Home Buyers Don't Always Know the Sacrifices Their Buyer's Agent Makes - 11/30/10 10:54 AM
Some people don't have a very high opinion of real estate agents. If you ask them what they think about real estate agents, they might say that agents are money-grabbing, money-hungry thieves who are no better than a snake in the grass. I say those people are giving agents too much credit. Agents aren't nearly as slick as the public may perceive.
Most agents are doing their best to eke out an honest living and take care of their clients so they'll get future referrals. End of story. There's really not much more to it.
I was explaining to my sister … (12 comments)

A Caveat Emptor About the HAFA Short Sale Program - 11/29/10 10:52 AM
Reading Mike Watson's blog this morning gave me the inspiration for mine. That's one of the great things about belonging to an online group like this -- apart from the fact that if AR would have me as a member, maybe I shouldn't belong -- but I get great ideas from other writers. In one of my Sacramento short sales last week, the seller asked her lawyer if she could apply for the HAFA short sale program. That's because there are many benefits to the HAFA short sale program such as:
No deficiency judgments $3,000 relocation allowance Foreclosure process stopped No … (8 comments)

This Short Sale in Fair Oaks is Approved For Any Buyer: No More Approvals Required - 11/28/10 11:47 AM
Sometimes buyers do the screwiest things. Stuff that makes no sense whatsoever. It makes me wonder if perhaps they don't suffer from some kind of attention deficit disorder, which is why they latch on to real estate agents and make offers on homes they have absolutely no intention of closing on. A buyer made a ridiculous offer on this short sale in Fair Oaks and we submitted it to the bank. Low and behold, the bank had decided to sell the loan to another bank, and our offer arrived smack dab in the middle of this sale.
As a result, the … (4 comments)

Who Says You Can't Go Out For a 7-Course Meal the Day After Thanksgiving? - 11/27/10 12:23 PM
Like Uncle Joe I'm moving kinda slow at the Junction this morning. There are no words to describe the feast we had last night. And I'm not talking about a Thanksgiving leftovers meal. We went to The Kitchen Restaurant for its Push the Palate special dinner. It's a quarterly event.
If you've never been to The Kitchen Restaurant in Sacramento, you're in a for a special treat. But there are 3 caveats. First, you need a reservation, and you might need to make a reservation months in advance. Second, if triple-digit restaurant bills scare the beejesus out of you, then this … (10 comments)

Who Rules the Home Buying Decision? - 11/26/10 10:29 AM

You know what I hear some Sacramento real estate agents say about buyers? If mama ain't happy, nobody is happy -- meaning it's generally mama who keeps peace in the family. Because if you make mama happy, she'll make everybody else around her happy. And if you don't, she'll make everybody else miserable. So, if mama wants to buy a home, a particular home, maybe a home in Land Park, ya'll better sit up and pay attention.
Except it doesn't always work this way. Sometimes it's daddy who better be kept happy. It's rare that we have a compromise between … (17 comments)

About Looking on the Bright Side of Things This Thanksgiving - 11/25/10 09:25 AM
You know what I'm thankful for today? I'm thankful I'm not working in retail. I'm happy to be a short sale agent in Sacramento. Out of all the sales jobs in the world, I think retail is one of the worst. It's like the roofing job of sales. I mean, look at the construction industry. You could be a carpenter, a tile setter, a brick layer, a drywaller, or you could be up on the roof in the hot sun risking life and limb. Which do you choose? Why would you ever want to be a roofer?
I had to make … (9 comments)

Short Sales Are Not the Ugly Poster Child of Real Estate - 11/24/10 11:38 AM
I'm tired of short sales being regarded as the ugly poster child of real estate by ignorant people. As a Sacramento short sale agent, I know how exactly Rodney Dangerfield feels. It's one of the reasons I bought that Bash 'Em in the Head t-shirt the day Myrl Jeffcoat and I went to Old Sacramento for Gold Rush Days. Because it expresses my sentiment in words and in a manner I would never display.
We all have to get our amusement somewhere to regain our sanity. My sense of humor is perhaps a bit more twisted than most.
I've got turkey … (55 comments)

About Bumblebees and Sacramento Short Sale Agents - 11/23/10 11:09 AM
Nobody ever believes me when I say I don't like to work too hard. I think that's because they look at what I accomplish and naturally assume that I work very hard to get there. But the truth is I am always looking for ways to work less hard and get more done. I'm lazy that way. I'll take the path of least resistance if it gets me to the same destination.
As real estate agents, we can't be bumblebees all the time, zipping from one flower to the next, one short sale listing to the next. Sometimes, we need to … (7 comments)

