Do you believe it? My cat is a better real estate agent than your agent. You know why? Because of one simple, basic thing. She never gives up. When she wants something, she focuses on it and she gets it. Every morning she jumps on my desk when I am typing away. I ignore her. She sits in front of my monitor. When I look around her head to view the screen, she jumps to my side desk, grabs my arm with her paws and yanks me towards her. Then, she mews in my face. Fish breath.
I keep typing. Next thing I know, she is burrowing, digging on my arm, trying to squeeze under the tray that holds my keyboard. She wants my lap. That's her real estate: my lap. Eventually, due to her persistence, she gets my lap. She curls into a happy little ball and purrs. Among strangers, little Pia would never starve, either. She knows how to make her needs known. She is an excellent communicator.
Every so often, I strike pay-dirt myself. Like yesterday, when emailing a negotiator through Equator on a stuck-in-the-hole Bank of America AMS short sale. She finally sent the HUD for approval after we've been waiting for almost 3 months. This is a preapproved HAFA short sale. I also emailed the second lender negotiator who refused to send an extension until B of A approved the short sale and got her to send the extension without the approval.
I told this negotiator I was going outside to throw myself on the ground and kiss it. She said she could relate to that and has had those days herself. See, with a short sale, you can choose to throw in the towel or you can stomp forward. It's easy to throw in the towel. As a Sacramento short sale agent, I do not give up because that would be admitting defeat. I like to win. My closing ratio reflects that. Double-digit closings this month.
We could all learn a lesson or two from our cats.
Photo: Elizabeth Weintraub, Pia, cinnamon-spotted ocicat
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Certified HAFA Specialist
My Sacramento Real Estate Listings
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, available at Amazon.com.
Lyon Real Estate is not associated with the government, and our service is not approved by the government or your lender. Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your lender may not agree to change your loan.
Photo: Unless otherwise noted in this blog, the photo is copyrighted by Big Stock Photo and used with permission.
The views expressed herein are Weintraub's personal views and do not reflect the views of Lyon Real Estate.
Disclaimer: If this post contains a listing, information is deemed reliable as of the date it was written. After that date, the listing may be sold, listed by another brokerage, canceled, pending or taken temporarily off the market, and the price could change without notice. It could blow up, explode or vanish. To find out the present status of any listing, please go to elizabethweintraub.com.
