Oh Possum, Opossum, Wherefore Art Thou in Sacramento?

An opossum could very well run along the fence in Elmhurst, Sacramento.

The first thought to pop into my mind after my office meeting yesterday was about a possum. We had just finished our early morning Wednesday office meeting at the Midtown Lyon office when our office assistant handed me a note and began to describe the peculiar phone call she received from a neighbor. As a top listing agent in Sacramento, it is not unusual for a neighbor near one of my listings to call the office to complain about some aspect of the seller’s property. I suspect they think they are calling the White House. Or, we Sacramento Realtors have magical powers.

In truth, we’re obligated only to pass along the message to the seller and / or buyer, depending on the message. Usually it’s something like a property line dispute, bothersome tree droppings or they don’t like the guy next door. A neighbor of a new listing this week asked me if potential buyers would like a 30-foot evergreen tree in the yard, like it was an eyesore, and perhaps I should ask the seller to cut it down because the neighbor doesn’t care for it. Drops crap in his pool. He didn’t mention a possum. He looked like a possum, though, now that I think about it. Former military, he had said. He looked mean. Like a possum. Yes, buyers hate trees; all trees should be cut down in Sacramento, removing our shade, destroying nature and contributing to further pollution.

I was raised in the Midwest, so I called the neighbor. She wanted to report that large rats have invaded my listings in Elmhurst, the brand new infill homes in Elmhurst, ranging from $459K to $479K. Those gorgeous SMUD Solar Smart 3 bedrooms, 3 bath homes. When I pressed the issue, she explained the rats run along the fences at night, so she just figured they came from new construction in Sacramento. Her friend wants to call Code Enforcement. She’s never seen rats this big before. Somebody better DO something!

Well, I see possums all the time in Land Park. They run along the power lines in the evening. They are nocturnal. I asked the neighbor to shoot a few photos with her cellphone camera and text the pictures to me. I explained what possums like, but she was adamant they were rats. I could have encouraged her to go ahead and call Code Enforcement, but she’d just be back on the phone to me to discuss the issue. I explained that rats lie low to the ground and run along the fence lines, but they do not dance on top of fences, regardless of how many times she has watched Topo Gigio as a child.

The city of Sacramento does not trap healthy wildlife. We had a skunk relocation program going on in Land Park for a while, but now that our backyard deck and spa is gone, we’ve not seen any skunks. If you spot a possum in Sacramento, I’d just be happy it’s not a rat. If you’d like to list and sell your home, please call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759.