Terrylynn's Blog

Single Family Homes
Active
Las Ramblas Drive, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,420 sq. ft., listed at $365,900
Packard Court 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2,049 sq. ft., listed at $454,900
Los Gatos Court, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,588 sq. ft., listed at $395,900

Pending
Pamplona Court, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,657 sq. ft., listed at $389,000

Sold
5517 Langford Court, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,548 sq. ft., closed on 3/19/08 for $568,420
5461 Agostino Court, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,420 sq. ft., closed 5/16/08 for $430,000
5526 Sepulveda Court, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2,041 sq. ft., closed 5/22/08 for $441,400
5454 Preston Court, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2,603 sq. ft., closed 5/30/08 for $649,000
1806 Alicante Court, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2,041 sq. ft., closed 6/6/08 for $462,500
5589 Gonzalez Court, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,420 sq. ft., closed 6/26/08 for $309,000
5544 Guadalupe Court, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,657 sq. ft., closed 6/27/08 for $378,000
5453 Dodge Court, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,926 sq. ft., closed 7/22/08 for $565,000
5596 Gonzales Court, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrs, 1,657 sq. ft., closed 8/15/08 for $310,000
5598 Gonzalez Court, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2,041 sq. ft., closed 9/26/08 for $375,000
1873 Las Ramblas Drive, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,866 sq. ft., closed 12/5/08 for $375,000

We have lived in Kirkwood since 1979. We love our neighborhood, so if you have any questions at all please call! Terrylynn Fisher 925.876.0966. www.KirkwoodNeighbors.com

Photo courtesy of http://www.freefoto.com/thanks.jsp

How I saved 13 TONS of CO2 in one night?  Hint, hint.  I am sure most of you have heard that replacing an incandescent bulb with a Compact Flourescent can save you 75% of the energy used to light your home.  It can last up to 10,000 hours and each bulb saves the CO2 gases going into the atmosphere by 1 ton per the US Dept of Energy. WOW! It takes ONE tree 40 years to absorb one ton of CO2.  A family of four in North America generates 110 TONS of CO2 in a year.  Outside of North America, that is 22 tons.

I gave a 7 minute talk to Toastmasters on Monday night explaining the effect of the greenhouse gases and warming of the planet due to the amount of CO2 gases going into the atmosphere on an hourly, daily and yearly basis.  Even IF you don't agree that this is a problem, you can agree that saving energy will save you $$$.  Most people can get behind saving money.  My daughter reduced her PG&E bill from $600 a month to $150 by just replacing all of her lightbulbs and putting timers on lights at her home.  She now has enough left over to buy groceries for almost a month with the savings.  Another engineer friend documented his PG&E bill reduced by 71% due to changing all of the lightbulbs in their home.  This recessionary time has a potentially positive affect of having us examine what we spend money on, without thinking.  And this is a good thing.  We may come out of this more thoughtful about our spending allowing us to have reserves and savings.

For disposal of the CFL's which contain a small amount of mercury our local garbage company recycles.  you should check your area for recycling information.  ("CFL Light Bulbs are considered Hazardous Waste. If you live in Concord, you can drop them off at Central Sanitation, located in Martinez, at 5019 Imhoff Lane. If you live in Pittsburg, Antioch, etc, you can take them to Delta Diablo Sanitation in Antioch 2500 Pittsburg-Antioch Highway.  Both are free drop offs.")  The energy savings still overcome the affects of the recycling.  Save money and save a tree.  Change a lightbulb. 

OH how did I save 13 tons of CO2?  After my talk, I gave them each a lightbulb to start their efforts.  It felt good.  AND, the Dollar Store has the PGE bulbs for $1 each.  Everyone can afford to change a lightbulb or two now.

