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11 Months to Sell a Home in Davis, CA
Not since the days of short sales that pretty much ended 8 years ago, I have never encountered such a difficult time to sell a home in Davis, CA. The sellers and I met in early March of last year; they were referred to me. Very nice people, and I sincerely wanted to help them receive top dollar for their home. Of course, part of the problem was they were certain they could get more for the home than I suggested.
Fortunately, they owned the home free and clear, and had invested, according to the seller, a few hundred thousand. They remodeled the kitchen, added a permitted sunroom and updated the back yard. The sellers really wanted to try a higher sales price based on their upgrades, and I agreed to give it a shot. Another agent might have refused the listing under those circumstances, but not this Sacramento Realtor.
My feeling is if I like the sellers, we get along, their happiness is of primary importance to me. We can argue all day about the price, but in the end, it is the seller who chooses. Not only that, but the City of Davis needs to complete an inspection, and the inspection for this house reflected about a dozen permit violations.
We went on the market in early April and began working on clearing the problems to gain the occupancy certificate. Many showings ensued and we held many open houses, but no offers.
One of the things I do for my clients is send buyer feedback. All of the feedback complained about the dark kitchen, the dark granite counters, they didn’t care for the sunroom and they didn’t like the back yard, plus many complained about the layout. Finally, the sellers agreed to lower the price.
Then agents in Davis began calling to inquire: what’s the deal with this Davis house? As I typically do when days on market seem lengthy, we pulled a new MLS number with a new listing to attract more attention. Plus, when we reset the days on market, it makes the listing more inviting to buyers.
Shortly after that, we received an offer and went into escrow. But the appraisal came in low. The buyers had already removed inspection contingencies, and the seller readily agreed to sell at the new appraised value. However, as soon as the sellers agreed to lower the price, the buyers decided it wasn’t low enough. They wanted to renegotiate instead. Who knows what makes people think this way?
These are the situations where a seller might wonder if it’s worth suing the buyers, but they really just wanted to sell a home in Davis. We cut the buyers loose.
Next set of buyers didn’t make it very far in escrow. I don’t even recall what their objection was or why they canceled. My job is to keep up the sellers’ spirits and to perform. I promised that I would find another buyer, a real buyer, a buyer who loves their home and will close escrow. But it would take one more price reduction, and the sellers agreed.
Sure enough, after we adjusted the price to where it should have been in the first place, we received a fast offer. We went into escrow about a week before Christmas. If this home had been priced where it needed to be last April, we would have received multiple offers. But the sellers did not want to do it at that time. Most agents would not work this hard to sell a home in Davis, but I will do it. Sometimes the only way to make sure a seller understands the market is to show it to them through the eyes of a lengthy listing. That is OK with me.
Because I will work on that house until it sells. I do not abandon my sellers nor get frustrated with them. Mrs. Seller told me yesterday that she was very pleased with my patience and upbeat attitude when we would speak. Mr. Seller said I was always calm, and was his rock throughout the sale process.
I was determined to sell a home in Davis in the timeframe that best suited my sellers. Not in the timeframe that best suited me. So while I sat dripping wet on the beach at Kahulu’u after snorkeling yesterday, I paused to think about these sellers, and how sincerely happy I am their home closed escrow on Friday, January 18th! We sold to real buyers this time, just like I promised.
Pool Home in Davis is Ready for You in Lake Alhambra Estates
This is such a beautiful pool home in Davis, and sadly it’s gone through a string of bad-luck buyers. It cries out for a buyer who will love and appreciate the home. One set of buyers begged us to take their offer while they sold their existing home. They swore up and down this was their dream home, and they would do anything to buy it. Fortunately, they hired a good listing agent who quickly sold their home and set the path to closing. Then, all of a sudden, without warning, without explanation, those buyers canceled the sale of their existing home and also canceled buying this gorgeous pool home in Davis. We are left to surmise that maybe they can’t afford it or don’t want to afford it. Who knows?
It leaves the opportunity available for you to buy this pool home in Davis now. For a long time, the seller worked on getting this home ready for market. Getting ready for the market meant complying with the City of Davis Resale Inspection. We now have the occupancy certificate, and all is good.
Most buyers tell us they love the layout. When you walk into the home, you will see all hardwood floors except for the oversized ceramic flooring in the kitchen. Off to the right is a formal living room that has been converted into an office, featuring a wall of built-in desks, shelves and bookcases. Off to the left is the formal dining room that is big enough for a dining room table that seats a dozen. Straight ahead is the remodeled kitchen with granite counters, island, 5 burner Jenn-Air gas cooktop, including a huge space for a breakfast nook.
You will also find a big family room with fireplace on the main level as well. At the back of the home is a 600-square-foot or so room addition that is a sunroom with heat, AC and dual ceiling fans. The sellers use this room as a retreat during our hot summer months in Davis. As a way to escape the heat after swimming. In fact, the seller says he spent $200,000 on improvements to Los Cerros and the back yard. The yard features an outdoor kitchen, 59 drains, flagstone, custom built-in stone benches, two waterfalls, and is the seller’s pride and joy.
All four bedrooms are upstairs, including a big master suite with plenty of extra closet space. The main square footage, according to the Sacramento County Assessor is 2,772 (with gross including the sunroom at 3,544), but we have not verified that.
Check out these photographs:
Come to our open house on Sunday, October 7, 2018, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. You can also check out the virtual tour here.
3804 Los Cerros Place, Davis, CA 95618 is offered exclusively by Elizabeth Weintraub and Lyon Real Estate at $1,025,000. Call Elizabeth for more information at 916.233.6759.
