Interactions with God #72
In 1996, we began a home group meeting in Manchester, NH. Pastor Ed had hooked us up with several families who were already living reasonably close by. This group was the beginning of our Manchester Vineyard church planting team. The plan was simple, we were to start a home group. Grow it enough to multiply it into two, then three groups. Once we had three decent home groups, we could start a Sunday night service. Once we had a full worship team and a Sunday school staff, we could then move to a Sunday morning service. That was the plan. It was the Vineyard plan, it was Ed’s plan and I had no problem with it. This would take some time and a lot of dedication. It would also take a lot of driving.
Martha and I still lived in Lowell, MA. We drove the hour and fifteen minutes each way to lead the initial home group. Cassie was almost a year old. Brianne was almost 4. The commute was a pain, so we started looking at houses for the first time in our lives.
We signed a contract with a realtor to act as a broker. Basically, that means we had a realtor help us look and then she would help negotiate with the seller’s realtor in the buying process. Someone recommended this idea and it worked out really well. Pat was our realtor.
After several weekends of searching houses in the targeted area, we settled on two possibilities. One was in New Boston, NH, the other was in Weare, NH. Both within 20 minutes from downtown Manchester. However, Martha and I really liked the house in New Boston. Going back on our own, we drove by the house. The owners were there, so we stopped and asked if we could again look at the house. They were really nice people, so they gave us a tour. At one point, I walked the 4 acre property praying for God’s guidance. I really got the sense that this was the house for us, and so did Martha.
That night, when back at home in our apartment, we prayed together. During the prayer, I felt I had a prophetic word from God, so being just Martha and me, I let her know and then spoke it. It was a question, “Do you want this house?” We both answered yes to the question. I got another word following our response, “The house is yours.” Was this God? We believed so, and that belief would come to be tested…
We called Pat the next morning and told her we wanted to make an offer on the New Boston house. She told us that the house had two offers on it already, and one was a cash offer. She said it was unlikely for the first offer to fall through, and less likely for the second. She suggested an offer on the house in Weare. We said no. We want to put an offer on the New Boston house. “Ok…I will do the paperwork…” Yea, she thought we were a bit nuts.
A few weeks later, on the Thursday before Memorial Day weekend, I got a call from Pat. I had the next day off as we were already planning to meet with her the morning. The plan was to take a look at more houses. Well, that was the plan, until I got that call in the afternoon. Unbelievably, the other offers fell through. We were the next in line, but there was a problem. The realtor representing the sellers had not sent the signed contract back, yet. Pat had not pushed for it, because the deal was so unlikely. Now, even though we had submitted it, we had nothing to prove for it. After going back and forth, the other realtor finally told Pat that she would send the signed document back, if we could get the inspection done by Monday. Yea, by Monday, of Memorial Day weekend! That was just not possible…or so she thought.
It just so happened, that I knew a guy from our prior church who was licensed to inspect houses. I called him and asked if he could help us with the inspection. He said of course he could do it, on that very Saturday even. I let Pat know. She called back a few minutes later, fuming. The other realtor told her that the inspection could not be done on that Saturday. She said the homeowners had refused because they would be too tired after the long work week. That just didn’t sound right. I had met these people. They didn't seem like the type to say anything of the sort. So, I did a no, no. I called them directly.
The home owners said that of course they would meet with our inspector. I called Pat to let her know. She called their realtor and afterward called me back, rather pleased how my action ticked her opponent off. The inspection was scheduled and we should have been all set, however, just before I left work that night, Pat called, again.
She said their realtor refused to honor her agreement. She would not send us the signed contract. Pat was flabbergasted! She could not understand why this woman was being such a witch. It made no sense. Either way, there was nothing more we could do now. We still planned to meet with Pat the following day, to either fight for this mess or look at other houses.
The next morning, I spend some time on my knees. While just talking to the Lord and asking for His guidance, I got annoyed. It occurred to me that these people, whether the realtor or the owners, were being jerks and now it would cost them! You see, I realized that if it was God who promised us that the house was ours, then NO ONE would be able to buy that house except for us! I got up off my knees, seriously determined, and we headed out to Pat’s office in NH.
When we got there, I told Pat what I wanted to do. Again, she thought I was nuts. So, I told her why. I told her that we believed that God said the house was ours. Since God said it was ours, it will now be ours for less money. We signed a new offer for the house…$5,000 less than the original. Of course, this should have gone absolutely nowhere. What homeowner would accept a second offer that is less than the first, especially when they wouldn’t honor the first! But, I believed the word was from God, and we were about to find out if it really was.
Pat faxed the new offer. Within seconds of the fax completion, the other realtor called. She was in a major tizzy. Pat, now so mad that she could no longer talk to the woman, handed me the phone. When I took the call, the other realtor asked me why I lowered my initial offer. I told her, “Because you and your client are being difficult”. She then asked me something I didn’t expect. “What would it take for you to rescind that offer and stand with the first one?” “Uhhhh, well,” I said, “First off, stop being difficult! If you want us to go back to the original offer, the inspection WILL be done tomorrow and you WILL fax to Pat the original signed offer by 5:00 pm tonight.” She replied, “But what if my client won’t come out to my office today?” I told her, “I don’t care how you get it signed, it must be here by 5 pm.” I ended the call.
None of this was making any sense, but I didn’t care. For whatever reason, this realtor, and maybe the seller, would be a bit more responsive. Pat got the signed offer by 5 pm that night. The inspection was done Saturday as scheduled and everything went smoothly all the way to closing. At the closing, I joked with Martha and Pat that the other realtor may manifest a demonic presence in the middle of the signing. No one really laughed, I think they thought the situation might be a real possibility.
Pat wasn’t there at the signing, I don’t remember why, but it didn’t matter. I met the crazy realtor. No demon reaction, but she did have a rather defeated look to her. Sorry, but I was rather pleased with it. I still am.
It wasn’t until Pat called a month after we had moved in, that we finally found out why what I did actually worked. Apparently, the realty company that the woman worked for, had set up the commission for the house to be an 80/20 split. 80% of the commission was to go to the realtor who brought in the buyer. That would be Pat. Her check was a whole lot more than she expected and of course, the witchy realtor’s check was a whole lot less. The evil realtor, knowing this ahead of time, had hoped to make us go away for a client that she brought in. Because she didn’t, she got 20% of the commission as opposed to 100% if she had.
This woman, in trying so hard to make us go away, broke several NH real estate laws. If what she was doing had become known, she could have lost her license or at worst case scenario, gone to jail. The only way she could have been caught was for a second offer, as required by law, been presented to the seller – with a lower amount. If that happened, the seller would have contacted the real estate agency and asked why. Boom! She would have been caught.
When God says something is so, there is nothing on heaven and earth that can stop it. We have a grand opportunity as His people! If we put ourselves in God’s hand and let Him tighten His grip, we end up in His fist. Everything will bow when facing God’s fist.