Pat Mullikin - KW Milwaukee

I've been looking into my heart to find the right words to write. My client is a young man 28-ish. He is a buyer. Two years ago he was a seller - of his Mom's condo - after she had succumbed to cancer at the unlikely age of 54 - my age (then). He was referred to me by a mutual friend, another 50++ lady who is his best friend's Mom and my friend - a mortgage broker of the finest caliber.

Yesterday my young client and I met up in the driveway of a "Harry Potter" home he fell instantly in love with. An adorable stone Tudor on a big suburban lot a couple minutes from the freeway. It seemed well priced and SO CHARMING!

We walked the yard, the exterior perimeter, murmuring approving comments about the condition, location, yada,yada,yada... Then to the inside. Lotsa cosmetic issues - old kitchen, windows, no closets (typical 1939), upstairs barely finished, one bedroom on the main (basically a one bedroom house!). Then the BASEMENT!! The listing agent had warned me of a sump pump failure that had left water stains high on the walls, but it was much more than that..... disappointment.... maybe possibilities... could I get the loan?..

I believe in selling the whole frog - warts and all. If they still love it with all its warts, then OK. In the driveway again we talked about the potential UP-side to the house with all of its lovely attributes hiding under years of neglect. I pointed out the rigors of major remodeling, living in the dust for two years, living with inadequate plumbing for periods of time, the difficulties of financing a home with so much work needed. But a young man with dreams can tolerate alot. We talked about future value (priceless location). He said to me, "Thanks for giving me your honest opinion - I appreciate your input - I wouldn't know who else to ask". I said something like, "I only want to do what's best for you - the same as I would want for my kids". And then he said, 'Thanks, that's what I need right now - I need your MOM-NESS'. We kinda laughed at "MOM-NESS".

But I was really touched. He did need my mom-ness. In this case my mom-ness was genuine caring guidance through a process that otherwise might have trapped him and messed up his immediate future. The fact that he recognized that the advice I had for him was THAT - was almost a tear-jerker for me. I shared this story with my friend Tom Braatz of Lars the Rescue Dog fame and he encouraged me to write about it. I'm not much of a writer but this event stirred a big feeling in me about how I relate to some of my clients. I'm still sorting it out.

Having lived in Brookfield Wisconsin or its close cousin, Elm Grove Wisconsin for 32 of my 56 years, I consider myself a local expert. Our hometown has transformed from a quaint farming community to a vibrant, diverse part of a major metro center. Watch our slideshow and get acquainted with some of the great features of our hometown. This slideshow was created by my son Martin Mullikin who has been a resident of Brookfield and/or Elm Grove for 13 of his 21 years, and is a 2006 graduate of Brookfield East High School.