I am selling a lake home where my first wife and I lived for 21 years before her death. Since then I have lived there most of the time but less for the last five years since I remarried and my new wife has a nice home in town. I kept the lake house for recreation and a big garden. But during the garden season this year I realized the driving was getting too tiresome. And with the kind of hot weather we had from time to time I wasn’t keeping up even though I had some help one morning a week.
I contacted the realtor who sold us the property in 1990 to get the name of a new realtor. The previous realtor had retired. The new person had seventeen years of experience, even with property along a waterway. She immediately made suggestions, new carpet, new paint, and remove most of the furniture. People like space. We were into a fast pace which continued to the end of October when it went on the market.
Some major issues remained: Flood insurance and a new septic system. A survey was done and Fema was notified. They finally responded in our favor partly. Not all the property is in the flood plain. That makes a difference somehow. A contractor for a new septic system drew up the plans. I submitted them to the Lake Board President who sent a letter back indicating permission.
The winter weather slowed sales but by mid January we had a buyer. Closing was first schedule of February 8th. Questions about a loan moved the closing to the 25thof February. Then the week of the 2nd I received an email from the Board Secretary they had not received my detailed drawing of the septic system. The first was more of a sketch. I was under doctors care for a sinus infection so in no way could I respond. The realtor went to work. Friday of last week some of the board met with the contractor and all questions were answered. They didn’t need a detailed drawing. The President apologized for not making it clear about needing a second diagram.
We are now back on go with letters giving the okay.
When I received the word for a second detailed drawing, never mentioned before, I send back an email which included this short paragraph.
“Thanks for your reply. This is a great example of a constraint. I could go into greater detail. It is all about bureaucracy. I read a book on the subject and the chapter on constraints was the best. So here we are dealing with a constraint that surfaces three months after the first letter. Not costly to you but we will see how much for me.”
The constraint has been satisfied. But I now have an up to date example of how bureaucracy is everywhere, don’t just criticize the government.
Shalom,
Marlin
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