Agent Holmes stories are based on true events, which have happened to actual real estate agents. Wanda Holmes and any characters that appear in these tales are fictitious, and the people and stories have been modified to disguise and protect the participants of the real events.
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The Sun streamed in between the narrow slats of the blinds forming a series of horizontal lines on the peach shaded adjacent wall of the long rectangular meeting room. Wanda leaned over the table and placed 4 client copies of listings across from the stack of papers she was working on. A starbucks mug filled with RGS Title Company endorsed pens, a stapler, note pad and stack of Wanda’s business cards sat beside the phone in the center of the mahogany conference table.
“Of the listings we discussed seeing today, these four are still fully available, Wanda explained. Wanda waited for Kim and Brent Thomas and Brent’s brother Samuel to look over the four listings laid out before them. Quiet exchanges of comments, pointing to listing details, questions, and non-verbal eye communication shared between the three proceeded for several minutes.
“And these all have access to cable and internet services right?” asked Brent addressing Wanda.
“Yes, I checked them all before I compiled our list of possible properties to see today”, answered Wanda. With eyes attending the pages on the table in front of them, nods were acknowledged all around.
“Are we ready to go?” Wanda asked cheerfully, followed by rustling of papers and raising from chairs.
“I suggest you all take a pen if you don’t have one so you can make notes as we see each property. I find it fun and purposeful to create a name for each house we see, such as the pink house or the playground house or the hilltop house or the corner house etc. Whatever stands out about the house, make a note of it so you can distinguish between the houses when you try to remember them later. You might have ‘The Doll House’ or ‘The Dull House”, laughed Wanda. Laughs and nods of understanding and recognition exchanged instigated a grabbing frenzy for the pens in the starbucks mug on the table.
“I will drive and you can all come with me if you like”. As everyone walked towards the door Kim agreed, “Yes, that would be great. You must put a lot of mileage on your car every year Wanda?”
“I do but I love to drive, said Wanda. My husband laughingly says my car is my home and my office.
The bright sun beamed down it’s sweltering heat of mid August on the troop as they climbed into Wanda’s Ford Expedition. “I think they said it was going to be around 90 today”, offered Samuel. Will the houses we look at have air-conditioning working?”
“Let’s see, three are vacant foreclosures that may not have the power turned on, but the one that has a family still living there should”, Wanda said.
“From the looks of your back cargo area, your husband is right; this is your office. Got any portable air conditioners in here?”, teased Brent. A diversity of signs, hammers, flashlights, rope, rags, cleansers, a portable vacuum cleaner and a five foot ladder occupied the cargo area of Wanda’s SUV. “Well it is a Utility vehicle”, laughed Wanda. “The right tool for the job I find is invaluable and in this business you never know what you’re going to need. It must come from my years as a Girl Scout. You know that ‘always be prepared’ motto. But I don’t have a portable air conditioner in here. Sorry!”
Peals of laughter joined the cool blowing air circling the interior cabin of the vehicle.
~
Wanda turned a corner and glanced at the GPS on the dashboard. “We should be at the third house in about 2 minutes according to the ole Garmin”, chimed Wanda.
“Well I just hope this one has air-conditioning. I am blistering from those last two” dripped Samuel.
This next one is the house that just came on the market the other day and is still occupied so yes it should be air-conditioned. Besides, the listing agent told me the owners have an old dog that stays in the house when they are gone. I doubt a dog would survive cooped up in a hot house all day. Ah here we are”, Wanda exclaimed as she turned into the driveway. “By the way, the dog is supposed to be very friendly”, added Wanda.
“Well, I like the curb appeal and what they have done with the yard”, beamed Kim hopefully. The two story colonial showed pride of ownership with landscaped yard, freshly painted exterior, new thermal clad windows and the cozy touch of plush green ferns hanging between the posts of a wide covered front porch adorned with inviting rocking chairs.
With his tail wagging and the looks of a big wet smile smeared around his drooping tongue, the canine welcome committee greeted his quests as the four entered the foyer.
“This is lovely”, gushed Kim looking around in every direction. “I love the colors and the hardwood floors and look at this stone fireplace honey, it’s just what we wanted.”
“You’ll love this dining room off the kitchen”, a loud voice from the other side of the house suggested.
“Look at this back deck Brent. I can see us partying and grilling out here all year long. And the back yard is so private and spacious. You can put in that pool you always wanted. Too bad it doesn’t have a garage and the house sits really close to the road”, offered Samuel.
