"I'm out in front of your listing," the potential Buyers said. "Can you run over right now and show it to us?" "Are you currently represented by an Agent?" I asked. It had been a long day and the thought of meeting strangers at a house they could have seen during the Open wasn't sitting well with me. "No, if we like the property, we'll write with you," she said. "No," I replied, "that would create an inherent conflict of interest as Sarah and I already represent the Seller." "But we're looking for an advantage . . . " "As is everyone." I said. "Your Agent will receive the same information ..read more

In the words of the late, great Mr. Rogers: I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you So, let's make the most of this beautiful day Since we're together, we might as well say Would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won't you be my neighbor? Last week, we finally closed on a much-delayed escrow wherein the Sellers had agreed to clear their negative stucco test results before turning over the property to the Buyers. While an unexpected finding late in the game is NEVER a welcome discovery, the Sellers were more than fair, the Buyer ..read more

It's been a busy week for our team and Jill, Sarah, Kate and I are each covering a lot of ground, not to mention a million and one loose ends. It's 9:00pm on Thursday evening and I'm just now sitting down to begin The Perspective (this may be a first). So forgive me if I forego the usual essay and just share my afternoon's work product instead . . . . ​ Jill and I spent a few hours installing this extraordinary, OVER-SCALED wallpaper at a very cool industrial Jack London Loft that we're bringing to market next week. It's a "wow" moment to be sure and it's going to look even better once staged ..read more

​If April showers bring May flowers, we should expect magnificent blooms this spring. Once again, there's rain in the forecast . . . Not that I'm complaining mind you, we need the rain, as well as the snow, to refill the streams, and the aquifers beneath our arid soil. Moreover, I'm not just a "Gardner" by marriage, but an avid gardener by choice, so bring it on; this may be my favorite time of year. Still, rain does have a tendency to get in the way as we prepare our listings for the marketplace, especially if any exterior work is required (which is almost always), not to mention those all i ..read more

I didn't grow up with the concept of Easter as a religious holiday - admittedly, my family didn't attend church very regularly (or at all). Suffice it to say, that come April, the Shepherd clan was far more focused on the Easter egg hunt, the mashmallow peeps, and the chocolate bunnies scattered throughout the garden then we were on an Easter sermon or a morning mass . . . . With six kids in the household, you can imagine that the Easter production was quite an undertaking. We dyed dozens of eggs the day before (mom kept count in case one wasn't found and proceeded to turn rotten days later ..read more

Last weekend, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the Magnolias were in full bloom. On Sunday, I hosted 533 Boulevard Way - a beautifully renovated classic that opens out to an extraordinary backyard, and I wasn't alone. There were several other fantastic Piedmont properties available for viewing. (Please visit me on Saturday if you haven't yet seen it.)​ With longer, warmer days ahead, Spring has finally sprung (Ignore this weekend's forecast for more rain). As is typical for this time of year, we start to see many more houses come to market. Every top-producing Agent I know is ..read more

Sarah, Jill, Kate, and I are working on a bevy of homes that are headed to the market over the next several months (We're grateful for the business, thank you), and in nearly every case, the Seller has one OVERRIDING concern. "How much does my house sell for? (Good question.) I wish I knew. The reality is that NO ONE knows. We can guess, we can hypothesize, we can predict, we can hope, AND pray, AND do everything within our power to push the numbers higher, but in the end, it's a willing and able Buyer that will qualify the value of your home. That's the long and short of it. You may not ag ..read more

This is the toughest time of the year for me with respect to my garden. Except for the daffodils, nothing's yet in bloom. The trees are bare, and the ground cover that died back last fall has yet to return. My impatient inclination is to run to the nursery and fill in the holes, forgetting that what lies beneath the topsoil has yet to emerge (but soon will. . . . ). In reality, the leafless trees and shrubs give opportunity to reassess both the structure of the plants themselves and the composition of the garden as a whole. What's more, now is the perfect time to prune or move plants that have ..read more

"This will be fun," the Seller's email said. "I'm manifesting good things." Wow. (Thank you.) While I think everyone would agree that "manifesting good things" is the goal not only for our business transactions but for life in general, it's much harder to adopt that attitude in the face of the unknown. It's difficult to establish trust when fear, stress, and anxiety are the prevailing emotions. For all of us, no matter the journey, the future is a GREAT BIG question mark?!? (You only need to turn on your TV to confront a veritable %^& storm at every turn. Prozac anyone?) No wonder it's t ..read more

This is the toughest time of the year for me with respect to my garden. Except for the daffodils, nothing's yet in bloom. The trees are bare, and the ground cover that died back last fall has yet to return. My impatient inclination is to run to the nursery and fill in the holes, forgetting that what lies beneath the topsoil has yet to emerge (but soon will. . . . ). In reality, the leafless trees and shrubs give opportunity to reassess both the structure of the plants themselves and the composition of the garden as a whole. What's more, now is the perfect time to prune or move plants that have ..read more