I really enjoy selling real estate in the Redland and Homestead. Today I drove to my Open House in Homestead thinking it would be just like the other days. The house is vacant and I set things up each time I Open it:
- Change the A/C from 80 degrees to something a little cooler.
- Turn on all the lights.
- Open all the curtains and drapes.
- Draw up all the blinds.
- If it needs it, I even pull out the broom I keep in my car and spiffy the place up a bit!
Well, today was just a little different at my Open House. As I pulled up the blinds in the living room a lizard almost jumped out at me from behind the blinds. OK, I'm no sissy. Lizards don't bother me. They're part of life in Florida. I have finally gotten over them.
In one of the bedrooms was a little spider. Spiders are OK too. As long as they're not too big...or too hairy. I let it be.
Then I made my way to the family room, which also doubles as my office while I am there and proceeded to draw up the blinds there. There were two little bulging eyes looking up at me as I did so. I have never cried Eeeeeeeeeek in my life. Until now. That was the last straw! There was a little frog perched on the side of the sliding door. I did not want to risk checking my email while the frog decided to go for a hop...on me no less. No sir! (I did however, grab my cellphone and snapped a picture of him for you. Am I not thoughtful?)
What followed would have been very comical if it had been filmed. I opened the sliding door in hopes it would jump out of the house. Of course, it jumped further into the house. I chased it with a stick trying to get it back into the family room as it hopped quickly into the living room. I ran for the front door and opened it wide. That was the answer! I would chase it out the front door if it wasn't going to go out the back door. Except he had other plans.
He hopped behind the buffet and I wondered if it was worth moving the darn thing. I wasn't coming back here until next weekend after all. I'd better move it, I decided. What if he came out while a squeamish buyer was walking the house? I didn't wan't a frog ruining a possible sale!
I moved the buffet. He jumped the other way. He and I did the silly ring-around-the-buffet-catch-me-if-you-can dance for a bit. I'm a firm believer in the fact that there's more than one way to skin a cat. I went into the kitchen looking for something I could use. This is a model home and apart from the furniture and doo-dads, there's no signs of life here. I found a plastic grocery bag I had left in a drawer. I'd have to actually catch the iccky thing with the bag. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww............
I mustered up my courage and returned to where my uninvited guest was. I took a deep breath and, using the bag as a makeshift glove scooped up the little guy. YUCKKKKKK! I ran outside with him and set him free as I broke into a rousing chorus of "Born Free." I also sheepishly explained to the neighbor. He was looking at me funny.
I had found too many critters today. I was almost afraid to go turn the lights on in the master bedroom. =)
Maggie Dokic, SFR is a licensed real estate broker in the state of Florida selling residential real estate in Miami, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, Coral Gables, Gables by the Sea, High Pines, the Redland and other select areas of SW Miami-Dade County.
Maggie has earned her SFR certification to be able to better serve the needs of her customers in today's non-traditional real estate market. SFR is a Short Sale, Foreclosure Resource Specialist. Designees have been trained to understand the highly specialized options available to Sellers facing short sales & foreclosures and Buyers looking to buy them.
For more information on our local real estate market, or to see or sell a home in Miami, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, Coral Gables or the Redland, visit my Miami Real Estate blog or contact me at Maggie (at) TheBlogThatAteMiami (dot) com.
The opinions expressed herein, are those of the author, and not necessarily of Keller Williams Realty.
None of this information is to be deemed legal or financial advice. Please contact your attorney or accountant for same.
The little critter kept you from putting out the signs........
How did the open house go? Did you think about kissing the frog for good luck....... he could have been your buyer in disguise!
LOL, Maggie. Thanks for the laugh. Don't you love life's little surprises? Makes you wonder what you DIDN'T see!
Jeff
Maggie,
What a cute little frog! I'm laughing at the thought of you chasing it around the buffet...I'm sorry, I can't help it. Thanks for the smile :)
Maggie - I'd rather chase frogs than have to scoop the litter box. Seems the cats always need to use the potty just about the time my shift begins!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAGGIE GIRL!
Oh Miss Maggie - I heard tell today is YOUR birthday!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAGGIE!!!!
OK, so back to your post........ the lizard would have made me jump a bit, but that spider, little or not, would have set me off. I HATE spiders - SCARED of them. I carry spider spray with me in my car, and I have a can in my office at work, too. Invariably I see a spider when there's no one else around to kill it for me, so one of our office staff bought me my own can of spider spray. Now, I DROWN them making sure they're dead!
Anyway, oh to have been a fly on the wall watching you and that frog going around the table!!! That would have been priceless, and I'd bet fabulous material for America's Funniest Home Videos - million dollar prize for sure!
What a bunch of critter treats on your birthday!!
