07/08/2026
SOLD — and this one truly took a village.
Some closings are smooth. Others test every bit of patience, persistence, and problem-solving you have.
This was definitely one of those.
My sellers left the country for a long-planned overseas trip shortly after we went under contract. The plan was simple: get the house sold while they were away and have everything wrapped up before they returned.
Instead, we had delays upon delays.
The buyer’s loan took almost two months to get approved, creating stress and uncertainty for everyone involved. It was a powerful reminder that it matters who you work with — especially when it comes to lenders. The lender you choose can affect not only your purchase, but everyone on both sides of the transaction.
Through all of it, one thing made an enormous difference: the patience and positive attitude of both the buyers and the sellers. There were plenty of opportunities for frustration and tempers to get frayed, but everyone remained gracious, patient, and focused on the same goal — getting to the closing table.
Then came the HOA.
First, there were delays getting the closing letter from the HOA management company. Then HOA violations had to be addressed before we could move forward. Dealing with HOA management companies is a whole other story for another day.
With my sellers overseas, we had to rely on some very special people. Friends stepped in to help address the HOA issues — literally buying 50 bags of mulch for the flower beds, making calls, showing up, and handling the things my sellers simply couldn’t take care of from thousands of miles away.
Then came one more challenge: the closing documents.
Because my sellers were overseas, their son was acting under a Power of Attorney. Ordinarily, he would have had to travel to Atlanta to sign the closing documents.
But after all the delays — including no fewer than six amendments moving the closing date — his work schedule changed and traveling to Atlanta was no longer an option.
So we worked to get special permission for a mobile notary to handle the signing where he was.
And here’s where the story gets almost unbelievable.
He was in San Antonio.
And, completely by coincidence, so was I.
I had taken a few days away in San Antonio, and after weeks of coordinating across time zones, states, lenders, HOA management companies, friends, attorneys, and everyone else involved, I was able to meet him there in person.
Finally, we made it to closing day.
And even then, the adventure wasn’t quite over.
It turned into one of the longest closings I’ve ever attended — nearly three hours — as we coordinated back and forth with a lender based on the West Coast.
But after everything it took to get there, the closing table itself became one of my favorite parts of this entire story.
It was truly an international affair.
The buyers were Colombian. The sellers were Japanese. The agents were Mexican and Sri Lankan.
Around that table was a melting pot of languages, cultures, stories, laughter — and plenty of cheering for our favorite soccer teams.
After nearly two months of lender delays, six closing date amendments, HOA issues, 50 bags of mulch, paperwork, long-distance coordination, special approvals, a mobile notary in San Antonio, and a three-hour closing...
We finally closed.
And the final irony?
My sellers return to the United States the very next day.
This one reminded me that getting a home sold isn’t always a straight line. Sometimes the road to SOLD takes patience, creativity, a lot of good people — and, apparently, a detour through San Antonio.
Congratulations to my sellers and the new homeowners. This closing was hard-earned, and I couldn’t be happier that everyone made it across the finish line together. 🏡🔑
