Inventory in Land Park and Curtis Park has dropped about 30% over the past year, which means there is very little on the market right now. There is a small handful of homes near a million, OK, I can count them on one hand -- and only 20 homes over half a million. And some sellers are pulling a Nancy Reagan and just saying "no" to showings.
A client sent me a list of the top six homes they want to see today. Of those, half are not available. Criminy, look at the way my requests for showings break down:
Property 1: I asked to see this at 1:30. The sellers wanted to know if we could come at 2 PM instead. What? How many showings could they possibly have had in this price range lately? We got the appointment for 1:30.
Property 2: This home has had all the copper plumbing ripped out, which is a growing concern not only in Land Park and Curtis Park but everywhere in Sacramento. It's a short sale contingent, meaning there's an offer at the bank and, um, it's a short sale. But the bank directed the agent not to send any another offers, says the agent. ?!?
Property 3: Taken off the market. Don't know when it will go back on the market. Seller has decided to make improvements.
Property 4: Eureka! We have our second showing. But the seller was concerned about setting off the alarm as the agent who showed it earlier this week had managed to do. Alarm city, that's me. I'm the worst with alarms. No matter what I do, I often trigger them. Now my heart will be palpitating as I slowly enter the alarm code and hope to god I don't set it off.
Property 5: Off the market so the seller can make repairs.
Property 6: Expired. I called the seller anyway to find out if she was still interested in showing. Turns out, seller says, that MLS made a mistake, and it's not expired. Sounds like an agent input error to me. We have an appointment for our 3rd showing.
Six homes and three showings. This is a strange real estate market in Land Park and Curtis Park right now. I know just about all the agents in these neighborhoods, and they know me. Up until now, it's always been very easy to get appointments for showings. When I list homes in Land Park or Curtis Park, I make certain other agents can show them, even if I have to drive over to the home and let them in myself.
Photo: Big Stock Photo
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Certified HAFA Specialist
My Sacramento Real Estate Listings
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, available at Amazon.com.
Lyon Real Estate is not associated with the government, and our service is not approved by the government or your lender. Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your lender may not agree to change your loan.
Photo: Unless otherwise noted in this blog, the photo is copyrighted by Big Stock Photo and used with permission.
The views expressed herein are Weintraub's personal views and do not reflect the views of Lyon Real Estate.
Disclaimer: If this post contains a listing, information is deemed reliable as of the date it was written. After that date, the listing may be sold, listed by another brokerage, canceled, pending or taken temporarily off the market, and the price could change without notice. It could blow up, explode or vanish. To find out the present status of any listing, please go to elizabethweintraub.com.
