Good Morning out there! Eileen Kalahele, one of our stellar Listing Specialists is briilliant, and has set up this blog for us. Doing so was on my to-do list for a looong time, and she has done it! Kudos, Eileen!
I may randomly set down what's on my mind this morning. I checked the multiple listing activity for our area, as I do in the am, and found just two new listings and one sale! my my. Many folks are really hunkering down, and it shows up in the very, very few homes sold each day. Kudos to the agents who are hanging in there, and comforting sellers and buyers alike.
I went out with my mother as usual yesterday, Sunday, to look at open houses and confer with the Realtors holding them open on the activity level, mood, etc., of the buyers. I had seen most of them..the same houses which have been on the market for some weeks or months! My dear friend Darrell Hoh had a lovely one on Kern, which he sold to his clients a few years ago. We spoke of how very difficult the North and East Richmond area is now, where almost all of the houses fall into the category served (!?) by the recent sub-prime loans. Folks who were buying there can't any longer, and so those who wish to trade up are having a hard time finding buyers.
We have had a house in El Cerrito, in great condition, which in our humble opinion beats all of the competition handily, and have had just one offer in two weeks of marketing! I read the local papers for Berkeley and Oakland, and talk to those Realtors about the market there. The higher-end properties are selling more readily, many with multiple offers. This in in contrast to the way it was a few years ago, when the lower the price, the faster the sale!
I feel fortunate that we have a unique system (unique to West Contra Costa County: duplicated around the country by successful Realtors) We break up the many aspects of selling/buying, and have one person specializing in each: marketing, transaction management (YAY Haley!), Buyer Agency, Seller Agency, and miscellaneous, for which tasks we have a courier. She hangs the signs, installs lockboxes, checks on vacant homes, etc., etc! The last time we had a recession I was working mainly alone, with some help from my husband, Ken Utsu, and one assistant. At that time, the fact that I had a specialty (Richmond View) was what pulled me through. I hope that this will be my last 'down' market!
Love to all, peace, and call me if you know of anyone who wants to adopt a cat or a kitten! We operate Bee Rescue, which can be found on Petfinder.com!
Cynthia Burke, Certified Residential Specialist
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