He said he’s looking for a house, has a few he saw on the internet he’d like to see, and would like to buy something sooner rather than later.

Then he told me that I wouldn’t be making much commission on this sale. Huh???

He explained that he really wanted to stay close to $100,000 and possibly buy more of a dream home down the road. Do I still want to work with him? He said he realizes real estate agents don’t make much on a $100,000 sale so wanted to be sure I was okay with this.

He reminded me of a comment I had received from another buyer the previous weekend. That buyer called me asking to take a look at a fixer-upper I had listed. When we met at the house, which was listed at $103,000, he told me he called because a friend of his in the business wasn’t returning his call. His girlfriend quipped it was because this is “only” a $100,000 house.

I will never understand that mentality of not wanting to work with a “$100,000 buyer.” I will be the first to acknowledge that if that is the only price point an agent works in, it will take many, many sold units to be able to keep up with the bills.

But at the same time, these buyers need my help just as much as a $200,000 or $500,000 buyer does. So if they can demonstrate to me that they are serious about and commmitted to buying a house, you can bet I will work with them. Hopefully one day they will call me when they are ready to move up to something bigger or maybe they have a friend or relative who needs my services.

And besides, I was a $100,000 buyer several years ago. To think an agent would have thought less of me because of my price point — well, I don’t ever want someone to feel they’re any less important than someone who may qualify for a more expensive home.

Looking for a place to donate clothes you no longer wear or items such as furniture, electronics, and housewares? Or are you looking for some gently used furniture, electronics, household items or clothes for yourself or your family? 

Goodwill is hoping to open a retail and drop-off location in Grafton! If all goes as planned, the store should be opening in June, and will be located in the former Sears building on Wisconsin Street, just a short distance south of Highway 60/Washington Avenue. This is a great addition to the community as this will be the only location in Ozaukee County.

If you’re not familiar with Goodwill, they are a non-profit organization with headquarters in Milwaukee that assists youth, seniors, veterans and military families, immigrants, and people with disabilities, criminal backgrounds and other special needs in securing employment and becoming and staying a contributing member of society. You can learn all about their mission, services, and opportunities by visiting their website, goodwill.org.

I don’t ever remember walking along the beach or strolling around the quarry at Harrington Beach State Park in the middle of the winter. But this winter is different.

So far this year, we’ve had minimal snow and unusually warm temps. Today we made it into the 50s. Add bluer than blue skies, a breeze out of the west, and the golden sun, and you have the makings of the perfect day to play hooky from work.

So that’s what I did — at least for part of the day. I couldn’t resist.

If you haven’t been to Harrington you should take some time to visit. Located in Belgium, just 25 minutes or so north of Milwaukee, this state park offers year-round activities including camping, fishing, cross country skiing, and hiking.

This is the place we’d go to as kids for some summer fun, whether we biked there from home or drove down with the entire family piled into our old green Dodge on a  Sunday afternoon.

No matter the season, there is awe everywhere you look. It’s the perfect place to go when you want to play hooky for the day.

The first step to buying a house is to get pre-approved.

I know some buyers out there don’t want to hear that. You just want to get a taste of what’s on the market. What can you get for $150,000? What can you get for $200,000? What can you get for $250,000?

But the bottom line is, it’s too risky for me to take the time to search the market for you, to email listings to you, and to drive around showing houses to you if we don’t know how much the bank will loan you. And it makes me wonder if perhaps you’re not as serious about buying a house as I might have thought you are.

And there’s a risk for you, as well. You could walk through a house that you fall in love with only to learn you don’t qualify for the price point. Or worse, you could write an offer on a house only to have the seller reject you because you aren’t pre-approved.

It’s worth it to take the time to talk to your lender about what’s affordable to you. It doesn’t cost you anything, and it’s the most important step you can take toward home ownership.

So please don’t back away when the question of whether you are pre-approved comes up in our conversation. It’s important for both of us to know the answer so we can determine the best way to proceed with your home search.

Got an offer that’s not quite what you were hoping it would be? Appreciate that you got an offer. There’s a buyer out there that wants to buy your seller’s house. Work together to come to agreeable terms. Getting angry at the buyer or the agent who wrote the offer only sets everyone off on the wrong foot from the get go. That’s just counter-productive.

Lost a buyer due to a misunderstanding about who was going to be working with said buyer? Assuming you haven’t spent too much time with the buyer yet, work out some sort of referral fee or perhaps just let it go. Sometimes it’s better to just walk away rather than create awkwardness and confusion for the buyer.

Have a buyer who’s making some less than desirable demands of your seller? Keep cool about it. Cursing out the buyer’s agent is less than stellar and just unprofessional.

Think your level of production puts you above those around you? Having the ability to stay grounded and offering help and advice to those around you is a much better thing to be rememberd for.

Behave and react with grace. It’s a pretty nice way to set yourself apart from those around you.

It’s a great offer. Clean, fair, and a pretty quick closing, too. But getting this to the “accepted offer” status wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. And this morning I found out why.

