There is a mystery foot in the beginning of the interior tour in this video, and it would be a good time to acknowledge the difference made by my wife Donna.
We knew on Saturday that our client’s purchase offer was accepted, contingent upon this house selling. Between Monday and Thursday night, Donna got the home carpeted, painted, and staged by her favorite vendors – people who regularly drop everything to help her out. It is a testimony to how well she has nurtured her relationships with them over the years, and when she needs a favor, she can get one!
Our Carmel Valley listing closed escrow yesterday!
It was the 3br/2.5 ba, 1,804sf home built in 1989 that we completed about $60,000 worth of upgrades in preparing for market (it had been a rental for years). The before-and-after photos were featured here:
The house looked great and it was vacant but this was when I did the blog post about spring break interrupting the market’s momentum. We decided to forge ahead, and I inputted the listing onto the MLS on the Thursday morning before spring break with immediate showings available that day – in hopes of catching any buyers that might be leaving for vacation the next day.
We had six showings on Thursday and Friday, and 100+ people came to open house over the weekend.
In January, I predicted that we would list for $1,750,000, and sell for $1,900,000.
On March 31st, we hit the MLS priced at $1,750,000, and closed for $1,875,000.
We received one offer.
Thankfully, the only offer included a $125,000 premium to incentivize the sellers to take the deal, instead of waiting for two in the bush. But we were already on Day 4 of open-market exposure, so I knew we were at peak market and our chances of selling for over list price would start dropping .
We contemplated whether we should counter-offer on price, or extend the two-week escrow period because we wanted the extra time for the sellers’ 1031 exchange. But given the fact that we only had one offer, the sellers signed it.
We had already completed a home inspection in advance, and thought we had fixed everything. The buyers did their own home inspection – which we always recommend to our buyers as well, and here’s why.
Their inspector noted that the water-meter gauge was running, even with all faucets being off. It’s the sign that a leak had developed, and the hot-water heater was operating the entire time too. The sellers checked their history of utilities and found their costs spiked on March 31st.
We have a ‘slab leak’, and we knew it was the hot side!
Just the thought of a slab leak causes grave concern and panic for most people. But we’ve handled them before, and know that they can be fixed with money like any other home repair.
Donna’s vendors jumped on it, and we closed in 16 days, instead of fourteen.
Great to hear that Lilian Rice is getting a statue – and a remodel! Meet the participants at bottom:
This month, a life-size statue of the late Lilian J. Rice will arrive at the Rancho Santa Fe Historical Society in preparation for its ultimate destination at the town’s civic center envisioned by the architect back in the 1920s. It will officially be unveiled in May with much-deserved fanfare.
Meanwhile, down the street, an altogether different tribute is underway at a single-level Spanish Revival 3,900-square-foot residence built by Rice for a California-dreaming New Jersey family in 1926.
Come spring, it will get its own place in the sun thanks to a duo of San Diego design powerhouses. Del Mar interior designer Michelle Salz-Smith and Lisa Kriedeman, principal of Island Architects, are seizing a rare opportunity to expand and modernize the organic style pioneered by Rice nearly a century ago.
Michelle Salz-Smith creates her own form of minimal eclecticism, where raw materials, hand-forged objects, and distinctive shapes create one-of-a-kind homes in which people commune, contemplate, and connect: https://www.studio-surface.com/home
Tony Crisafi and Lisa Kriedeman are the highly accomplished principal architects creating residences of quiet luxury throughout Southern California, nationally and internationally for more than two decades. https://www.islandarch.com/
Olga left for good yesterday, and was greatly assisted byseniormovemasters.com, who provided an invaluable service in helping set up the new home with all of her prized possessions.
The Rancho Coastal Humane Society was also very helpful today with clearing out the stuff not worth keeping, which ended up being a larger pile than when we first started – as it is for most sellers:
I have many pieces now for my seminar on seniors moving. Stay tuned!
Here’s a video tour of a recent LVP installation by Ken Calkin.
A commenter on the YouTube side thought that the wood tile is a better solution, but with tile you see the grout lines and have to maintain those over the years. The LVP looks like hardwoods!
Before we get started, I just want to express our sincere condolences to all the victims of the Las Vegas shooting and that they are in our thoughts and prayers. #vegasstrong
Holiday Checklist
Now that fall is here, we need to get your home ready for the holidays! It’s always good to do a maintenance check on your home because lets be honest; it’s hard to find time! But could you imagine, it is Christmas Day and there’s about to be 20+ people coming over and a roof leak occurs?! Yikes!
Hopefully this checklist can help you feel less stress during the holidays!
1. Roof – Take a walk around the house and make sure there are no loose shingles. Check the flashing too! It’s always nice to have a professional do a inspection for those who have old roofs or live in rainy areas.
2. Caulking – This is a pretty critical maintenance action for any homeowner. The main areas to focus on is the top of exposed windows and lights to prevent rainfall from getting in.
3. Gutters – It’s always very important to have this system flowing smoothly. When leaves, dirt, and runoff water stays in your gutters for too long, it not only creates blockage but can also lead to corrosion and rust. Some people like to have mesh guards over their gutters to keep debris out!
4. Plumbing – Water. We need it, yet it can cause major issues to a home! Locate your main water shut off valve and make sure all family members know where it is. It will come in handy to have multiple people know how to shut it off in case of an emergency!
5. Heating and AC System – Time for a seasonal checkup! People forget to change their filters so now would be a good time. You can also adjust your system’s temperatures since we are transitioning from muggy to crisp and refreshing air.
6. Smoke and CO Detectors – Many forget to check, and just wait for the annoying beeps to alert them to a dead battery. The International Fire Chiefs Association encourages you to change your smoke alarm batteries every November when you set your clocks back for Daylight Savings Time!
7. General Cleanup – There is always lots of cooking during the holidays (duh). But there are also people running their fireplaces. This would be a great time to remove fire hazards, inside and out! Newspapers, magazines, junk mail, overgrown brush and trees, etc.
8. Thin out your holiday decorations – Some of us like to hoard the old decorations – but are we ever going to use grandma’s old ornaments? Whatever you don’t use, either give away or throw away!
If you want referrals to vendors/contractors to assist with any of these – my mom, Donna, has someone for everything. Email us at klingerealty@gmail.com.
With the solar roof tiles covering the entire house, they will be pitching it as a money-making solar plant. But $87,500 is double the cost of today’s panel systems – or more! Nice warranty though:
Made with tempered glass, Solar Roof tiles are more than three times stronger than standard roofing tiles. That’s why we offer the best warranty in the industry – the lifetime of your house, or infinity, whichever comes first.
