The Short Sale Boat: All Aboard
It’s odd, isn’t it, how bad circumstances can generate something new and wonderful. Beauty from destruction, comedy from tragedy, all of that stuff. I recently had my own introduction to this paradox.
It happened one Saturday night when I woke up at 3 a.m. and for the life of me couldn’t get back to sleep. In my head there was this song, playing over and over again, that I simply could not delete. And it wasn’t just any old song — it was the “The Love Boat” theme. No matter what I did, it just kept playing and playing and playing. I thought I’d go insane.
So, what’s a person to do? I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t stop thinking of this cheesy song — could things get any worse? And then I thought of short sales.
See, something that’s been on my mind lately has been this class I teach on short sales. I’ve been wanting to improve it — make it more fun, make it more entertaining — but haven’t been able to figure out how.
One of the standard pieces of advice you hear about when it comes to presentations is that you should open with a joke. Unfortunately, I can’t remember a joke to save my own life. And if you’ve ever heard someone tell a joke who isn’t good at it — well, let’s just say the results aren’t always pretty. (Which reminds me: Anybody see the Academy Awards show?)
But how about a song? Better yet, how about a song about short sales? Even better still, how about a short-sale song done to the tune of the “Love Boat” theme? Now THAT’S entertainment!
Inspired, I began penning my new tune, trying to incorporate things that realtors can relate to — “no more leases with options, no more land contracts with no commissions” — and other aspects of short sales that come up in class.
Later on, I recorded it (I’m in a of couple bands, so that part was easy), and now it’s available to hear, all shiny and new and stuffed with valuable insight on that popular alternative to foreclosure, the short sale.
In closing -
What’s the old saying? If life hands you lemons, make lemonade? From my perfect storm of despair — unable to sleep, unable to punch up my short-sale class, and stuck with the “Love Boat” theme playing in my brain ad nauseam — came the potential new No. 1 hit on the National Association of Realtors’ weekly Top 10 list (no, that doesn’t really exist). Just one thing, though: If you wake up at 3 o’clock in the morning with “The Short Sale Song” stuck in your head, don’t come complaining to me. (And you’re welcome.)
Scott Stevenson
5 Comments to “The Short Sale Boat: All Aboard”
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Scott your song is great, can’t stop laughing.
What a fun song, and helps to explain. Thanks for this!
Scott,
I would like you to speak (actually sing) for me at my next BNI meeting in which I am the speaker. Better keep practicing this “Short Sale Song” until then. I speak next on Thursday April 21, 2011. We meet from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at the Vineyard Church in Westerville which is on Cooper Road.
Love the song, but seriously I was hoping you could speak about Northwest Title on that dateto my group. I have been the speaker 6 times now and I want to chqange things up a bit next time.
Thanks,
Frank
ps I don’t really remember the Love Boat tune but it is as you say really cheesey.
I’d give it a 8.8. It had a nice beat, and I could dance to it.
[...] Let’s put it another way: I got some positive feedback. The problem is, now I need new songs (to be honest, I’m getting a little tired of always singing “The Short Sale Song”). [...]