Club Chaos Agents - All Things Hollish, Wacked, and Jacked

When a real estate transaction closes, an agent's fiduciary relationship with the buyer or seller is over. That's why contracts have starting dates and circumstances under which those dates end. But just because the purchase contract or listing agreement is over doesn't mean my personal relationship with my clients is over. I never go away.

I tell clients that, too. If they need anything after closing, and I mean anything, they can call me. Sometimes, clients are new to Sacramento and they don't know how to find neighborhood businesses or maybe they don't know that some purchases are better off being made in San Francisco -- as Sacramento is sorely lacking in what I call quality shopping experiences. Thank goodness we have internet.

But most of all I really like my clients. I met with clients a few days ago who are moving to Boston and selling a short sale. When I left their home, it dawned on me that I will probably never see them again. So, I said goodbye and wished them well in the future endeavors. As a Sacramento short sale agent, there are many clients who don't make it to closing with me because they have moved away by then. That's kinda sad.

In any case, I don't understand agents who want nothing more to do with anybody after closing. Sellers in Land Park listed with me a few years ago because when they bought the home, they had called that Land Park listing agent after closing to ask why the sprinklers were not working. That agent told them the home was sold as is and slammed down the phone. They did not call that listing agent when they decided to sell. They called another Land Park agent, me.

Another client called yesterday. He bought an upper-end pool home a while back in Fair Oaks, and I represented him. He called because his neighbor was selling his home and had promised to sell him the pool table. Apparently, there was some kind of mix up and the escrow had closed before my guy could get the pool table moved out. So, he called the listing agent to ask how he could get the pool table.

The listing agent said, "I don't sell pool tables." And she refused to help him. Would not pass on his information to the buyers or buyer's agent. She would do nothing. I don't understand. Sure, her agency had terminated, but what about future Good Will or just being a decent human being, a nice person? My client said, "That's why I called you."

Unfortunately, there is not much I can do. I looked up and passed on the buyer's agent's information to him and left that agent a voice mail. Technically, the pool table probably belongs to the buyers now, and they haven't moved in. I just wanted to know if the buyers wanted the pool table. That agent hasn't called me back, either.

People like this give real estate agents a bad name. Their behavior reflects poorly on our entire industry.

A seller asked me yesterday if I am possibly too busy to work with him.  It wasn't a short sale, just a regular listing in Fair Oaks. Remember those? I've been listing and selling a fair number of homes in Fair Oaks lately. I sell all over Sacramento but really love Fair Oaks. In fact, I have several Fair Oaks listings in escrow right now.

This seller was calling around the Internet, looking for a real estate agent in Sacramento. I told him I've been in real estate in one form or another since the early 1970s, and I've survived all types of markets. I mentioned that I rank #10 as a Lyon Real Estate top producer for last year -- adding that I'm also a very successful Sacramento short sale agent and presently manage 28 listings in inventory.

"Whoa, 28 listings, that's a lot," he said. "Would you have time for me?"

I wanted to point out that some agents easily handle more than 200 listings a year, but I figured the thought of that would probably boggle his mind. Last year, I listed more than 100 and had no problem with that number. I have systems in place and am organized. There are also agents who don't take a listing more than once every 2 or 3 months. So, which kind of agent is better? The agent with a lot of business or the agent with none?

The agent who is better is the one who answers her phone.

Sometimes buyers do the screwiest things. Stuff that makes no sense whatsoever. It makes me wonder if perhaps they don't suffer from some kind of attention deficit disorder, which is why they latch on to real estate agents and make offers on homes they have absolutely no intention of closing on. A buyer made a ridiculous offer on this short sale in Fair Oaks and we submitted it to the bank. Low and behold, the bank had decided to sell the loan to another bank, and our offer arrived smack dab in the middle of this sale.

As a result, the bank accepted the offer, providing the buyer can close by December 17th. Yeah, you heard me -- the bank has issued a short sale approval letter that is assignable to any buyer who can close by December 17th, and we don't have a buyer. This is not to be confused with those listings you see advertised as an approved short sale but mean only that the bank issued approval for another buyer and your offer must be resubmitted. This short sale is approved for YOU. You cash buyers out there? If you have cash and want an incredible deal on this home in Fair Oaks, call me. You can step right into the previous buyer's shoes and close. We don't need another approval letter. This short sale approval letter can be used for you.

This 1980 home in Lake Natoma Heights has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. You can tell from the photograph that one of the rooms must have a vaulted ceiling, and that room is the family room. It's a popular L-shaped floor plan, with the master suite off to the left of the entry. The entry sports a floral design in the floor tile.

The family room is carpeted and its vaulted ceiling is wood. There is a stone fireplace with a pellet stove insert. On the short part of the L is the kitchen, with ceramic counters, an electric stove and a dishwasher. In fact, all of the utilities in this home are electric. Off the kitchen is an alcove that functions as a separate dining room, with built-in cabinets for extra storage.

Lots of buyers today want a bedroom downstairs. The master suite is located on the first floor, but one of the bedrooms upstairs is about the same size. What's nice about the master suite is it is large and has newer cork flooring, which is very soft under your feet. The master bath has newer marmoleum and a shower. The vanity with a sink is off the bath.