They all walked upstairs to check out the bedrooms and then visited the finished basement. “The price on this one is more than the others we have seen and I clearly see why”, stated Brent as he and Kim came up the basement stairs. “It is the best thing we have seen yet”, answered Kim.
“Well, we have one more house to see today. Have you seen all you wanted to here?”
“I guess so”, said Kim as she reached over and petted the floppy eared welcome committee of one who had been following them around as if leading the tour of his gracious manor. “I wonder if this friendly fella conveys with the house?” laughed Kim. “Irish setter, isn’t he?”, she asked her husband. “I believe so”, said Brent as he also reached over to pat the dog on the back.
“I can always ask”, smiled Wanda as she fumbled with her keys, the lock box key chain and the front door key. “You never know what people are willing to do to sell their home.”
As the troop gathered to leave, the friendly canine home owner positioned himself right in front of the door knob on the front door. Wanda started to reach around the dog to pull the door open when teeth and quivering splayed lips showed themselves from the snout of the Irish setter.
“Woew”, exclaimed Wanda as she froze and then slowly backed away from the door.
“Let me try”, offered Brent. Exchanging places with Wanda, Brent slowly reached out toward the door knob. Again the dog showed his teeth and gave a low growl. “He seemed so friendly the whole time we were here”, said Kim.
“I’ll see if I can sneak toward the back glass sliding door and try to get out that way” suggested Samuel.
“The glass sliding door is locked, remember, and we don’t have the key to it.” said Wanda. “I think they just stained their deck boards and they don’t want anyone on them till they have thoroughly dried. I’ll try calling the listing agent.”
“Hello, Cindy, this is Wanda Holmes with Avery Hess Realtors”… Kim, Brent and Samuel bemoaned their circumstances as they heard Wanda leaving a message on the listing agent’s phone.
“Maybe there are some dog biscuits or dog food in the kitchen we could bribe him with”, Kim suggested. Samuel walked towards the kitchen. A few moments later he returned with a dog biscuit in his hand. “I hope he doesn’t take my fingers off”, a scared Samuel whined. “Show him the biscuit and then slide it across the floor behind the door far enough for us to get out before he can get back to the door”, offered Kim. “Good idea”, Samuel said as he held out the biscuit to entice the dog. The canine’s neck reached out as he sniffed the air and watched the treat come closer. Tail wagging indicating a possible successful ploy turned to disappointment for his captives as the dog resumed his stance at the door upon Samuels tossing the lure across the floor.
“How bout a window?”, chimed Wanda. The group began moving away from the front door and looking around at the windows. “Maybe one on the back of the house where we can all get out before the dog realizes what’s going on”, suggested Brent. Wanda and Brent went to the back of the house. “This one has no shrubs in the way and is fairly close to the ground”, said Wanda from the laundry room next to the kitchen. “It is a little high but if one of us could drop and go to my car, I have a ladder that could help the others.”
“I’ll never question you again Wanda when it comes to carrying your office with you and being prepared”, praised Brent.
Gathering everyone together Wanda and Brent offered their plan. Samuel volunteered to drop out the window while the others waited until he could retrieve the ladder. Back in the house with the ladder in place, the quests started to move around the house as they had when they came in almost an hour ago. The dog, completely unsuspecting of the plan relaxed and laid down but didn’t leave his watch at the front door. As each person moved toward the back of the house, one by one they entered the laundry room with agent Holmes picking up the rear and closing the laundry room door behind her. The window closed and her charges safely in the car, Wanda walked back to the front porch and replaced the key in the lock box.
“Well, that’s a first”, Wanda exclaimed as she thankfully slid into the driver’s seat. As she glanced around at her traveling companions, she was surprised to see three smiling faces all looking her way. “What’s up?” she queried with a quizzical look on her face.
“We want the house”, Kim blurted out hardly able to contain herself. “We love it and besides that we figure the dog was trying to tell us this house is for us. Imagine the tale we can share with our children and grandchildren about the ‘Dog House’.” Laughter filled the car as Wanda drove back to her office. The Thomas’s offer on the house was accepted and they closed a month later.
Another chapter closed for Agent Holmes. Watch for the next adventure of Agent Holmes, in which she hurdles and dodges the obstacles of life as a Real Estate agent.
Author: Kathie Abercrombie
Real Estate agent for Avery Hess Realtors, Inc.
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