Peter Ciurczak

Edison, NJ

This is the news you've been waiting for!!!  From a Realtor's lips, you'll want to comment on this blog post. 

http://activerain.com/blogsview/732480/Staging-helps-in-more-ways-than-just-selling-a-home

THIS is Peter Ciurczak, from Edison, New Jersey.  He is a Realtor who says that staging helps in more ways than just selling a home...WOW!  We like this!  He has noticed that sellers who come to his open houses talk about how nice the homes look and then he has the opportunity to tell them about his services, including home staging and he's getting more listings and making more money.  THIS is NEWS.  THIS is something you all have been wanting to hear from a Realtor, right?  SO, perhaps you want to take this blog and show it to your target Realtors.  The point is that there are many added benefits of staging that are as important as the actual staging as it relates to their client's satisfaction, their client's equity upon sale and the future of their marketing plan.  Stagers, go get'm. 

 

 

I just wanted to keep this in our minds and hearts.  Our local food banks need extra assistance all year long, not just during the holidays.  The Monument Crisis Center is one of the local charities I support, they do very good work.

Terrylynn

There was a crowd of people October 19^th at the Black Diamond Chevron Ethanol station right at the intersection of Willow Pass and Evora Road which just opened in Concord, Califorinia.

The county of Contra Costa is mandated to use alternative fuels but until now there was no place to get it.  Chevron has opened the station here, the only public station in the Bay area, but it is one of 1802 such alternative fueling stations nationwide.  The number of ethanol stations grew 28 percent  in 2008.  And per the state of California there are approximately 500,000 flexible fuel stations in California.   

At this point all cars are not able to use the corn- based ethanol, to see if a car can utilize the fuel go to www.e85fuel.com/index.php  The prediction is that by the end of 2009 there will be at least 30 ethanol stations in the state.  Ed Begley would be proud.

 

Do you Cha Cha when they Hip Hop?   

When listing and selling a property your interactions with sellers and buyers are a bit like a dance.  IF you are not in sync you will have a struggle just getting them to listen to your recommendations.  It is pretty important to KNOW the dance they are doing so you can do that dance too, it makes it much easier for   them to understand and relate to you and vice versa.  We've all had that client that just clashes with everything we say.  Well it's not really their fault or ours, just that we're doing different dances.  SO to be an effective partner, we need to dance the same dance, right?

Cha Cha - the rhythm is just right and you glide back and forth with your recomendations, they "get it" and you move right into the turn together.  AHHH success.  Priced right, Smooth transaction, just hope you get another Cha Cha for a buyer.

Hip Hop - they are all over the place but they get it and want to HELP you make it happen... as long as they focus and listen to your recommendations, price it right,  you've got it made as they'll be helpful and quick.  And they'll go nuts if you get a Waltz buyer, so you'll have to help them pace themselves.

Waltz - Slower to understand and slow to react because maybe they haven't done this for a long time, but when they get it they'll glide through the process with you and appreciate the work you did with them to get them there.  You may need to keep reminding them why they are doing this again.  In the end, they'll give you referrals of their friends and family because they look back and couldn't have done it without you.

Polka - OK a lot of hip hop qualities and a bit of the Waltz too... so once you convince them to come along, they'll jump right in and get onboard with your price and your listing plan.  They just want to help and may be overstepping, like "staying home to help show the house", so you'll have to stay on your toes and keep them focused and in the moment.

Then there is the Hustle (undercutting pricing) or the Limbo (how LOW can you go?)  You decide if they fit your client demographic and keep on dancing until you convince them of the value of your services and what they are buying. (Credit Maureen Bray)

Do-si-do is a partner dance by it's very nature.  These are great clients as they want to partner with you and they'll be paced and in sync with price and whatever you tell them to do.  In fact you'll both lead when appropriate and it'll be a great transaction for all.  (Credit Ronelle Schroeder-Hill)

A mismatch or misstep on any of these and you'll be moving on to the next client.  Just like in life, we hit it off right away or we don't.  Sometimes I think we try to Waltz with a Hip Hop and Cha Cha with a Polka.  No wonder it doesn't work.  The thing is you just need to know the dance the clients are doing and dance with them, it makes the work so much easier.

