[MRM]

We bought the house we live in the day before it went on the market and within hours of a sign going up. It was a Sunday and it was going to hit the MLS the next day. It was a nice spring day, so their realtor sugested they put a sign out front and hold an impromptu open house.

We were in the neighborhood to look at two other houses when we saw the sign for our house. I looked up, saw that it looked like the kind of house we'd be interested in, so on impulse I pulled over. My wife asked why I pulled over. I gestured at it and said that it was an open house that looked nice. She is very literal and responded that it wasn't on our list. I suggested that we had enough time to live dangerously and tour a house that wasn't on the list.

We barely crossed the threshold when we exchanged a look that said we both loved it. I went to distract the realtor while my wife could grab a brochure and find out the cost without getting bothered. She came back with her eyes glowing and said "We can afford it." It was about $40,000 under what it should have been.

Our realtor was holding an open house that afternoon. We had toured some houses that morning with her and planned to get together again in the evening. We called from the house and told her to wrap her open house up early because we were going to make an offer right then and there. By that evening it was ours.

Our realtor sold our house a couple of weeks later and did a nice job with it. Because she both bought and sold for us she charged 5% instead of 6%. A good realtor is well worth his fees. Lousy realtors aren't worth anything, but a good one pays for himself several times over, plus he'll make sure the transaction goes smoothly and has insurance to cover it if smething goes wrong.