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Closing a Sacramento Escrow and Finding a Rental in November
Finding a rental in Sacramento is not easy in November or December.
In any real estate transaction in Sacramento, getting occupants out of the property so the buyer can take possession at closing is often a juggling act. Buyer possession can cause difficulty because stuff can change during escrow and the sellers might have no place to move, despite their best intentions. This time of year, it’s even more difficult. In talking with a seller yesterday about her brother moving out of a home that is in escrow right now, I suggested that he might be better off trying to find a rental NOW that is available on November 1 and negotiating with the owner to let him move in on November 15th, which is a few days before our closing date.
Because if he waits until November to start looking, most of the available rentals will be ready for occupancy on December 1, and that is too late. Not only that, but the number of rentals dwindles this time of year. Few people want to move over the holidays, so there are fewer rentals becoming vacant. Even if he has to pay for November 1, he’s better off than having no place at all to move. Well, there is always a Motel 6 somewhere, I suppose.
For Sacramento sellers who are leaving the state, it’s no issue to close in November or December, but for everybody else who is not buying a replacement home, finding a rental in November is radically difficult. The time to think about that issue is before November, like right now.
To alleviate this potential difficultly, I comb through my listings on a regular basis to determine if any of my sellers will have a problem finding a rental or just where they are planning to move. One seller is headed off to Texas and already has a place. Another is moving in with family. Three others live out of state. And yet another is doing a short sale and, fortunately for that family, many of the short lenders now allow a rent-back; whereas in the past arm’s length agreements used to prohibit them. Now, many lenders OK it for a minimum time period of up to 90 days. This is useful information for some agents who are unaware of this change in policy.
But for this one guy with limited vision and even fewer resources, I imagine it will be a struggle. The fact that remains is a smart Sacramento Realtor will make sure her clients have some place to go. Especially if it means trying to find a rental in November or December in Sacramento. I hope my seller will be able to assist her brother in finding a rental. If not, there are options such as putting stuff into a storage unit and checking out Extended Stay.
Survival Mode When Your Spouse Leaves Sacramento
Being left to one’s own devices means to shift into survival mode.
The first night my husband had left Sacramento, I was in a for rude awakening. He flew to Nevada last week for an extended Boys Weekend, hiking with old friends from college. It was a hectic night because I had to completely take care of myself, go into survival mode, which first meant choosing among the meals my husband had so thoughtfully prepared and left in the refrigerator for me. That was a huge responsibility in itself because I was really hungry. Too many choices. Now I had to weigh every choice. Standing in front of the refrigerator with the door open, listening to it chime over and over because I held it open too long and the alarm went off, shoving tupperware dishes around because I was NOT gonna do what he predicted which was eat beef stew every night.
But that would prove to be a fairly accurate prediction as the days went by. I am used to my husband placing dinner in front of my face without me having to make any choices. My typical 12-hour work day as a Sacramento Realtor isn’t over until 7 PM, when I turn off my electronic devices to pay attention to my husband and the cats. There is no survival mode for me after 7 PM.
Even easier than heating up beef stew that first night was dumping the remains of several containers of leftover Thai food into one big dish and into the microwave with it. Left to my own devices, hey, I can shift into survival mode. Yet that wasn’t the worst part. The worst part came when my Netflix movie was over and I was ready to retire for the evening. That was the big shock.
I could not simply lift my body from the sofa, wander sleepily into the bedroom and hit the bed. Uh, uh. There was nobody else here to turn everything off. No shuffling off to the master suite in a dreamy state for me.
I could not leave the DVD player on, the television or our control box, so I had to dig out those remotes from the cushions and figure out how to work the “off” buttons. Then, I needed to check all of the exterior doors to the house and make sure they were locked, in addition to turning off every light switch. Heat off, check. Coffee pot set, check. Litter boxes empty, check. No cats locked in closets, check. By the time I eventually hit the bed, my eyeballs were wide open, staring at the ceiling fan. This is what survival mode felt like.
This experience gave me a heightened appreciation for some of the things my husband contributes to our household.
The New Sporty 2016 Mercedes GLA 250 SUV Might Change Your Mind About SUVs
The 2016 Mercedes GLA 250 SUV is the perfect Sacramento Realtor vehicle.
