Thoughts Ideas and Giggles: March 2010

What a great morning!  Little ones started arriving at around 9AM this morning to participate in the Great Easter Egg Hunt.  There was so much to do, the "hunt" couldn't start until 10AM!  There was a constant line for face painting, stars seeming to be the popular choice.  Cute little bunnies made their appearance in the form of balloons animals.  Carnival games kept children of all ages busy.  Mr. Cooper contributed to the atmosphere with his guitar and more innovative children's songs than can be imagined.  And, finally, what Easter Egg Hunt would be complete without the Easter Bonnet contest?  There were Freeport Bakery cookie platters for the prettiest, most colorful, funniest and most creative hats. Even the Easter Bunny made an early appearance!

Huge kudos should be given to Boy Scout Troop 136, Den 9 for assembling and stuffing 9,000 eggs...yes, nine thousand eggs!  Children separated themselves into 3 different hunting areas...0-3 years, 4-9 years and 10 years and older. At 10AM (or a little after, since the event coordinators watch chose to stop at 9:40), the mayhem began and within 5 minutes, 9,000 eggs had found a home!

Thanks should be expressed to the City of Sacramento and Land Park Community Associationfor sponsoring this event.  Other sponsors were McDonalds (who supplied coffee and orange juice), Freeport Bakery, Kellie and Paula Swayne with Windermere Dunnigan Realtors,  Crocker Electric, the Sacramento Zoo, Mister Cooper Music and Boy Scout Troop 136, Den 9.

It is not unusual for me to be helping clients that live out of town.  Specializing in older neighborhoods does that.  Original or long-time home owners move on to bigger and better things.  The family needs the help and expertise of a local Realtor, since they can't be there. So, as I said, I quite often help out of town clients. However, I seem to have an unusually large number of this type of client right now.

For example, right now I am in escrow with a cute little house in Elmhurst near the University of California at Davis Med Center.  The young couple that are purchasing it are moving from New York to be residents at the Med Center.  The wife's parents who are from Hillsborough (about 2 hours away) are the "scouts" for the buyers. So, I am constantly sending documents and videos to New York and Hillsborough and meeting the parents at the house on their way to Tahoe. 

Another listing's owner lives in Martinez, but travels constantly.  I am always playing "Where's Waldo" with her.

I am also in escrow with another couple who do live here, but had to travel to Palm Desert for family reasons.  Wouldn't you know...their loan documents came in 2 hours after they left, so we are getting an accomodation signing in Palm Desert and recording here.

Another listing is vacant, the owners already having moved to Davis (about 20 minutes away). It is still on the market, so no logistics to deal with yet...but I know it is coming!

Don't misunderstand...I actually like these kinds of challenges.  I enjoy the ability to offer to take the load off of their shoulders and be their advocate here in Sacramento.  I can almost see the weight lift off of their shoulders when I tell them I can take care of cleaning, a little updating, meeting the needed professionals, etc. I just have never had every single client be long-distance before!

If you happen to be strolling through William Land Park tomorrow morning, you might discover hoards of children participating in the Great Easter Egg Hunt , sponsored by the Land Park Community Association and the City of Sacramento.

Their faces will be painted, their heads adorned with all manner of Easter bonnets and they will be searching for thousands of eggs!  There will be wonderful music, games and photo opportunities with the Easter Bunny!

Here's the best part...YOU CAN JOIN US for this FREE EVENT!  It starts at 10AM SHARP (the eggs are found quickly, so don't be late) between 12th and 13th Avenue near Riverside Boulevard. See you there!

It was a remarkable revelation.  I was on my way to a Sacramento Association of Realtors Professional Standards hearing to learn about the process.  It was a Wednesday afternoon...normally not a particularly busy day at our building.  Yet as I turned the corner into the parking lot, I was met with a sea of parked cars.  For those of you who have not visited this building, it may be hard to visualize.  Let it be said, I had to park in the "back forty".

Of course I was caught off-guard.  What event was taking place that I wasn't aware of?  Had someone rented the building for their own special cause?  Did someone plan their wedding on a Wednesday afternoon (okay...far fetched, but you never know). 

The reason for the onslaught was simple, but said so much about our industry and the real estate market.  The Sacramento Association of Realtors hosted 2 all day classes for Realtors to learn about short sales and foreclosures.  Realtors had their choice of either Wednesday or Thursday to attend.  Both classes had sold out - about 150 Realtors attended each day.  The review was positive - the classes informative and helpful.  These Realtors recognized the need to increase their knowledge regarding these types of real estate transactions, and took the time to gain continued education.

In a market fraught with pitfalls, here is another reason to use a Realtor.  A smooth and easy escrow is a rarity in our present climate.  The best way for the seller and buyer to "hedge their bet" is to use a Realtor with the knowledge and expertise needed to navigate the way through all of the nuances this market presents.

I am very proud of my fellow Realtors and the qualities of integrity and expertise they bring to our profession. (I just wish they had allowed me to park a little closer!)

There is obviously some misunderstanding as to what Realtors are responsible for.  Simply put, we are advocates for our clients.  We help them sell their house or purchase their house in a responsible and informed manner.  Along this line of thought, I thought I would make a list of what we do.

We DO:

• Consult with our clients regarding their real estate needs
• Negotiate terms acceptable to all parties
• Meet appraisers, inspectors and agents at the property
• Write and review all documents pertaining to the escrow
• Preview all properties in our specialty area in order to be knowledgeable about comparables and competition
• Attend continuing opportunities to increase our knowledge and understanding of the market and all facets affecting the market
• Show property that fits the parameters you have given us.

Now, there are times when situations arise that are outside of our normal responsibilities...and if we can, we are more than happy to step up to the plate and offer to help.  Sometimes the help is monetary, but more often it is labor...and that is okay.  The difficulty comes when it is not a "favor", but is expected...even demanded of us.  Here are a few things that we are not, and should not be responsible for:

• We are not responsible for maintaining your house months or even years after it has recorded.  Remember...this was not our house.  We simply helped with the process.
• We are not attorneys or accountants.  It is very important that you speak with the appropriate professional to get accurate information.
• We are not free researchers.  If you plan on using Aunt Susie who has her license to write your offer, then Aunt Susie should be showing you property.  Our time has value.
• Our commission is not there to be used as a slush fund for anyone who wants it.