Tracy Olson - Real Estate

What is success? I saw a post in a Real Estate group today that made me think about this question. So many define success by accomplishments or accolades. I think success is defined however someone wants to define it. It's a very personal definition. Some people define success by the ability to get out of bed and greet the day. That's perfectly fine. Others must have fancy things to feel successful. That's OK as well. While some feel success by giving back or sharing their skills and talents in some way. Again, nothing wrong with this at all. There is no blanket definition for success. My definition of success in business isn't the paycheck (even though it's still important). My definition of success in business is the service I provide to my clients. It is taking care of the little things that get in the way before they even know they existed. It's treating everyone the same regardless of whether they are buying or selling a $10000 tract of land or a million dollar home. We all put our pants on the same way. If my client makes it to the closing table and is satisfied with my service, I walk away feeling very successful. I'm curious. What makes you feel successful?

Here's my Really Real Real Estate soapbox for the day:

I recently worked with first time buyers that were referred to me by a lender. These buyers were the nicest couple in the world, but knew absolutely nothing about buying a home. I met with them in person and went over all of the ins and outs of buying as it relates to my role as REALTOR® and what to expect during the process. I presented them with a nice packet that covered everything we talked about during the consultation. So, things are moving along well on my end until the lender called to tell me there was an issue with the appraisal and the loan would be denied. I reviewed the appraisal and discussed with the list agent about the issue that was supposedly causing the denial (which shouldn't have even been an issue). The list agent and I come up with a possible solution, as the property had been under contract previously. The first buyer cancelled just before closing due to personal issues not related to financing. This meant that the appraisal was approved by the original lender. After a bit of research by the list agent, we learned who the original lender was that had no issues with the appraisal. So, my only choice was to call the buyer and present them with the issue and the option to switch lenders. As it turns out, the buyer's lender would not speak to them in person during the process. they said they prefer to communicate via email so they have it in writing. Good grief. Great customer service would be to have a conversation and then follow up via email. The buyer forwarded the emails to me to review because she had no idea what most of them were saying. They consisted of lots of jargon and certainly would be confusing to average Joe Buyer.
My buyers agreed to switch lenders and move on. As it turns out, the new lender took the time to review their entire financial situation in order to get the best loan for them. They were originally going to be required to bring $7000 to closing. The new lender was able to get them into a loan with a lower interest rate and get $100 back at closing.
The moral of the story is that there are often solutions to problems. If you are buying, it is imperative that you work with a lender that looks at the whole financial picture and provides guidance in helping you choose the right loan for your situation. If you (or someone you know) is looking for a lender that does this, I can hook you up!I

I will now step off my soapbox. Back to regularly scheduled programming!

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/real-estate/2021/10/21/home-prices-are-still-high-heres-how-to-open-up-your-buying-options/49279625/

Think you can't afford to buy a home? You might be able to if you consider these options Struggling to find an affordable home? Consider buying a townhouse or condo, partnering with a friend or lining up a tenant you can share it with.