I’m excited that we closed 1137 S Ridgeley this week. I love working with Gina; this is my fifth sale that I closed for her – 4 as seller and 1 as buyer. It’s interesting that we had this house on the market for some time and we had 2 offers but they felt low. We painted the kitchen white, bought some new appliances, painted the perimeter fences around the property, and did landscaping and we got multiple offers for 200k+ over the low offers. I love when we sell properties for top dollar, and it’s fun to see in before-and-after numbers the value that improvements add to the bottom line sold price.
Our listing at 1106 S Highland is slammed with showings these days and two agents have been talking about preparing offers. We don’t have any offers in hand just yet, but they’re coming… We’re open Sunday 2-5 for those who want to see. Highland turns into a quiet street south of Edgewood and this property is in a lovely neighborhood of Longwood Highlands. The floor plan is open concept with all the public rooms opening to one another; the living room faces the street and the kitchen looks out to the sprawling yard. There are 3 beds and 2.25 baths and both units are fully vacant. There’s nice off street parking and the building is flooded in sunshine. It makes sense that it’s a popular one now…
Oliver has buyers in escrow at 1319 S Ogden. He showed and wrote an offer that was accepted before the property ever went on the market! Like all great properties that attract a buyer immediately, this house is fully remodeled and in move-right-in condition, it has great outdoor space with lush landscaping + easy access from the house, and it has a great primary suite with shower + tub and lots of storage space. We love win-win situations where both buyers and sellers are excited!
This week, we signed our first listing agreement with the new forms, post commission lawsuits!!!! The new listing agreement has the seller agree on a commission (as a percentage of the sales price) for the listing side only. The seller also agrees on a commission to the listing agent (as a percentage of the sales price) if the buyer is unrepresented and the listing agent facilitates both sides. There is nothing in the new listing agreement about buyer side commissions. Down the road, when a buyer writes an offer on the property, there is space on the new residential purchase agreement form where the buyer, in the offer, requests that the seller pay their buyer’s agent commissions and the buyer specifies the amount for the seller to pay. So in the new system, the seller agrees on the commission they’ll pay the seller side when they list the property, and the seller agrees on the commission they’ll pay the buyer side only when they consider an offer to buy the property. There is no offer from the seller to the cooperating agent from the time the property is listed; the cooperating agent negotiates their own commission with their buyer, who requests that commission from the seller with their offer. What I like about the new system is that it’s run on communication and transparency. In the old system, the listing agent had all the commission conversations with the seller. In the new system, the buyer’s agent will need to have commission conversations with the buyer, who will then communicate their arrangement with the seller. Everyone will need to communicate with each other, which is my favorite way to go through life.
I LOVE Oxnard. While it’s so hot in summer in so many places around the world, there is a perpetual cool breeze in Oxnard, even while the sun is shining. I love the long stretches of powder soft sand from the ocean to the houses. I love all the white water on the breaking waves, the birds that dive from the sky into the ocean beak first to fish, the sea foam that looks like a milk mustache on the dark sand, the little bird footprints around the sea foam, and all the delicate white sand crab shells scattered on the shore. Along the channel where the boats venture out slowly from the harbor to the sea, there are sea lions on land and swimming right at the water’s surface. Fishermen fish from shore and surfers in wetsuits ride the waves. From the house, I love the roaring sound of the waves crashing, the salty smell of the sea, the mountains far in the distance, and the way the sun is a fiery ball that goes from a full circle to a sliver of a crest before it disappears into the water. I love how sleepy and quiet it is, but how everyone says “hi” with such cheer as you walk past them. It feels like vacation but it’s really just a little more than an hour from work and home. Shabbat in Oxnard is the biggest treat to end a busy work week and begin a new one!
Wishing everyone an awesome sunny summer week ahead!
Xoxoxoxo,
Sheri
