over the moon real estate

Albany Gorgeous Redux

2011-08-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

Here we are in the waning days of August, and I have another Albany listing. A different house, a different street, and a vastly different market - but people need housing, and they have kids who need good schools, and not everyone can afford $15,000 plus a year for private schools...so I invite you all to look at www.617Stannage.com and come to our second Open House on Sunday, August 28th, 2011 - more than two years since the first Brighton Street listing - drop in 617 Stannage Avenue on Sunday from 2 - 4:30PM. I will be glad to meet you and you will be glad to see such a sweet clean home for such a reasonable price. $599,000 for 3 bedrooms/1 1/2 baths. Walk to three Albany schools. Just like the "good old days" when we walked to school.

Albany Gorgeous

2009-07-03T08:37:00.000-07:00

Sixty five agents came to see 1225 Brighton Avenue in Albany on Thursday's Brokers Tour, and it wasn't because they did not have other options. There were plenty of houses to tour, but no others in Albany - the city with the excellent schools, easy to navigate bureaucracy, and all the great Bay Area weather. Take a look at this home, and consider coming to see it this weekend: either Saturday or Sunday from 2PM - 4:30PM. I'll be there! www.1225brightonave.com

Albany Gorgeous

2009-07-02T06:52:00.000-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/n/?video/video.php&v=1166896087346&mid=b66f29G4078dee4G930f93G1d

Video tour of new listing in Albany. Using someone who knows what they are doing - marketing-wise - Krista Miller of Keller Williams does the tour, I do the talking.
This is one of the sweetest homes on the market. See it now, Open Saturday and Sunday, July 4th and 5th from 2-4PM.

Sam at Eleven

2009-06-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

Sam is my dog. He is sweet and neurotic. I got Sam from a friend of mine whose daughter found Sam and his sister by the side of the road near Chico, California on a rainy and cold day. They were muddy and wet and starving. They were about 3-4 months old. She scooped both of them up and took them down to Oakland, to her mother. Suzanne, the mother, is an animal masquerading in a human body. She knew that I was mourning the loss of my dear Alfie - large, male Australian Shepard with a big plume of a tail and the sweetest disposition I had ever known. Alfie died of cancer a year before. Three days before he died, I took him for a very slow walk in my neighborhood of South Berkeley. He saw our neighbor, Anna. Alfie loved Anna and Anna loved Alfie. He had very little energy at this time, but enough to wag is tale for Anna. She petted him and told him what a good boy he was, and he proceeded to lift his leg and pee on Anna's foot. She, being tolerant of all things dog, laughed at this occurence and told Alfie she was honored to be the object of his marking. Sam is similar to Alfie, and I can imagine him doing something similar with Roxanne, the woman who cares for him when I am away. Sam loves Roxanne.

I think Sam is close to the end of his life. He sometimes stops on our walk and looks at me with bewilderment and confusion. His joints, all of them, are arthritic, so we limp around the block, not walk. He has had a very good life with Nancy and I and our two cats. When Sam and I limp around the block, our longhaired cat, Tallulah, follows us up to the end of our street. She reconnects with us about half a block from our completion and we all go slowly home.

One last remembrance about the day I met Sam. Suzanne called and invited me to breakfast at her house - it was a Saturday. I was happy to have breakfast with her. What I did not know was that her daughter was there - with both puppies. Sam's sister was very hyperactive and barked alot at all of us. Sam was shy and did not bark. I sat down on the floor near their box and said, "Suzie, it's too soon for me to get another dog. I am still mourning Alfie." She said, "I know that, just enjoy them." After a few minutes of petting both puppies on the floor, Sam quietly climbed on my lap and fell asleep. I was his from that moment on, and he was mine.

I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said, "Save yourself: Get a dog" I have saved myself.

2009-06-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

5r9ima28dog

2009-06-26T15:57:00.000-07:00

We approach the July 4th holiday and the housing market has been on a wild rollercoaster ride. The lessons of being overleveraged have been painfully felt by many homeowners and investors. The loss of one's home is one of the most painful events of our life.

I know. I lost my home in the downturn of the early 90's. There were compounding events that were out of my control, but I was overleveraged and could not weather the storms of the market that I depend on for my livelihood. I do not overleverage now. It was an indelible lesson and I shall never repeat it.

