Chapter 14 #2
“I’ll take you up on that.” They shared laughs, and got to work. At one point, as they drank their coffee, they ate the leftovers from the night before for their breakfast. They were putting the cleaning supplies into the trailer when someone pulled into the driveway.
“Who is that?” Shay asked.
“No clue, it might be the real estate agent.” She looked at her watch and pointed out the time to him. They closed up the trailer and waited for the man to exit. He held a leather portfolio and smiled when he spotted them, he approached with his hand out, and a practiced smile on his face.
“Hello, I’m Jason Reeves, I’m here to ask you about your home.” Before they could even shake his hand, another car pulled in, and the woman that stepped out looked pissed. Shay and Faith exchanged looks, and Shay leaned down to whisper to Faith.
“This should be interesting.”
Faith grinned at him and turned to watch the drama unfolding.
“What are you doing here?” the woman demanded after she slammed her car door shut hard enough to make the entire vehicle rock back and forth. She walked right up to Jason and drilled her finger into his chest, causing both Shay and Faith to wince at each poke.
“You are not supposed to be here, this is my appointment. How did you even hear about it?” She crossed her arms, tapped her foot, and glared at him. “Go, you’re not wanted here.”
“But, but, but, how am I supposed to learn anything if I don’t start showing houses?”
“This isn’t a house showing, you moron. Didn’t Richard tell you that you needed to be fully licensed and certified before you can take the next step?
Horning in on other agents’ business will get you blacklisted so fast you will never be able to work in real estate in the state of Kentucky, so go back to the office.
” When he started to protest, she firmed her voice, and said coldly, “NOW!”
He sulked away like a little boy, or a kicked puppy, and as soon as he backed out of the driveway, the woman turned to them.
“I’m sorry, let me get my things, and I have a call to make.
” She pulled her phone, and they heard her tell someone named Richard what had just happened.
She returned with her own leather portfolio, and a strained smile on her face.
“Hi, I’m Margaret Boyle, with Boyle and Boyle Realtors. I have an appointment with Faith Webber for eight this morning. I’m sorry I’m late.”
“You weren’t late, I’m Faith. Can you tell me what just happened?”
“I’m sorry for that. Jason is a new hire, I mean he’s so new that he doesn’t even have his license yet. He wants to be the next millionaire real estate agent.”
“What’s that?” Shay asked.
“It’s a reality TV show where real estate agents sell property that is expensive.
I’m not saying they don’t do their job correctly, it’s just that the property they sell or list only millionaires can purchase.
Something somebody like me will never be able to afford.
He’s also got a god complex.” She shook her head, closed her eyes, and drew in a deep breath before looking at them again.
“I’m sorry, I just get so frustrated when kids like that think they know better than someone with fifteen years of experience. ”
“Who’s Richard?” Shay asked.
“My husband, and the other part of Boyle and Boyle.” She chuckled.
“I didn’t want to do it, but I had to call him to tell him what Jason tried to pull.
” She shook her head again and looked at them intently.
“If you had signed a contract with him, and a sale was made from that contract, and the new owners find something wrong with the home, you could be held responsible, not the new owners, nor the signing agent. If they found out Jason didn’t have a license, they could sue him, you, me, my husband, and the entire firm, all because he couldn’t wait two weeks. ”
“What’s in two weeks?”
“The test for the state real estate’s license.”
“Ah,” Faith nodded. “Well, I’m sorry you’re going through that, and I’m glad you got here in time. Did you bring the booties?”
“I did,” she went back to her car and brought out a box slightly larger than what would hold surgical gloves.
“Come on in, we just got done cleaning everything, the windows and doors are open because someone used too much cleaning solution, and we’re airing it out.” Faith threw a look at Shay, and he only shrugged.
At the front door, they paused to slip on the booties, and Faith waved her hand for Margaret to enter first. “I know we talked on the phone, but I’ll let you walk in ahead of us. I’ll let you walk through, then we can talk. Would you like some coffee?”
“Thank you, but I’m good.” Margaret gave her a nod, opened her portfolio, and entered the house. Faith and Shay went to the kitchen to wait for her to return.
It was almost an hour before she returned to the kitchen, and Faith grabbed Shay by the arm to drag him out of the way of Margaret snapping pictures. When she finished, she looked at her with a smile. “I’ll take that coffee now.”
Faith quickly poured her a cup, and they settled at the kitchen table. “Are you taking the appliances, and this table?”
“No, if you agree to sell this house, once I sign on the dotted line, I’m leaving.”
“It’s none of my business, but are you going far?”
“I’m moving to Colorado. The place I’ll be moving into is fully furnished, and there’s no place to store what I’m leaving.”
