Yep, especially when you’re trying to buy or sell a house.

Okay, if you’re a buyer and the lender is asking you for paperwork, you’ll need to do your best to get him/her everything they need as soon as humanly possible. The lending world doesn’t stop because you have to work an extra shift. If you’re someone that has trouble doing things in the middle of the day, please either have a conversation with your boss letting them know that you’re trying to buy a house; or…get a cell phone that you can get online with and email docs. A personal scanner/printer would help as well. This is the largest purchase you’re probably ever going to make….stop….think….and do everything in your power to make it happen. Also, discuss this with your real estate agent ahead of time. Some agents are willing to do a certain amount of ‘ferrying’ paperwork in order to get the deal done, but if you don’t tell us you need help with this, we don’t have any idea you need that service until the last second when the lender tells us the deal can’t close because docs are missing.

Okay, sellers, your turn. I know that when you’re on the selling end, you’re a little more distracted with keeping your house clean, making repairs, finding a place to live, packing, etc. But, help us out here….you WANT to sell your house, right?? So, if it’s impossible for your real estate agent to get a hold of you or get signatures from you, I have a NEWSFLASH! Your contract will fall apart. If you have a trip planned and are planning to leave town, please contact your real estate agent. Find out ahead of time if you’ll have access to a place like a UPS store or hotel office area. Give your agent your out of town contact info and let him/her know when you’ll be returning. Will you be completely inaccessible?? That’s perfectly fine, but tell us so we can let the agent that has anxious buyers know when they can expect an answer. It’s not rocket science, but it is Smart Selling.

Thanks for listening, enough for tonight, this is as REAL as it gets. 🙂

Disclaimer: We sell real estate in Missouri and Kansas. Laws and contracts will vary from state to state.