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JaCi Wallace
Should Home Sellers Leave Garbage Cans Full?
Should home sellers leave garbage cans full? Well, the contract specifically states the seller shall remove all debris. If we really think about it the seller stops paying the garbage bill when we close escrow. The buyer is responsible for the ongoing garbage bill. I doubt any buyer is happy to push the garbage cans to the curb full of someone else’s garbage.
Another consideration is when buyers move in, they are going to produce packing paper galore and their own garbage from moving in. They really need the garbage cans empty, so they can throw away their own stuff. This is one of the seller’s last steps to close escrow.
From now on, this is something I’m going to carefully review with clients — that they need to haul their own garbage to the dump when they move out. Another issue seen here is all the extra garbage on the ground so the can lids won’t even close. I guess the buyer was supposed to take the seller’s extra garbage to the dump?
Should home sellers leave garbage cans full? What do you think? Ask yourself how you would feel if you bought a home and you’re so excited to get your keys, then you drive up and see all this trash? Well, our home seller is paying a hauler to haul away all of this stuff and other items left in the garage. She didn’t know it was left like this. Her movers were supposed to clean up.
Our seller full-service plan included us going over to the property and checking everything out before the buyer obtained the keys. When I sent the seller the pictures, she happily agreed to pay for the cleanup. She was surprised it was left like this. She is a delightful person and was amazingly kind throughout the buying and selling experience.
The best outcome for sellers is have happy buyers that they will never hear from again. No news is good news, as dear old dad used to say. To ensure you have happy buyers when you close escrow, call Weintraub & Wallace Realtors with RE/MAX Gold. We can be reached at 916-233-6759.
— JaCi Wallace
Elk Grove Entry Level Home Prices
Elk Grove entry-level home prices starting at $350,000 plus are getting hard to find. My niece is home shopping and an 1,100 sq foot home is $350,000. If you want a larger home, say, 1,400+ square feet, it’s going to cost more. Elk Grove schools are in high demand, and that is one of the factors why so many people are moving here.
I have been looking several times per day for homes. I found one property with a huge lot and 1,700 square feet. It needed a new roof, new HVAC and had no landscaping in a giant back yard. Did I mention it was a duplex, so it is not a free-standing home? The kitchen is small, featuring limited cabinets. Too many issues need attention.
We expanded the search to Sacramento near Calvine Road in ZIP code 95829. We even went into 95828, near Auberry. For $350,000 there, you will get 1,450+ square feet. The other challenge is very few properties are for sale. The demand for homes in Elk Grove is pushing pricing up. It looks like a very busy year ahead of us.
If you want to buy while entry-level home prices in Elk Grove are still affordable, that purchase may cost more than you thought, but it’s still a fabulous place to live. Paying rent year after year does not build equity as a tenant. Call today and we will have you pre-qualified with our lender to see how much buying power you have.
Call Weintraub & Wallace Realtors with RE/MAX Gold to start the process and we will find you a home. Call 916-233-6759 right now, as we work seven days a week.
— JaCi Wallace
A Happy New Year In Sacramento 2020
A happy New Year in Sacramento 2020 needed just the right photo. This picture looks like these two women were having “too much fun,” as if there is such a thing as too much. After looking at well over 100 photos, I knew instantly this was the perfect photo. Elizabeth and I both appreciate great photos that help tell our stories. The right photo is so important.
It was a quiet celebration for me at home with 6 pounds of huge crab legs from the Elk Grove Costco. Elk Grove real estate is becoming more popular and, so of course, it was time for a Costco. Living in the rural part of the greater Elk Grove area and being 7 minutes from Costco is a real plus for this Sacramento Realtor.
My sister made a fabulous meal and steamed the legs. Uncle Greg (or UG for short), my brother -in-law, consumed a fair share and the rest of us ate so much crab we felt sick. How blessed to have so much to eat. Every New Year, like so many others in the world, I count blessings. It was an amazing year-end evening to celebrate the last hours of 2019.
Weintraub & Wallace Realtors became a reality in March of 2019. Elizabeth and I had talked about partnering for a while as we had always enjoyed working together. Timing is everything, so 9 months later, here we are going strong. Our brokerage is RE/MAX Gold. Working with the support of an international brokerage in a global economy has been a real plus for our team. Agents from around the world send referrals directly to us.
