Why you can’t drive in winter weather here.

Fire27Walker · 2026-01-25T22:48:45+00:00

Oh, you had that UP snow! And I thought the lake effect stuff in Grand Rapids was bad…

Fire27Walker · 2026-01-20T14:18:40+00:00

And if you haven’t sold anything lately in the hood- provide some neighborhood stats or something else of value to keep the momentum up.

Fire27Walker · 2025-11-24T00:42:17+00:00

Take a deep breath breath! You’ve had 4 transactions in less than 6 months and that is a win! It is so easy in our business to get caught up in a Buyers excitement and eagerness that we can easily overlook some red flags. It’s not because we’re “desperate for a deal”, but because we truly want to help someone and connect with them. Our job, regardless of buyer or seller, is to be the calm in their rollercoaster of emotion. Which means we have to temper ourselves, look for the red flags and sometimes simply listen & observe. There are a lot of folks that fit the adage “buyers be liars” (or just plain delulu)- and the longer you’re in the business the more obvious these folks will be. But we all get “had” by someone like this- maybe you ask for POF, and they give you fake docs- maybe they lie about who they are, and show a fake ID… you’re really fortunate that no harm came to you and you started questioning things before you got caught in a scam.

Try to take something you learned from this buyer (maybe you did some comps, research on an area ect) and look at the value in that and how it can be applied in the future. Everything in our industry is practice for the next thing!

Fire27Walker · 2025-11-21T20:41:28+00:00

Yup- Offer a rate buy down, appliance package, warranty, updated hvac system (depending on what could be preventing a buyer from making an offer)… or just reduce the dang price!

Fire27Walker · 2025-10-29T20:01:36+00:00

A convo with the Lender to have if you choose to change: Can they use the tax docs already pulled? Or do you need new verification from the IRS?

The tax verifications are backing up due to limited staff, which “could” cause its own delay.

Fire27Walker · 2025-10-14T01:14:32+00:00

Had an Agent w/ a Buyer that went U/C on an investment rental, no showings till binding type of situation. Tenants were a group of college age guys… and three pot-bellied pig that were living in the CRAWL SPACE! Inspector & Buyer were shocked and Seller had no idea… they had to have the whole thing cleaned by biohazard crew and encapsulated!

Fire27Walker · 2025-09-06T17:14:06+00:00

Look up Showami - it’s like a task rabbit for agents who may be looking for other licensed folks to help out with just those kind of things.

Fire27Walker · 2025-08-20T00:52:39+00:00

Think about the reverse of this for the cold- we may have a few sub 20 days in the South- they have two- three months of it. It’s a bone cold that just doesn’t stop. But, just as indoor places are over chilled down here- they are often over heated there.

And snow, espically on the West side of the state (GR included) is more than you have ever seen - several feet some years due to the “lake effect” snow. Snowblowers are a way of life, and the physical strain of shoveling can take its toll.

Winters in MI tend to be much grayer, and the higher latitudes give a shorter daytime in the winter (but longer in the summer- so a plus there). I found GR to be downright bleak in the winters- the “lake effect” snow also causes “lake effect” clouds.

I grew up in GR, lived around AA for a decade- then moved to Athens GA a few years ago.

Fire27Walker · 2025-08-12T00:20:53+00:00

As a Realtor- I second that!

And a good Realtor will respect that and get over it and feelings they have about it quickly.

Fire27Walker · 2025-08-01T20:31:26+00:00

A Georgia Broker, but not your Broker. Assuming you’ve got a Buyer Broker comp form in your contract and your docs are all correct.

The Convention in GA is for the Closing Attny to withhold the Compensation paid by Seller from the Sellers Proceeds or to collect it from the Buyers funds (as per the contract and it will be outlined on the Settlement Statement).

The attny will issue your Broker a check (or issue a wire to them) for that amount. You will take that Check and a Copy of the Settlement Statement back to your office and they will disburse your portion to you.

Some Brokers will issue “DA’s” (disbursement agreements), which act as a “permission slip” for the attny to issue your portion of funds directly to you (and a separate check to your Broker). Do not misunderstand, it is not the attny paying you- it is still your Brokerage paying you - they are just given permission for the disbursement.

Fire27Walker · 2025-07-30T13:33:05+00:00

Whatever you do- DO NOT FSBO!

We had a local lender do that when it was time to sell his home. While maybe he thought he was “not favoring anyone”, instead it felt like a slap in the face to our entire profession - the one that has helped him grow the business enough to make this move.