If you read my blog from a few months ago, you know that it was even painful for me to show a home in foreclosure to a client. I shall never forget the face of the 70+ woman who raised her family and her grandchildren in that home when I asked her, "where will you go?" Her eyes were empty of energy when she replied, "I don't know". I look forward to a market with more restraints and controls on how loans are given and paid back. I look forward to a community of realtors who take the responsibility of asking the necessary questions - perhaps even pre qualifying buyers with simple income/expense/proposed purchase price ratios before we send them off to their mortgage brokers.

To those who will speak to me about their homes and their ability to downsize or take advantage of the lower prices and buy, you will find a more measured response from me. I want you to achieve your dreams, but even more important, I do not want you to lose your dreams because we did not plan ahead. Live well and prosper.

ReInventing Myself

2008-07-15T15:36:00.000-07:00

Most everything I thought I knew about doing business as a Real Estate Broker, I am re examining. The lens through which I look forward is the lens of a new demographic, and a new and brave world.

Everyone has their opinion as to why the real estate market slowed, skidded and came to an abrupt and downhill race to a bottom that no one knows the location of. Not one real estate broker I speak to is willing to get off his (this is what we mostly have in ownership) "It's a beautiful day and business is great!" horse to muck around in what really seems to be happening.

People (homeowners, investors, buyers, sellers and our agents) need us to be guides through this new terrain. If we are to be guides that earn our living, we must educate ourselves on our local market, while being broader in reach with our understanding of the Global economy. We tend to give weather reports to people, "well, my business is doing just fine" or "The Berkeley Market is thriving" without understanding the way in which the larger US economy is slowly collapsing around us. True, some micro markets are still healthy with good sales and decent prices, but is it only a matter of time before the layoffs at GM and IndyMac filter up to the more affluent neighborhoods and the housing market slows and prices move downward. Time is on the side of those who have lived frugally and not overextended. How much time do I need before I can refinance out of this adjustable loan, or sell my house so I can pay off my debts, or get another job? That is the unknown piece in this scenario.

So what can we do to help people with these fears and realities? We can do alot, and we should do alot.

First of all, "It is not about us, it is about them" By that I mean that it is not a great time to buy or sell for many people. Let's drop that line. Let's help them analyze their local market and their personal financial situation. Let's give them resources - for goodness sakes, LET'S DEVELOP GOOD RESOURCES!

Next, Anyone who comes to us with interest in buying or selling deserves a careful consideration of what they want to achieve, what they can do financially, and how that might play out for them over the next two to five years. Think of them as your sweet younger brother or sister, and treat them with that level of care and caution.

Finally, RETOOL! Do things that scare and intimidate you. Communicate with new people - not for a sales pitch, but for ways in which you and your skills and talents can contribute to their well being. "When everything looks bleak, GIVE BACK!"

It works every time.

2008-05-22T07:06:00.000-07:00

The New Rules of Business

2008-02-13T16:15:00.000-08:00

compliments of The Harvard Business Review

1. Always study the competetive landscape.

2. Find a niche and create something new.

3. The Customer is always treated like royalty.

4. Hire Passionate People.

All of the above sound right, logical, and helpful for the beginning entrepreneur. Still, something feels incomplete.

Perhaps it is there in the "competetive landscape" suggestion. Perhaps it needs to be clarified.

Perhaps it benefits the customer most when we add, "Look for opportunities to collaborate on behalf of the customer", and "ask what is required of you and your business to be of service to the customer?". Someone recently asked me, "what are your strengths, what are your weaknesses, and what would you say your customers get from you that they may not get from other Brokers?" My answer to the last part was, "my customers become the smartest customers in the market place". That is my goal and my reason for perservering in a highly competetive business. I want to know, "what is required of me and my business in order to achieve smarter customers?" It is a worthy question, answered more each day I ask it.

Foreclosure is a sad experience

2008-01-14T13:46:00.000-08:00

Last week, I showed a house to a prospective buyer. It was in North Berkeley on a great street. It is a large, 4 bedroom two bath house and is occupied by the owner of the house - or so I thought.

The house was dark inside - all the drapes, curtains and shades were drawn. It was pouring rain outside. A woman in her forties answered the door.

