Whistling Trains and Running Streams🚂🚃- Real Estate Blog

I’m super excited about our new listing at 538 S Plymouth!  The offering is a Single Story Perfectly Symmetrical French Normandy Windsor Square Gem surrounded by magnificent estates and so many mature trees!  There are 4 bedroom suites in the house. Both the primary and the guest suites, on each side of the back of the house, have multiple glass doors to the yard.  The lot is 10,894 ft and there is a spacious brick driveway + mature tree + fountain in front, and a sparkling pool + al fresco dining area + pergola covered outdoor living area in back.  The main living space is right in the center of the house. The step down living room has 12 foot ceilings and a fireplace.  The dining room opens both to the living room and to the backyard, which is the perfect flow for entertaining.  The den at the front of the house has a built-in bookcase and a second fireplace.  The bonus room at the front of the house was initially built as a screening room.  I’m excited for the open house today 2-5!

We signed the listing agreement for 538 S Plymouth while the old forms were still being used, so the commission is 5% with 2.5% offered to the buyer side. On the MLS we checked “yes” for concessions but there are no more details.  We got an offer over the weekend for 10534 Ayers and I confirmed with the owner last night that the buyer side commission is 2.5%.  On 2 of our listings that have accepted offers, the sellers asked if the buyers’ agents were open to less commission; they both said they weren’t open to anything less than the standard and they’re both getting the standard historical 2.5% at the close of escrow.

Our sellers at 529 N Kilkea are in escrow on a house they really want to purchase and they’d love to use the funds from a sale at Kilkea.  They would like to sell Kilkea NOW.  They did a massive upgrade to their house that ended in Dec 2022, including all new Marvin windows in both the house and the guesthouse, all new remodeled bathrooms with Ann Sacks tile, Phyrich fixtures, custom vanities, California Closets in the Primary Bedroom, interior doors + trim + baseboards with Rejuvenation Hardware, new hardwood floors in most of the house (to match the rest), recessed lights, exterior block wall + driveway gate + landscape lighting.  There’s a guest unit over the garage that got a new bathroom, kitchenette, and flooring in 2019 and the garage below has plumbing + electric to become another living space.  We’re open today 2-5 and the owners wish a buyer comes and buys the house at today’s open house.

On a trend that seems to be building momentum, every time we get an offer on a property, each seller emphatically insists that their counteroffer to the buyer includes an “as is” clause, to make sure the buyer knows that the seller will not be open to credits after the buyer does inspections.  Each seller explains the clause, and their wishes, as if they creatively intuited the term for the first time.  I don’t like “as is” clauses.  A real estate sale is an arms length transaction between a buyer and a seller.  The seller puts a price on their offering.  The buyer puts a price on their offer. The seller can accept or reject the buyer’s offer.  I believe every buyer should inspect so they have full knowledge and awareness of the condition of the property they’re considering to buy.  After inspections, the buyer can decide to be ok with the condition, or the buyer can choose to ask the seller for a concession in light of the discovered condition. The seller, once again, can decide to accept or to reject the buyer’s offer.  Everyone understands that sellers want to receive the most money they can for their property, and buyers want to get the best deal possible on their purchase.  But it makes sense for all parties to follow the process and to decide what they want to do as they go, without making threats or demands of the other while there isn’t yet full information available to make an informed decision on the threat or demand. I’m a staunch believer in transactions working best when all parties feel respected, welcome to engage, and relaxed (as much as possible) through the process.  If a seller writes an “as is” clause before inspections, then after inspections, the buyer has a choice to cancel or to move forward with no credit at all.  In most cases, it isn’t best for all parties if the transaction cancels after inspections.  Most times both parties want to make a deal and move forward to close.  Both buyers and sellers have more options, and are in a better place, if there isn’t an “as is” clause with black and white harsh choices that offer no flexibility.

It was so much fun to fly and spend the weekend with Dovid + Avigail + Chaim!  On Friday we heard trains whistling in the distance, and Chaim and Grandma really wanted to see those trains in life. So Shabbat morning Chaim and Grandma headed out on foot for the train station.  We loved making our voices echo in the tunnel under the train tracks, and splashing in the natural creek with waterfalls in the botanical gardens alongside the train tracks while we waaaaaiiiited for the next train to whistle as it shot past. My most favorite thing in life is hanging with our grandkids (and listing appointments are a close second :)!)

Wishing everyone an awesome end-of-summer week ahead!

Xoxoxoxo,
Sheri