I’m always thinking about moving. We moved back and forth across the world a couple of time before I was ten, so I grew up thinking of change as a possibility. When I was a teenager, my mom used to take me to open houses as a fun activity, and we really imagined ourselves living in each place. I remember long discussions in the car about who would get which room and how each space would be used, and I love these memories with my mom. I remember one house up in the hills that we fell in love with (but didn’t actually buy) and it was very modern with huge windows and tons of light. We tried on houses like shoes, or ideas.
I show houses all day now, and it gets my imagination going. I imagine living in each one and I think about how that would feel. Moving to a new place involves transporting yourself into an alternate timeline. Like there’s the continuum of your life in your current home, filled with memories going back to when you first saw the place, and running through everything that has happened there since. We bought our current house when my first baby was 1, and my 2nd and 3rd babies’ took their first steps in this house. There was a wall where we marked their growth with a name and a date. I must have cooked a thousand meals in my kitchen, and the view from my favorite chair in the corner of the living room is like an old friend who doesn’t judge me. I’ve thrown many parties here, and I’ve cleaned, remodeled or repurposed every inch of the place. I love my neighbors. We’ve thrown block parties together, and they’ve returned my children and my dogs more than once. So the idea of moving involves jumping into a new, unknown timeline that hasn’t been invented yet. I don’t need the same things I did when we chose this place, so I get why my clients are rethinking the reasons they still live in their homes. Maybe you chose your house because it was in a great school district. Maybe having a second story seemed like a wonderful thing when you had younger knees. Maybe it would be nice to live in a place with fewer rooms and feel responsible for less. Maybe your next place lets you look out on a mountain, or canyon, or a desert. Maybe it will have a community pool you can use but not have to take care of, or a pickleball court. It’s not just fun to imagine the possibilities, it’s also invigorating because it gets you excited about the future. Deciding to try something new doesn’t just require optimism about the future, but I believe it also creates a rejuvenating energy. I love living out this excitement with my clients (until I’m ready to move again myself).
For nostalgia, here's a pic of my kids playing in the living room many moons ago!
⁃ It’s friends and family week at Parasol Realty! I’ve been busy selling homes to and for the parents of my friends, and I have to say there is no greater honor than having my friends trust me with their parents, siblings and children, so I am very grateful for these opportunities.
⁃ Wining in multiples when you’re not the highest offer! I just closed a sale where we did not bring the highest offer. In fact, there were two all cash offers above ours, but we prepared a very solid offer package and convinced the listing agent that we were the most sincere and committed to closing, and she advised the seller to choose us!
⁃ The smallest space in the house: I currently have a listing with a small sunroom off the dining room that looks like it may have once been a porch, and the stager had the idea to stage it as a bar area. Every single person who comes to see the place goes directly to this spot because it is so adorable and inviting, so remember that people love a cozy nook with nice light!
⁃ Market conditions seem to be improving: Data is always backwards looking, and most of the reports we now see are from February, but the real time report of what I’m seeing on the ground is that things are shifting in a positive direction. after a period of moving sideways. Most of my clients seem to be able to get loans in the 6% range, and there's a bit more inventory to choose from, which may in part be seasonal. The S+P 500 just hit an all time high this week, so those looking to their investment portfolios for confidence are seeing some nice signals. I can't predict the future, but the present looks pretty good!
