Killeen Fort Hood Real Estate

Don't Have Kids? Why Schools are Still Important to You!

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:28:36 -0500

#4 of 7 Things To Do Before Buying Fort Hood Real Estate

Before you buy Fort Hood real estate in any area, take time to check into the performance ratings of the schools that serve the area you are considering, whether you are targeting Killeen, Copperas Cove or Harker Heights. Even though you don't have children in school, the next buyer might! A great home in a so-so school zone will take longer to sell, so plan ahead and buy a home in a great performing school zone.

Planning ahead for RESALE time will make your Fort Hood real estate resale experience much more enjoyable!

The Texas Education Agency has posted online all the performance data for every school in the state, right down to the campus level. Once you get to the TEA website, click on Testing and Accountability. Then click on 2008-2009 School Report Cards. From there you can enter the school district you want to check.. Copperas Cove or Killeen. Harker Heights is part of the Killeen School District. If you live on the west side of Copperas Cove, your school district might be Lampasas.

You'll see all the information about each school campus so you can determine if the home you want to buy is in a school zone that will be attractive to buyers who might be looking to buy your home in a few years.

Of course, performace results can change over the years. A great school today might just be an acceptable school in the future. Test scores are affected by many different factors. But this is the best system we can check at the moment, so take some time and look into how different campuses are performing before you buy a house for sale at Fort Hood.

Fort Hood Commute Times - Things to Consider before Buying Fort Hood Real Estate

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 16:51:57 -0500

Fort Hood Commute Times - #5 of 7 Things You Should Do Before Buying Fort Hood Real Estate

Before you finally make your offer on the perfect home, hit the road and check the actual Fort Hood commute time from your new home to the gate you will use to access Fort Hood.

Traffic will be heaviest in the morning between 6 and 9, as everyone goes to PT, work and school. Then it's busy again around 3-4 as schools dismiss. From 4:-30 to 6:30 expect crazy, heavy traffic as everyone leaves work and heads home.

And at all times drive defensively! There's usually at least ONE crazy driver terrorizing the expressway at any time of day! (Usually several of them!)

Normal Fort Hood commute times run around 25-35 minutes, whether you are driving from Copperas Cove, Killeen, or Harker Heights.

Getting into the main gates will take longer. Consider using one of the smaller access points to avoid traffic.

AND don't depend on the distances and commute times figured by Yahoo, or Google Maps, either. They are notoriously incorrect! Get out there and test those Fort Hood commute times for yourself.

Frankly My Dear Lender, We Didn't Care About That "Piddly" $17.00 Payment

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:43:41 -0500

FIRST TIME FORT HOOD BUYERS - If you don't know your credit score, and you want to buy a house at Fort Hood, Texas, you may be in for a shock! Those actions that you think are just innocent financial decisions can have a huge NEGATIVE impact on your credit score.

Knowledge is power! So read on:

Gabrielle Rhind has a timely blog post that I want to share with you. Via Gabrielle (Kamahele) Rhind, Associate Broker (Tierra Antigua Realty, Tucson AZ Real Estate):

Via Gabrielle (Kamahele) Rhind, Associate Broker (Tierra Antigua Realty, Tucson AZ Real Estate):

With anxious Tucson home buyers yesterday, I saw the lender's smile turn to a scowl as she reviewed their credit report.   Clearly, the Buyer's "forgot" to mention a few things. When the lender asked them about late payments on two credit cards, the Buyer's responded,

"We didn't care to pay it- it's just a piddly $17.00 a month."          Oh. Okay. Hmmm.

The lender, now looking at her watch,  sharply said, "Well if you don't care to pay $17.00 a month how do you intend to convince me you are going to pay $600.00 a month?"

So yes, if you want to buy a home and get a loan - it's a good idea to care about that "piddly" monthly payment. Especially if you have a bankruptcy or other issues on your credit report.

If you are unsure about what your credit position is and you want to purchase a home - the first thing you need to do is make sure you know what "good credit" is:

Call and meet with a lender. They'll be honest and tell you point blank if your credit is good and what you need to do to fix issues if it isn't good.

If you are self-employed, keep in mind, the "income" lenders use is what you report and file on your income tax returns.

Once you've made the commitment to buy a home and fix your credit -- DO NOT go out and start buying more things. Especially big things likes cars, TVs, etc.

Don't get frustrated. Your credit didn't get bad overnight and it's not going to get fixed overnight. It will take discipline and patience.

