Laughing All The Way!

As we close the door on Real Estate 2011 in Peachtree Corners and , we have to acknowledge how challenging this market has been for so many and the impact it has had on all of us. For me saying good bye to this year means looking forward to a new and exciting 2012.

My heart has hurt for the people who have struggled this year and my wish is that next year will be brighter and most rewarding. Next week I will bring you our yearly update of market conditions, but for this week, I would like to leave you laughing.

This ran in the early stages of Patch and many readers missed their laugh. If you have read this story before then pass it on to someone who you think might enjoy it. If not, then have a laugh on me. Wishing you all, the happiest New Year. I hope there is joy and laughter in your future.

The life of a real estate agent is filled with challenges but it can also be filled with joy. It is not all about houses; it is also about people and helping them reach their goals. Sometimes in the course of doing our job, funny things can and do happen.

Several years ago I worked with a company relocating many of their employees to the Atlanta area. This is a great company, so when they called to say they were hiring a new company president and wanted me to work with him and his wife in finding a home I was excited. Note they were hiring. He had not yet accepted the position.

As he continued the interview process, his wife and I were to see what Atlanta had to offer in the way of housing, schools and etc. I previewed many homes in preparation for their arrival and felt I was prepared for whatever came my way. The visit was to be a short one and there were many homes and neighborhoods to see.

One gated community, I was unable to preview was Country Club of the South in North Fulton. For this community, agents scheduled appointments and when they arrived, a community real estate agent on site would accompany them to these homes. Joann Barnes was our wonderful agent who was working with us that day.

The wife and I toured many homes on the first day and on day two we headed to Country Club of the South. I had my working clothes on, a linen suit and my favorite heels.  We met Joann at her office. We toured the clubhouse then began our tour of homes.

We looked at several homes before stopping at a lovely two-story home with a finished terrace level. We viewed the first and second floors and then proceeded to the terrace level. Joann received a page (before cell phones). She did not want to delay our visit so she suggested we tour the terrace level while she called the person who had paged her. She said she would catch up once she completed her call.  

I proceeded down the stairs with the buyer behind me. I noticed a very dark room on the left with double French doors. It appeared to be an office, so doing what any good agent should do; I stepped into the room to turn on the lights. The next thing I knew I was under water.

As the buyer later described the scene, I was in front of her then I disappeared. As I popped up above the surface, I had no idea what had happened or why.  Then I realized I was in a giant sunken hot tub. This hot tub took up the entire room. My buyer was in shock. She did not know what had happened to me. To add to the confusion all I could do was laugh. There I was soaking wet from head to toe, standing in a hot tub and unable to speak because I was laughing so hard. Then my buyer started laughing.

Joann upstairs, heard the noise and came running. She saw me in the hot tub, in my linen suit with water pouring off my nose, mascara running, and my hair dripping wet, and had no idea what had happened. I climbed out of the hot tub and calmly walked out the terrace level door where I took off my heels and poured the water out. The agent offered a towel she found. I dried off as much as possible and proceeded to finish our tour of that home and the next three that were on my list. As they say, “the showings must go on.”

The buyers returned to Arizona. A few days later I received a gift from them, a snorkel, mask and fins set.

If you want to buy a home,  go for a swim, or both, call a realtor.      

Editor's note: Nancy Minor is a Realtor with . Her office is located in Peachtree Corners.