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Elizabeth Weintraub
Open House Sunday: Four Bedroom Pool Home in Greenhaven
Pool home in Greenhaven at 6461 Greenhaven Drive, Sacramento, CA
Are you looking for an affordable four bedroom pool home in Greenhaven? It seems so many buyers are getting priced out of the market, which makes this new listing is an excellent opportunity for those who are ready to act. It’s not every day you find a home ready to move into and with a pool under $400,000 in Sacramento. You might say, what’s the catch?
No catch. This pool home in Greenhaven features an updated kitchen, glass doors in some of the upper cabinets and beautiful slab granite counters. So much storage. Built-in buffet in the dining room offers more places to store family heirloom china and precious crystal. Newer electric cooktop. Space for a microwave. Ceramic floors.
Step down from the dining room into the living room and enjoy the focal point, the floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace. Directly off the living room is an enclosed sunroom, which you can use for an office, a workout room, hobby-and-craft room or playroom. Through the sunroom you’ll reach the covered patio where you can relax and breathe in the space. The yard is a quarter acre, per the Sacramento County Assessor, and of course, there is a pool, plus a pond area.
The home itself features four bedrooms and two full baths, one of which is updated. The first bedroom is step-down, which could be utilized as a second office or a bedroom, your choice. A refreshing surprise is the master suite is much larger than you might expect, and there is a built-in vanity. If there is a downside it is you might not appreciate the hunter green tile in the master suite bath, but that can be changed in a flash to suit your own personal taste and who knows, it might grow on you.
I can’t tell you how many times a buyer has said to me, OK, soon as this escrow closes, I am going to (insert your project here). And 10 years later when I come back to list the home for sale because the family is moving up (insert your project here) is still not completed.
Why not come to our open house on Sunday between 2 and 4 PM to see this pool home in Greenhaven and decide for yourself? 6461 Greenhaven Drive, Sacramento, CA 95831 is offered exclusively by Elizabeth Weintraub and Lyon Real Estate at $399K. See the virtual tour here. For more information, please call Elizabeth at 916.233.6759.
Sacramento Realtors Are Found on Google Today For Other Things
This Realtor might walk under a ladder, and I don’t care if a black cat crosses my path just as long as I am found on Google. I’m not really superstitious, but just to be safe I think I’ll knock on wood when I type the next sentence. I have not received a speeding ticket for years. It’s not because I don’t speed. I suspect it’s because I am lucky.
I bought a new car a while back with a weird quirk. When I exceed 75 MPH, a spoiler popped up to keep the car stable and on the road. Not that I probably needed this spoiler at 75 MPH — maybe 100 or 120 MPH. I’m not an engineer either but I’m thinking as long as I keep my MPH around 80, that car will stay on the road without an extended spoiler. So, I am trying to figure out from the manual how to lower the spoiler while I’m driving.
The reason I don’t want it extended is because if a police officer spots my car with the spoiler up, it’s a sure sign that I am speeding. Don’t need radar for that. I could call the dealership, I suppose, and ask, but I’m a person who prefers to figure out things for herself.
Like everybody who wants to be found on Google these days. It’s no secret that if you’re searching for a homebuying related term, you will probably find an article that I wrote ranking in the top 10 Google hits for your search term. Although, this is not always a good thing. There are definite drawbacks to ranking near the top to be found in Google for search terms about homebuying. One of those drawbacks is people don’t always click on the link they find, especially if a phone number or email address appears in the brief description of that link.
A few weeks ago I received a phone call from a guy insisting that he had reached a Surewest office in Sacramento. He wanted to drop off a friend’s cable equipment. You were found on Google, he said. I assured him that I was not Surewest — I am a Sacramento Realtor — but he wasn’t buying it. So, I went to Google and found him an address for Surewest over on Marconi. I went to Google maps and told him how to get there.
Later on in the afternoon I received a text message from him.
He was lost.
He asked in his text message who he had reached. I replied, “Not Surewest.” But I helped him out anyway. He says he will now call me whenever he needs directions. He called me his Google Lady.
Thanks, Google.
Elizabeth is returning to Big Island from visiting Pearl Harbor on Oahu with her husband. This blog was originally written in 2011 and is still pertinent today.
Can You Hear The Sound When Your Cat Purrs?
There’s this cat in London who purrs as loud as a lawnmower. His name is Smokey. This cat purrs at 73 to 80 decibels. depending on which news report you read. If I had a cat like that, I’d kick him out of bed. Heck, I’d banish him to the garage. Or at the very least, I’d make sure I never petted him unless I wore earplugs.
Like all Sacramento real estate transactions are different, all cats purr differently. My cat who died December of 2010, Brandon, had a very loud purr. He used to sit on the bench near me at the breakfast table, and when we would have overnight company, our guests could not figure out where that sound came from in the morning. Brandon was content to just sit there and purr like a popcorn popper. I didn’t have to pet him to induce a purr. But he was no lawnmower.
Pica, our marbled ocicat — the throwaway nobody wanted because he wasn’t born with spots — he used to purr very softly. You could not hear him unless you glued your ear to the top of his head. His purr was so quiet it was almost a whisper. The sound was soft as his velvety coat, yet steady and long. He could purr for a good 30 minutes, especially while brushed. We had to euthanize Pica several years ago due to diabetes complications, but I still miss him everyday.