Here's What Happens When You Hesitate to Buy That Short Sale - 11/22/10 09:21 AM
I'm finding that buyers in Sacramento right now see no urgency in writing an offer. Doesn't matter whether the home is a short sale or a regular sale, buyers are acting as though they have all the time in the world. It's true that we have more inventory in Sacramento than a year ago, and that number is growing, so there are plenty of choices. But the unsung tragedy in real estate is as soon as you want to buy a home, so does another buyer. And the likelihood is it will be the same home.
Don't ask me how or … (4 comments)

My Cactus Garden in Land Park is Going to Bed for the Winter - 11/21/10 10:31 AM

I forgot that I had a taken a photo of my Land Park cactus garden last week. All the cacti have done extremely well this summer. People think that it's difficult to grow cactus in Sacramento, but I have a secret ingredient: Cactus Juice. It's a calcium-based fertilizer. You mix one teaspoon of Cactus Juice per gallon of water every 10 to 14 days, which for this Land Park resident means every other feeding -- during growing season, of course. Now that it's raining, I won't water the garden until next spring.
Last year I surrounded the tender cacti with … (5 comments)

Buyer's Agents are the Unsung Heroes of Short Sales in Sacramento - 11/20/10 10:50 AM
Keeping buyer's agents happy is a huge part of my job. Because if a buyer's agent ain't happy, that short sale ain't closing. Buyers agents have an enormous job in any Sacramento short sale. They are the magical key. They are the hard-working, behind-the-scenes guys who manage buyer expectations. They can dance on the head of a pin barefoot -- and I'm sure to some agents it feels that way.
Because waiting for short sale approval can sometimes be a long and scary road for a buyer. A buyer needs to rely on his or her agent for support. That agent, … (8 comments)

Have You Heard the News About Equator and Agent Achieve? - 11/19/10 11:17 AM
In between picking up lockboxes yesterday for several short sale closings, I decided to drop in at the Apple store in Arden Mall. I've been toying with the idea of dumping my Sony PC laptop. I work primarily on a Mac Pro desktop computer and use a laptop for travel / client appointments. Been a Mac enthusiast for more than 20 years. But some real estate programs work only on a PC, until lately. I discovered this week that Equator and Agent Achieve are now both cross-platform. Goodbye PC, hello Mac laptop.
So, without an appointment, I marched into Apple. It's … (13 comments)

Compared to Loan Modifiers, this Sacramento Short Sale Agent Looks Pretty Good - 11/18/10 10:31 AM
My husband could not understand why I booked a trip to the Big Island yesterday. He was complaining that we just got back from a trip and now I'm making him leave Sacramento again, but then he doesn't sell short sales. About the only time out of the year that I can get away for an extended period of time is around the holidays. Things tend to quiet down in real estate right around Christmas and through New Year's.
I don't know if you've flown anywhere lately, but flying is a really horrible experience. It's not just the TSA hassle; I … (3 comments)

Why Would Anybody Ever Do a Loan Modification? - 11/17/10 10:11 AM
Almost every short sale I handle in Sacramento is a rejected loan modification. So, it is rare to have sellers call to say the bank has offered them a loan modification in the middle of a short sale but sometimes it happens. When they ask for my opinion, should they do a loan modification or a short sale, that's really up to them.
I do caution that they consider the fact they might be just kicking the can down the road. I suggest they get legal and tax advice. Loan modifications should include a principal reduction to be truly favorable to … (27 comments)

The Top Two Trends in Short Sales for Year End - 11/16/10 10:24 AM
Here is something weird. Usually at this time of year, the real estate business slows down. Typically, December real estate sales are the lowest out of any month of the year. But that's not happening this year in short-sale land. Maybe it's because I'm a Sacramento short sale agent and I deal primarily in short sales -- which means much of my business for this month and next started last summer or early fall -- but I am watching my November and December scheduled closing numbers rise.
I've had a screamin' year already. My sale numbers are through the roof. I've … (15 comments)

Some Short Sales Take So Long to Close That I Can't Always Recall Where I Put the Lockbox - 11/15/10 10:56 AM

