A friend of mine, Ryan Lundquist who is an appraiser, put together this great
and informative post. These sites he lists give you insight into the community in which you may live, including school district information, crime statistics, neighborhood information, environmental concerns, city data, and more.
Check it out HERE
Thanks Ryan.
Keith Klassen – Real Estate Broker
916.669.9030
KeithAKlassen@gmail.com
Posted in Valuable Information
After eating at Dad’s Kitchen, (on the border of Curtis Park and Land Park) for
maybe the 6th time, I’m finally making the call – I like it! It’s a good spot for my kids. It’s a good place to hang with a few friends. While the layout is a little awkward, I will forgive them due to the good food, patio and beer!
Check it out.
Keith Klassen – Real Estate Broker
916.669.9030
KeithAKlassen@gmail.com
Posted in Curtis Park, Local Eats
Has anyone heard the acrostic, W.A.I.T.? Why Am I Talking? It’s the question to ask in dealing with clients and especially in negotiations. Unfortunately I forget this too often. Ugh.
Last Monday while speaking with an investor on the phone I had a gut wrenching interaction. While I consider myself a decent listener and business professional, this man did not. We had a dialogue where we found ourselves butting in on each other’s train of thought. He wanted to explain to me what I already knew, and I wanted to him to save his breath. He finally called me out on it by literally saying, “You’re not being very professional by not letting me finish a sentence… and I’m calling you out on it!” He repeated this idea and phrase several more times to make his point. Mind you, I’ve never met this man in person and have only had a few short interactions with him on the phone where I felt like I expedited his requests and was able to prove my business savvy many times over. When he said this to me, my instance reaction was to retaliate and defend myself and tell him why he was misinformed. Thankfully I at least had the wherewithal to not blurt out everything I was thinking. We ended the conversation with me simply saying, “I hear you.”
I’m not sure he was satisfied with this response and really, I was haunted by this conversation for the next few days. In contemplation I simply heard, “Your listening skills have gone downhill due to your impatience.” In other words, I needed to swallow my pride about thoughts of being right and misunderstood, etc., etc., etc. I began to realize how universal this lesson is, whether it be with a client, my wife or children, friends, etc. How can I truly represent a client who I am bulldozing with my driving sense of intolerance for those who feel the need to “talk it out”?
Two days later…. I had a phone dialogue with an owner of a property that I manage. It started out with him saying, “I’m glad you called because there are a number of items I’m extremely unhappy about.” This time I was ready. Inwardly I kept repeating, “Just listen, just listen, just listen…” After over a half an hour on the phone listening and patiently addressing each item on his list, (which I found out later was not really the issue) he confided in me that he’d been feeling depressed and just need someone to talk with about some of his frustrations and disappointments in life. He hung up thanking me and apologizing for taking so much of my time.
I’m so glad for second chances and opportunities to shape my character and “professionalism,” no matter how painful they are.
Keith Klassen – Real Estate Broker
916.669.9030
KeithAKlassen@gmail.com
Posted in Adventures in Real Estate
I have viewed and sold so many homes with dual pane windows that have failed. 
The clear, or should I say unclear, indication is fogged up glass. When you try to clean them, you quickly realize that there is moisture trapped in between the two panes, hence the window has failed. Most inspectors will tell you that this does not diminish the effectiveness of the window, rather it just looks ugly. And typically the remedy is replacing the glass or the 
window, which can be costly.
I ran across an article/ad regarding a newer technology, whereby they can de-moisturize and repair the window by just drilling to small holes in the corners. Sound great if it actually is legitimate.
Has anyone out there utilized this technology? And more importantly, does it work? If so, this would be a great innovation to all those failed windows out there.
Enjoy,
Keith Klassen – Real Estate Broker
916.669.9030
KeithAKlassen@gmail.com
[in a very sarcastic tone of voice]
I love spending uncountable hours searching the internet, showing many properties, counseling the buyer, writing a contract (with many revisions), coordinating with the lender/loan officer, scheduling and attending multiple inspections, re-showing the property, counseling the client, meeting for lunch and coffee multiple time to sign disclosures and paperwork, running numbers, Negotiating repairs, etc., etc., etc., …. ONLY TO BE KILLED BY AN APPRAISAL THAT COMES IN $16,000 UNDER THE CONTRACT PRICE. This killed the deal for both the seller and buyer. It is not a flip, short sale, or bank owned. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job and I excel in these situations, but this is ridiculous!
[in a serious tone of voice]
Here are some of the wonderful aspect of the property…
New paint (inside and out); Newer roof; New electrical and plumbing; Renovated kitchen and bathroom; Newer central heat and air; Double size lot; Historic built-in china cabinet; New front door; Several new windows; Section 1 and 2 of pest report to be cleared, and more!
Yes, this property happens to be in Oak Park, Sacramento, but most all knowledgeable appraisers and agents know that Oak Park is “street by street.” I personally know several of the residents on this street. Comparing this home to homes a mile away does not do the home justice.
