sacramento: Even If It's Painful, Agents Should Always Tell Buyers the Truth
- 08/17/08 03:14 AM
I know a lot of agents who are afraid to lose the sale. It's tough out there right now for many real estate agents. Some are struggling, doing lower-priced deals, getting paid half as much and some aren't doing any transactions at all. For these agents, I suspect it's even harder to tell a potential home buyer that perhaps buying a home is not the best direction for them to move.
Yesterday, a buyer was ready to go into contract. He had a viable counter offer in front of him at a price that was agreeable. The counter offer contained two … (29 comments)
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sacramento: Oh, That Wild and Wooly World of REOs: You Never Know What Will Happen!
- 08/14/08 04:07 AM
REOs buyers are some of the most patient buyers in the world, right next to those short sale buyers. While my heart goes out to them, I don't understand how they can withstand the pressure and wackiness of waiting for an answer to their purchase offer. In some ways, sending offers for bank-owned homes to listing agents is like dumping them into the great abyss.
Last week, I wrote an offer for buyers on an REO home in Natomas (Sacramento). Let's say it was priced at $325,000, just to disguise which home I'm talking about. The buyers offered $300,000. The listing … (31 comments)
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sacramento: Kitchen Backsplash is Finished. Remodel is Completed.
- 08/12/08 01:35 PM
This job couldn't have started out any worse. I chose marble for the backsplash, and natural stones are not identical to each other, which is what makes them unique. Each has its own qualities and, with this particular type of marble, there are shading differences between the 3 x 12 pieces. Some of the pieces were much darker than the sample I brought home, so the tiler had to hand sort each of them. OK, I asked him to hand sort them. I am so picky, let me say that I would not work for a person like myself if … (18 comments)
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sacramento: Does Mikey Like the Kitchen?
- 08/06/08 12:25 PM
I can't believe my husband walked almost two miles toting his luggage and carrying a computer from light rail to our home in Land Park. If it was me in that situation, I would have called a cab. So, he was pretty tired from his trip, dropped his luggage in the living room and headed toward the kitchen.
But wait, I cried, didn't he want to first admire the marvelous pass-through into the living room. He hadn't even noticed it, if you can believe that. "There seems to be a hole," he said.
He walked into the kitchen, eyes widening … (14 comments)
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sacramento: Day 15 -- Kitchen Remodel -- It's FINISHED!
- 08/05/08 02:12 PM
Today has been a most excellent day. First, I got a book contract. OK, the downside is it has to be finished by November 1 for publication in January, which means I'll be working like a dog, but hey, I'm organized. Second, I got an offer accepted for a buyer in Midtown. Third, I have an appointment with a new buyer tomorrow morning and a listing presentation tomorrow afternoon. Business is fabulous. But wait, it gets better!
I can crow a little, can't I -- that I finished this kitchen in 15 days? From demo to completion, I suspect I … (20 comments)
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sacramento: Day 14 of Kitchen Remodel: Counter Tops Installed
- 08/04/08 02:27 PM
The counter top dudes were right on time this morning. Laid cardboard all over the kitchen floor and drop cloths from the door to the kitchen. They started in cutting the plywood and screwing it into place. After they finished with the screws, one of the guys grabbed a sander and started grinding out half-moon circles around the screw holes, which caused sparks to fly everywhere. It looked like the Fourth of July in the kitchen.
I had to double check the refrigerator to make sure there were no burn marks on it from the sparks.
Somehow, through all the … (9 comments)
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sacramento: Sacramentans are Paying 1% More for Gas
- 08/04/08 05:13 AM
I was astonished to read in the paper this morning that we in Sacramento are paying more for gas than we really should.
Apparently, gas pumps are supposed to deliver gas at 60 degrees, because that's what the prices are based on -- 60-degree gas. However, a state study says our gas averages 72 degrees per year, and in August, it's 82 degrees! One month, the gas registered at 92 degrees in Sacramento.
