Att`n.: Editor, "Real Estate Bulletin"
Dear Sir:
As a North Carolina real estate broker, I am a subscriber and reader of the "Real Estate Bulletin", your quarterly publication. It is in reference to this publication that I address these thoughts. Recently, I found myself in the starring role of a real estate transaction which seemed to be a "first" for our area; in short, the story involves the sale of a house to a couple who were totally blind. Because of the unusual circumstances and the consequent questions that arose, I thought that this incident might be of interest and perhaps benefit to your readers. Here are some of the details of the account:
The couple arrived at my office one afternoon by taxi, accompanied by their 3 year old daughter who served as their guide. I greeted them at the door and helped them to my office. They told me that they were looking for a small house to buy (They were presently renting.) and wanted to keep their monthly payments at roughly $65.00 per month.
We had a listing that met their requirements, so I asked if they would care to inspect the property. They seemed very interested, and I drove them to the house. Inside the house, I took them through each of the rooms where they felt the walls, floors, and windows, and stepped off the size of the room and closets. Outside the house, they inspected the exterior walls and we stepped off the property lines from corner to corner. Satisfied with their findings, they paid a deposit on the home,, handing me $50.00 in cash. Sensing their high degree of independence, I hesitated to ask them if they would like for a friend or relative to see the house; I did, however, ask the question.,to which they replied, "We trust you .
I proceeded to fill out the case, learning that their only source of income was Social Security allotments. I felt that this allotment was sufficient to "qualify" them for the house, and, therefore, submitted the case to Savings and Loan association, a local lender. The loan went through normal processing procedures, was readily approved, and a closing date set. The necessary insurance for the house was easily obtained. We consulted our attorney to see what special precautionary measures should be taken at the closing; he explained that he had never encountered this problem, and thus contacted several other attorneys; they too had not handled such a case but agreed on a course of action:
At the loan closing, the loan officer carefully and thoroughly read each instrument, and I contacted - a local minister to represent the purchasers and witness their "mark" They marked each document, and everyone present was satisfied that they understood the details and obligations of the transaction. Although lengthy, the loan closing went very smoothly.
This couple and their child will soon be moving into their new house. I have visited them once since the loan closing, and I found them at their new home - they were mowing the lawn.
This story is not intended to exalt or draw attention to extraordinary efforts put forward by the lender or the broker involved in this matter On the contrary, I hope that this article illustrates the ease with which such a case can be handled. Hopefully, this may encourage other realtors who find themselves in a similar situation and who have reservations, concerning the ability of persons who are blind to contract and buy real property, to view these individuals as they view themselves -as "normal" human beings who simply lack the faculty of sight and who entertain the universal desire to join the membership of those persons owning a piece of the world they live on. In this way, we can better fullfill the first covenant of the Realtors Code of Ethics: "To protect the individual right of real estate ownership," and especially, "to widen the opportunity to enjoy it."
Permission to print this subject matter has been obtained from the purchasers, the seller, the consulting attorney, the lender, and our brokerage office if you decide that it is worthy of publication. In any event, it has been a pleasure for me to share this experience with you.
Sincerely,
P T F