Home for the Holidays
December 14th, 2007 Categories: Odds and Ends
I’ve often said that I have the best job on the planet. The past month has re-enforced that belief for me. The reason I feel so blessed to do what I do is that I love doing it and I get to help people realize their dreams. Over the past month or so I have had the pleasure of helping two clients purchase the home of their dreams and arrange for closing in time for them to enjoy Christmas, at home, with their families.
From Michigan to Raleigh
There are some tough real estate markets out there right now. And the Detroit area is no exception. As the automotive industries struggle with a variety of challenges and unemployment rates rise, the inventory of unsold homes in Detroit has also risen as the number of available buyers has diminished.
My clients from the Detroit area were very fortunate and sold their home in a matter of months. They closed a couple of months ago and thought about renting until they could figure out where they wanted to be. But they found the faith to believe we could find the right home for them and instead went into an extended stay hotel as we began the search.
It didn’t take long and they walked into the exact home they were looking for. They knew it was the one as soon as they saw it. The home was under construction and it was about a 50/50 chance it would be ready in time for Christmas. We quickly put their dream home under contract and worked closely with the builder to make it easier for him to finish by mid December.
This meant we had to have financing in place quickly and minimize any changes that the client wanted. I’m happy to report that everything came together and my clients are closing today. Home for the holidays!
From Charlotte to Raleigh
Now I don’t think of the Charlotte market as a particularly depressed real estate market, but my clients from this area had to wait over six months for a buyer. They were so excited when they called about two weeks ago to let me know their home was under contract.
Fortunately, we had been looking for all that time and had narrowed the choices down to a couple of neighborhoods. We got together and looked at the available homes in the selected neighborhoods. These guys had a similar experience to that of my Detroit clients. They walked into their dream home an knew it at once.
In this case we only allowed just over two weeks from contract to closing. Again, the builder and everyone involved rose to the occasion and we are scheduled to close on December 20th. My clients will move in on the 21st and they too will be home for the holidays!
Moving can be a stressful experience. Moving at Christmas can be a very stressful experience. Buy buying a new home is also exciting. Careful planning and having an experienced Realtor who can anticipate problems and keep things moving along helps. It helps a lot.
Merry Christmas to each of these families and to everyone who has found themselves moving into a new home just in time for Santa to visit!
Hello, Yes - lots of people moving there from Michigan, and a lot of Pfizer people from Ann Arbor MI! - where Pfizer closed their R and D world headquarters. But, believe it or not, I have clients that have moved from the Raleigh area to Ann Arbor. Here, the University of Michigan and the U of M hospital systems are going full speed. Perhaps we can stay in touch for Ann Arbor referrals.
Thanks. Andy Piper
[...] Fortner, a top Raleigh NC Realtor with RaleighRealEstateTalk, shows his relocating skills with sincerity and his real estate expertise bringing [...]
[...] Fortner, a top Raleigh NC Realtor with RaleighRealEstateTalk, shows his relocating skills with sincerity and his real estate expertise bringing [...]
Bob - It is indeed stressful to move at Christmas; I have done it twice, once on the 16th and once on the 21st. It does take a great Realtor working with you to make it all happen, especially this time of year. Congratulations to you and your clients! - Paula
Buyers in the Raleigh NC area are fortunate to have a top professional assisting them in their home purchases- Bob, you are a true asset to your clients!