February's Food, Family & Fur

Food, Family & Fur 
(with a touch of Real Estate)

I feel like just last night I was watching fireworks on New Year's Eve, and somehow it is already February. Needless to say, the last few weeks and months have been a whirlwind of new experiences, and life lessons. For example, I learned that Crocs are not actually comfortable and it has caused deep confusion in me as to why so many people wear them. 
 
For new experiences, Ava is losing teeth, braving blue squares on the slopes, and is halfway through kindergarten. Let's just say I am not emotionally ready to be the dad of an actual first grader. 

This month, we'll be talking about a hot market, Lunar New Year, Taiwanese Pineapple Cake, and why I think Ava crying on the ski slopes is a better vacation than relaxing at the beach. 
 
We'll also talk about helping your best friend (dog) lose a few pounds without shaming them (too much).

Real Estate!

Ok, The Market.
 
The answer is yes. 
 
It is hot (getting hotter?) How hot? An agent in my office had a listing in San Jose at just over $1M - the sellers received 30 offers and went into contract almost 30% over list price. That sounds like 2021 . . . 

I also had clients looking at a home that had been on the market for 4 months last year with no offers before the listing expired at the end of December. The home came back on the market in mid-January (with no change in list price) and within a week had 3 offers and went into contract at list price.
 
Part of this is because interest rates are dropping, and part of it is simply the continued low inventory and a backlog of buyers who want/need to buy a home. 
 
At first this may seem like bad news for buyers - multiple offers and counter offers tend to drive prices up - BUT stories like these also encourage sellers who have been hesitant to list their home out of concern about high interest rates. 
 
If you are a homeowner and are wondering what types of renovations or updates to focus on to maintain your investment, or prep for listing, register by clicking below for one of our brown bag lunches in March!
 
Register here for all the info :)
 
Not a homeowner but want to be one?? Click here to register for by Home Buyer Brown Bag Lunch Series!

Food!

Pineapple cakes. 
 
As I write this, my father in law is bringing back pineapple cakes from Taiwan for Lunar New Year and Ava is organizing a "bake off" to compare my pineapple cakes with the "real ones."
 
I wouldn't say they are easy to make, but they're not difficult. And they're a lot of fun!

The recipe we use comes from a children's book called "A Sweet New Year for Ren." It's a wonderful story, and one of our favorites this time of year. 
 
Note: I decided not to post the recipe because it seems to only be available in the book - and I think you should support the authors and buy the book :)

Family!

Ava is losing teeth faster than I am losing hair and has earned enough from the Tooth Fairy to fund a small startup. 
 
More exciting than wiggly teeth, however, is Lunar New Year - her favorite holiday! She has always loved stories about Lunar New Year, and has been actively planning our celebration for months.

This year is especially cool as she has started to grasp that this is part of the culture that she shares with Amanda. I love hearing her say things like "this is part of me and mommies culture" with so much pride. 
 
I also love that we have a tradition of making (and eating) pineapple cakes :)

FUR!

This is Soba pretending that she has died because I don't feed her enough food. She does this next to the food bowl so I know what killed her. 
 
The truth is, she had put on a lot of weight, and even me cutting her food, she was more than 67lbs - well over her healthy weight - and only getting bigger. . .

After our last visit, the vet said Soba needed to lose 10-12lbs. That's a lot. Like, almost 20% of her bodyweight. The issue was I was already feeding her so little - and she was HUNGRY ALL THE TIME. I've had "food motivated" dogs before - but this was a whole new level, and the vet wanted me to reduce her calorie intake by half of what I was feeding her?? 
 
The solution? Veggies. Specifically, pumpkin puree, chopped carrots, cooked sweet potatoes, etc. I needed something low in calories to add to her food to literally fill her up - and it has been working great. Not only is she not hungry all the time, she is happier, and has lost about 8-9lbs!
 
If you're concerned about your dog's weight and health, talk to your vet about possible solutions, and what veggies a dog can (and cannot!) eat.

Bonus Section:
Crying in the Cold is Better Than Relaxing on the Beach? 

Skiing is expensive. Like, no matter how cheaply you try to do it - the costs quickly add up. Between rentals, lift tickets, travel, and finding a place to stay - families can spend quite a bit on even just a short vacation - and all this is after buying (or renting) all the necessary clothing. 
 
Even worse, after all that, and spending so much money, SOOO many parents are stuck at the bottom of the slope with a child who is too scared/tired/cold/over it to even enjoy or want to try skiing. Every time I go there are just children crying. Everywhere.
 
From what I can remember, I also spent most of my first day skiing crying about 40+ years ago. In fact, some of my most embarrassing, and scary memories, are from skiing. 
 
I had a conversation the other day with a friend about how all that money (and time) could be spent on a luxurious beach vacation to Hawaii, or Mexico. And while that seemed tempting, and would also be nice, I think the cold and sometimes terrifying experiences that skiing provides are really good for Ava. 
 
Specifically, the opportunity to overcome real fear, and push through uncomfortable and scary situations - and realize that she is OK. When she is learning to ride a bike, she can always hit the brakes and decide to get off. When she made the decision to try a Blue Square at Tahoe Donner - there was no "getting off" - and she was terrified. There were SO MANY TEARS. But we had no choice but to ski down (with a lot of assistance from dad) - but at the end, she looked back up the hill and was filled with the type of pride that only that type of scary experience can give you. And she also demanded a hot chocolate.

Have a real estate question or concern? Thinking of buying or selling, or know someone who is? 
Let's connect to see how I can help!

Ryan Greco
 
Realtor®| DRE# 02075846

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February's Food, Family & Fur

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