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Elizabeth Weintraub
West Sacramento Pool Home is Entertainer’s Dream
This West Sacramento pool home is definitely an entertainer’s dream. But you don’t need to invite large groups of people to your house. Even if you never invite anybody over to your house because you treasure your privacy, you will love this West Sacramento pool home. That back yard offers secluded privacy. Privacy that you can’t really notice from the street. From the street, it seems like every other house in Southport Gateway.
This home is for all those people who stroll streets, wondering what a neighbor’s house looks like inside. OK, maybe you don’t wonder, but lots of other people do. I know people sometimes sneak peeks when a front door is open. It’s like they can’t help themselves. They also go to the open house because curiosity gets the best of them, plus, everybody knows real estate is the state religion in California. It holds a fascination for many people.
If you say to yourself, oh, I know what those 1,926 square-foot homes look like with the double single garages, you do not. This home is very different. There is a NEST thermostat inside, too. Plus a whole house fan. The main floor area is fairly open and offers splendid views of the gorgeous yard of this West Sacramento pool home. Further, you’ll love the hickory espresso planked flooring on the main level, and the flooring runs into the first floor bath, too.
A newer modern chandelier hangs over the dining table, which is a perfect place to enjoy breakfast or dinner while taking in the view of the pool and the lush landscaping in the yard. The other side of a cut-out wall is a formal living room with a fireplace. You’ll find an island in the kitchen, plus under-cabinet lighting, and all of the appliances can stay.
Go upstairs and whoa, there is an unexpected loft area. In addition to the loft, there’s a separate corner space perfect for a home office or a children’s playroom. Between the two bedrooms is an open room that could be enclosed with one wall. The sellers use this room as a family room and watch TV in the area, but it could also be used as a third bedroom. The second guest bath in the hall features dual sinks and a ceramic floor, indicative of the year the home was built in 2006.
The master suite is vaulted and spacious and is oriented toward the back yard, away from the street. It features a ceiling fan with a light fixture and plantation shutters. So serene and peaceful. Of course, the master bath has a separate tub and shower, plus a walk-in closet.
But most of the focus of this West Sacramento pool home is on the yard. For starters, a great deal of thought and expertise went into designing the yard. It was created by professional landscapers. You’ll find a magnolia tree, orange, pomegranate, apricot, cherry and lemon trees. The best part is the landscaping watering can be managed from the B-HYVE phone app!
The pool is beautiful and in pristine condition. Under the palm at the far end is a waterfall. Not to mention, the patio is large enough for two separate tables with umbrellas. Plenty of seating for company. Or, you can just enjoy this space all by yourself with a cool adult beverage at your disposal.
Why not come to our open house on Sunday, May 6th, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM and see for yourself. Hosted by the amazing Amy McMullan from the Elizabeth Weintraub Team.
1660 Headslane Road, West Sacramento, CA 95691 is exclusively offered by Elizabeth Weintraub and Lyon Real Estate at $445K. See the virtual tour here and we hope to see you on Sunday! Call Elizabeth at 916.233.6759 for more information.
Uh, Oh, Buyer’s Agent Warns, We Have a BIG PROBLEM After Closing
“Uh, Oh,” Buyer’s Agent warns, “We have a BIG PROBLEM after closing.” Wow, not what I expected. At the moment, I was busy dashing about, getting ready to meet my team at Biba’s for lunch, when this buyer’s agent called. What in the world could have happened? Immediately, I began wondering. Maybe the house exploded? Perhaps an asteroid smashed into the back yard? Or, the whole place burned down? Seriously, could not imagine why the agent was calling me about this BIG PROBLEM after closing an AS IS sale. Especially since client fiduciary with both seller and buyer agents terminates at closing.
So, what? So what is the problem? First, the agent had to set the stage. To do so, the agent launched into a long story about an estate sale for the extensive personal items and vintage furniture left in the home. Yes, valuable stuff the buyer received for free without paying any additional compensation. Then, something about the estate administrator drawing an itemized list . . . Yes, I know it sounds terrible but I wasn’t completely listening since I already knew the outcome. So, my mind began to drift to other pressing matters. Like, I have to walk 3 blocks to Biba’s and 3 blocks back to my office. Which shoes are best for a six-block hike?
Suddenly, the sound of the agent’s continued saga snapped back my attention, long enough for me to stare hard at my phone. Almost like somebody slipped this phone into my hand, and this is not my phone. My jaw fell open. Honestly, I could not believe the words vibrating out of the speaker on my phone. She reiterated, “We have a BIG PROBLEM after closing,” adding for emphasis, “it is a $500 problem.”
Hey, alarm bells going off. Since when is $500 a BIG PROBLEM? $50,000 is a big problem. $5 million, much worse. What could the $500 be about? I never really got the whole story but somehow a distant relative of the seller came over to the house and removed some of the items slated for the estate sale. Like, Ollie would say to Stanley, “this is another fine kettle of fish . . .” For starters, how did they know the guy? Further, how did he get inside? I dunno. I don’t even know the guy. Not even aware there was a relative living in town. Nope, only know the seller doesn’t live in California.
