Real Estate agents. We all look the same in our pictures. Nice, approachable, professional. Pictures can be deceiving!
A few years back, I opened escrow on a cute little house with some first-time buyers I was representing. Before submitting the offer, I contacted the listing agent (we'll call him "Steve") to introduce myself and build rapport. Building rapport between agents initially goes a long way. At some point during the transaction something inevitably goes sideways requiring cool heads and teamwork between the Buyers, Sellers, and their agents to find an amicable solution. You'd be surprised how many Real Estate transactions fall apart because of emotions and hard to deal with personalities!
Steve was a young, brand new agent. These new agents watch too many Real Estate reality shows and get inspired to enter the business. They usually don't last long because they love the intensity of getting a deal done. That shit is for tv...as he would soon learn form me.
When I presented an offer to buy Steve's listing on behalf of my clients, Steve suggested we cross-qualify with his lender. A cross-qualification is where the Buyer's lender submits all of the documentation used to qualify the Buyer to the Listing Agent's Lender. That way the Listing Agent can ensure the buyer can secure the loan. Anything can be written on paper, a cross-qualification shows proof the Buyer can deliver on what was offered.
Y'all know my preferred lender is my sister, Tanya. She's my lender not because she's my sister, it's because hands-down she is the best lender I know. She's successfully obtained home loans for people even I doubted they could qualify, let alone purchase.
Tanya immediately reached out to Steve's lender providing him with everything requested of her. The next morning I get a phone call at 7 am from Steve yelling "I don't know what fucking game you're playing but HURRY UP AND SEND ME WHAT I NEED TO CROSS-QUAL YOUR BUYERS. YOU'RE WASTING MY TIME!" I calmly told Steve to let me check what happened and I'd call him back.
I called Tanya to verify she sent everything. She told me Steve called yelling at her as well. Tanya was pissed! I told her "Tanya, let's just stay calm and do what's best for our clients. We've dealt with assholes before. We'll get this closed. That's the important thing." I called Steve back. I asked him to check his SPAM folder. He found everything he needed from Tanya in his SPAM folder. All he had to do was check his email thoroughly.
Steve apologized and said he was sorry for blowing up at us. I told Steve there was no reason for any of that. I responded "We have a long escrow ahead of us, Steve. We have to work together, If there is ever an issue, please call me anytime and I promise we can work out a solution together. Amicably. We both want the same thing for our clients. The Sellers want to sell, the Buyers want to buy. Let's not get in the way of that." Steve agreed and thanked me for my "years of knowledge and experience."
My guard was still up. Ego stroking...I see right through it.
A couple of weeks went by and everything went relatively smooth, until the appraisal came in $10,000 under contract price. That meant $10,000 less for Steve's sellers. Steve called me, obviously upset. I told Steve not to worry, we can still get the deal closed. We have no control over an appraiser's report, but there is a solution where we can continue with closing the deal.
Steve, out of nowhere told me to 'SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
I was at home. Barefoot and in basketball shorts. My heart started beating fast. My face got warm. I got out of my office chair...stepped into my flip flops, grabbed my car keys, and asked Steve "Where would you like to meet so you can shut me the fuck up? Let's meet in your office parking lot so you can shut me the fuck up. I can be there in 25 minutes. Please come shut me the fuck up." I headed out the garage door.
"TODD...OH NO! I'm sorry man! I had a long day. I'm going through a lot! I didn't mean that!" Steve shrieked through the phone.
I told Steve "Look, player...you see my happy face on my cards and ads. You hear my nice and cordial voice when we speak. Don't get it twisted. I'm still a man. You're not going to speak to me any fucking way you feel like. Right now, your emotions are getting in the way of you selling your client's home. Don't let your ego get in the way of that. I can let this go as long as it doesn't happen again"
Cooler heads prevailed. Steve agreed to lower the purchase price to the appraised value and we successfully closed the deal. I added Steve to my list of DO NOT WORK WITH AGENTS. He was entry number 7.
ON TO THE REVIEW!!!
I open the bag and take a whiff, smells like smoky bacon. Upon first bite, I get a smoky flavor of fried chicken skin. Not much heat initially, but the heat builds very slowly as you proceed through the bag. The heat stands alone as it has no flavor of pepper or spices. Your'e aware of the heat from a distance,then it creeps up on you with every bite. One you hit the half-bag mark...BOOM...the heat is in your face. Staring eye-to eye with you like that Hall and Oates album cover. Still, with all that being said, these are not overly hot at all. The heat builds, dissipates, the builds again. Very enjoyable even if you don't like "hot chips." These remind me of the old school BAKEN-ETS hot and spicy pork rinds that have been around forever. I enjoyed these.
