In the Trenches: Hidden Treasures

Hidden Treasures

Three weeks after my clients moved into their new home, the next-door neighbors came knocking and said the previous property owners wanted them to check the house for belongings they may have left behind. The neighbors checked two places but didn’t find what they were looking for.

A few days later, they returned with the same request. This time, they struck gold—literally. The neighbors looked on top of the kitchen cabinets, which were layered with thick gold necklaces and all kinds of gems, including Rolex watches. The neighbors turned the jewelry over to the previous owners. It reminded me of what I always tell my clients: Lock up your valuables!

—Susan Creeden, ABR, GRI, Vibe Realty, Woodstock, Ga.

Through a Child’s Eyes

In 2020, I was working with a single mom who wanted to purchase her first home. The market was hot, and prices were increasing quickly. My client’s offers had been rejected on more than 10 properties.

Two days before Thanksgiving, a new townhouse came on the market in my client’s price range. We rushed over that evening to see the home. My client brought her young daughter, who was already in her pajamas. The property was perfect for them. I went home and wrote the offer that same night.

On Thanksgiving Day, the offer was accepted. She cried when I called her and gave her the good news. Her daughter drew a picture of the home and gave it to me on the closing day. She wrote, “Thank you, Tim, for the home! I love it.” To this day, it is my most cherished gift from a client, and it is displayed above my desk.  

—Tim Mock, CRS, GRI, Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston, Raleigh, N.C.

Bringing Home the Bacon

I was showing a home, and while my clients and I were in the living room, we heard a horrible squealing noise coming from the back of the house. We turned around, and down the hallway came a potbelly pig charging right at us! That pig chased us right out of the house.  

—Donna Santa Maria, GRI, U.S. Realty Group, Newport Beach, Calif.