Email ElizabethRock and Roll Never Dies and The Music Doesn’t Fade Away
An older, and by older I mean over-60 Sacramento real estate agent gets far more respect from younger people nowadays than an aging rock-and-roll star. Thank goodness I am in the right profession. The motto far back as I can remember was you’re not getting older, you’re getting better. And wiser, hopefully. Nobody tells me that I am too old to sell real estate and lives. But there seems to be a backlash against entertainers who aren’t as spry as they used to be simply because they’re older. It’s enough to make an older person want to whack these little punks across the noggin with a cane.
Some reporter who probably used to have a hard-on for Bruce Springsteen complained that The Boss wasn’t performing like he did at the peak of his career which, according to that guy, was at age 26. LOL. When I read that editorial, I could only imagine the shrieking outrage from fans and even suspected that perhaps the reason for such drivel was to spark an uproar and bump up online hits for the Sacramento Bee. On the other hand, it’s a silly opinion of a person who probably secretly jacks off to Thunder Road. Everybody except that guy apparently is mad for a live Bruce Springsteen concert. Springsteen puts his all into every show. Pure adrenaline.
It’s a big thing now — for Baby Boomers especially, and we are targeted like no tomorrow — to attend concerts headlined by rockstars of our youth. It also provides retirement income to some whose managers ripped them off over the years. It’s not like reliving youth but some memories do return that were long ago buried, and that’s kind of sweet. The Happy Together Tour comes to mind. It’s also a yardstick to use so you can laugh at your goofy self as a teenager / college student and then understand how far you have come. (I don’t have yardsticks known as kids.)
What bothers me somewhat about these shows is how snooty I have become about concerts. It’s almost 50 years later. I still want front row seats. Only now, instead of camping out in front of the theater for hours beforehand or squeezing my way to the front by-hook-or-by-crook through throngs of stoned-out freaks, now I am willing to pay for that privilege. I am not standing in the hot sun (OMG, melanoma) or sleeping on the sidewalk (my aching back), no way, Jose. And, I expect a comfy chair. If I could enjoy concierge, valet and cocktail service, all the better. I wonder what my younger self would have said about this attitude?
Don’t answer that.
Listening Skills for Real Estate Agents Begin by Answering the Phone
When a potential client calls me, I try to listen very carefully before offering solutions. Most agents talk too much, I find. They don’t always listen. And listening is key to finding out what our clients want from us. Listening and asking questions. Often, a phone call will begin because a person is looking for information and believes there is one agenda at hand when what the client really wants is something else. I try to figure out how I can help.
Sometimes, I end up referring the client to a different real estate agent in another state because they live outside of California and need to buy or sell a piece of real estate that is outside of my Sacramento Valley jurisdiction. There are also times that a person might not have thought about selling a home in Sacramento until they have talked to me. That might be the best idea for them, and if it’s not they can count on me to say it. Because I don’t need that business right now today, and I’m happy to wait a few years if that’s what it takes and is best for the client. The key is what is best for the client.
I’m not going anywhere that I know about anytime soon. I will be here in Sacramento, answering my phone, taking care of real estate and talking with people. Conversing with people is what I do best, so that’s what I do. There are other people who call, real estate agents, for example, who begin the conversation by telling me they do not want to do what needs to be done for their buyer to buy a home. I wonder at that point why I am talking to the agent when the agent is stuck inside a square box and can’t seem to get out.
If I see my phone is ringing with another buyer or seller question, the best use of my time is to answer that call and listen to those buyers and sellers. I like to talk to real estate agents, but I am not their broker nor their manager. I can give them the information they seek about a home, but if they want to argue with me how they want to operate differently than other agents, I don’t have time for that. So it’s nothing personal when I say I have to go and take another call, because I do.
It’s generally a seller or a buyer calling on the other line who needs my help. They need me to listen to them, analyze their situation and offer solutions. Sometimes these conversations lead to a sale, and sometimes not. These phone discussions lead to enough sales, though, that I don’t have to worry about whether I am doing the right thing by listening, because I am.
Not every real estate agent has developed listening skills, I have noticed. Charles Chatham would rollover in his grave today.
Starter Homes and Move-up Homes for Sale in Elk Grove
The homes in my listing inventory for Sacramento that seem to generate the highest number of phone calls from buyers and buyer’s agents are homes in Elk Grove. It doesn’t seem to matter if they are starter homes for sale in Elk Grove or move-up homes. As a top listing agent in Elk Grove, I sell an unusually high number of homes in Elk Grove in the ZIP Codes 95624, 95757 and 95758. These homes are similar to the types of homes one might find the other direction from downtown in our Natomas communities or homes in West Sacramento in that they are newer construction, mostly stucco with tile roofs, and many young families gravitate toward these neighborhoods.
But then many of the homes for sale in Elk Grove are a hot commodity this spring. At the moment, we have 288 homes for sale in our 3 ZIPs in Elk Grove. MLS also shows 241 homes pending, with 191 sold within the last 30 days. You can do the math. There are not enough homes for sale in Elk Grove to meet demand.
If you are looking for homes for sale in Elk Grove, two exceptional homes recently became available, which you should take a look at if you’re in that market. Each fits a specific need. One is a starter home for a first-time home buyer or an investor and the second home is a luxury move-up home. Our first brand new listing is located at 7029 Verdure Way, Elk Grove, CA 95758. This is near Bruceville and Seasons. I keep wanting to call that street Four Seasons after the luxury resort. Or, as some people say it’s a reason to live in Sacramento because we have seasons here.
This is a 3-bedroom home with 3 baths and an open floor plan. The ceilings soar above the second floor, which makes it seem much bigger than its 1,410 square feet. Your entertainment area is the entire first floor, with open spaces between the living room and dining room and kitchen. Sliding doors lead to the back yard, with planting options available around the perimeter to make the yard your own. It’s affordable and competitively priced at $259,000. Ready for occupancy. Newer roof and HVAC, too.
