The Piedmont Perspective, Vol 55 - Surf, Sand & Sun! June 25, 2008
What's New?
The solstice makes it official; summer has arrived and the big question is this: Is the market going to take a vacation?
The GRUBB Co. has incepted 56 new sales this month so far, which leads one to believe that momentum remains healthy and in fact, seems to be on the upswing.
However, if your home has been on the market longer than average, be prepared to negotiate. Flexibility is important here as buyers take advantage of an increasingly identifiable "buyer's market."
Tough as it is to admit, selling homes is a bit like high school. It's all about "popularity." If your home qualifies as the Prom King (or Queen), the buyers will be lining up to dance. Congratulations - you will be in the position of picking your buyers, your terms and your price.
("Popularity" often has to do with location, pedigree, and condition. If your home doesn't meet all three of these criteria, it is likely to be less popular. For properties that have missed their selling window, a successful transaction is ultimately going to filter down to PRICE!)
Find the sweet spot (the price where demand meets expectations) and you are sure to increase your "popularity" with buyers.
While we are on the subject of "popularity," Mindy Scott has listed a remarkable Traditional at 44 Sierra Avenue that offers grand living and a fabulous central Piedmont location near the park, schools and the town center that should prove my point. This extraordinary home is on the market for the first time in 35 years and although there is work to be done here, the end product promises to be a show piece that rivals the best Piedmont has to offer. With truly grand proportions and enough space to encompass all of your dreams, this wonderful residence has potential to spare. Price: $3,200,000. Open this Sunday 2-4:30. www.Grubbco.com
What's Coming?
Piedmont's annual Fourth of July Parade is coming! Grab your lawn chairs and stake out your viewing spot. (The real estate along Highland Avenue is tougher to negotiate on July 3 than the housing market in Piedmont the rest of the year!)
This is home town tradition at it's very best! Then after the parade, head on over to the park for the annual concert. With block parties scattered throughout town, a parking lot barbecue at Mulberry Market, and day long festivities, there's plenty of lively entertainment to be had. The parade begins at 11:00 am.
What's Pending?
The two-home listing on Sheridan Avenue has gone pending. With many qualified buyers away on vacation, there is bound to be less competition in the market. If you are holding out for the "deal," now may be your best bet.
Having said that, I want to remind you to shop for "values," not "deals." (Yes, I've said this before, but it bears repeating) The "deal" is short-term thinking, better suited to speculators who can absorb a loss. The "Value" is long-term thinking and is better suited to those who will be staying in their home. It is the purchase that five or ten years down the road, becomes the GREAT buy.
When you focus on getting a "great value," instead of a "good deal" you often create the "better deal."
What's Happening?
Speaking of value, I want to remind you to look at Carol Brown's TLC listing in the heart of Piedmont at 21 Park Way. This property has good activity around it and rightly so. I like all of the possibilities here.
I also happen to think there is REAL value at my listing at 324 Sea View Avenue. To see more: www.324Seaview.com. I opened up Veranda Magazine this week and the featured property's living room was identical to 324 Sea View! Check it out.
What's Fun!
Unbeknownst to my boss DJ, I stole away Monday afternoon for a quick getaway to Santa Cruz with my younger son and his best friend . We stayed at The West Cliff Bed & Breakfast Inn (800-979-0900) directly across the street from the beach and kitty corner to The Boardwalk, where we hung out riding the Big Dipper roller coaster and snacking on all things fatting and deep fried. How can you pass up 75-cent hot dogs, cotton candy and churros? ( I also happen to love The Dream Inn which is currently under renovation and is set to reopen July 1!)
We arrived Monday afternoon after waking to unseasonably cool weather in Oakland, and were thrilled to breach the summit at Hwy 17 to find warmth and sunshine greeting us down below. After checking in, we hustled into our suits and crossed the road (shovel and bucket in hand) and got busy hopping the waves and burying each other in the sand. (The boys dug. I finished my novel.)
