Harleysville-Lansdale Real Estate and More

 We’ve all seen the signs with balloons bouncing in the wind on Sunday afternoons.  No, not little Suzy’s birthday party sign.  The real estate sign that begs, stop in, see me, you’ll love this house!  We’ve all been to at least one open house.  Well, as a Realtor, I’ve conducted many open houses and I’m always certain of one thing.  Something funny, odd, strange or unexpected will happen in that 2 hour time frame. 

Here are a few personal accounts of things that I experienced during open houses:

>>> An older couple walks in.  I introduce myself and ask a few questions about what they are looking for in a home.  The couple states they are shopping for a home for their son.  I tell them to tour the home and let me know what they think after they have finished.  Upon completing the tour, I ask them what their son might think of this home and they say, “what son?”  Oops, I guess they forgot what they told me in an effort to not be “bothered” by my questions.

>>> A family with a small dog comes to see a house and the father instructs the teenager to hold the dog outside while they tour the home.  The teenager reluctantly agrees.  The dog gets tired of being held and wants to run.  The dog squirms, gets loose, runs to back yard, right up to the sliding door.  Upon seeing its owners inside, the dog becomes excited and rips the screen of the door with his paw.

>>> A man passing by decides he will come in to the open house.  He is dressed the opposite of “Sunday best” and had the smile of a hockey player.  He proceeded to open every cabinet, drawer, door, closet, and even the oven.  When I asked if he was looking for something, he just shook his head and kept moving throughout the house opening and closing everything that could be opened and closed.  The house was vacant at the time.    

>>> At another vacant home, I decided to place some helium balloons inside on railings, door knobs, etc, to give it somewhat of a festive look.  A husband and wife came in with their 4 children to see the house.  They liked the balloons so much they must have thought they were a parting gift because the kids each left the house with one in their hand.

>>> An eccentric looking woman and a much younger man visit one of my open houses in the city.  The home itself is older and had lots of character, built around 1940.  Upon returning from the third floor, the young man says he likes the home but feels a presence here and his lady friend could never live here with a spirit on the third floor.  Great.  Just what I wanted to hear!

This next one that I’ll share with you is about me. (One does have to laugh at oneself every once in while.)  I like to set up early for an open house, but as we all know, even the most prepared people don’t always have extra time built into their day.  I arrive at the property to place, what else, balloons, flyers with information on the home, my business cards, a box of doughnuts and a water bottle or coffee.  No sooner do I have things set, the open house begins, and nature calls.  Timing on this is critical.  No one wants to come to an open house to find the Realtor in the ceramic tiled, half bathroom!  But, we’re human.  So if you ever visit an open house and no one answers the door or greets you, it might just be that the Realtor is testing the plumbing! 

Do you have any good stories to share?

~Gina

Open House Follies - The Things You Hear at an Open House by team member Gina Wherry originally appeared in the Montgomeryville-Lansdale Patch.

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County of Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

Open House Follies - The Things You Hear at an Open House - Copyright © 2011, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.