Elizabeth Weintraub • Sacramento Short Sale Agent • Land Park

I received a phone call yesterday from a very unhappy seller whose name sounded vaguely familiar. Apparently, we had a conversation last year about selling his home as a short sale. He was now calling to let me know that although he had listed his home with some other agent, had received an offer and submitted that offer to his short sale lender, the lender had instead foreclosed. He was frustrated with his agent and felt his agent did not have enough short sale experience to help him.

His exact words were: I should have hired you.

Well, why didn't he? That was the obvious question I wanted to ask, so I did. It seemed that this guy had no intention of hiring a Sacramento short sale agent when he initially called me. He just wanted to pick my brain, ask questions and then hire a friend of his who had a real estate license. Now, he was blaming his friend that his home had gone to foreclosure. On top of that, he had taken out a home equity loan. Although this second loan had been wiped out by the foreclosure, it was not gone. Hard money lenders have the right to pursue borrowers and try to collect.

The truth is there are a lot of things that can go wrong with a short sale. Too many to list in this blog at the moment. And while there is absolutely no guarantee that any short sale agent can prevent a foreclosure, at least an experienced short sale agent might have reduced those odds. I felt sorry for the guy because he's hosed. I suggested he call a lawyer.

Here is a new short sale in Roseville. This is a remarkable home with four bedrooms, three baths, soaring ceilings, and a pool. Probably the best feature about it is the back yard. It's huge; the lot is more than 15,000 square feet at .36 acres.  It's located in the Courtside subdivision, a little bit south of Douglas Boulevard and Eureka Road.

The first floor features a tiled entry, step-down living room, formal dining room, bright kitchen with a skylight and breakfast nook, a coveted downstairs' bedroom, guest bath, and a family room with a fireplace. Both the family room and kitchen overlook the pool area.

On the second floor, you'll find 3 more bedrooms, one of which has teak hardwood floors. The master suite is spacious with curved windows and a walk-in closet. There is another closet in the master bath, coupled with a jetted tub and separate shower. All together, the home boasts about 2,521 square feet.

A heritage oak stands proudly in the front yard. The back yard has maple trees, mature oleander and rose bushes, but they are all located a reasonable distance from the pool so leaves aren't falling from overhead into the water. It's a very private yard. You really can't see any neighbors.

317 Laver Court, Roseville, CA 95661 is offered exclusively by Lyon Real Estate as a short sale at $375,000. For more information, please call your Sacramento short sale agent, Elizabeth Weintraub, at 916 233 6759.

Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub

I have a lousy sense of direction. When I was filling out a profile sheet for MLS at a seller's home in Roseville yesterday, I noted that the archived listing showed the home facing west. But it didn't feel like it was facing west to me. So, I asked the sellers which direction it faced. They didn't know, either. But fortunately, they had an app that turned their cellphone into a compass.

Sense of direction is not my forte. The only thing worse than losing your sense of direction is losing your common sense on top of it. Once I got lost in a boat off the foggy coast of Maine, arguing with a guy who has the distinction of being known as my ex-husband.

We didn't know where we were. The fog was very heavy. I felt like we should turn left, but the compass indicated otherwise. Maybe the compass was malfunctioning? If we had put our faith in my sense of direction, we could have ended up in Ireland, malnourished, dehydrated and most likely half dead. Well, no, I would have eaten my ex-husband first. But the point is I am here today because against all intuition, I chose to rely on the compass.

Here is a short sale home in Roseville. It is surrounded by larger, more expensive homes, which makes this home an attractive buy for a first-time home buyer. It's a desirable one-story with a spacious and open feel. In the main living area, some of the walls don't reach the ceiling, and there is an open beam separating the living room from the entry.

You'll find tiled floors in the entry and both baths, plus vaulted ceilings and a number of ceiling fans. It has dual pane windows, central heat and air, and was built in 1992 by U.S. Home in the Vineyard Estates subdivision. The carpeting is casual Berber in almost new condition. In addition to a breakfast nook in the kitchen, the home has a formal dining area with a chandelier, located between the kitchen and living room.

It has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and, according to the assessor's office, is 1,438 square feet. It faces west, we verified that fact, which means the master suite (with outside access) is filled with sunlight in the morning. The living room has a gas-piped fireplace.

The kitchen has a newer refrigerator, gas range and built-in microwave. Although the washer and dryer are gone, there is a separate laundry room with a gas connection and 220 volt receptacle, so you could use either a gas or electric dryer. It has a 2-car garage with a garage door opener. You'll also find roses lining the front sidewalk, raised beds in the back yard for gardening, a big uncovered patio and a storage shed.

1220 Chablis Circle, Roseville, CA 95747 is exclusively offered by Lyon Real Estate as a short sale at $175,000. For more information, call your Sacramento short sale agent, Elizabeth Weintraub, at 916 233 6759.

Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub

While my husband is out counting homeless people for the U.S. Census Bureau -- which he's been doing since 3 AM -- let me tell you about my new short sale listing in Roseville. The seller of this Crocker Ranch short sale home in Roseville does not use the second floor of her spacious home, but a new buyer will most likely appreciate and utilize the space. This home is a Seville model, built by JMC, and it has approximately 2,601 square feet, according to the tax records.

One of the reasons a new buyer will enjoy the second floor is due to the incredible view of farmlands just the other side of Fiddyment. You will find 3 bedrooms plus a master suite upstairs, a huge bonus room / loft, which also provides access to another small room with 2 walls of windows that was once used as an office. If you need space, this home has it.

The first floor boasts a large office right off the entry. In fact, it could be turned into a bedroom if you need a first-floor bedroom, which would make this a 5-bedroom, 3-bath home with 2 offices and a huge loft. Of course, there is also a formal dining room, first-floor laundry room, and the home features a great room concept that blends the open kitchen with the family room. The kitchen has tiled counters, an island and a ceramic floor. There is a fireplace in the family room.

From the family room, open the sliding doors to the back yard and you'll be amazed when you see the size of the raised Koi pond. As you stand under the covered patio and take in the view, you may begin to wonder how gorgeous this almost quarter-acre yard will look at the height of summer. It has a flowering cherry tree, too. And hummingbirds.

1885 Terracina Circle, Roseville, CA 95747, is offered exclusively by Lyon Real Estate as a short sale at $299,000.

For more information, call your Sacramento short sale agent Elizabeth Weintraub at 916 233 6759.

Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub

A certain number of buyers prefer a home with a pool, while other home buyers can take it or leave it. I suspect that's because some of those take-it-or-leave-it buyers have never owned a home with a pool and might think that taking care of a pool is too much of a hassle.

Well, if you've got deciduous trees over or near the pool, it can be more work than a pool that is located right out in the open. Or, if the pool is older, it might need to be resurfaced. But overall, pool maintenance is inexpensive. I know of clients who pay $40 a month for a pool service to maintain their pools.

The other thing about a pool home is many owners who truly love their pools focus on an outdoor lifestyle. They love to entertain poolside. If you're one of those people, then this pool home in Roseville is for you. The pool area sports 2 tiki huts, an outdoor kitchen with a refrigerator, built-in stereo and a built-in propane barbecue grill. You can view the pool area from the entry, through the living room / dining room windows or from the great room concept, which is a combination family room / kitchen.

This is a Centex home in Westpark, built in 2007, and it's a highly desired single-story, boasting more than 2,000 square feet. It has 3 good-sized bedrooms, a den near the entry and 2 baths. You'll be amazed at the quality and number of upgrades throughout the home -- upgraded carpeting; tiled floors in the kitchen, entry and bath; granite counters and stainless appliances in the kitchen; cherry wood cabinets throughout.

The master suite features a huge walk-in closet with adjustable closet organizers. Storage in this home is abundant. You'll find extra storage in the hallway. Even the 3-car garage has custom built-in storage units.

2336 Lockton Drive, Roseville, CA 95747, offered exclusively by Lyon Real Estate as a short sale at $303,450.

Call your Sacramento short sale agent, Elizabeth Weintraub, at 916 233 6759 for more information.

Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub

If you're looking for a two-story with almost 2,000 square feet in the Silverado Oaks subdivision in Roseville, you'll want to take a look at this new short sale listing. This is an immaculate home with gracious features everywhere you turn.

The sellers said when they bought this home, they weren't really in the market for a home. At the time, they were renting and fairly happy with where they were living. They drove by on a Sunday afternoon and noticed the home was an open house. Pulled over, got out of the car, walked into the home and were bowled over. The next day they wrote an offer. That's the kind of impact this home has on buyers, and even non buyers!

Perhaps the most spectacular aspect of this home, the one thing that will whisper (or maybe scream in your ears), is the breathtakingly beautiful back yard. It's an entertainer's paradise. Not only will you find a sparkling pool, but there is an in-ground spa, a waterfall and a second water feature with lily pads and koi, surrounded by a large patio. The yard is humongous, too large to capture in a single photo.

The home has 3 large bedrooms, which include a master suite, plus a loft area that can be used as a library, den, children's play area or work-out gym. The loft overlooks the entry and formal living area.

Of course there is a formal dining room; the home boasts an open floor plan with a gourmet kitchen / family room combo. The family room has a fireplace and the kitchen has a breakfast nook, too. Soaring ceilings. Lots of windows. This could be your dream home.

1033 Rudgwick Drive, Roseville, CA 95747, offered at $258,000 (subject to bank approval)

Elizabeth Weintraub

916.233.6759

Lyon Real Estate

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 Sacramento. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you.

The Short Sale Savior,by Elizabeth Weintraub, available through bookstores everywhere and at Amazon.com.

Sacramento Short Sale Agent, Elizabeth Weintraub, has the answers to your Sacramento short sale questions.

Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub