The Deets
Mobile Home | 2 beds 2 baths | 1440 sf
Marin Valley Mobile Country Club - Novato
3 Offers
Close Date | 12/07/2021
The Real-Time Experience
This buyer came to me with a problem needing a solution. She had been living on the top of Mount Tamalpais in a small apartment for $3200 a month with many steps to and from the apartment. Anytime she needed to run errands she had to plan her day around driving up and down the mountain. She had been living in this home for 20 years. I can’t stand a problem like this. She also told me that in order for her to get to her bedroom she had to open a hatch in the floor and take a ladder down to the bedroom. This is where you hear the scratching sound of the record player, whip your head around, and exclaim, What? Not good! No way, I have to help fix this.
I remember well when I spoke on the phone with Ajita, she came across as a lively, vibrant, intelligent woman. The first thing I thought was, "Oh goody, this is going to be fun!"
Now, (with determination) Ajita was on a mission when it came to ‘this particular’ mobile home in a park, the Marin Valley Mobile Country Club, she very much wanted to live. It had everything she wanted; a view, privacy, and location. She has a number of friends – 4 to be exact – that live at the Marin Valley Mobile Country Club and a good deal of her time was spent there. She’d been waiting a while for a view unit to come up and in her mind this mobile home was it! And I don't blame her, it had an extraordinary view looking North and East of the Novato wetlands. She had made up her mind. She was going to have the home life that she wanted with no steps, no ladder to the bedroom, in this park, near her friends, and looking at that view on its enormous front porch.
After reviewing the mobile home in person and discussing the pros and cons, Ajita asked me, ‘How can I get this? How can I be guaranteed that I will get this? What do I have to pay to buy this mobile home?
(This is the hard part about wanting to do the best for your clients. There is no guarantee!)
I informed Ajita of how I work and what my plan was for her offer to be the offer the seller couldn't say no to. This was not an easy plan for her to follow as it required time which made her a wee bit anxious. My job was to pay very close attention to how many offers were expected, which agents were writing the other offers, and guesstimate what I thought this particular unit with the extraordinary view and the enormous porch could potentially sell for given the current market conditions - high demand and low inventory. Fortunately, my plan worked.
What a privilege it was to work with a compassionate, bright, and vibrant woman who needed a big change. No more steps or ladders!
Next for Ajita and I
She’s promised to tell me the story of how she got the name 'Ajita' growing up in a commune. This will for sure be over a glass of wine on her enormous porch looking at the spectacular view with a lot of 'what', some record-scratching moments, whipping of the head, and 'I don't believe it's coming from me. Who wouldn't be captivated by that tale?
Real-Time Advice
After the transaction closed I continued to work with Ajita's to obtain insurance. We must have made 10 calls. This turned out to be quite the challenge as many insurers refused hazard insurance. In part due to the age and condition of the unit but also the proximity to a nearby high fire zone. Insurance is something I talk with my clients about early on in the buying process. It's becoming increasingly more difficult to get insurance for homes that are slightly out of the box, like mobile homes, vineyard estates, and homes near high fire zones.
