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The holidays are upon us and the timing couldn't be more apropos. After the election, I'm feeling more than a little disappointed by the results and more disturbingly, what they say about our nation as a whole. Thus, the opportunity to take a break, gather with family and friends, and give thanks for ALL I've earned and been granted seems more important and necessary than ever (and I have a TON to be thankful for).
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Last week, I joined a group of ladies for a Kokedama workshop at the Oconomowak Gardens in Alameda. (I didn't know what Kokedama was either.)
Turns out, Kokedama is the Japanese art of growing plants (also known as poor man's bonsai) in a ball constructed of soil and peat moss. Once the excess water has been squeezed out and the ball is relatively compact and round, you insert a plant of your choosing in the middle, tightly wrap the creation with moss, and then encircle it with twine to form a neat little package that can sit comfortably in a small bowl or vessel. Watering the plant simply requires submersion in water as the ball dries out. It was a nifty little outing and a fun way to spend the morning. (Thank you, ladies.) But what I liked best about the process, was that no one expected perfection and everybody's efforts were entirely unique. In fact, the entire exercise seemed to embrace "wabi-sabi," which is the Japanese aesthetic of finding beauty in impermanence, incompleteness, and imperfection. Now that, I can relate to . . . "I hear you're bringing a level-living home to market next year," my colleague inquired, "would your Sellers consider an off-market sale now?"
"Hmmm . . . if it was EXTREMELY compelling, they probably would," I said. However, in these instances, I'm generally a skeptic. The problem is that when prospective Buyers view a property in its "before" state (meaning with the Sellers "stuff" in place), they can rarely see past the antique furniture, the dated paint colors, or the worn carpet, and this is where we typically lose them. It's already November, which means we're heading into Thanksgiving and our Winter Season. In Realtor terms, this is when inventory begins to dry up, and properties that haven't gone pending are likely to come off the market and reemerge next Spring, with hopefully, better results.
Of course, no one has a crystal ball, and things could be decidedly different in 2025 depending on the outcome of the presidential election, the interest rates, supply & demand, and consumer confidence, but for now, the 4th quarter has been surprisingly brisk, and we hope next year brings much of the same . . . . |
AuthorJulie Gardner, has been writing The Perspective for 18 years and has published more than 775 humorous but always informative, essays on life and real estate. 
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