I just met some wonderful people. They walked into my open house last week. The next day I helped them write an offer on that house. I wish I could say this is how our business usually works but this is most definitely the exception not the rule. What is more likely to happen is that we meet prospective buyers at an open house, decide to work together, and eventually help them purchase another property.

Sellers frequently ask “should I have an open house”. I always give the same answer “it depends”. Usually open house rounds are a bit like tire kicking or window shopping. Not necessary, but fun and good background information for future purchasing. So, if a seller is reluctant to open up their home to a group of strangers, or if it is just plain inconvenient, I say, just skip that part. It is not an essential element to their marketing plan.

But, they do have their place. Sellers, buyers and their agents can all benefit this Sunday afternoon custom. It is unlikely that a house will sell from an open house, but sometimes “lightening can strike” that perfect buyer walks in the door as it did for me last week. For the seller this is why it might be worth the effort. For the buyer (present or future) it is a great way to get a sense of the market. What do things cost, what do I like, and yes, we know sometimes you just want to check out the décor. That is okay too, it gives us a chance to meet you. Open houses provide a comfortable, informal way for buyers and agents to “interview” each other. I have met some wonderful people this way. Happily some of you have become my clients!

So sellers if you are game, give it a go. Buyers, come on in we can’t wait to meet you. See you all on Sunday afternoon!

Congratulations, you have just put your house under contract! Let the house hunting begin. Fast forward a day or two of “drop everything and let’s find a home”. We shop until we drop and THE house is found.

The giddy joy of hearing your offer is accepted is usually followed very quickly by a realization that this means an actual MOVE is going to be involved. The freshly signed contract includes a close and occupy date. Guess what? This really is the occupy date. NOT BEFORE. And it means the same thing on the contract on your current home. You must be out of your home (and leave it clean and sparkly too) on the day and hour of closing. NOT AFTER.

This begs the question. HOW?

Close on the new home prior (day, week, month, or year) to closing on your current home. On the plus side, you have time to move, put away, organize, paint, or re-model. On the down side, you own two homes until your current home closes. Depending on your financial position and risk tolerance this can be a wonderful option or not even on the table.

Close on current home, move somewhere in the interim. This is common when building new construction. Take the “bird in hand” and get your home sold NOW and rent (unless you have some very nice friends or family to take you in) until home is completed.

Most common is the “one day of sheer craziness” option. Close on your current home first thing in the morning, take the proceeds from that home and close on your new home a few hours later.

We’ve got a few more tricks up our sleeves (and some fun success stories) but this is the basic lay of the land. Let us know if you are a move once or move twice client and then “start packing”!

We live small and we love it.

We never meant to move so many times. Life just kept coming at us. The family grew, and then grew up, the jobs changed, the lifestyle changed. We wanted to be near this school and then near that school. We wanted a two story then a ranch seemed like just the ticket. What seemed like forever turned out to be just a stage and was gone in the blink of an eye.

A few years back we downsized in a big way. It was hard. Moving is never easy but can be particularly challenging when your beloved “stuff” now needs to fit in a space half the size.

This was the first time we moved to a smaller home. As with any move, the hardest part can be simply that it is not your old home. It is not the yard where you planted the trees, it is not the kitchen where you shared countless moments and memories, and likely your neighbors are not packing up and moving with you either.

But home, no matter the size, really is where the heart is. Home is where your loved ones are. Home is where your “stuff” is. We found we didn’t need, or even want, as many square feet as we thought we did. Having fewer things can mean less to take care of, to store or to organize (can you say house cleaned in 30 minutes!). Having a smaller home means learning to be more organized and efficient. ( If you need help with this there are some wonderful professional organizers who would love to help). Having fewer square feet and fewer things can create more time to enjoy the things you do have. In our case, time to plant a new garden and hop on the bike trail right out our door.

So if you are ready to downsize it may not be easy, but I can’t wait for you to discover your new “upside”. Call a Nebraska Home Sales agent when you are thinking about your next change.

How many times have we shown buyers home upon home only to find something not quite right about each one? Just when we have exhausted our inventory of ideas our buyers call to say they found a house they just love and it is NOTHING like EVERYTHING else we have shown them. And we have shown them a lot of houses. This perfect house does not meet any of the criteria our buyers asked for. So what have we been doing for the last week, month, or year of house hunting?

The phrase “Buyers are Liars” comes to mind. We are not proud of this but like professionals of all sorts we have our “water cooler” venting moments. Truth told though, we know exactly what has just happened. You have just found your home.

