What a BEAUTIFUL day! There is something about sunshine and a nice breeze that re-energizes me. I know I'm not alone on that. I definitely needed it today. A few of my Buyers have been stressing over their purchases over the last couple of weeks and that gives me a stomach ache. There are always challenges that come up, regarding the property, financing, the buyer, the seller, etc., and sometimes there is just nothing we can do to make things better. So, just like the sunshine, it is really refreshing to hear about transactions where everything went smoothly, due largely to the good people involved, like this sale I heard about the other day...

Ms. Buyer is renting, has grown children and has never owned a home of her own, much less negotiated her own deal! Mr. Seller was a newlywed whose wife had a fully stocked and furnished home for them. The house was advertised as being "furnished" which THRILLED Ms. Buyer because she was starting over and needed EVERYthing, so the idea of a few chairs and a dresser was very exciting for her. Unfortunately, Ms. Buyer was out-bid by another buyer. She wasn't sad for too long, though, as soon she learned that the first deal had fallen through and she had the opportunity to buy the house if she still wanted it. YAY! She was excited again! Once terms were renegotiated Mr. Seller invited her back to the house to pick what furniture she wanted to keep, then he would dispose of the rest for her. Remember, Ms. Buyer needed everything so she said she'd keep every bit of it that she could. She was so thankful and excited about the whole thing... it was contagious to Mr. Seller who told her she could keep EVERYTHING... TVs, entertainment center, beds, dressers, hand crafted desk and chair, pots, pans, EVERYTHING! We so often see people leave behind the junk that they don't want to haul to the dumpster... it was fantastic to see someone who was in the position to help someone who needed it and sooo appreciated it.

That is a good and successful transaction. Realistically, though, there is often going to be some hardship on one end of the deal or another, but it's an amazing and good person who considers the good of both parties, rather than preying on the other side's misfortune. Although we don't all meet until we get to the closing table, maybe keeping in mind that they are actual people on the other side of the deal will help us remember to negotiate with reason, kindness, and respect. It goes a long way and might even lead you to being "given" more than you ever expected!