Larry Stanul

Hi everyone. It has been a while since my last post and I thought I would borrow the office computer for a while to write a story about a memory.

First, yes, I did say borrow the office computer. I am very hard on all of the equipment that I own. I drop my cell phone several times each week and wonder why people on the other end say that my voice keeps fading. I just dropped my lap top at a clients home several nights ago, and wouldn't you know it, it didn't like that so it stopped working. I apologized to it and said that it was an accident, but to no avail. It wouldn't listen to me.

Now, I am faced with having no method of communication, no way to research properties or to see what the competition is doing. But, it is what it is and we all move forward. After all, it will be repaired within one month. Ouch...

So here I am, writing a blog about memories. The reason that I am doing so is because I really was feeling quite sorry for myself with the impending delay in communicating with others because of the fall. But then I began thinking about my grandchild. About how adorable she is and how happy I am to have her as my screen saver on my cell phone. I then remembered, while looking at her photo, that I could attach most of the important sites to my phone and be able to be a part of the real world, despite the loss of the lap top.

Then it hit me. We will get through this life despite ourselves and our opposition to change and to trials. We are in the biggest trial of our Real Estate Lives right now, and to be quite honest, we are going to experience growing pains because of it. Growth in our own attitude towards life. Growth in our ability to cope. Growth in the method of selling and listing homes. And on-and-on it goes. We will grow if we allow our self to.

The choice is ours.

Make it a great day and I'll see you at closing.

Larry Stanul

Emotions are like the wind, they change regularly and with that change comes attitudes that can sometimes affect the decisions that we make every day. Whether good or bad, our actions and decisions are usually the direct result of the mood that we may be in at any given time.

Have you ever worked with a client who, for whatever the reason, had mood changes that were so baffling that you didn't know how to react? One minute they are happy and filled with anticipation on finding the perfect property only to have that happiness and hope turn into despair and frustration?

I recently had the opportunity to work with a beautiful family in the search for their next home. After several showings of a half a dozen homes or so, the decision was made to write an offer on the home that was most suited for their needs. Now, keep in mind that this couple has lost two other properties by having a home sale contingency on the offer. Not having their home sold, another offer came in on those other homes and forced them to either remove their home sale contingency, or to walk away. Not having the confidence in the sale of their home, they elected to walk away and watch their dream home disappear.

The stage is set, the home that far exceeded the other homes that they lost has been discovered and the offer is made. Their anticipation was evident and we all were very pleased at our discovery. The offer is submitted only to have the listing agent call and state that another offer has been made by another agent who also felt the home was worth the offer. The owner of the property, who happens to be the lending institution, has given each prospect the opportunity to re-visit their offer. The bank informs the listing agent that the highest and/or best offer will be accepted. I immediately call my client to inform them of the situation. I urge them to raise their offer and to even remove their home sale contingency. After conferring with each member of the family, they decide that they really want this home and are determined that they are not going to lose another home. Their offer is increased, the home sale contingency is removed and they even move the closing up by 15 days making the banks carrying costs a little less.

We submit our adjusted offer and wait. And wait... and wait somemore. Thursday turns into Friday. 5 pm comes and goes and still no resolve to the offer. After contacting the listing agent, I find that the bank has to take the offers to a group of bankers to review and decide on one of the two offers. Monday will be the day that the decision is to be made. Or will it?

After contacting my clients, their hope of getting their dream home turned into frustration at not have a resolve before the long weekend ahead. This frustration turned into disappointment in a 15 minute phone call and the happy couple soon turns into strangers who, for reasons of attitude, changed by their emotion into one of anger. They began making comments like, I don't want the home any more. I feel that it is not meant to be. I don't care if they take my offer or not and on and on.

I had all that I could do to assure them that this is normal operating procedure and all good things are worth the wait. I told them that we gave it our best shot given the circumstances and also tried to tell them that I too was disappointed in the delay.

My point here is this. We need to be more than Realtors with many of our clients. We need to be good listeners... good sounding boards for them to bounce off their attitudes and frustrations. In other words, Counselors in their time of challenge. What you say and do in this critical time of the process could make or break any deal.

Are you a good listener?

Larry Stanul

The title of this blog is from an award winning song by John Lennon. When you come right down to it, truer words could never be spoken. Life does in fact get in the way of our plans.