Such afternoons aren't much different than the ones I grew up with when my own family made the journey from Sacramento each summer for our annual vacation; my folks' 57 Chevy Wagon stuffed to the gills with their six kids and every beach towel, floating device, ice cooler and sand toy imaginable.
We returned each year to a rental in Capitola where we spent gleeful days trading comic books, splurging on soft-serve ice cream and enjoying the beach and merry-go-round. There are some types of fun one never outgrows and for me, the beach is it.
Whether it's a mountain lake, a lazy river or the gentle waves of the ocean, I'm all for slathering on the sunscreen, propping open the beach chair and digging my toes into the sand.
Santa Cruz is only an hour and a half away and if the Boardwalk isn't your idea of fun, check out the thriving downtown scene or nearby Capitola for a quick getaway.
Do you think DJ will mind if I head back for an extra day or two?
The Piedmont Plug!
Andrea Kent is escorting a group of students to Costa Rica in conjunction with the Boy Scouts of America's standard and approval. This youth led activity, with adult supervision, is the first Community Service Crew trip to Costa Rica, but certainly, not the last. Andrea has an intimate knowledge of Costa Rica and couldn't be a better host or organizer for the trip (She and her family own and operate an inn there).
The main service project will be a creek clean-up, led by the local Covirena Group (Vigilance Committee of Natural Resources) and the kids from Piedmont will partner with kids from Costa Rica to tackle this environmental assignment.
However, this trip won't just be all work and no play. Andrea has been busy organizing rafting trips, zip lines, and a day at the Hot Springs for those inclined to seek adventure. For more information, call Andrea Kent at 510-444-4295 or email her at andrea.kent10@gmail.com. There are only a few spots left and this is a first come, first serve opportunity. The Costa Rica trip runs from August 4-12 and some fundraising is being conducted to help offset the costs. Call for more details.
THANKS FOR READING!
For more information about any of the properties or events listed above, please call me at (510) 339-0400 x264, or simply respond to this email. I'd love to share my real estate tips and my experience in the Piedmont community with you!
Feel free to visit my website at JulieGardner.com for more information as well.
The solstice makes it official; summer has arrived and the big question is this: Is the market going to take a vacation?
The GRUBB Co. has incepted 56 new sales this month so far, which leads one to believe that momentum remains healthy and in fact, seems to be on the upswing.
However, if your home has been on the market longer than average, be prepared to negotiate. Flexibility is important here as buyers take advantage of an increasingly identifiable "buyer's market."
Tough as it is to admit, selling homes is a bit like high school. It's all about "popularity." If your home qualifies as the Prom King (or Queen), the buyers will be lining up to dance. Congratulations - you will be in the position of picking your buyers, your terms and your price.
("Popularity" often has to do with location, pedigree, and condition. If your home doesn't meet all three of these criteria, it is likely to be less popular. For properties that have missed their selling window, a successful transaction is ultimately going to filter down to PRICE!)
Find the sweet spot (the price where demand meets expectations) and you are sure to increase your "popularity" with buyers.
While we are on the subject of "popularity," Mindy Scott has listed a remarkable Traditional at 44 Sierra Avenue that offers grand living and a fabulous central Piedmont location near the park, schools and the town center that should prove my point. This extraordinary home is on the market for the first time in 35 years and although there is work to be done here, the end product promises to be a show piece that rivals the best Piedmont has to offer. With truly grand proportions and enough space to encompass all of your dreams, this wonderful residence has potential to spare. Price: $3,200,000. Open this Sunday 2-4:30. www.Grubbco.com
What's Coming?
Piedmont's annual Fourth of July Parade is coming! Grab your lawn chairs and stake out your viewing spot. (The real estate along Highland Avenue is tougher to negotiate on July 3 than the housing market in Piedmont the rest of the year!)
This is home town tradition at it's very best! Then after the parade, head on over to the park for the annual concert. With block parties scattered throughout town, a parking lot barbecue at Mulberry Market, and day long festivities, there's plenty of lively entertainment to be had. The parade begins at 11:00 am.
