Innate Kindness

If there’s one human quality that places a probate real estate specialist above the rest of the pack, it is a steadfast human kindness. 

Members of our team were born with innate kindness, and are always mindful that our clients, the executors and administrators, did not choose to take on the responsibilities of administrating a loved one’s estate. 

There’s Raymond (not his real name), his friend Arthur died without family nearby to attend to his affairs after he’d passed away.  Raymond and Arthur, both in their 70s, had been friends from way back.  Arthur would spend Thanksgiving and other special occasions with Raymond and his family at Raymond’s home in Orange County. 

Raymond thought he knew Arthur. However, he and his family learned about a hidden side of Arthur when they were given keys to his condo in Los Angeles soon after his passing.  The keys to the residence worked just fine, but they were unable to enter the condo for the stuff that filled it, from floor to ceiling, front to back, side to side.  You couldn’t call it a mess, so to speak, because it was all so very well organized.  Filing cabinets locked up tight, boxes of unopened classical music CDs, boxes upon boxes upon boxes.  Yet, nothing was stored in the kitchen or hall cabinets. 

Raymond soon learned from the other tenants of the building that this bright, successful and truly beloved man often slept in the hallway outside his condo, or on his car in the parking garage beneath the building. He kept himself respectably clean using the building’s communal facilities. 

And now, it was up to Raymond, to go through every last box and every last sealed filing cabinet seeking valuables, but more often than not, finding instead odd clues to who this man was that he thought he knew.  Not a bank statement had been thrown away.  Nor an old key.  Nor a travel brochure -- they were often found in pairs.  You can’t rush a person through this chore. Pebbles from a vacation to another continent.  Magazines from decades gone by.  Stacks upon stacks on the floor and on the pull-out living room couch.

Being of assistance to Raymond, as his realtors, meant being in tune with what our client was going through.  We patiently waited for the clean-out to be completed, then found hauling crews to remove what had been looked through, and then cleaning crews proficient with hazmat conditions to attend to the grime encrusted bathroom and kitchen.  Our real estate team is more hands-on than most, and we ourselves rolled up our sleeves and made minor repairs to windows, and installed some temporary lighting so that the place was lit for showings.

Once the property was empty, though not by any means pristine, we listed and broadly marketed it.  As we assisted Raymond in comparing the dozen offers we’d received, he was surprised at how substantial the offers were for this ‘fixer’.  We explained that, although we are kind humans, that doesn’t mean to say we aren’t sharks when it comes to getting the highest price and most favorable terms for the estate we represent.  Just like the family dog who is consistently gentle and loving, gloves may come off if you dare come between him and his bone.