September's Food, Family & Fur

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

I know that this is my "September" newsletter - but I've already seen Halloween decorations while driving around. At this rate, we are about three weeks away from Spotify recommending Christmas playlists. Honestly, I might be OK with that.

On to the good stuff: This month, we'll be talking Kidz Bop, losing (bad) at soccer, pork chops, accepting our dogs for who they are, and of course, whether people are still buying homes, 
 
As a bonus, I'm going to share about perhaps the best slice of pizza I've had in years. Like, years and years. 

Real Estate

Ok, The Market.
 
The answer is yes. 
 
The question I get asked almost every day, many times a day is: "Are people still buying homes?" 
 
Followed by: "Is it still a seller's market?" (Not necessarily).

I have two sets of buyers in contract right now that represent the craziness of the market. 
 
First set of buyers: Multiple counter offer situation and had to come up in bid price. The buyers are in contract for more than the last list price, but less than the original list price.
 
Second set of buyers: In contract for WAY less than the original list price, and a LOT less than the last list price. The sellers did counter the offer, but that was expected considering how low the initial offer was.
 
The difference? The first home was in pristine condition. Immaculate. The buyers are purchasing that home with zero thoughts about what they need to do other than move in. 
 
The second set of buyers are getting a fantastic deal - but there are some things they will need to address. They got lucky in a sense because the "scariest" items would have been easy for the sellers to fix - but they didn't - and it scared buyers away. So, while my clients got a great deal, they have to carry the mental load of getting the work done.
 
If you are a homeowner and are wondering what types of renovations or updates to focus on to maintain your investment, join me for our Homeowner Conversation on September 27th at 5:30pm! Register here for all the info :)
 
If you are thinking of buying a home, now or in the future, and couldn't make it to my last buyers conversation, click here for a summary!

Food!

This is Ava's favorite food. Fried pork chops. She will also gladly eat chicken, if I fry it this way and call it pork chops. (See below)
 
Note: If I fry fish this way, then she calls it "Fishy Fish." But still loves it.
 
The best part is that while there are a few steps, it is super easy and almost foolproof. 

Seriously easy.

You can find the recipe here, but really the difficulty with frying anything is that the outside often becomes perfectly golden brown long before the inside is safe to eat. 
 
Here is my pro-tip: Set the oven to 225 (or 350 if I need to cook faster) and as the pork chops 

brown, remove them from the oil and place them on a rack in the oven (with a sheet pan underneath) until they finish cooking.
 
The best part about this is that it removes the pressure of timing the rest of dinner while also trying to get your 5 year old to the table . . . 
 
Or, if you're entertaining and your guests are running late (which is much better than running early), you can turn the oven down to 200 to hold everything until its time.

Family!

Ava is playing soccer for the first time, and I am one of her coaches. I love it.
 
We had our first game this past Saturday and we lost 16-2. Or maybe 17-2. Honestly, we stopped counting. Our girls are pretty much all new . . . and the other team, not so new. 
 
Basically, we were not the same.

I will say, however, that our girls had a ton of fun, and there were a lot of tears on the other side.
 
That night, Ava and a bunch of her teammates went to the Kidz Bop concert and danced their hearts out. The game, forgotten. 
 
Pro Tip: The Premier Parking is ALWAYS worth it at Shoreline!

FUR!

You can see the "I'm Shy" patch on Soba's harness. I got this for her because people would often walk up to her to try and pet her without asking, and well, Soba isn't a fan of people.
 
Well, she's actually ok with people, she just prefers not to be touched by most of them. Which is understandable. 

I think what is hard for a lot of people who rescue a dog is that they have an image of what it will be like having a dog. A lot of people I know imagine going to the dog park, playing fetch, taking their dog hiking, or running, or they just generally imagine having a dog that is super social and fun for everyone.
 
Soba is not that dog. 
 
In the beginning there were a lot of frustrating moments, but those weren't her fault. She just didn't fit into the predefined box I had imagined for her. Getting to know her, and accepting her for the dog she is, has helped us BOTH be a lot happier. Ironically, she is also becoming more of the dog I thought (hoped) she would be, too!
 
But, if you ask if you can pet her, she'll probably still say no :/
 
If you are thinking of adopting a dog - or if you DID adopt a dog and feel overwhelmed - head over to Golden State Canine and book a session with Aby!

Bonus Section

This past weekend Ava took me to her favorite pizza spot - Venus Pie Trap in Aptos. She told me it was the best crust she'd ever had in her whole entire life, and she wanted me to try it.
 
It was amazing. So amazing I hesitated to tell you about it because honestly, they only bake a limited amount each day. 
 
Here's the thing: They precook the pizza for slices in a square pan, but will make round pizzas all day long. The round pizzas are good. The square pieces border on life changing. At least this is how I feel just over 24 hours after my first slice. 
 
It's on the beach, they have a Mexican Hot Chocolate Creme pie, and the staff are lovely. 
 
The restaurant next door also serves amazing mussels if you want to stick around for dinner!

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 M: 408.797.5979 O: 650.250.4483 [email protected]

Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California operating under multiple entities. License Numbers 01991628, 1527235, 1527365, 1356742, 1443761, 1997075, 1935359, 1961027, 1842987, 1869607, 1866771, 1527205, 1079009, 1272467. All material is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description or measurements (including square footage). This is not intended to solicit property already listed. No financial or legal advice provided. Equal Housing Opportunity. Photos may be virtually staged or digitally enhanced and may not reflect actual property conditions.

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September's Food, Family & Fur

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