The Land Park car wash people showed up over the weekend to wash my car, and I had forgotten to pull it out of the garage. So, I asked my husband to do it. When he came back into the house he asked, "When was the last time you had your car in for service?" Uh, oh. He said it shook vehemently upon starting and the engine light came on. Of course, when I later turned the key, it was fine, but that dang engine light is still on. I wonder how long I've been driving with the engine light illuminated?
I sure hope it's not time to buy a new car. I probably deserve a new car, but I don't have the time to shop for a new car. Too many choices. It's very time intensive to shop. Believe it or not, I rarely shop. I buy almost everything online, never step foot into a grocery store -- because my husband handles the meal planning and grocery runs -- and, if I must buy clothes, I favor a specific designer's line. Shopping is pretty much a leisure activity. When I have time for leisure, I don't spend it shopping.
Now, looking at homes, that's a different story. I love to show property. That's because a home is more than four walls and a roof. It's a collection plate of memories and emotions -- past, present and future. Buyers tell me they know within 3 minutes of entering a home whether they want to buy because "it feels right." So I try to pay close attention to the way a home feels. In fact, many senses are involved. Sight is only one.
After listing a short sale in Natomas this morning and attending a closing in Midtown this afternoon, I am showing homes in Land Park, which I dearly love. Thank goodness I can borrow my husband's car. I find that buyers for homes in Land Park sometimes pay too much attention to the characteristics of the home, its architectural detail and curb appeal, and sometimes not enough attention to the most important sense of all -- common sense. Because price points for homes in Land Park can be all over the map. Some are priced too high so it's easy to overpay. Even in a market with HVCC which, knock on wood, is being revised. As a Land Park agent, I've listed and sold homes for a few sellers that probably should have never sold for the prices buyers paid. I live in Land Park. I know what's market and what's not.
Common sense says a buyer should ask his or her agent to look at the comparable sales before writing a purchase offer. In this market -- heck, in any market -- it makes sense to also look at the pending sales and active short contingent prices because they are indicative of the way the market is moving. The low-end market in Land Park is being hammered at the moment. Some homes are for sale at prices lower than their comparable sales. That gives me something else to focus my attention on than whether my car is about to explode.
Photo: Big Stock Photo
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