Anne Fashauer Anderson Valley & Mendocino

Recently I've had a few people ask my professional opinion on various aspects of real estate, some pertinent to a particular situation, some more general.  In at least two of those instances people suggested to me that they had thought of selling their home themselves, without the benefit of a Realtor(R).  Of course, I have a strong interest in suggesting that these people re-think this idea!  I can understand the appeal - we are a do-it-yourself society, whether it be building or repairing something on a home, selling an automobile or growing your own vegetables.  There's also the incentive of saving the commission cost.  In light of these comments I think I'll take this opportunity to suggest why Realtors(R) are worth the brokerage fees they are paid - or at the very least, why I am worth the fee I'm paid!

Let's start at the beginning.  You've decided to sell your home; how will you price it?  How easily can you find the information of recent sales that are comparable to your home?  A Realtor(R) has immediate access to this information via the MLS; not to mention the agent's experience and knowledge of the market and pricing trends.  An agent can pull of sales for the past six to 18 months and see if prices are rising or falling; she can look at prices of homes currently on the market and can easily check which are overpriced by the number of days the home has been on the market.  It's likely the agent has been inside homes that have been on the market and has a personal feel for how they compare with the home they are pricing.  How many people take the time to look at new homes for sale every time one comes on the market?  You can bet your Realtor(R) does.

How will you market your home?  How many websites will you have access to?  What MLS will you be on?  There are some For Sale By Owner websites out there to be sure.  I do not know the statistics for these sites.  I do know that Realtor.com is one of the largest real estate websites out there and that every home on an MLS can be found on Realtor.com.  You must belong to a Realtors'(R) association to belong to an MLS to get to Realtor.com.  And without a doubt you must have web marketing for your home; 90% of all people who buy a home start their search online.  Beyond Realtor.com, many agents also put their listings on other real estate websites.  Century 21 has access to over 30 such websites nationwide (plus it is one of the most widely recognized real estate sites itself); I myself utilize a website host that farms out my listings to additional sites nationwide.

Will you be able to show your home yourself whenever you do have an interested party?  Will you be reachable 16 hours per day via telephone and email?  Will you have a smartphone that allows email and web access wherever you have cell service?  It's likely your Realtor(R) has state-of-the-art communication systems and, because it's their job, they are reachable all day long, often outside "normal" business hours and on weekends as well as weekdays.  They are available to bring buyers to your home and present it for you in it's best possible light.  Your agent doesn't have to take time off of a regular job to show your home - that is her job.

How are your negotiating skills?  Can you keep an arm's length from your own transaction in order to clearly evaluate an offer?  Are you aware of the various aspects of an offer that can make a full price offer less desirable than one for less because of other factors in that offer?  Your agent is there to represent and promote your interests.  She can be a go-between, a buffer if you will, between your off-the-cuff reactions and what you really want to say to the person making the offer.  She knows what makes a strong offer and what makes one weak and she can advise you of this so that you are able to make the best possible decision as you evaluate the offer.

Let's say you find a buyer who makes an offer and it's time for escrow.  Do you have the knowledge to make sure your contract is strong?  Do you know all the disclosures required by California law that must be provided to the buyers?  Are you aware of the inspections a buyer will want to make and how to negotiate further based on any findings from those inspections?  Can you deal with the title company and make sure the escrow will go through on time and with as little hassle as possible?  Your Realtor(R) has access to the most recent California Association of Realtors'(R) forms; she knows all the disclosures that need to be made; she makes it her job to follow up with all the paperwork and make sure it is signed by all parties.  Your agent knows the inspections and the various findings that can be made and can be there for you to help you negotiate further if needed with the buyers based on the findings from those inspections.  Your agent likely knows the title people quite well from other transactions and can easily keep tabs on things to make sure everything is running smoothly.

At the end of the day, your Realtor(R) will have earned her fees and you will be confident that you have been well served.  All your questions will have been answered, all the buyer's concerns addressed; negotiations will have yielded results that all parties can be happy with.  You will be able to rest assured that you haven't forgotten some vital piece of paperwork that could later result in a lawsuit with your buyers.  You will have peace of mind.  And that is the bottom line - as I've stated all along, my goal is to make your selling experience a comfortable one.

If you have any questions about any of this please feel free to give me a call or send me an email.  This is just a brief overview of all the aspects of real estate sales that your Realtor(R) can help you with.

