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Elizabeth Weintraub
Newer Natomas Home in Parkwalk at Westshore Now Pending
This newer Natomas home in Parkwalk at Westshore received an aggressive offer the minute we dropped the price. When the seller indicated he preferred a faster sale, I prepared a in-depth study of the market. It was obvious to me the over $500K price point in Natomas was moving very slowly. All of the action is under that mark. Further, we had competition from brand new homes that were slowly selling, and this home was not yet a year old. Not hard to figure, do you want brand new or almost brand new? Most people pick brand new.
Although this home in Parkwalk at Westshore has all the bells and whistles already installed. All the upgrades are in place. Not to mention, it features a California porch, what you or I would call a covered patio, but now, since I’ve heard the term California porch, it will always be a California porch going forward.
It’s ready for immediate occupancy, soon as we can close escrow. There are really no delays built into the buying process when it’s a resale like what happens when you buy directly new from the builder. All we had to do was drop the price a bit below the last new home sale and we were in like Flynn. Sure enough, within 24 hours of that price reduction, we received an over-list price offer.
The offer came from a buyer who saw the home in Parkwalk at Westshore a week ago during an open house, back when the price was higher. Funny how that psyche works with buyers. The buyer could have made a lower offer but chose not to. It was only when the price was lowered a little bit that the buyer now felt an extreme urge to buy. Such an extreme urge that the buyer offered more than list.
Of course, as these things tend to happen, I last spoke to the seller during a layover at an airport. On his way to Puerto Rico to photograph and document this American territory’s progress and persistent struggles after Hurricane Maria. Fortunately, he still had cellphone / data coverage and he signed the offer on the Fourth of July. What he said to me at that point made me smile. And he knew it. He said, “You were right!”
If you have home in Parkwalk at Westshore you would like to sell, I can help you strategize to sell that home, too. 16 Lake Katerina Ct, Sacramento, CA 95834 is presently pending.
When You Have to Sleep in a Collapsed Sleep Number Bed
Gotta admit, the only creatures happy about a collapsed Sleep Number bed are the cats. It’s one of the horrors you hope never happens to you. Absolutely, you dread the day you could ever imagine it happening. And then one day the doctor says you have a lump in your breast . . . and that was sooo last month. I am fairly calm and collected about it. Not like I envisioned. No big deal. But what is a huge f-ing deal is when you have to sleep on a collapsed Sleep Number bed.
Have you ever thought about this? Hey, never thought our bed would deflate. Leaving us bed-less, basically. I mean to say to my younger self, what did you think when you bought a mattress that was filled with air? That it would always work? Ha, you would not think that if you listened to the hokey noises the pump makes. Like something out of 1960. Unlike a waterbed, it is not likely to spring a leak. But at least back in the days of leaky waterbeds, you could patch them.
It happened because the evening before the 4th of July, I thought it was time to check the amount of the air in my side of the bed. Probably had not fussed with the controls for a year or more. Well, that was my first mistake. Lesson learned, if something is working well, don’t mess with it. If you mess with it, you might have to sleep on a collapsed Sleep Number bed.
But no, I fussed with it. Turned it all the way up to 100 so I could slowly decrease the air to determine my ultimate comfort level. Except it did not zoom up to 100. It simply began to deflate and did not stop.
Enter my husband who picked up his remote to find it rattled. New batteries. Hmmm, he should not have fussed with it. But now his side of the bed collapsed as well.
Following the directions in the manual for our Sleep Number bed, we determined it was the pump that was the defective part. Called Sleep Number. No, we could not buy a pump in Sacramento. It had to be shipped to us from Minneapolis, two to three-day delivery.
Well, at least the cats like the collapsed Sleep Number Bed.
Tri-Level Carmichael Pool Home in Del Dayo Now Pending
When I first spoke with the seller of this home in Del Dayo, I was working from our house in Hawaii. While I had her on the phone, I pulled up the previous photos in MLS to discuss. While the home was in OK condition when she bought it, there were a few things that the seller needed to change to attract today’s buyers. I gave her a list of those improvements and then introduced her to my preferred home stager. It was better for her to have an expert stager at the house giving her sage advice as well.
During the consultation appointment, the seller called me to discuss various types of flooring, and made sure we’re all on the same page. It wasn’t a big home improvement project and targeted only a few key areas. But the improvements were essential to maximizing value.
Given our state of market, and the fact we had a bit of time, we elected to start at an aggressive price. However, we were unable to complete the countertop repairs and the clock kept ticking. Now we could not go on the market until June. Our spring market was crazy but, beginning in May, it was not unusual to see more price reductions happening. The shift started about then, yet it is still a good market for sellers.
The seller asked to kick it up a notch, so we adjusted the price. Seems the biggest objection buyers had about this home in Del Dayo was due to the fact 1) many of the buyers were older and 2) preferred a single level. I don’t know really why they were looking at a tri-level when they wanted to buy a single level except that many of the potential buyers seemed to be older. Perhaps because the price was over $1.2 million. Not a lot of first-time home buyers in that price range. Still, they can see that the home is three levels, but maybe the beauty of the home was too overwhelming.