It came down to the realization that agreeing to this latest counter offer meant taking one step closer to letting go of the house. It’s the house where she raised her kids. It’s the house that defined her independence after a divorce. She told me she gets a lump in her throat when she thinks about accepting this offer. She was realizing she was having a hard time letting go.

I told the seller that no matter why a house is being sold — good or not so good — there is going to be emotion weaving its way throughout the process. It’s not just a business deal. It’s about letting go and moving on to that next chapter.

That house isn’t just a bunch of wood and nails and tile and windows and shingles; it’s a home. It’s where we laugh together, cry together, create holiday and birthday memories, share family meals, and grow together. It’s home.

My seller knows her life is pretty great right now. She said it herself. It’s time for her to close this chapter and continue the one she started with her new husband last year. I know she’s going to be just fine. And I know she’s excited for this family about to start a new chapter of their own.

Dear Mrs. Buyer,

I received your voicemail the other day that you and your husband wanted to buy a house in Ozaukee County. You said you found me on the internet, liked my bio, and were excited to work with me! You left your number, saying you looked forward to hearing from me. I was out and about putting up some “open Sunday” signs and thought it’d be best to call you when I got back to the office — much easier than trying to talk while driving.

About 20 minutes later, I called the number you left but got your voicemail. I left a message letting you know I would be happy to help you and your husband. I didn’t hear back so I tried you again the next day. Left another message and, after not hearing back again, made a third attempt to connect. Still nothing.

So I’m just curious – what happened?? Did you find another agent in the 20 mintues between you leaving a message and me calling you back? Did I not return your call fast enough? Were you teasing me?

I admit, I got a little giddy when I got your message. You see I’ve set some pretty ambitious goals for myself this year, and receiving a message like yours the second week of the year — well I just couldn’t help but get a little excited!

I guess I would have just appreciated you taking the time to call me back and let me know what happened. Or you can send me a message. My email address is as easy to find as my bio is.

I certainly hope everything is okay and wish you and your husband well in your home search. And if you still want to work with me, I’d welcome the opportunity. But please call only if you really want to work with me. It’s just not nice to tease.

This experience is great for all ages as you learn about the active creatures after dark and enjoy the natural beauty of this gem in Ozaukee County.

Snowshoes will be provided by Riveredge, or you can bring your own. If there’s not enough snow to snowshoe, there will still be a regular hike. Be sure to dress appropriately, including insulated boots. Hot beverages will be available after.

Call for a reservation — 262-375-2715 — as space is limited.

Nonetheless, I made the decision to come in and get some work done. I seem to be more productive when I’m at the office versus working at home, and with us being closed, I knew the interruptions would be minimal.

I think I got here around 9:00, and the phones have been going CRAZY!! Four hours of steady calls. Sweet way to start the new year and the sort of interruption I would take any day.

Seems there is a renewed sense of optimism this year — a feeling that things are going to make a turn for the better.

I’m glad I decided to work from the closed office today.  I was able to finish up my 2012 business plan, make some calls to a few sellers, send market updates to a couple other sellers, and update my 2012 budget. Quite a productive day.

And the sound of a ringing phone can do amazing things for one’s attitude and optimism. Here’s to an outstanding 2012 — for all of us!

What I thought was going to be my “turnaround year,” actually ended up being days and months trickling with doubt, anxiety, and fear. I look back and wonder how I got through it knowing full well the hardships aren’t over yet. I woke up this morning feeling like someone was sitting on my chest — when will the worrying end? I’ve asked myself before and ask again if it is time to give up this career and take a 9-5 job I may not really enjoy but that provides a steady paycheck and health insurance.

Fast forward a couple of hours, and I’m standing in front of the frozen hash brown potato case at the grocery store. As I try to manipulate my cart so another shopper can get by me, I turn to see a past customer looking back at me. I think she was as surprised to see me as I her, and after exchanging our “hellos,” she asked if my ears had been ringing. She planned to call me next week. She and her husband are getting divorced. She wants to talk about her options.

I don’t know a word to describe fully the shock I felt at hearing her news. I loved working with this family — they were kind, fun, thoughtful — I envied the life they had. How could this be??

And I realized again as I have before, that I tend to get emotionally involved — perhaps more than I should —  with my buyers and sellers. I can’t help it. I just do. My job is more than just unlocking doors and pointing out this and that about a house. It’s more than filling out contracts and a multitude of other paperwork. It’s about helping people move on to the next chapter in their lives. And in order to do that, we get to know about the marriages, the divorces, the new baby, the new job, the job loss, the illnesses, and the deaths. More often than not friendships form.

Running into my past customer this morning reminded me that every one of us, as they say, is carrying some sort of burden. It also seemed to be a sign that, at least for now, I am to continue on this path of selling houses. 

Life happens, and it’s really, really hard sometimes. But if part of my work involves helping ease that journey for others, I’d say I have a pretty good job.