“Have you ever thought of turning this into an Airbnb?”
“No, I don’t want the hassle.” She shook her head and looked between Shay and Margaret. “I looked into it, and if I lived closer so that I could come and clean after every guest, it might be okay. However, I’m moving eighteen hours away, once I leave here, I won’t be back.”
“Why did you suggest that?” Shay asked.
“Oh, I’m sorry, this is Shay Hall, my boyfriend,” Faith said, and noticed Shay grin and sit up straighter.
“I suggested the Airbnb because you live in the heart of horse racing country. How far are you from the nearest track?”
“Fifteen minutes, twenty to twenty-five on race day, with the traffic.”
“Okay, that’s not a large commute. I’m suggesting this because our agency works with Airbnb, and we have several homes that we monitor.
We also work with a cleaning company that will come in and clean after the guests leave.
Sort of like a hotel. You have three bedrooms here, with one bathroom.
I take it you’re not willing to make any improvements? ”
“No, what you see is what you get.” Faith went to the kitchen and pulled out a folder.
Back at the table, she opened it, and removed the top two pages.
“These are two home inspections, done with two different companies. I had them done in the last three weeks. According to them, the house has a solid foundation, up-to-date wiring, and a good roof. That’s just the basics, you can read the entire report.
They say nothing needs to be done in order to sell. ”
“Good, this will save me the time to get someone in here, and I’ve worked with these guys before. I made the suggestion of the Airbnb not only for the location, but also for the money.”
“How so?” Shay asked.
“If we list this to sell, you’re looking between two ten and two twenty-five.”
“But as an Airbnb?”
“Three bedroom, with twin beds, two people per room, six people max, furnished kitchen, furniture, I could ask anywhere between seven hundred and fifty, to five thousand.”
“Why such a difference?” Faith asked this time.
“The lower number would be for one night. The higher number would be for a week.”
“You’re telling me that you can get five grand a week for this place?”
“Or more, depending on what the outside looks like. I haven’t been out there yet.”
“Oh, there’s a little over a quarter of an acre. It’s completely fenced in, so what you see is all there is. There’s a covered patio, and though I don’t have one, because I tossed it last summer, but there is a place to put in a BBQ grill.”
They went out to look at it, and as Margaret nodded and snapped pictures, Faith looked at Shay.
“What do you think?”
“I can’t make that decision for you, Faith. I don’t know what your finances are.”
“I’m set, I don’t need the money.”
“Think about this,” Shay said after several minutes of silence.
“Do you want the renters to call you all hours of the day and night with complaints? What if it’s sitting here empty for weeks on end, will anyone call you if someone breaks in and destroys it, or what if someone breaks in and starts to live here?
Do you want to deal with reviews, the possibility of checks bouncing, credit cards declining, or the renters trying to dispute the charges and get them cancelled?
Or do you want to get one lump sum and walk away from it all? ”
“I never thought of what you just suggested, and since I don’t need the money, I’ll go with the one lump sum.”
“He’s right,” Margaret said as she joined them. “Everything he said is a possibility. As much as we try to be the person of contact, somehow the renters find the owners and start calling them with little problems.”
“How little?”
Margaret shook her head. “One renter wanted someone to come in and make their bed, and put out clean towels for them, every single day they stayed. They booked for the month. We told them if they wanted that service, then to go to the hotel. Once a renter is on the property, the cleaning company won’t come in until they are gone.
Yet, another one said that the ice maker on the refrigerator leaked and they wanted a refund for the entire week.
It started leaking three hours before they were due to leave. Two weeks.”
“Yeah, no, I’m not dealing with other people’s stupidity. Let’s see what you can come up with if I sell it outright, and in as is condition.”
They went back into the house, and by eleven o’clock, the paperwork was all filled out, and Faith had signed on the bottom line.
She handed the house keys to Margaret, and after doing one final walk through, not finding anything missed, they went out, and Margaret placed a lock box on the front door.
“I’ll go back to the office and get this listed.
I have the photos, and I have your cell phone number if I need you.
With today’s technology, we should be able to do everything over the internet.
Do you have any questions before we leave? ”
“When will you put the sign in the front yard?”
“As soon as I go to my truck and get it out. When I get back to the office, I’ll list it, meaning I’ll put it on our website, and upload the photos, along with the description of it.”
“Okay, do you need us to help with the sign?”
Before Margaret said anything, Shay spoke, “I’ll help.” He started toward the vehicle, and Margaret only shrugged, and instructed him on which sign, and where to put it. Ten minutes later, Margaret left, and Faith pulled out after her, heading west and to her new job, new life, new relationship.