The California Energy Commission says gas expands 1% for every 15 degrees. At a buck-ninety-nine, that's not a big deal. But with gas prices over $4.00 a gallon, … (7 comments)
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sacramento: Land Park Has Fast Growing Fast-Food Chains
- 08/03/08 03:23 AM
I bring home take-out a lot, and not just because my new range and oven is sitting in my living room during the remodel. Basically, it's a time-related issue. I rarely have time to cook, especially during the week, plus my husband is the actual in-house cook. And some nights he gets home from work totally exhausted to find me sitting in front of my computer yelping about where's my dinner! So, he drives over to Broadway and brings home Pad Thai from Taste of Thai or Scallops in Lobster sauce from Fortune House.
However, I don't have the patience to … (15 comments)
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sacramento: Day 12 Kitchen Remodel - Some Appliance Installs & Backsplash Chosen
- 08/01/08 03:17 PM
My day started off really crummy. After I booted up my Mac, I opened Parallels to check MLS. Staring me in the face was a screen asking me to reinstall Windows XP. See, this is why I despise Windows. Since I didn't have time to work myself up in lather over the reinstall, I booted up my PC laptop. It asked to verify Windows XP. Call me silly, but I see a pattern there. Perhaps I forgot to update something. I verified my Windows XP and, during the start-up phase, my screen turned into a bunch of scribbly lines. Shut … (12 comments)
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sacramento: Day 11 - Kitchen Remodel: Hardware & Range Hood
- 07/31/08 03:16 PM
The hardware installers showed up on time this morning. The guy who does it is also the demo guy. I wasn't sure I wanted a demo guy drilling delicate holes and trying to make my door pulls plumb and spaced correctly. To me, it seemed like that sort of job as compared to bashing holes in walls required conflicting skill sets. But the Kitchen Design Center swore he would do a good job or they would buy new cabinet doors.
When he arrived, I said, "Hey, your referrers said you never mess up and you always do a perfect … (20 comments)
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sacramento: Day 10 Kitchen Remodel - Painting is Finished - Sink Cabinet Cut
- 07/30/08 02:06 PM
I called in a favor from my favorite painting company last night, and the owner sent over two painters this morning at the crisp hour of 7:45 AM. In fact, I was just out of the shower when he called my cell, wanting to know why I didn't answer the door.
His painters were marvelous. Two great 20-year-veterans of the business, Chris and Barbara. I think Barbara might buy a home soon -- after I armed with her enough information and yakked her ear off about the opportunities for buying homes in Land Park and other neighborhoods in Sacramento. … (9 comments)
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sacramento: How Do Cats Survive a Remodel? Take a Look at Pia!
- 07/30/08 02:02 AM
I have 3 cats. Or rather, 3 cats own me. One has kidney disease, and he just turned 17. He's a grumpy old cat, but I love him to pieces. He was flown to Sacramento from Minneapolis, and he almost missed the flight because ground temperatures can't exceed maximums on arrival, and we all know hot Sacramento can be in the summer. He's lived here six years now.The other two are Ocicats. I got Pica from a breeder in Orange County. She was ready to let him go because he was marbled, and only spotted Ocicats can be shown. I … (13 comments)
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sacramento: Day 9 of Kitchen Remodel - No Painter, No Surprise
- 07/29/08 02:50 PM
The countertop guy came back today to measure again because he was wrong yesterday. When I examined the spots he marked for me to cut on the front of the cabinet, I realized his math was off. So, I made him come back out. Turns out I was right. Which is kinda scary when you think about it because if I hadn't double-checked his math, my countertops would not fit my cabinets -- not to mention, I would have totally screwed up my cabinet base.
The electricians came and finished up the trim work. They were a bit astonished to … (19 comments)
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sacramento: Kitchen Sink Dilemma - Day 8 of Kitchen Remodel
- 07/29/08 05:33 AM
The countertop dude came yesterday to measure for the installation of the Quartz Cambria counters. I had considered granite, but it's so trendy and doesn't appear to be as strong as the quartz. First thing the guy said was "Whoa, your base cabinet is 32 inches and your sink is 33-inches." Well, I told the cabinet designers my sink was 33-inches!! "It won't fit," he declared. My heart sank. So, I asked the obvious question: How can we make it fit?