We played hooky yesterday, which is unusual for this Sacramento Realtor. The last time I can recall playing hooky was in 6th grade, when I stayed home from school to play Bop the Beetle. I was such a dork. Today I am always working, but yesterday my team member and good friend Barbara Dow and I snagged time for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory in Arden Fair which, believe it or not, I have never dined at, and then on to the Mercedes dealership to test drive a Mercedes GLA, one of those fancy schmancy SUVs.
I spotted a Mercedes GLA in a magazine. It’s a sporty look and a much smaller vehicle than you’re probably used to seeing on the road. Even smaller than a GLK. I like small cars. I’ve never particularly cared for SUVs unless I’m being transported from the airport to my hotel in Hawaii. Never thought I would consider buying an SUV. But I’ve been reading about the new fangled electronic gismos on 2016 vehicles that supposedly simplify your life while providing increased safety. Like a series of beeps if you’re about to rear-end another vehicle and brake assist, just in case you have no eyeballs in your head or you’re staring at your phone and not the road.
Barbara Dow at the Cheesecake Factory
The sales guy asked if we were planning to buy a car and continued with a series of questions all designed to guide us toward buying a car, but we just went with the flow. I didn’t know if I would buy a GLA or not, but I did want to test drive one. The car on the lot was an atrocious blue. The seats in the back lie flat and the trunk automatically opens with a touch of the key fob. It automatically closes too, just in case you wander off with an armload of groceries and forgot you left it open. A car for people who multitask. Perfect for a Sacramento Realtor.
Elizabeth Weintraub at the Mercedes showroom.
It’s got a fast response time and snazzy pickup too, although the short test drive from the Mercedes dealership on Howe to Business 80 and back up Cal Expo didn’t really provide an opportunity to slam on the gas pedal due to snarled traffic and all those pesky people in the way, but I could feel the power regardless. In addition, the front seat moves 14 different ways, which means a woman of my height can see over the steering wheel.
The sales guy became increasingly eager to talk about existing inventory, but it was crystal clear that the only true way to buy this 2016 Mercedes GLK was to order it from the factory, with all of the options one’s heart desires. Remarkably, I have never ordered a car from the factory, but it was a ton of fun to discuss choices, color options, and features, and Barbara was a great help. Did you realize the Mercedes GLA entertainment option gives you an 80 GB hard drive to download your music to? I ordered the power sunroof, too, so it will be more like a convertible.
Don’t let the sticker price fool ya, you can easily add another $20K to the bottom line through options. The vehicle will arrive in January, probably about the time we get home from our winter vacation over Christmas in Cuba.
So now I have to decide whether I want to part with my Porsche Boxster. It’s a riot to drive. Although, I’m not really a two-car person and my husband doesn’t much care for the car. Not his style.
Tips for Handling Disappointing News
Nobody likes to be stuck in stalled traffic on the Davis Causeway.
Handling disappointing news and dealing with challenging situations is a common everyday occurrence in the life of a Sacramento Realtor. As such a Realtor has a few choices: either handle it, ignore it or dwell on it. Many people choose the latter, dwelling on it, obsessing over it, complaining and whining about it, throwing their very own little pity party, paying for it twice with a hangover or whatever. I tend to look for solutions and try to find some other way to enjoy the experience because we don’t always get to choose what we experience.
My first setback yesterday was the disappointing news that the Regent Seven Seas abruptly canceled our Mediterranean Cruise for next August. When I spotted that cruise in a travel brochure, I immediately jumped on it, begging my husband to arrange for time off so we could go. It started in Barcelona, went to Monte Carlo, a few places in France and Italy, and on to Greece and Turkey. The excuse used by Regent Seven Seas were its shorter distance cruises, same number of days, were more popular, which makes little sense. I wonder if they ever go there?
They offered us a credit toward another cruise but we don’t want another cruise, we want that cruise. It hit the ports we desired to see. Other cruises don’t. It occurred to me that we don’t have to go to the Mediterranean next August. We can go elsewhere, we can tour Spain instead, we have options.
