Monthly Archives: March 2017

Buying and selling a home, Real estate, Running and real estate, Sacramento buyers, Sacramento real estate

Running and Real Estate- 6 Reasons Location Can Make or Break Your Fitness

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Are buyers super tired of hearing about the importance of “location, location, location” every single time they work with a real estate agent like myself?  Do we agents sound like a broken record, or is there more to these three repetitive nouns?

I have to be honest and tell you that when my husband and I bought our home in Carmichael, CA, I was not much into exercise and I was definitely not a runner. All my husband and I knew was that we wanted to live in Carmichael – the rural feel and yet the central location of Carmichael appealed to us. We loved playing tennis and we did notice that the house we bought was within walking distance from Carmichael Park, which made us happy. Good location!

Since I became a runner, I go to Carmichael Park to play tennis or run. I also go for walks with our kids and play Pokémon Go, because we are close to it and it is convenient to get there.

 

IMPORTANCE OF LOCATION

 

I have been in real estate for 17 years and I always try to educate my buyers about the importance of location for two reasons:

  1. Buying a house on a cul-de-sac, one of the most desirable locations, because of reduced traffic, next to a beautiful park, golf course, bike trail, etc. can enhance the property value of a home and the well-being of its occupants, as it is convenient to  exercise.
  2. Buying a house next to railroad tracks, close to an airport, or on a busy street can decrease the property value of one’s home by as much as 20 percent. http://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/slideshows/8-types-of-roads-that-can-have-a-big-impact-on-home-sales

Therefore, buyers who are more nature, outdoor, and fitness enthusiasts might want to work with an agent who understands the importance of location when it comes to easy access to the bike trail, a public track, close proximity to a fitness club, nature parks, and so on.

Sacramento has one of the best multi-purpose trails in the country. Jedediah Smith Memorial Bicycle Trail, known as the bike trail,  or  the Parkway,  stretches along 32 miles of parkway from Old Sacramento to Folsom Lake.
Ancil Hoffman Park, where one can watch deer, coyotes, and turkeys while exercising. The nature center and golf course are one of Carmichael’s hidden gems and treasures.

 

FITNESS CHECKLIST

 

As a real estate broker and fitness fanatic (I am an avid runner and tennis player), I recommend buyers the following checklist to make sure their new home will enhance their easy access to exercising whether it is biking, running, playing golf, tennis, etc.

  1. Use Google maps to determine the walking distance from your new home to the above-mentioned locations.
  2. Create your walking/biking/running routes and see how conveniently located you are from your new gym, for instance. I am 1 mile away from two of the gyms I belong to. I love to run or ride my bike there, which makes me feel that I kill two birds with one stone, because I get my run in and do strength training, or take various classes there.
  3. Rate all the homes you visit based on the exercise convenience factor. For instance, five stars rating means extremely easy access to parks, nature preserve areas, golf courses, tennis courts, and fitness clubs.
  4. Be realistic about the importance of your fitness goals and the convenience of achieving them based on the location of your home and decide if you can settle for anything less than three stars. Let’s say your new home is close to fitness club, tennis courts, and parks. That is a pretty good location, but as you go lower in stars, you need to decide if you need to keep looking for that three stars or higher fitness house.
  5. Be very clear and specific with your agent about your fitness goals and the location of your new home and make sure that you do not waste time looking at homes that are far from your desired criteria.
  6. After having your offer accepted and while in escrow, try some of your routes to make sure that your new neighborhood has a high walking score. Additionally, use this website to find the walking score of your new home https://www.walkscore.com/

To sum things up, I believe buyers should take the fitness factor seriously when buying a home. Analyzing a home’s curb appeal and all the remodeling should be done in connection with your ability to walk many places around your new home/neighborhood. Happy house hunting! Happy feet and happy to help you find that perfect FIT home of your dreams.

For more info on running and real estate, whether buying or selling, please e-mail me at carmenmicsa@yahoo.com, or call me at 916-342-2446. Running for real estate with joy!

Running and real estate, Running and Spirituality, The joy of running, Traveling, Uncategorized

Traveling and Running – 6 Tips to Explore New Places

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Ever since I became a runner, I have changed the way I see the world. I pay more attention to details, I am more creative, and I love to see nature, animals, plants, trees, and new places and cities in motion.

My first breakthrough came last year (2016) when we traveled to the East Coast, and I got to run from the mountains in Tennessee to the beaches on Hilton Head Island. During that trip, I thought to myself that every city should have a running tour, as it is so much easier than creating our own tours when traveling to new places, although it feels great to be explorers.  Sacramento, for instance, has Sac Running Tours http://www.sacrunningtours.com that offers two 4-mile run tours: Capital City Highlights featuring Sacramento history and places of interest and Urban Art featuring the large murals, public art, and graffiti around downtown/midtown, which I went on last year ( 2016). Both tours are $30 each. They also offer personalized tours at any distance for individuals or groups.

Last month, our family traveled to Las Vegas. This article http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/10-11/running-while-traveling.html about running while traveling is right on. In my case, I chose to run up and down the strip in Las Vegas in the morning and late afternoon to experience all its bustling, music, street shows, and lights  at my own pace.

Not many people around during my morning run.
Yet, exploring busy cities and new places takes some preparation as well as spontaneity to make your running adventures even more fun and exciting.

 

  1. One of the best times to explore a new place is in the morning, as it is more tranquil, less traffic, and less busy.
Treasure Island Casino before its visitors show up. The stillness of the pirate ship and the uneventful dock made me enjoy it even more while snapping a quick pic.

2. Plan your route ahead either by searching online, Strava, MapMy Run, or even better asking the front desk at the hotel you’re staying, since they know the area and will have some great recommendations.

I knew that I needed to do a 10-mile run, so I fugured that running from Westgage Hotel, where we stayed past Luxor would get me close to my running and exploration goal.

3. Try to join local runners/running groups, or simply join other runners that you come across during your run.  Around mile two into my run, I was fortunate to come across two tall, handsome, and very polite Canadian runners who allowed me to run with them after I asked to join them. Making friends in a new city takes us beyond the geography of that place; it places us closer to the locals and visitors from all over the world, which makes  it much more rewarding and fascinating.

Enjoying the company of my tall Canadian friends who ran with me about 4 miles.

4. Best way to immerse yourself in the new place you’re visiting is to allow yourself to stop and smell the flowers, so to speak. In my case, I stopped to take jumping pictures, watch the street shows,  and visit the inside of the Bellagio Casino to delight in their Chinese New Year flower exhibit (the year of the rooster) during my two days of running and exploring Sin City.

Jumping with joy in front of Caesar’s Palace.
Watching the knife juggler who travels all over the world with his shows.
Exquisite topiary celebrating the Chinese New Year.
The vibrant red carnations sure make this stand out.

5.  The joy of running in a new place is to listen to its throbbing arteries, so leave your headset at home and be aware of your surroundings, while staying safe.

Looming casinos, shiny and bright.

6. Besides making us feel good, the joy of running in a new place is to bring your family back to some of  the sights and rejoice together.

Our family enjoying the water fountain show in front of Bellagio.
Our sweet children being silly in front of the Tour Eiffel Tower replica.

Traveling immerses us in the heart and soul of new places; traveling and running connects us to the deeper beats of new places we visit and revisit. Let’s strive to stride around the world!

Please share your stories and running adventures be commenting on this post. Happy feet!

For more info on running and real estate, whether buying or selling, please e-mail me at carmenmicsa@yahoo.com, or call me at 916-342-2446. Running for real estate with joy!