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I Beat the Beast

I Beat the Beast  
by John Occhi, Hemet CA REALTOR®
Mission Grove Realty  

It's true.  I beat the beast... and the beast is my own desire.

Let me try and explain...

I have a habit - not a good one mind you, but a habit none the less.  I open refrigerator doors. OK, certainly rude if it's not my house.  Nothing I should ever do at clients - especially when taking the listing.  However, when I stop by a friend's house, I seem to catch myself looking inside their refrigerator.

Even if I don't look, I crave.  I guess it's like a recent ex-smoker wanting to smoke.  What can I say, I'm fat - so shoot me and put us both out of our misery.

I read a post the about the topic by Rich Kruse  and thought I had to chime in to validate the tip.  In Rich's original blog, I commented about an experience I had several years ago when I ran a tenant screening and eviction service.  Let's say without reliving the memory - it was pretty bad - more details are on Riches blog.

So Back to My Story...

I was doing a BPO (Broker Price Opinion) for a lender that had recently been foreclosed on.  My job was to document the interior condition, provide a rough estimate of repair work and access a fair market value in both the current condition as well as cleaned up and repaired.  Simple enough - I've done 200 of these since the first of the year.

Once I gained entry, I saw personal belongings strewn about the home.  Yes most of the furniture was gone; certainly there wasn't a TV or anything good.  Just a lot of clothes and kitchen ware and linens, board games, puzzles - that sort of junk - but it was everywhere.

When I opened the garage, from inside the home I was amazed at what was in there.  Obviously they had a yard sale and whatever didn't sell by the last minute was just tossed into the garage.

And there it was - a beauty of a fridge - just calling out to me.  My instinct told me it was nice and clean, because, after all - it was here for the yard sale, right?  It had to be clean...didn't it?

             

I reached up and had my hand on the pull to open it and I had a flash back at Riche's article and my own negative experience so many years before.

I gently released the handle and walked away, continuing to take my photos of the rest of the pig pen.

Yes, I am a bit curious - did I make the right choice or not - well I'll never know, but what I do know is that I didn't make the wrong choice!

Now Have a Blessed Day,

John Occhi, Hemet CA REALTOR®
Hemet CA Real Estate

     

Until Next Time, Have a Blessed Day,

John Occhi, ePRO, REALTOR®
DRE Lic No: 01444168


ePro,John Occhi,www.johnocchi.com,realtor      Five Star Logo,Certification,REO,Five Star Institute     

Excellence in Real Estate,Team Log,John Occhi,www.johnocchi.com,hemet,san jacinto,CA  

This blog and the contents written here is the intellectual property of John Occhi, Temecula - Murrieta, CA REALTOR® in the South West Riverside County region of the Inland Empire of Southern California.  The views and opinions expressed are just that - views and opinions of John Occhi and those who comment.  Please note that I am not an attorney or a tax professional and any time I discuss either topic, I suggest you consult with the proper professional for relevant assistance. 

I am proud to be a full time REALTOR® who is proud to be a contributing member of the ActiveRain community.

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15 comments • John Occhi, ePRO, Temecula - Murrieta CA Real Estate, 951-443-6259 • August 06 2007 10:35AM

Comments

Congrats!  It never ceases to amaze me the way REO's smell the day the bank takes them back, or for that matter how they smelled for weeks before.  Doing a BPO my advice:  refrigerator the fridge, don't touch anything.
Posted by Dan Homan (Coldwell Banker Ellison Realty, Inc) almost 5 years ago

Dan Homan - it truly is amazing at what can be found and what should never be found at these things.

Now Have a Blessed Day,

John Occhi, Hemet CA REALTOR®
Hemet CA Real Estate

Posted by John Occhi, ePRO, Temecula - Murrieta CA Real Estate, 951-443-6259 (Exit Twin Advantage Realty) almost 5 years ago
John - You now have me curious.  Would it have been the Holy Grail fridge, the one we all dream about, the only clean one in an REO ever?  I guess we will never know.......
Posted by Rich Kruse (Gryphon USA, Ltd.) almost 5 years ago
From the looks of the place it was a VERY WISE decision not to open the fridge!  God knows, there could of been a dead body in there...and you'd of been summoned to court to tell your side of the story!
Posted by Mary Warren almost 5 years ago
It would have been too much trouble to stuff a body in there.  You find those in the top load deep freezers.
Posted by Rich Kruse (Gryphon USA, Ltd.) almost 5 years ago

 Rich Kruse Thanks for the inspiration of this tale (I think).  It is true, it could have been that one clean one - after all, it did appear to be yard sale material...however, what if before they left they put in the cottage cheese, yogurt, salmon and a pork chop for us... Hmmmm what an aromatic cocktail that would have been.

