For Every Home, a Buyer
More than a few realtors consider the real estate market one big Kmart. Their credo is simple: drop a home’s price until it flies off the shelf. Apparently, I can’t see the blue light. Or maybe I’m just plain stubborn. But I refuse, REFUSE to kick down the price of a home just to make the quick sale. Call me a rebel, but this L.A. realtor prefers to get the best possible price for my clients. No matter how long it takes.
That’s definitely the case with a beautiful home I had listed. It’s a sprawling Spanish-style gem with two added guest houses. For three months, hundreds of people swarmed in to look it over. Their opinion was unanimous – the home was a knockout! But through some glitch in the fabric of the universe, it just didn’t work for anybody. My manager and my co-lister urged me to slash the price. “Uh-uh,” I resisted. “This home is worth every penny of the asking price. It might take a week, a month, or a half-year. But somebody will come along in due time and snatch it up.”
Well, after three months of waiting it out, that somebody did arrive on the scene. For them, this L.A. home was absolute perfection. And they snapped it up in two seconds flat.
Waiting three months translated to an extra $100,000 for my clients. (Last year, a similar gain was achieved after six months for a client.) All of which goes to show that in the world real estate, patience is indeed a virtue. And as for all you naysayers, I just have one simple message –
Told ya so!
See you next time.
Terre Steinbeck
(310) 666-4094 DIRECT
(310) 724-7100 OFFICE
Sometimes It’s What’s on the Outside That Counts
Whether you’re selling your L.A. home or just keeping it hale and hearty, a good number of you spend endless hours cleaning, sprucing, and decorating the beautiful interior until it shines like the Tiffany diamond. But throughout these noble endeavors, you’re probably neglecting a critically important element in the attractiveness department – the exterior. You might not be able to judge a book by its cover. Homes, however, are another matter. The outside goes a long, long way to enhancing the value and appeal of your beloved property.
When it comes to the outdoor realm, choice landscaping is among the top value-enhancers. Nothing like a well-placed row of cacti to boost your home’s ranchy appeal. Now don’t press the panic button. You don’t need to spend a king’s ransom on landscaper fees. In fact, you can get the job done all on your own thanks to –
Terre’s Guide to Do It Yourself Landscaping
- Make Room for Flora – Widen your flower beds to a width of four to six feet, and populate with colorful flowers.
- Don’t Get Caught With Your Plants Down – Plants and other flora can show a lot of wear and tear over time. Replace this dull bunch with fresh foliage, and watch the place liven up.
- Grab Some Attention – A unique tree or shrub offers great potential as a focal point. Align one of these soil-dwellers with a key architectural point on your property. Good spots are a corner of the garage, home, or front yard.
- Be a Stickler for Style – Unless you prefer hedges shaped like enormous ice cubes, loose the electric clippers. These are infamous for carving beautiful foliage into geometric monstrosities. Far better to let your inner stylist loose with a hand-powered model.
Now that you’re well versed in the finer points of the landscaping arts, I’m expecting great things from you. If you have your own landscaping wisdom or photos to add, be sure to fire your thoughts into the comment box or send your pics in my direction. And, of course, if you have any questions about this or any other Beverly Hills real estate issue, absolutely send them my way.
Terre Steinbeck
(310) 666-4094 DIRECT
(310) 724-7100 OFFICE
Terre Steinbeck Beverly Hills real estate 