The next disappointing news was finally picking up a key for a duplex in Carmichael I am listing and discovering it did not work. The tenant left a key under the mat for me. It was attached to a card, so it looked like it had not been tested in the lock. It is always my M.O. to insert keys into the locks before putting the keys into a Supra iBox. Always. Without fail. This is for when the buyer’s agents invariably call to complain that the key doesn’t work. I can say YES it DOES. Try again. Without having to rely on my memory.
The key worked in the bottom lock but not the top. I also know enough NOT to leave the top lock unlocked because somebody, somewhere, someday will ultimately lock that top lock somehow, and then we’ll be locked out. This is what 40 years of experience in the real estate business teaches you, to rely on past experiences. The family’s daughter came home and swore up and down the key worked in both locks. You try it, I suggested. Then I called the seller’s adviser in San Diego and asked him to verify the key or keys, whatever it needs, will be placed into the lockbox today, just to try to make sure the family member gets it handled.
On my way back to my home office, I drove to Davis to my vet’s office to pick up a new insulin bottle for our cat, Pica. He is no longer responding well to insulin, so I need to ensure it’s not the insulin itself that is causing the problem. Note to self: do NOT commute to Davis between the hours of 3 PM and 4 PM on a school day. More disappointing news. Utter chaos on Interstate 80, and even Fifth Street was jammed. OK, I can blow up a few Ingress Portals while stuck in traffic. I’m Level 11 now. Silver lining.
I glanced at my music selections. Hmmm . . . haven’t heard Tea for the Tillerman in 30 years or so. You know, you just can’t get irritated in traffic when you’re listening to Cat Stevens. In fact, one might even be tempted to sing along: Oh, Baby, Baby, it’s a Wild World. That was a stupid song in retrospect. Doesn’t matter. It got me across the Causeway.
Getting Divorced When Buying a Home
The time to think about getting divorced and buying a home is before the wedding.
You might find it astonishing to know that divorce in America peaked when Ronald Reagan was president during the 1980s. That’s when all of the so-called insane asylums (which is probably not a PC word) and mental institutions were closed. Parallels or just coincidinky? Today, it’s odd to run across a younger married couple in Sacramento because many millennials say WTF, why? But for those who are married and now contemplating a divorce, if you’re getting divorced when buying a home, listen up, because California, in case you don’t know, is a community property state. It means your soon-to-be ex can stop you from buying a home in Sacramento or even from selling a home.
Oh, you might say, but I bought my home way before I got married, so now that I’m getting divorced and buying a home, I can sell my existing home without any problem and can certainly buy another home. The answer to that wild presumption is no, you probably cannot. For starters, a spouse can gain an equitable interest in a sole and separate property acquired before marriage after getting married. Especially if that spouse resides in the home. So, that’s one issue. The problem with getting divorced and buying a home is that you are still married, even if separated, and a title company will not insure that property without a quitclaim deed of sorts.
This means you may need an interspousal transfer deed, with the spouse’s signature notarized, releasing any interest that spouse may have or acquire in said new property, providing your divorce is not yet final. If you’re getting a mortgage to buy that new home, your lender will require title insurance. And you can’t get title insurance without the interspousal transfer deed. It’s a Catch 22. Even if you are paying cash and waiving a title policy, you would still want that interspousal transfer deed signed and recorded because it could place a cloud on title without it.
It’s a little bit easier if you’re getting divorced and selling a home because this typically involves money. Money can be divided and disbursed easier than letting go of resentment. It’s the resentment and anger that often prevents a spouse from obtaining an interspousal transfer deed when buying a home, but selling a home is a way to get rid of that ex-partner and still collect money. So, it’s different. When I’ve worked with divorcing couples who could not agree on anything except to sell the home and never lay eyes on each other again, we’ve set up an account at the lawyer’s office and that’s where the proceeds of sale are disbursed. They can fight about it there later.
Bottom line, if you’re getting divorced and buying a home and your spouse refuses to sign an interspousal transfer deed, then you’ll have to find a way to work it out without killing each other or you’re hosed. Sometimes, a bifurcation can be the answer, which is a way of legally restoring your status to that of a single person, providing six months has passed since your soon-to-be ex was served with divorce papers. In any case, I am not a lawyer and you cannot rely on anything I have to say about the law because I am not authorized to speak about legal issues while licensed as a Sacramento Realtor. This information is just to get the ball rolling for you.
