I know you were hoping for a risqué story… or the one were the daughter called the police on me for “breaking in” and “accosting her” as the mother said… nope just a cool indoor sauna. I walked into one of the space rooms of this blue-collar home and “Whoa, didn’t expect to find this…
Enjoy,
Keith Klassen – Real Estate Broker
916.669.9030
Posted in Adventures in Real Estate
Tagged Adventures in Real Estate, Buyer, buyers, fun, Real Estate, Realtor, Sacramento, Sacramento Real Estate, South Sacramento
When I waited tables at a restaurant in college I use to have, what we called “wait-mares.” These were stress induced dreams/nightmares usually involving being overwhelmed with too many customers all at once, or showing up to work without your uniform, etc.
Last night I had a crazy dream about me buying a home and facing similar situations as my clients. I drove up to a gorgeous home to view, that I loved from the pictures and online information – my parents were with me (weird). When we a got out of the car, another agent was there about to show the home to their client. I did the courteous thing and said, “We’ll wait until you are done and give you some space.” In the meantime we struck up a conversation with the owner and bonded over shared interests and our children. In a genuine way, we won their favor, which may sway them if it came to choosing between offers (a good technique in a “normal” market when dealing directly with a seller. People that like you, generally want to work with you).
We waited about a half an hour (kind of a long time) and the folks before us were not
through viewing the property, so we decided to politely press forward and have a look around. When we got to the kitchen, we noticed that the first shoppers were engaged with their agent in writing an offer, right there at the kitchen table – the nerve! We kept our cool and calmly continued viewing the home. Parts of the home were upgraded, while other things were stuck in a time period. There were many things that I did not completely care for, but my dad kept pointing out the great things about the house (which he never does in real life), such as, “But Keith, these things you don’t like are all easy fixes – just cosmetic.” Or, my dad added, “Those things that concern you are small in comparison to the great price! And it even has view of the beach!” (Even though it was in the center of an urban area [don’t you love how dreams can bend reality?!] I guess this is my secret desire, to live on the beach while still being connected to the city? Come to think of it, that would be pretty awesome!). As we walked around the house, we noticed more home buyers filtering though the house, until almost every room had people in it, all discussing the offer they were going to make – oh the pressure!
[This was quite a vivid and emotional dream]
I felt so torn inside, not knowing if I should move forward, and if so, how much over asking price should I offer? We bumped into the owner while easing our way back to the front door. She said, “Don’t miss the flat screen TV we installed on the porch or the toaster!” What!?!? Yes, I saw the perfectly mounted TV, and to the left of it hung a chrome toaster suspended from an overhang. (I have no idea how that would work, but it was freakin’ cool. Mark my words, the new future trend in real estate…. suspended outdoor, chrome toasters).
There my dream ended…
What does this all mean? Am I stressed out? Am I just feeling my clients’ angst? Is my father a picture of myself and the things I tell clients? (uh oh). Should I move to the beach?
Any dream therapists out there want to analyze me?
Enjoy,
Keith Klassen – Real Estate Broker
916.669.9030
Viewing thousands of homes and participating in hundreds of inspections, there are things that become familiar sights – things to look out for that could adversely affect the purchase of a home.
I showed an investor a home that I was about to list. Originally it was going to be a flip, but the owner has his hands full with about 20 other homes that they are rehabbing. When previewing this home, there were the normal checklist-thoughts of what needs to be done to get this home ready to rent or sell: Paint and carpet, rip out and rehab kitchen, new HVAC unit, restore garage from illegal conversion, etc. Before we left, I pulled back a window curtain and ah ha….
This my friends is a termite “tunnel.”
While these items may seem daunting, they are curable at a relatively reasonable expense.