We will never know...

Now Have a Blessed Day,

John Occhi, Hemet CA REALTOR®
Hemet CA Real Estate

Posted by John Occhi, ePRO, Temecula - Murrieta CA Real Estate, 951-443-6259 (Exit Twin Advantage Realty) almost 5 years ago

Mary Warren - That would not be fun - and that would not be a memory I would care to live with.  I can only imagine

We will never know...

Now Have a Blessed Day,

John Occhi, Hemet CA REALTOR®
Hemet CA Real Estate

Posted by John Occhi, ePRO, Temecula - Murrieta CA Real Estate, 951-443-6259 (Exit Twin Advantage Realty) almost 5 years ago

 Rich Kruse - Those 3 door units do have a lot of room though - I have one, and I could see a body stuffed in there...but I'd rather not, thank you.

Rich, at least you can go to bed tonight knowing you made a difference in someones life - MINE!

We will never know...

Now Have a Blessed Day,

John Occhi, Hemet CA REALTOR®
Hemet CA Real Estate

Posted by John Occhi, ePRO, Temecula - Murrieta CA Real Estate, 951-443-6259 (Exit Twin Advantage Realty) almost 5 years ago

Ah TEMPTATION!

John, I would have never guessed.

Bill Roberts

Posted by Bill Roberts - "Baby Boomer" Retirement Planner (Brooks and Dunphy Real Estate) almost 5 years ago

Bill Roberts - It's true. You couldn't tell by looking at me that I raid the fridge on a regular basis.  We all have our cross to bear and temptation is just one of mine...

Now Have a Blessed Day,

John Occhi, Hemet CA REALTOR®
Hemet CA Real Estate

Posted by John Occhi, ePRO, Temecula - Murrieta CA Real Estate, 951-443-6259 (Exit Twin Advantage Realty) almost 5 years ago
John, that's too funny you are writing about this.  I recently showed a REO home and my customer opened the fridge... only to immediately slam the door shut with a high shriek!  Unfortunately not too late for the odor to escape.
Posted by Silvia Dukes PA,REALTOR®,CIPS,CRS,Green, Spring Hill FL Homes for Sale (Tropic Shores Realty - Ich spreche Deutsch!) almost 5 years ago

 Silvia Dukes - It happens all the time.  did your client have to burn her clothes?

Now Have a Blessed Day,

John Occhi, Hemet CA REALTOR®
Hemet CA Real Estate

Posted by John Occhi, ePRO, Temecula - Murrieta CA Real Estate, 951-443-6259 (Exit Twin Advantage Realty) almost 5 years ago
OH John, that is about the worst house I have seen in foreclosurer. Glad you have patience, my friend.
Posted by Missy Caulk-Ann Arbor-Realtor® Ann Arbor Real Estate (Keller Williams-Ann Arbor) almost 5 years ago

 Ann Arbor Real Estate |Missy Caulk - I never thought of you as being a "SHELTERED" Realtor!  This house is bad with lots of junk to trash out - but the condition was not as bas as many I have seen.

Now Have a Blessed Day,

John Occhi, Hemet CA REALTOR®
Hemet CA Real Estate

Posted by John Occhi, ePRO, Temecula - Murrieta CA Real Estate, 951-443-6259 (Exit Twin Advantage Realty) almost 5 years ago
I think you made a good choice John.  I don't think you could have paid me to open that fridge.  And what is that on top of it in the top picture.  Looks like one of those magic genie lamps that you rub for three wishes or maybe I just need to put my glasses on.  LOL
Posted by Huntsville Alabama Real Estate Agent, Kimberly Grant (Exit Leon Crawford Realty) almost 5 years ago

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