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Classic Land Park Tudor Homes
Classic Land Park Tudor homes are unlike any other — in my book, anyway. The charm and original touches take you back in time. Today, I was working in Land Park on a new listing by the Tower Theater. Carol Crestelo, one of our exclusive buyers’ agents, was accompanying me as we had a lot of work in the area.
While driving along the tree-lined streets, we noticed an open house sign. It was an old friend from a previous brokerage, holding open a fabulous classic Land Park Tudor home. We stopped to say hello of course, after all, we are Realtors, we love looking at homes too, lol. This property did not disappoint; it was amazing. The front yard was massive, with a huge redwood tree and mature landscape. The pitched roof in the front was impressive.
Entering the home you immediately notice an 8-foot storybook picture window with leaded glass inlay, looking onto the front yard. The outdoor view of beauty took your focus from the interior to the outdoors. A feeling buyers dream about. The stained glass accents on the windows and the oak wood floors, combined with a massive focal fireplace, made it love at first sight.
The elongated arched carved doorways gave rise to a coved 12+ foot ceiling in the great room. The natural light engulfed the room, and no artificial light was necessary. I could already envision a 10 foot fresh Christmas tree in front of the picture window adorned with so many twinkling colorful lights, that it took your breath away. What a room to celebrate holidays and create memories for a family to carry in their hearts an entire lifetime. This three/four bedroom home had a room for everyone.
From the great room, you can see an oversized formal dining room with a built-in hutch. This gives just the right entertainment space for guests to mingle right off of the kitchen. There is also a quaint breakfast nook circled by windows in all directions. Sitting there in the mornings enjoying a cup of coffee you can watch the neighbors walking their dogs. This is a home where you could comfortably live the rest of your days.
Off the kitchen down a few steps is an open office area. Next to it another room with a full bath, a perfect guest room area, children’s playroom or workout space, so many options for this bonus room. Just behind the office is a darling laundry room, lots of windows, a laundry sink and cabinets and an exterior door. This is all on the lower level the upstairs was next to tour, we could hardly wait to see it.
The wooden staircase is just beautiful leading up to the 3 bedrooms and an updated full bath. The master bedroom even has a walk-in closet. What charm, this home is a jewel. Did I forget to mention a two car detached garage and a new roof?
The favorite part from the open house visitors I overheard talking was a huge backyard with gardening beds, patios, lush vegetation and more. Vegetable plants were growing nicely in raised beds, Plenty of flowers about to bring the bees. Even a waterfall is featured, talk about paradise. What more could anyone want? This home will go fast as they are looking at offers in only a few days. Humm, this left me thinking who do I know that would adore this home as we did.
The potential for this classic Land Park home is outstanding. Why will this home sell and another won’t? Location, Location and Location. All that is needed is a new master bath addition, and you have it all in one highly desirable location. Swimming anyone? There is plenty of room for a pool.
The listing agent is honest as the day is long on this one, so a buyer has a fair chance if they make the right offer. A lucky buyer who qualifies to make the first offer on this property may be a nervous wreck wondering if their offer will be accepted; heck, the buyer’s agent will bite off all of her fingernails waiting for a seller to decide, lol (I confess I bite my nails sometimes). Keep your fingers crossed as a home with all these features rarely comes on the market.
If you want to buy or sell a classic Land Park Tudor home, call Weintraub & Wallace at RE/MAX Gold, 916-233-6759.
–JaCi Wallace
New Listing in Upper Land Park: Adorable 2-3 Bedroom Cottage
A new listing in Upper Land Park presents an exciting opportunity to buy into a neighborhood which has no commercial properties, unlike other parts of Land Park. This particular home is tucked away off of Santa Buena, near the freeway, in an area with little through traffic. Our back story takes us to the original construction of this home in 1949. The builder who constructed this home used the old method of combining clay mud with straw to form adobe bricks and drying the bricks in the sun.
We can easily endure weeks of 100-plus temperatures during our hot Sacramento summers. And we certainly enjoy an abundance of clay soil in Upper Land Park. Perfect combination, and what insulation properties adobe offers. You cannot hear a sound when inside that home.
The daughter of the builder bought the home after completion and moved in. She constructed the Buddha waterfall and gazebo in the back and planted much of the greenery and roses that still flourish today. Gardens? Amazingly beautiful. You will also find several covered patios for entertaining, in addition to an art studio. As the story goes, the daughter eventually ended up moving out of town, so she sold the house.
