Earlier this year, Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009 (“2009 Tax Act”). In division B, Title I, Section 1006, there is a provision for a First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit (Form 5405) up to $8,000 or 10% of the purchase price. This act provides for an exception for principal residences […]

Real estate can be a great job.  I have been at it for 13 years now, after 2 careers in the corporate world.   I develop a trusting professional and personal relationship with the vast majority of my clients; I have been more successful than most; sold lots of houses and made lots of friends.  But the business is not for the thin-skinned.  Here’s a little example of the darker side:

So, you:
-Brilliantly and honestly answer a single-space page questions printed out from a web search on “how to choose a Realtor”
-Give the folks a lot more printed and linked information than they even knew to ask for
-Block out 2 days of valuable weekend time
-Are chosen winner from the list of candidates
-Show about 20 houses over 3 days, that they chose from the internet, while the stack of listings you hand-picked never gets off the clipboard
-Make an appointment at an odd evening hour for a second showing during sellers’ family hour, only to be stood up by client
-Reschedule for the following day (day 5).  Spend another hour with client picking the house apart
-Receive a list of very specific questions about the house, many of which would take a contractor or other licensed professional to answer or that answering might violate federal law or subject answerer to litigation
-Get the answers from listing agent
-Schedule an appointment to go over sales contract (could it be we will write an offer?
-Confirm appointment by email 45 minutes before appointment time
-Get stood up
-Leave voice mails
-Send emails
-Get summarily fired:  “Hey, Joe, I don’t think this is working for me…….” (via email)

Over the years you will run across folks who see no value in the services your provide, no value in the time you spend, yet they will pre-qualify you, make unreasonable demands, and throw you aside on a whim, and never provide a reasonable explanation.  If you can’t take rejection in stride; if being tossed to the curb or thrown under the bus is uncomfortable for you,  you might be happier flipping burgers.

Check out my Facebook Page at http://joespakepage.com

“I’ve been sifting through the layers, of dusty books and faded papers……..” so go the lyrics of Kate Wolf’s Across the Great Divide (great song, but you will have to look it up-I can’t find a sharable copy online). Spring cleaning time, and I am going through stuff I haven’t looked at in…

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