Perhaps I’m Crazy to Ask, But…

This has happened before, but I have never written about it. Today at my office, right after an appointment with a nice lady who listed her home in Yonkers with me, I was alone and catching up on returning phone calls. Line 2 rang while I was on line 1. Line 2 doesn’t have voice mail, so I asked line 1 to hold briefly, answered the phone quickly and the person said that he was calling about selling his daughter’s home in Mahopac. I explained that I was wrapping up another call and asked if he could hold or if I could call him back in 5. 

“Nope,” he answered. “I am walking out the door.”

Walking out the door? You just called me! 

Now, am I crazy to think that making a call about a possible 6-figure transaction is not something one does right before they run out for an errand? Would a reasonable person budget, say oh, I don’t know…10 minutes for a real estate discussion? Are we pricing perennial bulbs? Confirming show times for a film? Why do people make a phone call on something as significant as real estate when they are running out the door? 

As it turns out, he did call me back 15 minutes later and we spoke, but it isn’t the first time this has happened. As a matter of fact, I have had people make offers on my listings which were accepted, and when we began the discussion of inspection and contracts, been told that they’ll sort that out after they get back from an imminent 2 week trip abroad.

Huh? Why would you promulgate a real estate deal the day before you leave the country? Are we to hold a vigil until you clear customs? Maybe I am unreasonable, old fashioned, or set in my ways but some things require just a tad of planning. Real estate is not an afterthought in between Thanksgiving errands. 

Oh, our friend in Mahopac- as I said, we did catch up a little later. As it turns out, I already saw the house in 2009. They didn’t do business with me. It has been on and off the market, unsold, since 2008. I do not believe that to be a coincidence.