Enjoy,
Keith Klassen – Real Estate Broker
916.669.9030
Posted in Adventures in Real Estate
Tagged home inspection, invest, Investing, investors, pest reports, Real Estate, Real Estate market, Realtor, Sacramento, termites
I had the good fortune of closing a short sale (after 4 months) in El Dorado Hills. My clients had big plans to update the home and do some minor renovations. In the discussion process I overheard them point to the pellet stove insert and say, “That thing has got to go!” Little did they know I had been shopping for one on and off for the last few years. I guess I was not very motivated to drop the $2000+ on one of these bad boys.
The clients and I did our final walk through before the close of the sale and I said, “Hey, what are you going to do with that old pellet stove?” Like how I “beat it up”a bit? “Oh, we are getting rid of it and putting a gas insert in its place.” I said, “Hmmm… I’ve actually been looking for one and that would fit perfectly in my 1930’s home – my wife would love it. I’d be willing to take it off your hands and haul it off.” He said, “Make me an offer.”
Long story short, I picke
d it up last weekend and installed it last night. A shout out to Robin McDonell (and Bruce), “The Pellet Stove Guys!” Robin seriously saved me about $700+ in parts and labor and gave me the tutorial on everything I wanted to know about pellet stoves. This guy kicks some serious ass when it comes to pellet stoves. Check out his blog/website here. Not flashy, but they take care of business. Put it this way, I was not paying for his fancy showroom. Thanks Robin for the hook up!
Also, my neighbors came through – Thanks Pete for the bag of pellets and Jay for the use of the truck to make it all happen – true neighbors.
I am currently sitting in my chair enjoying the blaze of the Whitfield Advantage (which I got for a ‘song’). It’s a cool 53 degrees outside, I’m sipping my coffee, blogging, and watching my kids play Legos in front of the fire. It’s like Christmas 
come early.
Enjoy,
Keith Klassen – Real Estate Broker
916.669.9030
From time to time, I just have to crack back on some of the agents with whom I have
run-ins. Granted, we all make mistakes, we all have bad days, and we all have our eccentricities… but come on now! To be in this business (especially in this economy), one must have a sense of humor, be willing to laugh at themselves, and the industry.
I submitted an offer on a short sale last week – of course, I hustle to get the appointment, show the home, consult with the buyer, and write the offer in a timely and expedient manner. I did not get a confirmation email that they received the offer the first day, so I emailed again the next. Here’s the response I got:
[I received this on the 11th]
Hi Keith,
Thank you for your clients offer.
I am on vacation and going on a cruise from the 14th to the 22nd. I will process all offers on the 22nd. So please ask your clients to be patient.
Uh, yeah. We cannot be patient and we will not work with you. Sorry, on to the next one. There is a phrase in real estate called, “Time is of the Essence.” This is a good example of a bad example.
Okay colleagues, everyone can get someone to cover for them! No matter how small your company is… you could even get someone from another company to cover for you! Point blank, just bad business practices!
Please make me laugh and share some of your experiences.
Enjoy,
Keith Klassen – Real Estate Broker
916.669.9030
It always amazes me to walk into a home that is like a time capsul. Nothing has been change and everything is in pristine condition.
When did these go out of style? I’ve never seen a manual ice crusher before.
Posted in Adventures in Real Estate
Tagged advice, Architecture, Buyer, buyers, buying, Curtis Park, Environment, fun, Realtor, Retro, Sacramento
A friend of mine posted this on Facebook today, which just seems so true about so many areas of life – thanks Scott
It’s so much easier to suggest solutions when you don’t know too much about the problem – Malcolm Forbes
Enjoy,
Keith Klassen – Real Estate Broker
916.669.9030
It’s one thing to do a low-end, bank-owned transaction and get paid 2.25% … It’s another thing for the bank to require us to use their escrow company in the Los Angeles area (I am in Sacramento) and have paltry service and poor communication. By the way, it is now illegal for a bank (owned property) to require a certain title and escrow company, yet they will continue to make it part of the game.
