Charlotte Home Buyer & Seller Unite for the Sake of Humanity
I have the most wonderful clients and this 'love story' is one that I'll remember for a very long time. Thank you, Lisa Von Domek for challenging us, one and all, to share our heartfelt stories here in the Rain.
Earlier this week, I Closed on the sale of a lovely home in one of our historic communities here in Charlotte. The seller, who I met when his significant other was listing her home with me, had a very unusual situation and asked how I could help selling one of his properties.
He owned a large duplex on a high-end street that currently has two tenants in the home, one of which is a retired nurse (right up my alley) who sadly, is battling cancer - not just any cancer but, an untreatable pancreatic cancer. In the weeks and months that followed my original discussion about this property with the seller, I had the great pleasure of meeting this tenant on several occasions. She was incredible - so positive and vibrant - had she not had a head scarf on, I never would have thought she was even sick at all. While my client and the measuring guy walked the house, I sat and chatted with her. We had a wonderfully delightful conversation about people that we both know in the medical profession and she shared with me her history with cancer.
I had already been given my marching orders from the seller - "Sell to someone who will keep this tenant in place the rest of her life. Period. No ifs, ands or buts." While it's not often that we know the intent of the home buyer, I told him that I would see if I could learn any buyers' intent that brought us an Offer but, that we couldn't dictate what the next owner did with the home. I also agreed that if someone he knew (the other tenant) purchased the home, I would merely be a 'facilitator' to the transaction and help guide he and the buyer to Closing. He wasn't ready to list just yet but, would tell me when he was, siging the listing agreement according to his expectations.
He alerted me that the tenant wasn't going to be able to purchase the home so my 'Romancing the Realtors®' program began - I started making calls to other agents who sell in the area as well as my investors. One wound up having to work with another agent (to avoid dual agency) and before the property was even listed and without ever lying eyes on the property, we had an Offer - over what the seller's intended list price was going to be! We alerted the tenants and also discovered that the investor buyer had full intentions of converting the large home into a single family home and gutting the existing home to do so. Therefore, both tenants would be losing their homes in the months to come.
A relative to the tenant who originally planned to buy the home agreed to help by buying the property himself! The Offer came in $65K below the first Offer and the seller was thrilled to accept that one. Why? Because his mission was to leave the tenant with major health issues, in place and money was not as important to him as the compassion he felt for this tenant.
We worked through the transaction and Closed it with both men (the buyer and the seller), getting the satisfaction they wanted by saving this woman's home for the duration of her life. We coach our clients to let emotions fall to the wayside when buying or selling real estate but, there are exceptions to this rule and this exception, I endorsed wholeheartedly.
© Debe Maxwell | The Maxwell House Group | RE/MAX Executive | CharlotteBroker@icloud.com | Charlotte Home Buyer & Seller Unite for the Sake of Humanity
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Charlotte NC Real Estate Agents
Debe Maxwell, Realtor®/Broker/CRS
CharlotteBroker@icloud.com
Direct: (704) 491-3310
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Good Job Debe and thanks for making this work out the way we were all hoping for. Great story.
Good morning Debe. This is such a great story and it is certainly poignant as well. Good job.
Hi Debe Maxwell, CRS, there are some great people out there, you were blessed to meet one of them. This is an awesome story, sellers don't always care about the money and this is a good example.
Thank you, Will Hamm - we are Closed and the tenant is comfortable in her home. It really does warm my heart.
Yes, it really is a poignant story but, it's as good as it could possibly be for the ailing tenant, Sheila Anderson. My heart really goes out to that family - such an unforgiving cancer.
You know, that brings up an excellent point - in these bidding wars, many times agents neglect to ask the right questions to find out the sellers' motivation. You're so right, Beth Atalay, it's not always about the money!
Isn't it wonderful Debe Maxwell, CRS to know there are still good people in this world. I have always said the best offer is not always about price
You know Debe, it's not just about the $$. So glad that this worked out for the tenant and she can stay comfortable in her home!
Don't you wish that everyone we work with has this much compassion for the fellow humans?
Yes, it surely is, Hannah Williams! And, you're so right - it's not always about price. The investor buyer was told what was important but, they only know to think like an investor.
I am too, Sheila! It's such a relief knowing that we facilitated that for her too. It's not all sellers who would give up such a big chunck of change, is it?
Lawrence "Larry" & Sheila Agranoff. Cell: 631-805-4400
Yes, I surely do, Joe Pryor - life with a giving heart is far more fulfilling, isn't it?
Wow, Debe, what an awesome story. I see why that is one of your favorite transactions ever! It's heart warming to hear stories like this as a testimonial that not everyone is out for the money, but to help another human in need.
This is a wonderful story to share.
Good people like this seller need to be recognized.
Debe, indeed there are good people and it is not always about the money, truly reassures us about humanity, there is hope, Endre
That's a wonderful story, Debe. And, kudos to the seller for the care and financial sacrifice he made for his tenant.
His drive to protect her was fierce and genuine, Carol Williams. I don't even remember how many times I told him how wonderful he was - thoughtful, caring, compassionate, giving... Clients (and friends) like this are such a blessing.
Thank you and I agree, Roy Kelley! The buyer agreeing to the seller's terms also showed his genunie heart as well. Both men are amazing people!
He did give substantially, Gabe Sanders! He challenged me to do the same, which helped his loss considerably as well. The buyer agreeing to his terms also pulled this deal together for the good of this woman. We all had full hearts at the end of this as well as wonderful new relationships.
Debe Maxwell, CRS this story is another reason I love to host this contest! In a day and age when the media is filled with depressing and selfish stories, yours brings us heart. We all know that there are wonderful people out there, it's nice to read about them.