Archive for November, 2008
Morgan Hill’s Poppy Jasper Film Festival
Morgan Hill is hosting it’s 5th annual Poppy Jasper Film Festival this weekend, November 14 – 16, 2008. The Poppy Jasper Film Festival got it’s start with a collaboration of several like-minded Morgan Hill film-lovers, including my friend, Kim Bush, who is the festival chair for the fifth year in a row.
Filmmakers from around the world will discuss their short films of 30 minutes or less that will be shown at various locations throughout Morgan Hill including the Cinelux cinema and the Community Playhouse. The keynote speaker will be Terry Windell, a 1974 Live Oak High School graduate who went on to work on movies including “E.T.,” “Poltergeist,” and “Ghostbusters.” Student films will also showcase local high school talent.
For tickets and more information, click on the link: www.poppyjasperfilmfest.org
What to Leave for the Buyers
When I represent sellers in a transaction, they often ask me what they need to leave with the house. Unless negotiated otherwise, all fixtures attached to the house must remain, as according to contract. Most Realtors have a story about the dining room chandelier “accidentally” disappearing or the $1000 custom copper kitchen faucet that is replaced with a shiny new stainless steel faucet from Home Depot just before close of escrow. Obvious no-nos.
Beyond this, I always hope that the sellers and buyers can briefly meet at the property shortly before close of escrow. I have attended many of these meetings with my clients and it is very advantageous for the buyers to hear all of the seller’s tips regarding the care of the home and the property. Sellers like these meetings also because if they have a prize rose bush, for example, that needs special care, this is an opportunity to give the special instructions to the buyers. Then I recommend that the sellers never return to the property just in case that rose bush is replaced with a built-on barbecue….
I always give my buyers the necessary utility and media numbers they need to get everything up and running right away. But in addition to this it’s nice if the sellers can leave the following for the buyers of their property:
- Owner’s manuals and warranties for appliances left in the house.
- Garage door opener.
- All sets of house and mailbox keys.
- Code to the security alarm and phone number of the monitoring service if not discontinued.
- Any personal property that the seller and buyer agree on such as paint, spare tiles, etc. that the buyer may need in the future.
South County Sales Week of October 29 – November 4, 2008
Sales weren’t quite as robust this past week in the south Santa Clara County area of Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy. There were 30 residences that went from active to pending status. Of these, 28 were single family homes and 2 were condo/townhouses.
Of these sales, the list price ranges were:
Below $200,000 = 1 sale (3% of total)
$200,000 – $500,000 = 21 sales (70% of total)
$500,000 – $800,000 = 5 sales (17% of total)
$800,000 – $1,200,000 = 2 sales (7% of total)
$1,200,000 – $2,000,000 = 1 sale (3% of total)
As of November 4, 2008, there are 732 residential listings active on the market in the Morgan Hill, San Martin, Gilroy area, and 231 pending residential listings. Therefore, 24% of the listings are pending under contract as of this date.
Tune in next week for an update on the number of sales in South Santa Clara County!
VOTE 2008
Even though I should be putting together all the necessary data for a listing appointment that I have in Santa Cruz tomorrow with some long-time clients, I can’t take my mind off of the election going on today. And I’ve procrastinated long enough today that results are coming in from the eastern states already. This is the most exciting election I can ever remember, and it’s the first one that my daughter is old enough to vote in. It warms my heart to see such a great voter turn-out. I’m optimistic about the results too – and I don’t remember feeling that way about an election in a long time either!
Okay, back to work….Good thing I voted last week!
It’s Twitterific!
My friend and co-hort, Harriet, is going to be joining me on Twitter.com. As quoted from the Twitter website: ”In countries all around the world, people follow the sources most relevant to them and access information via Twitter as it happens—from breaking world news to updates from friends. See what people are doing right now.”
Twittering is as fun (or maybe more fun) than blogging. You can give an update on “What are you doing?” in 140 characters or less, as often as you like. You can form virtual friendships and, for me at least, learn the latest real estate news as perceived by fellow Realtors.
I’ve just recently become a member of the Twitterati and I’m not yet as addicted to Twitter as a lot of the people I’m following are. But I’m looking forward to tweeting back and forth with my friend Harriet!
To follow me on Twitter, look for me under my Twitter id, which is the creatively conceived: GretchenMerrick.
Gretchen Merrick
cell (408) 892 9015