Stop searching the Internet for homes until you are ready to buy. This will only disappoint and discourage you from staying focused on what you need to do first. Keep in mind - there will always be a great deal on the perfect home for you!

And - pay all your bills on time and every time!

Buying or selling Tucson real estate, Mt Lemmon, Tucson bank-owned homes, Tucson rental homes, or Tucson lease option homes? Visit www.BuyMyTucsonHome.com.



Find out what your neighbors house really sold for ~ what your home is worth ~ or search for your own Tucson home!

This blog is written with my opinions and my opinions are presented with accuracy but not guarantees. Please talk to a professional before making any real estate, financial or agency decisions.    Gabrielle (Kamahele) Rhind - 2009. If you want to reprint parts of this - just email me for my permission rhindohana@msn.com or TucsonsRealEstate@gmail.com.

Jerry Wright Homes Off to a Great Start for 2010!!

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:21:24 -0500

Jerry Wright, owner of Jerry Wright Homes, Inc., visited with me yesterday about his plans for the upcoming year. And I have to say, I came away totally impressed with the exciting direction he is taking his new home builder business this year.!

Jerry said after reviewing contracts for 2009, he has decided that his goal this year as a new home builder is to "make it easy for everyone".. meaning making it easy for buyers AND for their realtors! He's outfitting every home with the most requested upgrades of granite countertops, lawn sprinkler systems, full yard sod, and privacy fencing. He will also be paying for all the buyer's closing costs, prepaid reserves, title insurance and for the property survey. And he said as far as he is concerned, buyers can use any lender, as long as their loan fees are in line with what local lenders charge!

So this is all GREAT news for those of you who are making a military relocation and are looking for a new home for sale in the Fort Hood area of Killeen or Copperas Cove Texas. You can buy with basically no money out of pocket, so call me or any Fort Hood REALTOR for more information!

Visit Jerry Wright Homes at www.jerrywrighthomes.com. See the current inventory list, all the new home floorplans he's building in Killeen and Copperas Cove, along with plenty of photos of new homes for sale or new homes that have sold recently.

Jerry Wright Homes - Energy Efficiency and Energy Star Homes

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:36:41 -0500

Jerry Wright Homes has recently become an Energy Star Builder Partner and has several energy efficient new homes under construction in Killeen and Copperas Cove Texas, serving our Fort Hood military relocation buyers very well!

Preparing for the future and the possibility of rising energy costs, Jerry Wright has developed these beautiful homes which will use less energy, have lower energy costs to the owner, and have less impact on the environment, as well as featuring granite counter tops, high ceilings, ceramic tile and many more upgrades started at $137,250.

To be certified as an Energy Star Home, a new home must have effective insulation, high performance windows, tight construction and ductwork, efficient heating and cooling systems, AND be tested and inspected during construction by a certified third party inspector. Jerry Wright Homes are inspected by Steve Rinehart, Real Estate Inspector from Harker Heights, TX. You can read more about the required independent inspections and testing that assures your new Jerry Wright Home is an energy efficient Energy Star Home by following this link to Energy Star.gov.

Pro-Consumer GFE/HUD Rules Coming In January of 2010!

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:04:52 -0500

The upcoming consumer friendly changes in the Good Faith Estimate form and the HUD Settlement Statement will be in effect 1 JAN 10. This is a nation wide change. Gabrielle Rhind has written a very informative blog outlining the new rules:

Via Gabrielle (Kamahele) Rhind, Associate Broker (Tierra Antigua Realty, Tucson AZ Real Estate):

Many buyers have seen last minute mortgage-settlement cost shocks and mystery junk-fee charges that pop up last minute or the "good-faith estimates" from lenders saying that closing costs would be about $2,000, but doubled to $4000 on the final settlement sheet. Worse - the Buyer had to come up with the extra money to cover the surprise costs or the sale or refinance just isn't going to happen.

But drastic changes are coming. On January 1, new federal rules adopted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development will implement pro-consumer real estate and mortgage transactions across the country. The bottom line? Lenders who lowball fees - and/or "surprise" Buyers at the last minute with extra fees, will have to pay these fees - instead of the consumer.

Also, loan charges and settlement fees will be clearly stated on a revised, consumer-friendly version of the good-faith estimates (GFE). Lenders must provide this GFE to the borrower within three days of their mortgage applications.

Charges must fall into three categories on the form:

• Fees that cannot increase from upfront estimates to final closing. These include lender's or broker's origination fee, processing and underwriting charges, (a huge source of junk fees), lender's or broker's loan discount "points", and local transfer taxes.

