Dim bulbs in the Real Estate biz (long and lame)

The BBQ Pit
1

I don’t even get to bitch about this in the first person, because it happened to my wife.

After 5 months of unemployment, I accepted a position that will require a several hunded mile move, and I start Nov 3rd. Naturally, I was surfing the real estate websites for SE Virginia, trying to familiarize myself with what’s available.

I stumbled across a site that claimed to have the most complete MLS listing. Like an idiot (my fault for doing this), I filled out an info page. I got a form mail reply saying that the RE company is processing my data, then left for school to work on a lab project.

While I was gone, some guy from a clearing house office in British Columbia for the real estate organization calls, wanting to discuss the submitted data. My wife had no clue that I filed out a sucker sheet.

British Columbian Idiot: “Mrs. Vunder, are you sure you want to move to Hampton, VA?”

VunderWife: “Yes. My husband just accepted an offer with NASA.”

BCI: “Are you sure? NASA is only in Florida and Texas”

VW: “Yes, I’m sure. It’s next door to Langley Air Force Base.”

A moment of silence, then BCI asks, “Are you certain you want to move to Hampton? It’s 180 miles to Langley VA, and that’s a 4 hour commute one way.”

[Langley VA is a Washington DC suburb, and is the home of the CIA]

VW: “No no no! Langley AFB is in HAMPTON, not LANGLEY! I know where we need to move to.”

This went on for four telephone calls, all while I was gone. Of course, I was ambushed when I got home.

The only bit of vengeance I could dish out about this is I replied to the original e-mail I got as confirmation. I sent them this:

[q][bYa know, if some clueless moron from British Columbia is going to try to debate my wife about Langley vs. Hampton, Virginia as a place to live, or try to tell me that my employer only exists on Florida and Texas, then I don’t want anything to do with you clowns.

Get stuffed and good riddance.

VunderBob
**[/q]

2

Well, let’s all hope your loan qualification doesn’t depend upon coding skills.

3

Thanks, Zen…

4

[crickets chirping in background]

[Zenster nudges vunderbob in the ribs]

So, bob, what are you going to be doing at NASA?

5

I was born in Hampton. On the base. Not that that has anything to do with any of this.

Yeah, so what are you going to do at NASA? Because I understand they do some nifty stuff.

6

Well, if I get this round of coding right, I’ll be working on a flight simulator project , where the simulator deck will be used to remotely fly unmanned test aircraft.

7

So if you got the coding wrong, what would you be doing?:smiley:

8

Janitor.

9

Are you sure? Why would they need a flight simulator at an airport? They have REAL planes there.

10

Whatever you do, now that you work for NASA, please remember the difference between the metric and the imperial systems… and know when to use 'em.

:smiley:

11

I am reminded of a long and somewhat tense conversation I had with someone once, trying to convince her that the town of Andover was in southern England, and not, as she believed, Germany. (We eventually worked out she was thinking of Hanover).

12

Damn, bob, I’d hate to think what would have happened if you had been hired by NASA Goddard!

"Greenbelt? Where the hell is that?

13

err NASA is also in North Alabama.

sigh

I only wish I had answered the phone for you. I love dealing with idiots on the phone :slight_smile:

14

Not only that, but Virginia has 2 NASA facilities: Langley, where I’m going, and Wallops Island at the extreme northern part of VA on the Delmarva Peninsula. Wallops is part of the previously mentioned Goddard in Maryland.

I told someone today that I must have died, because I’m going to geek heaven.