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In the most recent edition of the Anderson Valley Advertiser a local woman wrote a letter to the editor complaining about her new neighbors trespassing on her property.  They were apparently trying to find their property lines – by walking around on the neighboring property.  The letter writer suggested that one of the local real estate agents write an article about neighborliness and respect and country living.  Being that I’m the agent locally who writes, I took that to mean that I had better address the issue.
 
To address her immediate complaint, let’s talk about checking your property lines.  Ideally, you might have done this before you purchased the property; maybe you walked the property with your agent or perhaps you even had the property surveyed to get the actual lines marked.  I think more often than not, especially on a larger piece, people take the word of their agent, who points out landmarks that generally denote the lines.  Then they move in and decide they want to know for sure. So how should you proceed?  If you don’t know the lines then you should first realize that you may stray off your property and onto your neighbors.  The first thing I would suggest is speaking to your neighbor.
 
Let’s just take that thought for a minute. Perhaps the best thing for anyone to do when they move in to a new area is to go ahead and call their neighbors and introduce themselves; be “neighborly” and get things off on the right foot.  That way when you decide it’s time to check those property lines you can call John and Jane Doe and let them know what you’re up to.  In many cases, especially if your neighbors have been there for a long time, they can actually help you out and show you where corners are marked and so on.  Not every neighbor is going to be helpful of course, and some will be downright unfriendly, but most people are nice enough if they know what you are going about.  The worst thing to happen if you don’t communicate with your neighbor would be to upset him or her who then calls the sheriff out or – worse even – greets you with a shotgun and a growling dog.  So do yourself a favor and introduce yourself and your intentions.  You will likely find that your neighbors don’t mind your walking on their property – they just want you to ask them first.
 
Something else I’ve noticed in the years I’ve lived here is how easy it is for people new to the area to not understand the affect they can have by not caring what a neighbor thinks of them.  In an area that is rural, in places remote, your neighbor is often the first person you will need in an emergency; if you’ve just angered John and Jane, how fast do you think they will rush to your aid when you need it?  And remember, these same neighbors are often your ambulance drivers, EMT’s, firefighters, and so on.  We live in a community that depends on one another; we have to learn discernment about what issues deserve causing upset and which ones we can live with.
 
Another thing I’ve noticed is how a few people new to an area want to change it as soon as they arrive.  No one likes change, no matter how good a change it might be.  Lessen your impact and any negative reaction to your ideas by first getting to know the area, the people and the reasons that things are the way they are.  Then give air to your ideas – presenting them in context of actually living here.

 

Our community is why most of us live here.  We know everyone else and if we don’t we know someone who does (or is related to them!).  I was born and raised here and one thing you just know growing up is that you don’t speak ill of anyone unless you want that person to know what you had to say.  There is no privacy living in a rural community; if you want that, urban living is for you.  Our interdependence is beautiful; we rely on each other for food (think restaurants, farmers markets, your green-thumbed neighbor giving your tips), drink (vineyards, wineries, breweries), fun and entertainment (fairs, music, events large and small), culture (art, open studios, music again, theater, film) and relationships (parents, grandparents, boyfriends, girlfriends, etc., etc.).  

Most people I’ve met that have moved here – and those people I’ve worked with wanting to live here – love what they have found.  They like the community and the lack of privacy – they like belonging to a place where people know them.  They want to join the ambulance or fire department, grow vegetables for the farmer’s market, join a musical group or take art lessons from one of our local artists.

I hope these notes will be found helpful for everyone living here and thinking of living here and I hope you enjoyed your community over the Independence Day weekend – I know I did!  

Some weeks I inwardly groan when I realize that it's time to write another blog post.  What am I going to write about this week?  Sometimes I get lucky and someone will ask me a question and that will spur an article.  Sometimes there's an event that is happening or has happened.  This week is another where I wasn't sure what to write about as I sat here thinking about it.  So I went back and read some of my first posts and that in itself was inspiring.  My first posts have had over 800 views!  That's encouraging, for certain.

