Morgan Larson - Bliss Real Estate Team

I've had more than one home buyer come to me completely surprised that there were more costs to buying a home than a down payment.
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So here's the skinny on what it REALLY costs to buy a home.
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⓵ Down payment: VA and USDA loans have a 0% down payment - but most loans require between 3 and 20% of the purchase price as a down payment.
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② Loan and escrow closing costs: These costs include what the mortgage lender is paid upfront, prepaid property taxes, homeowners insurance, title insurance, and other fees. Typically these fees add up to 1-3% of sales price.
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⓷ Home Inspections: In our area, it's commonplace for the home buyer to pay for most of the inspections. The 2 most common inspections are a Whole Home ($450-700) and Pest/Termite ($100-200). In rural areas it's normal to also have a Septic inspection ($150-600) and a Well inspection ($500-700).
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④ Moving Costs: If you are doing a local move and using a Uhaul, it could be as little as a couple hundred dollars. But if you are using professional movers and moving long-distance the cost could be anywhere from $3-10k.
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What other questions do you have about buying your first home? Let me know below 👇
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Lisa found me through my website several months ago, and I could tell right away she was determined and on her game!
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She was so ready to make the move back to Gold Country. She had lived here previously but been in the Bay Area for several years. She was seeking serenity for her family - and with this home she found it!!
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Move-in ready, tons of charm, and several acres of solitude!If I'm honest, I'm a little jealous!
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Congrats to the whole family! I'm so excited for you 🤩 Thank you for choosing me to help you find "The One"!
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I 🧡 Summer!! So many amazing local events happening and fun activities to do! Here's some upcoming events 👇 Hope to see you there! 👋
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June 11th - Youth Fishing Derby. for more info.
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June 16th-19th - El Dorado County Fair is back!! So looking forward to the wheelbarrow races! for tickets and info
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Lavender Blue Harvest Days - I 💜 lavender everything! You? for more info.
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A couple music festivals... & Motherlode Beer and Music Festival 🎶🎺🎸
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July 26th - Enjoy a movie under the stars!
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And last but certainly not least! Farm-to-Fork Dinner in Apple Hill. 😋
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Which events are you planning on attending?
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Did you know I have a Super Power? 🦹🏻‍♀️
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It’s seeing BEYOND the clutter.
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Why do I bring this up? Because I speak with so many people who are going to be selling their homes but don’t want me to come over yet because it “isn’t ready”.
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That’s a good thing!! You need time to prep and plan. And it’s always better to meet with the Pros way ahead of time so they can help you make that plan.
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So no need to worry about clutter, cleanliness, or construction projects. Being a professional realtor, I’m not there to judge. I’m there to help!
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Now are you ready to have me over? 😉 Because I’m ready to provide support, offer tips, and give you some resources to make your dreams happen. 💙
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Utilizing Your Home's Equity🏡

One of the top reasons to own a home is to build up your family’s wealth and net worth. As your home’s value appreciates and you continue to pay down the principal on your mortgage, you quickly gain equity in your home.

Can you use this “forced savings” for other things? And should you?

If you’re like me, you probably get emails and letters in the actual mailbox every other day about how you could be utilizing your equity. They sure make it tempting!!

I get a little wordy in this video! But it’s well worth the watch if you are considering taking advantage of one of these offers. I go over the ways to use your equity - HELOC, 2nd mortgage, cash-out refi, reverse mortgage - and the potential consequences of doing so.

https://youtu.be/WGxUJqb36wg

Utilizing Your Home's Equity One of the top reasons to own a home is to build up your family’s wealth and net worth. As your home’s value appreciates and you continue to pay down the pri...

