Experiencing a Purchase from a New Perspective

What I am leaving! This is the hard part of moving.

In my last post I mentioned that I am in escrow on a home.   This is no minor perturbation to my life and I am having many mixed emotions.  I am excited – I am overwhelmed – I am scared!  The real description of me is I AM A CLIENT!

The process started when I realized that I could probably purchase a home this year.  I have the income substantiated by my tax returns and I have money for a down payment (as modest as it might be).   Fortunately my credit scores are up in the area that makes me a “good bet” for paying things off.   The banks are starting to lend money to normal people again and the interest rates are so low that it is hardly a factor.  The prices of homes are going up rapidly and I have seen people delay their purchase until they can no longer afford to buy.  Those were the easy things to see.  The time to purchase is now.   The difficult part is that I do love where I currently live.  However, it is pretty far from work and I do not have a garage, dishwasher or bathroom large enough to turn around in.

I struggled with the decisions that must be addressed.  I cannot afford to buy much and less in Sebastopol than if I went to Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park or Windsor.  But I decided that being close to my friends and the places I love is more important to me than the size of the home, size of the lot or about anything else for that matter.  So like a good client, I made my “must have”  list.  I must have a garage.  I must have a dishwasher.  I must be located in Sebastopol, Forestville or Graton.  (Sorry, Occidental.  It is just too much of a drive right now.)  I must have a normal bathroom with a vanity counter.  I must have two bedrooms and a second bath would be fantastic.   I want at least 1200 square feet of living space.

With my list in mind, I started my search.  Realization #1:  There are no detached  homes in my price range.  Ramification #1:  a townhome in Sebastopol is the best that I can do.  What is the difference between a townhome and a condo?  They look the same but the townhome has minimal liability from the homeowner’s Association and therefore has lower HOA dues.

I made an offer on a home off Bodega Avenue.  I loved the exterior space and could live with the interior.  I adjusted to Realization #2: I am going to have a two story home.  This home was in my price range and move in ready.  There were seven offers and it went for $55,000 over asking with an all cash offer.  Realization #3: I may need to spend more than I want to get my “must have” list.  This was very disappointing.

Then I told myself what I tell my clients.  There is something better for you out there.  You must be patient.  I reacted about the same way my clients do – Sure, Barbara, I will spend every spare minute on the Internet looking for something better.  Call me every day so that I don’t spend my down payment on a new car to cheer myself up since I will never be able to afford anything.

But within a week another unit came on the market.  The outside space is not as good – in fact it is a tiny yard and a pretty drab exterior – but the interior space is dynamite.  I could see where my furniture would go.  Not quite move in ready but close enough to make it possible.  Better location than Bodega Avenue.   I immediately wrote my offer and got it submitted.  I offered $5,500 over asking.  And then the wait began.  I gave three days to respond.  At three days, no response.  I am getting nervous.  The rooms are getting smaller.  The stove is getting older.  The floor plan is getting less desirable.  Day 4 and still no response.  By now I am thinking - I really don’t like this place after all.  It is dingy and miniscule.   When clients call me asking if there is anything they can do to get a response sooner, I tell them that they need to be patient as the only real options we have are to wait until the seller responds or withdraw the offer.  This usually elicits a sigh of disgust.  I am now sighing – heavily.  Day 5, I get my answer.  My offer is accepted.    To me it seemed over 10 days.  I now have so much more empathy for my clients.

Gal pals are great for letting you know if you are doing the right thing.

I immediately asked if I could go back to see the house and take Gail and Katy – before I even have inspections.  Clients do this all the time.  We walked into the living room and it was WOW!  Other than painting and that I want different flooring, the place is move in ready.  The stove is just fine and my furniture will all fit.  I am delighted.

How did I get this home over the other many offers?  I offered a bit higher than asking (it has appraised at that amount), I took less than 10 days to remove my inspection contingencies (I have the best inspectors), I accommodated the tenant and have a long escrow (71 days to be exact) and I have a reputation of getting the escrow closed.  Whatever really made the difference, I don’t know but I believe that I was meant to move to Sebastopol and live in this lovely home.  I am now 33 days from home ownership and delighted with the prospects of settling in.