Our buyer’s agents are very talented. They work so hard day after day helping buyers to write offers that win. Not only are they great Realtors, but they are also terrific human beings. They go the distance for their clients and the team 7 days a week. We are so very grateful to work with Barbara and Josh and call them friends.
Also in 2019, we added a full-time assistant, Adina, who is simply amazing. She helps us every day. If something important comes up, she takes care of it, weekends and or evenings, Adina is here for us. Our brand, Weintraub & Wallace Realtors, is growing by leaps and bounds. We are so excited about a brand new year in Sacramento Real Estate.
The new year’s crab was also enjoyed by the Ragdoll cats. I shared tender morsels with my furry friends. Elizabeth and I both love our Ragdolls. Cats are so good to have when you work at home as they make you laugh. Some studies show having animals is actually good for your health and can lower stress levels. I’m not surprised and I didn’t need a study to tell me that as all of our animals make us smile.
So much to look forward to in 2020. We hope your New Year is all you dreamed it will be. If you have real estate questions or need help selling or buying real estate, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. We can be reached 7 days a week, at 916-233-6759.
— JaCi Wallace
You Don’t Have To Live In Rural Areas To Have Chickens
You don’t have to live in rural areas to have chickens in Sacramento. Chickens are allowed in some subdivisions. In Elk Grove, for example, I have sold homes where they allow a few chickens for personal use but no roosters. Also, a home on a ¼ acre lot in Rancho Cordova, chickens were allowed. If you have never raised chickens, you might not be aware hens will lay eggs without a rooster.
You only need a rooster if you want to raise baby chicks. To have a rooster, you do need to live in a rural area. Roosters can sing their songs at 2 am or 3 am as they often get confused with what time it is. The rooster next door must have been eaten by a coyote as he disappeared. Thank goodness the neighbor did not go buy another rooster! That rooster started to crow at 2 am and didn’t stop until 8 am. I lost a lot of sleep and finally had to sleep with the TV on to drown out the cock-a-doodle-doo of that pesky rooster.
The hens cluck when they lay their eggs but they are not loud like a rooster. I love having chickens. There is something very fulfilling about feeding your chickens and collecting fresh eggs. There are many types of chickens and they lay different colored eggs. The chickens love leftover vegetables and bread.
Chickens need fresh water as it actually helps keep them warm. Water is especially important in the winter, not just in the summer. Freshwater, scraps and chicken feed keep the hens healthy and able to lay more eggs.
Fresh chicken scratch is made up of mostly dried corn kernels. I throw a few cups of scratch out each day as it gives the hens something to pick at. There are several varieties of chickens. If you always wanted to have a few chickens, you might check with your zoning department to confirm if you can have chickens. You don’t have to live in rural areas to have chickens. Some areas allow chickens in subdivisions. Rural real estate is not for everyone, though.
If you are interested in finding a property with the flexibility to have chickens, call Weintraub & Wallace Realtors, with RE/MAX Gold. We can be reached at 916-233-6759.
— JaCi Wallace
Home Buyers Need to Sign Loan Documents
Lately, when home buyers need to sign loan documents, this action has become an all too familiar problem. When buyers write an offer to purchase a home, shouldn’t somebody explain that they need to be available to sign loan documents? How about asking a simple question such as are you leaving town in the next 30 days? How about a friendly reminder such as you need to make yourself available to sign your loan documents and disclosures during our 30-day escrow.
We had an escrow ready to close, and I was informed by the buyer’s agent, on the day of signing (no less), that the buyer had to leave the state for a work conference and would have to sign the following week. This is nuts.
In another escrow, a buyer was annoyed that she couldn’t sign out of the area as it was a 2-hour drive to come to Sacramento. Also, this one is 2 days late as the lender didn’t have loan documents to the title company until the close of escrow date. Of course, with holidays, there is often an additional pressure to sign on time or even early. This one is really touchy as the seller bought a new home and must close in 2019. Talk about nail-biting. When someone is buying a house, is it too much to ask to drive 2 hours to sign your loan documents. Time is always of the essence.
Closing escrow around the new year is always a time crunch. I try to avoid this time of year to close. Sometimes it’s the luck of the draw. The solution is buyers agents need to inform their home buyers of the importance of buyers’ need to sign loan documents.
If you want to have your loan documents at title quickly and close escrow on time, call Weintraub & Wallace Realtors, with RE/MAX Gold. We can be easily reached at 916-233-6759.
— JaCi Wallace
