| |
elizabeth weintraub: How to Get Top Dollar for that Home in Land Park - 05/28/12 06:31 AM
You want to hear something insane? I ducked into Taylor's Market in Land Park this weekend for a quick stop to buy veggies. I wasn't buying enough stuff to require a cart or a hand-held basket, and I was in a hurry. So, I piled the veggies into my arms, rushed to the cash register to dump them, and the bill rang up to 8 cents shy of $29. What did I buy?
2 pounds of strawberries 20 ounces of lettuce 1/2 pound of mushrooms 12 ounces of tomatoes Granted, the mushrooms were sliced and the lettuce was washed, but geez … (5 comments)
|
elizabeth weintraub: Looking at Real Estate Websites From Both Sides Now - 05/21/12 06:44 AM
Here is another chapter of if I could change the world. I woke up this morning with Judy Collins on my brain. Strains of bows and flows and angel hair and ice cream castles in the air suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Probably because we have tickets to see Judy Collins at the Crest Theatre in Sacramento this November. I don't think I've ever seen her in concert, although I did buy her album Wildflowers in 1967. This was back in the day when you could have one hit song on an album and people would buy it.
I suppose I … (16 comments)
|
elizabeth weintraub: Forget About Selling Homes in Land Park - 05/09/12 07:08 AM
People think real estate is the business to be in if you don't want to be accountable to anybody. They all want to be their own boss, and probably a lazy boss at that, when you get right down to it. But that's not the best business for lazy people. Especially if you are a Land Park agent. Days of being lazy are few and rare. Nope, the business to be in is home repair.
Yup, home repair. This includes home improvement as well. Doesn't matter which you choose if it involves some dude or dudette coming out to your house … (6 comments)
|
elizabeth weintraub: Is it OK for a Listing Agent to Negotiate With the Buyer? - 05/01/12 07:39 AM
It's not often that I talk directly with a buyer in the middle of negotiations. Because when it's my listing, I represent the seller as a listing agent. My fiduciary is to the seller. Fiduciary is an extremely important element in real estate. A fact that no agent should ever forget or temporarily misplace. It's not just the liability, either, it's common sense.
As the representative for the seller, I must look out for the seller's best interests at all times. Number one on that list of best interests, of course, is closing the transaction. Number two is closing it with … (6 comments)
|
elizabeth weintraub: Work Like You Don't Need the Money - 04/23/12 06:56 AM
Work like you don't need the money. You've probably heard that expression before but it's a good one. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody is watching. I could probably get by on the income I earn as a writer for About.com. Well, it's not enough to fund a 3-week luxury trip to French Polynesia this winter, but it does pays the bills. So, when I tell you I love being a Sacramento short sale agent, you better believe it. Because it's the truth. I'm not doing this job for the money, although the money is great and I'm … (33 comments)
|
elizabeth weintraub: The Trouble with Home Buying in a Seller's Market - 04/22/12 08:49 AM
I surely would not want to be home buying in a seller's market right now. It's exciting enough working with sellers. As a listing agent, I try to go that extra mile for a buyer's agent. Just how far should a listing agent go? On the one hand, one doesn't want to be accused of trying to tell an agent how to do his or her job. One also doesn't want to be insulting by telling an agent something he or she should already know. So, in my case, as a Sacramento short sale agent, I try to give agents a … (4 comments)
|
elizabeth weintraub: Has Rock and Roll Made You Deaf? - 04/16/12 07:43 AM
Eh, eh? What's that? I can't hear you. Is it just me or does there seem to be a rising number of hearing aid advertising around us? Everywhere you look; it's ubiquitous. Billboards. Bus stops. Print. And the prices always seem to be a big secret, which tells me there is a huge profit margin in hearing aids.