Inspiration at Filoli House and Garden

The Reflection Pond with Garden House

There is nothing like a couple of hours in a garden to bring me and my psyche back into balance.  With the struggles of getting escrows closed (of which I could write a full book!), the positive stress of buying myself a condo in town (yes, I am moving soon – that will take many hours of relaxation as well as work) and doing far too much volunteer work these days (P.O.E., Rose Society, Artist Profile……the list goes on), I needed to achieve some balance.   My sister was in Palo Alto for some tests at Stanford and I took the opportunity to drive down and visit with her.  She had the morning before her appointments and asked “What is something fun we can do?”  Knowing that she loves architecture and gardens, we had to go to Filoli.

The Garden House provides elegant shelter to view the garden

Filoli was built between 1915 and 1917 by William Bowers Bourn II.  Mr. Bourn had the benefit of a gold mine in the Sierras and built his estate on 654 acres in the Crystal Springs Reservoir area of Woodside.  This is the last of the many country estates built after the 1906 earthquake that still remains with its original acreage.  The second owners, Mr. and Mrs. William P. Roth, purchased the estate in 1936 and gifted it to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1975 upon the death of Mrs. Roth.  Most people of my generation recognize the pond above as the fight scene between Alexis and Crystal on Dynasty.   The history of the home is one of lavish parties.  The name Filoli derives from Mr. Bourn’s motto – Fight for a just cause; Love your fellow man; Live a good life.

A Vignette in the Gift Shop

The home is spectacular.  If you have an opportunity to visit, there is a visitors center that was having an art exhibit, a coffee shop that had tasty food (I had a mushroom soup that was yummy) and of course, a gift shop.  In addition to having silk flowers and items that would enhance any traditional decor, there is a small nursery that sells some of the plants found within the garden.  It is truly a remarkable place.

Over 1300 volunteers work to keep the garden at its best as well as work in the shop, cafe and the information area.  The property is open from February to October – Tuesday through Sunday.  Be sure to check their website for hours.  www.filoli.org.

Just Joey

While the house is spectacular, my interest always goes to the gardens.  For one thing, gardens change season to season and sometimes day to day.  This garden is known for the wisteria and towering yews.  There is an extensive rose garden but as rose gardens go, it is nothing to brag about.  (Okay, I admit to being a rose garden snob!)  There were some lovely Double Delights and Just Joeys.  Just Joey is one of my favorite roses – the flowers are huge and the color is a bit more coral than this picture conveys.

Rhododendrons

Springtime is wonderful in the garden.  Not all the roses are in bloom but the rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias are in full regalia.  Not that a garden with acres is anywhere close to my little plot I will be getting with my condo but I did get some great ideas as to placing potted plants with permanent installations.  I love pansies – easy to grow, long lasting, a memory of my childhood.  Pansies were filling beds, clustered in pots and complementing the burgundy Japanese maples.

Today is to be a day of renewal and relaxation for me.   I have not written in this blog as much as I would like as I consider it a luxury to take the time and share my joys.  But I have decided to take another thought process.  This is what keeps me sane.  And even though it is Sunday morning, I have handled three calls from folks looking to purchase property.   I am inspired as I bring up my smiling pansies.  What a fabulous area we live in.

Smiling Pansies – Wishing You a Wonderful Day

 

Sebastopol Rotary Backs Another Winner

On April 7 was the Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre at Analy High School.  The Sebastopol Community Center was transformed into 1928 Chicago.  And the Analy drama group took on the roles of the Taylor family and their guests.   Those of us who paid to be a part of the celebration were greeted by Mrs. Taylor, her brother-in-law, three daughters, fiance of one daughter and friends of the family.  All dressed the part.

Guests arrive for a fun evening!

The Sebastopol Rotary Club sponsors this event each year as a fund raiser for the Analy Arts programs.  And they get right into the mood.  We shared a table with friends old and new.    It may have been prohibition in 1928 but the local sparking wine was plentiful.