It is a gorgeous home. So modern, open and spacious. I can see people becoming so comfortable on the main level that they forget about the lower level multi-generational quarters, as well as the upper level with even more bedrooms. Because every amenity an owner needs is on the main level. Our buyers came to tour the home during an open house. They’ve been back to view the home 3 or 4 more times before making their offer. They wanted to be certain this is the home. And this is the home.
1661 Del Dayo Drive, Carmichael, CA 95608 is presently pending. If you have a home in Carmichael or anywhere else in the Sacramento Valley, please call me. I can sell your home, too. Elizabeth Weintraub, 916.233.6759.
A Lazy Fourth of July 2018 in Old Sacramento
My husband was pleasantly surprised when I suggested a lazy Fourth of July in Old Sacramento. His first words were, you’re gonna make me drive somewhere. Too many drunks on the road. But no, see, I had predicted that would be his objection to venturing out of the house on the Fourth of July. Seemed to make sense that we instead walk. Get exercise.
From our home in Land Park, we logged 6 miles round trip. I had to rest next to this fellow, but darn, he had no whiskey in that jug.
My neighbors seem flabbergasted when I describe how we walk downtown or to Midtown. You WALK? They exclaim. Yeah, like one foot in front of the other. Nothing fancy.
Our first stop for our lazy Fourth of July in Old Sacramento was nourishment. My favorite restaurant in Old Sac is Rio City Cafe. It was barely 80 degrees, cool weather for Sacramento for this time of year.
Perfect weather for sitting outside at Rio City Cafe and sipping a hot and smokey margarita made with Illegal mezcal and jalapeños, if you can believe the menu. The steak and spinach salad with candied walnuts, pomegranates and cranberries was fabulous as well. This is the view from the outdoor dining patio, the Ziggurat, on the banks of West Sacramento. You can also see the Sacramento Tower Bridge, looking south.
To continue on our trek, we walked the empty streets. There were actually very few people and tourists in Old Sacramento during the day yesterday. The place comes alive at night, but that afternoon was decently calm. I noticed there were new floorboards installed in the walkway after crossing Capital. Last time I came down that path I was on my bike, and I barely made it over the rough lumber. Now it’s smooth enough for wheelchairs.
We sampled candy, visited shops — I had to buy a flying carp sock — and after hours of walking, now pretty pooped, we began our journey back to Land Park. On the way, we stopped at the Crocker Museum (this is the old building) and visited its gift shop. Museum gift shops tend to offer quality goods with artistic flair and you support the museum when you shop there.
The check-out clerk asked if we were related to the Malcolm Weintraub family. I get so tired of telling people no. Whose business is it anyway? So, at that very moment I decided to change the story. My cousins, I smiled.
It was a lovely Fourth of July in Old Sacramento. We live so close, we should go there more often.
Oh, and before I left the house, I managed to slip my last two listings into escrow. Yup, on the Fourth of July. I’ll write more about those in my next blogs. Stay tuned.
Imagine My Surprise to Open the Door to a Land Park Specialist
No way was I expecting to find a young man standing on my front steps proclaiming himself to be a Land Park specialist. He was dressed pretty spiffily, if you ask me. I, on the other hand, looked like a crazy homeless person. In the heat in Sacramento, I have not bothered to blow-dry my hair since last May. Well, I spent 3 weeks at our house in Hawaii in June, so certainly no blow-drying or styling my hair there. Nobody cares. And it’s just been too hot in Sacramento, so I twist it into a bun and clip or wear in a ponytail. When my hair is down and curly, I look like the wild man of Borneo.
I found this guy standing away from my door, almost getting dripped on by standing under my hanging flower pot that had just been watered. At first blush, I thought maybe he was a Jehovah’s Witness or from some other religious affiliation. He glanced at me furtively. It wasn’t just the hair. It was probably the rags I run around in at home. In fact, I go to great extremes to wear what others would consider dumpster clothing. Shirts with holes. Put this way, a t-shirt would be dress up for me.
When I go out to meet clients, I dress for the occasion. To look the part of being the top producing Sacramento Realtor that I am. Just not at home.
He just said, Hi, I am Matt, a Land Park specialist. Just want to know if you folks are thinking about selling your home or buying another home?
He stunned me. Just seemed so weird. I was tempted to holler to nobody in particular: Hey, Babe, do we want to sell the house and move? Some guy is standing on our steps asking if we want to sell our home. I say hell yes. OK? You with me? Let’s get the hell outta Dodge.
But I didn’t say any of that. I started laughing. Honestly, I could not help myself. All I could manage from my lips was: you are so funny, and I couldn’t stop laughing. I’m a terrible person.
You know, back when I got into real estate in the 1970s, some agents did “farm” a neighborhood and knocked on doors to offer their services. I never did. It seemed to be ineffective for the amount of time expended. There was bound to be a better way to get business than trying to persuade people to move or hoping you’re hitting them at the right time by standing on their doorstep. Like, the U.S. mail, for one thing. Who would hire some person who showed up on their porch anyway?
I looked up this guy in MLS because he had slipped a marketing card into my mailbox slot (which is against federal law because there was no postage on it). He has never listed a home in Land Park or anywhere in Sacramento for that matter. He seems to represent buyers. Most certainly — not a Land Park specialist. Maybe in his own mind. But I guess that’s what you get with door knockers.
Happy 4th of July, everybody.