OK, now the conversation shifts. At this point, the buyer’s agent moves to the meat of the matter. Apparently, the buyer values those stolen items at $500. Moreover, the buyer prefers to settle this amicably.
Well, the logical answer is if a theft occurred, the buyer needs to file a police report at Sacpd.org.
Further, the buyer was not represented by Lyon Real Estate. She was not my client. The buyer and agent wanted to know, would I track down that relative and get his address and his cell phone from the seller? A fragile guy who is barely recovering from invasive surgery on top of the death of two close relatives and throw one more distasteful demand from the buyer at his feet?
Holy moly, on what planet do these people live? My real estate license does not extend to protecting a residence after closing nor negotiating settlements. Most people would hire a lawyer. Or, hire a security guard. Perhaps change the locks like a normal person. Don’t call the Sacramento listing agent after escrow closes, for crying out loud.
How a Title and Escrow Background Saved the Day as a Sacramento Realtor
Having a title and escrow background as a Sacramento Realtor is often very helpful for my clients. That acquired knowledge tends to come in handy at the most opportune times. It’s not just the experience; it’s having worked in those industries before technology was available. Provides for a much deeper understanding in some ways. Even today, I could go to the courthouse and search title on property all the way back to the U.S. patent without touching a computer. I can draw legal metes and bounds descriptions. Not to mention explain debits and credits on a closing statement. The basics never go away.
Before I became a crazy successful real estate broker, I worked in title insurance in the early ’70s at First American Title in Denver and Boulder. Later, when I moved to Newport Beach in 1976, I went into escrow at Stewart Title, eventually earning the status of Certified Escrow Officer. Having a title and escrow background catapulted my career in real estate. As a Sacramento Realtor today, I still draw on those experiences.
Here is an example. A few days ago, I received a preliminary title report. I always review my prelims to make sure there are no surprises. Sometimes I find a peculiar item I did not expect. If I see a Statement of Information required from one of the parties, for example, and the surnames are uncommon, uh-oh, that’s a big red flag for a file. I look at the easements, compare them to the plat map, among other items in the prelim. It’s even more important for buyer’s agents to review prelims, but few probably do.
The prelim I received on Monday just about gave me a heart attack. At first, I noticed the vesting was not fully explained. It showed an individual and a trust being in title. Well, I happen to know a few things about trusts since I work with a lot of Successor Trustees as sellers. For example, one can’t use a power of attorney in a trust. Another is you cannot hold title as joint tenants between an individual and a trust.
I contacted the escrow officer to try to determine if there was a problem. She said yes, the parties held title as tenants in common. That’s certainly what it looked like to me, now that she mentioned it. Due to that oddity, one of the parties, a deceased person, hopefully did not die intestate, but the estate would need to be probated. And we are in escrow. Under a deadline to quickly close. Including the funding of a down payment assistance program from Guild Mortgage that goes away on June 15. Probate can take quite a few months to get through court. Oh, Mamma Mia!
When I relayed that information to the seller, he almost had a heart attack, too. See, the Realist showed the seller’s mother’s trust as in title. Nothing about his father. Except for a grant deed in the early 1970s, holding title as joint tenants. Sometimes, Realist data is wrong. In fact, sometimes escrow officers are wrong. Then I paused. Wait a minute, I don’t see any other deeds recorded. I read through the prelim again. Yes, there was an action call for an affidavit of death of joint tenant in the Exceptions. Aha! It suddenly made sense to me. All the pieces fell into place. The escrow officer was mistaken.
Escrow was closed by that hour, but my title and escrow background helped me as a Sacramento Realtor to put two and two together. I called the seller and assured him we were OK. Did not want him to end up sleepless that night thinking the entire escrow would blow up and he’d have to spend thousands to go through probate. What I figured out had happened was the two parties indeed held title as joint tenants. Then the husband died, prior to the date of the trust. They just never produced the death certificate nor recorded an affidavit of death of joint tenant. Which is OK because it can be done by the Successor Trustee at closing.
The surviving spouse later created a living trust and put the house into it, making her son the Successor Trustee. Recovering from his pounding heart, the seller asked if I was certain. Well, I can’t give legal advice, but my gut said 99.9% this is what happened. Sure enough, we confirmed it with the escrow officer after the seller brought in his trust documents yesterday morning, and all is right with the escrow. Huge relief for my seller.
The Sacramento Story of Selling a Highwater Bungalow in Midtown
Just before I went to Hawaii for 3 weeks in March, I got involved in selling a highwater bungalow in Midtown. The seller called to ask if I would stop by his home to visit. He explained that he had been interviewing other Sacramento real estate agents, including a discount agent who works for peanuts. For some reason, he wasn’t happy with the selection or maybe he just wanted confirmation that he was one the right track. You never really know as a Sacramento Realtor whether the seller is interviewing you because he actually wants your opinion and to possibly hire you. He could just want to feel like he’s completed due diligence but has already settled on a different Realtor.
