John had an aggressive cancer that was quickly overtaking his neck and head area, and he knew he only had a few days to put his affairs in order. I’ve never seen anything like that in all my years in nursing. Thank goodness my RN background made me comfortable sitting in front of John as we talked about what was important to him. Literally it looked like an alien fungus was devouring him.
He needed to sell his Carson City home fast, (in hours not days) because he wanted to have time to disburse his estate and make a difference before he died. He knew he would probably only be conscious and coherent for another few days.
He was a solitary man.
No family, no friends, except for his beloved dog that had died the year before. For years they did lots of hiking and snowshoeing together. He had always had a job, but he never got close to any co-workers. He kept his head down, was an ‘underachiever’ in his own words, and he said, “I’m really not very impressed with what I’ve done with my life”.
But on his way out of this world, he changed that.
I sat in front of John for three hours as he described his life to me. I was probably one of the very few people that would ever know a little about him, his thoughts, his life story. With the exception of the people whose lives he dramatically blessed in the last few days of his life as he shared the cash from the sale of his home.
He gave money for a new car to two single moms. He donated to pet rescue and victims of domestic violence. Yes, John made a difference in this world just before he left it. Even as he was consumed with a monstrous growth, I could sense the peace and satisfaction in his soul. And I was deeply touched by being able to be a witness to all of it.
We helped him move into hospice care, and I visited him every day until he was no longer conscious. It was an enriching experience and so meaningful that I signed up to be a hospice volunteer. Everyone in my family was inspired by John and his story. I feel that knowing him made me a better person in some small way.
Shortly after the house closed, I was able to help a good family with 3 young children move into John’s home. They had a big down payment, but couldn’t get a bank loan. So we ‘carried the paper’, ‘gave them seller financing’… all that means is that we were the bank for that family. To this day they send their monthly mortgage payment to us.
I could have made a lot more money if I would have rehabbed and upgraded the house and put it on the MLS, but I did well enough, and a good family got a great deal on the house. They also got amazing private financing without having to qualify for a bank loan, and all they had to do is clean the home up, make a few repairs, paint and install new carpet.
It was a totally feel good transaction from start to finish. These are the types of experiences that keep me passionate about what we do here at Carson City Cash Home Buyers.