Oh Deer!

“I love the house,” the woman said, “but it’s the garden I can’t get over,” she gushed.

The compliment was well deserved. Artfully designed by a landscape professor from UC Berkeley, the front and rear gardens at our newest listing in Elmwood are spectacular. Featuring a graceful landscape that includes a wisteria-covered arbor, fig, apple, and pomelo trees, herb garden, blooming ground cover, lush beds, bubbling Zen fountain, gas fire pit, and expansive deck, it’s easy to imagine the hours spent here with fresh lemonade and a good book.

And so, the Open went, with both neighbors and potential Buyers gathering outside, admiring the garden and reaffirming what I know to be true - good landscape can transform properties, and the house at 2722 Prince St. absolutely fits the bill.

Anyone who knows me knows I spend a fair amount of time in the garden, but lately, I've dedicated more time than usual preparing for an upcoming tour I am hosting in early May. Unfortunately, an unwelcome herd of uninvited visitors are also spending time in my garden. Oh deer!

Previously content to limit their meals to the roses on the front side of the fence that surrounds my well-tended garden, they’ve now decided there’s better fare to be had by hopping the barrier and helping themselves to the newly formed buds on the rose bushes in front and back. (The nerve.)

Bambi notwithstanding, I’m at my wits' end. 

“Does this spray really repel the deer?” I asked the sales clerk at the nursery. 

“I believe so,” she said, at which point I grabbed not only the bottle but the refill as well. 

When I got home, I proceeded to liberally spray every rose in my garden with coyote urine. (Exactly how it's collected, I can't imagine.) I don’t know if it will keep the deer away, but it’s likely to repel my neighbors for sure. It smells awful! Still, if it will give the plants enough time to regenerate, I’ll put up with the stink for now and lay off a few days before the tour date. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s a plan. 

A "plan” is something Sarah, Jill, Kate, and I have mastered, as every home sale requires a well-executed "plan" to achieve top dollar. Sure, you could haphazardly throw something together, but given the stakes, why would you? For most of us, our homes are our single-largest investment. But to be clear, not all plans go off without a hitch; my garden being the perfect example. I've meticulously tended it for months to coincide and bloom with next week's visit, only to be undercut by those damn deer, who care very little (and by "very little," I mean NOT AT ALL) about my well-laid plans. 

But when we speak of homes, it's often outside conditions that are torpedoing our best efforts, coupled with events that we obviously don't  control. (To quote James Carville, "It's the economy, stupid.")  Between the uncertainty in Washing D.C., rising inflation, poor job growth, higher interest rates, threats of a recession, and insurance carriers that refuse to insure the homes we're selling without significant upgrades, the real estate market seems to have lost its footing, providing inconsistent results. While some house are enjoying multiple offers with incredible results from Buyers and, perhaps, investors seeking more tangible avenues than the tumbling stock market, other properties are sitting and twisting in the wind. (Condos and townhomes being nearly impossible to sell.) We're clearly in a market of two tales . . . .

Consequently, we often need not only a Plan A, but a Plan B as well (especially in a market that is clearly shifting). And, as we create that plan of action, we count on Jill and Kate to thoroughly and logically map out the chain of events. (Everything must precisely fall into place to make our timelines.) Without a good plan, we'd absolutely be in the weeds . . . (Perhaps the deer could take note and munch on clover instead?)

Which is to say that if you AREN'T choosing a REALTOR® who not only provides a detailed plan, as well as a proposed budget, AND a calendar that clearly articulates the steps along the way, you’re quite literally short-changing yourself. 
With that, I've got some spraying to do. I need a nose plug.

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