As most of my clients and members of my family know by now, I tend to be what some may call an “aggressive driver.” Or a “very aggressive driver.” Or, still for some, “the most aggressive driver I’ve ever seen in my entire life.” I yell, I scream, I carry on.
My husband Yoni always says that the targets of my wrath when I drive never got “Brad’s pamphlet.”
Well, if there were a pamphlet, it would be the State of Illinois Rules of Road booklet I memorized during my Junior year driver’s ed class. And the reason that I yell, scream, and carry on, is that very few drivers and pedestrians honor those rules. As a result, I just can’t get to where I need to be.
But the one rule of the road, which has always been a source of curiosity, temptation, defiance, and efficiency, is the U-Turn.
I doubt anyone even knows if they’re legal or illegal. Are they presumed illegal unless there’s a “U-Turn" sign in the road…or are they presumed legal unless there’s a “NO U-Turn" sign in the road? And if one scenario is true, why are there signs saying you can or can’t do it?
Are we supposed to discreetly make the U? Or proudly show the world that U-Turns and the murky rules governing them are unjust, uncivil, and a threat to orderly progression of traffic - and naturally, of society? These are conundrums that drivers like me contend with on a daily basis.
That’s why I’m extra sensitive to buyers of homes who make U-Turns on their purchases after they close. After we spend time, effort and energy identifying, negotiating, and proceeding to close on their new home, they call us.
Something happens - because life is crazy (especially these days) and circumstances change: finances, family, priorities, tastes. And these buyers realize they may want something else, go somewhere else, or just do something else completely different.
In the last month, our team has encountered a few of these situations and deftly dealt with the emotional, financial, technical, and strategic handholding and decision-making that naturally happens with real estate U-Turns.
But, in contrast to driving, there are no rules when it comes to choosing your home and to changing your mind after you’ve done it.
Together, we balance all the moving parts and proceed carefully into the intersection. And we make the U-Turn.
It’s totally allowed and even spelled out in Brad’s pamphlet.
Have a great weekend!
Best,
Brad