The second home is located east of Highway 99, off Elk Grove Boulevard and Black Swan. If you’re looking for more bells and whistles and twice the square footage, this second home at $395,000 might be perfect for you. Boasting more than 2,800 square feet, it offers 5 bedrooms (two on the first floor, including a gigantic master suite) and three more bedrooms on the second floor. More interior square footage could be added by closing off the open space on the second floor, but most buyers will think it’s large enough just the way it was built. It’s beautiful, and it could be yours.
Come see 9468 Mainline Drive, Elk Grove, CA 95624 on Sunday when it is open from 2 PM to 4 PM. Both homes are offered for sale exclusively by Lyon Real Estate; for a private showing or more information, please call your Elk Grove agent, Elizabeth Weintraub, at 916.233.6759.
Red Flags on Purchase Offers for Sacramento Homes
Every Sacramento listing agent owes a fiduciary to her sellers to try to ensure that the offer the seller has received is a bonafide offer, especially those that seem a little bit weird. I’m not about to say that all out-of-area buyers, especially those from the Bay area, are crooks or are not to be trusted, but I have seen my fair share of purchase offers that require additional scrutiny and most of them seem to stem from the Bay area. To be fair, though, there are crooks right here in Sacramento, and there are doofus real estate agents right here in town who enable them.
Part of my job to my sellers is to look for what can go wrong and advise accordingly. The first red flag I might see in an offer is due to the fact the agent might not read the MLS listing nor adhere to the requirements. I suspect they do not always read all of the instructions because they either don’t have full access to MLS, they are confused, inexperienced, or they just didn’t bother to look for attachments. Some agents probably do not want to comply, so they simply ignore the requirements.
The second red flag is the offer itself might appear as a template. This means all of the standard information is typed in a different font, often an odd color, and a different point size, and the pertinent data such as property address and sales price do not match. Agents use this procedure when they are creating multiple offers and throwing those offers to the wind. They think nobody notices this.
The third red flag is the offer might be missing information. Certain boxes might be left unchecked and blank lines will be incomplete. Attention to detail is not always a strong suit among thieves, perhaps the APN number is missing or the agent’s license number is not there, which are important items to include.
The supporting documents are often a mishmash of papers tossed together. The proof of funds might not contain the buyer’s name. The earnest money deposit might be from a new stack of checks, numbered in the low 100s and containing no date nor identifying information. The pre-approval letter is most likely outdated if not expired.
You might ask yourself why do they bother to do this? What is the point? The point is the investors think they are clever and smart to lock down as many properties as they possibly can while they figure out which ones they might want to buy. They might make offers on 10 or 20 listings but be able to buy only one. This practice is not advised and many lawyers say it is against the law, but when has that stopped the crooks?
When you look at all of this damaging evidence, coupled with the fact the agent has not shown the home to the buyer, these are not really offers. If you need further proof, just ask the agent a question such as did you show the home? The agent won’t reply. And there you go.
Jealousy Can Lead Real Estate Agents to Badmouth Other Agents
Real estate agents who badmouth often feel the need to discredit another Sacramento real estate agent and can end up sabotaging their own career without realizing it. Before you can ask: how stupid are they, let me remind you that badmouthing another agent is stupid to begin with. There’s just no upside potential to it. It makes the agent who is doing it look horrible, not to mention small, petty, jealous and well, stupid.
I am often called to a listing presentation in which a seller who is hoping to choose a Sacramento listing agent has interviewed 2 other agents. I say, hey, good agents you called. But you would be amazed at some of the stuff I hear other agents tell the seller. Because the sellers tell me what they say when the agents learn that Elizabeth Weintraub is the competition to their presentation. First, I imagine the agents feel a bit intimidated when they look at my sales production and how much I sell. It can be 10 times the number of homes they sell, or more. This is intimidating because these agents can’t fathom how in the world I do it and remain competitive, because they can’t do it.
So they say stuff like, oh, Elizabeth Weintraub is too busy for you and won’t give you personal service. These agents should be shot and stuffed with mouse poop for allowing lies like that to leave their lips. You want something done right, you give it to a busy person, that’s what I have to say. Clients tell me that I treat them like they are my only client. I respond immediately to their concerns and address all of their questions, sometimes before the questions are even asked. I make them feel special because they are. Nothing should lead a real estate agent to badmouth. They should be better than that.
In my world, every client is important. Every situation is different. Another agent told a seller that I don’t negotiate my own transactions because, how could I? Yet, I do. It’s a fat lie to say I don’t. I personally handle every single listing myself. I shoot professional photography; I write copy and prepare the paperwork; I tweak my photos in Photoshop; I manage all of my listings; I collect feedback and deliver, provide suggestions, negotiate multiple offers, and there is no pawning off — I do it myself. Just because another agent can’t do what I do is no reason to make up crap about my real estate practice. You know what they call that? They call that attitude sour grapes. The Code of Ethics calls it unethical. I call it idiot real estate agents who badmouth.
A new client I’m meeting with this weekend asked me why none of the other agents she talked to didn’t tell her the things I suggested she do to get started. Well, I don’t know why. It makes sense to me that I bring up potential problems and solve them before we go on the market. I have no idea why other agents do what they do; I know only what I do, and that is I perform to high standards built on my decades of experience. When the only bad thing another agent can makeup is I must be too busy or I must not do the work myself, well, that tells you more about those agents than about me.
I’m not too busy. I do the work myself. If you expect excellence, you will get it. That’s how an ethical Sacramento real estate agent stays in business and gets referrals year after year after year. Sellers can hire a not-so-successful agent for the same amount of money, but why?
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