During our arrival, the hosts visited and gave us the latest news of the family.  Mrs. Taylor’s husband had recently been killed in an auto accident.  She didn’t seem too distraught about the matter as she pranced around the tables with her late husband’s brother in tow.  And then there was the fiance – Did I mention that this was an engagement party?  He seemed to be pinching all the girls in the wedding party.

Rose was regal in her red boa.

The gossip was running  wild.   Dinner was disturbed by a close friend of Mrs. Taylor imbibing a bit too much. The sisters had a squabble over Rose’s dislike of her sister’s choice of men.  And there was a maid that seemed to be very friendly with all the males at the head table.

Dinner continued and then Mrs. Taylor’s friend was found murdered.  During the murder investigation, the fiance is also murdered.   The police were everywhere!  Someone blurts out that Rose was recently pregnant by the fiance.  Was that maid actually the daughter of the deceased?  Who was the murderer?  Or were there two murderers?

The evening was a true local affair:  great entertainment – wonderful food by Ceres – good company.   These high school Thespians showed their talents by adlibbing for over two hours with a great story line.  Did I say that this was really fun?

The party was a high society celebration.

Flowers Abound at Bouquets to Art

Each March my flower obsession is fueled by the Bouquets to Art exhibit at the DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park of San Francisco.    This year a group of us decided that Member’s Night would be the best for all of our schedules.  The exhibit is always packed but we arrived early enough to get dinner at the museum cafe (which always has good food) and be allowed into the exhibit a few minutes early.

While I am certain that the number of bouquets was less this year, the display was definitely worth the trip to San Francisco.  The arrangements covered traditionally inspired bouquets with an abundance of flowers to reeds in a bundle topped with a succulent.  Every installation was a joy.  With so many people around, one could not help but overhear the conversations between mother and daughter, enthralled sisters and somewhat ambivalent husbands.

I always find the comments fascinating.  While looking at the red, blue and yellow abstract painting and bouquet, I was amazed to hear a young woman saying to her older companion. “This is not a true arrangement.  The flowers were just thrown into place without being arranged.”  I feverishly looked to see if the florist was within ear shot as these flowers were so perfectly placed that the artist might have spent hours making sure that each was perfectly representing the colors in the painting.  See this lovely rendition to the right.

Each year there is a selection of artwork that is always included in the mix but there were new ones this year that joined the party.  I must really like the Oranges in Tissue Paper by William Joseph McCloskey, ca. 1890 as this is the second year in a row that I have selected it to show.

The apparent hit of the show was the foliage and ribboned lady of Tulip Culture by George Hitchcock.   The florist’s name is Debbie Hitchcock from Kenwood.  I think that is a wonderful touch and I am imagining that Debbie is a descendant of George.

Why I am looking for a home!

I don’t think I have ever posted someone else’s writing.  But this is so well said that I needed to post it for you.

me buyers face dilemma with shortage

Kathleen Pender

Published 3:28 pm, Saturday, March 9, 2013

• 

If you buy now, you might have to pay above asking. But if you wait, you could end up paying an even higher price and a higher interest rate if you need a loan. That’s because inventory won’t improve until prices rise enough to get more homeowners to sell and more builders to break ground.

The inventory shortage is especially acute in California. Of the 30 largest housing markets, the four with the biggest drops in homes listed for sale on Zillow in February compared with February of last year were Sacramento (48 percent), Los Angeles, San Francisco (41 percent) and San Diego.

Although listings are increasing on a month-to-month basis as the busy spring season gets under way, Trulia Chief Economist Jed Kolko predicts they won’t start rising on a year-over-year basis for a year or more.

An example of that: “In all of Millbrae, there was one listing two months ago. There are about a dozen now,” says Roger Dewes, a Coldwell Banker agent on the Peninsula. In a normal market, there might be 20. “We are not there yet, but going from one to 12 is quite a leap,” he says.

Experts cite five factors contributing to the inventory shortage:

– Fewer foreclosures are hitting the market. “California did a good job of disposing of its backlog” of distressed properties, says Zillow Chief Economist Stan Humphries.

