The Piedmont Perspective - It's ALL About Perception! September 25, 2009

What's New?

I was out in the garden yesterday evening mulching the beds, pruning bushes and generally, just decompressing from the day. The air had cooled a bit and the pine needles were landing all around me - a sure sign that change is in the air. It's getting darker earlier, the kids are back at school and the celebrations are definitely more seasonal. We're a year beyond the worse financial setback in decades and things are slowly beginning to improve.

The legacy of the recession is a common sense approach and a return to middle class values by and large. Let's not forget that purchasing a home is typically driven by family values, but strong emotions are part and parcel of almost every home purchase as well. The desire to secure a "deal" combined with the need for "home" and all that title entails, has created a yin and yang of sorts for the majority of home buyers with whom I work each day.

From cautious pessimism, to cautious optimism, buyers are definitely more plentiful than they've been in quite some time and it's palpable. It's also tangible! Several recent sales have had multiple offers as a result of increased interest, coupled with incredibly attractive interest rates and some homes have received offers well above their asking price!

I'm not sure what creates this emotional "tipping point" for buyers but I am sure that "perception" has a great deal to do with it and that "perception" often has to do with what the mainstream media tells us to believe.

So how does one judge "real value" when it's subject to seasonal changes and media hype? That's a good question.

I'm often asked, "How much is this house really worth?" and the short answer is "What is it worth to you?" I am happy to provide clarity in the form of nearby comparable sales, market patterns and specific interest on a given property, but at the end of the day, I can't tell you a home's intrinsic or emotional value - only you can decide that.

I can predict a home's probable selling price, based on facts, figures and experience, but I can't tell you with certainty where it will ultimately trade. It's divination on a professional level, but as always, the market determines "market value"- not the agents, nor the sellers.

Sometimes a home is so special that a buyer fearlessly jumps in with full abandon. He/she comes to the table bearing "the gift" - an offer so powerful that it clearly leaves the rest behind and often, makes little sense (or cents) to the rest of us from an economic perspective.

In that case, there's little to be done with respect to your common sense approach. Purchases based on "emotional value" will always trump those based on "market statistics." In short, value is relative and you'll have to discover your own truth with respect to value and perception.

Here's a quick and favorite story of mine about "perception." Many years ago when my husband Cliff was at law school, he and his good friend and law school classmate Greg we're nervously anticipating their final grades on an important test. (Before the advent of computers, scores were posted on the door by social security number and a student's grade was based entirely on the semester final.)

Scanning the test scores, my studious husband shook his head in disappointment while his more carefree law school buddy breathed a sigh of relief and gave a hearty cheer. "What'd you get?" my husband asked Greg. "I got an 83," was his happy reply. What'd you get?" "I got an 83," responded Cliff with an ironic laugh.

Perception! (BTW, an 83 was the top 10% of their class.)

We each carry our own truths; our own perceptions about life and where value lies. Is there a baby in your future? Are the kids off to college? Are you changing jobs? Changing lifestyles? What's your own personal truth?

What do YOU value most? Find it and let the rest fall where it may. It's your home. It's your life. You decide.

I'll be here and ready to help when you do!

P.S. - You can always reach me right away by emailing me at jgardner@grubbco.com or calling me at (510) 326-0840. I look forward to hearing from you!

Feel free to visit my website at JulieGardner.com for more information as well. DRE License #01431765

The Piedmont Perspective, Volume 110 - Positioning, Power & Pace! - September 16, 2009

What's New?

At the risk of giving myself away, I've been glued to the U.S. Tennis Open over the last week, enjoying the return of Kim Clijsters to the woman's circuit, and the mounting epic battle between tennis great, Roger Federer and future great Juan martin del Potro.

There's something incredibly mesmerizing about the Grand Slams and watching the tennis ball go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth - until an opening develops and the ball is SMACKED for a clear winner. Tennis is a game that goes far beyond the physical as toned minds match up against one another and well-honed strategy comes heavily into play. The truth is that every player in the top 100 has tremendous ground strokes, but it's the mental game that separates the top ten from the rest of the pack and firmly establishes the marquee players!

The same can be said for Real Estate. There often seems to be a simple illusion that anyone can obtain a Broker's license, hang a shingle and manage a profitable real estate business, but in every community, there are a few key players that seem to enjoy the lion's share of the business - as has always been true for The GRUBB Co.

