Other Real Estate stuff

Most of the time, being in real estate is fun — it can get pretty hectic, sure, but compared to teaching high school journalism for 12 years, running a newspaper, yearbook, sometimes broadcasting, photography, writing classes and, oh yeah, junior level English —- it’s a bowl of cherries.

It happened again today. One of the saddest things I see as a REALTOR is on that last day before closing when everything is supposed to have fallen into place and the property is ready to be transferred into the name of the new owners, you go into the house for the Final Walk-through and there sits the family pet, left behind, still in the house with no furniture, no family, no toys, usually with empty food and water bowls, aching for attention, wondering how their beloved family could go off and leave them that way. It’s enough to rip out your heart. So I play with them to reassure them that not all people are despicable, pour them some more food, give them water, pet them some more and promptly call the REALTOR on the other side of the transaction to tell him/her that their client has left the family pet to fend for itself, scared and alone in the empty house. Today it was a precious kitty. Last spring it was a puppy left out in the weather after a vicious storm the night before, with no place to take cover. His food was drenched, and he was mud from head to tail. I guess it’s a good thing that buyers and sellers don’t see each other at closing. No telling what I’d do or say to those people who left the defenseless animal sitting alone… Motherly instincts would likely over-power professionalism. Visit my website!