Here’s my real beef… About a week passes and I have not received my commission check (payment for completing the job) from the Title Company, Glen Oaks Escrow. I called to follow up and they said they would look into it. I had to call back the next day to check and they said, “Oh yeah, I guess the check got lost in the mail.” We will reissue it. I get my check a few days later and deposit it. To my horror (okay I am now being dramatic), I discovered through viewing my online account that they put a stop payment on my check, and of course my bank slaps me with a fee to boot.
After several phone calls to the bank and to Alenoush (the escrow officer who handled the file) at Glen Oaks Escrow Company, I began to get a little frustrated, since I was the guy who was not getting paid. I am not worried about getting my pay check eventually, it’s now all about principle. I called Alenoush with Glen Oaks Escrow and she said she’s looking into it and for me to send proof – no apology or assumption that they did anything wrong (okay, no big deal). I forwarded my proof and ask for verification that she received it…. I got none. I called the next day and asked for a status update… I got none. I called the next day and requested a call back in the next hour… I got none. Oh, and by the way, I do have to continue my regular fast-paced, heavy work load during this fiasco. Finally I went over Alenoush’s head and spoke with the supervisor…. a little bit better experience – thank you Carla. However, I still have not gotten paid! Carla said, “Well, did your bank tell you why it bounced… we have a trust account and never bounce checks.” Yeah I get that… but I still have not gotten paid!
I call my bank and they explain that the issuer of the check put a stop payment on it and they have no reason given, but it’s usually because the payment is somehow disputed between the issuer and the recipient (that’d be me). I convey this to Glen Oaks Escrow Co. and they said, “Oh yeah, there was a stop payment placed on that check… but we don’t know why?” Then Carla said the magic words…. [wait for it…] “I’M SORRY” My response… You are the first person who has called me back and apologized – Thank you for helping me get paid.
Sometimes that’s all it takes to soothe that “angry lion.” Taking blame is not that big of a deal, but it sure goes a long way to iron out the wrinkles. I know this is true from experience with my wife. I know this is true from experience with my kids. I know this is true from experience with friends and clients. I know this is true from my experience working as a server at a restaurant, in a non-profit, at a church, and other service industries.
Mistakes are a fact of life that can be overlooked and forgiven – I am responsible for plenty of blunders. Not admitting wrong doing and covering up errors to save face is tempting and can be our cultural, human response, but maybe this needs to be reconsidered.
I end this rant with the hope of getting paid and not having to work with Glen Oaks Escrow again.
Thanks for bearing with me.
Posted in Adventures in Real Estate, Uncategorized
I make it a practice to attend the home inspection walk-through with my clients – I think this is pretty common. I want to hear what’s going on and be able to address concerns that are brought up as a result of the inspector’s findings. Many times this can be a tedious experience… I’ve heard the same spiel from the home inspector 100’s of times now and Mike Phillips (one of the main guys I use) does a great job. But, following the inspector around for an hour and seeing where the water shut off value is, and hear that it’s typical to smell gas at the meter, and how gutter is Sacramento get leaves in them, and how no one installs their anti-tip bracket on the stove, and….. Sometimes I have to amuse myself by taking pictures of things that strike me as odd or funny in the “glaze” of the moment.
Here’s the latest…
What’s wrong with this picture?
Did you figure it out?
Enjoy,
Keith Klassen
Real Estate Broker
Posted in Adventures in Real Estate
Tagged advice, Buyer, buyers, buying, First time home buyer, fun, investors, news, Questions, Real Estate, Realtor, Sacramento
Ah, the tree-lined streets of old Sacramento. Shade and beauty! I love the canopy – it’s like a tunnel of trees.
Now I do not want to be a pessimist, but the trees also are somewhat of a ticking time bomb. Several of my friend have come out to their cars during the winter most or after a windy night, only to find a large tree branch has fallen and destroyed their car.
A neighbor of ours had a tree split his home in two! The pictures are too graphic and horrifying to post 🙂
Here’s our old neighborhood and a tree that feel last year!
Sacramento Real Estate Reflections 
