It’s unfathomable that 45 people died last night in Meron at a Lag Baomer celebration. It’s always hard to wrap our heads around any tragedy, but when people die standing in a crowd at a joyous festival celebrating music, religion, inspiration, and the energy of a large gathering, somehow it feels extra sad and incomprehensible. Because the point of the gathering was to savor the energy of so many people at their most alive – inspired, singing and dancing with soulful music, fully engaged with so much emotion.
My next door neighbors are avid Lag Baoemer enthusiasts. The husband was in Meron last night. The wife organized a block party for our block last night. There were 22 pies of pizza, sushi, salads, fries, chimichangas, watermelon, soda. A petting zoo with llamas, goats, dogs, chickens, guinea pigs. 4 moon bounces. Cookie decorating. Pony rides. So many lawns and driveways dedicated and set up. So many neighbors and neighborhood kids gathering and laughing. There’s something generous and inspiring about neighbors gathering with neighbors. I’m grateful for the honor to live on a block of neighbors who organize block parties for their neighbors and who value and encourage community and belonging. What a gift.
Interesting random tidbits from real estate adventures this week… we closed a sale of a house that was on the market for some time with another agent. In the past, the house was up for sale and they tried different strategies to get the property sold – higher price, lower price, in escrow and out of escrow – and it didn’t work. We took over, we raised the price by a little under 100,000 and we sold the house in 12 hours for 20,000 over our higher asking price. I always tell my team that the hardest and most integral part of most things in life is the strategy; once the right strategy is set the implementation is a step by step process to follow. It’s interesting to concentrate and to figure out strategy. It’s very fun when it’s the winning strategy :).
This week, we saw a buyer buying an investment property who was offered a loan from Bank of America for 2.685% for a 30 year fixed loan with 35% down and 65% borrowed. That’s pretty amazing. We saw a seller at a listing appointment who rents out two bedrooms in his house through air bnb for 2300 a month per bedroom so over 4000 a month in rent for dedicating two rooms in his house! That’s pretty amazing too.
We have a new listing at 539 N Vista coming to market later today. The house is just under 4000 square feet. The kitchen and baths and all the porches were just redone in 2020. There’s a living room, dining room, kitchen, and two bedroom suites (one currently used as a family room) downstairs. Upstairs is a massive master suite with a crazy high ceiling and an adjacent bonus room, two more generous bedroom suites upstairs, and one more bonus room too. The backyard has a pool and a full backhouse. It’s a nice quiet central location close to lots of great places. We can show Sunday!
As a person who loves people, gatherings, music, festivals, and every experience of being alive, my heart goes out to the people who died at that festival last night. And to their families who will miss them. Life’s fragile, humans are precious, and every moment we’re here is a gift. Peace and comfort to everyone grieving the sad loss of life..
Xoxxoo,
Sheri