In California, where most foreclosures are handled out of court, the process is taking about 11 months on average, according to RealtyTrac. In New York and New Jersey, where foreclosures go through a court proceeding, the process is taking 36 and 32 months, respectively.

– Many people still owe more than their homes are worth. If they sold now, they would have to come up with extra cash to pay off their loan. Although prices have rebounded from their lows, 23.3 percent of homes with a mortgage in San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties were still underwater in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to Zillow.

– Even if they are not underwater, many owners won’t sell for less than they paid. If they bought near the peak, it may take a while before they are ready to budge.

The median price paid for a new or resale home or condo in the nine-county Bay Area was $415,000 in January. That’s less than halfway between its low of $290,000 in March 2009 and its high of $665,000 set in June/July 2007, according to DataQuick.

– Many people, even if their homes are worth more than they paid, won’t sell because they are afraid they won’t be able to buy another house. “It becomes a game of musical chairs; they are afraid to get out because they can’t get back in,” Humphries says. This becomes “a self-reinforcing cycle” that keeps homes off the market.

– The housing bust put new construction on hold.

The shortage comes at a time when demand is rising in the Bay Area, not just from regular buyers but from investors, second-home buyers and foreign buyers, especially from Asia.

‘Heck of a wreck’

The result is stories like this: A 1,500-square-foot home on Clipper Street on San Mateo’s east side, advertised as a “heck of a wreck,” attracted 97 offers in the first eight days, says listing agent Claire Haggarty of NBT Realty Services.

The home was listed in mid-January at $375,000, which Haggarty considered “a little under market.” It sold for $510,000 in an all-cash deal with no inspections, no contingencies and a 10-day close.

At some point, prices will rise enough to shake lose more inventory, but it won’t happen immediately.

Based on what’s happening around the country, Kolko says inventory tightens fastest in the first 12 months after prices hit a bottom. “Everybody wants to buy at the bottom and nobody wants to sell at the bottom,” he says.

Kauai – One More Time

Gingerbread Renditions of the Churches near Hanalei

Each winter I leave behind the rains of Northern California and head to the island of Kauai for warmth and sunshine.  It is not always sunny as rain is prevalent in Hawaii this time of year but no matter how wet it is, the temperature is in the perfect range of 68 to 80 degrees.  The days are filled with reading, lounging, visiting favorite spots and generally recooperating from the busy life that I love in Sonoma County.

The new experience this year has been to not have a rental car for the first week.  We stayed at the Marriott Beach Club which is adjacent to the airport so a shuttle is available to get back and forth.  The Marriott  is located near a number of fine places to eat and imbibe so we did not find ourselves lacking.  We actually did a lower cost week than if we had the wheels to visit restaurants outside of walking distance.  We went to Duke’s Barefoot Bar three times.  Not our favorite Mai Tais but the fish tacos and shrimp salad are really good.  Our two formal meals were at Duke’s upstairs – fabulous salad bar and great fresh fish. The only other venue we enjoyed for dinner was Kukui’s bar which allows guests to order from either Kukui’s restuarant or the sushi bar.  A great time was had by all.  We sunbathed – We read books – We played cards – We shopped – I played golf.  We discovered that a car was unnecessary in this location and that we probably relaxed more without the option of driving to various locations.

A second week to enjoy the island with the benefit of transportation allows any pent up desires to visit specific places be satisfied.  Our first trip was to Kilohana Plantation – home of Gaylords and Koloa Rum Company.  Gaylords has been a long time favorite of mine and two years ago I was very disappointed to learn that the restaurant had been renamed Latitude 29 and the menu was completely different.  We made no plans to eat at Kilohana because of this change that I learned was suggested by a consulting company.  Clearly, other patrons in addition to myself had expressed their opinion and the name Gaylords in back.  We did not eat there this trip having just had wonderful saimin at Hamura’s in Lihue but I will put it on my list for my next excursion to Kauai.   One new addition is a beautiful bar in the living room of the Kilohana house.  The bar was not open when we were there at lunchtime but the woodwork is beautiful and the view out to the back lawn is pure Kauai.

