Elizabeth Weintraub • Sacramento Short Sale Agent • Land Park

My husband's boss warned everybody in the AP newsroom yesterday to be careful today. Because you surely do not want a hoax showing up as a news story. But what's April Fool's Day without a good joke? What's any day, for that matter, without a good joke? People might not appreciate practical jokes, like slipping a whoopie cushion on the chair before your CEO plants her big fat butt on it, but what the hey? I say do it.

Why? There is a huge gap in this country between the Haves and the Have Nots. There aren't very many people in between, economically. You've either got a ton of money, like that Russian guy, Yuri Milner, who just bought a 25,000-square-foot mansion on 18 acres overlooking the San Francisco Bay for $100 million, or you're at the other end of the spectrum. The luxury home market is thriving. So is the first-time home buyer market -- those entry level homes are moving. Any home under $200,000 in Sacramento and in good condition is likely to sell.

Here is something you don't see every day. Here is a lot for sale in Midtown Sacramento. Generally, there is not a lot you can do with a lot, but with this lot, you've really got options. It's zoned C-2, which means it's commercial, but the seller says you can also build a multi-family home or a residential single-family home or a mixed-use building on this land.

It has 40 feet of street frontage on 21st Street -- a one-way thoroughfare through Midtown -- and is situated on an alley between P & Q Streets. It's a perfect Midtown location. Within walking distance to restaurants, shopping, entertainment, around the corner from the Sacramento Bee, and it's not far from the library in Poverty Ridge. To the north is a beautiful residential Craftsman.

At present, it supports parking. As you can see from the photo. It also supports vegetation, a sort of grass is growing in the supple soil. There are utilities nearby and the entire 40 x 80 foot lot is develop-able, but please check that with the City of Sacramento planning department. In case you're thinking that construction costs are too high, think about this. If you buy the lot NOW, when prices are low, consider all the money you will save and have available when prices go up and building material prices decline. Labor costs are down right now, too, because everybody is out of work.

1615 21st Street, Sacramento, CA 95811, is offered exclusively by Lyon Real Estate at $150,000. For more information, call your Midtown Sacramento real estate agent, Elizabeth Weintraub, at 916 233 6759. For a private showing, haul your butt over there and take a look. And this is no April Fool's joke.

Photo: Elizabeth Weintraub

Although technically anything east of Alhambra is considered East Sacramento, it depends on whom you ask. The homes in the Alhambra Corridor are generally viewed as homes in Midtown Sacramento. That's because Midtown is just across the street.

This Craftsman bungalow was built in 1915. That was basically the last year for high water bungalows because that's the year the levy was built. One of the advantages to owning a 1915 high water bungalow is you have a full basement, which allows easy access to your electrical and plumbing. In fact, this home has the furnace in the basement, and a newer HVAC system.

If you're looking for vintage detailing, it's all here. The high baseboards, original woodwork, boxed ceiling, bay windows, hardwood floors, ooze Old World charm. The home has four bedrooms, possibly four, and one bath.

Two bedrooms are on the main floor with the master upstairs. Off the master are two more rooms, one of which could be used as a 4th bedroom or office or a place to add a second bath. It sits right above the main floor bath. The other room is probably better suited as a large walk-in closet.

The kitchen has been updated with newer cabinets, wood counters and a farm-style sink. It has parquet floors. Off the kitchen is a deck with stairs down to the back yard. The back yard sports a brick patio, a raised deck with a cover that stays, and a garage.

Oh, and this home is NOT a short sale. Some lucky buyer may qualify for the federal homebuyer tax credit if he or she goes into contract with the sellers before April 30th. If funds are still available, a buyer who purchases this home before April 30th might also qualify for 2 tax credits, which includes the California homebuyer tax credit. That would result in an $18,000 credit.

3110 Serra Way, Sacramento, CA 95816 is offered exclusively by Lyon Real Estate at $315,000. Call your Midtown Sacramento agent, Elizabeth Weintraub, at 916 233 6759 for more information.

Click here for more photos and the virtual tour of 3110 Serra Way.

Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub

THIS HOME SOLD ON 5/26/10 AT $325,000.