You can't be effective in the real estate business, much less in the Sacramento short sale business, if you don't pull your little ostrich head out of the computer every now and then and get outside. Granted, it may be raining, but I think we all need to reconnect with nature just to get a little perspective, even if it's a wet perspective. So, when my husband and I drove back from San Jose to Sacramento this weekend, we decided to take the southern route and cruise through the Sacramento Delta country. Gorgeous scenery. Lakes. Ponds. Streams. Channels. Rivers. Wetlands. … (14 comments)

Jerry Brown Sues Brazilian Blowout Over Formaldehyde - 11/14/10 11:28 AM
Jerry Brown filed a complaint last Wednesday, November 10th, on behalf of the People of the State of California against a hair product company. It's a lawsuit against Brazilian Blowout.
Now, I'm not a big adapter of new trends until they are proven, just as a general course of action. I didn't run out and buy granite counters just because all the high-end homes in Land Park have them. Although, I did eventually settle on Quartz. It took me years to remove the fuzzy tank covers from my bath. I won't download a brand new Microsoft product until the bugs have … (13 comments)

Press Hard, Third Copy is Yours - 11/13/10 12:12 PM
The nice thing about staying at a hotel is generally the window coverings block all incoming light in the mornings and, if your room is on a higher floor, away from the elevators, it can be pretty quiet. No light + no sound = sleeping in late. Normally, I am used to the sound of the morning newspaper hitting my glass block wall on the front porch with a loud THUD. A certain cat sticks her whiskers in my face, meows and licks my forehead. Something generally wakes me up.
But not this morning. This morning I slept in because I … (11 comments)

Who's Cracking Down on Mortgage Fraud in Sacramento? - 11/12/10 10:21 AM
Where is the story of fraud, I ask you? The Sacramento Bee runs this ugly mugshot from the U. S. Attorney's office of some real estate agent accused of smuggling at the border and says he can still sell real estate. The implication is whoa, your agent could be a crook and you wouldn't even know it. Because, as the story points out, the Department of Real Estate doesn't tell consumers when agents are accused of a crime. Nope, the DRE tends to wait until the court case is over. Duh.
I'm wondering if innocent until proven guilty is a new … (8 comments)

Every Toss of That Quarter is an Independent Event - 11/11/10 10:42 AM
Every so often I have to get up from sitting in front of my monitor and venture out into the real world to meet up with people. I pretty much have to, you know, in order to stay sane. When asked to lunch by another Active Rain member whom I greatly respect, I immediately said yes. I guess you would call Cathy McAlister and I competitors since we work in the same field in the same market. Some agents refuse to befriend other agents in the same market. I don't really know or understand the reasons for jealousy or insecurity or … (10 comments)

A Beautiful Thing from Bank of America on This Short Sale - 11/10/10 10:09 AM
No. You just don't begin a sentence with the word no. It's such a negative word. When I hear the word no, it makes me want to say, "Oh, yeah? I'll show you." But that's because I'm a trouble-maker. Hey, I'm a Sacramento short sale agent, gosh darn it, and that gives me the right to do whatever I want. OK, in my dreams. Some people call it spunk -- when they're trying to be polite or butter me up -- but I am a pushy little thing, and I don't apologize for that attitude. Not when I believe I am … (7 comments)

Here is a Unique Gift Idea for This Holiday Season - 11/09/10 10:55 AM
I've been rather lax lately in updating my mailing lists. That chore drops to the bottom of my priority list when I'm busy closing real estate transactions and listing homes for sale. But I have to do it by November if I want to mail out holiday cards to my clients in a timely manner. I also keep my database current because I stay in touch with my clients, especially my short sale sellers. Those short sale sellers are likely to become Sacramento home buyers in two years. When they are ready to buy again, I want to assure these people … (10 comments)

When All Else Fails in That Short Sale, Just Do the Obvious Thing - 11/08/10 10:23 AM
I was reading an article this morning about buying a private island. There are a lot of people who can't live on an island. They'd go nuts in isolation. They'd crave amenities and modern conveniences. Not me. I'd be happy as -- excuse the expression -- happy as a clam on an island. Well, I'd drag my husband along, kicking and screaming, and he'd be angry at me for a few years, but eventually he'd get over it and learn how to rub two sticks together so I'd get to stop eating sushi.
Once I carved 9 months out of my … (4 comments)

There Once Was a Man From Nigeria - 11/07/10 10:52 AM
Fall comes late to Sacramento as compared to the rest of the country. Yesterday, as leaves whirled in the street, I pulled my car up to the curb at a short sale home in Elk Grove and waved to the 3 children playing in the driveway of this home. Children are often oblivious to the inner workings of those around them. That's one of the precious things about being a kid: to enjoy insulation. I didn't have that barrier between me and the rest of the world when I was growing up, so I know first hand what it's like to … (12 comments)

