So…what is it you say you do around here?
We get asked all the time: so what exactly do you do?
Great question! Then we start answering and we start seeing eyes glazing over, confused expressions, and we realize that the person asking has less understanding then when we started. We have come to realize that sometimes, it’s easier to answer the question with a story. This is a perfect story to share. So if you ever wondered what “people like us” do, now’s your time to find out!
The Story
We got a call earlier this summer from a client that was in real need of help and guidance. He had recently lost his wife who handled the finances, his health wasn’t great, and he had a house that had to go. It was a home he and his wife had built years ago, had long since moved out of, and now was sitting vacant. He had let his brother stay there for a few years, but the brother unfortunately ran it into the ground. Now it sat, vacant with no electric or water running to it, run down and not able to qualify for many traditional loan products. He didn’t know what to do next, he didn’t know how to sell it, and he honestly thought his home had no value and no one would ever want something in that condition. When I was on the phone with him, he broke down crying due to the stress of the situation. While I didn’t know whether we would be the right fit for him or not, I knew we had to help him somehow.
The Process
We met him out at the property a couple of weeks later. We walked around, saw what needed repairs, and discussed with him his options. He was not interested in working with a realtor, as he truly was embarrassed at the state of his home and wanted it exposed to as few people as possible. He wanted it GONE, yesterday. He needed a clean break from the home he had raised his family in so he could start picking up the pieces of his life now that his wife had passed.
Adam and I discussed it, and based on the repairs that were needed, and the cost of selling the home once it was done, we presented him a cash offer that we felt was fair. After some discussion on the price and how we arrived at the price we did, the seller agreed to move forward and we got a contract signed that day. The relief was palpable; even though we were standing in the living room, he still didn’t believe that anyone would actually want this house. However, where he saw destruction, we saw the opportunity to bring the house back into it’s former glory, fixed up and ready for the next family to make some memories in the house.
We helped him load some sentimental items into his truck, made sure he knew what the next steps were on our end, and he was able to drive away knowing the process had started on selling the home. Thirty days later, we closed on the property. The seller got some cash that he can use to move to Florida with his children, and the home is in great hands to start anew.
What does this mean for you?
Hopefully that story shed a little more light on how we operate, how we can help, and what the process looks like. If we weren’t the right fit, we have a list of people we can call that could potentially be a better fit. Whether it’s a realtor to list it, contractors so the seller could fix it up themselves to list, or us, we know that we always want to leave someone better than we found them.
In this case we were the right fit, and we were able to help the seller with the next chapter in his life. Does this sound like you? Whether you have an unwanted home as a result of inheritance, recently evicted tenet, divorce, you name it, we might be able to help! And hopefully you can tell by this post, if we aren’t the right person, we are going to point you towards someone who can.
Thanks for reading and let me know if there is anything we can do for you!