• Fee estimates that can, may increase by as much as 10 percent from upfront estimates if they are on a lender approved list. Common charges here include appraisals; lender's title insurance and settlement services where the borrower chooses a firm on a list approved by the lender; owner's title insurance when the borrower chooses a company on the lender's approved list; and recordation charges by local governments. Keep in mind, these are combined fees of charges that cannot increase more by more than 10%. Total.

• Fees that can increase without limit, due to factors beyond the lender's control and come from non-lender approved lists. These include lender-required services where the borrowers choose a title insurance, escrow or other settlement company that is not on the lender's list; the cost of homeowners' hazard insurance; daily interest charges on the loan; and the amount of the initial deposit by the borrower into an escrow account.

Other benefits to the new rules:

The new good-faith estimate encourages loan applicants to shop and compare lenders. The form includes space for comparing up to four competing lenders' GFEs on interest rates, rate locks, prepayment penalties or balloon payments, among other factors. The cost estimates you receive from each competitor are required to remain available for 10 business days. Interest rates can change unless locked by the lender and borrower.

The new GFE rules include an updated standard closing-cost statement, also known as the "HUD-1." The revised HUD-1 is programmed into the GFEs allowing consumers to directly compare, line by line, what they were told upfront by a lender to the actual close costs.

The new rules requires disclosure of fee splits between the insurance underwriter - the company actually insuring the title - and the title agent, who is often the settlement agent. Consumers may be stunned to learn that in some markets, 80 percent to 90 percent or more of the premium they pay at closing actually goes to the title agent - and not the insurance itself.

Source: Class on the new rules and HUD and Dept of Urban Development website.

Gabrielle (Kamahele) Rhind - 2009. If you want to reprint parts of this - just email me for my permission rhindohana@msn.com or TucsonsRealEstate@gmail.com. Buying or selling Tucson real estate, Mt Lemmon, Tucson bank-owned homes, Tucson rental homes, or Tucson lease option homes? Visit www.BuyMyTucsonHome.com.

Fort Hood Shooting Tragedy

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:03:50 -0500

UPDATE: The shooter is paralyzed and is at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio where he has been charged with 13 specifications of premeditated murder. He is also charged with 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder.

Local news is reporting that the main shooter, a US Soldier, is dead and 12 others are dead also. 31 wounded are reported at this time, and two other suspects are in custody.

Please keep all our Fort Hood families in your thoughts and prayers over the next few days. This is a stunning tragedy for everyone in the area and in the nation.

New Home Fort Hood Copperas Cove Killeen - Jerry Wright Homes

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:12:08 -0500

JerryWrightHomes.com - The Retreat Plan

Location: House Creek North

Just complete and ready for move in, this beautiful Jerry Wright Home features granite countertops, marble garden tub, tiled showers, full yard grass, automatic lawn sprinkler system, privacy fencing. Home is configured as four bedrooms, two baths, separate large master suite with private den/retreat. Great Copperas Cove schools and a short commute to Fort Hood. Builder pays your closing costs and provides a one year builder warranty and a 2/10 structural warranty. Call any realtor today to see this gorgeous new home ready now in House Creek North. Visit www.JerryWrightHomes.com to see floorplans and more information about these gorgeous new homes now under construction in Killeen, Harker Heights, Copperas Cove, Fort Hood, TX.

Information

Contact Information

Mary Ann Daniell

maryann@maryanndaniell.com

254-681-4875

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Pricing

Price: $156,300.00

Property Location

1805 Jesse Drive
Copperas Cove, TX 76522
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Features

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 2

Year Built: 2009

Subdivision: House Creek

Garage Size: 2

School District: Copperas Cove

Square Footage: 1840

Agent Name: Mary Ann Daniell

Broker: Coldwell Banker United, Realtors

MLS #: 153144

Source of SF: Builder Plan

Attributes

Appliances

Range/Oven

Dishwasher

Sink Disposal

Microwave

Smooth top range

Self cleaning oven

Interior Amenities

High Ceiling

Granite

Garden Tub

Tile Shower

Maytag Appliances

French Doors

Pantry

Breakfast Bar

Ceiling Fans

Exterior Amenities

Patio

Grass Lawn

Wood Privacy Fencing

Lawn Sprinkler System

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VFLYER ID: 2969836

All information in this site is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and is subject to change

7 Things You Should Do Before Buying Fort Hood Real Estate

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:29:17 -0500

Buying Fort Hood Real Estate can be a wonderful experience! But buyers do worry that since Fort Hood is such a big place, they won't be able to make a good decision as to where they should live. And, since it's so easy to get around the Fort Hood area, we can see a lot of homes in a short time, which means being prepared is very important!

