Kessler Neighbors United- To Make Cake!

My partner, Debra harbors secret fantasies of becoming a 50’s housewife. As a result, she is convinced she needs to finally learn how to cook. Her efforts started out innocent enough. A little pasta here, a fancy salad there. No big deal. But, things got out of hand last week when she told me she was determined to bake a cake. From scratch.

Lucky for us, we have the world’s best neighbors. No really. They really are the best neighbors in the world. And, some of the best people we know.

The Bishkin’s are an over-achieving bunch. When on a tour of their home, they nonchalantly pointed out all of the elements of their home that they either designed themselves or built themselves. This included cabinetry that they milled in the backyard and perfectly proportioned furniture they designed and built by hand. Needless to say, Type A is an understatement when it comes to the Bishkin family.

So, clearly we should have known better than to share with them Deb’s desire to bake a cake. Marylin leapt at the chance to help and invited us over for an evening of baking and friendship. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, but honestly, had a wonderful time.

Did I mention this was from scratch? There was a lot of sifting and measuring and mixing. We were completely lost, but Marylin, Steve & 11 year old Zach guided us through the entire process flawlessly. I’ll admit, it was sort of embarrassing that Zach had to explain the process of zesting a lemon to two grown women, but we pushed through and accomplished an amazing feat. After 3 ½ hours of neighborly fellowship and lots of laughter, we marveled at the most beautiful cake I have ever seen. And, thanked our lucky stars that we have the best neighbors in the world.

Dori

Do Gay Owned and Operated Homes Sell Faster?

Do Gay owned and operated homes sell faster? In a word, yes. But, the reason they tend to sell faster applies to our straight friends, too.

As Hewitt & Habgood’s marketing boy genius, Steve Habgood taught me early in my career, marketing homes for sale is similar to marketing any other product. The three basic elements of marketing apply: Pricing, Packaging & Promotion. The main reason why Gay owned and operated house typically sell faster is in the “Packaging.”

Buying a home is an extremely emotional process for the buyer. It’s often visceral and romantic. Buyers are searching for a space in which they can enjoy life and seek comfort. They are pursuing a dream. The way in which a home is packaged and presented goes a long way in appealing to this intangible side of the buying process.

Let’s face it, that stuff you hear about the “Gay Gene?”- It’s true. There are some folks who just have “it.” There are some folks who have a creative side that most of us just don’t have. They know exactly where to place furniture, they know exactly what colors to choose and they know exactly what accent pillow to put on the fashionable sofa. But, in fairness, this special talent isn’t exclusively reserved for our Gay brothers & sisters. Straight folks get it too. Well…straight women anyway… ;-)


Dori

So, What does a Realtor do Anyway?

One of the most important roles I find myself taking on during a real estate transaction is that of Friend. Buying or Selling a home is quite often one of the most exciting and stressful events in a person’s life. They are either scared to death or super excited. There is rarely an in-between.

In the best of times, the client is a first time homebuyer, starting out their life, looking forward to the future, but in the worst of times, the client is forced to sell due to a break-up or divorce. They are heartbroken and bewildered. It’s my job to take them by the hand and lead them through. I’ll listen patiently, offer support and lend a shoulder. If I had to name the most important quality a good Realtor could possess under these circumstances, it is empathy. And, friendship.

All the best- Dori

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So What Does a Realtor Do, Anyway?

One of the roles I feel professionally compelled to fulfill is that of mitigator. I feel it is my responsibility to mitigate conflict. The sale or purchase of a home is a hyper-emotional process. As a result, tempers may flair or our instincts may be reactionary. Very often, I will present an offer to a seller only to find them combative or defensive. Those feelings can cause a seller to respond to the buyer in anger rather than civility.

It is my responsibility to stay calm and keep all parties on point. There is almost always a solution to the various conflicts that may occur during a real estate transaction and it's my job to find & implement the best way forward.

So what are the best sollutions? They are almost always found somewhere in the middle. To me, residential real estate transactions are not a zero sum game. There shouldn't be a winner and a loser. I feel best when all parites are happy on closing day.

All the best- Dori

This Week in Mortgage Sports

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