About Sacramento's Downtown

About once every 3 months on a Sunday, I find a couple of hours to go shopping at the downtown Sacramento mall. It's not so much that I really enjoy shopping as it is a necessity in my line of work. When my husband is out of town, it's also an alternative to having to do my own laundry. If I could get away with wearing t-shirts with holes in them and beat-up jeans, that's what I would wear to meet with clients. But as a Sacramento short sale agent, my sellers expect me to dress the part. It kind of goes with the territory.

I used to be a woman who always wore a suit. No matter what. Suit, hose and polished shoes. Then one day I asked myself why? Why did I need to take myself so seriously and dress like corporate America? That's an image all right, but it's not me. I'm not St. John or Ann Taylor.

I'm much more counterculture. I grew up in the 1960s. You know what was really hard to find in the '60s and '70s? High heel shoes. My feet would support a 6-inch heel back then, but they were few and far between in the stores. If you wanted spike heels, you had to buy them at a store for hookers, and then they looked like shoes you bought at a store for hookers.

What wasn't hard to find was girdles. They were everywhere, and they came in all sorts of sizes and shapes. One of the best things to come out of the women's movement and modern fashion was the disappearance of girdles. But guess what? They are baaacck. Oh, they call them body shapers now, but they are taking over lingerie departments. Just when you think it's safe to breathe again without strapping yourself into a corset of bones, the body shapers come along. It sounds sinister, and it is. Who decided this?

I was in the shoe department at Macy's because I can't go to Macy's without visiting the shoe department and buying 2 to 3 pairs of shoes. I learned a few things. First, the downtown Macy's is suffering an inventory problem, just like all the other Macy's in Sacramento. If you want to buy a size 6, you better show up when product arrives because they don't keep much on hand. In this down economy, they are struggling. Macy's is trying to reduce overhead yet remain competitive, and it's not working.

Second, many of the shoes on display had 6- to 10-inch heels. That's definitely the new trend. Trying to find a shoe with a 3-inch heel was pretty difficult. When you get older like me, the padding on your feet thins. So, if you wear a high heel, you can experience pain in your arches. You can buy gel pads online, the kind with a loop for your toe, or you can try Calvin Klein. Calvin Klein shoes are manufactured with built-in gel cushioning pads.

Third, I could not believe this woman's family telling her she looked like a dog in the shoes she was trying on. She was an African American, and her sister said she needed to get a suntan to wear the shoes. The shoes she had strapped to her feet were platforms with 8-inch heels. I told her she's gonna fall over and kill herself. But she giggled and assured me she was used to wearing shoes like these. Oh, my god, I was sounding like my mother.

I thought about not saying what I felt should be said next. I considered leaving those words inside my head. But then I didn't know this woman; she didn't know me; and I'll probably never see her again. She didn't ask for my opinion, but I offered it anyway, because that's just the kind of person I am. I told her the shoes on her feet looked exactly like the kind of shoes that Elton John would wear.

Well, it was time to leave Macy's and go home anyway.

Let me beat you to the punch. Sacramento is heavily dependent on government employment and this sector is facing a large number of layoffs which is certain to affect the unemployment rate and overall local economy. Let’s also not forget that Sacramento's housing outlook is less than favorable and as for entertainment well options are limited as some will say.

Now for the half full approach and let’s focus on a real life look at things. Sacramento is prime for many developments that will bring much need jobs, entertainment and future value. The regions price adjustments make it ripe for the taking as it refers to purchasing land for future projects in addition construction cost are way down due to a worldwide cool down in demand of materials and while some commercial sectors show a glut others are in short supply.

Sacramento's location also makes it a great place to focus on future hospitality projects. A new arena plan calls for a small size city to be built just steps from downtown bringing not only a pro team but additional events that now are not interested in coming due to aging infrastructure and a lack of quality hotels to accommodate visitors.

With top sky resorts less than 2 hrs away Sacramento could and should be a hub for visitors from around the world looking for world class skiing. While most will stay at the resorts they have to fly or drive through here first and to not tap into that is just criminal. And well let’s not forget about old town.

This part of the city is just begging for a makeover and with prices adjusting now may be the time to act. Sacramento is a great place to invest in. It's incredible river front also allows for major access to visitors looking to take advantge of a great resource that we call the Sacramento River.

This is not about a short term investment I am talking about a true long term investment that pays off for generations to come.

How complacent have we become that when something doesn't work right, we just take it for granted? We say, OK, it's not working now but it will probably work later, and we go about our day doing something else. Sometimes, we might unplug an electronic component and plug it back in, or remove the battery and replace it, which may or may not correct the problem. But that's about as proactive as we become.

We're not willing to invest more time in these types of projects for a variety of reasons. It could be because things that stop working are outside of our area of expertise. Makes us sort of helpless. Nobody likes to feel helpless, so it's easier to ignore the problem and hope it will correct itself. Other times, experience has shown us that we can't fix it, regardless of what we do.

When we're dealing with a website, for example, it often does correct itself. That's because there are hundreds of little tiny leprechauns inside our computers or running around the galaxy with magic wands who fix these things behind the scenes. Oh, wait, that's just what I tell myself.