4 outta 5 on the Chip Mack scale.
A few years back, I opened escrow on a cute little house with some first-time buyers I was representing. Before submitting the offer, I contacted the listing agent (we'll call him "Steve") to introduce myself and build rapport. Building rapport between agents initially goes a long way. At some point during the transaction something inevitably goes sideways requiring cool heads and teamwork between the Buyers, Sellers, and their agents to find an amicable solution. You'd be surprised how many Real Estate transactions fall apart because of emotions and hard to deal with personalities!
Steve was a young, brand new agent. These new agents watch too many Real Estate reality shows and get inspired to enter the business. They usually don't last long because they love the intensity of getting a deal done. That shit is for tv...as he would soon learn form me.
When I presented an offer to buy Steve's listing on behalf of my clients, Steve suggested we cross-qualify with his lender. A cross-qualification is where the Buyer's lender submits all of the documentation used to qualify the Buyer to the Listing Agent's Lender. That way the Listing Agent can ensure the buyer can secure the loan. Anything can be written on paper, a cross-qualification shows proof the Buyer can deliver on what was offered.
Y'all know my preferred lender is my sister, Tanya. She's my lender not because she's my sister, it's because hands-down she is the best lender I know. She's successfully obtained home loans for people even I doubted they could qualify, let alone purchase.
Tanya immediately reached out to Steve's lender providing him with everything requested of her. The next morning I get a phone call at 7 am from Steve yelling "I don't know what fucking game you're playing but HURRY UP AND SEND ME WHAT I NEED TO CROSS-QUAL YOUR BUYERS. YOU'RE WASTING MY TIME!" I calmly told Steve to let me check what happened and I'd call him back.
I called Tanya to verify she sent everything. She told me Steve called yelling at her as well. Tanya was pissed! I told her "Tanya, let's just stay calm and do what's best for our clients. We've dealt with assholes before. We'll get this closed. That's the important thing." I called Steve back. I asked him to check his SPAM folder. He found everything he needed from Tanya in his SPAM folder. All he had to do was check his email thoroughly.
Steve apologized and said he was sorry for blowing up at us. I told Steve there was no reason for any of that. I responded "We have a long escrow ahead of us, Steve. We have to work together, If there is ever an issue, please call me anytime and I promise we can work out a solution together. Amicably. We both want the same thing for our clients. The Sellers want to sell, the Buyers want to buy. Let's not get in the way of that." Steve agreed and thanked me for my "years of knowledge and experience."
My guard was still up. Ego stroking...I see right through it.
A couple of weeks went by and everything went relatively smooth, until the appraisal came in $10,000 under contract price. That meant $10,000 less for Steve's sellers. Steve called me, obviously upset. I told Steve not to worry, we can still get the deal closed. We have no control over an appraiser's report, but there is a solution where we can continue with closing the deal.
Steve, out of nowhere told me to 'SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
I was at home. Barefoot and in basketball shorts. My heart started beating fast. My face got warm. I got out of my office chair...stepped into my flip flops, grabbed my car keys, and asked Steve "Where would you like to meet so you can shut me the fuck up? Let's meet in your office parking lot so you can shut me the fuck up. I can be there in 25 minutes. Please come shut me the fuck up." I headed out the garage door.
"TODD...OH NO! I'm sorry man! I had a long day. I'm going through a lot! I didn't mean that!" Steve shrieked through the phone.
I told Steve "Look, player...you see my happy face on my cards and ads. You hear my nice and cordial voice when we speak. Don't get it twisted. I'm still a man. You're not going to speak to me any fucking way you feel like. Right now, your emotions are getting in the way of you selling your client's home. Don't let your ego get in the way of that. I can let this go as long as it doesn't happen again"
Cooler heads prevailed. Steve agreed to lower the purchase price to the appraised value and we successfully closed the deal. I added Steve to my list of DO NOT WORK WITH AGENTS. He was entry number 7.
ON TO THE REVIEW!!!
I open the bag and take a whiff, smells like smoky bacon. Upon first bite, I get a smoky flavor of fried chicken skin. Not much heat initially, but the heat builds very slowly as you proceed through the bag. The heat stands alone as it has no flavor of pepper or spices. Your'e aware of the heat from a distance,then it creeps up on you with every bite. One you hit the half-bag mark...BOOM...the heat is in your face. Staring eye-to eye with you like that Hall and Oates album cover. Still, with all that being said, these are not overly hot at all. The heat builds, dissipates, the builds again. Very enjoyable even if you don't like "hot chips." These remind me of the old school BAKEN-ETS hot and spicy pork rinds that have been around forever. I enjoyed these.
4 outta 5 on the Chip Mack scale.
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