​No doubt about it, getting your home ready to sell is hard work. And to be honest, it’s often
more exhausting than people think! As Realtors, we empathize. Having worked with so many
sellers, and recalling our move just a couple of years ago, we do all we can to help. Some
transactions are more intense and this was one of them. Our seller was downsizing from her
longtime home. Just before selling, she had major back surgery so doing the typical decluttering
and packing was going to be a challenge, if not impossible. The list of things to do included
having an estate sale, determining the value of artwork, making repairs, lining up the septic
permit, and making tough decisions on what to keep, toss or sell in a home filled with a lifetime
of collections and memories. We were even a little overwhelmed at the endeavor! But this is
where experience and connections come in. We hired a stager, found service folks for the work
that needed to be done, recommended an estate sale company, and also researched art
experts who could value the artwork. Most critical though, was finding someone who could
help our client sort and pack. We enlisted a good friend knowing she was kind, helpful and
patient. This was a game changer! The process was completed little by little and in two
months’ time, the home was ready to go. And meanwhile, our client and friend became the
best of buds, with our friend providing extra support and companionship during a very
challenging time. Despite being in constant pain and having an overwhelming amount of tasks
on her plate, our client was the epitome of graciousness and gratitude. We enjoyed her
immensely and every visit and phone call, which was almost daily, was a pleasure. She put her
trust in us and had a positive attitude about the tasks and hurdles to get past, and we trusted
her as well to follow through and move forward. We all worked hard! Once on the market, the
home went under contract quickly, as it should have. It was a special home and all was perfectly
in place for the sale. It felt good. We didn’t know our seller prior to working with her, but going
through an intense time together established a friendship that continues on. In fact, John
recently performed for her birthday party. This was one of those transactions that was
especially rewarding, not because of the sale, but because of the special journey getting there.

Sometimes selling a property means encountering unexpected hurdles and requires a higher level of cooperation. Teamwork is most often the difference between success & failure! We really do need each other. Real estate transactions require collaboration with listing agents, buyer’s agents, title companies, lenders, inspectors, buyers and sellers, working together with the mindset of getting to a successful closing.

However, this one went to another level. We listed a lovely home and the adjoining acreage near Golden, and before going on the market we encountered our first hurdle. The property was an estate, as the mom recently passed away, and the old documentation of easements and land swaps up the canyon was more informal 25-years ago. The family worked with us, along with the county, and a persistent attorney to put the pieces together and solve the puzzle. We went on the market, ultimately got it under contract and all was well.

But then we were presented with another unexpected bump in the road… the lender for the seller would not loan on the land because it was a distinct parcel from the house.  We had to separate the land from the house, and the land had to be sold post-house closing. Why was separating it a problem?  Well, did we mention the lack of an easement from one property to the other?  If for some reason the buyers didn’t close on the land it would be an orphan property, i.e., no access to get to it, which meant it would have little value. So it was risky for our sellers that the house and land were closing separately. Another hurdle that was ultimately solved.

Why did the land have to close later than the house?  Well, there was yet another obstacle.  It was discovered during title work that 5 acres of the 35-acre land parcel was not properly deeded because of old survey issues, so although we thought we were selling 35 acres, turns out we actually were just selling 30 acres, with the 5 acres out there in no man’s land. This had to be figured out but would take time, and the buyers needed to close on the house sooner rather than later.  We got it resolved and moved forward.
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Each bump in the road meant long conversations with our seller and strategizing with the buyer’s agent.  Building trust and rapport, we became an effective problem-solving team. There were so many hurdles, we had to laugh when one of us received a call from the other starting with “Well, you aren’t going to believe this but…” Each time though, we both had the mindset that we could find a solution. The agent was terrific, and there were so many more… the surveyor, attorneys, the family of the estate, the title company, and the county.  Walking the property with the surveyor and multiple conversations with him about easements, deeds, and boundaries, going down to the county offices for clarification, communications with the estate attorney, researching records, talking to the title company to get their expertise, and working with the family. What a journey. Hundreds of emails, phone calls, and texts later, we made it to closing! Yes, there were obstacles, but the positivity and can-do attitude of everyone involved made it a rewarding adventure, and one in which we learned a lot. Bottom line… relationships, good people and teamwork really matter. – John &  Pandora