The strange weather this year is going to have an effect on us as the year continues.  When I first started this blog it was harvest time.  Now I'm concerned that the grow season will be too short to get my grapes ripe enough to harvest.  The grass keeps growing and I think we'll be mowing into July this year!  When we put in our garden this year we planted a few winter veggies for fun - thank goodness we did; we've been able to eat kale, chard and lettuce already, and the broccoli is just coming on.  I'm not sure if any of the 18 tomato plants we put in will ever bear fruit - although they have had some flowers on them.  The basil has grown, about a half an inch; the same with the eggplants.  A sorry sight indeed.  On the other hand, I haven't had to water much!

It's that time of year again - weddings.  I went to one in April and now I'm attending another this weekend, down in Santa Rosa.  Thank goodness the weather is supposed to be beautiful so we have that to be thankful for.  This wedding is a bit of a turning point for me - I'm sure many of you have been here before as well.  Usually I have attended weddings of friends, sometimes I've been in weddings of friends.  Sometimes the people getting married were my friends, sometimes the friends of a beau.  This time I'm attending as a friend of one of the parents of the bride, a role new to me; one of life's stages happening where I can actually see it as it unfolds.

This past week at our regular staff meeting, everyone in the room, about 20 Realtors(R), were asked their opinion about the housing market for the next six months.  Most everyone is optimistic that sales will continue to grow.  The reasons behind that optimism are a little dark, however.  Lower prices have and continue to drive the market.  We've seen a lot of foreclosures and that's brought prices down - buyer's now know they are in charge.  We will likely continue to see some foreclosures this year and that will keep prices low.  Most people felt that Fort Bragg has seen the bottom - sales prices have risen 6% this year according to one Realtor(R); everyone foresees Mendocino continuing to fall and the same can probably be said for the surrounding areas.  Most of us think we'll continue to see people looking for the best prices for value and that sales will continue in the lower end.  The economy has a ways to go before things will pick up in a big way.

I hope you are able to get out and enjoy the sunshine this weekend!

• 1,888 sq. ft., 2 bath, 3 bdrm single story - MLS® $350,000

Mendocino, Mendocino County  -  Comfortable home on easy to maintain 1/2 acre in Albion. Large rock-faced fireplace in the living room, updated kitchen, large family room and office/bedroom. Also includes an over-sized garage with third bath. Central heat, lots of skylights, covered porch, and backyard lawn. Front has new landscaping and picket fence. Great home for retirees or vacations. Excellent location in the country yet close to the Coast.

Property information

What's in a word?  When it comes to real estate, some words that seem simple can actually be a little tricky.  Two to look at are bedroom and oceanfront.  Getting these right should be a key for a real estate agent - we want to be truthful in our advertising; we also do not want to deceive a buyer into thinking she is getting something she isn't - that can lead to mistrust and a lost relationship.  It's also important for buyers and sellers to pay attention to these words and decide if they are being used accurately.

What is a bedroom?  On the face of it, that seems like a straightforward question, however, when it comes to real estate, the answer is not always as simple as it seems.  There are no hard and fast definitions, but generally most local real estate agents use the same definition as the county - it has to have a closet.  This goes back to the tie-in between the health codes, septic systems and bedrooms.  Mainly, the septic has to be big enough to accommodate the number of bedrooms in a home.  Of course, we've all been in rooms that look like bedrooms but do not have a closet; some families will turn any possible space into a sleeping area in order to house a growing family!  Truth in advertising pushes us Realtors(R) to be as accurate as possible.  If a room does not have a closet, we are likely to call it a den or an office or something like that.  Generally, we do not want to bring in a buyer who thinks they are getting three distinct bedrooms when in fact they are getting two and an office; that's going to hurt the relationship between the agent and the buyer.

There is an exception to the closet "rule."  In older homes - and dating this is not easy either - bedrooms did not include closets.  In times past people used armoires to store clothing, not closets.  So in older homes there are rooms at are fairly obviously bedrooms but that do not actually contain a closet.  In Mendocino one sees this quite a bit - a lot of the homes were built in the 1800's and the bedrooms are just four walls, a door and a window.  In this instance, most agents find it acceptable to call these bedrooms despite the lack of a closet.

Ocean front seems to be another term that gets played a little loosely.  Most agents agree that if you own the land up to the ocean - beach or cilff - then it is ocean front.  Yet there have been instances where there is a strip of land between the home and the ocean that is owned by another entity - private or public - and still they have been called ocean front.  In Fort Bragg, there is the haul road that runs between many homes (and businesses), separating the property from the ocean.  There is no way the view will ever be blocked, yet these homes don't actually own land fronting the ocean itself.  In these instances, the more appropriate definition would be "ocean view."  

