“Don't be silly. Of course I can. You think I'm going to leave those hand painted faucets in this house? We need them in our condo. Memories of Venice.” Taking a tissue from the pocket of her Lily Pulitzer golf skirt, she blotted her eyes.
Marlowe was not going to fold. “Yes, I know. But we have a contract and you did not exclude those items.” This wasn't the first time that Marlowe had run into this entitled attitude. But each time, it made her more furious. At this price point buyers did not expect to walk into a house and have a Murano glass chandelier missing. She had actually had that happen after one sale and it had been harrowing working through it. Marlowe had to clear this up fast.
“Those are called selling points, Carmella, and yes, you are going to leave them.” Marlowe used her no nonsense tone. While she was talking, Carmella had dropped her eyes. “Do you want a quick sale? Or do you want today’s open house to be a lost cause? We'd have to do it again next weekend.”
Carmella's gasp was her answer. Taking her shoulders, Marlowe steered Carmella toward the sliding glass doors. Behind her the doorbell rang and she was so glad that Trevor was there to answer it. Right now she had to deal with Carmella. “Now I'd like you to quietly get into your car and leave. Go have a drink with Marco at the club while I go back and finesse an offer that is above the asking price.”
Carmella's mouth opened in a perfect oval. “Oh, I told you this house was special.”
“The buyer decides how special a house is. Handing over the keys at closing, only to find features missing? That is not going to happen.”
The pout was probably something Carmella used effectively with her husband. But Marlowe was not her husband and this was infuriating. How many prospects had Carmella waylaid with this ridiculous comment about keeping the fixtures? A few minutes later Marlowe was back in the sunroom, completing some paperwork with a couple she thought would be perfect.
“I will have to run your offer past the owners,” she told them as they left. “I should warn you that we've had high interest in this property today. There is always a possibility that you might be outbid.” After all the nonsense Carmella had pulled with her, Marlowe was going to work extra hard to get the best price. She wanted to make this worth her while.
Standing at the door saying goodbye, she noticed a champagne colored Mercedes pull up. That sure looked like Shari's car. As the other couple got into their Lamborghini, Shari stepped briskly from the Mercedes. Did she ever have a bad day? The woman always looked well turned out and this afternoon was no exception. A brightly colored Hermes scarf was tossed over a hot pink blouse that contrasted with her sand colored slacks. Tortoise shell designer sunglasses hid her expression.
Marlowe met her on the walkway. “Have you come to check up on Trevor?”
Tipping her head and lowering her glasses, Shari smiled. “Not at all. Just thought I'd have a look see.”
The tension of the past couple hours evaporated. Showing Shari around might be fun. Meanwhile Trevor tidied up the flyers and got more lemonade from the refrigerator. They started on the second floor. Seeing the property through Shari's eyes was interesting. She knew decor and she knew brands. WhenMarlowe told her about the stunt Carmella had tried to pull, Shari laughed.
“That would be a real disappointment for the buyer. Any exclusions are spelled out in the contract.”
“Exactly.” It was fun to discuss this, realtor to realtor.
“Good thing you caught that, although I've heard of worse transgressions. We deal with an entitled population. Great guest rooms up here.” They were in one of the bathrooms. “That showerhead will probably have to go. A hand-held might be a better idea.”
After ticking off a couple other dated points, they took the stairs down to the first floor. “You're so right about our market. They are fussy to the extreme.” Would Charlevoix be different? More realistic and homespun? Marlowe sure hoped so.
“Not every realtor is skilled at working with them,” Shari’s eyebrows rose. “But I would say that you've passed some very important tests.”
By that time they were standing in the spacious kitchen. “Lots of room but not too much room,” Shari murmured. “What kind of offers have you gotten today?”
“We’re above asking price and climbing.” No way was she going into the details. But Marlowe was pretty proud of the way she'd negotiated on behalf of her clients.
Shari’s eyes swept out toward the pool. “Love the exotic flowers in that pool area. This home is worth more than asking price, or so I would think. Could you take another bid?”
“Do you have one of your clients in mind?” This wasn't unusual. Realtors often came through an open house to check out the property if they’d been working with someone who might be interested.
“No, I'm talking about myself.” Shari turned toward her with a pert little swirl.
Marlowe’s jaw fell open. What did this mean? “Really? I didn't know you were moving.” But then, she knew so very little about Shari.
“I've been thinking about trading in my condo for something else. Something more personal. And this area is very appealing.”
“Sure is. You’re right about that.” Olde Naples was charming, full of old Florida appeal but with expensive updates. The Donatello house was five blocks from the beach and close to two areas offering fine dining and excellent shopping. And the area was safe and walkable.
“Okay if I take off now?” Trevor called from the front hall.
“Fine with me and thank you. He’s been such a help,” she said, turning back to Shari.
“Borrow him anytime,” Shari said with a warm smile Marlowe had never seen before. She would have been more excited if she intended to stay in the area. However, she had other open houses coming up and Trevor would be a big help.
Grabbing some paperwork, Marlowe sat down with Shari in the sunroom and took her through the numbers. The price was already almost outrageous. But Shari knew what she wanted and she seemed determined to get this house. The Donatellos would be thrilled. They could easily take a trip to Italy and buy more fixtures. And the house would definitely not be torn down. “I'll call you tonight after I run this offer past the owners. But I don't see any reason why they wouldn't accept it.” They walked back out to the front door.
“I'm so excited.” Shari’s eyes sparkled. “It's time for a change and I have some old friends in this area.” Then she stopped and bit her lower lip.
