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
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.
Sacramento Real Estate Reflections 