Buyer Beware: Don't Trust the Signs

$899,950
4 bedroom, 3.5 bath
3,195 square feet

I wrote this blog post a few weeks ago. The blog entry wrote itself furiously fast, then I carelessly hit delete instead of post. I've tried to re-create those original words to the best of my memory, and I present it here:

Today's open house was gargantuan in comparison to the homes I've been visiting. I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was. The ad claimed the home was over 3,000 square feet, however the size didn't hit me until I actually visited the home.

A steep staircase carried me from the driveway to the front door above. I opened the heavy door and found an entry way littered with shoes. New carpet had been laid and the realtor asked all visitors to remove their foot wear. I donned my sweet baby blue booties and started my trek.

Off of the recently remodeled kitchen one could peer down into the neighbor's pool below. It felt odd and somewhat wrong to stare, the neighbor had zero privacy. The view toward the pool was slightly obstructed by an old arbor with dead vines. As I stared out the sliding glass door toward the pool, a sign taped to the door caught my eye. The sign read: "neighbor plans to remove and rebuild arbor." Buyer beware: you should never buy a house with the promise of what a neighbor might do in the future.

This sign turned out the be the first of many odd signs hung about the house. Some were taped to the wall haphazardly, while others were presented in thick stylish black frames and hung with hammer and nail. I couldn't decide if I liked the the entire signage concept.  Besides signs promising what a neighbor might do in the future, other signs talked of a room's potential or a space for a future laundry room (even through the house already had one). There was also a 'Do Not Enter' sign taped across the doorway into the garage which wasn't right at an Open House.

Considering all the signs, this Open House seemed to be offered as if it were still under construction or a model home on the subdivision tract where developers are trying to sell empty lots, however this home was neither of those. The home was finished and inhabited by a family so the signs did not help, but hindered my visit of the large home. 

The Open House & Curb Appeal

$760,000
3 bedroom, 2 bath
2,083 square feet

The photographer they hired was talented. I put this particular Open House on my list because the backyard looked like a fabulous oasis and the front of the home gave a hint of art deco glam, circa 1930. As my husband drove down the narrow street with cars parked haphazardly and no real estate signs in view, I began to have my doubts. I watched the house numbers as he drove slowly in the rain. The best I could tell, we were almost there.

"Maybe they canceled because of the weather." My husband doubted aloud.

"No, it's right here," I pointed as a small real estate sign jumped into view. There was no curb appeal, I silently questioned why I had put this home on my list.

"Should we do it?" He asked.

"Yes..." 

And I'm glad we did. After we parked our car (blocking the driveway on the tight street), we walked into one of the most surprising homes I've seen. It was almost like walking through the wardrobe door in a CS Lewis novel. 

A bright naturally lit flagstone entry with a well varnished gnarled wood bench welcomed us. I wanted to hang my coat and stay, but I was just a temporary guest and began to wander.

The home owner had updated the 1930's home with every modern convenience imaginable, and it was beautiful! The bathrooms were Architectural Digest perfect with white porcelain sinks and modern stainless steel fixtures, the closets had been fitted with the Elfa storage system, a fabulously large laundry room had been carved out in the center of the home and the large kitchen was gourmet at its best.

I almost skipped from room to room, ecstatic that I had put this home on my list.

"Did you go in the backyard yet?" The realtor asked. "Don't let the rain stop you."

Out the sliding glass door off the kitchen, was the huge backyard I'd seen in the on-line photos. There were majestic redwood trees, a swimming pool, a classic cedar hot tub, a small shed which housed pool equipment and changing room complete with a shower and toilet. The yard also had stand alone building furnished as a guest bedroom. 

The rain fell harder, my husband and I did not stop wandering, but stood in the shelter of a rain proof umbrella standing over an outdoor dining table. "Do you love it?" He asked.

"Yes, this place did not look like anything from the street. What a treat!"

Going to Open Houses every week, I see much of the same thing over and over. This house is why I won't stop. Those homes which are unique or surprising are incredibly fun to look at and even more fun to imagine living in. This home would not be a good family home, but a perfect artist retreat or space for hosting salons. 

Next Sunday will be Easter, a holiday for many and probably even fewer Open Houses than Super Bowl Sunday. It's a good thing the Open House I saw yesterday was so incredible, it will tide me over.

