Forest Hills–A Moment of Clarity and Some Seller Advice Online Real Estate Investment Mortgage Glossary

16
Jul

Forest Hills–A Moment of Clarity and Some Seller Advice

I have made a resolution: I will see everything in two new neighborhoods each month. Why? Well why not? And also because, quite selfishly and quite productively, it helps me understand the real estate market and better help my clients. So I started with Forest Hills near downtown Wilmington NC. The reason for this neighborhood is simple—I have been in love with it since I visited here in the 70′s. I also have a fair amount of friends there and a few active buyers looking there. For the record, these homes were mostly built in the 30′s, 40′s and 50′s so tons of history here…

So I set off on my pre-football Sunday to look inside of everything in Forest Hills that I hadn’t already seen and it was eye-opening! The cool thing about older neighborhoods is that there really weren’t any covenants or restrictions when they were built. No one knew about Wilmington and it was hard to travel here so land was cheap. Ergo, there were big lots and no cookie cutter houses—which I love. I am always amazed (and will of course have a lot more to say about this later) but there is no substitution for actually getting off your PC, clicking duff and looking at houses. Buyers look and look online (which is valuable) but you really HAVE to go inside for the full impact. It is when viewing a home—a home that you will picture your future in—that you will sense the “Ju-ju”. Whether it’s a piece of architecture, a fruit tree in the backyard or the way light comes in the kitchen window, you just know. Come on buyers! Take the time and don’t disassociate via the internet. Just saying…

I saw great houses and others that made me wonder if they would ever sell. The interesting thing is that the great houses were not necessarily the most updated. But they had a story—a sense of place. You could picture the good times on the porch and the dinners in the kitchen or the fireplace lit at night on one of those cold nights. Of course the homes were for the most part a problem—wonky stairs, older kitchens—wandering floor plans that made no sense and yet were comforting.

So all of this got me to thinking about the seller and the buyers. How do you price a great home that makes no sense? How do you value your past and does it convey? We know that ‘anything plugged in goes and anything screwed in stays’ but is that all there is to it?

I look at my own home…Oy. I look at the backyard and see Easter Egg Hunts, trampoline sleepovers, and bocci parties. My house feels comfortable; my dining room has hosted so many dinners—Christmas and Thanksgiving with new and old friends—sometimes with card tables extending into the hallway! But if a buyer walked in they would see a large fenced yard in need of landscaping; ugly, swaggy curtains that are horribly outdated but came with the house and I stopped noticing after Day 2; carpets are old but I won’t change out because I have an old dog and what’s the use; dear god my kitchen needs to be gutted but I cook so many really great dinners and no one seems to notice or care that I have old counters….which brings me back to Forest Hills and life in general. Are we too pre-occupied with “perfect’? Are we a “Bride-o-plasty” generation of consumers and if so, shame on us. When looking at a home, step back from the furniture and the paint and see where your good times will unfold. Where you will nap on a cozy Saturday; where you will read to your children or grandchildren; where you will say Grace. That was how I looked at Forest Hills—as individual friends who I had to take the time to meet.

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