One of my favorite shows growing up was “The Price Is Right!” Truthfully, I was terrible at it. But that was because I was a kid and had no idea what the value of a dishwasher or dish soap was…I didn’t have any real world experience.
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This is kind of the same with many home sellers. It’s not that they aren’t intelligent and well-meaning. It’s more that their life experience is in another realm….not marketing and selling homes everyday.
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Here’s a few tips to “Price It Right” instead of making the mistakes mentioned in the post.
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❶ Do Your Research: This involves reviewing your competition and homes that have currently sold and determining where your home fits in. How does your home compare - Is it more updated or does it need some maintenance? What features do you have that will stand out to buyers?
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❷ The “Search Results” Strategy: Think about HOW people search for homes. They don’t look for home up to $489k or $510k…instead they search in round numbers. For example: between $500-600k or under $750k. If you list for $505k, you are missing a boat load of buyers searching up to $500k. But if you list for $499k, you are missing all of the buyers who are searching $500k and above. So make sure you don’t miss out on a lot of 💰 by under or over pricing by a few thousand dollars.
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❸ The “Black Friday” Strategy: When a seller wants to price over market value to “see what they can get” the pool of buyers is a whole lot smaller, like the bottom of the funnel. On the flip side, if the home is priced slightly under market value the home looks like a steal and creates a Black Friday Effect. It drives demand up because everyone likes a good deal! And can result in competitive offers, net you a higher sales price, and help you sell faster in a shifting market.
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Today I'm answering the eternal question, the question that I've been getting for twelve years. But I think every real estate agent has been getting since the beginning of time.

💭Should I wait to buy a home?

Basically, is now the wrong time to buy a home? I don't know that there ever has truly been a wrong time to buy a home.

🎬 Watch video to find out why...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KM7uNlHUMM

Should I Wait To Buy A Home? Today I'm answering the eternal question, the question that I've been getting for twelve years. But I think every real estate agent has been getting since th...

If PIVOT was the word of the year for 2020, and CRAZY was the word for 2021, then SHIFT is the word for 2022.

In the last 12 years I’ve seen multiple real estate market Shifts - and they always seem to happen in a matter of a couple weeks.

This time around it seemed like we were starting the 2021 craziness all over again and then BOOM 💥 interest rates began rising and a whole new market atmosphere was upon us.

Where has this market shift put us today?

➡️ Pending Contracts are down 12% compared with April 2021. This speaks to the change in demand (IE there is LESS demand to purchase than there was a year ago). But this is a new stat, so we must wait a few months to see if home buyers will adjust and pick back up or if this is the new ongoing trend.

➡️ There were also fewer Sold homes this April compared with last year. Though it was lower, we are still on the low side of normal for the past 10 years. Being that we have fewer Pending contracts currently, we’ll likely continue this trend in May.

➡️ Multiple Offers aren’t what they once were…55% of homes are still getting multiple offers, but just a few months ago 72% of homes had multiple offers. Additionally, according to a local poll, 52% of homes are getting 1-2 offers, 29% are getting 3-4 offers, 8% are getting 0 offers, and 11% are getting 5+ offers. It simply means competition is thinning and sellers can’t expect 5-10+ offers. On the flip side, as a buyer you will have a bit less competition.

➡️ Prices are still going up. BUT it has decelerated. From 2020 to 2021 prices went up 20%+, versus 15% in the last 12 months. That’s still a lot of growth! But growth is slowing.

So what does all this mean??

1️⃣ The market is calming…becoming a bit more sane and balanced.

2️⃣ Buyers have more opportunities and less competition. Not NO competition. But less.

3️⃣ People looking to Buy & Sell at the same time have a WAY better chance of making that happen without the hassle of a double move.

4️⃣ Sellers need to be more “Listing Price” conscious than ever. As the market continues to soften sellers are better off listing according to comparable sales than trying to “push” the market. “Pushing” the market could mean no offers, quickly becoming a “stale” listing and ultimately selling for less than the recommended market value first presented.

This was a TON of info! Thank you for reading and watching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2biaFK9AI1Q

May 2022 Market Update: The Market is Shifting In this week's Bliss Real Estate Team message, we're really going to talk about the recent shift in the real estate market. And if you haven't heard, things ...

