with her because of the ridiculous offer not be mention she lied to me. She gives me the "Prices are Falling" attitude and wants to wait and see. During this time the Mortgage Industry is in chaos and Little Miss Buyer wants to go look at foreclosures.

So I ask the magic question, who is your Mortgage Lender. She tells me she is Pre-Qualified with some Mtg. company. I say great who is your Loan Officer and what is their phone number. She tells me I don't need to worry about that. I explain that this is a Very Important Question as many of the Mortgage Programs once available are Gone. We have this discussion for a few minutes with it ending that she will show me her "Pre-Qual Certificate" when I meet with her to show her homes.

I explain to her that I don't work that way and at ERA, "Real Estate is about People and Relationships" and for our Relationship to work we must Work Together. In the end she got upset that I would not take her out and you know what I don't care. Because at $4.00 a gallon you are not getting in my car unless I know you can actually buy and close on a house! Does everyone agree?

Kathy Hyatt, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Buyers are like Dogs, but hey that's not Fair I actually like my Dog!

With the massive amount of "Foreclosures" being listed by the Banks, It just seems that more and more Buyers think they are going to "Steal a House". I mean it is getting to be ridiculous. But are these the Buyers we really want?

I worked with this one particular Buyer and during our time together which was well over 6 months (I know, don't even get me started) I would show her property after property and she was just so unrealistic. She would finally find a property she liked, bring the whole family (Oh-how-fun) and then turn around and offer 50K below the list price and all she would say is that Prices are falling and this is what she wanted to offer.

I did this routine with her three times. On the 3^rd contract, we again found another nice house; we visited this same house 3 times along with the whole family. I shared with her Closed Sales and she turned around and offered $75,000.00 below list price! Then she got completely annoyed that the Seller refused to counter back, they just flat out rejected her offer.

I am literally so upset with this Buyer, but I feel I have so much time invested in her that I don't want to let go. So the following week, the perfect house hits the market. This house has everything she wants, and in her Price Range. I tell her on the phone upfront that you are not going to be able to steal this house. So we go see the house and of course she loves it. But tells me she wants to think about it and will call her parents later to come look.

Right there I knew there was a problem because in the past she calls the parents right on the spot. Anyway two days later it went under contract. So now I am beyond upset and call the buyer who just gives me the "well it must not have been meant to be" attitude. The following week goes by and I call the Buyer and she tells me that is going to take a break on house hunting until school is out. (She was a Teacher)

So I follow up and call her, email her and text her and the Buyer finally emails me back, Thanks for your time we bought a house and the offer was accepted!

I know when it comes to Real Estate that you cannot take anything personally. But seriously, at $4.00 a gallon driving all over town for well above 6 months I have to tell you this sucks! As a Realtor I work strictly on commission and spent hours and hours away from my children and my family. I should have told this Buyer to hit the road long ago.

Tony Robbins spoke at a Mortgage Seminar I attended and lectured on how you have to move forward and not get stuck. He gave an example of that "One Loan Officer" who kept living the dream that his loser client could get a mortgage. Instead of focusing on new business, he just kept working on the loser client.

Here I am and I did the exact same thing. After the second low ball contract I should have move on. So everyone, make me feel better and share with me if you have had a similar experience and what was your outcome.

Kathy Hyatt, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Don't Forget the Kids When You Move!

Buying a Home in 2008 is very much different than in years past. Today many Buyers have to work multiple jobs and most households are a 2 income family. With that said, Kathy Hyatt with ERA Ace Realty & Investments is proud to announce ~ERA Kids~

This is a new and exciting web-based interactive Game Application you will find on our website of ERA.com and Kathy Hyatt.com. This Website is geared towards engaging the entire family in the home buying process. Kathy Hyatt together with ERA has discovered that more than 73 million households have children under the age of 18, and the importance of involving children in the process is critical. Kathy Hyatt explains that ERA Kids includes a variety of activities and games that makes children feel a part of the process which is important

With ERA Kids, the children of prospective families are encouraged to participate in activities related to the home buying process. Kids will love the down-loadable features, and are also provided activities ranging from simple coloring and sticker books to interactive programs from "Connecting-the-Dots" in real estate images and the unique and very popular "Paint your House" program that enables children, through the Web site, to paint and change the color of the homes that Parents are considering when searching for homes with Kathy Hyatt.

As an industry leader, ERA Real Estate together with Kathy Hyatt, are long time believers in the critical role that children do play in the moving process. Whether at my Office Meetings or Neighborhood Open Houses, more Families are involving their children in the Home Buying process. With the often emotional impact of leaving the familiarity of surroundings, friends and schools, ERA Kids stresses the positives of new horizons, better surroundings, new friends and the advantages of new schools. Kathy Hyatt invites you to check out ERA kids at: http://www.era.com/erakids

For More Information give Kathy Hyatt a call at 954-347-0244 or email me at:Kathy@KathyHyatt.com

Fabulous 4 Bedroom, 3 Bathroom Home with over 3,000 square feet under air!

• Homes sits on a Wide Canal and has a Huge Yard and Heated Pool
• Seller Will Pay Closings Costs!! Seller will Hold Mortgage!!!

First Time Homebuyers are Eligible for a Tax Credit up to $7,500.00 on the purchase of this Home. Call Kathy Hyatt at 954-347-0244 for Details or email Kathy at: kathy@kathyhyatt.com

So many more wonderful features and details to tell you, so call Kathy at 954-347-0244 to find out more about this Magnificent Home and for a Private Viewing. Please also check out my website of: http://www.KathyHyatt.com

Buyer's take note, Seller may Consider Financing!!!

Custom Financing for all Types of Buyers! Best of all ,this Home is participating in the "Homes for All Program" which allows Buyers to put little money down. For Complete details call Mark Hyatt with Platinum Home Mortgage at 954-658-7893 or email Mark at mhyatt@ephmc.com