“Don’t mind me, I’ just a nosey neighbor.”
As a Realtor®, I must hear that 10 times a week at my open houses. But I’m here to set the record straight: I love the neighbors and the lookie-lous alike. I never know what little gem of information I will pick up, or what someone can teach me that day. And for the benefit of the seller, these neighbors love where they live, and want to bring friends into the neighborhood as well.
Just this weekend, I was able to talk with neighbors at my listing on Wyton Drive in Little Holmby Hills. And I learned some really fascinating things, from them! First of all, I had a great talk with one neighbor about the new LA County fireplace ordinances, which will ban wood burning fireplace use for large percentages of the year when air quality falls to certain prescribed levels. (More on that in my next blog post.) In addition, the county wants to prohibit the construction of anything but gas log fireplaces in the future, which means that those of you with wood burning fireplaces will have a feature that will become instantly valuable and irreplaceable.
I also had some interesting conversations about value in the neighborhood, with a group of homeowners who are at least as educated on what’s happening in their market as a lot of the agents I meet. This is, in large part, due to the amazing transparency of the internet, and all of the data it provides. (And neighbors meeting “over the fence” for coffee talk doesn’t hurt!) What I find, however, is that even with all of the raw data, what everyone is looking for is a trusted person to interpret all of the information for them. I’m finding that, despite the readily available comparable sales, the neighbors want me to be a partner in confidence, and that they value my expertise more than ever. I’m finding that I can be of greater service than ever before, and that relationship with the neighbors, and the neighborhood, feels great.
So neighbors, get out there! It’s spring, the market is taking off, and there is much to see. And if you pass my open house, come on in. No apologies necessary!