I don't think I can BE more excited!​​​​​​​​
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Catch the Chandler reference?? 😉 Anyhow, seriously! I'm so happy for my clients. Mrs. Buyer is a veteran and together they've been working on getting pre-approved for a home loan for nearly 6 months. On top of that, it can be difficult to get a VA offer accepted. So it was VERY exciting to get an offer accepted on their dream home after only 3 weeks of looking!​​​​​​​​
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How did we do it? We worked together as a TEAM. We spoke extensively about what they were looking for, what was reasonable within their price range, the process, the strategies to get an offer accepted...and so much more. Working TOGETHER with your realtor and lender is utterly important.​​​​​​​​
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I'd love to be a part of your team when you are looking to buy or sell a home. Send me a DM if you are interested in learning more about what it looks like to work with me. ​​​​​​​​
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☎️ 530-503-5225​​​​​​​​
👩‍💻 BlissRETeam.com​​​​​​​​
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Yes, this home is in Because I'm willing to do what it takes to help people find their dream home!

I've known Steve for many years, yet it is always such an HONOR to be chosen to work with someone.​​​​​​​​
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Thank you Steve and family for being AWESOME clients! I loved helping you sell your Po***ck Pines home. We sure will miss you here! ​​​​​​​​
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Thinking about buying and/or selling a home? I'm here to guide you through the process. Send me a DM or give me a call and we can get the conversation started!​​​​​​​​
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☎️ 530-503-5225​​​​​​​​
👩‍💻 BlissRETeam.com​​​​​​​​
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Scared to Buy and Sell at the same time?

When you already own a home and you’d like to move to a new home, it can be overwhelming and a bit scary! Most people will tell me they don’t want to be homeless and decide that the only solution to this problem is to find “The One” and then list their home for sale.

This is NOT the only way…and is generally the toughest route to a new home. Why? Because most Home Sellers (who you are buying from) aren’t wanting to accept an offer from someone who hasn’t accepted an offer on their current home. It’s too many variables of things that could go wrong!

So let’s discuss a couple other options. After all, I’ve helped a LOT of people with Buy/Sell at the same time and not one of them ended up homeless. 🤓

Option 1: Buy First, Then Sell
Not everyone can pull this off, but if you have the cash or can qualify for 2 mortgages at the same time, this is the easiest route. Sometimes this can be pulled off with a “Bridge Loan” as well.

Option 2: Secure a Rent Back when you accept an offer on your home
Most people will need the proceeds from their current home to purchase their next home. Generally that means you are going to need to list your home before finding your next home. Scary right? Well, there are many protections you can put in place. One is to make sure you are able to Rent your current home after the sale closes. It’s pretty easy to get a couple weeks (most of the time for free!). Many buyers are even willing to allow up to 2 months in the home after the sale closes. Generally the rental rate is based on the new owner's mortgage. This extra time gives you extra time to find and close on your new home.

When you already own a home and you’d like to move to a new home, it can be overwhelming and a bit scary! Most people will tell me they don’t want to be homeless and decide that the only solution to this problem is to find “The One” and then list their home for sale.

Option 3: List with Contingency For Replacement Property
This option means you will only accept an offer on your current house if the buyer allows you time to find a replacement home. The normal time frame is 17 days, but often we can get extra time. Then once you’re in contract on your new home, the time frames for both sales begin.

Often we do this in combination with a Rent Back.

Option 4: Have a backup plan
I know it’s not fun to move twice. Yet, when you really want to make sure you get the perfect next home you may need to be willing to make a double move. Why? Because the best way to compete against other home buyers is to have your home sold and cash in hand to get the deal done on your dream home. Also, it allows you as much time as necessary to find The One.

Backup plans could include staying with friends/family, renting an AirBNB on a more long term basis, or staying at a long term hotel.

As you can see, it is complicated and nerve wracking to sell one home and purchase another. But when you have experience by your side, it really doesn’t need to feel like you’re jumping off a cliff.

I find the best thing to do is make plans in advance. Know your options and be prepared. Ready to start planning? Give me a call and we can start the conversation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7iszo24-NY

How To Buy & Sell at the Same Time Scared to Buy and Sell at the same time?When you already own a home and you’d like to move to a new home, it can be overwhelming and a bit scary! Most people...

Which one is your dream kitchen?
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This one's tough! I'm stuck between 1 and 4...I love an organic, natural feel BUT I also love pops of color and linear lines.
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What's your fave? 💙
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It's May. The sun is shining. The days are getting longer. That little bird outside my window is waking me up earlier and earlier...

