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Elizabeth Weintraub
Downton Abbey Screening Party at Crest Theatre
I am so excited that the premiere of Downton Abbey Season 4 is showing in advance next month at the Crest. One of my favorite places to see concerts and movies is at the Crest Theatre in downtown Sacramento. Downton Abbey Season 4 is officially premiering on January 5th on Masterpiece at 9 PM on KVIE Public Television, but a few lucky people in Sacramento will get to see the first hour absolutely free. Yes, tickets are free! You don’t even have to be Michelle Obama to see it. How about that?
There will be a costume party and trivia. My husband was considering coming as Matthew, maybe carrying a steering wheel. Doors open at 6:00 and presentation starts at 7 PM. Over at 9 at PM. The Crest Theatre is located at 10th and K Streets in downtown Sacramento.
All you have to do is go to the Crest Theatre online and click on RSVP Today to Reserve Your Seat. I picked up four seats as my husband was driving me to the dentist to get four teeth yanked out. Spotted it as it came across my cellphone because I subscribe to new events at the Crest. Reserved the seats and transferred the QR codes to my Passport.
If you haven’t signed up for new events at the Crest, you should do so, because you get advance notice and can sometimes buy tickets before they even go on sale to the public. How do you think I manage to snag my front-and-center row seats for all of the shows we attend?
Oh, and here is a little bonus for you. After you finish watching Downton Abbey Season 4, you can go to this link and watch the recap. I’m telling you it is so hilarious it will make you laugh out loud like a guinea pig: If Downton Abbey Took Place on Facebook Season 3, Episode 7.
My two valuable Elizabeth Weintraub team members, Barbara Dow and Linda Swanson are coming with my husband and me. If you are not addicted to Downton Abbey, consider yourself fortunate, I guess, because some of us would do anything to get to see Downton Abbey. OK, maybe not anything. I would not eat raw termites. Since I have a couple of pest inspections to review today for several sellers, I’d rather not think about munching on termites.
Should the Buyer or Seller Order a Sacramento Pest Inspection?
Who pays what fee in a real estate transaction is negotiable in Sacramento, but there are customary fees that the parties generally pay, and a Sacramento pest inspection is no exception. For example, most sellers would not pay for a home inspection on the buyer’s behalf. A seller might order a pre-home inspection before putting the home on the market, but the buyer will still be advised to request and pay for her own home inspection.
Like with any legal matter, there are rules and guidelines to follow. Such as the seller can’t demand that the buyer use a certain title company, because that would be a RESPA violation. Buyers are certainly free to pay for their own title insurance policy and the lender’s title policy, and then the buyer can select the title. Most buyers won’t do it because a title policy is as good as the insurance backing it, and most of the companies who have bit the dust aren’t leading others into that grave at the moment, plus, those fees can top easily $2,000.
When it comes to a Sacramento pest inspection, though, it’s a common practice for the seller to pay for it. The problem that arises is when the buyer’s lender spots a pest report inspection as a condition of the purchase contract, the lender will want to receive a copy of the inspection. If there is work suggested, again, the lender will expect the work to be completed. Who pays for the work, whether it’s the buyer or the seller, is also negotiable. More often than not, though, it’s the seller who foots that bill.
It becomes a little more complicated when the seller has agreed in the purchase contract to sign the WPA, Wood Destroying Pest Addendum. Some buyer’s agents will include this document with their contract paperwork. A seller who agrees to sign an agreement to complete pest work for which the seller has not yet received a report is a seller who could be suddenly responsible to pay thousands of dollars.
Lately, the practice has been not to include any reference to a pest report in the purchase contract. This is not to say that if the buyer’s appraiser spots a condition of dry-rot or suspects infestation, that the appraiser won’t “call it out” on the appraisal, because the appraiser might.
In the opinion of this Sacramento real estate agent, when representing the buyer as a buyer’s agent, it’s generally better to let the buyer pay for the Sacramento pest inspection report, and allow the buyer to choose his or her own pest company. Then, if repairs are noted, the buyer can negotiate for the repairs with the seller. This does not apply to a short sale, btw. Buyers are on their own in a short sale, no repairs. But with a regular transaction, the buyer has the option to ask the seller to pay for the repairs or agree to a closing credit and finish the repairs after closing, or if the seller refuses, to just suck it up and deal with it later.
