This morning I was at the final walkthrough for one of my listings in the Hermosa area of Chicago. A photographer for the Chicago Tribune was also there. Mary Umberger, the Tribune’s real estate columnist interviewed me the other day about this blog. Mary asked for a photo of the seller and I since the seller found me through this blog. If the article doesn’t get bumped, it should be in the business section of Monday’s Tribune.
So the photographer takes photos of the seller and me before the final walkthrough and then asks if she can take photos of the final walkthrough. The buyer agrees and everything is going ok until the buyer comes back down from the 2nd floor and announces that there is a mouse in the bathtub! Thinking quickly, I reply, “There’s no extra charge for the mouse.” 
She’s amused, but clear that the mouse needs to be removed. I grab a towel. She grabs a pan and she, I and the photographer head up to the bathroom. Sure enough, the photographer snaps a few photos of the mouse removal. Whether any of them make it into the article we’ll find out on Monday. 
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Good luck making the story, Fran. Hopefully, the mouse won’t steal your “squeak”.
Hey Fran, it sounds like your stand-up comedy skills are working for you! Pretty funny, your comment about no extra charge for the mouse.
Thanks, Dan & Whitney! Luckily, the buyer had a sense of humor too!
Love it that you’ll be featured in the Trib! LOVE your rejoinder back on the mouse!! And hey we haven’t had a humor entry in awhile (I miss the trolls!) so this was great. Way to go, Fran!!
That’s a great story! Congrats on the coverage… that’s a big deal.
Hey, another story from Madison Wisconsin. I am an agent, too. I was taking a client into a house for a showing. I opened the door and looked in. Closed the door, and looked at my buyer, and informed him that there was a pot bellied pig in the house. He said he didn’t mind, as he raised exotic animals as a part time business. We went in, and the huge, 100lb, black pig wagged its tail at us. The pig and house was clean and had no smell of …pig. She (the pig)asked to go out by the patio door, and I told her I couldn’t let her out without her “mother’s” permission. She seemed to understand. The showing went well, but we both had a good laugh and story to tell!
As I’m sure you know by now, you did make Monday’s Tribune (front page of the Business section) with nary a mention of a mouse. Also nary a mention of your blog’s address, i.e. this site. Had to track you down using Google. There were references to several other real estate blogs in the article and their web sites were listed, but not yours. Just curious – was that by your choice?
Ken,
I would have loved to have seen the web address in the article! I was quite surprised it wasn’t included. Feel free to write Mary Umberger (mumberger@tribune.com) and ask her why it wasn’t included. I’m sure you and I weren’t the only readers who noticed the omission.