After moving away, she missed Sacramento and, in particular, this home. So she moved back and bought it from the owner. If you are in love with a home to such an extent that you don’t want to live anywhere else in town, that showcases the allure. Eventually, though, our present day seller bought the home.
Our seller installed a guest quarter with a permit by remodeling the garage. It features a soundproof bedroom, which could also be used as a band studio or yoga studio. Our seller also installed a second bath. What started out as a 2 bedroom, 1 bath is now a 2 to 3 bedroom and 2 bath home. The guest quarters are located on the other side of the kitchen for privacy.
An interesting thing the seller told me is when she first saw this new listing in Upper Land Park and entered, she felt captivated by the back yard and made a beeline for it. Walked right past the two bedrooms with the beautiful hardwood floors. Right past the updated bath with a shower over the tub, and a window. No nod toward the kitchen. Directly to the back yard. Maybe you will do the same thing? The yard is definitely captivating.
Why not come to our open house on Sunday and discover the magic of this new listing in Upper Land Park for yourself? March 11th, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM, hosted by the incredible Barbara Dow from the Elizabeth Weintraub Team.
709 7th Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95818 is offered exclusively by Elizabeth Weintraub and Lyon Real Estate at $375K. Check out the virtual tour, too! If you have questions, please call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759.
Tips for Selling a Home in Land Park Sacramento
Some people believe all Land Park agents are the same, just like they view real estate agents anywhere, but when it comes to selling a home in Land Park, a leafy urban neighborhood in Sacramento, choosing the right Land Park agent can make a big difference. I can say this because I’m only repeating what my seller told me yesterday when I called to provide verification that we had closed on his home in Land Park. He was another seller I had never met in person.
I should mention that some sellers find it very unusual to sell a home without ever meeting the listing agent, but it’s pretty common place for me nowadays to handle real estate transactions for individuals I have never met. We talk by phone, they read my articles on About.com and peruse my Sacramento real estate website, and we mostly communicate through email or texting, which works brilliantly. We don’t need no stinkin’ handshaking and eyeball bounces.
When the seller first called to discuss possibly selling a home in Land Park, I drove by the home, which was only a few blocks from my own home in Land Park. Even though I know the neighborhood like the back of my own hand, I don’t know every house on every street, and homes in Land Park are unique. They are not like homes in Elk Grove or Natomas because they differ wildly from each other. That’s why the Zillow estimates are often way off base. Zillow estimated the value of this home at about 12% less than it sold. I came up with a sales price based on what I know about the neighborhood, then confirmed my instincts through comparable sales and a drive by.
After I viewed the home and realized there were a few drawbacks, I had considered revising my initial estimate. But given the way the market is moving at the moment — and it is a strong seller’s market in Sacramento — I decided against suggesting a revision on price, and shared those thoughts with the seller. Together, we chose a sales price positioned in just the right sweet spot against the competition and sure enough, we received multiple offers. We shrewdly negotiated and managed to drive that price about 3% higher. I also talked with the appraiser to ensure the appraised value would match the sales price.
Doing what is best for my clients always tends to work out well in the end, and that’s my focus. Some people might scoff and say that attitude is a bit OCD, but it works for me so there’s no reason to change it. We had no request for repairs, nothing. No hiccups. Of course, working with an excellent buyer’s agent on the other side of the transaction helps tremendously, too. Buyers who choose the right buyer’s agent and sellers who choose the right listing agent tend to close escrow faster, smoother and without drama.
Representing Two Buyers for Land Park Homes
Representing two buyers for the same Land Park home doesn’t happen very often. But in our crazy Sacramento real estate market, it’s possible. Yup, an agent can represent more than one buyer to buy the same home. Especially with limited inventory. Our California Association of REALTORs team of lawyers have even designed a form for this called a DA — Disclosure and Consent for Representation of More than One Buyer or Seller. It lets an agent engage in dual agency, too, as well as disclose the terms and conditions of an offer (without a confidentiality agreement). When I read that document, I no longer wonder why the public has problems with trust issues concerning real estate agents.
Can you imagine a lawyer representing two different clients who were competing with each other? I work with a lot of lawyers. I’m not sure why lawyers tend to gravitate toward me but I like to imagine we speak a similar language; we probably approach the same subject matters in an analytical way. They know I will be direct. I suspect they appreciate that directness as not every person does.
