JULIE GARDNER
  • HOME
  • COMPASS
    • WHY COMPASS?
    • COMPASS CONCIERGE
    • COMPASS BRIDGE LOANS
  • LISTINGS
  • ABOUT
    • ABOUT JULIE
    • A DYNAMIC PARTNERSHIP
    • CONTACT
    • PROCESS
    • TESTIMONIALS
    • PRESS
  • PROJECTS
    • BEFORE & AFTER
    • GARDENS
    • OUR TEAM
    • VIDEOS
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • UTILITIES
    • SCHOOLS

Right as Rain!

4/14/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
More rain?!? Enough already. My new yard can't absorb much more. With news that the drought has officially been declared "over" due to the highest recorded rainfall in decades, it's comforting to know that we can run our sprinklers once again (although we may not need to for some time). Now can Governor Brown please let the clouds know? While I'm deeply grateful for the abundance of precipitation this year, can I just state for the record that I'm more than ready for a string of WARM, SUNNY DAYS! 

I'm ready to barbecue on the new grill Cliff and I installed in the backyard this winter, ready to hit the beach with the new puppy in tow, ready to harvest some of the spring blossoms, ready to watch baseball without a rain delay, AND ready to put the umbrellas and rain coats away. (What are your ready for?)

Spring isn't just my favorite season because it's incredibly alive and abundant - especially here in Piedmont where everyone's stunning gardens seem to be on display - but because it also signals the season when Buyers and Sellers are most active (and when I tend to refill my dwindling coffers after a winter of scant sales activity - unfortunately, just in time to pay taxes!)

For Sellers who contacted us last fall, we've already put their properties on the market, or have scheduled them for the weeks up ahead. We've got workman, painters, window washers, haulers, stagers and gardeners all working behind the scenes to get things up and running, which makes for a more methodical entry into the marketplace. Yes, it's a ton of work, yes, it's invasive, yes, it's inconvenient, but it's not unexpected. Like a chess game, everyone's on board and everyone has a part to play.

Meanwhile, prepared Buyers will have met with their mortgage lenders by now and created a plan around how to buy in heavy competition. Their lender's advice will undoubtedly include organizing tax returns and W-2s, paying down any outstanding debt, opening credit lines if none exist, and factoring in gifts or other lines of income. And for many Buyers, it may even include selling their house first, before identifying their replacement property. With a good plan in place, such Buyers will certainly be ready to make an aggressive offer when the opportunity presents. 

BUT for other less-directed Buyers and Sellers, they'll come across their next home almost by chance, OR will unexpectedly find themselves in different circumstances, OR will be transferred to another city for work, OR will hear about an opportunity they can't stand to pass up, and will thus, require a much faster turnaround time. They weren't expecting to move, but now they are. (It's 'PANIC time!')

No worries, whether quickly or slowly, we're here to help. When necessary, I can write an offer within a few hours (although I prefer a few days), or create a marketing plan that puts us on the fast track with the goal of bringing your home to the public in a few short weeks, instead of a few months. It will be a whirlwind of activity to be sure, and you'll need to rely heavily on faith and trust (and Xanax), but together, we can absolutely get the job done.  

In such circumstances, having a well-tuned machine is vital to quickly getting your house to the market, which not only includes myself and my full-time project manager, Jill, but the entire GRUBB Co. team of agents, marketers, photographers and escrow coordinators all invested in your success as well. (Yes, it really does take a village to sell or buy a home.)

The best course of action - whether we think we are going to move or not - is to keep our homes in good working order and clutter free on an ongoing basis. (It's a small price to pay to keep our options open . . .)  

Take a moment to look at your home with a critical eye (the way a Realtor or an inspector does). Are there cracks in the ceiling and walls? Is the roof leaking? Are the gutters clogged with debris? Do the rooms need painting? Is the carpet old and in need of replacement? Have vines overtaken the house? Should you rethink the landscape out front? (Yes, you probably should.) Are the appliances outdated? Do the bathrooms need repair or renovation? Are the windows painted shut? Are the attic and basement stuffed to the rafters with cast-off items no longer needed? Do the light bulbs need replacing? When is the last time you weeded, pruned, or mulched? (Seriously, when?)

In short, what's not working - and hasn't been for years? (Shabby is only "chic" if it's deliberate.)

While some of these items require more investment and forethought, many of them need little more than a ladder and some elbow grease to set things straight. In either case, wouldn't it be nicer to enjoy the upgraded improvements to your home while you can still enjoy them, rather than to wait for your Realtor to instruct you to address them for the sale? (Yes, it would.)

In spite of the continued rains, spring is here (which means spring cleaning is here as well). Purge, clean, repair, have a garage sale, or donate, but let's get to work to ensure that no matter what life throws your way, you'll be "right as rain" when and IF you need to be. Let's achieve your goals, whatever they may be, and no matter how they may come. 
How can I help you?

Check out my Instagram at: piedmontrealtorgirl
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Subscribe

    Author

    Julie Gardner, has been writing The Perspective for 18 years and has published more than 670 essays on life and real estate. 

    Picture

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    December 2008
    November 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    August 2008
    July 2008
    June 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008
    March 2008

    Categories

    All
    Business
    Design
    Drought
    Holiday
    Home Maintenance
    Homes For Sale
    Life
    Market
    Politics
    Renovation

    RSS Feed

    View my profile on LinkedIn
Piedmont · Oakland · Berkeley
 510.326.0840
julie@juliegardner.com
DRE# 01431765
​COMPASS

  • HOME
  • COMPASS
    • WHY COMPASS?
    • COMPASS CONCIERGE
    • COMPASS BRIDGE LOANS
  • LISTINGS
  • ABOUT
    • ABOUT JULIE
    • A DYNAMIC PARTNERSHIP
    • CONTACT
    • PROCESS
    • TESTIMONIALS
    • PRESS
  • PROJECTS
    • BEFORE & AFTER
    • GARDENS
    • OUR TEAM
    • VIDEOS
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • UTILITIES
    • SCHOOLS