Amenities and the Open House

My Sunday was spent at a volleyball tournament out of town. I thought at one point I could sneak out to see an Open House or two, but my daughter played too many matches and the outing never materialized. As I drove back toward Sonoma, I wondered what my blog post would feature since I had missed the inspiration in the weekly Open House. With my daughter sleeping in the backseat, I thought about all the homes I've visited. What made the good ones memorable versus meh? I figured it out. The thing that made an Open House memorable was the amenity.

The dictionary defines an amenity as: something that makes life easier or more pleasant. So yes, the amenity or thing that made the house more pleasant was what made a home memorable. Early in the 20th century, indoor plumbing or electricity were amenities, but as we have modernized our amenities have changed and become truly luxurious. Below is a list of amenities I've seen:

-Swimming pool       -Bocce Ball court                -Artist Studio
-Sauna                     -Hot Tub                            -Tennis Court
-Outdoor Kitchen     -Fire pit                             -Wine Cellar/cave
-Koi Pond                 -Game Room                      -Bonus Room

By Vic Brincat from Keswick, Ontario, Canada

The most common amenity is the swimming pool. While I do live in California, I do not live in the warm coastal region, but the cooler wine growing region. A realtor friend of mine told me that swimming pools are not seen as amenities in this cooler climate. While I hear his words, I honestly feel a bit happier and more relaxed in those homes where aqua waters beckon in the backyard. A pool makes a home feel like a small resort and everyone likes a resort living.

Game rooms are probably the next most common amenity I've seen. I only count them as such when they are a separate living space above a garage or detached from the house. When a home owner has converted a dining room to a game room, I never see it as an amenity, but instead a smaller house.

The bonus room is tricky. Realtors seemed to call it a bonus room when the space is not something that could be permitted as living space. I've seen rooms in sub-floors with ceilings that top out at 5 feet and stair cases roughed into attic areas. I would never call these types of bonus rooms amenities. The only time I would call a bonus room an amenity is when a prospective buyer could actually use the room, stand in it and feel comfortable. Low ceilings or nails poking in from the roof are not bonus rooms but should simply be labeled storage areas.

By Exscape Designs (Own work)

Outdoor kitchens seem to be gaining in popularity. The ever present backyard grill has matured and is now joined by a counter top and outdoor fridge with a seating area. Sometimes these outdoor kitchens are custom built and other times they are large pieces purchased from a home improvement store. Like the swimming pool, the outdoor kitchen screams resort living and can be enjoyed by all ages.

I look forward to next weekend and lining up my Open House visits. Perhaps my amenity list will grown. In the meantime, tell me: what is your favorite amenity?

There were Clowns

$699,000 (4 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath) 

2,836 square feet


The for sale sign was tacked to the front of the house as if it were a used car on the corner. The house stood at the end of a cul-de-sac and the stark green and white 'HOUSE FOR SALE' sign above the orange garage could not be missed. It was efficient, but odd.

An aged wooden staircase lead from the driveway to the front door. The double doors stood wide open where a realtor and two Greek goddesses greeted visitors. "Welcome!" said the jolly grey man as he handed out the fact sheet. I soon learned the realtor hailed from San Francisco, a place where signs tacked to the outside of buildings was not so unordinary. The Greek goddesses stood tall in the living room, holding lamp shades high and saying nothing.

I roamed the large tri-level house. The main level had a kitchen, dinning room and living room. The kitchen had a recent(ish) update with granite counter-tops and rosewood cabinets. This room was the only modern room in the house. The rest of the house was stuck in 1980, the year the home was built. 

Standing at the kitchen sink, I admired the large kidney shaped pool outside. Earthen stairs marched up the hillside away from the pool.

The realtor noticed my observation, "the lot's almost half an acre-- there's a garden at the top."

I shook my head and wandered away. To get to the backyard you have to go down a half level through a huge family room with thick soft lint caked carpet. The backyard was my destination, but then there were clowns. Six framed portraits of clowns hung around the perimeter of the room above a navy blue sectional couch. The clowns smiled and grinned, I did not.

The clowns changed everything. I hurried through the rest of my visit.  The bedrooms rooms upstairs were sparsely furnished and the bathrooms were original. I thanked the realtor and continued my Sunday.

Compared the the Ranch de Sauna house I saw last week, this home was not a steal. It was not move in ready and would be much work to purchase and update. The floor plan and large lot were huge pluses, but the dank smell and dated ambiance (and perhaps the clowns) would be hard to overcome.