There are some Sacramento real estate agents who won’t work with lawyers. They flat out refuse. They call lawyers “deal killers,” and maybe they’re worried a lawyer will sue them; I don’t know. The way I see it, I’m least likely to get sued by a lawyer, knock on wood. And I really love the fact I get to tell them that I can’t give legal advice. Especially when they ask me for legal advice. But I also realize that lawyers specialize in certain types of law and not every lawyer knows much about real estate, much less short sales. But they do understand strategy. I respect lawyers, and I like them. I wish all my clients were lawyers. That would be a happy day for me.
I recall a few years ago I was working with several lawyers to buy homes in Land Park. This was back when law firms were flourishing and hiring new lawyers, bringing new talent to Sacramento. As luck would have it, both of these lawyers decided they might be interested in buying the same home. Let’s just say I was not about to whip out the DA form. Instead, I explained the problem to both of them individually.
I suggested one of them could choose to work with me and the other could choose to work with a different buyer’s agent. However, as I reminded them, the lawyer who drew the short end of the stick would be competing against me in negotiations. Which Land Park agent did they want to represent them? This Land Park agent or my associate? Put that way, one of the lawyers decided to look at a different home and keep me as their agent. The other lawyer bought the home through me.
Not every agent employs this approach. In fact, not every agent who represents more than one buyer for the same property even uses the DA form. I received this week two different offers on the same listing from an agent, and no DA form with either offer. The second offer was much better than the first offer. Coincidinky? We just don’t know.
Selecting a Land Park Agent as a Dual Agent
When a Sacramento home buyer says she wants only to talk to the listing agent, that is generally not good news. I often ask: Why? Is the house on fire? Because I’m telling you, if the house is not on fire, telling the listing agent that one wants to deal only with her is absolutely insulting. It’s insulting, it’s irritating and it’s idiotic. There, you have three I-words to describe that kind of thinking. It’s implying that the listing agent is unethical at best and establishes an adversarial relationship at worst.
True story — some years ago, my neighbor decided to buy a home in Land Park. Because I am a Land Park agent who lives in Land Park, she asked me to show her homes in Land Park. We worked together for several months. She said her reason for selecting me was due to the fact that Lyon Real Estate is the market leader in Land Park. She figured our buyers hear about new listings first, they get an edge, and they do. Then, all of a sudden, her enthusiasm vanished. She said she no longer wanted to buy a new home. I guess she figured I would never find out what she did, but there are no secrets in real estate. Certainly not in Land Park real estate.
Despite the fact that she had signed a buyer’s broker agreement with me, she went directly to the listing agent at a competing brokerage and bought a home. When I asked her why, she became very sheepish and apologetic. She said she asked that Land Park agent to represent her because she believed if she did not, she would not have been the lucky buyer to buy the home. There were multiple offers at that time. She truly felt that she had to make sure the listing agent would be paid both the listing commission and the selling commission in order for her to have a shot at home ownership. In other words, she wanted an agent who would throw her grandmother under the bus. She evidently found one of those.
There are Land Park agents in Sacramento and elsewhere who will give priority to their own buyers with their own listings, I’m sorry to say. That kind of practice is unethical, but they do it anyway. Who’s to prove it? That’s the nasty underbelly side of real estate. Everybody suspects it exists but nobody talks about it.
The implication when home buyers want to buy only from a listing agent is that the listing agent will do whatever it takes to put the deal together. It’s saying we agents are motivated solely by greed. It’s saying maybe we will push the seller and persuade the seller to take a buyer’s lowball offer because we’ll get paid more money for a lowball offer than we would to suggest the seller take a higher offer from a buyer represented by a different agent. I know very few agents like that. But buyers seem to think these kinds of agents are a dime a dozen. A few bad apples give all of us a bad name.
This particular buyer called me again many years later. She noted that I am a prominent listing agent now, having worked my way up the ranks. I am a top producer. I list more than a 100 homes a year. She asked me to work with her. She is still working with a Land Park agent but asked for first shot at my listings, too. Now, she wants to buy investments.
I don’t throw my sellers under the bus. I don’t play favorites. I don’t give priority to anybody but to the seller whom I directly represent. That investor is barking up the wrong tree. If I personally represent a home buyer, my agency and duty is to that buyer. If I personally represent a home seller, my agency and duty is to that seller. I don’t want to mix the two through direct dual representation. It makes people uncomfortable, and it makes me uncomfortable. That’s not to say if a Team Member represents a buyer it won’t show up as dual agency at closing, but I prefer a little more arm’s length.
I never want to feel conflicted about fiduciary. Without saying, ethics is important. That’s one of the secrets to my longevity in real estate and why I’ve lasted more than 35 years in this business.
