Unique Stuff in Other People's Homes...

So, if you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you will know that several days per week, I tour the newest home listings that come on the market in different Sacramento neighborhoods.

Why do I do this? Well, it makes me a more effective Realtor. I find that I am better able to service the needs of my buyer and seller clients if I am familiar with the listing inventory in the areas that I work in. If I see something that one of my buyer clients may like, I immediately make arrangements to show the home to them. Or if I am listing a property, actually having first hand knowledge of the recent comparable home sales in the neighborhood helps me to guide sellers with regard to proper pricing. Of course, when I list a home, I open it up to other agents to tour it as well....it's good exposure.

In addition to making me a more effective Realtor, there are a couple other reasons I enjoy touring.

The first reason is - touring is a good opportunity to network and briefly socialize with other agents. The listing agent is usually present during these "broker open houses" and often times other (good, productive) agents are touring the homes at the same time. The Sacramento real estate community is really a small world...so, when I know an agent on the other end of one of my transactions, it makes for a much smoother process as there is a spirit of cooperation, and that ultimately makes for a less stressful process for my buyer or seller client.

The second reason is - sometimes the homes on tour are a little...unique. Or they have unique features. Or unique furnishings. Or unique decor. At least once every week I am pleasantly entertained (or completely disgusted?) by something found in homes on tour. What were these people thinking when they did that!? I occasionally tweet these photos, but until now have not put them on my blog...well since it seems that I run across these things so frequently, I thought I would start a regular blog feature to "showcase" the oddities that people do to or with their homes...Of course the property itself will remain unidentified. Let's start with a favorite of mine. Yes, this is a rug in a really gorgeous Sierra Oaks home, and yes it's real.