Looking for opinions on how to handle a situation.

Nov 1. Buyer calls office and says they want to see a particular house. I spoke to the buyer and asked, "Are you working with another agent?"

He replied, NO. He was buying a FSBO and it just fell through due to inspections. He has 30 days to find a new home and get out of his rental and he wants to see this one NOW.  He is preapproved and ready to move immediately if he likes the house.

Agent makes appt and goes out there to show property, and did provide the Consumer Notice but did not get a signed Buyer's Agency contract. Mistake. Buyers liked property but wanted to think it over. Agent called several times and was told they were working up a price.

Last Thursday Nov. 8 buyer calls and wants to verbally make an offer. She gave us the price and told us to tell seller. We told them they need to come in & sign a contract and put money down, and we'd present the offer. We called seller to let them know the price but that nothing was in writing.

Tuesday night another agent calls & wants to know where to drop off an offer. I questioned her because she had never shown the property. Buyer knows the house, she said. Weds. offer is faxed over and of course it's the buyer we showed the property to.

I called the agent & she is covering for ANOTHER out of town agent. She knows nothing. I spoke to the original agent who says he worked with them for months (no buyer agent contract). They did disappear and told him they were buying a FSBO and that's the last he heard,  till now. They called him and wanted to make an offer and didn't tell him (and he didn't ask) they saw the house with another agent.

I spoke to broker this morning & she wants to keep 75% of the commission & give the agent who showed it 25% because their firm wrote the offer. I was thinking of 25% to them, not to us.

Any ideas on handling this? 

Dear Active Rainers!

I have a new website I just launched:

www.move2pennsylvania.com

I've been meaning to do this for ages and finally had the time to set up a new company website. I opened my office in July and it's been nonstop since then.

It's still a work in progress. I'd appreciate your views and any suggestions you find appropriate. I consider Active Rainers to be the most up to date / technologically savvy of the bunch. Feedback is wanted from all of you! Anything I can make better or add?

Thanks!

Erica

 A new resident asked me about annual wages in Schuylkill County. These stats are from the SEDCO website (www.sed-co.com)

What is SEDCO? SEDCO is a community-based, private, not-for-profit organization with more than 50 years of experience in assisting companies to locate or expand their operations in our community. We have developed effective partnerships with industry and government and have close working relationships with education and training service providers to assure qualified employment candidates for your business.

SEDCO presently manages 12 industrial sites representing over $1 billion in capital investment throughout the County of Schuylkill. We have extensive experience with project financing, site search and tour services, and facility/park construction and management.

Highridge Business Park, located between exits 116 and 119 along Interstate 81, is one of the largest mixed-use business parks in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Here are the average wages that SEDCO states on their website:

Vacant homes send crime rocketing

Nefarious activity, such as prostitution, vandalism and burglary, increases in neighborhoods where foreclosures have hit hardest.

Check out this article on cnn.money.com

http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/13/real_estate/vacant_homes.ap/index.htm?postversion=2007111316

It describes all the decay that takes place in neighborhoods where foreclosures are skyrocketing. With foreclosure comes vacant houses which leads to all kinds of problems--including higher crime stats. One study quoted showed "That when the foreclosure rate increases 1 percentage point, neighborhood violent crime rises 2.33 percent.

One more reason we need to head off foreclosures whenever we can.  

We all go through sleepless nights. Nights you toss & turn and worry about what you did today (and didn't get time to do)... and what you'd better not forget to do tomorrow. I tend to replay scenes in my head and go over things I must do tomorrow until I am wide-eyed and in no condition to sleep.

Another agent outside my company just asked me how to define my ETHICS. Seems he is having trouble sleeping because a deal he did is haunting him. He feels he may not have done the right thing in a particular situation. It was not illegal. It was not "wrong" from a real estate commission standard. But it was definitely not "right".

It was in what I consider a gray area. I told him I'm a Rotarian, and we have a 4-way test that I believe firmly in:

1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair to all concerned?

3. Will it build good will & better friendships?

4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

If it doesn't pass the 4-way test, in my eyes it's not right. Now you could argue that being a Rotarian and being a realtor don't always mesh. For example, Is it fair to all concerned? If you represent one side, are you always fair to all concerned?

I dug a little deeper and wrote down what I consider a "golden rule" to live by, to test if my actions are right or wrong. 

1. First, do no harm. To other agents, to buyers, to sellers, to anyone involved in a transaction

2. Make the world a little better than it was before. Does my action make things better or worse for the parties involved?

3. Treat everyone involved with respect. No matter how rude they are to you!

4. Tell the truth. No white lies, no puffing or bluffing or exaggerations. 

5. Treat everyone fair--the way you'd like to be treated if you were in the other guy's shoes

6. Show compassion.

I advised this agent to dig deep in his heart and see if his actions pass these 6 points. He failed on one of the points, he admitted. He's learned a big lesson here, I think, and hopefully he won't repeat his failure. None of us are perfect, and we can all learn from the mistakes we make. We just have to admit it and move on. I hope he sleeps better tonight! 

BLOG EDITED TO FIX THE NUMBER COUNT!!! 

Yes, Halloween is just over, and I know it's not even Thanksgiving, but it's coming! The Holidays will be here before you know it. How can you tell?