Pia, the cinnamon spotted ocicat, she also used to purr quietly but loud enough that I could hear her without smushing my ear into her body. I’d say her purr sounded like an electric razor. Sort of buzzy and raspy. She would purr for as long as she was stroked. Once I stopped petting her, she would stop purring almost immediately. She died from a sudden heart attack years ago. Scared the crap out of us. Who knew cats had heart attacks?
Jackson is a loud purring machine. He sounds like a coffee pot percolates. It’s a steady sound and tends to get louder as he gets closer to stopping. His purring, in fact, woke me up this morning. I must have rolled over or wiggled my toes or done something that made him realize there was life in the bed, and I wasn’t dead, because he was purring away like there is no tomorrow. I think he was just happy to see a live person.
Now Tessa, she is a nonstop. She is a manipulator, like most felines. She knows exactly what to do to get attention, or maybe we are just trained too well by her. If I ignore her while I’m working on my computer, she’ll plop herself in front of my monitor and stare at me. Then the purring starts. It’s like she’s saying, can’t you see how incredibly cute and adorable I am?
Thank goodness none of them purr loud enough to be mistaken for a vacuum cleaner.
While Elizabeth is visiting Pearl Harbor today, this is a reprint from 2011, previously published elsewhere.
The Charcoal vs Gas Grill Debate Comes Home to Roost
This Weber grill won out in the charcoal vs gas grill debate.
Never thought I would be the person who jumps into the charcoal vs gas grill debate. Because somehow, don’t ask me how, I’ve managed to live through 65 years of my life without a gas grill. Charcoal always seemed simple and easy. Especially if you use a charcoal chimney to start the briquettes. Not to mention, charcoal grills don’t really have a lot of parts that need to be replaced.
Although we did replace a charcoal grill and bought a slightly larger model with the insurance money we received after a freak storm battered our former residence in Minneapolis. I was astonished that State Farm reimbursed us for the grill simply because hail dented the cover. Well, State Farm gave us a brand new roof, too. And new siding. Yet, all these years later, we still have the same charcoal grill at home in Land Park, Sacramento.
I paid no attention when others got into hearted discussions about the charcoal vs gas grill debate. What did I care? I had a perfectly good charcoal grill. Even though maybe it produces a bit more carcinogens than a gas grill. Plus, there is also that part where I could blow myself up with the propane thing. One misstep and bam, you’re dead.
However, now that we have our house in Hawaii, I decided we needed to buy a gas grill. Maybe because the previous sellers had such a grill out on the lanai. But more because when my husband is not at the house with me, it means I have to cook for myself. It’s a lot of work to cook on an electric stove with a grill pan. Scrubbing the pan every morning wrecks my nails. Seasoning cast iron on the stove consumes so much extra time.
Seemed so much easier when considering the charcoal vs gas grill debate to choose a gas grill. Just turn on the propane, turn on the knob and cook. The weather is perfect year-round to grill. Almost everybody I know in Hawaii has a gas grill for this purpose.
Couple things you should know if you’re in the same boat as me. First, Consumer Reports is a good source for the reliability and performance of various gas grills. We chose a Weber. Second, if the clerks at Lowes tell you they will deliver and assemble the grill, they don’t. Although I hear you can have it assembled at Lowes prior to delivery. But they do deliver. It takes about an hour to put it together. Also, Lowes has an exchange program for the propane. You buy the tank, bring it back, and they’ll give you a new full tank for only the price of the propane.
And last, the Weber grill packaging is enormous waste. We filled up the back of our SUV with the discarded materials and drove it to the recycling site in Kailua-Kona at Kealakehe Transfer Station.
Last night, dinner took 5 minutes to prepare and cleanup was a breeze. I wish we had bought a gas grill years ago now. So, in the charcoal vs gas grill debate, I vote for gas. Even though my sister smirkingly muttered, “How suburban.” Margie, hey, I’m talking to you; it’s not my fault you live in a frozen tundra.
Largest and Only Condo in Westlake Villas for Sale
4800 Westlake Parkway #1805 is one of 8 three bedroom units.
An agent in my Lyon real estate office lives in Westlake Villas, and she says there are only 8 of these three-bedroom units in that complex. Further, she says out of 300 units, 171 are rented. This particular unit was rented in the past, but the seller spruced it up for a new owner occupant. So, it’s turnkey and ready to move into. None of this information has been verified by me or my team, but the buyer should do her own due diligence and study the HOA docs.
This is one of the nicest complexes in Natomas. Many units are 3 stories but this unit is only two stories. Plus a two-garage comes with it, which is also unusual. The HOA dues are affordable, too. Only $271 a month. Dues cover water, trash, common areas, swimming pool, spa, rec area, clubhouse, road, exterior, roof, association management and grounds maintenance. The HOA allows 2 dogs per unit, according to unverified sources.
Available financing is conventional or cash, and you could own this 1,429 square foot condo (per the Sacramento County Assessor’s). The configuration is one bath downstairs with kitchen and living room, and three bedrooms up, which include a master suite, with two more baths. Laundry on the second floor with cabinets. Washer and dryer can stay. Even the refrigerator can stay if you ask for it. Right there you save $4,000 by not buying new appliances!
In the kitchen, you’ll find granite counters, a gas range, built-in dishwasher and a never-used microwave. It’s open to the living room so you can still entertain guests while cooking and not feel so isolated and stuck in another room. It is also minutes to the freeway. Easy off and easy on.
4800 Westlake Parkway, #1805, Sacramento, CA 95835 is offered exclusively by Elizabeth Weintraub and Lyon Real Estate at $269K. For more information, call Elizabeth at 916.233.6759.