The second bedroom upstairs has newer Brazilian cherry floors, 2 windows, a big closet and a cut-out window that lets you overlook the family room. The third bedroom is smaller and is carpeted. The guest bath, with a shower over the tub, has a window that brightens the room. In addition, the landing on the second floor has a built-in desk and could be used as an office area. An added benefit is the owners have updated the HVAC with 15-seer and a HEPA filtration system.

Of course, it comes with a two-car attached garage, a big side yard and adequate space with an uncovered patio in the back. The front yard is "green" and the ground cover is water tolerant; the vegetation and trees are on a drip system.

4536 Wawona Circle, Fair Oaks, CA 95628 is offered exclusively by Lyon Real Estate as an approved short sale at $203,500. For more information, contact your Sacramento short sale agent, Elizabeth Weintraub, at 916 233 6759.

photos: Elizabeth Weintraub

I met the sellers of this new short sale in Fair Oaks about 4 years ago, back when they were first-time home buyers. I had purchased a rather expensive item from an establishment the seller managed and mentioned I was in real estate. A year later, the buyers remembered me and called. We looked at homes. We wrote 13 offers. Count them, 13 offers. More than I've had ever had to write in my life for a buyer.

Then we found this home in Fair Oaks. The then-seller of that home paid for a brand new roof and gutters. I remember shooting a photograph of the ecstatic buyers standing in front of the JUST SOLD sign. They gave me a succulent plant that has grown to over 5 feet in my Land Park cactus garden.

And today, they are selling this home in Fair Oaks as a short sale. Their loss is not as substantial as most of my Sacramento short sales, but like most short sales, the sellers' circumstances have changed. This is my first short sale in 5 years that is a previous client's home, so this is a bit difficult for me. It's worse for them, I assure you.

This is a 3-bedroom, 2-bath, ranch-style home. It has a formal living room and dining / family room combination. The kitchen counters are tiled, and you'll find beams in the family room with a Roman brick fireplace. The home was built in 1959 and has mostly hardwood floors throughout.

The washer and dryer are in the garage, and they stay with the home. There is also a separate room in the garage that can be used as a den or a hobby room. It has a gigantic yard at .23 acres with an uncovered patio.

Best of all, this is a preapproved price from Wells Fargo, and all the paperwork has been submitted. The only thing we need to move forward is an offer from a qualified buyer. I'd expect short sale approval in fewer than 30 days.

8814 Mohawk Way, Fair Oaks, CA 95628 is offered exclusively by Lyon Real Estate as a short sale at $180,000. For more information, call your Sacramento short sale agent, Elizabeth Weintraub, at 916 233 6759.

Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub

As a Sacramento short sale agent, it's my job to see that my sellers close escrow on their short sales. To that end, it means the buyer and the buyer's agent, plus the purchase offer, all need to qualify for the short sale.

A couple of days ago, I received an offer on one of my Sacramento short sales. I emailed the buyer's agent to ask the agent to sign my standard agent promise. Bam. She did. Then I asked if her buyer was willing to release the earnest money deposit to escrow. Bam. Yes. I next inquired about an updated preapproval letter. Bam. Received. I was starting to like this agent.

The only thing left was to talk about the price. It was too low. I explained that we want the bank to accept the offer. Did she look at the comparable sales and discuss price with her buyer? Yes, she did. Good, then could she please send me the comparable sales she used because I couldn't find them.

Ruh-roh.

Here is a fabulous home in Fair Oaks with a pool and spa. It's offered as a short sale at a fair price. This home was built the year Sonny & Cher first belted: "They say we're young and we don't know." And it still has some of its 1965 detailing such as the floor-to-ceiling, see-through partition between the living and dining room.

It features 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and has about 1,772 square feet. The kitchen has what appears to be original light blue, white and navy blue tile on the counters, and it's open to a family room, which is presently used as additional dining space. This space also overlooks the beautiful back yard.

You can also see the back yard from the living room and master suite. Brick lines half of one wall in the living room with a fireplace. The entry is slate, with a step-up to the living room and dining room and a step-down to the wing with the bedrooms and baths.

It's impossible to see this home from the street because it's situated on a hill. On top of the hill is an abundance of landscaping, which gives the flagstone patio a lot of privacy. I spotted special touches and attention in the landscaping, some of it whimsical but simply delightful.

The back yard is a masterpiece, about 1/3rd of an acre. You really don't see other homes as much as you see blue sky, trees, bushes and flowers. In addition to the built-in pool, the home has a spa and a cabana. The covered walkway sports grapes overhead. The cabana has electricity and a ceiling fan.

The roof is newer, as is the HVAC system. The seller says about $60,000 of improvements has gone into this home. If you're a fan of gardening, this is the perfect Fair Oaks home for you. It's almost like living in Provence. But with a pool and spa, of course.

5037 Cocoa Palm Way, Fair Oaks, CA 95628, is offered exclusively by Lyon Real Estate as a short sale at $329,000. For more information, call your Sacramento short sale agent, Elizabeth Weintraub, at 916 233 6759.

Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub

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