It’s a strange real estate world we live in. Some markets, such as Manhattan and San Francisco reportedly thrive, while others such as Southern California have been more than mildly affected by declining home prices and slower sales. And then within each region there are micro-markets. In my own San Diego, it is the tale of two cities.
It is the best of times, it is the worst of times. There are two distinct buyer psychologies at play. One segment is looking for a deal; the other is looking for an upgraded, turnkey opportunity. There are similarly two demographics at work. One wants (needs) the lower-end, entry-level product (in San Diego, these prices start with a “4”), while the other is less affected by trivialities like mortgage rates, economic indicators or general market trends (in other words, money is no object). Mediocrity, whether it be price or condition, is just not being rewarded. It’s enough to scare the Dickens out of a seller.
“Ms. Blogging Person, have you actually read A Tale of Two Cities?”, you ask. Heck no. I, for one, detest Dickens. Given the choice of being subjected to one more reprisal of A Christmas Carol and bamboo shoots under my fingernails, I will opt for the root canal every time. That’s what SparkNotes are for.
And, Multiple Offers are alive and well. Having been involved in several during the past month, it has become painfully clear that newer agents who may have missed the wacky knock-down-the-sign-installer-to-be-the-first-offer-in-the-door antics of the late ’90’s and early 2000’s may be unfamiliar with the intricacies of multiple offer situations. It has also become clear to me that many veteran agents just don’t get it. Thus, I generously offer a few tips to the buyer’s agent who may find himself in a competing offer position. If you missed the book, here is the cheat-sheet.
- “Multiple” means “more than one”. Fancy yourself the expert negotiator? Well, Mr. Kissinger, good luck with that. You are not the only offer on the table, and your “look at me – I have a Buyer!” position of strength has been compromised. You need Read more
I just wanted everyone to know that I am the “Top Blogger.” I also host the “Fastest Growing Blog” in America. I have the “Highest Reader Satisfaction On The Web,” and I was voted the “Best Wife In The World.” There, I said it. 
Greg mentioned in an email an “overture” and I thought he meant that he wanted to share the link love. It wasn’t in Latin, so I grazed right over it- I completely missed that he was inviting me to be a Bloodhound Blogger! My first response was telling my husband that Greg was making fun of me and using words that I should know (umm, I do have a B.A. in English, but I haven’t practiced in a while, so my fluency is fading…).
Lani Anglin is the Texas-proud provocateuse at the spunky Realtor Wives weblog. By day, she works as a rainmaker for Single Pointe Realty. With two kids, three cats, a dog and her husband, she finds a way to stay busy.
Jeff Kempe knows a thing or two about Nordstrom service, having sold for them and to them for many years. Jeff has been selling real estate in Lake Oswego, Oregon, a suburb of Portland, for the last three years.