If something around my house breaks, the first thing I do is wonder if I broke it or caused it to somehow malfunction. If I didn't do it, did somebody else do it -- perhaps a certain trio of cats or a husband or a housekeeper? If it wasn't them, was it an outside force, maybe a power surge or the hand of Thor or maybe an appliance just got tired of living and conked out because its warranty had expired.

Sometimes, though, it's just a battery.

How do you like this view of the Darth Vader building downtown Sacramento? We went to the Crest Theatre on Sunday to see the movie I Am. Glad that we did. I wholeheartedly recommend that movie. I don't know if it will change your life but if the concept is new to you, maybe it will. It's very moving. When the audience applauded at the end, I teared up.

I could sit and listen to Desmond Tutu all day. Have you seen this movie yet?

Photo: Elizabeth Weintraub

The month of April brings us Passover, Easter and a new listing near downtown Sacramento. It's a fun time of year because maple trees are leafing out, roses are beginning to bloom and I feel like jumping in my car, putting down the top and zooming around mountain roads like a crazy woman. But no, I am here typing a blog for you to read.

Just for the record, let me say that I have had the pleasure of being a guest at exactly 2 Passover Seders in my life. I made a mistake at the first one that I did not repeat at the second. I was a bit astonished when I sat down at the table to eat only to discover there was nothing to eat but parsley. Sprigs of parsley, I kid you not. Oh, and crackers, and then they passed around a dish of these really weird bitter and sour things. I thought to myself no wonder Jewish people are so thin.

But I was determined to fit in. I was probably all of 19, and my boyfriend at the time happened to be Jewish. This Seder was held at his parent's house. I spied a little dish of pink applesauce at the table, and my eyes lit up. I love applesauce! Just as his parents were dishing up the brisket -- yay, real food -- I casually spooned a big gob of applesauce into my mouth. Yikes. My head was about to explode. But I sat there quietly, smiling and making pleasant conversation. Mmmm, horseradish, mmmm, good.

That's when I knew I would probably make a good real estate agent.

Here is a new listing that is a short sale in Sacramento. It's a PUD -- townhome style, located on a private road behind Q Street and between 9th and 10th Streets. So, the location really cuts down on the traffic noise the other units on Q Street have to put up with. It's in the Saratoga Townhomes, which had the exteriors painted in more contemporary colors not so long ago.

The sellers have made super nice updates to this home. Maple floors -- hardwood maple, they are gorgeous and run through the entry, the living room and dining room. The kitchen has newer cabinets and appliances. Lights in the upper glass-door cabinets, too. Kohler sink, designer hood vent for the stove, plus, the refrigerator stays. The kitchen and first-floor bath sport ceramic floors.

Upstairs is a loft area, remodeled into a media center and wired for such. There is also a skylight which brings in a lot more light than you see in the other units in Saratoga. The bedrooms are good sized and share an updated bath, ceramic tile around the tub / shower and ceramic on the vanity, too.

There is a balcony off the bedroom toward the front, and both bedrooms have closet organizers. It's a perfect set up for a person or couple who is always on the go and want a lock-and-go lifestyle. Association dues are $265 a month, and there is a one-car attached garage.

956 Q Street, Sacramento, CA 95811 is offered exclusively by Lyon Real Estate as a short sale at $195,000. For more information, please call your Sacramento short sale agent, Elizabeth Weintraub, at 916 233 6759. For a private showing, please call Barbara Dow at 916 761 7398.

Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub

Anything free is always good these days. This event is sure worth while so plan to stop by one or two of these great Museums. My wife, little one and I are going to be there, probably checking out the new Crocker, the Railroad and maybe the Auto Museum. WHere will you be??

Twenty-six (26) greater Sacramento area museums will be offering free admission for the 13th Annual Sacramento Museum Day. This event is presented by the Sacramento Association of Museums (SAM), and proudly supported by Umpqua Bank. Sacramento Museum Day takes place Saturday February 5, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All participating museums close at 5 p.m. with the last guests admitted at 4 p.m.

Museum Day, a Sacramento cultural tradition, invites all members of the community to experience the Capital City's incredible wealth of art, history, science and wildlife at numerous participating museums AT NO COST.

PARTICIPATING MUSEUMS for SACRAMENTO MUSEUM DAY 2011:
Aerospace Museum of California
California Automobile Museum
California Foundry History Museum
The California Museum
California State Military Museum
California State Capitol Museum
California State Indian Museum
California State Railroad Museum
Crocker Art Museum
Discovery Museum Science and Space Center
The Don and June Salvatori California Pharmacy Museum
Fairytale Town
Folsom History Museum
Governor's Mansion State Historic Park
Heidrick Ag History Center (Woodland)
Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park
Museum of Medical History
Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum
Old Sacramento State Historic Park
Sacramento Zoo
Sacramento Historic City Cemetery
Sacramento History Museum
Sojourner Truth Multicultural Arts Museum
Sutter's Fort State Historic Park
Wells Fargo History Museum (Old Sacramento and Downtown locations).

http://www.sacmuseums.org/museumday.html

clear skies,

Doug Reynolds

www.SellWithDoug.com