What's Pending?
The two-home listing on Sheridan Avenue has gone pending. With many qualified buyers away on vacation, there is bound to be less competition in the market. If you are holding out for the "deal," now may be your best bet.
Having said that, I want to remind you to shop for "values," not "deals." (Yes, I've said this before, but it bears repeating) The "deal" is short-term thinking, better suited to speculators who can absorb a loss. The "Value" is long-term thinking and is better suited to those who will be staying in their home. It is the purchase that five or ten years down the road, becomes the GREAT buy.
When you focus on getting a "great value," instead of a "good deal" you often create the "better deal."
What's Happening?
Speaking of value, I want to remind you to look at Carol Brown's TLC listing in the heart of Piedmont at 21 Park Way. This property has good activity around it and rightly so. I like all of the possibilities here.
I also happen to think there is REAL value at my listing at 324 Sea View Avenue. To see more: www.324Seaview.com. I opened up Veranda Magazine this week and the featured property's living room was identical to 324 Sea View! Check it out.
What's Fun!
Unbeknownst to my boss DJ, I stole away Monday afternoon for a quick getaway to Santa Cruz with my younger son and his best friend . We stayed at The West Cliff Bed & Breakfast Inn (800-979-0900) directly across the street from the beach and kitty corner to The Boardwalk, where we hung out riding the Big Dipper roller coaster and snacking on all things fatting and deep fried. How can you pass up 75-cent hot dogs, cotton candy and churros? ( I also happen to love The Dream Inn which is currently under renovation and is set to reopen July 1!)
We arrived Monday afternoon after waking to unseasonably cool weather in Oakland, and were thrilled to breach the summit at Hwy 17 to find warmth and sunshine greeting us down below. After checking in, we hustled into our suits and crossed the road (shovel and bucket in hand) and got busy hopping the waves and burying each other in the sand. (The boys dug. I finished my novel.)
Such afternoons aren't much different than the ones I grew up with when my own family made the journey from Sacramento each summer for our annual vacation; my folks' 57 Chevy Wagon stuffed to the gills with their six kids and every beach towel, floating device, ice cooler and sand toy imaginable.
We returned each year to a rental in Capitola where we spent gleeful days trading comic books, splurging on soft-serve ice cream and enjoying the beach and merry-go-round. There are some types of fun one never outgrows and for me, the beach is it.
Whether it's a mountain lake, a lazy river or the gentle waves of the ocean, I'm all for slathering on the sunscreen, propping open the beach chair and digging my toes into the sand.
Santa Cruz is only an hour and a half away and if the Boardwalk isn't your idea of fun, check out the thriving downtown scene or nearby Capitola for a quick getaway.
Do you think DJ will mind if I head back for an extra day or two?
The Piedmont Plug!
Andrea Kent is escorting a group of students to Costa Rica in conjunction with the Boy Scouts of America's standard and approval. This youth led activity, with adult supervision, is the first Community Service Crew trip to Costa Rica, but certainly, not the last. Andrea has an intimate knowledge of Costa Rica and couldn't be a better host or organizer for the trip (She and her family own and operate an inn there).
The main service project will be a creek clean-up, led by the local Covirena Group (Vigilance Committee of Natural Resources) and the kids from Piedmont will partner with kids from Costa Rica to tackle this environmental assignment.
However, this trip won't just be all work and no play. Andrea has been busy organizing rafting trips, zip lines, and a day at the Hot Springs for those inclined to seek adventure. For more information, call Andrea Kent at 510-444-4295 or email her at andrea.kent10@gmail.com. There are only a few spots left and this is a first come, first serve opportunity. The Costa Rica trip runs from August 4-12 and some fundraising is being conducted to help offset the costs. Call for more details.
THANKS FOR READING!
For more information about any of the properties or events listed above, please call me at (510) 339-0400 x264, or simply respond to this email. I'd love to share my real estate tips and my experience in the Piedmont community with you!
Feel free to visit my website at JulieGardner.com for more information as well.
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5:28 PM
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