A sure sign in Schuylkill County is that the Turkey Hill mini markets and various grocery stores start stocking other GUERS products besides their famous Iced Tea and Milk. If you're not from Schuylkill County, you may not understand this post. But if you can smile when you see the orange and yellow tea boxes that can be found EVERYWHERE in this region, you'll "get it." And every November/December Guers puts out a kick-butt eggnog that is rich, creamy and filled with so many calories -- every one worth it!

Saturday November 10 & Sunday November 11

1 - 3 pm both days  

3-4 Bedroom home owned for 32 years by the same owners.

Recent upgrades: sunroom/deck addition, enlarged dining area, formal dining room, stone fireplace in family room. Check out this well kept home.

25 Maywood Ave., Spring Meadow

South Heidelberg Township,  Conrad Weiser School District

$199,900

Erica Ramus, Broker,

Realty Executives

570 622 6006 

Looking for something to do on a Sunday drive? The fall foliage is at its peak here right now. It's the perfect weekend to see our fabulous countryside.

Here's a sample itinerary, courtesy of the Schuylkill County Visitor's Bureau:

The Scenic Southern Schuylkill County
Begin your day with breakfast at Twin Grove Campgrounds near Pine Grove and then travel east to Pine Grove along Route 443. Visit the Basket Shack or Crabapple Cottage in Pine Grove.

From Pine Grove take Route 895 east to the Village of Rock and check out the two Covered Bridges of Schuylkill County. From the village of Rock continue east to Schuylkill County Fairgrounds and the Schuylkill COunty Agriculture Museum.

For lunch take a brief drive to the Oak Hill Inn at Orwigsburg, rated as one of the top restaurants in Schuylkill County. After lunch, stop by the Long Trout Winery and check out the new Frisbee Golf Course, or sample some of the unique wines.

From Long Trout Winery, take a drive to the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and take in a breathtaking view of Schuylkill County from the North lookout. After Hawk Mountain continue east on Route 443 to New Ringgold, check out Bargain Barn Furniture for some high quality home furnishings, or drive to Heisler's Dairy Bar and sample a milkshake or ice cream cone, or play a round of miniature golf.

From Heisler's, take a quick drive out to the Galen Glen Winery followed by dinner at The Restaurant at the Station in Tamaqua, or Leiby's Restaurant in South Tamaqua.

Erica's Note to above: Bargain Barn furniture is in the middle of closing down & selling inventory. If there's any left, it should be at a good discount. 

In this world you can never be TOO CAUTIOUS, right? So I'm posting below an exchange I had this week with a consumer over the internet. She started emailing me early in the week about a new listing. She wanted directions to drive by and had a TON of questions, that I've been patiently answering. She kept insisting my directions are incorrect because google earth told her that the location is in Erie, PA (it's not--we're in Schuylkill County!). Listen to me, I told her, not google earth! Finally, she understood how to get here (obviously not local).  I've pasted the final few emails from her. I wanted her to go through with another agent in my firm if she wanted to follow through with this (I think I ticked her off):

Hi Erica

If we drive by this place this weekend, if its vacant, can we look around on our own?  If we want to look inside the house, what is your phone number so I can get in touch with you?

Would the owners be willing to come down in price?  How long has this been on the market?

Thanks

You really should have an agent with you to go onto the property. You can drive by and drive up the driveway by yourself, but if you do want to explore the barn or house you need an agent.

Brian can help you. His cell phone is below. You do need an appointment to see the house, so I suggest you call and set up a time Brian can meet you at the property. Brian is cc’d on this email as well.

As this firm represents the seller, I cannot discuss price with you or motivation, and cannot disclose how many days on market. It has only been listed a short time.

If you are interested and wish to make an offer, I will present it, but cannot suggest flexibility in pricing. The list price is $375,000. Sellers have requested that all buyers be pre-qualified, so if you wish to write an offer we’ll need proof of funds or mortgage availability as well.

Thanks

Erica Ramus

Thank you for this information,

If we were interested, this would be a cash deal.  No mortgage.

We have an agent that is a friend of ours, that is why I had asked about looking at the house.  Or walking around the property.

Is this land used for crops?  I noticed it was in clean and green.  I am guessing its in Schuylkill county?  Is this land under any preservation plans? 

If you have an agent, then you should have that person contact us. Please do not enter the property on your own. Even with a cash deal, proof of funds is required. All other questions need to be directed to your agent.

Erica

I have not signed on an agent – she is a friend.  BEFORE I make any decisions to SEE the house, I would like to know if the property was ever used for crops, or if it is in land preservation.  I do not see why this would be confidential or I would need an agent to answer these questions. 

Those questions are not confidential, however the laws of agency state that we must be very careful what we disclose if we are NOT representing someone. I represent the seller and can only tell you public information. The property is in clean & green, it is in Schuylkill County, and I don’t know if it was ever used for crops.

When you mention you have an agent/friend, I must respect that relationship. If you intend to use your friend as an agent, then you must speak to her. If you initiate contact with my firm and we provide information, then later you want to use your friend as your buyer’s agent, we could have a problem. So we need to be right up front with how this works.

If you wish to make an appointment, please email or call Brian directly.

I understand, everyone is looking out for the sellers interest.  Clean and green and preservation are public record, and I can look them up if we are interested. 

I will let you know if we want to look at the house.

Thank you

PS--She never called Brian!