Thanks for Thanksgiving - Yep a Little Early This Year!

Last year was my first Thanksgiving Holiday with my now husband. Don't worry, we'll get to Real Estate in a minute here. We were diligently cutting, basting, cleaning, table setting....when my cell phone rings. On Thanksgiving Day! I look down at the number, some 818 number I absolutely didn't recognize.

Figured I'd better just answer it now instead of having to retrieve the message later. Thank goodness for the hands-free ear piece. So, this nice animated lady says she is driving around the neighborhood where my newest listing is and 'Can we see it?' Mind you, I'm busy cutting celery for my turkey stuffing. I say absolutely you can.....but not today. And, that's how our friendship started. She laughed and said of course not today.

We scheduled for the Saturday, if I'm not mistaken, after the holiday of 2009. She came with her husband and a family friend to meet me at the home. I, because this is what I do, had arranged a few other homes to look at as well. So, the one I had listed, wasn't the right house, just didn't do it for them. Neither were the 3 or 4 others. But, in that short time period we were together that day, we connected. She and I may have connected over the hot-flashes I was having, yes I'm almost 50. He and I connected over my no B.S. attitude. But, the connection was made. I think back now, and I think it was the honesty factor for all of us. I told it like it is, they had a mildly different idea about how it should work, I told them how it does work.

We surprisingly found the perfect home for them fairly quickly. She kept saying it was his baby. Whatever he picked, that was A.O.K. with her. So, the majority of my house search process was with Mr. Buyer. And, he was good. No B.S. with this guy and no B.S. back at him.

When we found the home, it was just he and I. I had called the listing agent several times, to view the property, with no success. Finally called her broker to get him to have her call me back. (She was much better once we were in escrow on follow-up). We walked into the home and I turned around to look at him and said "She is going to love this place". Now, as I type this, I can't recall how I knew so much about what she wanted, about how the place would feel to her. But, he and I both knew it. Mr. Buyer called Mrs. Buyer and told her our thoughts. She again said, whatever you say honey. I trust you.

We negotiated the offer, and I did something stellar for them. He called me a Star when I told him what I was going to do. Thought I was just the best. But, I was honest, I gave something back to them because it made them happy. It got them their home. What is was, doesn't matter now. It got them the house that I knew was the perfect home for them.

Fast forward almost a year now. They are in their home, puttering in the garden, painting grape leaves on the walls, removing wallpaper and making salads for their friend, that happens to be their Realtor, for lunch.

And, we have a great relationship. A great friendship. And Saturday, after my delicious salad for lunch, when I was leaving to go see a current client....she reminds me that she will always contact me on Thanksgiving day. The day we met on the phone.

What's that thing...Kizmet? That's what brought these people to me and me to these people. And, I'm looking forward to having her over for salad at my place next time.....with a longer piece of my time puzzle etched out.....we just have too much fun when we are together and I know we didn't get caught up completely this time!

All of my past clients I remain friendly with. Stay in contact on a regular basis with notes, calls and e-mails. Some, it's just Kizmet....we are going to be friends....good friends.