Most sellers will give the buyers a closing credit because a) if the deal fell apart due to the pest repair negotiation, the next buyer would receive a copy of the pest inspection and that buyer might demand the same thing, and b) escrow won’t be delayed while everybody waits for the pest company to finish the work and c) the buyers might be able to complete some of the work themselves after closing and save a little bit.
On the other hand, if the buyer pays for the pest report and the deal falls apart, those pest inspections stay on record for two years at the Pest Control Board. The seller is now stuck with a pest inspection report from a company that the seller might not feel has done the best job possible. There is controversy around pest companies that issue reports and also accept payment for completion work.
Just stuff to think about before allowing your agent to automatically include in the purchase contract that the seller will pay for the pest report. You might want to reconsider how it has always been handled. If an agent is representing the seller, it might be a good idea for the agent to advise the seller to order the pest before receiving a purchase contract. That was the seller is in control. Likewise, if an agent is representing a buyer, the agent might recommend the buyer pay for a pest inspection as part of the inspections allowed under paragraph 14b1.
It depends on which side of the fence an agent sits.
If you take the last route, be sure to let the seller know a pest inspection is in the works. Otherwise, your pest inspector might meet that old guy out in the yard, waving his fist and screaming for the pest inspector to stop poking holes in his house.
Help Name Our New Ocicat Kitten
New Chocolate Spotted Ocicat Kitten
She’s a little rascal, sweet, very loving, a loud purrer and she insists on rubbing her nose across your cheek to say hello. Or maybe that’s just her way of saying you belong to her. This kitten was born on June 15th; she is a chocolate spotted Ocicat. These are the smartest cats in the world. They are bred from a cross of Siamese, American shorthair and Abyssinian, I believe. We have to figure out a good name for her. My husband pooh-poohed my idea, that of naming her Patty Mewes.
Ashli the Persian 1976-1990
We brought her home last night from the breeder in Auburn. Pica ran and hid under the bed when we put her carrier on the living room floor. Jackson slinked about, growled a little bit, and would not come near the carrier. Eventually, though, Pica’s curiosity got the better of him, and after we tossed a few kitty treats on the floor, he poked his nose into the carrier, all the while the little kitty purred and purred.
Brandon the Somali, 1991- 2010
We kept them separated last night in another bathroom. This way they can play footsie under the door, and our two cats can get used to a third cat in the house. It’s always a little touch and go when introducing new cats to each other.
Before we do that, I thought you might like to see my history of cats. First is Ashli. He was a Persian. My mother used to tell me that if anything ever happened to me, she wanted Ashli to come live with her. Not me, mind you, just the cat. Ashli died in 1990 at age 14 from kidney disease. It took me more than a year before I was ready for a new cat. I carried his photo in my wallet for years after he died.
Pica the Chocolate Silver Classic Ocicat, 2002-
But, then came Brandon, the Somali, who lived with me from 1991 to 2010. He put up with my husband but he was my cat and did not like anybody else. I never thought I would love another cat as much as Ashli until I met Brandon. It’s funny how those things can happen. Brandon died from kidney disease, but he was almost 20.
Next, Pica came to live with us. He is a chocolate silver classic Ocicat, no spots. He is marbled, so they don’t show them, which is why the breeder was anxious to find him a good home. Pica came to live with us New Year’s Day in 2003. He’s such a good natured cat, and his fur is soft as velvet.
Olympia “Pia” Cinnamon Spotted Ocicat 2004-2013
Pia came from the same breeder as Pica. She had 3 or 4 litters and then the breeder retired her. Pia died a few months ago from a blood clot, and our hearts and Pica’s heart were broken. The two of them had been inseparable. This is part of the reason we decided to bring home a new kitten in hopes that Pica will bond with his new sister.
