Stovall Realtors

It was a perfect day, and a perfect time. The sun was shining, the kids were out of school, and all of the conditions were right so I decided to take a day off to take the kids fishing. We intended to get out of town first thing in the morning. We had not taken the time to pack on Thursday night, so we were doing it on Friday morning. After about 18 phone calls and a personal visit at my front door, I started packing. It took me exactly 6 minutes. It usually takes me 4, but I couldn’t find my suitcase. My needs for a weekend can usually be packed in a shoebox. The girls however, are another story.

After filling the back of the Suburban, we were off… to Wal-Mart. An hour and a half later, we were off… back to the house because we forgot something. Finally, around lunch time, we were off! About 30 miles south of town, it happened. The temperature was around 100 and we were going about 70 miles an hour when there was a LOUD noise and our car started rocking violently. I was able to keep it under control and pull to the side of the road. It seems that one of my treads decided to release itself from the rest of the tire and wrap around the axle. I had to act like I knew what I was doing – for the sake of the family of course. So I climbed over all the stuff in the back to find the tire changing tool things.

After reading the directions, I figured out how to use the jack and get to the spare. The problem was that I couldn’t get that dang tire tread untangled. I tried the pliers, the hammer, and a pair of scissors, but nothing worked. I reluctantly had my wife call AAA. I thought they would come faster if a woman called. Not so. We waited for a couple of hours by the side of the road. Several people stopped to offer assistance. One guy in a ’72 pickup with a confederate flag in the window offered to "wrap a chain around it and pull that sucker out!" I could just imagine my rear axle being dragged down the highway, and then he’d spit and say "woops!" So, I opted to wait. The good news is that we had plenty of food, water and the shade of a tree. The bad news is that it brought back horrible memories of a motor home experience gone bad. (I’ll tell you about that some other time when I figure out how to work it into a real estate article).

You’ve heard that all of the conditions are right for selling. Rates are low, the market is good, and other homes are selling like hot cakes. (What makes hot cakes sell so well anyway? Sorry, just a thought.) You’ve priced your home within the range that your Realtor recommended. You’ve planned, painted, planted and the house looks great. Everyday you leave the home "show ready" and every night you check the sheet to find that no one has shown your house.

It’s so frustrating! You’ve got places to go, things to do, other house payments to make. Blame the market, blame the Realtor, blame the neighbors, but sometimes things just don’t work out the way that you would like for them to. What can you do?

There are only five factors that cause a home to sell or to sit. Those are: Price, Terms, Condition, Location, and Marketing. There is nothing you can do about the location, unless of course you have a mobile home… and if you have it listed in MLS it is getting at least some degree of marketing. You may be able to come up with some creative terms, but I have a little secret that you need to know. If you are getting showings, but no offers, the problem is probably the condition. If you are not getting any showings, assuming that the buyers can find it in the marketing, the problem is the price.

Even in this good market, when the conditions are right, your house may not sell as quickly as you would like. Don’t get frustrated, and don’t take advice from a guy in a ’72 pickup. You may not be able to change the location, but we can work together to create attractive terms, a price that the market will bear, and marketing that will get your house noticed. You have to work with us to make the condition of the home what buyers are looking for. We control the marketing, but you control the marketability.

We did eventually reach our destination and we even caught a few fish. Have patience, get good advice from your Stovall Realtors professional and you too will reach your destination!

 Steve Stovall

My parents celebrated their 55th anniversary last week. My, how times have changed. Back in 1953 the world was a kinder, gentler place, and Abilene was a small town. The center of cultural affairs in Abilene was the old Municipal Auditorium, which regularly featured entertainment of all types, from wrestling to gospel quartets (not at the same time of course).

On one such occasion the Imperial Quartet was performing, so my Grandparents, the Williams, got their two girls all gussied up and hitched up the wagon. Well, they might have driven, or walked, but they got there and they were looking good. There was a large crowd that night, which included several boys from Abilene Christian College. During the concert, the Williams sisters noticed one of the college boys looking their direction. In fact, he was staring at them all night. After the performance, he ran to open the door for them and walked backward all the way to his car.

This college boy, a smart, sophisticated young man from the big city of Dallas was smitten with the younger of the sisters, and whispered to his roommate that he was "going to marry that girl." She was the girl he had been praying for. The next day, the college boy, James, drove over to Abilene High and ended up in the Yearbook office. After finding a picture of the girl, and her name, he proceeded to the lunch room to ask the sister of one of his friends if she might happen to know this Williams girl. She said, "Oh sure, that’s Flossie and her family goes to church at 14^th and Vine."

The next day, James placed a phone call to the Williams’ home. He asked Flossie if she would go with him to Wednesday night church services at… where else but 14^th and Vine! Well, the rest is history, and they were married in 1955. In those days, what my father did was considered highly romantic. Today, it would be considered highly illegal!

Dad saw what he wanted and he did what was necessary to get it… not to say that Mom didn’t have a choice in the matter. The point is, sometimes obtaining something that you want requires a strong desire, a little research, and occasionally some divine intervention.

Buying a home is a little like that. First, buyers have to want. We hope that your home search and transaction will go smoothly, but the road can get a little rough at times. If you don’t have a strong desire, you may bail at the first sign of trouble. You’ve got to keep the goal in mind. Sometimes, "doing whatever it takes to get what you want" means offering full price or more.

Next, buyers should do their own research on the market. Because of the internet, today’s buyer is the most educated in history. A few web sites can provide you with a lot of ammunition you need to make good decisions. First www.stovallrealtors.com can provide you with the entire market, and www.taylor-cad.org is the web site of the Central Appraisal District. Many times, buyers come into our office knowing exactly what houses they want to see, and which homes are already bargain priced, because they have done their research.

Lastly, sometimes divine intervention makes things "fall into place." I am not saying that you can blame God if you don’t get a property that you make a low offer on. Too many times people make bad offers and bad decisions and then say, "It just wasn’t meant to be!" But, if you have a strong desire, do your research, and say your prayers, maybe things will work out… like it has for my folks, for 55 years.

On a side note, I have developed a little cul-de-sac just off Chimney Rock and West of Buffalo Gap Road. The little development of patio homes is called Stovall Estates www.stovallrealtors.com/stovallestates and the street is named James Court to honor my father. Dad served as a public school administrator for over 40 years. He was a church Elder, a mentor to many, and respected by everyone who knows him. Today he is retired and still lives in the house where I grew up. He is not as strong as he used to be, but to me he is still my father and my friend. If you’re in the market for a patio home and would like to live on the street named after my Dad, give me a call.

 Steve Stovall

                        Broker/Owner