The information in this advertisement, including, but not limited to, square footage and/or acreage, has been provided by various sources which may include the Seller, the Multiple Listing Service or other sources. Lyon Real Estate has not and will not investigate or verify the accuracy of this information. Prospective buyers are advised to conduct their own investigation of the Property and this advertised information utilizing appropriate professionals before purchasing this Property.
Sorry, Too Late, Davis Home in Lake Alhambra Estates Pending
Talk about taking your time to buy a home in Lake Alhambra Estates. The buyer for this home first viewed the property about two months ago. All of this time they did not make an offer to purchase the home in Davis. Instead, they kept an eye on the home and its activity. We don’t know this for certain but the buyer might be moving family into this home, because it certainly has the room for extended family members. Our buyer is also doing a 1031 exchange, so they might have had to sell the other property first.
In addition to the four bedrooms, the first floor features an office, which would be a bedroom, too. That office is isolated from the other rooms. At one time, it was probably a formal living room, but Californians don’t really utilize formal living rooms anymore. It’s unused space if you don’t convert the room to another use. For example, our formal sitting area in our living room is used by the cats. Nobody else sits in that room.
This home in Lake Alhambra Estates also includes a remote family room that probably is not of much use, either. It’s a beautiful room with a gorgeous fireplace and wood mantle, but it’s also situated next to the enormous four-season room. So there are two areas in the home that could actually accommodate a couple more bedrooms on the first floor.
The remodeled kitchen offers plenty of space for the gourmet cook. Granite counters, ceramic flooring and an island, plus a pantry closet.
But the piece de résistance of this home in Lake Alhambra Estates is the back yard. Simply stunning. Featuring two waterfalls, a built-in outdoor kitchen, although the city of Davis made the seller remove the sink. A flagstone surround, custom benches, and 59 drains for clearing rainwater. In addition to a beautiful in-ground pool, offering year-round summer fun!
3804 Los Cerros Place, Davis, CA 95618 is presently pending. Interested in selling a home in Davis? Elizabeth Weintraub can sell your house, too. Call 916.233.6759.
What is the Deal With That House in Davis, Agent Asked
Right in the middle of breakfast yesterday morning an agent in Davis called to ask what’s the deal with that house in Davis? OK, I could not have answered my phone, but that’s not what I do. The agent’s question took me by surprise because that’s an odd question to ask. Most agents figure out what’s going on with a property by reading MLS docs, actively showing homes and by studying their markets. I can’t say I’ve ever had an an agent ask me what’s the deal with that house in Davis. Normally they introduce themselves, make a little small talk first, try to wiggle into your good graces. But not this guy.
I asked what he meant. To clarify. The home is for sale. Is it not for sale in his MLS? Was there some sort of problem? No, he just wanted to know what’s the deal with that house in Davis. Well, he needs to be more specific. As a top producer listing agent, my primary objective is to sell listings and help give buyer’s agents the information they need. Why did he think there was anything going on with this particular property?
It’s been on the market for a while, the agent said. Yes, but in that particular ZIPcode homes over $1 million are selling in 91 days, with 152 days cumulative. We are only 50 days on market. This means it can take a while to find the specific buyer we need to find, and we have the luxury of patience. But the guy wasn’t done drilling me.
He continued: What kind of comments have you received on this house? What kind of buyer feedback?
There is only one way to answer this kind of question. I’m astonished he had the audacity to ask.
You want to know what other buyers are saying, right? They are saying this is an absolutely breathtakingly beautiful home. It is so gorgeous this home makes their eyes ache from longing for it. Buyers especially love the back yard and pool and have expressed jaw-dropping awe of the spectacular four-season room. They wish they made enough money to afford it because this home is their forever dream home!
Oh, OK, says he. Guess I will have to take a second look at this home and show it.
Listing in Davis Sells at Remarkable Price for Original Condition
This was the second listing in Davis that I sold for these sellers, and both homes sold with cash offers at outstanding prices. It takes me 18 minutes to drive to Davis from my home in Land Park, but some of the Davis Realtors have implied that because I do not live in the city of Davis, that it is impossible for me to know how to sell a listing in Davis. They don’t believe my 40+ years in the business carries weight, I guess.
I get it that Davis is a close-knit community and everybody knows everybody else, that Davis agents have a certain style of working that might seem a bit outside the norm to us Sacramento Realtors, but real estate principles still apply. Time-tested strategies for how to price a home against the market still applies to a listing in Davis. Fabulous ways to market a home still applies to a listing in Davis. Successful techniques for negotiating a purchase offer still applies to a listing in Davis.
Above all, my sellers did not want to hire a Realtor who works in Davis. I don’t know why, maybe because we both voted for Hillary Clinton for president, but I do know they are happy with me, and that’s all that matters in my world.
Every time we had a showing, I would email each buyer’s agent to ask for feedback. Many of the agents felt the list price was too high to attract an offer. They told me there weren’t enough updates in the home to justify the price, but that’s not what my instincts said to me. It’s not what my comparative market analysis reflected, either. I spied a hot market, with low inventory, and even though the home had a few unusual qualities, it was in the right location.
As you know, real estate is location, location, location. And the buyer who purchased this home certainly felt the value was there or she wouldn’t have bought it. She knows the neighborhood well, I hear. Happy buyer, happy sellers, no repairs or credits, and it doesn’t get any better than that. 545 Antioch Dr, Davis, CA, sold at $725,000.
If you’re looking to sell a home in Davis and would like to speak with a top producer agent who might do things a little differently, call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759.