I get business one of two ways these days. Either people find me on the Internet or they are referred by previous clients. When I ask callers who found me on the Internet why they picked me, I often get the same answer. It's rarely because they believe I am brilliant, witty or experienced. Rats. They say it's because I have a friendly face.

If people are looking at the Lyon Real Estate website for Midtown Sacramento agents, my profile is all the way at the bottom. Because my last name is Weintraub, and it's sorted alphabetically. My office services primarily East Sacramento, Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and downtown Sacramento. At the bottom of the Lyon website is not the best place to be. I mean, a person's scrolly finger can wear out getting down to the bottom. We have more than 80 agents in our office.

Although I'm happy to be blessed with a friendly face and personality, I don't think that's the best reason to choose a real estate agent. But consumers have very little information to choose from when scrolling through photographs of real estate agents.

As I was driving along Business 80 yesterday on my way to show a home, I received a phone call from a prospective home buyer. She was calling about a listing in Sacramento. OK, what is the street? She yelled into my ear: Sacramento! No, what is the name of the street? She screamed again as though I was deaf: Sacramento, California!

Excuse me, I can't give you information about a listing if you don't tell me the name of the street where the home is located. What is the name of the street? The buyer finally responded: Cougar. I know that street. That's not an area where I specialize, but I told the buyer that I would be happy to refer her to another agent to show that home.

The buyer decided to argue with me, saying her mortgage broker told her that real estate agents can show homes anywhere in Sacramento. She insisted that I show her that home. Hey, it wasn't my listing. Instead, I referred her to my associate who is a neighborhood specialist in that area. To protect the innocent, let's say my associate's name is Bonnie. I gave her Bonnie's phone number.

A few minutes later, the buyer called back. She said, "I want to work with an American."

"I can assure you that Bonnie is an American."

"No, she's not," the caller hissed, "I got her voice mail, and her last name is Hernandez."

My mind went blank. I was shocked. It took me a few seconds to figure out what this caller was saying to me. I guess I must live in a protected world because I rarely run into this type of discrimination; although, sadly, I am aware that it exists. I didn't quite know how to respond, so I did what I usually do and relied on my gut instincts, my immediate reaction.

"I can't help you," I replied, "Because I don't work with bigoted people." I swerved to miss a slow-moving vehicle, pulled my cellphone out of its holster and pressed the "end call" button. I was kinda surprised at my reaction because I don't ordinarily hang up on callers. But she royally offended me.

Photo by Big Stock Photo

I showed a buyer homes in Midtown, Sacramento, last weekend. As we drove, the buyer asked me what I thought of my fellow REALTORS. That sounded like an odd question, so before answering, I probed. He said that when he bought his first home, he looked at more than 20 homes with four different agents. The reason he kept changing agents was because if he didn't buy a home during the first tour, the agent lost interest and dropped him.

The question he asked implied that agents are only out for themselves. That's the part that bothered me. I believe that when an agent accepts a client as a buyer, that agent has a duty to perform to that buyer's expectations. If it takes showing 20 homes or even 100 homes, then we show 20 or 100 homes.

Of course, previewing homes before showing, counseling the buyer and selectively choosing the homes that meet the buyer's objectives cuts down on the number of homes a buyer needs to see before coming to a decision to make an offer.

In reality, though, I showed this Midtown buyer 5 homes before he chose to write an offer. However, I have worked with some buyers for several years to find that perfect home. That's what agents do.

The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, coming June 2009.

Photo illustration: Flickr

Yesterday, being Columbus Day, meant there was no mail, agents couldn't call the banks to follow up on short sales and many workers got the day off. But not title and escrow companies.

I met clients at my office to walk them over to the title company for signing loan documents. These buyers had been looking for a long time to find their dream home in Midtown Sacramento and were finally going to closing on a home on which they battled multiple offers and won a Request for Repair. It had been a long road.

We met in the lobby of my office and, as usual, exchanged hugs with each other. Mrs. Buyer said, "Oh, I'm so lucky to have the day off. I guess a lot of people have the day off today. You have the day off, too, right?"

A bit of silence.

"Oh, duh, I guess you wouldn't be here then."

Photo:  Big Stock Photo