TOPS! Madison/Merrell do it again…
July 12th, 2008 Categories: Davis CA Real Estate, Davis RE Trends, RE Week in Review, Real Estate News, Realtor Tales, Selling
For the second quarter this year, the team of Jamie Madison and Kim Merrell are in the number one and number two positions respectively for total sales volume at Coldwell Banker, and Jamie Madison continues reign as the top agent in Yolo County. Why is this so?
- We have the honor of working with truly remarkable clients!
- Hard work every day
- The attention to detail of our wonderful assistant Sharon Pannell
- Sensitivity to the new opportunities that come with a changing market
- Sensitivity to the uncertainty that our buyers and sellers feel
- Working for Doug Arnold and Dave Taormino - two brokers who give good agents the support and the freedom to do their job well
- Working with buyers and sellers in a very special town where people sense they can capture the feeling of community most of us long for…
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My Favorite House in Davis
June 27th, 2008 Categories: Davis CA Real Estate, Davis RE Trends, Photo Tours, RE Week in Review, Real Estate News, Selling
Parkside Drive is one block from UCD - a small U-shaped street with about 45 homes in the center of town that is sometimes referred to as part of ”old professor row” - a quality of neighborhood we don’t have enough of. Unpretentious and nostalgically heartwarming, each home has a different design and character and is somewhere in the continuum between “original state” and “gorgeously remodeled”.
At the later end of that contiuum is 40 Parkside. This home was torn down to just one wall and rebuilt on the original footprint about 7 years ago by Steve Sherman. It is calm, restful home for those of us whose children have flown the coop. The house is small but open, spacious and perfectly elegant for having friends for dinner inside or out. Every detail is crafted with taste and thought. The wide plank hickory floors were distressed by hand on site. The dining room has the perfect dimensions to embody space and coziness. Best of all is the cottage! In the large back yard there is a 600+ sq ft cottage that has a fireplace, living room, kitchen with old wedgewood stove, bedroom and bath, and a large southfacing wall of windows. When we originally went to see the house, my husband and I had a rare fight about who would get to have the cottage.
This house has been “curated” by Susanne and Simon Dryer these past few years - they have enhanced the garden, colors, and the feel of the house even warmer. It is now on the market. If the time in our lives were right, we would be moving to Parkside where I would not only relish this home, but also would be thrilled to be part of the eclectic neighborhood. Alas, not the right time for us. Some lucky person will have the rare opportunity to live in graceful elegance in the center of our sweet town…
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Remodelers Check It Out : 2007 Cost vs.Value Report
December 6th, 2007 Categories: Real Estate News, Selling
If you are in the throes of deciding how much to spend or whether to remodel, check out the 2007 cost vs. value report.
Whether they want to enjoy their home more or prepare it for sale, my friends and clients always ask where to spend their remodel dollars. For the past 20 years this report by Remodeling Magazine has analyzed cost and payback by region for specific projects. For most projects/regions the value of a remodel trended down in 2007 over 2006 due to rising building costs and decreasing resale value. Luckily for us, the PACIFIC region estimated a cost recovery of more than 100% for these six projects:
1. Wood deck addition
2. Minor kitchen remodel
3. Fiber cement siding replacement
4. Wood window replacement
5. Vinyl window replacement
6. Vinyl siding
If you are planning a move soon you will get the most juice from focusing your efforts on exterior upgrades and small kitchen remodels. Small differences in project size, scope and quality of finishes dramatically effect cost, but also dramatically effect the perceived value of the house. Be sure that the remodel does not cast the rest of the house in a dated or worn light.
So go ahead, get the granite counters. You will enjoy them and chances are they will pay back.
Biggest losers in terms of cost vs. value in our region are a home office remodel, master suite addition, sun room addition and the addition of a back-up power generator. Read more about the Sacramento region by clicking here.
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