Take the stress out of your trip to buy Fort Hood Real Estate by taking these steps before you arrive in Central Texas:

Prequalify with a mortgage lender
Discover your house payment comfort zone
Investigate the area by calling local police departments
Check schools at the Texas Education Agency Website
Drive the area to determine Fort Hood commute times
Consider lifestyle - do you prefer city living or a slower pace
Arrange travel and lodging - Especially if you travel with a pet

Armed with a prequalification letter, a firm budget in mind, and the information gained by checking out different areas and schools, you will be very prepared to look at Fort Hood Real Estate and to buy your home with confidence.

You'll find more info on each step in my Killeen Fort Hood Real Estate blog over the next few weeks, so get your checklist planned out. You'll be well prepared for your homebuying trip to Fort Hood!

Killeen Copperas Cove Fort Hood Crime Statistics

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:36:27 -0500

Killeen Fort Hood Copperas Cove Crime Statistics

#3 of 7 Things You Should Do Before Buying Fort Hood Real Estate

Checking out the crime statistics for Killeen, Copperas Cove and Harker Heights TX is one of the most important calls you need to make before you buy a home at Fort Hood. The Killeen, Copperas Cove, Harker Heights area is dotted with many very different neighborhoods. Riding around and looking at all the different areas might give you an idea of where you want to live, but go a step further and call the local police department. They will be happy to give you the crime statistics for your target neighborhood.

Don't depend on a realtor, friend or work colleague who says "Oh, that area is FINE!" Make sure YOU check the crime statistics and that you feel confident that your neighborhood meets your expectations.

Killeen Police Department
254-501-8830

Copperas Cove Police Department
254-547-4272

Harker Heights Police Department
254-953-5400

Know Your House Payment Comfort Zone - Fort Hood Real Estate

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:20:50 -0500

Know your House Payment Comfort Zone - Fort Hood Real Estate
#2 of the Seven Things you Should Do Before Buying Fort Hood Real Estate

It's exciting news when your lender tells you that you qualify for a much larger and more expensive home than you ever dreamed, but the reality is that lenders don't know how you live and how you like to spend your disposable income.

There's nothing worse than buying too much house, so before you sign on the dotted line to buy your piece of Fort Hood real estate, spend some time working on a realistic budget that includes the expenses involved in owning a home.

You'll find as you work on your budget that expenses can be classified as either fixed or variable.

Your monthly house payment is a fixed expense, usually structured to cover the principle, interest, taxes and insurance for one month. More fixed expenses of owning Fort Hood real estate include utilities (water, electricity, gas, trash and sewer). Some variable costs associated with home ownership would be maintenance costs such as yard care and home repairs.

An example of other fixed expenses are car payments, credit card payments and bills for cable TV, internet services, telephone, student loan payments and other regularly recurring bills.

Variable expenses are the expenses you can usually control, like groceries, gas, recreation, entertainment, interior decorating, clothing and pocket money . If you like to indulge in eating out, going out for entertainment or if you have a hobby you like to spend money on, a big house payment can really cut into your "fun budget!"

Try keeping your income and expenses on an electronic budget worksheet for a couple of months. This analysis will give you a good insight into how much Fort Hood real estate you can comfortably afford based on your actual spending habits.

You'll be glad you know your comfort zone for a house payment BEFORE you sign on the dotted line!

Do I Have to Pay Points When I Buy a Home At Fort Hood?

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:34:21 -0500

And just what ARE points?

Sounds mysterious, doesn't it?

Boiling this down to the simplest explanation, paying points (also called discount points) means you are paying a lump sum of interest up front at the beginning of your loan to get a lower interest rate for the full term of your loan. That's all it is. Money out of your pocket into your lender's pocket,

Should you pay points when buying a home at Fort Hood?

It depends on how long you are keeping the home. Here's an example:

If you pay $1,000 to get a lower interest rate, and the lower rate saves you $20 a month:

$1,000 divided by $20 equals 50 months

You must own the home for 50 months to recoup what you paid in points. After the 50^th month, you will finally be saving $20 a month through the term of your loan.

Since most homebuyers at Fort Hood are active duty military, paying points is usually not the best course of action. There's no guarantee that you'll be here long enough to reap any benefit from buying down your interest rate.

