Stovall Realtors

Have you heard the expression, "It’s like pulling teeth!?" We usually utter these words in a negative tone but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact it seems that the loss of a tooth is quite a status symbol in the primary grades. When my daughter Stefani was six years old she lost one of her front teeth – as six year olds do. It was quite an ordeal. She began by proclaiming that she was in fact the proud owner of a loose tooth. Then the wiggling began. She became so proficient at wiggling her tooth that she became the tooth wiggling expert of her 1st grade class. During a conference at school her teacher said that all of the kids would come to Stefani for her to wiggle their teeth to see if they were loose. (We told her to stop doing that.)

After weeks of wiggling with movement so slight it could only be measured by NASA, one night I finally felt a slight movement with my own bare fingertips. The tooth was finally going to come out soon. However, I found out that soon is a relative term. Wiggling, wriggling, and jiggling. More wiggling. It seemed that the thing was never going to actually come out until one night with Kleenex in hand and thoughts of pliers, I got a good grip on the little sucker and twisted. The crying didn’t start until she saw the blood. Then she wouldn’t let me get my hands back on that little tooth. I was banned.

There it was, hanging by one little root. You wouldn’t think a tooth could hang by a root for long, at least I didn’t. Well, guess what? It can hang on for as many days as it takes to get the kids to spend the night with the grandparents. Did you know that the Tooth Fairy actually leaves the tooth when it comes out at Granddad & Gama’s house? So, the Tooth Fairy actually came twice. Funny how that works.

The decision to buy a first home can be a little like the process of pulling a tooth. First-time buyers often put themselves through weeks, months, or years or wiggling, wriggling, and jiggling while trying to decide if it is the right time to buy. Many go through the process of looking and looking and looking, watching rates, over analyzing, and creating paralysis by analysis. The real reason they are delaying has nothing to do with the market and has everything to do with fear. If they would just take that step, grab a Kleenex and pull, they would stop throwing money away on rent and begin to build equity in a home of their own.

The decision to become a homeowner can be painful at times. It can involve blood, sweat, and tears, but once the decision is made, just think of how proud you will be. Just like my daughter wanted to show everyone, even strangers, the hole in her mouth, you will be so proud of your new home that you will want to show it off.

Now is the time. First our first ten callers we will double the offer! No, really it is the right time because if you go under contract before April 30, 2010 you may be able to get an extra $8000 from the IRS. How about that – it’s like your own personal tooth fairy. Homeownership may not be for everyone but it is the best option for most people. To find out the pro’s and con’s you should consult a Stovall Realtors team member. We can tell you what to expect from ownership, and what will be expected of you. With the help of one of our team members, the experience of buying can be much easier than "pulling teeth!"

 Steve Stovall

Have you driven down Buffalo Gap Road lately? It’s great to see people working on sidewalk ramps. It’s such a wonderful use of our tax dollars. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait until they are completed. Just the thought of a nice walk along FM 89 with the sound of 4 lanes of traffic buzzing by and the taste of sand in my mouth just makes me tingle with excitement.

And then, to be able to walk up a sidewalk ramp as I cross each street… I just can’t tell you how exciting that is! Some of the sidewalk ramps are actually large enough for you to take a couple of steps! How electrifying! I just can’t wait until they are finished, I would imagine sometime in mid 2037.

I haven’t yet figured out what I’m going to do once I leave the little ramps. Maybe I’ll just walk from ramp to ramp, or maybe I’ll walk in the drainage ditch, or maybe in the street! I might have to cross a mud pit or a creek. Maybe I’ll walk along the top of a pipeline. Oh well, I’ll figure that out later. At least we have those ramps… and don’t forget, they are handicap accessible.

Sometimes things don’t make sense. We see a lot of that in this business, but that’s why we’re here. At Stovall Realtors we keep up to date with the latest in government regulations – even those that don’t make sense. If you are considering selling your home, give us a call first. We’ll be glad to come out and help you muddle through the mountains of paperwork, some of which are actually for your protection.

Steve Stovall