Skully School of Real Estate

Vin Skully was perhaps the greatest broadcaster of all time. He was the voice of the LA Dodgers, whose 1988 championship year started in Spokane. Tommy Lasorda proudly wore the Indians Jersey (11) as many of 1988 Dodgers did. Vin was a word magician who captured every moment.

“For Love of the Game,” is a movie starring Kevin Costner who was a pitcher at the end of his career. Vin was calling the game as only he could call it.

“Billy Chapel is a 40-year-old as he sits in the dugout at Yankee Stadium. 40 years old, arm weary and aching and don’t let anyone tell you or Billy that life begins at 40. 4,100 innings Billy Chapel has walked to the mound in a brilliant 19-year career, but never before in all those years and all those innings has he had a date with destiny as he has right now … in quest of a pitcher’s dream, The PERFECT GAME …Ya get the feeling that Billy Chapel isn’t pitching against left-handers, he isn’t pitching against pinch hitters, he isn’t pitching against the Yankees, he is pitching against time, he is pitching against the future, against age … and tonight he might very well be able to use that aching old arm to push the sun back up into the sky to give us one more day of summer.”

Vin called games for 67 years. In all those years there is, however, there was one thing he never did. He never gave his opinion on anything except Farmer John’s Dodger hot dogs. When an umpire blew a call, he commented, “The Dodger bench is furious!” He believed there was a line that was not to be crossed and that folks wanted to hear about the game, not what he thought about the game. My, have times changed.

I believe he would have been great in real estate. Although most clients ask for them, like Vin, realtors really should rarely provide their opinions. When you or a loved one is sick, do you take them to a neighbor, or to a doctor? I take mine to a subject matter expert, a doctor. Same is true in real estate.

I was in a four-hour class yesterday reviewing Idaho real estate law. There were about 25 of us in the room and we were reviewing a case that went to the Idaho Supreme Court. After reviewing the facts of the case, all 25 of us agreed on the proposed outcome, including the instructor, and ALL 25 of us were wrong. The court upheld a verbal implied easement by prior use. Had you asked the opinion of your realtor, you would have received erroneous information. It would have been sincere, but sincerely wrong. This is a legal question that should be directed to the title company or attorney. Your realtor role is to have these contacts on speed dial.

We have the pleasure of providing real estate videography, and we get called for events, including the Spokane Symphony. They are amazing.

The realtor’s role is that of the conductor for whom you, the client, has selected the song. This conductor knows when to bring in the Cello, and when to bring in the violins. Likewise, your realtor needs to know when to bring in the perc test and when to set up a meeting with planning and zoning. Our job is to facilitate this transaction such that you have all the necessary information. Your realtor’s job is to know who to call and when to phone a subject matter expert.

We also closed on a property yesterday. Our clients had multiple questions regarding zoning, water, sewer, easements, utilities, CCR’s, setbacks, steep grades, and shared maintenance agreements. They are the model clients. Not only are they wonderful folks, but they listened and acted and were able to navigate through all of this with ease, and we closed weeks early. There was another property that they were in love with and were within days of closing on, however, the due diligence proved that it was not the right one, so we kept looking. We provided the contacts, and they made the calls. When they could not be on site, I would meet the builder and not provide my opinions. I put the builder on speakerphone so they could gather the information firsthand.

When I was in college I had a friend who tried to talk everyone who was engaged out of getting married. I confronted him and explained that there are so many great marriages. He replied, “Ya, I know, but if I can talk them out of getting married, they probably shouldn’t be getting married”.

This also personifies the perfect realtor. One who sources all the bad news and let’s you decide.