I recently put three listings into escrow. Up in Petaluma we entertained four offers on a townhouse in a small development at 101 Ellis St #11. This is my fourth transaction with the same client over the years, and I’m very grateful to be of service to her. I’d say she is a dream client, one that we Realtors always hope to work with, and we cherish their continued trust and faith in us.
At 555 Tamarack Dr in Terra Linda my sellers had the choice between two strong offers. The sellers took my advice before coming on the market and we refinished the wood flooring, which I believe made a huge difference in the property presentation vs the old white carpet. The staging helped a lot too, but those were just the finishing touches. The sellers have taken care and pride of ownership in the property over the years and it showed. They did so much great stuff to the house, and the buyers are very happy.
Lastly, my sellers received an acceptable offer at 100 Marin Center Dr #71 in Terra Linda. Over the years I’ve sold a fair number of townhomes and condos in San Rafael. 21 to be exact in the 94903 since 2014, and 32 in all over that time period. It’s been pretty much 3 per year, including one earlier this year at 91 Forest Ln in Terra Linda. Just this afternoon I was speaking with another seller about putting her condo on the market in the next 6 weeks so I may hit that 3 quota early this year.
The condo sales have always been a small but vital part of my business model. Since 2014 I’ve sold 104 single family homes on the MLS, which dwarfs my condo production especially when you take dollar volume into account. Over the years I’ve done plenty of off market single family home sales as well, so that 104 sales number is a little lower than the actual number. Interestingly enough, it occurs to me that I’ve only sold one condo off the market in my 20+ years of real estate sales. I’m truly grateful for all the business I’ve done, as it’s enabled me to raise a family, afford a home, and put my daughters through college. My youngest daughter is finishing up her course work at UC Davis next week, graduating a quarter early!
Tallying up my 136+ sales since 2014 you might think selling real estate is easy. When everything goes according to plan it can and should be. However, the market and buyers don’t always react as expected or hoped. Interest rates can spike and knock buyers out of the market. Inspections can lead to further negotiations. I’m often working with different cities on clearing up permit issues. Buyer and seller emotions come into play, not to mention one of the wildest cards, the influence of parents on transactions. Even Realtor personalities can be a minefield. Some are easy to work with, others can be a pain in the butt. There are even a few shifty ones out there I know to avoid.
There are so many variables involved in a sale, including neighbors. I’ve got a lot of neighbor stories and my first juicy one was selling a top floor condo in Tiburon at the beginning of my career. While in escrow the neighbor below brought up their objections to the seller’s wood flooring, which was not allowed by the HOA. Suddenly we were negotiating with the buyers and the neighbors on a resolution. I also had a neighbor threatened to sue one seller over a fence issue from 10 years past while we were in escrow, which was absurd. I’ve got a lot stories I could tell, but the most sensitive ones I keep to myself.
I’m grateful for my 20+ year real estate sales career. I enjoy selling real estate, and all the challenges and opportunities that come along with it. I like writing about my experiences, and I hope you enjoy reading about them. Thank you for riding along with me on this journey.
*** Thank you for reading my blog! If you or any of your friends and family ever have any real estate questions, please feel free to contact me at andyfalk2112@yahoo.com or 415-250-8025. I’m always happy to help!