About Sacramento's Land Park

I just read an article in Realtor Magazine that made me feel so validated. Let me first say, in the interest of full disclosure, that I am a native Sacramentan and proud of it! I don't mind the labels of Cowtown, Sacratomato or any of the other "hick town" labels that have been attached to my hometown. In fact, they are endearing.

Now Sacramento has been recognized in a national magazine...not as the 5th most miserable city in the nation...but as the city in which sellers understand the need to price homes correctly and to adjust, if necessary, just as quickly!

Where do you find the most stubborn sellers who wait 80 days before slashing their price? According to Trulia they are:

New York City
El Paso, Texas
Charlotte, North Carolina
Cleveland, Ohio
Raleigh, North Carolina
Louisville, Kentucky
Kansas City, Missouri
Memphis, Tennessee

There are other cities that will slash, but not enough the first time around. These cities are:

Phoenix, Arizona
Mesa, Arizona
Jacksonville, Florida
Baltimore, Maryland
Chicago, Illinois

Finally, the cities that "get it" and are ready to cut prices on an average of 45 days to 53 days are:

Minneapolis, Minnesota (number 1)
Oakland, California
Sacramento, California

Personally, I think this really reflects the level of experience the cities have had with the market. I think most will agree that California had the pin that burst the bubble. I don't know what to say about Minneapolis..I am sure there is a great explanation!

This home in Land Park is offered as a short sale. It has two very large bedrooms, one of which is a master suite. I suppose if you weren't going to put a ferris wheel in the back yard, it could be possible to add on a new master suite and turn the existing master into a junior suite. Or you could do nothing and simply move in. It's large for a two-bedroom, 1 1/2 bath, with about 1,468 square feet.

It has beautiful hardwood floors throughout, except for the kitchen and baths. You'll find all the delightful touches you've come to love about homes in Land Park. Especially in vintage homes such as this 1938 cottage -- coved ceilings, nooks and crannies, spacious rooms, crown molding and even plantation shutters. There is a quarter basement, too.

The dining room features leaded glass built-ins and a curved window with grids. It seems to have an original chandelier, but the chandelier does not stay. This room serves as the focal point, leading to an oversized hallway on the right and the kitchen is straight ahead.

In the kitchen, you'll see ceramic tiled counters, plenty of cabinets and storage, a built-in electric range, a separate oven and, of course, a dishwasher. There's a door to the basement and another door to the back yard, plus a bank of windows that overlooks the gorgeous yard.

But the piece de resistance is that fabulous yard. First, enjoy the expansive brick patio. It leads from the steps and winds through the covered gazebo-like area to the koi pond and water fountain. Beyond that area you'll delight in finding even more gardens, including a magnificent trumpet vine sporting orange blossoms interwoven through an arched arbor. Plus, there's a detached one-and-one-half-car garage.

2781 Marty Way, Sacramento, CA 95818, is exclusively offered by Lyon Real Estate as a short sale at $385,000. It's located one block east of Land Park Drive. For more information, please contact your Land Park agent, Elizabeth Weintraub, at 916 233 6759.

Photos: Elizabeth Weintraub

I was standing in my closet deciding what shoes to wear. That's how this post began.

We had remodeled our master suite several years ago and in the process gained a walk-in closet. I was marveling at how much I still enjoyed that privilege. From there the thought process went to how silly it is that my husband and I don't downsize.

We raised 3 children in our home. It started at 1800 square feet when we were married and by the timewe became empty-nesters 30 years later, our home had grown to over 3000 square feet...a pretty silly size for just 2 people. For more reasons that I can count, we should downsize. The upstairs is only used because the laundry room and the cockatiel are up there. The living room has gone the way of all living rooms...a place that stays remarkably clean do to lack of use. We really only use 4 rooms...the kitchen, family room, bedroom and bathroom. So, why in the world, with all of the homes I see on a daily basis, do we stay?

We stay because it is home. It is where we grew together and our children grew up. My dad built the cover for our patio. I made the stained glass window in the bathroom. My husband and I built the shutters on the outside of our home. We have had the same neighbors for over 20 years. We started out being the youngest people on our block to being the oldest people on our block! It is home.

I had a client call me the other day. Her home isn't worth what they paid for it. She was wondering if she should do a short sale. It wasn't that they couldn't afford the payments. They just thought maybe they were putting good money after bad. What should they do? I asked one simple question, "Are you considering selling because you can't afford it?" She said no, but why should she continue to make payments on a house that has not held its value? I had a very simple answer. "Because it is your home."

Here is a companion to Witless Wednesday or Mindless Monday or Thoughtless Thursday or whatever you call it when somebody posts a photo with little or no text. Except I will tell you this is what you'll see in the back yards of a number of similar homes in Land Park. It's my springtime cactus garden in Land Park, just beginning to bloom:

photo: Elizabeth Weintraub

Coming up soon . . . photos from Sunset Strip - Hollywood

I am more excited today than I was the day I discovered I could buy sticky replacement keyboard keys to place over my worn out keys. That's because over the weekend I received a brand new desk, hutch and chair. A client gave it to me. She is moving from what was once almost a million-dollar home into smaller accommodations, and she had originally planned to leave her home office furniture behind.

Looking around at my dismal office set-up of press-board furniture, it dawned on me that I probably deserved better. Hey, it was only a few years ago that I donated my bean bag chairs and got rid of my water bed. Growing up is hard to do. Buying grown-up furniture is expensive and, not to mention, time consuming.

I asked my client if she would consider giving me the office furniture. She agreed. Well, first she had promised to leave it for the buyers, so she had to get their OK, but they were good with it. I would not have expected her to break a promise to them. We're only as good as our word. Our word is precious.

The home office furniture is beautiful. Stunning. My new desk is 33-inches deep. Plenty of room for all of my equipment. If I had gone to a furniture store and stroked the wood in person I could not have found a better collection of home office furniture. It's so wonderful to be able to open a file cabinet drawer and not have to balance it with my knee.

It's the little things in life that can bring enormous enjoyment. Thank you, Deb. And thank you for choosing me to be your Sacramento listing agent.

Photo: Elizabeth Weintraub

P.S. And below, are two recent photos shot by my husband of our new kitten, Jackson. I must need my head examined to have adopted a kitten. He is a terror. He is worse than the energizer bunny. But I love him to pieces.