If ever a new year required a “do over” 2020 is it. Do you realize that at 12:01 AM you will have 2020 hindsight? What does that hindsight tell you? The year was full of unexpected things? What things? A Pandemic, a loss of a friend or family member, a decreased income or none, claustrophobia and or maybe a combination of all those things. None of us were spared from the unexpected. We are so ready for this year to end.
I found the picture below on Facebook. Thank you to the person that let me “steal” it. We wish you all of this and more. Happy 2021!
When my children were growing up, we celebrated all holidays, my Jewish ones and their and their Dad’s Catholic ones. They knew they were Catholic but also knew their Mother was Jewish. Christmas was a really big deal as it is in most homes with 3 young children. Because my Mother was Jewish she preferred not to visit us on that holiday. The children never cared because they saw her often even though she lived in Virginia and we lived in Georgia.
When my Mother was diagnosed with breast cancer many things changed. I always loved her but now it became more like I cherished her. One year as December and Christmas came closer she said she wanted to come and see what it was like at our home. The children were so excited I can’t even put it into words. Their Grandma was coming and she would see the Christmas tree, the stockings, see them open their gifts from Santa and see John, our oldest participate in the manger tableau at the children’s mass at church Christmas Eve. He was going to be a wise man.
October is the “almost” month. It’s almost cool outside. It’s almost time to turn on the heat. It’s almost time for Thanksgiving.
As children we looked forward to Halloween. As parents we were worried that our child might be sorry he/she chose the costume that they chose, and we worried we would run out of candy. All three of us have children so Halloween night was chaos when they were little. Do homework, eat dinner and run out the door with older siblings or a parent.
Where we love is home - home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.- Jane Austen
What’s a COVID?
How will we show property? What about our listings? What do we tell our sellers? Can we have open houses? Will photographers take pictures of our new listings? If lenders are working from home can they still work efficiently? Will attorneys have their offices open? Can we go to closings? Will the courthouse be open and recording deeds? What if a buyer gets sick? What if a seller gets sick? What if we get sick? Will our office be open? Can we apply for any of the business funds available? Masks everywhere?
As we sit in quarantine or isolation, whatever your preferred term what are you thinking about? I am a Mom and Grandma first so of course that is what I dwell on. When will I see my out of state children again and even more important when will I see my 4 grandchildren again? Will all their summer camps be cancelled so they will spend more time with me, or will we still not be traveling, and they won’t be able to get here at all?
I am enjoying working in my garden and it looks the best it has ever looked, but I do not want to venture to my favorite nursery and buy anything new. The smell of fertilizer has replaced the delightful smell of sitting with friends in the office and eating lunch.
Real Estate is our livelihood, our vocation, our profession but most of all it’s a service we provide to the public and we love what we do. I, Franne, have been a REALTOR® for over 20 years and I’m the 2018 Charleston Trident Association of REALTORS®, REALTOR® of the year. I’ve seen Buyer’s markets, Seller’s, markets and miserable markets but I’ve never seen anything like this. In the crash, some real estate agents slept in their cars. If we don’t have a closing, we don’t make any money. If you have nothing for a rainy day and your income stops, you can lose everything. We are no different than anyone else. We take videos, we use social media to remind people we are working from home, we try everything creative we can think of and we stay in close touch with our clients. “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Theodore Roosevelt. This too shall pass, soon, we hope. Stay Safe!
Thank you and stay safe!
Do you remember the story about the goose that laid the golden egg? The owners of the goose were so sure that it’s insides must be full of gold that they killed the goose. Moral of the story, greed is a terrible thing.
Real estate isn’t any different than sports, or everyday life. One of our clients may love the location of house “A”, but house “B” has been updated. They make an offer on house “A” based on its condition and what they think it will cost to bring it up to 2020 standards. The seller says no, sorry, I can’t sell for that price. We move on to house “B”. They buy it and live happily ever after. Yes, sometimes the team writes multiple offers, but what matters is our client.
When my family moved to Charleston in 1996, I came to visit my late husband already working here on a weekend and went back to Atlanta knowing what house I loved. My husband knew that house would make the transition easier for me. I was already a REALTOR® in Atlanta and did not want to leave my established business behind. It took him and our Charleston REALTOR® three contracts before they had a “deal” on the house I still live in. It was perfect then and it’s perfect now.
As we look back on 2019, we are filled with joy and gratitude. Because of you, our customers and clients, we have had a very successful year. We do not take our growth for granted. It's the result of hard work and great loyalty. We thank you all.
In 2019, we spread our wings. With months of work from our consultants, weeks of writing and meeting after meeting, we created our own website. It’s a reflection of us. It showcases who we are, what we do and why we are unique. You can find it at CharlestonFineHomes.com or WeAreCharlestonRealEstate.com.