Once inside, a young boy - maybe six or seven years old was being his energetic self while his young father - perhaps early twenties - tried to get him to the front door so they could leave for their next destination. In the kitchen, a woman in her mid to late sixties was standing and staring straight ahead until we entered the room. I introduced myself and my clients. The woman in the kitchen attempted a smile, and I asked, "Where are you and your family going next?" - this is not an unusual question I ask of sellers. It is usually answered by a rather excited description of what they are moving on to - in this case, the woman said, "I don't know". She then said, "I was born in this house - my parents bought it when they were first married, and they raised four children here" and then she shook her head. They are losing the home she was born in, raised in, and raised her own family, and now grandchild. This is heartbreaking.

I have not been able to get them out of my mind since that day.

Inman TV - Real Estate Connect NYC 2008 - Bull vs. Bear

2008-01-13T16:07:00.000-08:00

Inman TV - Real Estate Connect NYC 2008 - Bull vs. Bear

Seeing into 2008 - or Liz dons her Turban

2007-12-21T11:53:00.000-08:00

December 21, 2007 - tonight is the longest night of the year.

Lack of light influences our emotions more than most people realize. I have a friend who bought a light table - a device that photographers used in years gone by to look at slides - photos on film that were projected onto larger screens. In days gone by, the best way to choose the best shots was to review the slides on a light table with a magnifying glass. Arther uses the light table to give his body some needed light in the dark winter days. It works for him and many others with Seasonal Adjustment Syndrome.

The Real Estate Market in the US is in the long dark winter of its cycle and may not see sustained light for 18 more months - 24 more months. What does this mean for buyers and sellers?

Savvy investors are watching to see a break in the credit squeeze (jumbo loans are scarce and expensive now), and once they see the loosening of jumbo loans, they will move into the softened market to buy properties they can add value to and sell in two years, or hold for longer term investment. Investors want to buy with "OPM" (other peoples' money - the banks) and leverage is their best friend. I am looking for good multiple units - rents are strong and tenants are plenty. I think we will see easier jumbo loans and better quality inventory of properties, maybe with needed price reductions come Spring. I am the eternal optimist.

Meanwhile, agents and brokers would do themselves a service to be questioning their value proposition for the coming three to five years as consumers show us what they want and expect from us. Time to re invent our business models.

Have a creative holiday, full of self inquiry and plenty of acknowledgement. Best to you all.
Liz

I'm Green, You're Green, Everybody's Green, Or Not

2007-10-08T15:41:00.000-07:00

Next week, an effort to address the urgency of saving our planet, as we peer over the edge of the precipice of destruction will bring together all those who care enough to do something new and different.

How we buy, use, and discard our things without paying much attention to what we need vs what we want is one way.

How we eat is another. I am a total foodie, but I shop, cook and digest more consciously now than I have every done - thanks to this "pay attention" movement created out of necessity - we call affectionately, "The Green Movement". You will find a stunning slide show of families all over the world posing with a weeks worth of food on this blog. Please consider it. Please act on it. You can eat healthfully, well, locally and cheaper with just a bit of attention. Do it for your Grandkids. Do it for your for your health. Do it for your survival.

New models in real estate

2007-09-21T17:07:00.000-07:00

In times of change and turbulence, new models are proposed, tried, and either adopted or discarded as unworkable. In the purchase and sale of property in the United States, we are seeing a progression of the growth of online real estate marketing and new models for customer satisfaction in the process of buying or selling. In the past few weeks, I have become aware of a couple of models that are interesting.

One model is the investing in future change. I am aware on one company, Rex Holdings, that is offering homeowners immediate cash for a percentage of the increased value of their homes over the next period of years. Rex Holdings takes no equity position, but is contractually binding a homeowner to paying a percentage of profits on the sale of the property. The homeowner decides on the percentage of profits they are willing to pay for the immediate cash. The website for RexHoldings has a calculator that provides the homeowner an estimate of what amount of cash they would get for a home of X value with the homeowner willing to offer X percentage of profit in the transaction. I am sure that the amount of homeowner equity must be a part of the offering as well. If the homeowner owns a small amount of equity, the proposition must calculate the value of the risk involved. Go to the Rex Holdings website and let me know what you think about this model of borrowing or selling investments in your investment.

Are you attracted to the Menu Based commission offering? I believe that this model will become more mainstream in residential real estate in the future. I think that offerings of customer services must be more specific and perhaps even tied to results. Do you think that Brokers and agents will take a smaller role in the marketing, searching and general identification of property in the future? Will Brokers and Agents be relegated to the transaction negotiation portion of the transaction? Changes will happen with more regularity now that the market is open for change. I welcome them.

