Stamping Out Termites
A Victorian Waterfall
Don’t Let the Cat Out

Stamping Out Termites

I called my client, an elderly seller, to talk about her home’s termite report, which indicated there was a problem. She assured me she had taken care of the termites, but to be sure I called the termite extermination company. To my surprise, I was told that the seller never even contacted the company. I called the seller back to ask who had taken care of the termite problem. She proudly informed me she done the job on her own. In disbelief, I asked her, “How did you take care of the termites?” That’s when she told me: “I stepped on them and killed them.”

—Joanne LaPhan, sales associate with Paradise West Realty, Spring Hill, Fla.

A Victorian Waterfall

Last fall, here in Connecticut, I had a listing of a Victorian home that had been owned by the same family for its 100-plus years of existence. The second weekend the home was on the market, the neighborhood was hit with torrential rains—remains of one of the Florida hurricanes that had swept up the East Coast. Since the home was vacant, I went over after the storm to check for any damage. Remarkably, the classic vintage survived the storm well. But while I was there, I noticed a distinctly bad smell. After doing some investigating around the house, I discovered that someone showing the home had used the bathroom and didn’t flush. I tried to flush it, but the water wasn’t working. I called the seller, who advised me—for the first time—that the water main was shut off. So, following her directions, I turned on what I thought was the main valve to get the water flowing again. But boy was I wrong. The valve I turned flooded the basement! After the house survived more than 100 years and s severe storm system, it couldn’t survive a rookie practitioner who was trying to go “above and beyond.”

—RuthAnne Salvatore, ABR®, sales associate with McCaffrey Realty Professionals, Brookfield, Conn.

Don’t Let the Cat Out

I was showing my clients a two-story home, and as we walked back down the stairs we saw a cat run out the front door. I was mortified that I failed to close the front door and let the cat escape. Luckily, my clients were very understanding and spent 20 minutes helping me chase and capture the cat. Mind you, it was 105-degree July afternoon in Arizona! Successful in our pursuit, we returned the cat to the house and went on our way. But the story doesn’t end there—the listing agent called me that night to find out if I knew anything about the strange cat the sellers found in their home when they returned from work.

—Kara Jensen, ABR®, CRS®, broker-associate with Realty Alliance, Mesa, Ariz.

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