Then, today, on the front page of the Sac Bee is an article about hearing aids. Coincidinky? Probably not. The American Hearing Loss Association says hearing loss is the most common chronic ailment prevalent among seniors -- but of course they would say … (13 comments)
|
elizabeth weintraub: Is it Better to Hire a Woman Over a Man to Be Your Real Estate Agent? - 04/14/12 07:09 AM
I listed three more Sacramento short sales yesterday. At my last appointment, I turned to the sellers and said, "You know who I feel sorry for?" And Mr. Seller said, "Me?" Then, his wife said, "No, must be me." Well, the truth is I have empathy for all of my sellers. Doing a short sale is not always easy or pleasant. But in the end, it's a huge burden released from your shoulders. You feel like you can finally get on with your life.
But the person I feel sorry for is the person who has a phone number that is … (8 comments)
|
elizabeth weintraub: What is That Sacramento Seller Instruction for a Short Sale? - 03/18/12 09:10 AM
A buyer asked yesterday how I justify a seller instruction for a Sacramento short sale. He said it was not an approved buyer / seller document for a short sale. His agent could not find it in ZIPforms. At first blush, I wanted to say that his agent was too stupid to be allowed to sell real estate, but that would mean I was saying something bad about another REALTOR®, which we, as REALTORs®, believe it or not, are not allowed to do.
First, let's talk about what a short sale seller instruction is not:
#1) Buyers do NOT sign a … (6 comments)
|
elizabeth weintraub: It's a Big Mistake to Forget About the People Side of the Real Estate Business - 03/10/12 08:28 AM
Believe it or not, but there are real estate agents in this business who unintentionally blow their buyers' purchase offers out of the water. If you're a buyer whose offer was not accepted by a seller, you might look more closely at your agent. You probably do anyway because it's human nature to blame your agent when your offer doesn't come back signed. It's not always your agent's fault, though. Sometimes, it's your fault for not listening to your agent. And, honestly, sometimes it is your agent's fault.
I hear agents tell me that their buyer won't do this, and their … (6 comments)
|
elizabeth weintraub: The Silver Lining in a Short Sale - 03/07/12 06:29 AM
Is there a silver lining in a short sale? Sometimes, I am so focused on a short sale that a seller could say, "And then I cut off my arm with the lawn mower blade" and it's possible I could blubber, "that's great!" It's not that I'm not listening to their story; it's that I am listening too closely. I'm looking for that angle to present to the bank, which often ends with: And that's your story and you're sticking to it.
I'm searching for that positive light. There is often a positive aspect to a short sale, even though you … (5 comments)
|
elizabeth weintraub: Chase Bank to Process Short Sales in Equator But Equator Won't Fix the BPO Problem - 03/04/12 07:49 AM
I can hear the high-five slaps now. That's how I felt when I heard Chase Bank was going to Equator, but I had nobody to high-five but my cat. So, I tossed back a shot glass of diet coke, let out a whoop and slapped my desk. As a Sacramento short sale agent who has closed way too many of her fair share of Chase Bank short sales, I can hardly wait for Equator.
Yeah, I know everybody bitches about Chase Bank and short sales. They say Chase Bank takes too long, it loses paperwork, nobody returns calls, and it's a … (6 comments)
|
elizabeth weintraub: The Sweetest Authentic Bungalow I've Ever Seen in Land Park - 03/03/12 08:04 AM
It's not just me who loves this Land Park home. Buyers and their agents are going gaga over it, too. My new Land Park listing hit the market yesterday morning. We have an open house scheduled for Sunday. My phone is ringing with buyer's agents asking when we will present all of the offers. If you're a first time home buyer looking for homes in Land Park, you better act fast. The truly desirable homes don't stay on the market for very long.
The sellers worked hard to prepare the home for sale. They scrubbed and polished and tweaked. They also … (11 comments)
|
elizabeth weintraub: Confused in Sacramento about a Short Sale vs. Foreclosure, Loan Modification or HARP? - 03/01/12 06:37 AM
I'm not gonna talk anybody into doing a short sale. If you don't know if a short sale is right for you, that's your business to decide. If, because I am a Sacramento short sale agent, though, you want my professional opinion, I will gladly give it to you. You might be astonished that I won't sell you on the idea of a short sale. I will tell you honestly what I think about your situation. Everybody's is different.