Jackson, the Flamepoint Ragdoll 2011-
Jackson the Ragdoll, on the other hand, was born in San Diego. He is a flamepoint Ragdoll. I flew down to San Diego on Southwest, got off the plane to pick up Jackson, and got back on the next flight home. I was hoping he would be an extremely affectionate cat, and while he is perfectly lovable when it suits him, he is not what I would call a terribly affectionate cat. He is also not as smart as other cats. For example, he will spend a long time digging in a corner as though he can dig to China. Corners confuse him.
Our new kitty was raised with Ragdolls in the house, so we are hoping she will adjust to Jackson and Pica will love her as well. She’s already inched her way into our hearts. At the moment, her name is “new kitty.” Any ideas?
Selling Homes in Sacramento Now or Wait for Spring?
Seems like a lot of sellers are asking this Sacramento real estate agent is now a good time to be selling homes in Sacramento? They are wondering if they should put their home on the market now or wait until spring. The only thing spring brings, besides spring flowers, is more buyers. But spring also brings more homes, so there is more competition. How many buyers do you need and how many competitors do you need? I say you need one buyer and fewer competing homes for buyers to choose from.
That’s why I’m telling you that right now is an excellent time to be on the market. Great market for selling homes in Sacramento. But only if your home is priced properly. Only one of out every 2 homes is selling because half are priced too high.
The other questions I’ve been receiving are from people who ask if the price increases in Sacramento mean they can ask a phenomenal price for their home. The thing is your home is worth only what it is worth. It’s not worth more than that and, in fact, might be worth less.
To sum it up simply, your home is worth more than last year. Might be worth more than next year. Prices are stabilizing a bit.
I’ve heard of sellers begging their agents to leave their homes on the market or hold an open house after they’ve received an acceptable offer. They are under the misguided impression that they are missing out on some unforeseen cash strewn at the side of the road. Makes me want to grab these people by their shoulders and shake them because their brains have gone haywire. If you’ve got a good offer, take it, because you might not get another offer.
Take a look at the chart above. At first glance, the uninitiated might say, whoa, look at the number of homes and pending sales that are declining in November and December. But what they are not realizing is those home sales were originally sold in September and October. It takes 30 to 60 days to close an escrow. Take a look at January and February sales. Those pending sale numbers exceed the number of homes for sale. That’s huge, huge, huge and extremely important to know that January and February sales are a result of homes going on the market in November and December.
Now is an excellent time to sell your home. Don’t wait for spring when interest rates might rise. Do it now. If you’re looking for a Sacramento real estate agent with her finger on the pulse of the market, call Elizabeth Weintraub, at 916 233 6759.
Chart: Trendgraphix
A Short Tribute to Lou Reed
Was a sad morning yesterday when we heard the news that Lou Reed had died. Next thing I knew my husband was playing the Transformer CD , and I knew the Weintraub house was in mourning. Seems like just a few weeks ago I had spotted Reed in a cameo in a Netflix movie, Prozac Nation A college kid was enamored with him, and the time period was the 1990s.
Clearly, he was a phenomenally influential musician who touched generations.
I recall the first Velvet Underground album I owned, The Velvet Underground & Nico, and I’ve owned several of them. This was in 1967-68. It was valuable because the banana peeled, but the album lost its value if one peeled off the banana. Warhol had designed it, so you knew it was cool. Friends being what they were back then had peeled it off, so I had to buy another, and the next version was not that of a peeling banana. Kind of like the experience with the Beatles album Yesterday and Today that had dead dolls strewn with meat under the cover. Those kind of collectibles don’t come along every day.
You didn’t have to be a junkie to appreciate Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground. I could listen to Heroin over and over and over. He had a rawness, gritty character and vision many of us admired and related to. He spoke to all misguided souls and misfits as well as those in search of reality.
My husband came of age in a different era, 11 years after me, and he came to know Lou Reed as well. To him, the father of punk, I guess. So, we each have a different relationship but it’s based on the same pull.
Lou Reed was 71. Survived by Laurie Anderson. May his legend live on and continue to shape lives.
