First time investor.

Good morning friends.

This is Betty, your Realtor® with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate FINE LIVING in Orlando, Florida. Today I’d like to share an unusual but surprising story. I enjoy sharing stories that inspire and give you resources to continue either searching for your dream home, or if you’re a Realtor®, keep you inspired

Today I would like to share with you a property I recently sold in Central Florida.

Now, of course for their protection, I’m not going to be including the address or maybe their real names, but I will be sharing a lot of back-end information that led to a successful closing.

So if you’re ready, let’s get started.

Oftentimes family members and friends send me a referral of someone looking to purchase or sell their home. I’m incredibly grateful for that, but it also brings greater responsibility to successfully execute the transaction. This is because they have put their trust in me.

Cheryl is not only a friend, she’s my constant cheerleader. Oftentimes sharing my website and social media posts. She’s a true friend and I love her for that. Cheryl reached out via Facebook with a close family member who was ready to list her home. She needed a Realtor® that was efficient and was going to make the process as seamless as possible.

They trust me.

When I met the seller she was ready for a checklist and a “let’s get it done” attitude.

After a walkthrough and a checklist we set a goal for 30 days to declutter and get ready for picture day.

The seller is incredibly creative. Her home was freshly painted with intricate décor from her travels and memorabilia. This included things she was passionate about like Star Wars, Universal Studios, Bordeaux wine and even her school chair she sat in as a child.

There were also things she was willing to part ways with. Goal number one – declutter the property. She had a lot of work in her hands m, and undoubtedly, she was really anxious about it.

Our 30 day plan to declutter seemed overwhelming. It’s quite difficult and emotionally draining to let go of belongings. She put on her working boots and did a fabulous job. Not only did she hire a handyman, but she even rented a dumpster.

We are in Florida so you know we have a lot of rain and quite a bit of sunshine. So it’s either very sunny and hot, or it’s raining! I have to tell you, she did a fabulous job at staying focused and persevering. She was excited. She was ready for whoever this home would belong to.

After decluttering, paint was to follow as we prepared for picture day. Short on sandpaper, she asked her neighbor of 10 years if she could borrow sandpaper if he had any. When he arrived, she shared plans of selling the home.

You build a relationship with neighbors. You’ve most likely seen their kids grow up, they play in your pool and these are sometimes the people you do life with. The neighbor was instantly interested in possibly purchasing the home. They exchanged my contact information.

I actually have the picture of that initial sandpaper that started it all.

If you are a Realtor, you know that oftentimes we get those calls from our clients to say. Hey, my neighbor wants to buy my home and we know that 9 out of 10 times that’s possibly not what happens right?

I got a call from the neighbors who expressed interest in the home. With no pre-approval, no Realtor, and no idea of the road ahead. I gave them a TEAM!

Jason, our internal lender, and Glorianna, my closing coordinator with The Closing Agent continually supported them along the way.

Now here is why this is so interesting. The buyers always wanted to invest in a home and they never really thought it was possible for them. They didn’t know where to start or what to expect.

The great thing about this is that we are working with an experienced and professional team to provide support every step of the way.

It was a slow process because we are in the midst of a pandemic, things take a little bit longer than usual. At exactly 30 days after the offer, we got a clear to close.

Our excitement was real. They were days away from their first investment home.

If you’ve worked with investors, you know that being a first-time investor comes with quite a bit of challenges. Maybe you’re unsure of the rental agreement and what happens when and what happens if. They had all legitimate questions that were pressing for them. Our team (their team) at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate helpEd them along the way. I as their Realtor answered all their questions. Jason helped them with all the financial aspects and our friends over at The Closing Agent helped clarify the closing process.

Questions that every first-time investors should be asking and could be asking and definitely has in the back of their mind. Such as who will manage my investment? We set them up with our partners at Celebration Rental Group to support them in the management and rental process.

Today, we are thrilled to celebrate with both seller and buyers.

I always enjoy working with first timers, either investors or homeowners. Because the excitement and fear, although present, doesn’t stop us from doing it.

If you’re a real estate agent, I want to encourage you today. The next time you have a listing appointment, remember, you have the ability to not only guide the seller through the process, but you are also part of their story. You are crucial to their success.

I hope you enjoyed our process, but most of all I hope you feel inspired to do what you do best, whether it’s in the real estate industry or not.

If you are a first-time investor, or are considering purchasing a home as an investment, I would be happy to help.

If you’re looking for your dream home and have questions, feel free to reach out.

In the meantime make it an amazing day friend.

www.theclosingagent.com