Ann
Hmm, a lizard, a spider and a frog. Sounds like pretty efficient pest control to me. (at least in Arizona anyway)
I saw the post Midori did about your birthday and came by to say Happy Birthday! Frogs and all!
Maggie- I really need a laugh and picturing you and the frog did it.. I'm so glad I live in So Cal where we have few critters to deal with other then the occasional spider or silver fish..
Happy Birthday..
Maggie, Happy Birthday!!!!!!
That is so funny. A cute little, bitty froggy. :) LOL.
Maggie, I like your new photo!
Your post reminded me of a vacant property I showed a few years back. It was completely overrun with little frogs. No kidding! The basement window was broken, apparently letting some in that way, and they must have reproduced or something because they were in every room of the house. I'll never forget that, and your story made me laugh just thinking about it... gave my husband a laugh, too, as he just walked by and I asked if he remembered that.
Christopher - I had not thought about that. Darn! I could use the extra cash. Maybe I can do it all over again next weekend! LOL
Brady - yeah, who needs a prince? Gimme a buyer. I wonder if it's too late to go find him and kiss him? LOL
Cyndee - that's funny. Have you ever told one that? It is true. Lizards are everywhere in Florida. I had to get over my ickiness of them fast because of that.
Jeff - now that you mention it....hmmm, I might just stay away from the place next weekend and blame it on you! rofl
Larry - you're so right. A shift in the balance of nature will take it's toll. Sorry to hear it's happening in your part of Texas. My back yard in particular is a frog breeding ground! If I'm ever up late at night and walk to the back of the house I can hear them out there. They're so loud. But I guess the ones I have here are toads. They're really huge. There's no way I would try to pick up one of those!
Suzanne - I won't hold it against you. It must have been pretty funny. At the end I think he just gave up and surrendered. He knew he was no match for me!
Lane - I love Spiderman. I've had a crush on him since my teens =) I think maybe that has helped me get over being squeamish about them. The little ones anyway..... =)
Mana - I'm doing a repeat performance next week. C'mon out and the video rights are yours!
Marlene - a little birdie told me it was your birthday earlier in the week. By the time I got back home I never made it back online to wish you a good one. I'm so sorry! I hope it was great. You're so lucky to have that special little birdie for a friend.
Ann - I had no idea they made spider spray. Maybe you could try having a crush on Spiderman as I told Lane above. It worked for me =)
Doreen - I had no idea about Midori's post. I haven't read any blogs yet. Thanks for the heads up. Oh that Midori!
Carole - that's one of the things that stinks about growing up. All of a sudden we're squeamish about things we did often as kids. Try and get me on a rollercoaster today and you'll see what I mean!
Kaye - So Cal sounds lovely because of that alone. No critters? How wonderful is that?! You should play that up in your property brochures for sure! In NYC I learned to be fearless of roaches. I find a lot of people here in Florida that are scared of them.
Stephanie - he didn't look so cute or so bitty when I contemplated the best way to get rid of him. All of a sudden it was just him and me. I wouldn't have rested easy knowing he was still there. =)
Margaret - all over? oh my goodness. How did you show that property? Dressed like the Gorton Fisherman for sure. I know I would have. Y-U-C-K-O!!!!! =)
Sue - no bulging eyeballs? I thought that was an all-over frog trait for sure. Can you get us a picture of one? Up close and personal? LOL
George - you made me crack up with that. Thank you! But no, the chase was definitely what wore him out so that I was actually able to scoop him up. He would have jumped 5 feet otherwise. I needed that edge =)
Carole - thank you! And you're probably right, but there was no convincing me of that fact 12 hours ago. =)
I have an image of high heels and squeals running around the buffet...LOL.
Nice Birthday present!!!
That is HILARIOUS!!! I had to clean up roaches at a vacant home the other day...YUCK! Anytime critters have more legs than me---I don't like'm!! Anyhow, as I was picking up these dead roaches and putting them in my handy Walmart bag...ONE STARTED TO CRAWL AROUND and I did the mini shriek thing!
BUGS...FL...not one of the perks for sure!! LOL
Maggie, you won't find me up close to a frog, but I guess maybe they do all have bulgy eyeballs.
Maggie, too funny! I live in live in Florida too so I know exactly how you feel. I am ok with the lizards and even the cute tree frogs, just as long as they don't jump on me we are fine! It is the salamanders that get me....Ewwwwwwwwwwww! That will have me running for the hills, for sure. Thanx for laugh!
BTW: I just remembered, the very first day we moved into our house - my daughter (6 at the time) found one of these frogs in the bathroom, and she ran out hysterical to tell us there was "Chicken Stuck to the Bathroom Wall". I suppose she thought of it as a raw chicken!!! lmao.
Maggie,
I can't say that I had that much excitement at my open house yesterday. Hope you had a great birthday - critters and all!