When listing and selling a property your interactions with sellers and buyers are a bit like a dance.  IF you are not in sync you will have a struggle just getting them to listen to your recommendations.  It is pretty important to KNOW the dance they are doing so you can do that dance too, it makes it much easier for them to understand and relate to you and vice versa.  We've all had that client that just clashes with everything we say.  Well it's not really their fault or ours, just that we're doing different dances.  SO to be an effective partner, we need to dance the same dance, right?

Cha Cha - the rhythm is just right and you glide back and forth with your recomendations, they "get it" and you move right into the turn together.  AHHH success.  Priced right, Smooth transaction, just hope you get another Cha Cha for a buyer.

Hip Hop - they are all over the place but they get it and want to HELP you make it happen... as long as they focus and listen to your recommendations, price it right,  you've got it made as they'll be helpful and quick.  And they'll go nuts if you get a Waltz buyer, so you'll have to help them pace themselves.

Waltz - Slower to understand and slow to react because maybe they haven't done this for a long time, but when they get it they'll glide through the process with you and appreciate the work you did with them to get them there.  You may need to keep reminding them why they are doing this again.  In the end, they'll give you referrals of their friends and family because they look back and couldn't have done it without you.

Polka - OK a lot of hip hop qualities and a bit of the Waltz too... so once you convince them to come along, they'll jump right in and get onboard with your price and your listing plan.  They just want to help and may be overstepping, like "staying home to help show the house", so you'll have to stay on your toes and keep them focused and in the moment.

Then there is the Hustle (undercutting pricing) or the Limbo (how LOW can you go?)  You decide if they fit your client demographic and keep on dancing until you convince them of the value of your services and what they are buying. (Credit Maureen Bray)

Do-si-do is a partner dance by it's very nature.  These are great clients as they want to partner with you and they'll be paced and in sync with price and whatever you tell them to do.  In fact you'll both lead when appropriate and it'll be a great transaction for all.  (Credit Ronelle Schroeder-Hill)

A mismatch or misstep on any of these and you'll be moving on to the next client.  Just like in life, we hit it off right away or we don't.  Sometimes I think we try to Waltz with a Hip Hop and Cha Cha with a Polka.  No wonder it doesn't work.  The thing is you just need to know the dance the clients are doing and dance with them, it makes the work so much easier.

Active:

Concord, 1/1, 794 sq. ft., listed at $115,000
Concord, 1/1, 794 sq. ft., listed at $143,017

Pending:

Concord, 2/1, 882 sq. ft., listed at $169,000
Concord, 2/1, 902 sq. ft., listed at $184,900
Concord, 2/1.5, 882 sq. ft., listed at $189,000

Sold:

Kirkwood, 2/1, 891 sq. ft., sold for $177,000
Kirkwood, 2/2, 1,272 sq. ft., sold for $205,000

Above information is from Paragon MLS.

 

Active:

Las Ramblas, 3/2, 1,420 sq. ft., listed at $365,900
Las Ramblas, 4/2, 1,866 sq. ft., listed at $395,000

Sold:

Gonzalez, 3/2, 1,657 sq. ft., sold for $310,000
Gonzalez, 3/2, 1,420 sq. ft., sold for $309,000
Gonzalez, 3/2.5, 2,041 sq. ft., sold for $430,000
Sepulveda, 4/2.5, 2,041 sq. ft., sold for $441,400
Alicante, 4/2.5, 2,041 sq. ft., sold for $462,500
Langford, 3/2, 1,548 sq. ft., sold for $568,420
Guadalupe, 3/2, 1,657 sq. ft., sold for $378,000
Preston, 4/2.5, 2,603 sq. ft., sold for $649,000
Dodge, 4/2, 1,926 sq. ft., sold for $565,000

The above information is from Paragon MLS