So what does that mean? It means we're seeing more homes go up for sale each and every day. May and June are typically when we see the most homes come up for sale, and it seems this year is going to be no different.

When you combine that with the fact that interest rates have risen almost 2 percentage points since January, it's means we're in a shifting market - one where it's going to get a little easier for buyers to get their offers accepted and one where sellers aren't getting those crazy good terms/prices like last year.

So is home staging important? YES.

Taking time to have a "Home Prep Strategy" is more important than ever. You want your home to stand out and draw as many potential home buyers as possible. I can't emphasize the power of staging enough - home buyers flock to homes that look like HGTV! In a shifting market, that is what you need to get those rockin terms, multiple offers, and tippy top prices.

Stats show that Staged Homes sell faster AND for more money - at least 1-5% more. That may not sound like much, but on a $500k home that's $5-25k more!

If you are thinking about selling, let's meet a couple months in advance so that we can put together a plan to make your home stand out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6PdAV67giw

Is Staging Important? It's May. The sun is shining. The days are getting longer. That little bird outside my window is waking me up earlier and earlier...So what does that mean? I...

That’s a wrap! This fixer upper is onto bigger and better things.

I feel like I could write a book on the story of this home. But I’ll leave it at this…after receiving many offers we finally had just the right buyers to tackle a project of this size. We were so glad for them to make the transfer of ownership swift and painless for my client who had owned the home over 40 years.

I can’t wait to see the results when they are all finished remodeling. It’s going to be a stunner!!

Are you considering selling your home to upsize, downsize or relocate? 📲 Send me a DM and we can get the conversation started.

Looking to retire sooner rather than later?

One method of getting there quicker is eliminating debt from your life and having fewer bills that need to be paid - thus needing less monthly income.

Truthfully, I’m not sharing some magic secret to quick riches but rather a simple tool to be more in control of when you’ll actually OWN that house you live in. Because once you own the home, you’ve eliminated your largest debt and you no longer have a monthly mortgage payment due to the bank.

What method am I talking about?? A 15-year fixed rate mortgage. Watch video🎬 to learn more....
What method am I talking about?? A 15-year fixed rate mortgage. Watch video 🎬 to learn more....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2Ih0qHoW8c&t=20s

Let's Talk 15 Year Mortgages Looking to retire sooner rather than later?Does retiring early sound as good to you as it does to me? One method of getting there quicker is eliminating debt...

🙌 It's Small Business Week!
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Let's show some appreciation and LOVE by spreading the word about some of your favorites! It's easy, free, and all of us small businesses depend on YOUR word-of-mouth.
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1️⃣ Repost their Posts in your Stories
2️⃣ Engage with Posts by commenting and liking
3️⃣ Write some awesome reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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👇 Tag some of your local faves so we can ALL go follow them
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Featured in this post - but certainly I have SOOO many other favorites and will be supporting them this week (and every week!):
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Maybe it's all the sunshine but I'm just feeling GRATEFUL! 🌞 I can't let one more day go by without giving a sincere thank you to all of YOU - my followers, past clients, soon-to-be clients, friends, mentors, and family who have supported and encouraged me on my professional real estate journey.
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I love being a real estate agent. But what I love even more is the people I meet along the way - people just like YOU.
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👇 Tell me something good so we can all keep on smiling today! 😃

