This Listing was a special one for me. The owner was someone that I had known for years, actually almost everyone knows him. His name is Al, if you ever went to Hot Wheels Skating rink in South Austin in the 70s.. Al was the guy who blew the whistle at you if you were going too fast… or if maybe you were one of those people who didn’t skate at all and just hung out in the dark corner of the rink. If you were doing nothing wrong, he would harass you just for good measure. Al was there to keep us all in line and no one has forgotten him. He also worked at the same Title Company that I did for about the same amount of time. In recent years though, I guess he has been retired and living out in Dripping Springs in this house.
Without divulging too much more personal information about Al I just want to say that he was ready to move to another State to be with his kids. He had put his house on the market with another agent a couple of years ago…I think it was on the market with that agent for over 550 days…Feeling pretty hopeless he finally took it off the market. Al and I ran across eachother, cannot remember how or where, he didn’t know I was selling real estate at the time.. but when he found out.. he asked me to PLEASE LIST IT, he was so ready to be out of here.
I listed the House in April and by July we had actually had two offers that did not turn out for one reason or another. August 15th came and we were under contract after 132 days on the market under my name. Total days on the market at that point were 687!!!! The closing date was September 30th and I think I was sweating bullets up until the day before closing. With lending guidelines and all that jazz nowadays I was so afraid that the Buyer’s loan was not going to work out and poor Al had already packed his things and was ready to sign and leave with his Uhaul the minute he was done.
The closing actually turned out fine, we closed at the title company that we had worked at together years ago and the closer was someone that we both knew even back in the Skating Rink days. (just as a side note.. Al pulled up to the closing office and took up about 6 spaces at the front door. I said, Al, they are going to make you move it. He said, Ahhhh.. I won’t be here long, let them gripe.) Typical Al ! So anyway, for me… I felt like Al had gone full circle. His business was done here and he could finally get to his kids. As I watched him get on the elevator leaving the closing… I couldn’t help but wonder if I would see him again since he was moving so far away. The sadness I felt was quickly replaced by happiness by seeing him be so overjoyed… he was so happy…finally after over 2 years of trying to sell. Al and his big smile were leaving Austin, my heart was full.
There is nothing like feeling good about what you do, nothing. There are many people who would not have taken a lower priced listing like this and work so hard on it. But for me… that is what it is all about. The fact that I helped Al meant the world to me… the paycheck was just an added extra. I thank the Lord for putting me back into Al’s path, for him and for me both.
PENDING TAKING BACK UPS.