Green Business

2007-06-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

Our company is in the process of becoming certified as a Green Business. The process is enlightening. While filling out the application, we must rate a variety of practices and how we are reducing pollution, increasing recycling, and reducing usage of things like paper and printer ink. We are also using less electricity in our lighting of the office.

The very process has allowed us to institute change with a minimum of discomfort. The most uncomfortable part of the changes are the changes to our attitudes. We are moving from being consumers of unlimited resources, to thoughtful consumers of limited resources whose desire is to lighten our footprint on the earth. That most difficult change is also the most exciting. Our agents seem to be "one-upping" each other in their ideas and practices on conserving and recycling. We installed a meter on our copy machines, measuring both print jobs sent from agents' computers as well as walk-up copy jobs. We intend to look closely at our usage of "ink to paper" usage and compare it to our efforts to create a paperless office. We now store our closed files on CD and on our server and provide our clients CD copies of their transaction file. We also send CD's to our counterparts in the the transaction - the other agent. We were concerned that our recycling efforts on paper were not really being recycled once they left our office, so we hired a shredding company to take all our documents that must be shredded for safety and our recycling paper stuff and shred it and turn it into recycled paper. We also buy recycled products, including paper and copy machine cartridges. We set our thermostats at 61 degrees before heat comes on and 78 degrees before air conditioning comes on. We are doing our best and doing it with a new attitude. We have new ideas about offering sellers an "energy audit" prior to listing their home so we can brag and puff about how energy efficient their home is in our marketing. What else, what else? We like feeling like we are trainable, changeable, and doing something that matters.

Matilda Brown Home

2007-04-16T16:04:00.000-07:00

A wonderful place will be closing its doors to residents in Oakland's Temescal District. The Matilda Brown Home is a residence of up to 35 women who need care such as meals, help managing medications, monitoring by nursing staff, laundry, and regular assistance getting to medical appointments.

Matilda Brown Home is an architectural gem sited on over two acres behind a gated entry and surrounded by a luscious garden. Owned and operated by The Ladies Home Society, this 100yr old+ home has retained all its elegance and provides a warm and safe environment for its residents. The Non Profit Ladies Home Society cannot continue to keep the home open and fulfill its mission of quality care at reasonable prices. The buildings of the Home need two to three million dollars in upgrades to the structure almost immediately. The Board of the Ladies Home Society has done a fantastic job weighing all the options and finally, and sadly, deciding to help relocate the residents and sell the property. There is alot of neighborhood stir about the potential sale, and in the opinion laden conversations, the Ladies Home Society has not received even a measure of acknowledgement for the years of keeping the Home open against all odds and finally making a decision that saddens every Board member. Bravo to each and every one of you.

The Value Consumer

2007-03-18T13:03:00.000-07:00

In the past two weeks, I have encountered real value for my money. I define real value as meeting and in some cases, exceeding my expectations for the price I pay.

First was a brief three day stay in the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Lake Las Vegas, Nevada. Lake Las Vegas is one of the major developments in the fastest growing area in the US. It is located about 20 miles from Las Vegas strip, and is an "experience rich" resort in the middle of the desert. The experience is "luxury". Sue Stephenson, the Human Resources Vice President for the Ritz Carlton world wide spoke to our group of Windermere owners about the "knowledge of luxury and the luxury of knowledge". Everyone who works at the Ritz Carlton, no matter what their job or where they are located seems to be "on fire" with exceeding expectations of the customers who stay at their hotels. Stephenson has taken "customer service" to a level that amazes the guests - and I know because I was a guest. Needs are anticipated and fulfilled with great efficiency. The rooms are beautiful, spacious and comfortable. What makes the difference are the people. Sue Stephenson refers to employees as "ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen". Passing employees in the hotel hallways and lobbies was wonderful. This may sound corny, but every one of them looked me in the eye, smiled and said hello. If I paused as if to need more than the hello, they asked about my stay and if there was something they could help me with. I was thoroughly impressed, and inspired. These ladies and gentlemen had a purpose above and beyond making a living. They enhanced an experience for the guests, and in so doing, for themselves. The retention at the Ritz Carlton exceeds that of any other hotel chain measured by Fast Company - the customer service reporting firm. They have won the Malcolm Baldridge award, an international award for customer satisfaction for the past two years, competing with other companies like Nordstrom. They are friendly, helpful and humble about it as well.

