I was thinking recently about the sheer power that grandchildren hold over their grandparents after seeing yet another couple make plans to move to or away from our Gatlinburg area to stay close to their grandchildren. Grandparents will move anywhere, at anytime, and under any circumstances to stay near their grandchildren and their ability to cause a move isn’t even a one time thing. It is my suspicion that grandchildren may in fact be the most unanticipated “move encouraging” factor that I am aware of and I guess that we as real estate agents should be grateful. Certainly employment causes people to move but Grandchildren are much more effective. A person can say no to a job opportunity but grandparents seem unable to withstand the influence of an adorable grandchild’s impending departure.
Before I had grandchildren of my own, I thought that this was rather absurd. Now however I am the one showing people sometimes that I don’t even know pictures of my grandchildren. My victims are generally very patient despite the fact that they don’t really care all that much. Unless they have grandchildren of their own, I suspect that they don’t even really understand. There is a reason that we call them GRANDchildren…
