Blackberry,Blackberry
As you know, if you have been reading my blogs, I bought myself a blackberry a few months ago. To bring you up-to-date, I am now a blackberry addict - always looking down to see if I have any new email messages. Yes, I admit it, I have joined the ranks of the blackberry- obsessed who are forever looking down at their email scrolls just in case they should miss a message by even a nanosecond.
Anyway, this is a true story...
I was at a Home Inspection this week on a house I was selling in Weston. Home inspections take between 2 and 4 hours and having been through more than a hundred, I know the parts I need to pay attention to and the parts that are simply meant as a general education to the buyers. I have already been educated on most aspects of a home so I don't pay a lot of attention when the inspector is spouting good advice and preventative measures to the potential homebuyers.
We were in the garage and the home inspector was about to test the automatic garage doors which is par for the course. He asked me to go to the back of the garage and push the button to open the right garage door. I did as I was told and the garage door moved upward very smoothly. He then asked me to push the down button and again the right garage door did what it was meant to do - move slowly down into position.
He then asked me to push the up button for the left garage door which I gladly did. He then proceeded to explain the mechanics and safety features of garage doors to the buyers. As he started his seminar, I took out my blackberry to check my messages. I had heard the warnings about garage springs snapping, what to do in case of a loss of electricity and all the other dire conditions that can happen if you have automatic garage doors. I didn't need to hear these alerts one more time; I could use these few minutes to check out what messages might have arrived on my email.
The left garage door came slowly down.
"Peggy, did you press the button again?" I looked up to find that the inspector and Mr. and Mrs. Buyer were staring at me.
"No," I didn't touch it."
"Ok, could you push the up button again?"
"Sure" and I pressed the up button again and the left door moved slowly upward.
The inspector continued his lecture on garage doors when suddenly the left garage door moved slowly downward.
Again, the inspector and the buyers looked at me as though I had done something wrong.
And then I got it! It came to me like a lightning bolt - "All I touched was my blackberry! Do you think? Could it be? I can't believe it!"
We agreed - my blackberry must be on the same frequency as the garage door and was moving it down whenever I checked my email.
I tried it one more time. I pushed the up button on the wall and when the garage door was in the up position, I pushed on my blackberry - and the garage door came down!!!!
What a riot! None of us could get over it!!!
Now, you have to admit, that's weird!!!!!
Real estate Hint: I advise everyone to have a home inspection. And, make sure you hire a good inspector - either recommended by a good friend or your real estate agent. All home inspectors are not alike! Some are terrific - knowledgable, clean, friendly, punctual, exerienced - while others either overlook things or exaggerate every small crack into a crumbling foundation. Inspectors now charge between $400 to $700, but they are well worth it as they usually are not only inspecting the home, but they also provide a wealth of maintenance information.
Anyway, this is a true story...
I was at a Home Inspection this week on a house I was selling in Weston. Home inspections take between 2 and 4 hours and having been through more than a hundred, I know the parts I need to pay attention to and the parts that are simply meant as a general education to the buyers. I have already been educated on most aspects of a home so I don't pay a lot of attention when the inspector is spouting good advice and preventative measures to the potential homebuyers.
We were in the garage and the home inspector was about to test the automatic garage doors which is par for the course. He asked me to go to the back of the garage and push the button to open the right garage door. I did as I was told and the garage door moved upward very smoothly. He then asked me to push the down button and again the right garage door did what it was meant to do - move slowly down into position.
He then asked me to push the up button for the left garage door which I gladly did. He then proceeded to explain the mechanics and safety features of garage doors to the buyers. As he started his seminar, I took out my blackberry to check my messages. I had heard the warnings about garage springs snapping, what to do in case of a loss of electricity and all the other dire conditions that can happen if you have automatic garage doors. I didn't need to hear these alerts one more time; I could use these few minutes to check out what messages might have arrived on my email.
The left garage door came slowly down.
"Peggy, did you press the button again?" I looked up to find that the inspector and Mr. and Mrs. Buyer were staring at me.
"No," I didn't touch it."
"Ok, could you push the up button again?"
"Sure" and I pressed the up button again and the left door moved slowly upward.
The inspector continued his lecture on garage doors when suddenly the left garage door moved slowly downward.
Again, the inspector and the buyers looked at me as though I had done something wrong.
And then I got it! It came to me like a lightning bolt - "All I touched was my blackberry! Do you think? Could it be? I can't believe it!"
We agreed - my blackberry must be on the same frequency as the garage door and was moving it down whenever I checked my email.
I tried it one more time. I pushed the up button on the wall and when the garage door was in the up position, I pushed on my blackberry - and the garage door came down!!!!
What a riot! None of us could get over it!!!
Now, you have to admit, that's weird!!!!!
Real estate Hint: I advise everyone to have a home inspection. And, make sure you hire a good inspector - either recommended by a good friend or your real estate agent. All home inspectors are not alike! Some are terrific - knowledgable, clean, friendly, punctual, exerienced - while others either overlook things or exaggerate every small crack into a crumbling foundation. Inspectors now charge between $400 to $700, but they are well worth it as they usually are not only inspecting the home, but they also provide a wealth of maintenance information.
Very good story!!I had the same thing happen years ago when my garage door went up in the middle of a very cold dark night...it was on the same frequency as the neighborhood police cruiser! Best wishes, Gail
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I'm glad to know that you are still reading our blog, Gail!
Anne Romney had a garage door go up at a listing in Bolton. It happened late one very cold night and the pipes froze and caused a lot of damage to the house. That one was due to a neighbor's same frequency.
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