My second experience in value was a lovely meal of small plates at Six Degrees on Solano at 1403 Solano Avenue in Albany. Saturday evening, a jazz trio with vocalist started playing at about 7:30PM, and we had our choice of an extensive and creative drink menu ( we chose a vodka gimlet and a strawberry crush - vodka, strawberry puree and finished with champagne). The small plates were wonderful - ours, snow peas and shitake mushrooms sauteed with fresh ginger and olive oil, herbed thin potato fries - outstanding - with a russian dressing that had a hint of citrus for dipping the fries, and a lentil soup that was heavenly. The only place where improvement was needed was in the fruit crisp dessert. The fruit was not cooked sufficiently to provide the puree and juice. The service was great, and for a while, you will be able to get in at most times, but once they are reviewed, they will be up there with Fonda for drinks, and Cesar for small plates. That is all the commercials for now. Buy value!

One of the Good Guys

2007-03-08T13:19:00.000-08:00

This is a small story about a big guy - a guy I work with, a colleague, a friend, and an inspiration. His name is Arthur White. He is a real estate broker and he is an inspiration to me. The reason is that Arthur really believes that his clients deserve his best efforts.

He responded to a telephone call from a couple who owned a big house about 5 miles from our office. The house was built about 5 years ago and the couple wanted to know what it was worth. Arthur picked up the call and went out to give them an Opinion of Value. He received a call back from them about a week later and he subsequently listed the house for over a million dollars. The house was awkward, but had a wonderful Bay View and was nearly 4 thousand square feet in a nice neighborhood. The couple had moved to Texas, and the house was vacant.

What Arthur later found out were two very important pieces of information: The husband had a terminal disease and the house had received a Notice of Default from the lender. These people were in trouble, deep trouble. We now know that the wife had cashed in her retirement benefits, and this couple hoped to get a few hundred thousand dollars from the sale of this house. It was all they had left. To make a long story short: Arthur White became their advocate, their broker, their friend and a fierce ally of this couple in the sale of this house. He showed courage, determination, and a wonderful set of values I can only hope to match. He makes me proud to be his friend and colleague. No newspaper is interested in this piece of "good news", but I thought you might like to know that there are heroes in the everyday experience of some people.

The dreaded mortgage rate adjustment

2007-03-07T14:30:00.001-08:00

This is my call to action, my entreaty, my urging you to do something...now

If you purchased a home in the past year or two with an adjustable rate mortgage, please run, don't walk to your trusted and trustworthy mortgage broker and refinance into a fixed rate loan. If possible, get a 30 year fixed rate loan and never worry about the mortgage mess we are about to enter. Make sure the person you trust is not a mortgage broker who says things like, "don't worry about it, I'll take care of it" or "I am sure that when it adjusts, it will be a small adjustment, and anyway, the value of your house will increase well beyond the adjustment". If you need names of the good ones, the trustworthy ones, the ones who can tell it to you so you understand how it will affect you and who will help you get out of the fix you are in now, please call me - any time of the day or night for some suggestions. 510-409-6977. I don't care who you use to get into a fixed rate loan as long as they are trustworthy! Read the Wharton School of Business article from the link on this blog. Good article on SubPrime lending. That's all for today. Now down off my soapbox and on to easier things, like lunch.

Perception...

2007-02-20T15:47:00.000-08:00

A bit more on Value Buying in today's real estate market.

We are like lemmings, we humans. If 25 people stood in Times Square looking up at the sky, within an hour there would be 1000 other people joining them. "The Wisdom of Crowds" was published a couple of years ago and the main premise is that buying a stock that has created the Perception of a winner may be the best strategy for those who don't want to do the work to figure out the underlying value of a company prior to purchasing their stock. Just buy what the crowds are buying. Hopefully, not too late in the "cycle" of growth of the stock price.

The same is true of most buyers of residential real estate.

