Ever since my husband and I started talking about moving, we’ve been looking at the houses in our neighborhood with an imaginary buyer’s eye.  As we walk with our children, we notice the curb appeal as we pass.  About a month ago, we saw a “for sale” sign in the front yard of a home one block over.  The front yard was neatly manicured, the awnings were spotless, the house itself a cheery yellow.  There was a big shade tree by the street that shielded the house from the relentless western sky.

Crap. We thought.  Stiff competition.

No, you can’t judge a home by its front only.  Also, we are still a few months out from being able to put our own house on the market.  Still, we were jealous of this house’s readiness, and it’s imagined ability to snag a buyer.  On the other hand, it inspired us to strive for that kind of curb appeal for our house.

Photo by Ivan Petrov via sxc.hu

Fast forward one month:  last week.  We got a postcard in the mail from a REALTOR, with a picture of that exact house on it. “SHE SOLD THIS HOME IN LESS THAN 1 WEEK…Record-breaking price for our current market!!!!!!!”  There were 7 exclamation points.  I counted.

I saved the card and intended to call Agent Myrna to ask her to find out what that record-breaking price was.  I put the card in my bag, ready to bring it to work.  As fate would have it, my older son got sick and had to stay home from school, which made me stay home later than usual.  When I heard a knock at my door, I asked who it was.

“It’s Carol ____!  I’m a–”

I cut that lady right off when I yanked open the door, told her I was so happy to meet her, and that she should come right in.  It was the REALTOR who had sent the card.

The poor woman was doing that door-to-door thing, knocking on doors, leaving notepads behind, trying to meet people and make new contacts.  (If I saved every REALTOR notepad I have been given, I would never need one more sheet of paper.  Ever.)  She was a bit shell shocked when I told her the story with my typical rapid-fire, caffeinated speed-talking.  But she told me what that record-breaking price was:  about $20,000 under what we are hoping to list our home for.  I was visibly disappointed, but Agent Carol took a quick glance around our front room and said first “Wow!” and then when she saw our kitchen she said “This will be way more than that.”

That’s all I needed to hear.  If it turns out to be true, even better.