But I see these as opportunities to showcase what I can do and explain my skillset. Typically, even if the seller might have originally considered a different agent, they do decide to hire me afterward. So it’s not a waste of my time. I like meeting new people and talking about what I can do to help sell their home.
The trouble with this particular story of selling a highwater bungalow in Midtown is the fact all of the other agents gave the seller much lower estimates of value. They were off by $40,000 to $50,000. That’s enormous for a small one bath home under $500,000. My job, the way I saw it, was to convince the seller I was correct and everybody else was wrong. Which is kinda hard when you don’t even know the person you’re talking to.
It’s a risk, the seller could think oh, she’s crazy, or she’s just telling me that to get the listing. Because they don’t know me, either. They don’t realize that is not something I would ever do because it’s unethical and lacks integrity. Now, I don’t know if another agent could sell the home at the same price that I suggested because I use different marketing than many other agents. But I know what I can do.
I suggested he call my stager and do a scaled down staging and make a few repairs, and then I left for Hawaii. My team member put on a lockbox and let the photographer inside. Once in Hawaii, I uploaded the photographs and set the listing to go live in MLS at a predetermined time. Ten days on the market resulted in our offer. From a brand new agent who could not get his digital files to work correctly. He was so frustrated that in inadvertently sent me his buyer’s email addresses by mistake. He tried a number of times to get the paperwork signed and could not.
Finally, I put his buyer’s email addresses into DocuSign myself and sent off the paperwork for signature with a CC to the agent to receive the executed version. I know I’m not supposed to do that, but I just did it. Just lucky I guess because the agent was grateful. I do what it takes. Then I helped to guide the agent through the steps of escrow. He did a fabulous job, too. The buyer’s agent told me yesterday this was his first transaction. Like I didn’t know it, LOL. Hey, everybody is new once.
My seller made a lot of money, much more than he ever thought possible. $50,000 richer than he would have been with some other agent. Even though his home was built in 1910 and the reports were what I called “grim,” the seller did not make any repairs, not give credits, nor renegotiate. I guess selling a highwater bungalow in Midtown really doesn’t get any better than that. I’m so glad he chose me. I know he is feeling it as well!
1500 24th Street, Sacramento, CA 95816 sold at $485,000 and closed April 30th, 2018.
Dropbox vs iCloud When Running Out of Space on Mac Hard Drive
Putting yourself out there on the internet by talking about Dropbox vs iCloud Storage is a good way to get emails from all sorts of kooks who have their own ideas about computers. Some of those people, I don’t know if they are 10-year-old kids or just particularly nasty people all by themselves, well, they’re a bit out there. However, this blog is not for the crazies. This is for a top producer Sacramento Realtor like me who use a Mac and wonder if they should use Dropbox vs iCloud Storage.
I’ve been a Mac fanatic since 1991. Before that I used DOS, but I really prefer Mac. For my purposes, it’s just more user friendly. However, I have not really kept up-to-date on every new Apple product. Instead I focus on just what I need to run my business. Further, I gave up graphic design a long time ago. I hire those guys now and do not do that work myself.
Since I’m not doing any high-end design, not working in Illustrator or any graphic programs except for Photoshop, I don’t need a high powered machine. A Mac mini is just fine, until I try storing 15 years of real estate sales in Sacramento on it. I’ve used back-up devices, and they only last so long before they stop working and you have to buy something else. I’m old-school and want my documents readily accessible.
So iCloud seemed like the solution. Apple markets the product as Storage. However, when it comes to Dropbox vs ICloud, I can tell you neither of those are really storage. Dropbox comes closer to storage than iCloud. When I talked to Apple, they tell me iCloud mirrors your computer, and in a way it does. When you put a file into iCloud, you are not removing the file from your computer. It stays on your hard drive. What you are doing is making the file accessible across all of your devices. You are synching. You are not storing.
I discovered this the hard way. Because some files are in Dropbox and some are in iCloud. I divvy them up just in case one blows up I don’t lose everything. Although I do backup offsite. I personally have found Dropbox easier to use. It’s more instant. It doesn’t take forever like iCloud. And as I found out over the weekend, my laptop could no longer sync to Dropbox and all of my iCloud folders ate up all the hard drive space.
Fortunately, Dropbox has this nifty feature. For example, my closed sales since 2003 are about 150 GB. That’s insane. That’s how much I sell. But Dropbox gives you selective sync. First, I downloaded all of my sales from 2003 to 2017 onto a backup drive. Then I changed viewing 15,132 files by going to Dropbox. You can, too, by selecting the gear icon, choosing preferences, and then “selective sync.” Next, just navigate to the folder and uncheck the boxes for folders you do not want to sync. They will not appear on your laptop anymore. Voila, hard drive space restored.
You can still go to Dropbox online and view your folders or plug in the backup drive. Can’t do this with iCloud. Which means I believe Dropbox definitely has the edge over iCloud.
