 "Did you fall asleep before the end of the show?" my husband teased, knowing the answer without having to ask. (Why yes, I did.)
I don't know if my nodding off in front of the TV is a function of genetics (I still remember my dad snoring in his recliner each night), of hard work, or of advancing age, but with each passing year, I tend to wake up earlier and earlier; thus, I now struggle to stay awake much past 9:30 at night. (Okay, I'm dull.)
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 I spent last weekend bouncing back and forth between two new listings - each unique in their own way - and each entirely terrific.
Apart from these fantastic homes, I was struck by the similarities of the Buyers that came through. For the record, I held a Saturday morning open (to coincide with the Farmers' Market nearby), and a Sunday afternoon, 2-4:30 (as is standard). In short, I spent most of my weekend successfully manning open houses.  It's been a busy week for me, what with Jill on a well-earned vacation exploring the Pacific Northwest, Canada and Glacier National Park with her two girls in a cool Camper Van that's sure to show up on Instagram!
Which means that I'm manning the fort alone: meeting the inspectors, primping properties (as opposed to pimping properties), planting pots, watering beds, chasing down permit histories, editing marketing copy, picking up lighting, dropping off donuts, running to the hardware store (again and again and AGAIN!) and doing the 101 tasks I typically assign Jill on a weekly basis. (I miss her already and she only left town on Tuesday.)  I'm not sure "surrendering" comes naturally to anyone. There's something incredibly difficult about the concept that makes us feel as if we're giving in and giving up, when in my experience, the exact opposite is true.
The tendency to fight instead of letting go, reminds me of a story my friend recently shared about being stuck on a sandbar in the Russian River.  I just turned 500! Well, not me personally, but today marks the 500th Perspective. (Whew!)
That's 500 compositions, 500 e-mailings, 500 stories, 500 anecdotes, 500 challenges, 500 lessons learned, 500 solutions, 500 opportunities for growth, 500 acts of service, 500 spiritual experiences (I've prayed a lot through the years), 500 new friends and at least 500 typos. (You've let me know about everyone of them.)  We're heading to Santa Cruz this afternoon for a brief holiday before Tristan returns to college, so I've pulled out my rental contract just to be sure my dates are correct.
Years ago, we excitedly showed up, bags in hand, at SFO 24 hours ahead of our trip to Hawaii, and while admittedly, it was a dumb thing to do, thankfully, it wasn't 24 hours after the plane had departed. Instead, we gained a day of no work, no phone calls, no appointments, and no stress (and went to the movies instead)! It may have been the best start to a vacation . . . EVER!  On Tuesday, I received nine offers on my "fixer-upper opportunity" in the Clinton neighborhood of Oakland (Where?)
This vibrant area, just blocks to Lake Merritt off lower Park Avenue has enjoyed a resurgence of energy as homes are being snapped up and renovated in quick succession.  You’d think that with nearly a decade and half of real estate sales under my belt, there’d be few surprises left in this highly-attuned climate where everybody is seemingly an expert, thanks to HGTV. (Yes, I'm addicted.)
Wrong; there’s always something new to learn with each and every transaction.  Last weekend, my husband and I drove to San Francisco to celebrate my birthday at “Flower Piano.” (Put it on next year's calendar; it was loads of fun.) This annual pianos in the park event, now in its fourth year, celebrates the music in all of us. I loved it. (I got the music in me.)
 It’s been a week of delays made worse by a bad bout of vertigo I suffered mid-week (If the room is going to spin, tall glasses of champagne should be the cause – that wasn't the case).
Despite everyone’s best intentions, the Lenders are struggling to meet the quick time frames they’ve promised on two of my closings. Typically, it's more documentation that's required by the Underwriter. Sometimes it's a missing signature or two, and once in awhile, it's to trace the source of funds. Whatever the reason, no one likes delays. (In the words of Jerry McGuire: “Show me the money!”) |
AuthorJulie Gardner, referred to as, "the pulse of Piedmont," has been writing The Piedmont Perspective for 11 years. 
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McGuire Real Estate 2991 Oakland Avenue Berkeley, CA 94705 office: 510.883.7000 Cell: 510.326.0840 |
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