In Today's Kitchens, You Really Need a Microwave or You Could Starve to Death

The invention of the microwave pretty much changed America's kitchens. Although, microwaves were invented in the 1940s, they didn't really become affordable or widely used in the country until the early 1970s. By 1975, however, more microwaves were sold than gas ranges, if you can believe that.

When I moved into my first apartment in 1969, I didn't own a microwave. I didn't even know what a microwave was, but I did know how to use a stove. Not that I did. Many of my meals consisted of consuming the contents of a jar of tomato-based shrimp or a jar of marinated mushrooms. In fact, years later when I remodeled my first kitchen, I considered disposing of the stove altogether and not replacing it. But then I realized that it would be difficult to sell that home down the road without a stove.

Coincidentally, when the seller of my new listing in Fair Oaks bought her home and moved in, she discovered the kitchen did not have a built-in microwave. She came home hungry with a frozen dinner and stood slack-jawed in the kitchen when the realization hit her. No microwave. She called her dad to say she could not eat because there was no microwave.

After presenting his daughter with the usual parental alternatives such as, hey, buy a can of soup and heat it up on the stove, the father bought a microwave and installed it for his daughter. As a result, this kitchen now has a built-in microwave. It also has a newer gas range, built-in dishwasher and a refrigerator.

If you're looking for a 3-bedroom, 2-bath home in Fair Oaks as your first home, you might want to schedule a showing appointment to see this short sale. Apart from the gigantic lot -- it's more than a quarter acre -- the home features some really nice improvements. The baths are updated, every room except for one has expertly installed crown molding, and there is even a security door in the master suite with leaded stained glass.

This home was built in 1960 -- the year John F. Kennedy was the youngest man (at age 43) elected President of the United States, rocker Joan Jett was born and actor Clark Gable died. It has almost 1,000 square feet, but the layout makes it appear much larger.

I need to go back and shoot photographs of the back yard after the lawn is mowed. The front yard features a little courtyard area behind a wall. But I would imagine the back yard could be transformed into a wonderful entertaining area as well.

4821 Kitty Hawk Street, Fair Oaks, CA 95628 is exclusively offered by Lyon Real Estate as a short sale at $149,000. For more information, call your Sacramento short sale agent, Elizabeth Weintraub, at 916 233 6759.

Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub