Life in Big Canoe, Real Estate in the Mountains

I love to blog, but I also love to read other people’s blogs. One blog that I recently read written by a fellow agent made me nod my head and think that I’m not alone in a pool full of sharks. There are some pretty decent fish swimming around in this Big Canoe  pond too! This agent wrote his blog about how he lost a deal last week because he told the honest truth when his customer asked him about his personal opinion on a house. He told the customer that it would take at least 5 years for him to recover his money and he was stretching himself financially out of his comfort zone.  The customer agreed and didn’t buy the house.  He told the truth and didn’t take advantage of his customer. For that I raise my glass and say “Here’s to you!”. I also know in my heart that when the time is right, the customer will go right back to that agent because he is trustworthy.

The point of this article is not to say that I am the only agent in the world that will do a good job because there are plenty of great agents out there. It’s about working with an agent that you are comfortable with even if they tell you something you don’t necessarily want to hear.  The hardest lesson I learned in real estate was dealing with my father’s estate and the “less than honest” agent he had hired before he died. My calls were not returned, she was condescending when we spoke, and my questions were so vaguely answered that I felt even more confused when I got off the phone. Perhaps I can’t blame her for everything. I was unfamiliar with the New York real estate laws, plus I was dealing with settling my father’s estate from 900 miles away all while I was 8 months pregnant! I probably needed an agent that was more willing to walk me through the process. She just wanted to get the sale made without any questions. That’s fine for a seasoned seller. However, it made me want to become an agent just to prove that the job could be done correctly and with integrity.

In 3 years I have had a lot of sales, but like my agent friend, I have lost a few deals along the way too. I am happy for the sales I have made but still happy for the sales that I have not made yet. I do not consider these customers lost for life. Most of them just needed to press pause for a little while. For example I put a deal through this week with some customers I have been working with for almost a year. They have made several trips to Big Canoe and we spent a good amount of time together researching the Big Canoe Community. This week they made and offer and have gone under contract with a lovely home that fits both their family and their budget! I look forward to my new neighbors and hope to see more familiar faces returning to Big Canoe soon!

Once in a while the right house hits you immediately, but most of the time it takes some due diligence. The good news is that Big Canoe homes are only a 1 dimensional part of the big picture which is the Big Canoe Community. I know it takes some time so please know that I will be here when you are ready.

Sincerely,

Karin