"Honey, I want this house (because there is a crowd around the block) waiting to see it" - scene from 2005 Open Houses

So, what is the perception now? In many markets, including my own SF Bay Area market, the perception seems to be that things are "bad" and they will "get worse" before they get better. that's the agents' perception! Many buyers think that prices will plummet before 2007 is over, and that there is nothing to be gained by looking seriously at buying now. Let me say that there are good values out there and you can all wait till the interest rates rise before you buy, but I'm buying now - so are my clients. We are not buying like buyers bought in 2004-2006. No urgency. But we are looking for the value in the market and we will find it. We are not waiting to benefit from the bad fortune of others, nor ignoring the law and buying properties from defaulting owners at pennies on the dollar. We are buying value. Decent neighborhoods that are positioning to get better. Look for the places that good retail stores like Starbucks are opening new locations - How about LaFarine in the Laurel district of Oakland? These companies have done their homework - they are buying in Value Neighborhoods. Look for good architecture - maybe a little down on its luck. Look for good floorplan. Look for good lot size. As our population continues to grow, and as more and more homeowners will be forced to buy in denser areas, lot size will mean "alot" - sorry for the pun. Go out looking on a rainy day. That is the best time to go value home shopping. Enough preaching...I just want our clients to be the smartest buyers and sellers in the market. Oh, by the way, the agent that thinks "things are bad and they will get worse" is probably not the best value buyers' resource. More later...

Value buys

2007-02-14T13:57:00.000-08:00

There are plenty of agents and brokers out there who will tell you it is a great time to buy, but they may not know why. It is only a good time to buy if you do it with the perspective of the cycle of the market. The market has just said, loud and clearly, affordability is at a critical point - enough already! The loud sound of screeching brakes has become clear to all but some intransigent sellers. (does this remind you of the Nov 06 elections?)

The California Association of Realtors membership was up 63% from 2000 to 2004. Egads, that means one in 50 adults in California is a real estate agent. It has become harder to get a drivers' license than a real estate license. So what does that mean for the buyers and sellers who are ready to deal? It means that the well prepared buyer and the realistic seller will love this market. The agent who does not hone their negotiating skills on behalf of buyers will suffer pain. The sellers who will not read the tea leaves of change will be lonely and their patience will be tested.

Do your homework. Decide what kind of buyer or seller you are:

Do you want to buy because you couldn't buy in the crazy sellers' market and now you think you can buy something that you would want to live in? Maybe in a better neighborhood? Maybe a good investment?
Well, you are probably right, but it takes strategy and you doing some initial investigation is the most important part. More later...

Do you want to sell because you have to sell? You need a good broker much more than the buyer does right now. You need to make your house accessible and price it so it is the best buy among its peers. Get a good broker and double check their research and comparables. Once you find one you trust, trust them. There are lots of good brokers out there - especially in the East Bay cities that I know of...Berkeley, Albany, Kensington, El Cerrito, Richmond, Pinole, El Sobrante and Oakland. There are some stinkers too. Trust your instincts and trust your friends' referrals.

Do you want to sell because you think you can command more than a comparable house on your street received last year at this time? Forget it.. this is not the time that your strategy will work. Last year's market rewarded that behavior, this year's does not. Brokers cannot pull rabbits out of their hats. Wait for the cycle to move on.

Buyers who buy now can be described as Value Buyers. If you have ever invested in the stock market, the Value Buyers buy good company's stock when the company's stock is not in favor and does not reflect the true value of the company. You look at the underlying value. The same is true for the Value Buyer of 2007. You want to be a Value Buyer of real property because you are not betting on a huge short term appreciation to make your investment good. You are betting on the underlying value of the property. You want to make your money on the buy. Then, however long it takes to cycle to another hot sellers' market, you have made your money. How do you identify the Value Properties?

I always want to buy from someone who has to sell. I don't want to buy from someone who has alot of options - like if I don't get my price, I will just rent it. In a Berkeley investment property, I want to buy from the owner who is so sick and tired of Rent Control and being a landlord that they are in a selling trajectory. I want a get me away from these tenants attitude. I want to buy investment property from someone who has not managed it well. My management can improve the cash flow with little or no investment of further cash.
A house with good bones is what I want to buy now for a value buy.

Good bones means a well designed and quality built home in a pre-transitional neighborhood. A good floorplan is important. I want to be able to understand how I can live in a home and the floorplan is my first instruction. Secondly, I love to be able to see from the living room to the back yard - a look through - is what I call it. Separation of spaces - primarily separation of common areas from bedrooms. Lots more, but those are the most important. Good outlook from the windows. I don't love looking into someone's bathroom or bedroom or living room as if I could touch it. Good drainage means the world to me. A basement is a plus. More later.

I will describe some Value Buys in future entries and tell you what makes them values. That's all for now. Liz