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

Weighing Your Options

2/18/2021

0 Comments

 
I've been weighing myself a lot these days trying to get rid of the "Covid 19" I gained in 2020 learning how to make homemade ice cream while stuck inside. Suffice it to say that the pounds are coming off more slowly than they piled on . . . Still, having turned over a new leaf, I'm committed to this healthier routine; I'm on the Peloton bright and early most mornings, I have adopted intermittent fasting, and I am living on food only a rabbit should eat. And yet, the results are slower than I would have liked OR expected . . . (Remember when you could shed five pounds before the weekend rolled around? Those days are gone.)
Sure, I'm aware these actions are all good for the heart, not to mention one's mental health, but let's be clear, I'm not foregoing cookies and sourdough bread for my mental health. I'd swap a little "crazy" for a piece of chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting right about now. (Does carrot cake count as a vegetable?)

"You're building your body brick by brick!" Cody reminded his "virtual" class of 58,000 (and one) cyclists, "and that takes time."

Right. At this point, I'm just hoping to get out of drawstring pants and elastic waist lines. Granted, that requires some insight and understanding about my options - as in pancakes vs. oatmeal. (Definitely pancakes.)

In spite of, or perhaps because of the Coronavirus, our concepts of a home base have never been considered more than they are right now while we all navigate the "new normal." As it turns out, the Coronavirus has presented new paths to forge. In short, it's all about "weighing your options," making a decision, and then following through.

Opting for working from home and Zoom conference calls? That's understandable.

Ready to relocate to Tahoe and ski with the kids every day? The mountains are calling.

Moving to an entirely new city, state, or continent? Why not?

Heading back to your family of origin? That has its pluses.

Embarking on a completely new and unexpected opportunity? Go for it.

As such, some Sellers are opting to go the private route, selling "off-market" instead of fully exposing their house on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). Armed with the knowledge that off-market sales don't actually translate to discounted sales (indeed, they often trade at a premium), there are many legitimate and sound reasons why Sellers choose an "off-market" sale rather than go through the expense and time of bringing their property to market.

"I'd like to sell without all the displacement and cost."

"Knowing who is buying my home is more important to me than potentially getting more money."

"I need to sell before I can buy."

"I'd like to sell quickly."

"I prefer discretion."

"I don't want the stress of carrying two houses at once."

"I don't want to move twice."

We hear you loud and clear and the good news is that we can accommodate your wishes as long as you understand the tradeoffs. (LOADS of Buyers are waiting for your "off-market" opportunity). However, when it comes to selling "on" or "off" market, it's definitely a risks vs. rewards game. The risk is that you may be leaving money on the table. The reward comes in the form of security and ease of timing.

Lest you think the "off-market" sale is easier than packing up a lifetime of "stuff" and finding temporary digs, you'd be surprised . . . these sales often come with a fair amount of negotiations, pushback, and second-guessing.

Why?

Because Buyers and Sellers are working in a vacuum. With no ability to "market test" the house, no competition, and no validation from the herd, things can get shaky in a hurry, and that often makes for a difficult and suspenseful transaction.

But, if both sides come to a meeting of the minds, under well-defined circumstances, an off-market transaction can be an elegant solution, with the caveat that the Sellers won’t know if they could have sold the house for more, or conversely if the Buyers could have bought for less. (Remember, an off-market opportunity often comes at a premium!) The ONLY way to definitively know you received top dollar for your property, is to fully expose it to the marketplace, and let the market carry it where it will.

With that in mind, this is your house, your risk, your reward, and your decision; our job is to support you in whichever route you choose. But if it's "mind-boggling" results you seek, we'll need to move you out, fully prep your property for 3-4 weeks, invest in its improvements (brick by brick), bring your house to market, and then see what happens.

Are we clear?

Gotta run. I've got oatmeal on the stove. (Ugh, I miss pancakes.)

How can we help you?
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 775 humorous but always informative, essays on life and real estate. 

    Picture

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    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
[email protected]
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