For some people, a foreclosure is the best thing to do. Some people don't have the stamina, resources, hardship, or right kind … (7 comments)
|
elizabeth weintraub: How Did Weintraub Manage to Rank in the Top 1% of all Lyon Real Estate Agents? - 02/25/12 08:12 AM
Lyon Real Estate keeps its awards secret until its annual Awards Banquet. That is why I did not know which awards I would win until yesterday. Apart from being the Number 1 real estate company in Sacramento, Lyon Real Estate has more than 900 agents. To rank in the top 1% means an agent would have to have sold more than at least 891 other agents. It means an agent sells enough to be ranked with the top 9 agents in the company.
Yesterday, I received that honor. It's the first time that has ever happened to me. I know I … (8 comments)
|
elizabeth weintraub: Why a Preapproval Letter Ain't Worth Jack Crap and What To Do About It - 02/10/12 09:16 AM
There are a lot of agents in Sacramento who watch what I do and copy me. I'd say these guys are pretty smart. Because what I do works. I prove it over and over. As a Sacramento short sale agent, I like to believe I'm fairly competent and good at my job. So, if I tend to set the standard for what a short sale agent should do to be successful, that's OK. I don't mind agents using my methods. I freely share because we're all in this boat together.
Last year I did almost 100 transactions. I'll probably exceed that … (16 comments)
|
elizabeth weintraub: You May Wonder Why Buyers Are Having a Tough Time Buying a Sacramento Short Sale - 02/09/12 09:54 AM
I've been closing short sales for many years. In fact, I close a huge volume of short sales. Even so, as a Sacramento short sale agent, I still haven't seen it all. I know this to be true because every single day I seem to learn something new. That's part of what keeps my profession interesting. I freely share what I learn in this blog and with other real estate agents. But lately there seems to be a lot of aggression and hostility among agents in Sacramento. I don't know if it's because sales for them have dwindled or maybe it's … (25 comments)
|
elizabeth weintraub: Something Old and Something New - 02/05/12 10:49 AM
I'm not afraid to say it. I hate sports. On the other hand, I love high tech. Today will be all about sports. It's not so much that I hate sports as much as I hate the sound of sports. I don't mind guys running around a field in tight pants that show off their assets. It's the volume of the excitement I find objectionable. Not to mention, I was never that girl in high school who hung around jocks. I was with the guys out back of the coffeehouse passing the bong.
Once as a teenager I attended a football … (5 comments)
|
elizabeth weintraub: My Once in a Lifetime Achievement - 02/03/12 09:36 AM
I finally accomplished a feat that ended up achieving a goal I didn't create. While I like competition as much as the next guy -- after all, I am a Sacramento short sale agent which, by its very nature, should make me somewhat competitive -- I am not driven by competition. I don't have to be better than anybody else, I just have to make more money, haha.
Seriously, though, given a choice between celebrity status or being stinkin' rich, I'll take the money. Haven't you ever had discussions like that? Well, I did, when I was younger. Before the days … (5 comments)
|
elizabeth weintraub: Proof that Bank of America Listens to Short Sale Agents - 02/01/12 09:04 AM
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. There is very little in between. Especially when it comes to short sales. As a Sacramento short sale agent, I close a lot of short sales. Our market is inundated with short sales. I've been specializing in short sales for 6 or 7 years now. As a result, I close a lot of Bank of America short sales.
In fact, I am very familiar with how Bank of America processes its short sales. I do whatever it takes to help Bank of America. Not because I am a stockholder … (5 comments)
|
|
|
|
|
|
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 Columnist at About.com. Sacramento short sale agent.
 Listings
Links
Archives
|
;)
;)
;)