Koloa Rum Company

The Koloa Rum Company has been in existence since 2009.  I visited it the month the tasting room was opened in 2010 and it is a favorite stop each trip to Kauai.  The tasting is informative and fun.  All of the ingredients are grown on Kauai and the spice rum has got to be the best in the world.  Each year there are more shops that are carrying the local product and it is showing up in local establishment Mai Tais.  The gift shop is excellent for remorabilia and the building is vintage plantation.

We are now up north at Hanalei Bay Resort in Princeville.  It would be difficult to be here without a car.  We can walk to the St. Regis to enjoy the view with a latte.  The gingerbread structures are a yearly display in the lobby, as well as beautiful Christmas trees throughout.  Everyday we drive to the local market and purchase the fresh catch of the day.  So far we have had opah, ahi and ono.  We have coated the fish with Organic Aloha Seafood Seasoning and Rub from Aloha Spice Company of Hanapepe, yet another place we are not visiting this year. Yum.  Fish, sauteed vegetables and salad greens with a local papaya dressing – nothing could be better.  Tonight will be our first night to eat in a restaurant since our move.  Today is a big day as we are going to a botanical garden for chocolate tasting.  I am looking forward to lots of pictures of flowers and having chocolate for the first time in 10 days.

Hula Girls in the Marriott Lobby

Preparing for the Holidays

Every time of the year I marvel at the beauty of Sonoma County.  The scenery is diverse and always stunning.  The picture above is taken on Occidental Road just east of High School Road outside of Sebastopol.  The lighting was so perfect that every driver with a camera was pulled to the side of road to take a snapshot.  Cold, foggy and flooding all disappeared with the serene beauty of the Laguna de Santa Rosa.

With the love of my local area at front of mind, I decided that my shopping for holiday gifts would be focused at home.  I shunned the Internet and headed to Bodega Bay for some shopping.  I hit the jackpot at East Shore Outfitters and Gourmet au Bay.  Sissy does a great job of selecting wonderful merchandise without the “tourist trap” prices.  I then headed to Occidental to the annual craft sale.  I must admit that I bought two sweaters for me – one from Wild n’ Wooley out of Mt. Shasta to keep me warm on those cold and windy mornings and a light weight one from another vendor that will be perfect in Hawaii.

The next day I ventured all the way to Sebastopol.  It was a Sunday and the Farmer’s Market was in full swing.  Today (Sunday) the rain is coming down and a thick fog has enveloped the garden.  I have built a fire to conserve on propane and I will be home long enough today to enjoy the ambiance.   But last Sunday the temperature was 70 degrees and I was thinking I might never wear the heavy knit hoodie that I had purchased the day before.  The Sebastopol Farmer’s Market is a year round event.  The number of stalls is less in the winter but the atmosphere is always Sebastopol.  I wandered Main Street and found a few more gifts and bopped into Whole Foods to see what the latest in food goodies they had to offer.  An absolutely spectacular day.

My Christmas shopping was almost complete but yesterday I stopped by Forestville to visit Frame of Mind – the best framing shop in my overall experience of framing.   Leslie is not just a framer of great talent but a creative artist in her own right.  She doesn’t let a piece leave the shop that does not look spectacular. Then I dropped into Moshin Winery for  the best pinot noir along the Russian River.    I was blessed to have a lovely dinner at Cork’s outside of Forestville with dear friends on my way home.

The magical barn down the way on Joy Road is open for local artists the weekend after Thanksgiving weekend (does that make sense? 9 days after Thanksgiving.)  It is the closest shopping available with clever surprises for young and old.  If you live near or are visiting that time of year, you should put it on your calendar now for 2013 so that it isn’t missed.

It looks like I will have my shopping complete before I leave for the holidays and will not have purchased anything further than 12 miles from my secluded home.  The evening sunset through the redwoods on Joy Road is a frequent reminder of the magnificence and peace my world holds.  Wonderful community, great friends and local products abound in my life.  In case I do not have the opportunity to say it to you in this upcoming week, may your holidays and the coming year be your brightest.  Peace on earth to all.