Some of my best ideas come to me when I'm sleeping. They pop into my dreams. Which means some of my very best ideas are probably lurking in my subconscious. It beats having your best ideas come to you when you're, oh, say, like Dudley Moore in that 1981 movie Arthur. His best ideas came to him when he was drunk. Probably because he was rarely sober. If you've never seen Arthur, you're in for a treat.
A few nights ago I had a dream that I was holding an open house for that adorable family on Showtime's Shameless. They live in this two-story wreck in south Chicago. I gathered the kids around me and assigned each one of them a room. When visitors came through the open house, the job of each kid was to stand in their appointed room and talk about the benefits of that room.
We rehearsed. Like a broken record, over and over. That's a brilliant idea, people. Who better to sell a home than the people who actually live in it? Sell the benefits, not the features. The sun comes up in the morning through that window, so I don't need an alarm clock.
Last night, though, I dreamed up a new wallpaper. You know how wallpaper has gone out of fashion? Well, I've got news for you, it's coming back. Only edgier and with a bit more bite. My new wallpaper idea is to take the sections of your city's free entertainment newspaper -- the part with all the bands -- neatly trim the edges, apply wallpaper paste and slap it up there. How cool is that? That idea is worth millions.
Of course, with wallpaper, the pattern repeats. The unique thing about this phenomenal idea is the pattern does not repeat until maybe you get to last week's paper or the week before that. But the pattern doesn't have to repeat. You can write your own rules. And it's free. Doesn't cost ya a penny.
Back when I was a kid in my 40's, I used to swipe posters from the halls of local venues and hang them on my living room wall. Now, I wish I had saved those posters because those fun days are gone; I can't make myself stay up that late anymore. But this is the next best thing. Every kid in America will be clamoring for this rock-band wallpaper.
Well, I ran out of room today. Tomorrow I will tell you about my new East Sacramento listing. It's not even a short sale, if you can believe that. It's a regular sale, an updated duplex over by Trader Joe's for less than $300,000.
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Certified HAFA Specialist
My Sacramento Real Estate Listings
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, available at Amazon.com.
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Generally when I see wallpaper I go UGH. Maybe personalized is good for the Seller but usually not for the Buyer. Good luck on that.
They say that your subconscious holds all of life's secrets.
Agree with Daniel on that one. The idea about kids in each room is interesting. If you could get them to actually remember it.
Elizabeth - I LOVE that show! Those kids are hilarious. As for your wallpaper idea, I think you're onto something. I do think that would be popular with kids. However, not being a kid, I am not a fan of any kind of wallpaper. Have a good weekend Elizabeth. :)
I am amazed you can remember what you dreamt or thought of in the middle of the night, which is I get MY best ideas also. Not sure about the wallpaper......
I remember my dreams, I suppose, because I'm generally in a very deep REM sleep when I am jerked awake by: MEOOOOOOWWW. MEOOOOOWW, cat breath on my ear. And then Pia starts digging on my covers because she's cold and wants to burrow underneath.
Elizabeth, This is exactly what dreams are made of. Congrats on the new listing … not a short sale. It’s nice to get those every now and then … isn’t it!
You are a funny lady. Somehow I think the owners in action at an open house would backfire, especially if there are kids involved. I can hear it now, "And since I don't need an alarm clock cause the sun wakes me up, I like to get a shower first because if Mom or Dad showers first, there is no hot water left." I know my luck. That would be the outcome.
WOW - I'm glad you mention that your best ideas come while sleeping and in your dreams. ME TOO! I also dream in color, and I can design homes, decorate them to the tiniest detail. When I wake, I often wonder why I can't think (or dream) that stuff up in a conscious state. I have designs for textiles and pottery in my head that have come during slumber. Are we crazy or what???
I wish I had a cat that wanted to burrow beneath. I can't get my cat to calm down while in bed!
Ha, ha, Chris Ann. See, that's why we rehearsed, though. Plus, if you watch Shameless, you'll know that these kids are pretty bright and used to sales talk.
Hi Myrl: Jackson has been sleeping elsewhere in the house. I'm not sure where. We let him out of the bathroom a couple of nights ago to see how it goes, and so far no loud crashing noises -- no swinging by the chandelier. But Jackson does NOT settle down. Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy, paws in the air batting at imaginery objects, la, dee, da, dee, da. A kitten's life is so carefree. I want to kill him.
Elizabeth, I love your WILD dream ideas even if they come to you when sleeping and not drunk LOL. It does point out the cyclical nature of what is old is new again. I'm investing in Hoola Hoops personally. SMILE. Keep the wild ideas flowing our way. I love learning about them. I used to have a Cowabunga Dude poster on my wall with Snoopy, the Peanuts character, on a surf board. Retro Gary....
Elizabeth - Things come to me in my sleep too. I wake up with these great ideas. It's funny how that happens. I love your wallpaper idea! Take some video while you're doing it, if you actually get a chance to implement!:)
Elizabeth,
I have read a lot of your real estate and short sale in particular related blog posts, but this is a bit unexpected and so fascinating.
Arthur was a great movie and one to be seen again. An open house with a seller in each room could be interesting. I used to be a hostess at the Decorator show houses in Baltimore. Kind of like that. Sweet dreams. Look forward to your next writing on your sleeping.
Margaret
Elizabeth, you are too funny. I love your wild dreams - you never know, you might be onto something there! I did not know wallpaper was coming back.
All my interior designer friends promise that wallpaper is making a come-back, too! Too funny!
Elizabeth - That "Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy, paws in the air batting at imaginary objects, la, dee, da, dee, da" stuff doesn't necessarily go away. That's exactly the way my cat is, and she's 14 years old! I love her to pieces, but she won't easily settle down and just calmly let you love on her. She DEMANDS about 10 minutes of real active loving in the morning, and then she wants down to go about her day in the backyard Serengeti.