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Early Tuesday morning, I had an MRI performed on my right knee. Sadly, the test revealed a meniscus tear, not to mention disintegrating cartilage, as well as significant arthritis around the patella. It's not great news, but at least I now know what I'm dealing with, and more importantly, where I stand. Or more precisely, DON'T stand. (Aka: I'm old!)
Because most of our housing stock in the East Bay is also "old," knowing what you're dealing with is among the most important aspects of buying or selling real estate. However, as we've yet to invent the equivalent of the real estate MRI, there will always be a certain amount of the unknown when wading into the murky waters of homeownership. Consequently, finding a comfort level regarding such risks is no easy feat; you'll need to muster superhuman powers.
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The text message on my phone simply read, "Julie, can you give me a call so we can talk through a few things?"
This particular client has been a cherished part of my journey for many years, and I've had the joy of witnessing his children — like many of my clients' kids — grow from toddlers into high schoolers, before heading off to college and then down the aisle — an astonishing transformation that seems to happen in the blink of an eye. There’s an incredible bond that forms when you become an extension of a family, even if it's just in an advisory role. If "bad news comes in threes," I've paid my bill. On the heels of Jill leaving, and my mother passing away (thank you for all your kind thoughts and prayers), I managed to blow out my right knee last week while at a listing appointment, sending me to the emergency room in searing pain. (That lovely Homeowner insisted on delivering me to Kaiser when it became clear that I couldn't drive myself. Then he stayed with me while I waited nearly two hours to see the doctor in the emergency room.)
I've spent the past several weeks driving back and forth to Sonoma to assist my older sister, Diana, in navigating our mother's final stages of life. Suffering from acute COPD and degenerative heart disease, the goal was to make sure she stayed comfortable until the bitter end. (Kids, don't smoke!)
In a coordinated effort that took my sisters, skilled doctors, empathetic nurses, a respiratory specialist, and experienced hospice care, Ellen passed peacefully, in her sleep, last Saturday, in the wee hours. "We're shopping for Realtors," the woman said, "and my husband and I would like to speak with you and Sarah about representing us." (Thank you, we appreciate that.)
"Tell me a little bit about your house," I said, "your timeline, its condition, how long you've lived there, and most importantly, your expectations. Once we meet and see the home, we'll refine the process." "We bought in 2000," she said, "and we've loved living here, but it's time to move on." Then she added, "We've done our best to take good care of it, but, admittedly, the house is a little 'lived in'." |
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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