Good morning wonderful person :)

One of the biggest struggles I have with my Friday email is talking about successes, especially success within the real estate biz.  

Long ago I saw the movie The Guardian.. which is a really good, stupid good movie btw. :)  Anyway, Kevin Costner is an experienced Coast Guard diver and Ashton Kutcher is a young up and coming diver.  Ashton is all about breaking records, Kevin's records, and there's a part I will never forget...  Ashton is high on excitement and asks Kevin "what's your number?".. Kevin says "22".  Ashton is taken back kind of, he says something like, "22's not bad.. i figured 200 or so"... Kevin says "22 is the number of the people I've lost. That's the only number I keep track of"... I'm sure you can get the feeling of that scene and how quietly it ended.

Our business industry is hyper focused on breaking last years record, other people's records, being the number one on the team for sales.. so on and so forth..  that shit just kills me.  KILLS ME! Every time I think about the RE biz and think of the success, it's always filtered through that lens from the movie scene with Kevin & Asthon.. what's really worth remembering?

Although we're not saving lives, we are - leading lives... how many transactions we've done has little comparison to the lives we helped or impacted.. I believe that's the important part.

I guess with the stress of it all, I over compensate by not talking about the successes we have in the RE biz... Instead, I tend to unconsciously focus on other things such building water features, or talking about cool and motivating stuff.  (speaking of which, I need to update you on that list of projects that were on my plate back in July.)  ;)

I digress... :)

I have two super cool stories that we are proud of... and both are hinged around real estate. :)

At the beginning of September we got a call from a lender whom we work with... he had a disabled Veteran buyer who was a single man with a 32 year old mentally handicapped daughter.  He had been renting for $950 a month, in the same house for 14 years straight.  The seller felt it was time to sell and gave him until the beginning of November to be out... shittier so.. he could only qualify for $75,000.. to buy a home where he wanted to and under the conditions of a VA loan.. there were no options. :(

I had the difficult discussion with him and he knew he needed to rent.  I told him I'd send him stuff but finding a rental was going to come down to him because we real estate agents have little assistance in that realm.

I did tell him however, when the time comes, you call me and I'll help you move.  I've got a truck, tons of dollies, straps and can get a trailer.  You call, I'll be there to help.  Sure as shit, he called me and took me up on the offer. :)

6 hours over a Sunday and 5 trips back and forth with just my truck and trailer (it wasn't a massive home) we moved him.  Thankfully he had more people to physically help, but it was only possible with the trailer and truck... everyone else had cars. 

Although stressful at times, it was nice to be down in the trenches helping a guy I had not met until that Sunday morning.  It was fun getting to know the other people whom were also helping.  At the end of the day it was a nice quiet self reflecting drive home... feelings were filled with joy and gratitude to the universe, and moments of thought for the things I had in my life.  I really enjoyed being able to help that man out. :)

the other story.. :)

On Wednesday we sold a house simply by the words I chose to use...  

There's a spot on the MLS called the "public remarks".. it's a space for 800 characters max to describe a home... Just above that info is all the other details about the house.. number of rooms, baths, year built, pool.. blah blah blah.

I remember last year there was a house we were selling but it wasn't being shown.. by anyone... On a home tour an agent told me "what's this stuff in the public remarks?".. this is not a place for that kind of info.. "you need to change it.. this is probably why you're not getting any showings"... But that made no sense to me?! all that other crap you're talking about is everywhere else on the page!? 

I have always had the feeling of why be redundant when you can paint a picture for someone to see themselves in the home.. tell a story within 800 characters.. so that's what we do.  AND it should come as no surprise... I. Use. Every. Single. Character! hahha!  (full disclosure... these weekly emails to you have made my story telling a lot easier... so thank you so much for allowing me to practice on you... 

Two weeks ago someone called me from Zillow about our listing... I had never met this person, but one of the first things he said was "Who wrote that detail about the home?"..  I said I did... he followed up with, "well you were talking about me... and I want to buy it"... 

Sure'nuff he did.... :) and his most important make or break decision in buying the home was "will the HOA allow satellites be put on the home? ... because I need my NFL ticket."

Public Remarks:

It's almost kickoff time! As soon as you pull into your two garage you're upstairs in a flash! Just as you place the box of pizza on your kitchen island you hear the whistle blow from the ref behind you. Just in time! Off in the distance you can hear the sound of the shower going in your guest's private bathroom. Sun cuts through the kitchen window like a spotlight on tonight's dinner. You grab a slice and open your porch to bring in the evening breeze. As you sit on your couch you put the TV on mute... The shower stops, it's quiet. The only sound is the bouncing blinds from the evening breeze. The smell of fall fills the high ceilings and you're suddenly in a trance of relaxation and are overwhelmed with the feeling of completeness... your heart is full – this is your home. :)

I had always hoped I was on the right wave length with the creative emotion we bring to helping someone sell their home... that was a really nice treat to be told that's what made the difference. :)

Sometimes it's hard to pick and choose what kind of success stories are worth sharing... I will try harder to share similar ones as they come.  Thank you for giving me place to be vulnerable and express myself. :)

When you've got nothing to give, give your time, the universe is watching... and when someone asks you to help, a little creative emotion can make a big difference.  Have a grateful weekend friend :)