I got this great Chinese proverb last week inside a fortune cookie from Fortune House, and now I can't remember it. Drats. It was something about gaining pleasure from things in moderation, without excess. All things in moderation. That's true. Just about too much of anything is a bad thing. Too much sun will burn. Too much food will fatten. Too many drugs will kill. You can over do it. When I was 5, I pounded the free cream soda at my dad's company picnic because it was free. And yummy, I thought. I probably drank 8 or 10 bottles of that awful soda pop, which caused me to puke all of my brother's lap.
One of the dishes at Bistro Michel in Midtown Sacramento, over at O and 14th, was too much as well. My husband and I had tried that place for brunch on Sunday, and it was pretty decent, so we made a reservation for dinner last night. On Sunday, we had ordered a plate to share of French fries (Pommes Frites to you, Melanie Ross), and they were delicious. Just a hint of truffle. The potatoes are first soaked in salt water after peeling. Then sliced. Soaked in salt water again overnight. Blanched in oil. Dried. Then deep-fried, dusted with sea salt and drizzled with a touch of truffle-infused oil.
Those fries were so good that last night I ordered the flat-iron steak just to get a side of Steak Frites. But they were soggy. Nobody can eat 4 servings of fries, and that's how high the pile was stacked on my plate. The truffle was overwhelming. It was too much of a good thing. But the chilled English pea soup my husband ordered? Devine. A spoonful of that pea soup made me close my eyes and savor a stroll through an early morning garden, wet with dew, a slight chill in the air, popping fresh peas from the pod directly into my mouth, with just a hint of mint. The fries? Way in excess.
Aristoles said it's better to rise from a banquet neither thirsty nor drunken. Moderation. That's why I try not to call the Corporate office at Bank of America unless it's absolutely necessary. I don't want to wear out my welcome mat or bug them to death, even though they say otherwise. It's like having a secret short sale weapon in my pocket. I pull out that gun only when I have exhausted all other methods of killing, I mean, closing, the Bank of America short sale. Are you just happy to see me or is that short sale in your pocket?
People laugh when I tell them there are 2 kinds of negotiators at Bank of America: the morons and the brilliant. It's sort of a 50 / 50 draw which I get. I had already turned over this file to Corporate for help early on in the process because the negotiator refused to approve payment for a California state-mandated disclosure. 99 bucks. It was the principle, not the money. So, it pained me to have to contact them again yesterday because the closer refused to approve the HUD. She said the commission was reflected as $17,010 on the TOS, but the maximum Bank of America would pay was $17,100. Yet, our HUD reflected $17,100. Hello? We were fighting over $90. Our HAFA short sale was set to expire by the end of the day.
The lender couldn't fund because we didn't have Bank of America approval on the HUD. Emails to the closer led to a graveyard. My TC and I had pleaded every day, sometimes twice a day, all week long for approval of that HUD. We were down to the wire. It didn't look like that Sacramento short sale was going to close. As a Sacramento short sale agent, I dislike defeat. Besides, Friday closings are always tough because you know the buyer has movers lined up for the weekend.
I emailed my contact at Bank of America. Da-da, da-DA. The cavalry came galloping into the rescue. All of a sudden, HUD approval appeared. I forwarded that approval to escrow and the buyer's lender. It was almost 2:00 in the afternoon, but the lender funded, escrow recorded and I received confirmation at 3:00 PM. Thank you, Bank of America, you saved the day once again!
Photo: Adam Weintraub
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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.
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The views expressed herein are Weintraub's personal views and do not reflect the views of Lyon Real Estate.
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