I recently listed a house in our west of the trail neighborhood at 1226 Holly Fern Lane. The home is in the gated community of Mandarin Park.
When I go on a listing appointment, it is nothing short of a “job interview”. The seller wants and needs to know the “how”. Meaning how am I qualified to sell their home, and how am I going to market their property to get the highest and best price for them.
It is my job during this consultation to LISTEN and learn the seller’s three “W’s”. “Why” are they wanting to sell. “What” are their expectations, and “Where” do they want to relocate.
After listening to the seller of Holly Fern, I knew I wanted the job of listing her home. Later in the day, my mind kept wandering back to our conversation. This seller is a Baby Boomer, which is highly respected in my book. A generation that was born between 1946 and 1964. This generation is often referred to as the “Greatest Generation”, a title well deserved. They built the foundation of capitalism and rejected and redefined traditional values. Boomers overcame war, economic depression and gave their descendants the opportunity for more freedom, education, and affluence than ever before possible.
The seller of Holly Fern was generous to share her story with me. Her accomplishments were so many, a book should be written about her life, however, her journey is still evolving. She is a true entrepreneur, owning and operating retail stores during a time when men dominated the retail arena. She eventually obtained her real estate license and worked with land developers in California. Her success led to banks asking her to redesign and sell communities in Texas. Where others failed, she was successful. While being a trailblazer she also raised three amazing girls, who are all successful businesswomen. I am thankful for women like her, for she carved a path for me to own and operate a real estate company.
Before signing off I must share December’s housing market numbers. This is incredible. In Sarasota for single-family homes, inventory is now at 1.6 months. Compared to the same time last year inventory was at 3.5 months. A balanced market for buyers and sellers is 4-5 months of inventory. Congratulation sellers, you are the boss of the real estate market.