💌 Ready for your email inbox to get an upgrade?​​​​​​​​
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Each week I send out a video email with my top tips, market updates and some of the best listings.​​​​​​​​
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→ It's easy, breezy, and seriously the best way to keep up with today's real estate market!​​​​​​​​
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Want to be added to the list? Send me a DM with your email to get started.​​​​​​​​
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Do you remember what made you fall in love with your home? ​​​​​​​​
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Was it the floorpan? Neighborhood? Design? Or a feeling? ​​​​​​​​
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For me, it was this window in the kitchen. I could just picture myself drinking coffee, reading, working - all while enjoying the view. ​​​​​​​​
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Buying and owning a home is tied to so much more than it just making "financial sense" - even for a realtor! ​​​​​​​​
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Oh to live by the river! 🦦​​​​​​​​
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This charming home is a 2 minute stroll from the Cosumnes River - meaning you can have daily beach time on the multiple private beaches of Outingdale! ​​​​​​​​
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Some of my favorite parts of this property - open layout, huge kitchen, serenity, and proximity to wine country! Both Fair Play and Plymouth are only a few minutes drive away.​​​​​​​​
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Great opportunity for a vacation home, AirBNB or permanent residence - YES you too can live the vacation life every day 👊​​​​​​​​
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Want more deets or to see it in person? DM me and I'm happy to provide!​​​​​​​​
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Morgan Larson​​​​​​​​
DRE 01884981​​​​​​​​
Bliss Real Estate Team​​​​​​​​
Powered by Keller Williams​​​​​​​​
DRE 01406150​​​​​​​​
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Sorry friends! You missed it! ​​​​​​​​
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This fabulous Po***ck Pines home is getting a new owner 🤩​​​​​​​​
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Thinking about buying or selling a home? Send me a DM and we can get the process started. ​​​​​​​​
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OOOH! I'm so excited about this gorgeous Boho Cabin in the woods! It's such a serene setting on over 2 acres, with a large veggie garden, 2 big decks, and the most perfect AirBNB inspired interior.
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A couple favorite features (besides the ones already mentioned!) are the wood floors throughout, the cozy wood burning stove, the brand new windows, the whole home generator, and 2 master suites - yes 2!
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Questions? Want to see it live and in person? Just give me a holler and we can arrange ☎️
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What are you favorite local coffee shops?
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Here's mine...I seem to have one in every community!
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Absolutely love their brew - nice and strong! Surprisingly good gluten free pastries (I like gluten, so it's hard to convince me). Great food and wonderful little courtyard to sit in. And now they even have a drivethuogh cart on Broadway!
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Charming location right in Yummy treats and super good lattes! The shop makes you feel like you are at home, but it's even better!
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in Folsom has a great hipster vibe. Their pour over is superb! Fabulous covered patio too.
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has such a homey, local feel. Really great place to stop and linger when shopping on Main St.
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is the best drive through around! Yum yum!
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is great for grabbing lunch with your coffee - full sandwich menu!
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☕️ Which one is your favorite? Or do you have another suggestion?
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What’s one question I get asked almost daily?

What areas do you work in?

My main zones are from Folsom to Po***ck Pines along Highway 50.

But Friend, it doesn’t really matter if you live in one of those communities or elsewhere. Whether in the Sac Metro area, the Bay Area, So Cal or even out of state, I have great connections wherever you live (or want to live) - a benefit of working with and being in the biz for over a decade!

Just reach out 📲 and I’ve got you covered!

I make house dreams come true no matter where you’re at 🤩

🤩 Looking for an opportunity?? Look no further!!
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What I 💙 about this home:
🌄Panoramic Sierra views off the back deck
🌳Backs to a greenbelt - quiet and private!
👙Swimming pool
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Who this home needs:
Someone willing to bring it back to life! So much possibility with the fabulous layout. Just needs all the cosmetics updated and brought into the 21st century.
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If that's you, visit one of the Open Houses...
Friday 3/18 from 4-6pm
Saturday 3/19 from Noon-2pm
Sunday 3/20 from Noon-2pm
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DM with any questions 🧐
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✨WOW, just WOW! ✨​​​​​​​​
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Every once in a Blue Moon you have everything go so smooth! Social media often makes it seem that everything goes smooth all the time. Quite the opposite really! When prices keep creeping higher and higher, everyone's emotions and expectations also get higher and higher!​​​​​​​​
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So it was so nice to have one go easy peasy! And what's makes them go easier? Team work for sure!! A few thank you's are in order... for being an awesome buyer's agent AND buyer! Congrats my friend! and for getting all the behind the scenes things DONE! And to my amazing clients .hooper.39 and for always being so on top of things!​​​​​​​​
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Onward and upward friends! Let's do it again 🤩​​​​​​​​
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