Full Pockets and Best Impressions . Chicago Market
Two quarters, eleven pennies, seven dimes and four nickels. Three Hotwheels. And a small Altoids tin.
My sons are four and three. These items came from their pockets tonight.
In what order and according to whom? I can’t tell you, though typically Jackson (four) is prone to carrying multiple cars in his pocket and he never parts with the candy tin, a gift last week from a neighbor who is a Chicago police officer.
Like most people, my guys like their stuff. And sometimes some of the stuff comes in handy. Like tonight as we walked by a fountain at Old Orchard after seeing the movie “Ramona and Beezus” (highly recommended) and Jackson reached in his pocket of change and snatched a penny for Lucas to toss in.
It’s a beautiful thing to see your kids get the hang of sharing and including. And charming to hear my wife impart the wise advice, “don’t tell us what you wish for.”
But it makes me laugh how much stuff these fellahs stuff in their pockets. Part of the laughter is self-incriminating – the apple didn’t fall far from the tree as I do much the same. Earlier this week I co-opted a blackberry belt carrier to ferry my Droid and to free up space in my pockets (I assure you to provide a reservoir for the overage from my sons’ pockets).
Already at this tender age my boys carry percentages of their weight at their hips. And with time the bondage to belongings will only worsen, much like it does for most of my clients who admit themselves that they have way too much stuff in their homes when it comes time to list their homes for sale.
The atrophication of the Chicago real estate market has done a number of things including proving to be a whetstone that has sharpened my tongue when it comes to preparing places for listing. In the past the pink wall could be overlooked or the dust accumulating curios curiously overpopulating overwrought shelves might be accepted and a stairmaster in the corner of the master bedroom passed by.
But no more!
In today’s market since the first impression is critical thin is most definitely in. So closets are pared down and bookshelves are made manageable and overstuffed furniture and singular wall hues are traded out to gain something more subdued. All in an effort to sooth the visiting eye. To appear palatable. To gain traction.
Face it, we have all the time in the world to sell (as some places exhibit). But since most of us don’t want to take all the time in the world we proactively take steps to ensure that our first showing is like the most perfect wedding portrait ever taken.
Hah, wedding makes me think of how I often perceive selling real estate – it is like being a yenta, a matchmaker, for the folks who are looking. At any rate, across the board my clients take radical steps to put themselves in the best possible light. Sometimes these steps seek to gain price differentiation (the best priced place tends to sell first) and often these steps are akin to why we humans diet – to look better.
On Monday my clients at 1728 Huron slashed the price of their East Village single family home by $50,000, going to $849,900 ($32,000 less than what they paid). This reduction makes an already staged home look that much better.
Earlier in the month my clients at 1858 Race decided to match the price of their neighbors’ home at $749,900 though comps suggested a price of $50,000 more. This is flat to what they paid and embellishes a home that shows artfully and well
Last month my client at 951 Fletcher brought in painters to coax some color and warmth through strategically placed accent walls ALONG with several price reductions. The most recent cut puts us about $25,000 less than what he paid in 2007.
Mitch’s new listing at 922 Wood brought in painters to chase away the pink walls of the master and bring them to a more satisfying hue before listing. The rarely available duplex up shows great.
My new Bucktown penthouse duplex spent more than a week fine tuning their spacious home, putting stuff in storage and completing a ridiculously cool and beautiful rooftop deck that spies one of the world’s most glorious skylines. The condo will hit the market either Friday or Monday, depending on when we get our professional pictures back. Again, it shows superbly.
My Bucktown timber loft at 2035 Charleston is now listed at $529,000, nearly $50,000 less than what my client paid in 2004. This home has achieved critical mass coolness and is specifically the type of home that a New Yorker walks into and, within a New York minute, writes a full priced offer.
My clients with the precision realized custom home in Sauganash at 4347 Hollywood have taken a nearly 10% adjustment, pricing now at $729,900 for a home that resets the luxury bar in this northside neighborhood.
And 1214 Dobson, a fully redone and gorgeous Evanston home with a new roof and windows and plumbing and electric and heating and cooling system and kitchen and landscaping has been reduced to $369,000, a value price to coincide with perfect finishes for this starter home.
Each of these clients has been assertive to put their proverbial best foot forward. And rather than standing on the sidelines hoping someone will see us, we have primped, staged, and tastefully sought to ensure that we are the ones chosen.
In keeping pace with my clients, I toss handfuls of “super grow” on our online marketing campaign to make sure that when eyes look, we are there. In impressing my clients with the new penthouse duplex listing in Bucktown my precursory effort was to create a marketing piece that gained page one google notoriety. Quickly.
Voila, “bucktown penthouse” revealed our presence immediately and I was over a handful of other agents vying for their affection. We charted the same course with Mitch’s new East Village penthouse, gaining multiple top rank positions under the term “east village penthouse condo.”
The day is about to begin and Jackson has spotted his coins on the table and dashed off to get a pair of shorts where he can stash his “coinies.” In this instance with these coins and these cars and whatever else manages to find its way in my boys’ pockets, stuff will be just fine with me. And as I meet the VHT photographer in two hours in Bucktown, the notable absence of excess stuff too will be just fine with me.
If you have any questions about listing your Chicago home or desire to participate in the current market as a buyer, don’t hesitate to contact me:
Call or text 773.848.9241.
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