The exception here seems to be easements - if there is a trail easement along the ocean bluff, for instance, the property is still considered to be ocean front as the land is still owned by the property owners, it's just owned subject to the trail easement.

What all of this means to buyers and sellers is to pay attention and think about what it is you are trying to convey.  Buyer beware, as usual - if the property description in the MLS or elsewhere says "three bedroom," take the time to make sure there really are three bedrooms - or if there aren't actually three rooms with closets, will the extra room serve your needs?  Sellers should be cautious about retaining the trust of potential buyers - someone who comes to look at a three bedroom home but only finds two is likely to have a couple of different reactions - one might simply be annoyance or disgust and they will walk away without considering making an offer; another might be to make an offer, but at a price lower than asking to account for the lack of the third bedroom.  The same goes for ocean front vs. ocean view - only here the value can be significantly different.  Hopefully, the agent you've decided to work with, whether you are buying or selling, can help provide guidance to keep the descriptions accurate.  If you have any questions, feel free to call or email me - 707-937-9216 or anne@annefashauer.com. 

When buying or selling property you will find that there are a lot of disclosures, so many I will only cover some of them here.  Mostly it involves the seller disclosing material facts to the buyer.  What are material facts?  Anything about the property that could affect the buyer's decision to purchase the property.  Let's take a look at some of the common disclosures.

Physical disclosures about the property - such as construction - are common.  This means that if the seller knows that the roof leaks, or that a seal is broken in one of the dual-paned windows, or the hot water heater needs to be replaced, this information must be passed on to the buyer.  Failure to do so could result in a lawsuit later when the buyer discovers the leak and sues the seller over the non-disclosure.  There is also a disclosure about lead-based paint - the seller needs to disclose whether or not there is lead-based paint in the home - or if they do not know, they must state that.

There are neighborhood disclosures as well.  Is the property near a golf course?  That must be disclosed in case of errant golf balls.  Near a former military site?  Disclose that.  Noisy neighbor, maybe someone who runs a loud business from home (think sawmill or other some such)?  Disclose that.  Even noisy neighbors if law enforcement has been called about the noise should be disclosed.  If you live near an airport (think Little River or Boonville) you need to disclose that.

Some disclosures are more esoteric - Meghan's Law disclosures, for instance.  Or how far the property is from emergency response services.  Even cost of wireless internet connections.  Fortunately, these types of disclosures are covered by a California Association of REALTOR'S(R)  form, the Statewide Buyer and Seller Advisory.  This is a ten page form that covers 43 different disclosures.

What are the responsibilities of the various parties to a real estate purchase pursuant to disclosures?  Per the CAR form referenced above, the buyer is strongly advised to conduct investigations of the property both personally and via professionals.  The seller must disclose material facts and make the property available to the buyer for inspections.  The broker (real estate agent) is responsible for making a visual inspection of accessible areas of the property and disclosing material facts obtained in that inspection; however, be aware that brokers do not have expertise in all areas and matters affecting the property and should not be relied upon to provide all the information a professional can.

What if you don't know anything about the property you are selling?  For instance, your aunt passes away and leaves you her house and you decide you would rather sell it than keep it.  In your disclosures you can simply state that you don't know anything about the various areas of disclosure.  Just remember to disclose what you know - or if you don't know anything to disclose!

As always, if you have questions about this or anything related to real estate, give me a call or an email - 707-937-9216 or anne@annefashauer.com.

 

• 1,150 sq. ft., 1 bath, 3 bdrm single story - MLS® $495,000

Navarro, Anderson Valley  -  Sweet cottage in forest and meadows of Rancho Navarro. Three bedrooms, one bath, fenced orchard and garden area, small pond, meditation platform. Hardwood floors throughout (oak and bamboo)except kitchen and baths which are tile, open beam ceilings. Very light and open feeling. Pond can be used for irrigation. One car garage has 220 for woodworking. Extensive decks around the house. Feels very private and peaceful and yet is close to either Boonville or the coast.

Property information

I just listed this very sweet cottage in Rancho Navarro.  It's a peaceful location with lots of trees and open meadows around the home.  There are large decks around the house and several fenced areas for garden, flowers and an orchard.  The home is of a size that is easy to maintain and yet feels very open and inviting.  Give me a call and we can go take a look at it!