Timely Real Estate News………………………………………………… 2 March 2009
**********************************************************************************************************************************************
A short story….. Once upon a time there was a young lady who lived in an apartment in Santa Monica who had saved enough to purchase her own first home. Being a native of the area, she had always wanted to own a town house in this lovely seaside town, and she scoured the area looking for just the right one. During her search, being a real estate agent herself, she knew that it is always best to make a list of the ‘things’ you want in your new home: In addition to the emotions we have when we find “the one”, it was always best to have some objectivity about the most important investment you’ll ever make.
So, the young lady made up her list. She wanted her new town home to be open, bright and airy…she didn’t want a ‘box’…and she wanted it to be sophisticated and in a good neighborhood.
But one of her pet peeves with where she lived was that while she loved her patio garden there was no faucet on the patio for a hose so she could easily water her plants. She had to go back and forth between the kitchen and the patio carrying water, which, after awhile, became an annoying chore. So near the top of the list was: Faucet on the patio.
Well, the young lady searched every where in Santa Monica for the ‘perfect’ town home. She must have visited over 50 prospective homes and even dragged her parents and/or friends’ to 15 or so to get their opinion. Many were delightful and lovely — “…perfect” she thought. But somehow not quite right… and some even had a faucet on the patio.
This was getting ridiculous and finally one of her friends who also was in real estate accompanied her to this absolutely exquisite condo (single story…not a town house and in Westwood, not Santa Monica): It was, indeed, the perfect lair — high ceilings, beautiful herringbone wood floors, very sophisticated and European in feeling, great for entertaining, large patio, great location, and brand new! “Yes,” she said. “This was perfect!” Except for one thing….. No faucet on the patio. She fretted and fretted over that sad fact, and then her friend blurted out, “Carole, if you don’t buy this, I’ll never speak to you again.”
She was right. You can’t always have it perfect, and this beautiful condo met all of her other needs. She got that signal in her gut that told her this was the place she was looking for, and she lived there happily for eight years until she bought her current home, which does in fact have a faucet outside. She never looked back and never regretted walking back and forth between the kitchen and the patio. After all, she loved her new home, and well, the plants loved it, too.
**********************************************************************************************************************************************
Being a ‘smart buyer’ — make out your list
The young lady (me) learned a valuable lesson in this process: As a buyer we need to know what it is that we really want in our new home if it is our first or our tenth home. So, here’s what I recommend you do:
Make a list, in fact… make two……one is the “MUST HAVE” list…. what do I need in my home to make me happy… and then the second list is “THE FANTASY” list what would I love to have….. And make these lists as long and detailed as possible.
1) If you are a couple each partner should make their own lists because we all have different needs and desires.
If you are a couple, you then need to get together, go over each of your personal lists, and then make the same two lists, but as a couple, and if you have older children that would understand the process have them do the same thing… you would be surprised how different your needs can be and you did not even know it. But a note of caution: Be prepared to throw it all out. Buying a new home always tests your emotions. Even if you throw the lists out, they will have given you a fabulous guideline as to what is really important to you… Did you know that 50% of the homes purchased, the decision to buy the home is made before buyers get out of the car? At the curb….Of course, we call this ‘curb appeal’… but it’s true. With the ability of buyers today to shop on line, there are many buyers who fall in love with a property before they even see it.
2) Get pre-approved first. Don’t shop without knowing exactly how much you can afford. The loan requirements as you know are tougher these days. And even though there are some excellent mortgage rates in the market right now, you really need to get pre-approved first. Also you need to stay in touch with your lender as the mortgage conditions are changing more rapidly than they have in the past, so we need to know exactly what you can really buy when you are ready.
3) Be ‘psychologically ready’ — have your lists in hand, but don’t be unrealistic either, like the ‘faucet lady’. Many times I find buyers have been to the lender, know what they can afford, but they are just not ready to buy or their expectations are not realistic, There are some other aspects about being emotionally ready to “make that move”… what is your time frame…. when do you want to move? What is your life like today, and what do you foresee for it for the future….Schools for the kids, family situation, etc…. these all factor into your needs and decisions…. You need to determine… are you a buyer or a shopper?!?
So there are a few things you need to do: 1) Be financially prepared; and 2) be psychologically prepared.
After being in real estate for over 25 years, I have had my fair share of buyer clients. Many know exactly what they are looking for, but many are just looking for that inspiration. And in many cases, that inspiration is not always practical or realistic because of their budget and so they get depressed and disappear. Be thoughtful about this process. For many of us, this is the biggest investment we’ll ever make. Be smart.
After you go through this exercise and are ready…..CALL ME… and we can start shopping…. WHAT FUN!!!!
***********************************************************************************************************************************************
Herbal Remedies For Pets.
Administering home remedies for pets is nothing new. Pet owners have been helping their pets when they are ill or hurt by using home remedies for years. Herbal remedies for pets are not new either; they are just becoming more mainstream. Many veterinarians are now using natural alternative methods of healing the animals they are working with. Many pet owners are applauding the fact that their veterinarian approves the use of herbal remedies for pets. It is important to note when using herbal remedies for pets, or using home remedies for pets, that you seek the guidance of a qualified veterinarian so you don’t treat the wrong problem or miss an underlying cause. Do not give your pet fresh herbs as they cannot digest them like humans do. Making a tincture or a tea for your pet is best. Herbal teas for pets need to be stronger than what you would drink. It is also important to consider your pet’s weight when administering herbal remedies for pets and break the dose up into several smaller does that can be administered throughout the day. Herbal remedies for pets should not be given longer than a week. If your pet is not healed, you can wait two weeks and try again, or choose a conventional form of medicine. If your pet has a severe problem that could be life threatening, conventional medicine will work faster and should be your first choice. You can follow up conventional medicine with herbal or home remedies.
***********************************************************************************************************************************************
Please be sure to check out the contest to properly identify the correct architect for some of those fabulous homes we have in our great city, and remember that only e-mail responses will be considered. The winner gets a $100.00 gift certificate for the Hotel Bel Air!!!
And also please don’t forget the $1000 check for all of those referrals when the escrow closes… a lot of you have already responded… THANKS…. Keep them coming… I really appreciate it.
