Conversations around the Pool
I cringed as I drove away from the perfect mid 70’s Half Moon Bay weather to head north to Folsom, CA for a family Labor Day BBQ. In the interest of full disclosure, the weather in HMB is not always “perfect” on Labor Day (or 4th of July or Memorial Day for that matter.) Aside from the anticipation of a really fun family party was the knowledge that I would have access to a swimming pool! And the pool got lots of use in the 100+ degree heat. I love to talk real estate – whenever – so reflecting on the various industry themes that came up at this family gathering, they were quite varied. This time, the hot (no pun intended) topics were:
Mortgages (of course!)- My sister-in-law shared that her cousin and her cousin’s spouse, both mortgage brokers, were recently laid off by their employers, one worked in Marin and the other in Sonoma. They had bought a beautiful home in Sonoma County a few years ago and she fears that they may not be able to hold on to it.
Selling the Family Estate – Another sister-in-law is getting the play-by-play stories from her mother who is a beneficiary of inherited property along with other siblings. The siblings couldn’t agree on if or when to sell, so the property listing got continually delayed. Now it’s on the market. One brother hired the Realtor, but the other siblings don’t like that person. An offer came in but it was “a low ball offer”. . . not accepted. Frustration abounds in Butte County.
To fill in the family pool or not fill in the family pool – Does it increase your property value to have a pool or not have a pool (in Marin County)? The pool was built for my dad who loved to swim. Did we (the kids) get to enjoy the pool when we were growing up and actually lived there – ooh no! They put in this great pool after we all (4 of us) moved out. Dad is no longer with us (rest his soul) and mom never used the pool. The vote right now…drum roll…: remove the pool and create a large grassy area because the “young families moving to Marin” don’t want the liability of a pool. Stay tuned for the final decision.
“We are thinking of buying a condo in Reno.” – A year ago my cousin and his wife almost bought a bigger house with the bigger mortgage. They decided to stay where they are. Then they went to check out Reno and found a great new condo with tons of builder incentives. They decided to wait a little longer for a few other family matters to fall into place and then off to Reno they may go. It will be there “last move”. They seemed concerned that perhaps a great condo like the one they wanted may be gone, but they are still waiting for the right time.
Don’t get me wrong, there were lots of other topics…NOT real estate related. Let’s see…everyone hoping that my brother wouldn’t overcook the chicken…the big sunglasses try-on…more college stories for the benefit of the 17 to 21 year olds…my brother’s chicken…the fish that was late being served because we thought there was propane, but really there wasn’t…did I mention the chicken?
I just love family parties. There is so much to talk about. Give me your opinion, the family is probably going to read this blog! Yes, the only thing about Half Moon Bay in this blog is that we left it for a couple of days!