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In a world where our duly-elected leaders default to "fake news" whenever the facts don't align with their particular rendition of events, the concept of an agreed-upon set of truths seems to have left the room. ("Alternative facts" being the phrase Kellyanne Conway famously coined during her tenure as Trump's spokesperson.)
Per Merriam-Webster's dictionary: "A fact is something that actually exists, happens, or can be proven true by direct observation, experience, or verifiable evidence." In other words, "alternative facts" aren't facts; they're fabrications.
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"Is there glass under the paint," I said to the Seller, pointing to her front door. "Would you mind if we strip the panes to let in more light?"
"What about privacy?" she asked; "We're on a fairly busy street." "That's true," I said, "but the way you live in a home, and the way we present a house for sale are entirely different animals." What I didn't say is that when it comes to selling a home, privacy is the LAST thing Realtors® want. Instead, we're seeking exposure, presence, urgency, and persuasion. Which is why selling covertly is almost never a good idea (almost). We're deep into the Fall Market and gratefully, it has delivered some terrific results. That being said — and for the first time in many years -- Sarah and I ran into some pushback on a property which was accepting offers earlier this week. With interest rates now topping 7.25% (and projected to rise higher still), Buyers may have finally reached an inflection point.
Typically, multiple offers provide the kind of leverage that incentivizes potential Buyers to spend more in competition, but frankly, that was a much easier ask when interest rates were less than half of what they are today. Put more bluntly (because my job isn't to sugarcoat the marketplace) the expectation that Buyers will happily fork over hundreds of thousands more than the list price, may no longer necessarily be a foregone conclusion. Last weekend, I attended the wedding of my younger son's best friend, who for all intents and purposes, was like a third child to us. Andrew accompanied our family on many a vacation, and spent a good deal of time at our house, just as Tristan did at his. Those boys grew up together and are still close friends to this day (although Andrew grew taller, much to Tristan's chagrin).
The wedding was a stunning affair in St. Helena, and the weekend could not have been more lovely. Set against the picturesque hills and vineyards of Napa Valley, on a perfect, fall evening, Andrew and Leah's vows were the culmination of an 11-year relationship that reminded us all of how wonderful young love can be. Congratulations to the beautiful, and joyous couple; may your lives be filled with love and laughter. A nurse, and a sales rep by day respectively, Leah and Andrew currently live in Austin, Texas where they intend to reside for the foreseeable future. Why aren't they returning to the East Bay where they are both from? It's too expensive to live here. Alas, they're not wrong. The Fall has been HOT (and so has the weather). In fact, it' been busier than any third quarter I can recall as August proved to be incredibly fruitful for both Buyers and Sellers alike, especially here in Piedmont, where demand remains high. Demand usually lasts until Thanksgiving when Buyer interest cools considerably and their attentions are diverted to holiday festivities and family gatherings. If a property hasn't sold by Thanksgiving, we're typically removing it from the market and reintroducing it in the Spring.
Cliff and I used to own a motor boat, primarily because it was part & parcel of our Fallen Leaf Lake cabin purchase a few years back. Like most boat owners, we didn't use it enough to justify the expense of docking fees, tax and licenses, insurance, or storing it through the winter. In fact, we had a tough time giving the boat away once we discovered the downside of being boat owners, which is probably why the Sellers had no problem including that old jalopy in the sale. (They knew better.)
The truth is:
From ancestral traditions shared around the campfire, to "The Epic of Gilgamesh," written more than 4,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, to the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen, storytelling has shaped the way we see the world.
My husband, Cliff, who has taught for two decades as an adjunct professor at Berkeley's School of Law, is fond of saying, "You can't change the outcome if you don't change the narrative." The Fall market is upon us, and this year it seems to be moving at breakneck speed. With 24 Piedmont listings either active or pending as of 08/18/26, we're off to a great start. Our darling listing at 6 Greenbank Avenue sold in just one week, as did Stacey and Anna's beautiful property at 66 Manor Drive, while the sweet brown-shingle at 21 Lorita Avenue, represented by Matt and Teresa, sold in one short weekend. All COMPASS listings, each headed by a COMPASS team (thank you very much), and extremely deserving of the early attention they received.
Why so fast? Because, quite often "the bird in the hand beats two in the bush." If you didn't see the article bashing Piedmont in the SF Chronicle (and reiterated in the NY Times), you're probably better off. This is the kind of reporting that falls short of facts, and instead, relies on sensationalism designed to divide.
Listen, I rail against inequality. I stopped shopping at Target when they abandoned DEI. I avoid Amazon. I drive a hybrid. I recycle, and having spent the last 36 years married to a man who represents the indigent on Death Row, you might guess (and you'd be right) that my politics align FAR left. But the article not only unfairly singles out Piedmont, it completely misses the point . . . . On Wednesday morning, I dropped my dog, Riley, off at the veterinarian's office on College Avenue for teeth cleaning and minor surgery. We'd been monitoring a small tumor at the top of his left ear for the past several months that had proven to be benign, but continued to grow. Better to remove it now while it was still pea-sized, until waiting for the lump to get really gnarly.
Thank goodness for pet insurance. Unfortunately, I've seen too many houses where small problems were allowed to fester — sometime for years — to the great detriment of the home (and the Homeowners). And while ongoing maintenance undoubtedly requires a financial outlay, left unattended, the damage can balloon into thousands of dollars that might be better spent on anything but the house (like a Hawaiian vacation). |
AuthorJulie Gardner, has been writing The Perspective for 19 years and has published more than 850 humorous but always informative, essays on life and real estate.
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