Understanding a community's needs, building trust, defining market value and developing creative marketing strategies has often separated The GRUBB Co. from the rest of the pack. For more than forty years, The GRUBB Co. has enjoyed a dominate market presence here in the East Bay! www.grubbco.com

Watch enough tennis and you'll see how a great player quickly establishes positioning, power and pace as the game unfolds, while the challenger defensively tries to keep up and second guess the stronger opponent. Should the momentum shift, the best players in the world learn to adapt and adjust which is why the top players tend to stay at the top and why The GRUBB Co. is the most recognized boutique agency in Piedmont, Berkeley and the Oakland Hills! (We've earned it one house at a time.)

So watch as The GRUBB Co. continues to grow, expand its Internet presence, design creative advertising, and retain and broaden its market appeal! As a company, we're constantly learning, developing and adjusting to your needs and the market demands.

And so am I . . . every cross court shot, half volley, lob or service ace makes me a better player and a more astute Realtor as well. In home sales, every deal is a new challenge and each successful outcome requires careful strategy and market timing (positioning, power and pace!) and like any top performer - lots and lots of tenacity and hard work!

It's an interesting time to be in real estate in general, to be affiliated with The GRUBB Co. specifically, and to be working with all of you as a whole. Like any great player, I'm constantly striving to improve my game and I look forward to assisting you (and your friends) with all your real estate needs now and in the future.

But first do you mind if I finish the men's final? Roger Federer just took the first set 6-3 and Del Potro is ahead in the second set tie-breaker. Exciting stuff!

Feel free to visit my website at JulieGardner.com for more information as well or contact me directly at jgardner@grubbco.com or at (510)339-0400/264. DRE#:01431765

The Piedmont Perspective, Vol 109 - Take Me Out to the Ball Game! september 3, 2009

What's New?

I am about to make you all a little jealous so I'll apologize up front for gloating. Last Friday, good friends of mine gave me four premier tickets and a parking pass to the San Francisco Giant's Baseball game. They were field level seats about five rows back at the first base line with a perfect and intimate view of the action. (These types of gifts make it hard to go back to general seating once you've been spoiled!)

Even better, San Francisco was experiencing record breaking temperatures that made for an incredibly balmy evening at the park - the kind that begs for a plate of nachos and an ice cold drink (I wore shorts and sandals)! And it didn't hurt that the Giants won the game against the Colorado Rockies in brisk fashion. (Two hours and twenty-three minutes - that's my kind of ballgame.)

During the seventh inning, the Giant's mascot, Lou Seal (Luigi Francisco Seal) joined the party. Having danced a couple of seasons as Bugs Bunny for Great America (it's true!) I get as excited as a kid when I see a fun-loving mascot doing his thing and Lou's among the best in my humble opinion. He was leading us all in a crowd pleasing rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," but failed to notice my waving arms and enthusiastic singing as he rewarded fans with free bags of Cracker Jacks. Hmmm?!? With all due respect to Tim Lincecum and his fantastic pitching, keep your foul balls, what's a gal gotta do to get a FREE box of Cracker Jacks? I LOVE that mammal. Couldn't he tell? Didn't I deserve some love back?

No sooner had that thought popped into my mind when the spectator to my right turned to me and said, "We're taking off soon and I packed extra snacks. Would you like some?" and handed me an unopened box of Cracker Jacks (I kid you not)! "The only condition is that if there's a tattoo inside, you have to wear it." Done!

Now how's that for asking the universe to deliver? So without sounding too space age - I am a strong believer in the concept that we have a way of creating our own reality. This isn't a touchy, feely kind of philosophy - it's the understanding that we unconsciously move toward out dominate thought or to put it in other words - ask and ye shall receive!

So why not ask for the house of your dreams and I am betting you'll begin to find it - even if the house isn't perfect (remember perfection doesn't exist). All kinds of opportunities will begin to present themselves and instead of finding objections, you'll begin to see the possibilities!
See what a warm summer evening and a simple box of Cracker Jacks can do? (Although my husband says I set my sights too low and should have asked for a winning lottery ticket instead.) And thanks to the San Francisco Giants, their mascot, Lou Seal, and the unexpected but welcome generosity of my friends for a spectacular evening!