One of my favorite things in the world is going on listing appointments. This week all five listing appointments were fascinating. But the most unusual of all time was walking into a room full of taxidermy. The living room of this home had a double height ceiling and on all the walls hung multiple heads of double horn sheep, a big bearded boar’s head, unusual birds with large wings, deer antlers, an 87 pound fish with a spear coming out the front, a 78 pound fish with large fins and a tail, antique guns, and in between so many family pictures of kids and grandkids. On the couch was a throw that looked like a skinned wolf. The owners presented as the sweetest kindest grandma and grandpa and in fact they’re raising their grandson in their home. Outside they have multiple freezers and across from the freezers is a big barbecue, because their butcher makes them steaks so that they can easily freeze and later eat all the meat they catch. They explained that the meat is the healthiest, most unprocessed, preservative and antibiotic free food because it’s caught wild. I was pretty speechless seeing all those animals and I (half jokingly) asked if it was safe for a human to be in the house of hunters. I shared that I was limping a little because I scraped my foot and my shoe hurt rubbing against the wound; the owners insisted on getting me a bandage to buffer the wound and then some soft pink elephant skin slippers covered with sparkly sequins to make me more comfortable in their home. The juxtaposition of all the animal heads on the walls and the soft pink sparkly slippers at my feet was kind of jarring. They have a great house in a great spot that I’m sure people would enjoy. In almost 15 years of doing real estate, I’ve never walked into a house of hunters in Los Angeles to find so much taxidermy on the walls. Everyone in LA has sweet smelling beautifully groomed pets and extravagant carpeted steps for their doggies to sleep on satin pillows in the primary bedroom.
On our edge-of-the-seat-excitement deal where we had multiple offers and the represented doctors were in first position because they could close in 25 days, and the unrepresented lawyers were in backup position because they needed 45 days to close, the doctors have signed cancellation and the lawyers are moving full speed ahead to buy the house. The lawyer’s appraiser, who was supposed to take 21 days to arrive, in fact called immediately and he scheduled to come out right away. Something tells me that it’s not really going to be a 21 day loan contingency or a 45 day close. It’s interesting to experience how much we, as humans, are limited and forced to go by the representations that are made to us, and the judgements that naturally follow, but the truth is more a product of actions and behavior and it’s sometimes hard to describe or to represent ourselves accurately before we act. It’s our actions and our behavior that ultimately shows our true colors and there’s really no way for us to know in advance how things necessarily play out…until they actually do and only then do we really know.
The highlight and most appreciated moments of the week were the four generous five star reviews that clients posted on zillow about their experience working with our team. Each and every time I meet with potential new sellers, I always share that my goal is for them to have an unbelievable experience working with us on every level – from the outcome of their sale to their experiencing our team as competent, responsive, caring, transparent, and hard working. The feedback that lets us know that my goal was accomplished makes me inordinately happy….because I strive so hard for happy outcomes and amazing client experiences.
I’m excited for our new condo coming up for sale at 851 N Kings Road. It’s a large 1750 sqft, 2 bed + 2.5 bath + den/office unit that’s full of sunshine. It has wifi lights that turn all different fun colors (controlled through app and Alexa). It has new kitchen cabinets and carrara marble counters and freshly sanded and bleached floors. With 2 side by side parking spaces, a big jacuzzi, gym and sauna on the 1st floor, and so much included in the HOA fees, it’s a sweet deal for 1,175,000. The unit was recently tenant occupied and the tenants were paying 5400 a month for two years; the tenants moved to another condo in the building when this owner decided to sell because they really didn’t want to leave. The condo is now vacant and super easy to show!
I’m excited that restaurants and gyms and hair salons are allowed to open in our area again. I ordered Postmates from Beverly Hills Kosher Thai this week because I want to support businesses that are so restricted for such a long time. The food from Beverly Hills Kosher Thai arrived remarkably hot and it was incredibly fresh and so delicious. My favorite is the drunken noodles with vegetables and chicken.
I was always curious to try cliff jumping into the ocean and so I jumped from twelve feet up this week. It was super fun…and I busted my eardrum. I kind of wish I knew the hazards of cliff jumping beforehand but then again I probably would have tried it anyway. I love listing appointments because each time it’s a fresh opportunity, a new experience, and a chance at a fun adventure. There’s always the chance of busting an eardrum when cliff jumping, but then there’s the exhilaration of sailing through the air from high in the sky and plunging into the refreshing water at the bottom. Battle scars are the badge of a life well lived and what we know this year more than ever is that the biggest blessing in the world is to be alive and to live life with gusto – risks, hazards, and all. If asked about cliff jumping even now with my busted ear drum, I’d advise to close your eyes, hold your nose, take a deep breath…and just jump with abandon and live life to it fullest!
Have an awesome weekend!
Xoxoxoxo,
Sheri
