Dog Day Afternoon

Early Tuesday morning, I met a few friends and we headed to the SF Flower Market to purchase flowers for an upcoming garden show. (I'm still unclear as to how I "volunteered," but there you go.) Novices at best, we made our way through the mart in quick time, deciding on a color theme, and plunking down our money as if we knew what we were doing before heading back to my house to "design" our arrangement. (Fake it 'til you make it.)

For all the gardening I do (and I do A LOT!) flower arranging isn't a skill set I naturally possess. I fall more into the category of shove several bunches of one gorgeous variety (tulips, peonies, dogwood, and ranunculus are currently in season) into an attractive vessel, et voila, instant beauty!

So, the thought of creating an original floral tablescape that not only met the stringent requirements of the contest, but went along with the theme of "Best in Show," was not only out of the box, it was a completely foreign concept to me. As such, we bought LOTS of options, and did our best to make an artful display that we hoped would legitimately compete.

It occurs to me that when I work with home buyers or sellers, they're often wading into territory they're completely unfamiliar with as well. We grow up with the idea of homeownership, we watch our friends buy houses, and yet, until we're in the thick of it, we really have no idea of how much work it takes, how stiff the competition is, or how many people are involved with the home buying or selling process. (The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker.)

When you think of mortgage brokers, Realtors®, title officers, insurance brokers, inspectors, contractors, gardeners, window washers, stagers, etc., it's an endless parade of people who make their livings in the world of real estate, accounting for 17% of the U.S. GDP! Of course it's scary; it's a significant commitment often involving your life savings. Consequently, fear is an entirely reasonable response . . . but don't let it paralyze you.

Justified "fear" is a roadblock that stands between you and your goals. (Growth lives on the edge of anxiety.) While moving can be overwhelming, it's our job to help our clients move into action, and overcome whatever hurdles they've erected. At the heart of it, Realtors® are problem solvers, shape shifters and transformers. Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, forward motion is is how we get the job done.

Here's some good news . . . even with the unknowns, even in the face of uncertainty, even with inflation concerns, stock market volatility, higher interest rates, and the dramatic loss of available housing stock (supply is down 25% in all price points), people still need a place to live. As such, our East Bay marketplace is experiencing incredibly HIGH demand. In other words, prices are quickly escalating, and Sellers are reaping the benefits.

Based on nothing but my own insignificant opinion, I believe the increased demand has a lot to do with the need to "nest" when the world feels chaotic and completely "out of whack" (that's a professional term). But the increase of Bay Area wealth due to BIG AI payoffs certainly doesn't hurt. These affluent folks have recently come into MONEY, and they're out looking for homes. (Please give us a call.)

Whatever your motivations, whatever your budget, whatever your comfort level, the truth is that buying or selling — under the best of circumstances — is an inherently difficult process, irrespective of which side of the equation you fall on. And because a home purchase or sale occurs, on average, only once every decade or so, it's always going to be a bit foreign, even to those who have moved frequently (as I have). So listen, learn, educate yourself as much as possible, and then rely on your team to help you navigate the complicated journey. We've done this hundreds of times, which is to say you may count on us for every phase of the operation. (BTW - it gets easier with practice, as I assume flower arranging does as well?)

How can we help you?

PS: Here was our submission. Not bad for a bunch of first-timers who didn't have a clue. How'd we do?