I am coming to believe that this area is being redlined.
Again, my question stands: When will the market drive the market oppose to appraiser and bank practices?
Enjoy,
Keith Klassen – Real Estate Broker
916.669.9030
I just closed a deal that could not have gotten much better for the buyer.
1) She was paying $1700 in rent for a decent unit in Midtown (but, still a lot of money). the buyer got into contract for $122,750 on a 1890’s Victorian home (just what she dreamed about!). Here housing payments were going to be about $730/month.
2) We got into contract before April 30, 2010 as to qualify for the Federal Tax Credit of $8000.
3) We closed after May 1, 2010 so to qualify for the $10,000 Tax Credit from the State.
4) The appraisal came back at a value of $105,000, so the seller was compelled to come down to that price. Now her payments will drop below $650/month!
Let’s do the math… About $18,000 savings on the purchase price (with a lower deposit amount), $18,000 in tax incentives – that’s a nice, quick $36,000.
5) The home inspection came back very clean and the pest inspection had minor work needed. A few bonuses: We found out that the foundation was redone at some point in the last 10 years; The roof was only about 1-year-old; There is hardwood underneath the laminate overlay, which is part of the buyer’s dream too!
Congratulations Laila! I look forward to champagne this afternoon.
Enjoy,
Keith Klassen – Real Estate Broker
916.669.9030
I caught a news piece this morning while at the gym. The title was something like the 
one above. The segment dealt with the question, Do energy efficient upgrades in a home make a difference in the sale price? Even with long-term energy savings, the short and resounding answer was, “NO.” While it makes all the difference for the environment, the sale prices do not reflect the upgrades, whether it be solar, added insulation, dual flush toilets, Energy Star appliances, etc. The target then got pinned on appraisers. They bluntly said that it was the appraisers fault… [paraphrased] The appraisers are behind the curve on this one. It’s the appraisers that have not gotten up to speed and are not giving correct value to these items. When an appraiser sees a furnace, whether it’s energy efficient or not, they just see a furnace…”
Now I have friends that are appraisers that will read this and have an acid reflex response (a little sour taste in their mouth). And I know theses appraisers do know the difference and can spot energy efficient systems.
I would love a response/rebuttal from the appraisal world. Sound off.
And don’t kill/hate the messenger – I’m just reiterating what I saw on the news this morning.
Enjoy,
Keith Klassen – Real Estate Broker
916.669.9030
I am fortunate to do regular work with the developers, Housing Group Fund, especially in acquiring and selling properties. They recently partnered with Smud (our local utility company) on a home in a middle to lower-income area to rehabilitate it and make it energy-efficient. Yesterday they held an open house for the real estate community. They had the Quad-Lock blocks on display (see an earlier post of mind on this product, on this home).
This home is a great example of what true stimulus can accomplish. Neighborhoods that usually do not get attention like this, could be transformed.
A friend of mine and appraiser, Ryan Lundquist, was there too and put together a fantastic video showing off the home. Check it out below.
Enjoy,
Keith Klassen – Real Estate Broker
916.669.9030
Posted in Development
Tagged Buyer, buyers, energy efficient, Green, Real Estate, Real Estate market, Realtor, Sacramento, Sacramento Real Estate, South Sacramento
Our family decided help out to a local effort called Project 680. A number of years ago a
few or our friends and their neighbors found out that there were 680 recorded cases of student homelessness in the Rancho Cordova school district – now it’s up to 783! They simply asked themselves, “What can we do about it?” They contacted a counselor in the school district and asked, “What are some of the practical needs of these students?” The answer was, “socks!” I remember it being hard enough just going through puberty, let alone not having socks on my feet.
One of the local news stations did a short piece on Project 680 recently and called it “Raiding the Sock Aisle,” encouraging people to go buy out all the socks in the aisle (or at least the ones that the kids desire) – so this is what we did. For more specifics you can watch the news cast video here.
We resonate with this effort and want to support it when we can. Here is our small contribution this year. We took a few short clips and Ryan Lundquist stitched them together and made it look pretty. Check out the video below.
Enjoy,
Keith Klassen – Real Estate Broker
916.669.9030
This post is not very sexy, but hopefully interesting. No special windows or solar-power… just insulation. I work with a (re)developer that is partnering with Smud (our local utility co.) on a rehab project in South Sacramento. Smud’s claim is that this is the first house on the west coast in which this product has been use. In layman’s terms, it’s a foam, interlocking block that is stacked up around the outside of the house. Wire and stucco are then applied. Supposedly it is extremely easy to install (my kids would love to get a hold of this stuff) and super energy efficient.
Enjoy,
Keith Klassen – Real Estate Broker
916.669.9030
Posted in Development
Tagged Buyer, Development, insulation, news, Real Estate, Real Estate market, Realtor, redevelopement, Sacramento, Sacramento Real Estate, South Sacramento
Sacramento Real Estate Reflections 
