RIP Harold - my beloved hound doggie...

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you will know that this week has been an emotional one for me. On Wednesday, my sweet 8-year old bloodhound Harold, began showing signs he was suffering from some sort of ailment. Harold is a big boy of about 140 pounds, and was pretty much immobile due to his ailment...I could not get him to his veterinarian's office, and over a couple hours Wednesday afternoon, it became clear that his condition was not one that was going to improve. I desperately tried to find a mobile vet that could come out immediately and examine Harold to no avail. I finally found one that could come out on Friday, and unfortunately by the time he was able to be examined his condition was imminently dire. The only option was to put Harold down.

If you have ever had to euthanize a pet, you will know just how heart-wrenching it is. Thankfully, the mobile vet was able to give Harold a sedative first that made him basically fall asleep, and I do not think he aware of what was happening. He died in my arms. Let's just say I cried pretty much all of Friday, and had a few teary episodes this weekend. I know it was the only humane decision, and a part of responsible pet ownership.

I got Harold when he was 7 weeks old from a breeder in Southern California. He weighed 20 pounds at that age, and we all knew he would be a big one, eventually growing to 140 pounds. He was such a character and definitely ruled the household.

Some of my favorite memories include taking him camping - a couple years ago I rented a tent trailer, and Harold pertty much claimed an entire side for himself! He also used to love to go for rides in the back of the truck or for walks, and just saying "Do you want to go bye-bye?" would make him so excited he would totally prance around! Also, he frequently would sneak on to the couch and fall asleep when I was not looking, including once on the top of a pile of my freshly washed laundry. I loved giving him a bath so he could snuggle with me, sometimes on the bed if he was really good - which was pretty much always. He brought me so much joy over the last 8 years, and he will always have a special place in my heart. I know he will be missed by my other babies too - Hubert and Howard. RIP my sweet boy.

New Listing - 7656 Boardwalk Way, Antelope, CA 95843

Stunning newer 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,545sf Antelope Winncrest Home - Calypso model! You will love the open layout, gourmet kitchen with granite counters and GE Profile appliances, pre-wired for surround sound, plantation shutters and tile and upgraded carpet flooring! The backyard is truly a showpiece-professionally landscaped with flagstone patio, trex deck, pergola and more! Don't wait! Offered at $215,000, subject to lender approval of short sale. For more photos and additional detail, visit http://7656BoardwalkWay.com.

New Listing - 2032 Richmond Street, Arden / Sacramento, CA 95825

Stunning 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,904sf Arden ranch-style home has been lovingly and meticulously cared for by its owner. You will fall in love the stamped concrete driveway, the renovated kitchen with newer tile flooring, corian countertops, and crown moulding, the large inside utility/laundry room with incredible storage and custom cabinetry, the cozy living room with built-in shelving and gas log fireplace, the amazing light and bright family room with surround sound and a wall of ceiling-to-floor dual pane windows and sliding doors, the large covered patio perfect for outdoor entertaining, built-in fountain with sitting area, the manicured lawn with planter beds, and the outdoor Tuff Shed for extra storage. HVAC and roof replaced in 1999, water heater replaced in 2006, updated copper plumbing in 2008 - and much more (please ask listing agent for detailed list). Offered at $299,900, NOT a short sale / foreclosure. For more photos and detail, please visit http://2032richmondstreet.com/.

Sacramento Association of Realtors - Scholarship Applications Available NOW

You may recall from a previous blog post, the Sacramento Association of Realtors "Young Professionals Council" raised about $4,400 for the SAR Scholarship Fund last year in June via a vendor fair event. Just as the "Young Professionals Council" did last year, this year we are also doing a vendor fair fundraiser for the SAR Scholarship Fund.

In 2009, SAR awarded approximately $44,000 in scholarships to deserving Sacramento area students. Well...the application period for SAR's 2010 scholarships is NOW!! Completed applications must be received by SAR by 5:00pm on March 31st, 2010.

The scholarships are available to qualifying high school seniors and college students who attend school in and are permanent residents of Sacramento County or the City of West Sacramento. SAR scholarships are awarded for academic achievement (minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5), community service, and extracurricular activities. You must also be related to a past or current Realtor or Affiliate member of the Sacramento Association of Realtors.

Awards in recent years have ranged from $750 to $3,000. Scholarship awards will be announced in May, and they will be presented in June at SAR’s headquarters in Sacramento.

To download the SAR Scholarship Application, click here.

New Listing - 2009 Medusa Way, Sacramento / Garden of the Gods, CA 95864

Updated 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,680sf Garden of the Gods gem! You will fall in love with the spacious floorplan with separate living and family rooms, formal dining, large master suite with walk-in closet, covered deck, .194ac large manicured front and back yards, and 2-car garage with extra-wide driveway/possible rv access. Freshly painted interior, new carpets, wood flooring, new window coverings, metal roof, central heat & air. NOT a short sale/Foreclosure!! Offered at $359,000. For more photos and additional detail, visit http://www.2009medusaway.com/.

Wachovia Short Sale - What Sacramento Buyers or Sellers can expect...

So I have gotten to the point where I have closed so many Sacramento short sales, I figured I would share my experiences with different lenders. The last short sale lender profile I did was for Bank of America. I figured this time I would profile a lender at the opposite end of the spectrum: Wachovia.

Let me just tell you - if you are a Sacramento buyer or seller dealing with Wachovia Bank on a short sale, you have stumbled upon the golden goose!

Wachovia has one of the smoothest short sale approval processes I have witnessed. They actually have a local representative that personally meets with the short sale seller and the listing agent, who personally views the property, and issues short sale approval in a short time - usually within 3-5 days. Wachovia commonly offers the sellers incentives to move out and leave the property in good condition. Ocasionally a Wachovia short sale can be "conditionally" approved before it is listed in MLS. The seller generally does not have to supply much financial documentation - rather the seller must be prepared to discuss their financial / hardship situation with the local rep during their in-person meeting.

I would post the local Wachovia short sale rep's name, telephone number, and email address, however since I have her direct contact information, I am going to refrain from posting it so that she does not receive an onslaught of communication.

Click here if you are thinking about doing a short sale of your home. Click here if you are thinking about buying a short sale home.

My week in Indian Wells for C.A.R. Meetings...

Have I mentioned lately that I really love being a Realtor? I love working with my buyer and seller clients, and I also really enjoy my involvement on the other side of things...I mention pretty frequently my involvement in various committees locally at the Sacramento Association of Realtors. I am also an active participant in various committees at the state level. So, if you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you will already know that I left town early this week and flew to Palm Springs in order to attend the winter business meetings for the California Association of Realtors.

It was definitely a working trip! In addition to attending my committee meetings and other related events, I still obviously had to work...I still did short sale negotiation, actually closed a short sale on Thursday.

The C.A.R. Board of Directors and its Committees research and formulate policy on all areas affecting the business, professional practices and public policy involvement of California Realtors. I am on 4 C.A.R. committees. The am a member of the Membership Committee, the Local Government Relations Forum, and the Communications Advisory Committee, and I have a leadership position on the Young Professionals Network Committee. Most of the sessions are closed, so I can not go into too much detail regarding the content of what was discussed...

The journey home was quite an experience...the Palm Springs airport was basically shut down due to bad weather. My flight was cancelled and I was basically stranded. Thankfully, one of my Realtor colleagues took pity on me, and turned around 3o minutes into the drive home and rescued me. I finally got home around midnight last night, after I should have been home around noon. UGH.

Anyway, back to work this week! I have a great (non-short sale) listing coming on the market on Wednesday, and all kinds of other great things going on...

Top Listing Agent - Lyon Real Estate Sierra Oaks Office...again...for January 2010!

Preferred parking is mine once again, as I was the top listing agent in my Lyon Real Estate Sierra Oaks office of +/- 130 Realtors! January was a busy month for me...I listed MANY properties, and I am happy to say that this time they were a mix of short sales AND regular listings (with a traditional seller!).