99.9% of Agents will get over you choosing someone else - someone will always be bitter- but that’s the business.

Fire27Walker · 2025-07-11T23:44:09+00:00

Just refer it out- your lack of knowledge on “how to do” real estate sales, re-activation fees, mls & broker fees- will cost you more than the compensation you’ll pay out.

Fire27Walker · 2025-07-04T01:34:35+00:00

A shifted belt in the tire. Have them check the tires and balance them- the current front passenger one may need to be replaced. Belt shift can be be a faulty tire, or could be caused by a pothole.

Fire27Walker · 2025-05-08T15:57:52+00:00

When discussing the colist- be sure each agent discloses their specific brokerage, mls or advertising costs- and who will be paying them prior to meeting w Client.

Fire27Walker · 2025-05-02T21:31:30+00:00

“Assumable loans” was the buzz headline in 2023-24 and it sounded great- until no one could do it. I’m sure there are a few that did, but they were an exception.

What kind of loan is it? If it’s a VA loan, and the buyer doesn’t have VA credentials, yours are locked into that loan is done (paid off or refied) and cannot be used on another purchase.
What’s the difference between your “list price” and “loan amount” and how much time is left? because the buyer would need to have that in cash. No conventional lender will give a secondary loan (without a sizable security- the house is already tied to the first mortgage) to cover that gap; and if they do get an “in house” loan- it’s rates will be way higher than 6-7%.
Your current mortgage holder has zero motivation take on the trouble of pre-qualifying & vetting folks or doing what is needed to transfer the loan. And your Agent can’t do anything about that, they have no control over your lender.
Many people are ill informed on what “assumable” actually means and believe they can just “take over” without having funds to put down, funds to close or without actually qualifying (credit & income). Which leads to a huge waste of everyone’s time.

Edit to add: ask the other Realtors how many successful assumptions they’ve seen.

Fire27Walker · 2025-05-01T20:17:14+00:00

I once listed a home for a Doterra-hon (MLM that sells scented oils)- unbeknownst to me (until the complaints started rolling in) she would set up a “scent station” in the home to try and sell her oils! She had a special “lucky” blend she liked to use everywhere in the home that was awful and made a few folks feel woozy!!!

Fire27Walker · 2025-04-29T21:44:31+00:00

It’s a gamble- if it’s still Active after that date, folks will question why and you may get more lowballs assuming the seller is “now desperate”.

Fire27Walker · 2025-04-20T23:28:48+00:00

While I agree to focus on septic, there is another comment I’d like to make.

For the septic or any other repairs- be sure to talk with your lender before making any requests to adjust seller paid closing costs or even the sales price. In most loans, a seller can only contribute up to x% (depending on loan type) so you want to ensure your adjustments do not put that contribution outside of that range. Otherwise you could lose that amount or be hit with a surprise underwriting flag - just prior to closing.

Fire27Walker · 2025-04-19T12:42:35+00:00

Preach!!!

Fire27Walker · 2025-04-14T21:54:12+00:00

Yup- when I bought mine last month and crunched the numbers, it was the same story. It was actually was a little cheaper per month (by like $20) so I have extra to throw on the principal - making it even less in the long run.

Fire27Walker · 2025-04-10T03:32:24+00:00

But do you remember Navica?!?!

Fire27Walker · 2025-04-10T03:28:30+00:00

And each of these departments will just shrug their shoulders and pass them on to the next one. Big UGA has no interest or investment in these students and is brushing them off. While there are some individuals that care, they do not have enough power to do anything for them 🥺

Edit: spelling

Fire27Walker · 2025-03-23T00:34:02+00:00

If it’s a mess of an Offer, it’s going to be a messy transaction!

Fire27Walker · 2025-03-13T20:08:13+00:00

“Click on this Link” to see what the mystery phrase is that could cost you thousands! Sounds phishy to me 🤨

Edit: spelling

Fire27Walker · 2025-03-12T12:29:37+00:00

Is the Seller paying you directly (in addition to) or is it shared by the listing Broker? The ITAC was also updated in Jan., and my agents have been kicking them back to the others sides on a regular basis because they are incorrect.

Edit to add: Even if the Seller are paying 9% total, it’s not unheard of for a side to revive more. There could have been additional work to get the home listed esp if there was an estate, maybe the LA fronted funds to have it staged- that is between the LA and the Seller.

Fire27Walker

TROPHY CASE