House hunting is a big deal. Big dollars equal big decisions. Typically the process starts with a list: bedrooms and baths, neighborhood and number of garages. You find a house or two that will work. But really, a “house that will WORK”? For your home for the next how many years (7 years on average) we should be able to do better than that. Yes, we want you to make a good rational decision, we want you to check off your list, but we also want you to fall in love. We want you to find your home.

The way I see it we don’t sell homes. We sell houses. Your home is where you, your people and your possessions are. Only YOU can make a house a home. The last week, month or year of house hunting has been just that. House hunting. But a home sometimes appears when you least expect it. It may not have the “right” number of bedrooms, garages and bathrooms. But it has something else, a certain “Je ne sais quoi”. Home, of course, is really what you were looking for all along. And if it takes a few rabbit trails along the way, it seems like a worthy price to pay.

Have you ever been shopping for the perfect pair of pants? You know JUST the ones you are looking for. Until you try them on.

So you try on a few (or more than a few) more. Finally you find the perfect pair. And they are not the black, wool pair you set out to buy. They are gray, and poly blend.

Enter the buyer’s agent. We get to be the personal shopper that asks you to JUST TRY on a pair of gray pants . . and they fit you just PERFECTLY. And they go with EVERYTHING. Why did you even think you wanted black?

We get to know you. We will help you see the “forest for the trees”, we will help you see through “smoke and mirrors” and pretty paint. We will help you think through what it is you really want. We will be the calm voice of reason and a sometimes very emotional process. And if you ask us, we will let you know, ever so kindly and gently, it the pants are a little too snug in the backside.

Sometimes the first one, house or pants, we try is the perfect fit. (I personally have been one of those buyers who looked at one house and that was it.) But sometimes we shop and shop and shop. We know you wanted to see only ranch style homes in south Lincoln. But we have gotten to know you. And because we know you so well and we know our market so well we think you should just TRY ON this two story in east Lincoln. And sometimes, just like the very non-black, non-wool pants, it turns out to be the perfect fit.

So when you are ready to shop (houses that is) call your favorite personal shopper (aka buyer’s agent). And have your checkbook ready, just in case, like me, the first one is the perfect fit.

There is a sweet Little House not too far from downtown that has seen better days. This Little House has seen both its gardens and children better tended. True, the Little House’s roof and porches have seen better days, too. For those of us that call homes “sweet” and love the story each one tell , this could be a sad story but I’m not so sure it is.

The Little House was built and well-built, I might add, according to a recent home inspection. It was built for function but also for beauty. The trim and doors would leave today’s craftsmen drooling for a chance to create something so extravagant in an otherwise practical home.

This Little House is in the process of being sold. I have the good fortune to be working with both buyer and seller. I get to hear the old story and the new one. Both stories tell of hard work, sacrifice, and a good life. They tell of the opportunity our town offers.

Recently I rode my bike to Holmes Lake to see the sunset. It was beautiful. Then I turned around and looked behind me to the east. That view was majestic. Who knew east could be prettier that west at sunset?

So it can be with our Little House. When considering a property be sure to look for what it has, not just what it does not have. Look for the opportunity. Perhaps a little paint or elbow grease, or a new roof or fence, or even a new function or a new kind of family can provide an opportunity for the buyer and the house.

This Little House is being bought by someone with this kind of vision. Our town changes, its houses and its neighborhoods change. But I’m not so sure this is a bad thing. Just try looking east at sunset sometime.

As it happens I am working with more sellers than buyers right now. And sometimes that makes it hard. Sellers after all, are leaving. Often not just their home but their town. Jim and Arlene for example. They love Lincoln and they love their home. But they love their family more. After much consideration they are moving to be with them.

As we walked through their home considering what needed to be done to get the home ready for sale, it was hard to not stop and look at all the pictures, awards and mementos on the walls. It was obvious. Life in Lincoln was good. The decision to leave was hard.

During our short but delightful acquaintance I have gained a sense of what lovely people they are and how Lincoln will be a little poorer for not having them as residents. We have even shared tears. And this is part of what we do. We help sellers make good BUSINESS decisions in the middle of:

“Should we move? How will I ever, EVER get this house packed up? They want to close WHEN? How can they not love this wallpaper/paint/carpet….it was sooo perfect.”

It’s hard to keep a clear head in the midst of this. We hold hands (sometimes literally) and remind them that all they really care about is a ready, willing and able buyer whose terms (price, closing date, etc.) meet their needs.

Our job is to help our clients, both buyers and sellers, do what they have decided to do. We provide clarity, sometimes courage, understanding of the process (purchase agreements, signatures, more signatures, inspections, title company, repairs, utilities,… what happens when). And then when all is done we hand their keys over to the buyer. Pledges by buyer and seller of “I’ll NEVER” do this again are shared. But they probably will. And we will be there.