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They went through the usual greetings and introductions. “I think this is going to be perfect for you!” the agent exclaimed.
If you say so. Melanie smiled and followed the giant piece of bubblegum into the house. It had a large eat-in kitchen that could use some renovating, a half bath on the first floor, three small bedrooms, and a full bath upstairs. She was already calculating how much she would have to put into it before the house was what she really wanted. She took the tour, front and back. It was okay.
“So what do you think?” The agent smiled. Melanie swore a beam of light bounced off one of her teeth.
“It’s lovely, but I’m not feeling it.” Melanie had no time to waste, nor did she want to waste the agent’s. “It needs work and it’s already hitting the top of my price range.”
“Oh, of course!” the agent gushed. “Let’s move on to the next one. It’s a bit of a fixer-upper, but it might fit into your budget.”
Melanie was game and followed the agent to the next house, which was about five minutes farther away. When they pulled up, Melanie could already see the fixer-upper part. It was in dire need of a paint job and landscaping. She speculated what the place would be like inside. The agent opened the front door with a bit of a shove. “That can be easily fixed.” She smiled.
It looked like someone had attempted the “fixing up” and stopped in the middle of the job.
“Yes, you can see there’s been some work already started.”
“And?” Melanie wanted to know the reason it stopped.
“And the owner was transferred to somewhere in South America. Nairobi, I think.”
Melanie didn’t know whether she should laugh or cry. “Nairobi is in Africa.”
“Oh, I know it begins with an N.” Her expression was as dumb as she was.
“Nicaragua?” Melanie prompted her.
“Yeah. That’s it. Spanish, right?”
Melanie now understood why people wanted to slap other people. In the agent’s case, maybe it would rattle some of those brain cells. Did she not learn geography? As far as she knew, they were still teaching it in school. Another case of someone not paying attention.
Melanie reached into her bag, grabbed her pad and pen, and started taking notes. “How long has it been on the market?” she asked, wanting to end this suffering ASAP.
“Just this week. You’re lucky to be the first one to see it.”
In spite of its ramshackle condition, the space itself had promise. The previous owners had already broken down the wall between the dining room and living room and installed a new support beam. That was a huge plus. She wanted as much of an open floor plan as possible. The house needed Sheetrock, a new floor, and molding. She’d convince her brother to paint.
As she walked to the back, she saw that two existing windows had been replaced by French doors. One set led outside from the living room; the other was near the spot where a dining table could go. More pluses. The agent continued to blab while Melanie was envisioning how the place could look. Eventually. She wandered over to the kitchen area. It was all but gutted. That could definitely be a plus, but it would require immediate attention if she wanted to move in anytime soon. The agent broke into Melanie’s musings. “I have a great kitchen cabinet guy and a plumber. We could get you in here in a couple of weeks. Of course, it would all depend on what kind of cabinets you wanted.”
Melanie was thoughtful as she opened the door under the stairs. “Basement?”
“Yes. It’s a full basement.” She switched on the light and gestured down the steps. Then she turned and pointed to a washer and dryer hookup in an alcove off the kitchen. “The owners were planning to install them in the kitchen area next to the side door, but never got around to it. It just needs some bi-fold doors, and voilà! You have a laundry area on the main floor.”
Melanie nodded as she scribbled more notes. “Let’s take a look at the second floor.”
The agent led the way. The master bedroom was average. She’d be able to fit a queen-size bed and some furniture. There was a full-size bath, albeit in need of renovation, but it was functional. Melanie tested the plumbing out by flushing the toilet and running the water. There was a door from the main bath that led to the master bedroom. Convenient. The other two rooms were on the small side and needed new windows and floors. That would be a project for another day. The house could be livable in a month. There was something about it that made her want to pursue it further.
She went back to the main floor and strolled outside through the French doors in the living room. A small, raised deck ran along the back of the house from one set of French doors to the other. Tall evergreens lined the perimeter of the property, concealing the stockade fence that divided it from the neighbors’ house. It was peaceful. Private. She imagined what she and her mother could do to the landscaping. She sat on the wooden steps that led from the deck to the yard. She did some rough math. It would cost her a lot of money to make it move-in ready, but the owners wanted to get the house off their hands before they left the country. Otherwise, it would be sitting there uninhabitable for who knew how long. She wrote down a number on a piece of paper and handed it to the agent. “Offer this.”
The agent didn’t balk. She knew Melanie’s parents were in the same business, so she wasn’t dealing with an amateur. Plus, Melanie had a very nice down payment from the money she’d saved over the past three years. It would take her another few years to finish the place the way she wanted, but once the first floor was done, she could move in and take her time with the rest.
The agent rushed out to her car and phoned the owners. Melanie could see the woman’s head bobbing. She was smiling. Always a good sign. The woman finished her call and sprinted up the also-in-need-of-repair sidewalk. She was grinning from ear to ear. “This is an all-time record for me. I’ve never closed a deal so fast in my ten-year career!”
Melanie wondered if her offer was too high. It was the asking price less fifteen percent for the renovations. It appeared everyone had done their homework. “I’ll have the contracts drawn up immediately. Do you have a bank for your mortgage?”
“Yes. Unless you have someone you’d recommend. As soon as you send me the contracts, I’ll get the paperwork moving.”
“Excellent! I’ll be in touch!”
Melanie watched the pink bubble bounce into her car. She waved and drove away. Melanie sat on the front stoop. She pulled out her phone and dialed Gilmour.