Today is a day like any other. I am sure that many of you got out of bed and began your day like every other day in your life. Bathroom stop, think about the days activities, say good morning to family, or in the case of a single person, your pet, or if alone, just meditate on the days coming events. In my case, I am thinking about an offer that I recently wrote and as with many of my offers, another offer on the same home on the same day is presented to the buyer. So I find myself biting my nails wondering if I did a good enough job in convincing my client to offer more than my competitor' client did. Go figure, the market is slow for over a year and homes are sitting for even longer. My client and I find the perfect home and wouldn't you know it, another offer at the very same moment.

That's Life. Frank Sinatra made a song very famous talking about it. Listen to the lyrics of it and you will soon realize that life is full of ups, downs, sideways and maybes. Yes and no, now or later.

How do you react to the set backs of your life?

This blog today is not to educate. Not to advise. Not even to entertain. No, I am writing this today to talk about life and all that it offers all of us.

As in many of my prior blogs, I write of being positive; glass half full; good attitude and the like. I am here to remind all of us to get up each and every day with an attitude of happiness.

I am a movie goer and sometimes quote a great line that some other person wrote for the movie to give it that wow factor. To tug on your emotions and feelings so that you leave the theater with that statement on your mind. In the ending of Tombstone, Val Kilmer, playing the part of Doc Holiday, tells Wyatt Earp, played by Kurt Russell, that there is no normal life. There's just life.

You need to find your happiness in whatever that may be.

Don't let life get in the way of your plans today. Take it one step at a time. Take everything in stride and choose to be happy. I find that when I have a good attitude, I make those around me happy too.

Enjoy life. It's the only one you will ever have. Make the most of it. Happiness cannot be found in gold, riches or success. It is from within.

Have a great day.

Larry Stanul

I am amazed at the amount of client inquiries that are surfacing of late. The phone doesn't stop ringing and the amount of interested buyers are coming out of the woodwork. I for one am extremely happy about the turn of events from a year ago.

It seems that there are a number of reasons for this increase in buyer activity. I, in my opinion, think the reason cannot be attributed to just one event, but rather to a combination of events. Stimulus??? Perhaps. Low interest rates??? Perhaps. Lower prices on all existing inventory??? Maybe. How about buyer and investor confidence? How about the simple fact that most believe that an asset such as real estate will have value despite economic times? Seems there is more optimism being reported by our news casters of late. There are more people talking up the opportunity that now exists in our country.

Confidence... this, is what I believe to be the reason for the recent surge in activity. Now, don't get me wrong, one month of activity does not set a trend. It is a beginning point however. A start to whatever lies ahead. Our entire financial system is based solely on consumer confidence. Let's help make this confidence happen by our attitude and by what we say and do. Let's take this opportunity and make the best of it. Talk up the benefits of home or investment purchases at this time.

I was watching the Today show yesterday and was pleased to hear what was said by a well-known personality. She said, for those of us who don't have any money after all expenses, try to get out from under your debt load. But, for those of us who have been blessed and have good disposable income, go out and spend some of the money. Take those who are less fortunate than you out to dinner, a movie or whatever. Help our economy. Remember, big begets big. By this I mean your spending habits will help our situation more than you may think. The more money you spend, the more workers hired or not laid off and hence the additional money earned will eventually wind up in our economy by those individuals spending also.

I am not suggesting that we all go and spend foolishly as if there were no tomorrow. Rather, think about what you can and cannot do. Do what you can to help stir this economy. It is catching and there are more and more reports about a recovery looming just around the corner.

I for one, am gearing up for one of my best springs since I began this career 6 years ago. Are you?

Larry Stanul

I recently was asked to set up a showing with a lead from RE/MAX Lead Street. Our companies way to distribute inquiries from the Internet. I was pleased to oblige and immediately called the Lister to set up the showing request.

I was somewhat amazed to hear the response from the listing agent. Seems the first mortgage holder has allowed this property to be marketed as a short sale. There is a second mortgage on the property also with a very nominal balance owed. The property has had several offers which, according to the listing agent, are all very good offers considering the circumstances.

I was a little stunned when the the listing agent told me the story of this property. Seems the second mortgage holder will not release their position unless 2/3 of the balance owed be paid with the proceeds of the sale. The first mortgage holder has refused to pay this much out of proceeds and has offered a 7% payout.

Now, neither bank is agreeing to the terms of the other lender and hence, the home will be going into foreclosure within the next several days.

Can you believe this? Nationally, statistics given by Re/Max state that short sales yield the lending bank 70% of their loan proceeds. Foreclosures yield a whopping 40%.

What are they thinking???

Can anyone help me with this behavior? Has this happened to you and is this the norm with a depressed sale condition?

Thanks in advance for your clarification.

Larry Stanul