The temperature in Sacramento hit 108 on June 28th, the hottest it's ever been on that day (my birthday) since Sacramento record-keeping began in 1900. Now, for those of you who have never had the pleasure of visiting Sacramento, a temperature of 108 might seem abnormally high, but it's really not as bad as it may sound. Yes, it's true we have 2 or 3 weeks during July / August when the temperatures soar into the 100s, but I'll trade that any day to avoid the 4 months or longer of winter that living in Minnesota offers.
When it's 90 degrees in Sacramento, it feels more like 75 would in Minnesota. That's because we Sacramentans enjoy a dry heat, and the absence of excess moisture in the air makes it seem a bit cooler than it actually is. Also, it doesn't generally stay muggy all night. When the Delta breezes kick in early evening, the temperatures drop.
You can find yourself peeling off clothing during the day but putting on a sweater at night. I love living in Sacramento.
What I don't love is attending home inspections at homes without central air conditioning, and I've got a couple of those coming up this week. OK, one of those homes does have central air, but I can't figure out how to turn it on. There doesn't seem to be a manual override to the program.
Some agents don't go with their buyers to the home inspection, but I do. I feel it is important to be available to ask questions about the home. Questions that my buyers may not think to ask. Plus, it gives me a few hours to thoroughly explain the closing process and prepare my buyers, especially my first-time home buyers, for home ownership.
I also use that time to conduct my own visual inspection of the home. I give buyers a complete agent inspection but I don't crawl under the house nor go up on the roof. That's what a home inspector does.
What surprises me sometimes is that I always tend to learn something new. There was a time in my life when I spent 10 years remodeling homes and doing all the work myself. It's what I call my buy, fix-up and sell decade. Far as I'm concerned, you can never gain too much knowledge about the structural integrity of homes and their systems.
At the hottest point of the day today, that's where I will be. At a home inspection, sitting under a ceiling fan, drinking water and making notes.
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, 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 in bookstores everywhere and at Amazon.com.
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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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Elizabeth: I attend all my home inspections too. Feel it's really important to be there to hear what the inspector says. Their job is to give the buyers timelines on replacing systems, in addition to what needs immediate attention. Some first time buyers hear all doom and gloom. They haven't noodled through the fact that nothing lasts forever in a home.
Elizabeth, I do go on home inspections and takes notes if necessary for my clients. It is part of the commitment I make when I take on buyers. And with those high temps, find ways to STAY COOL!
I agree being at the inspection is important to understand the issues that come up and to talk to the buyer about how to go forward. 108 is still too hot dry or not.
Elizabeth,
OMG! 108F? How do you survive it? I live within couple of hundred yards from the ocean, and we do get temperatures in high 80s, and sometimes even hit 90, but I do not think we on the Beachside ever had 100F.
And when I am showing condos, where agents have turned off the AC, I am sweating like a mouse. And as you, I would not trade it for any day in the Arctic, were we lived before coming to US
We require agents to attend inspections with the buyers of our listings...and David comes at the end to answer any questions or concerns...avoiding problems and misunderstanding...hope all your buyers realize the value of air conditioning the rest of the summer !
When I arrived at the home yesterday, the buyer was in the yard spraying the hose on her feet. LOL. It took the home inspector a while to figure out how to turn on the A/C, but boy, were we grateful he did.