Midnight Call Pays Off
Editor’s Note: As we do each spring for our annual “Tales From the Trenches” article, we asked first-time home buyers to tell us how they did it, so that their hard-earned wisdom can help guide the next class of first-timers. As always, your letters were inspiring and filled with savvy advice. We did not have room for everyone’s letters, but our sincere thanks to all who wrote. Three of the stories appear below. For more tales see K5.
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In April 1999, my wife and I began house hunting in Midway City. I was brought up there, and we loved the neighborhood. It was close to work and everything else.
After being disappointed by a Realtor who showed us nothing but overpriced, lackluster homes, we decided to look on our own.
Our big break came on the night of April 28, when I noticed two recent Midway City listings. We fell in love with one of them. The price was reasonable. The location was perfect.
At almost midnight, I called the realty office. Amazingly, an agent answered! The next day, he showed us both houses. However, there was already an offer on the one we wanted. We didn’t care; we weren’t going to let this one go so easily.
That same night, our agent drafted an offer that we hoped was much more appealing than the other.
After an excruciating 48 hours of waiting, we got the house! We moved into our beautiful home in June.
In speaking to other first-time buyers who ask about buying a home, I tell them three things:
* Do your own research.
Read books, browse the Real Estate section, search the Internet to get a feel for the housing market and the steps involved in buying a house.
* Protect yourself in every aspect of the transaction.
Although your real estate agent owes you certain duties and obligations, he or she is still after one thing--a commission. You must always look out for yourself.
* Never give up.
If we had not decided to take matters into our own hands and had continued to wait for that first agent to find us a home, we never would have gotten our house.
HERMAN BAUTISTA
Midway City
