With the year winding down, I thought that a bit of Lamorinda real estate levity might be in order. Some might think that real estate in Lamorinda is serious business. Most of the time it is, but there are some funny moments that are worth remembering, even if they didn’t seem humorous at the time. Here’s my top 5 list in no particular order:
- Landmines in Lafayette real estate — We were meeting with a prospective listing client who wanted to show us her yard via a trip out to a deck and down some stairs to the lawn. She failed to warn us that the stairs and the lawn were her beloved dog’s favorite poop repository, and I ended up stepping in it with both of my Allen Edmonds dress shoes by the time I reached ground level. To make matters worse, the people never ended up listing their house. My sacrifice was in vain.
- Room for the entire family — Sticking to the same theme… we had waited months for a client to be ready to show us their home. These were fastidious, sophisticated, professional people who were always meticulously groomed. Upon viewing their home for the first time, we found that they had dedicated a large room to their two dogs. Well, the dogs lived in the room as you’d expect they would without frequent access to the outdoors. Arggghhh! We recommended that the house be vacated, the floors and joists replaced to remedy the odor problem, followed by an interior “facelift” and staging. It sold and the entire family found a new home.
- How to increase listing traffic for the male buyer — I was showing a client a gorgeous Lafayette view home when I noticed that he was spending an undue amount of time staring beyond the patio railings at what I thought was the incredible view of Mt. Diablo. Upon walking over to him, I realized that the view he was taking in was of the three young women, sunbathing nude at the pool below. It was pretty hilarious as I tried to subtly alert them to our presence as they scrambled to gather the closest clothing items. “Excuse us!… Is it alright to come on down?”
- An entrepreneur or simply afternoon recreation? — I made an appointment to show a client a large Lafayette estate property, and was told that the “owner” would be on premises to “keep an eye” on things. We showed up and were greeted by a woman wearing an ultra-tight dress that might be suitable for a night at the clubs, but not for an afternoon at home in Lafayette. Upon reaching the master bedroom, we found a large 4-poster bed with a large mirror mounted inside the canopy. My clients called me into the closet where they found a huge assortment of provocative outfits, the largest collection of stiletto heels we’ve ever seen, and various other related accessories. I’ll leave the details to your imagination. Who says life in Lafayette isn’t exciting!?
- Stuck — A number of years ago, my wife was previewing a vacant property for a client, and needed to use the home’s restroom. When she attempted to open the bathroom door to exit, she found that the knob was not working and that the door was stuck shut. She had left her cell phone in the car, so calling for help was not an option. After about 20 minutes of desperate banging on the door, it miraculously opened!
Perhaps the most important lesson from all of this is to never lose your sense of humor.
