194 - "We Evacuated the WHOLE Neighbourhood" - Todd Urbanski

Where’s that screaming coming from? Todd Urbanski, a REALTOR® of 20 years and the President of the Minneapolis Area REALTORS® association, tells the story of having to evacuate an entire neighborhood - all because of an incorrectly installed yard sign. Listen in as Todd shares crazy stories of lime-green carpeting, homemade bidets, and vandalized waterlines (discovered after the whole house is built, of course) - and even tells the story of unexpectedly selling his own home to the clients who were a perfect fit.  

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Time Stamped Show Notes:

01:45 – Introducing Todd, a Minneapolis, MN REALTOR® of 20 years who is a very active volunteer, coach, and advisor
02:50 - He lives in the snow and goes to more snow to ski on vacation
03:35 – Todd’s CSIRE story
03:50 - He used to knock on the doors of expired listings; at one house, a woman said no because she wanted to go with a discount broker
03:05 - He was a volunteer firefighter at the same time; two hours later, he’s at home having dinner when his firefighter pager goes off
05:04 - The address sounded familiar; it was the same home he had just been to and the discount broker was putting a sign in their front yard
05:20 - The broker had hit the main gas line that fed the whole neighborhood; it was making a screaming noise that you could hear a half-mile away
05:55 - He made sure the homeowner saw he was there; the neighbor across the street made the call
07:25 – Takeaways and lessons
07:30 - Check to see if your area has a service where they can check for gas lines before staking a sign in the yard
07:35 – Another CSIRE story
07:40 - he was representing new construction; he represented the buyer and seller
07:50 - Someone went into the house and drilled 23 little holes in the copper right before the sheetrock was due to be installed all around the house
08:00 - Everything else was installed: cabinets, carpeting, trim, etc; they turned the water back on seven days before closing and suddenly there was a leak
08:20 - More leaks emerged and they figured out what was going on; they had to pump the pipes with air and listen for whistles to plug
08:50 - The buyers still wanted the house; it was a unique conversation 
10:00 - Another CSIRE story
10:15 - He was touring a home in St. Paul that had a homemade bidet in one of the bathrooms
11:08 - A seller had a 70s 3-level with hunter orange side chairs, lime-green carpeting, and plastic on the couches; someone wanted it
12:30 - The buyers wanted the pool table but she didn’t want to give it to them; her husband had passed and she connected the pool table with memories of him
13:04 - She lived in the home for another 10 years 
13:25 - Another CSIRE story
13:45 - he was showing homes to a couple but every house had something they didn’t like; he told them he knew what they wanted but it wasn’t on the market
14:00 - He called his wife and told her that his buyers may want to buy their house; they had already discussed moving within the next couple years
14:40 - They loved it, sat at his kitchen table, wrote a purchase agreement, and sold the house that night in 2006
15:20 - When they closed on their new house the market was about to turn; they couldn’t predict the market, of course
16:20 - How to contact Todd: by email at [email protected] or call (612)865-3644

3 Key Points

1.)   You get what you pay for. 

2.) People become deeply connected to their home and belongings so be understanding.

3.) Check for gas lines!