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

When was the last time you heard of an agent turning down business? Most real estate agents I know will list a home for sale even if they don't believe it will sell. In the case of a short sale, some will list homes that they know will never close. Why would they do this? To get signage on that street. In the case of most big-name brokerages, the agents generally don't pay for their advertising signs, so it's free advertising.

Some even plaster their smiling faces on those signs. I would not put my face on a sign because somebody would draw a mustache on it. You can bet on it.

I do turn down listings and sometimes they are short sale listings. As a Sacramento short sale agent, I have a solid reputation to maintain. If agents saw short sales falling out of escrow left and right, agents wouldn't make offers on my listings. I expect my listings to close. I qualify my sellers. But every so often I have to tell a seller that if I were in his or her shoes, I'd walk away. I'd let the home go to foreclosure. I suggested that option to two different sellers yesterday and, of course, advised them to get legal and tax advice. I have to be truthful and honest. It's in my midwestern bones.

Here is a new listing in Folsom that absolutely, positively, has no reason under the sun to fall out. It should close. That's because it is a Preapproved HAFA short sale. For those of you unfamiliar with HAFAs, there are 2 types: Unapproved and Preapproved. An unapproved HAFA is when you send an offer with your paperwork and ask the bank to approve it. Preapproved is exactly what you think it means. The seller is approved and the property is approved and the price is approved. The bank has 10 business days to approve a buyer's offer when the HAFA is preapproved.

This 1996 home is a single story, located directly across the street from Folsom's extensive bike and nature trail system in The Parkway subdivision. It is situated on a corner lot, at the junction of two cul-de-sacs, which means very little traffic except for a few neighbors.

It has a an open and spacious floor plan, about 2100 square feet, featuring 4 bedrooms and 2 baths. The kitchen has been remodeled with granite counters and a maple floor, plus a breakfast nook. Part of that open and spacious feeling is due to the high ceilings. There is a fireplace in the family room with pool views from windows and doors.

The master suite has double doors that open to the saltwater pool. If you're gonna be home sick from work and in bed, this is the place to be. It's like being on vacation all of the time. In addition to the solar-heated pool, there is a spa on a raised deck. Plus, there are no towering homes blocking the sun or your view of the neighborhood. At the other end of the yard is a covered patio area.

The sellers say that living in The Parkway is like living in a little Mayberry. Neighbors celebrate the holidays together with big block parties. They tend to watch out for each other. The Parkway is a special place to live in Folsom.

1101 Buckbrush Drive, Folsom, CA 95630 is exclusively offered by Lyon Real Estate as a Preapproved HAFA short sale at $330,939. For more information, call your Sacramento short sale agent and Certified HAFA specialist Elizabeth Weintraub at 916 233 6759. For a private showing, call Linda Swanson at 916 607 0111.

photos: Elizabeth Weintraub

If you'd like to live just down the street from Russell Ranch Elementary School, then this Folsom short sale home in Empire Ranch is probably perfect for you. You can see the school from the front yard, but the home is not located directly in front of it; in fact, it's at the end of the street on the corner. The view from the front yard looking the opposite direction is a row of homes with a large hill behind it. I imagine kids would love to climb that hill.

This home was built by Elliott Homes in 2005. It's a single story and one of the more popular Empire Ranch models at 1,344 square feet. It has 3 bedrooms, two of which have bamboo planked floors. The master suite has bamboo laminate, a curved wall of windows and is vaulted with a ceiling fan. This room overlooks the back yard.

The kitchen and family room make up a great room concept. In fact, you can see the formal dining room with its plantation shutters over the windows, which is off the kitchen and entry, from the family room. Both the dining room and kitchen have ceramic floors, as does the entry. You've got stainless and black appliances in the kitchen and ceramic counters.

There is a court yard in the front and covered patio in the back, and these areas are professionally landscaped or at least look like a professional tended to them. I spotted a weeping cherry tree and rose bushes in back, too. The indoor laundry room leads to a 2-car garage. In the garage is a special receptacle for plugging in a freezer.

2244 Oak Meadow Street, Folsom, CA 95630 is offered exclusively by Lyon Real Estate as a short sale at $280,000. For more information, please contact your Sacramento short sale agent, Elizabeth Weintraub, at 916 233 6759. For a private showing, call Linda Swanson, at 916 607 0111.

Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub

Have you been searching for a townhome that will give you that lock-and-go lifestyle but still feels like a single family home? Then check out this exceptional home in Folsom. It's located just over the river (Folsom-Auburn) off the quiet side of Oak Avenue.

Rolling hills and immaculate curb appeal welcomes you to Folsom Bluffs as you turn left from Oak Avenue onto Deerwood Way. It's another world, away from the hustle and bustle of Folsom but close to the river and walking trails.

The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, a configuration most home buyers prefer. But it also has unique details such as a panoramic view of the trees and greenbelt from the balcony. The balcony runs along the west side, accessible from the master suite or family room. Its trex deck boards are practically guaranteed for life, and there's enough room for lounge chairs and a dining set. It's the perfect place to watch the sun go down as you sip a glass of pino grigio.

Inside the home, you'll find 2 fireplaces, one in the family room and another in the master suite. There is also an atrium, a private patio off the guest bath, and soaring ceilings with wood beams. The floor plan is open. You can see the living room, formal dining room, entry to the master and the family room from the kitchen. Plus, the kitchen has a breakfast bar and a breakfast nook, located off a spacious and private enclosed courtyard. You've got almost 2,000 square feet in this gorgeous townhome.

520 Crestridge Lane, Folsom, CA 95630, offered at $219,000. Listed by your Sacramento short sale agent.

Lyon Real Estate, 916.233.6759

The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, coming in June 2009.

Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub