Why I hire a professional photographer for my listings...

Recently I was with a professional photographer at one of my listings as we were readying it to hit the market, and just for fun I decided to take a couple photos of the house myself just to compare to the professional pics side-by-side. There's no comparison: my photographs are lame. The lighting is inconsistent, there is this bleary quality around the windows, the composition is not ideal, and the rooms totally look small.

The professional photographers I hire to shoot my listings are amazing. It is SO critically important in marketing a home to have amazing photos -- we want a buyer to emotionally connect with a home before they ever set foot inside. Good photos generate excitement, and excitement generates lots of showings, and lots of showings generates offers.

How to blow up your house...

Step one: hook a flexible gas line up to both your water heater and dryer.

Step two: 😖

Sometimes I wonder what goes through people's minds when they do really goofy do-it-yourself home repairs. Like this. I saw this showing property in Fair Oaks. Seriously?

New Listing - 5914 34th Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95824

Cute Fruitridge Manor 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 1126sf home! You will love the spacious layout, updated kitchen with tile counters and new flooring, updated bathroom, laminate floors, custom fireplace, wood-beamed ceilings, big bonus room could be 3rd bedroom, home office, or den! Composition roof, central heat and air, water heater, and dual pane windows have all been replaced within the last year. Large detached garage. Big backyard is perfect for entertaining, newly landscaped with a fun fire-pit, and plenty of sunny space to garden or play. Don't wait! Offered at $249,900. For more photos and a 3D tour, please visit 5914 34th Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95824.

Beware of inaccessible areas in termite inspection reports...you never know what's lurking...

In past posts I have mentioned how important it is to read inspection reports...often, inspectors will note areas as inaccessible for inspection, or note a stain or something that warrants further investigation.

On an inspection report that noted a stain on a closet baseboard, we had the baseboard removed to discover this condition. That is some concealed dryrot that affected a large section of an exterior wall. Thankfully the seller agreed to repair this for the buyer.

New Listing - 2921 Heron Way, Sacramento, CA 95821

Adorable and lovingly maintained Arden Arcade home is the perfect blank canvas for your personal touches! You will love the spacious layout, large living room with cozy fireplace and built-in shelving, formal dining room, charming kitchen with lots of cabinet space and huge pantry, large bonus room would make for a great den, home office, or 4th bedroom. Covered deck is the perfect place for fun gatherings, large sunny yard has plenty of room to play or garden! Newer HVAC, 2-year roof certification, and central vacuum system. Don't wait! Trust sale. Offered at $239,000. For more photos and a 3D virtual tour, visit 2921 Heron Way, Sacramento, CA 95821.

New Listing - 6304 & 6306 Blackstar Drive, Citrus Heights, CA 95621

Excellent investment property opportunity with this well-maintained Citrus Heights duplex. Convenient, high-demand location. 6304 Blackstar Drive is a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom unit with a 1-car garage (rent $1,150/month), and 6306 Blackstar Drive is a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom unit with a 1-car garage (rent $975/month). Spacious units flow nicely with lots of living space, open layouts, big bedrooms, ample storage, and private backyards. Reports, maintenance, and income/expense records available. Located near shopping, public transportation, parks, schools, and I-80. Offered at $338,000. For more photos and additional information, please visit 6304-6306 Blackstar Drive, Citrus Heights, CA 95621.

How not to stage a vacant home...

Here is a solid example of how NOT to stage a vacant home. Because no matter how much you dress up a crappy card table and folding chairs, it will still look like a crapping card table and folding chairs, randomly slapped down in the middle of a room.

Staging should help buyers visualize use of space. Not give them fodder to belittle the house.

New Listing - 1371 Jonas Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95864

Wonderful 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom, 2,476sf home is ready for a new owner. You will love the remodeled kitchen with white cabinets, granite counters and stainless appliances, spacious living room with cozy fireplace, wood flooring. Backyard is an outdoor oasis with built-in swimming pool and park-like 0.5ac lot with lots of sunny space to garden and play! Huge 3-car detached garage and circular driveway offers plenty of accessory space and parking. Located near parks and K-12 schools, short distance to Sacramento State. Offered at $475,000 subject to lender approval of short sale. For more photos please visit 1371 Jonas Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95864.

Heirs: please do not throw out home maintenance records if you find them...

I listed a Sacramento home recently where the owner passed away earlier this year. The person selling the home is the "successor trustee" of the owner's Living Trust -- the niece of the owner. She came out from Texas to go through the house, clean it out and get it ready for sale.

I visited the house the other day as they were packing items up to move and getting ready for a huge garage sale, and the niece handed me a box. Looking inside, I discovered the owner retained records for EVERYTHING. And by everything, I mean everything. Every appliance she purchased, service records for maintenance, extended warranty information and more dating back nearly 40 years.

We were able to purge a little of it -- for example the central heat and air system she installed in the 1980s was replaced just a few years ago. And the coffee maker she bought in 1996 was being sold in a garage sale and not coming with the house.

Homes that are sold by the successor trustees of a living trust where the owner has passed away or become incapacitated are exempt from many of the typical disclosures given to buyers during a home sale. Often, successor trustees have never occupied the home and don't know pertinent information about the home. If you are ever in the position to have to sell the home of a deceased person, PLEASE do not throw out these records if you find them while sorting out the affairs of the estate. This sort of cache of information is absolutely invaluable to the new owner.

New Listing - 4720 Custis Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95822

Adorable 2 bedrooms + loft, 1 bathroom, 1,068sf Hollywood Park home on .14ac lot! You will love the classic features paired with modern amenities: wood floors, spacious living room with cozy fireplace, formal dining room, updated kitchen with tile counters, remodeled bathroom, and neat upstairs loft which is a possible 3rd bedroom or the perfect home office! Enclosed sun room area and front patio deck offer more spaces to hang out, and large sunny backyard with pergola is the perfect place to garden or play! Short distance to schools, parks, shopping, public transportation and more. Offered at $324,900. For more information and a 3D tour, please visit 4720 Custis Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95822.