So keep your money in the bank and feel confident you made the right decision regarding paying points when you buy your home at Fort Hood. You can use that money to make updates and improvements to your new home that will pay off well when it's time to sell.

If you do want to consider paying points, ask your lender to compute the savings and how long it will take for you to recover the cost of the lower interest rate.

To see more about how points affect mortgage payments, check out this Points Calculator.

Mary Ann Daniell is a Licensed Texas Realtor serving the Killeen Fort Hood real estate market. Call or email anytime if you need help buying or selling a home, or if you just have questions about what to expect for housing when you arrive at Fort Hood.

SOLD! Lovely Home near Lampasas for Sale

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:55:16 -0400

Mary Ann Daniell | Coldwell Banker United, Realtors | 254-681-4875

7820 East Highway 190, Lampasas, TX

3BR/2BA Single Family House

offered at $144,900

Year Built 1986 Sq Footage 2,100 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking Unspecified Lot Size 1 acres HOA/Maint $0 per month

DESCRIPTION

Big home nestled in the trees. Large rooms, two living areas, huge screened porch. Woodburning fireplace. Just updated with new carpet, vinyl, new range, attic ductwork, exterior just painted, and more. Ten minutes to Lampasas, Ten Minutes to Copperas Cove on about 1 acrea of land with plenty of trees and storage, Lampasas school bus stops at end of driveway. $5000 below tax appraisal value! Seller is a licensed Texas Realtor.
see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

- Central A/C - Central heat - Fireplace - Walk-in closet - Tile floor - Family room - Living room - Dining room - Dishwasher - Refrigerator - Stove/Oven - Laundry area - inside

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Photo 4

Photo 5

Photo 6

Contact info:

Mary Ann Daniell

Coldwell Banker United, Realtors

254-681-4875

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Aug 6, 2009, 7:45am PDT

Prequalifing is FREE, SIMPLE and DONE - Fort Hood Real Estate

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:01:12 -0500

How do I prequalify for a loan to buy Fort Hood Real Estate?
#1 of The Seven Things You Should Do Before Buying Fort Hood Real Estate

First time buyers who are looking at Fort Hood real estate want to know how to be prequalified, what it means and how it works.

And I always tell them that the three best things about getting prequalified is that it's FREE, it's SIMPLE and then it's DONE!

Where to Begin:

Just call a mortgage lender and ask to be prequalified for a home loan. If you are eligible for a VA loan, be sure to let the lender know. Not all lenders are approved to originate VA or other government insured loans.

How it Works:

The lender will ask for your name, date of birth, social security number, your work history, your address history, info about how many in your family, your pay and information about your bank accounts or other assets. Once the lender has this info, your credit will be checked and your ratio of debt to income will be calculated. Based on all the information collected and then analyzed, the lender will determine if you qualify to buy a home.

It's Done!

This sounds like a lot of work, but the prequalification often takes less than twenty minutes! Once you are prequalified, you are ready to get out there and shop for your Fort Hood real estate. Knowing that you CAN definately purchase a home gives you a lot of power and confidence out there in the market!

Finding a Lender:

If you don't already have a lender in mind, there are many good local lenders in the Fort Hood area. They charge low closing costs and offer VA, FHA and conventional loans at excellent interest rates. Let me know if you need a list of lenders so you can be prequalified before you arrive at Fort Hood.

Putting Yourself in Your Clients Shoes

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:39:35 -0400

Sometimes even the best plans go off course! I've found myself in this position before and bless my Fort Hood buyer clients for their understanding and patience and willingness to work it all out. Top tier service means being available to clients when they need you. But what if all of them need you at once????

Via Rich Jacobson Your Kitsap County WA Real Estate Agent (Windermere West Sound, Inc.):

Walk a Mile in My Shoes

As a licensed real estate professional, I pride myself on the level of knowledge, expertise, and experience I have gained over the years. I consider myself a very skilled and relentless advocate for representing my client's best interests and empowering them to succeed in their real estate adventures.

However, when you've been at this business for any length of time, there can be the tendency to forget what it's like for those who haven't been through the process before. We've become so intimately familiar with every element and nuance of the real estate transaction, there can be times when we fail to see things through our client's eyes.

Case in point:

Found on Facebook

A couple from Kentucky found me on Facebook. They explored my blogs, read my articles, toured my website, and liked what they saw. They contacted me through Facebook and explained that they were in the process of relocating to Kitsap County WA. They were planning on coming out for a house hunting visit and had allotted themselves two weeks to find the perfect home, go under contract, conduct the home inspection, then fly back to Kentucky.

