Does your agent have an auger?

Working with buyers yesterday evening, we thought we had found their dream home. On an all-sports lake near Traverse City, this home was beautiful and offered all the features they hoped for. It appeared we were on our way to writing an offer. I asked the buyer if they were familiar with this portion of the lake. I had remembered from past boating trips that this particular bay seemed to be quite shallow. I suggested we head out on the ice and drill a few holes just to be sure. It ended up being a very good thing. The first hole close to shore revealed only 6" of water and a foot or so of soft dark muck on the bottom. We headed 30' out and drilled another hole. Again, shallow water with a nice deep layer of fragrant black muck. The process continued until we were probably 200' from shore and still had only found a couple feet of water before hitting another few feet of muck. The look of disappointment was obvious, but there was also a sense of relief. Had their Realtor not take the time and effort to really look into what they were buying, they would have had a very unpleasant surprise once the ice melted and the home was now theirs. Our company was built to sell the water. Our agents are passionate about representing waterfront buyers and sellers and it can make an enormous difference in ensuring our clients make informed decisions. Enjoy the rest of winter!! Should be seeing ice out in another few weeks if the weather cooperates.