I'm back at the business of real estate this week, in a big way. I went to an open house yesterday not as a presenter but as the agent of a client. It's been months since I was on this side of the equation. I found myself critiquing everything the listing agent did, as well as how much the seller did or did not prepare for this open house. Emphasis on the did not. The home is a bit (a lot) rough. The listing warns that it's as-is, no compromises. I will admit that it is priced appropriately for the neighborhood and the condition it is in. And it looks like we are going to be writing an offer on it. I have wanted to be a part of one of those major transformations of a "diamond in the rough" kind of home, and in this particular case, I will get to be a bigger part than just the procurer and deal maker. My client is exceptionally close to me (no worries that she'll find a different agent). I will probably even get to actively participate in the renovation and remodeling on this house, if our offer is accepted. I should be honest with myself. I will be expected to do a lot. I'll volunteer for even more than I'll be assigned to do. But with sweat equity, this house can be something truly exceptional.
I have put up a good show of being a crazy cat lady. Two times in my life, for thankfully very short periods of time, I have had seven cats under one roof. That was overwhelming, and both times I was glad when the temporary cats went back home, even when they were sweet and affectionate. The seller of the house we toured yesterday, and went back to view in detail today, puts me to shame. The seller and listing agent were both at the house again this afternoon, and this time, the seller's cats were loose in the house. Apparently there were ten of them, half of whom were not apparent when we walked through. Well, they were not *visibly* apparent. If we get this house, the very first thing to be done will be to rip out the carpet, followed quickly by a brutal application of Kilz from subfloor to ceiling. It smelled strongly of cat. Even if this woman was diligent in cleaning of cat boxes, there was no way to hide the scent of that many feline bodies. The four or five that were out while we were there were sociable. They were large and fluffy and they let us pet them. But a trained eye like mine could see the signs of stress of a crowded house. Some of them groomed excessively (I could see chewed down fur on the base of a couple fluffy tails), but none of them had smooth, glossy fur. It might simply be that for that many cats all she could afford was cheap grocery store food, and their coats betrayed that fact. It also might be a result of a theory I've been working on for a while -- Cats who are petted often have softer fur, either because the oils are spread around from the physical touch, or because they are constantly licking the smell of human off of them. I haven't worked out which yet.
If I am to get an offer in on this place it has to be in the next 48 hours. That's not because the deadline is so soon. It's because by Thursday, I will be showing a whole different set of clients in a whole different town. I have someone I haven't met in person yet coming down to spend the day with me in Loveland. I've wanted to sell there for a year or more. This is going to be fun. I don't yet know how close they are to buying, but it seems like the wheels are in motion there. What a change from last year!
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