Have REALTORS® Lost Their Right to Free Speech? - 11/06/10 12:30 PM
My faith in the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) has been shaken. My faith in the California Association of REALTORS® (CAR) has been shaken. My faith in the Sacramento Board of REALTORS® (SAR) has been shaken, too. I have adopted and work by the REALTOR® Code of Ethics. That link takes you to an article on About.com where I have defended the differences between agents and REALTORs®, especially for those readers who believe there is no difference.
The National Association of REALTORS® advertises to home buyers and home sellers on the pages I am paid to write for the Homebuying site … (59 comments)

Here's an Astonishing Discovery About Sacramento Short Sale Sellers and Agents - 11/05/10 11:01 AM
Sacramento short sale central. That's how I should probably answer my phone. Because I get a lot of phone calls from potential short sale sellers in the four-county Sacramento area. And I discovered something pretty strange this week. See, when a get a phone call, I typically print out the tax assessor information sheet for the property I am discussing. To it, I staple a map, comparable sales, seller information, and a copy of my email that reflects other documents I've attached. This then gets tossed on top of a pile while I wait for a call back from the seller.
… (7 comments)

Communication and Keeping Your Wits About You Are Key in Sacramento Short Sales - 11/04/10 11:42 AM
I pride myself on my ability to communicate effectively but sometimes, like any busy short sale agent, I might slip a notch. I'm not infallible. Like a few days ago when a client asked me a question, and I answered by beginning my sentence with the word "no," followed by a fact. In retrospect, if I had not been sending the message via email on my BlackBerry, I would have gone into greater detail. The client blew a gasket because my message a) was negative and b) made it appear as though I was calling the client a liar.
You never … (11 comments)

No Pot For You, California - 11/03/10 09:31 AM
My husband and I, despite being very different people as in female versus male, Mars vs. Venus, are very much alike in many ways. We share an affinity for the same books, music, films, and travel destinations. He can complete my sentences for me and doesn't get ticked off when I take a left turn in conversations without signaling. But he threw me for a loop yesterday when I asked how he planned to vote for Proposition 19, the initiative to legalize marijuana for personal use.
First, let me say that we do not smoke pot. We don't grow pot. And … (10 comments)

Sometimes Squirrels Are in Charge of Sacramento Sales - 11/02/10 10:10 AM
Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't. Have you ever noticed how complete decades can sometimes be defined by a single, silly, television commercial jingle? And how sometimes for absolutely no reason at all that jingle will pop into your head and you can't get it out? Well, since the invention of VCRs and TIVO, much of that has gone away. Does that make us lucky? Lucky in the sense, I suppose, that my cat threw up in his cat box this morning at the same time he was, um, using it. Gross, but fortunate for me.
I can't … (21 comments)

Salvatore Ferragamo and a New Short Sale Listing in Land Park - 11/01/10 11:41 AM
Let me make myself perfectly clear -- I am not an obsessive / compulsive hoarder. Not about shoes, anyway. I am no Imelda Marcos, but I do have a decent collection in my closet and quite possibly can bring myself to admit that I enjoy a bit of a love affair with shoes. My husband doesn't understand. He probably owns 3 pair: blue, black and brown. Couple of hiking boots, and a handful of tennis shoes, whatever they're called these days. I own at least 20 pair of black shoes alone. Dress and casual. Seasonal. Varying heel heights. You know. Women … (5 comments)

 
Elizabeth Weintraub, Sacramento Short Sale Agent, Land Park, East Sac, Lyon RE (Top 1% at Lyon Real Estate #00697006) Rainmaker_large

Elizabeth Weintraub, Sacramento Short Sale Agent, Land Park, East Sac, Lyon RE

Sacramento, CA

More about me…

Top 1% at Lyon Real Estate #00697006

Address: 2801 J Street, Sacramento, CA, 95816

Office Phone: (916) 233-6759

Cell Phone: (916) 233-6759

Email Me

Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate, midtown Sacramento. Selling since 1974. Home Buying Guide at About.com. Sacramento short sale agent.
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Author Bio: Elizabeth Weintraub is a Sacramento real estate broker, author, home buying guide for About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully closes short sales throughout Sacramento four-county area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you.

 


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