By cutting the cabinet on the sides. The front needs to be cut anyway, because I bought a farmhouse-style … (11 comments)
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sacramento: Day 7: More Cabinets = Less Storage Space
- 07/28/08 04:39 PM
I spent most of Sunday putting away dishes and pans -- and god knows what we have collected over the years -- into some sort of semblance in our new cabinets. We have more cabinets than we've had before, but less space. Know why? Because the old cabinets were like big boxes, and you could cram stuff into every corner. Land Park homes have a lot of original cabinets that are spacious. The new cabinets come with sensible pull-out drawers, the things they can charge extra for. And they take up valuable space.Fortunately, I found a spot for everything, even if … (11 comments)
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sacramento: Get a Sewer Inspection When Buying in Land Park
- 07/28/08 01:57 PM
Oh, my goodness. I'm batting 100% on sewer inspections lately. This is the third sewer inspection in Land Park over the past 30 days that has called for a new sewer line. The last two Land Park homes my buyers inspected turned up problems, but that was expected, primarily for the following reasons:
These Land Park homes were built in the 1920s and 1930s The yards contained a lot of mature trees The sewer lines had not been replaced However, I really did not expect problems with this home today because there were no trees in the yard and it had … (15 comments)
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sacramento: A Quality Paint Job is in the Eye of the Beholder
- 07/27/08 02:40 AM
One of the reasons to hire professional painters is because they are supposed do a better job than you would, right? Because if I wanted a lousy job, why, I'd do it myself. Except that I am a fairly good painter. I carefully tape off the walls . . . roll slowly enough to avoid "vacation" lines . . . sand between coats and have, on occasion, used a make-up brush for minor touch ups. This might sound a bit obsessive to you, but I believe a job worth doing at all is a job worth doing to the best of … (21 comments)
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sacramento: The Only Thing Better Than Installing Cabinets is When Countertops Arrive
- 07/26/08 03:58 AM
Of course, I have a week to wait for that. The countertops won't be installed until August 4. But the cabinets are in. Whew. It was no easy job.First, the diagram given to the cabinet installers differed than the diagram I agreed upon in one small but important way. The microwave was to be installed at the entry to the family room and NOT to the right of the floor-to-ceiling cabinet. I noticed the installer had them switched.He showed me the drawing he had and, sure enough, it was transposed. That meant the side of the lower microwave cabinet was … (16 comments)
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sacramento: Down to the Wire: Cabinets Arrive Tomorrow
- 07/24/08 12:55 PM
It's been an exciting day. First, I threw on my sweaty old cut-offs and t-shirt from yesterday, pulled my hair back in a tangled mess and dashed out the door at 6:25 AM. I had to meet a home inspector at 6:30 and let him in to inspect a home in Land Park for my buyers. Riverside Boulevard was backed up, bumper-to-bumper cars, so I took a shortcut zig-zagging through the neighborhood. Jumped out of my car, grabbed my display key and headed for the lockbox. Oh, I had a few showings yesterday, my key said. Hmmm. No time to think … (19 comments)
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sacramento: Today I Love My Contractors to Itsy Bitsy Pieces
- 07/24/08 06:51 AM
Day 2 -- Electricians, Plumbers and FramersPut a power tool in a framer's hand and wield that power tool with authority, and I swoon. There is something remarkably appealing about a young man clasping a reciprocating saw tightly in his left hand with his right forefinger firmly depressing the power button as he masterfully cuts a perfectly straight line through the wall. But, sshh, don't tell my husband.We now have a 36-inch wide by 30-inch high pass-through in the wall to the living room. I've been talking about cutting a hole in the wall for the past six years. My husband … (5 comments)
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I know a lot of agents who are afraid to lose the sale. It's tough out there right now for many real estate agents. Some are struggling, doing lower-priced deals, getting paid half as much and some aren't doing any transactions at all. For these agents, I suspect it's even harder to tell a potential home buyer that perhaps buying a home is not the best direction for them to move.
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