Due to the time constraints, they wanted to make sure that I would be able to devote some concerted time to assist them in achieving their goals. I assured them that I was up for the task and we agreed to work with each other.

The Kentucky Two-Step or 'Off to the Races!'

They arrived over the weekend, and we hooked up first thing Monday morning. Even though they were 1st Time Buyers, they were in their mid-Thirties and were both launching second careers. I could tell right away that the 3 of us were going to click and work well together. This was a good thing because we ended up spending that entire first week from 8am to 6pm each day looking at properties!

After the first day, we were able to narrow our focus a bit more specifically to what they really wanted - waterfront or water view properties, Master on the main, 2500 sq. ft. plus, on acreage, for $400K or less. A bit challenging, but not impossible in our current market.

The 2nd day out, we had actually found several homes that met with their approval. By the end of the week, we had determined 4 or 5 viable candidates for them to choose from. They told me they would spend the weekend relaxing, exploring the area, and reviewing the homes they had seen and start narrowing the decision-making process.

Thank God, It's Friday!

I took this to mean that I could relax over the weekend as well. After a very intense week of showing houses, I was ready for some downtime.

But as Murphy's Law of Feast & Famine Real Estate would have it, my weekend would be anything but downtime.

When It Rains, It Pours!

A part-time agent who was formerly with our office contacted me with a desperate plea to help him out of a bind. He had a client who wanted to go looking at potential investment properties, but he wasn't able to meet with him because his day job was taking him out of the area for a few days. His client had provided a list of about 15 properties he wanted to see over the weekend. I agreed to help him out and scheduled showings for most of the properties on Saturday.

At the same time, a new client I had received on referral from an ActiveRain member was starting to get antsy, and wanted to go out looking at homes that weekend as well.

And if that wasn't enough, some other buyers I had taken out a few leisurely times (friends of mine through the church we used to attend) decided that Sunday would be the perfect day to go house shopping again.

I spent most of the day Saturday showing properties to the investment buyer. We found a couple that penciled out and made sense. I figured that Sunday would only take a couple hours to finish up with him and make a decision, so I scheduled an appointment for Sunday afternoon with my new referral Buyer. Since we only had 4 or 5 homes to look at, I told my church friend buyers we'd go out for a couple hours in the early evening.

I get tired just thinking about it again!

Your Cheatin' Heart

Anyway, it's Saturday and we're about halfway through the investment buyers list of properties when my cell phone rings. It's the Kentucky couple. They've been discussing all the various home choices and they want to meet ASAP to discuss some strategies and possibly write up an offer on one of the homes. I explain my situation to them, and suggest we meet later in the day after I'm done with the investor buyer. The extended sigh on the other end tells me I've pushed the envelope of their patience. Reluctantly, they concede.

As my luck, or lack thereof, would have it, I wasn't able to meet with them until later that evening around 7pm. As I opened the office lobby door to let them in, I could tell by their demeanor that they were upset. When I asked what was up, they both unloaded on me. They felt I had abandoned them. I had agreed to devote a concerted amount of time with them over a two week period and when they needed me, I wasn't available.

Smokin' in the Boy's Room

I was proud of myself for maintaining my composure exceptionally well. As agents, we learn to have fairly thick skin at times. I apologized for not being available to meet with them earlier in the day, and explained my understanding about their plans for the weekend.

A few minutes later, I excused myself to use the restroom. It gave me welcomed time to collect my thoughts and vent some of my own frustrations. I had just spent the last 5 days from sun-up to sundown with these folks, looking at nearly 50 properties, and here they were accusing me of abandoning them! What nerve!

We ended up writing a 'Hail Mary' offer that evening and I was able to work out their concerns over my allegiances.

In hindsight, what I learned (and I always try to learn something new from every transaction), is to never lose sight or empathy for how my clients perceive things. Clear communication is critical, with specific levels of expectation spelled out fully. Clients can be very needy at times, especially stressed out 1st Time Buyers on a short time-line. While I would love nothing more than for my clients to feel as though they are my 'only' clients, that's not always realistic. Additionally, Clients need to understand that good, qualified agents are naturally going to be in demand and busy, to some degree, with other clients.

And They All lived Happily Ever After!

The happy end to my story is that the Kentucky couple is under contract with a home they're both absolutely 'In Love' with and we close the 2nd week of August. They are really awesome people. We share a solid, mutually enjoyable relationship that I know will last for many years to come, and will most likely result in their future referrals.