We are at what I consider the pre-listing stage, I have a signed listing agreement, but we are not ready for showings or MLS submission.  Listing Details: Location, Location, Location! 3 + 3 first floor (rear unit – away from the street noise) 1753 square feet, realistically priced at  $599,000.

By 1900, Pasadena had become a favorite winter destination of the wealthy, with many of the finest homes being built on Orange Grove, hence the nickname “Millionaire’s Row”.  I have always been enthralled with Pasadena’s Orange Grove condos. Many of these units are great examples of mid century architecture .  Most have large rooms, and feel more like a home than an apartment. The annual excitement is the Rose Parade;   The 5.5 mile parade route begins at the corner of Ellis St. and Orange Grove.  A great viewing opportunity for the area residents is the fact that the floats line up late the night before.  Many of the Orange Grove owners host New Years Day parties for their friends, and these invitations are highly sought.

Day 1 – (Wednesday 1/7//09)Setting the Stage: I (Phyllis Harb) received the key and buyer’s agent, Natalie Cerpa and I proceed to Pasadena’s prestigious S. Orange Grove Blvd.  We have Handy-Fred in tow. 

We conclude:
*Old carpet should be removed in order to expose the hardwood floors
*Dusty dated curtains should be thrown away
*Patio screen is very old and tattered, it should be trashed
*Residence should be cleaned and professional window washers hired


Connecting utilities: In the meantime since this condominium has not had utilities connected in over one year, the DWP won’t simply connect. Natalie and I had nearly ten conversations with the DWP, four with the supervisor and it seems that they are not too clear regarding what we need to do to get utilities connected.  We were given the number for Pasadena’s code compliance??? and during the course of another six conversations were told we needed a combination of the following:

*Pasadena City Occupancy Report *Meter Reading *Electrical inspection

Another call to the supervisor revealed that we needed only the meter reading. Natalie will go to Pasadena’s planning and development department tomorrow and see if she can untangle the confusion. 

The details:
Received Estimate from Handy-Fred and forwarded to seller for approval.
Calls into photographer and floorplan schematics, how far ahead do I need to book the appointment?  Even though, this unit’s natural light is amazing one of the bathrooms is dark and to measure and develop the floorplan the lights should be on.  We can’t have the photographer there until the carpets and curtains are gone and the residence is cleaned

Potential Buyer Issues to Resolve (or doing our homework):
The cottage cheese ceilings… we recently had a client who had theirs removed, we need to get a guesstimate in the event potential buyers ask.   Natalie will ask him how much he paid, so we have an “inkling”…. I wonder if instead we should just ask the cottage cheese remover for an estimate.....

I contacted Home Depot, I think I need to purchase a couple of ficus trees for the patio so that potential buyers see how it can be privatized.  Home Depot is telling me the trees are just over $30.00 – well worth the investment.  (A better long term solution would be a narrower shrub planted in a narrow planter box... but it will take too long to grow (for my purpose).

Day 2 – (Thursday 1/8//09) let there be light!  Natalie makes it down to the city and waits 45 minutes to speak to someone about the meter reading.  The city receptionist unfortunately assigned Natalie to the wrong person so Natalie had to wait an additional 10 minutes. The meter reading form was completed.  Natalie met the reader back at the unit at 1:00.  Our sign was there, so Natalie was able to add the “Coming Soon” rider.  She also placed a combo lockbox on the unit door for Handy-Fred.

Later in the afternoon, I phoned the DWP, and was told that they had no record of the satisfactory meter reading.  I called the meter reader and left a message; she didn’t return my call so I phoned a bit later and surprise she answered the phone; told me that she forwarded the reading to the DWP.  (This is beginning to sound like a three ring circus) But I called the DWP and yes, they now have what they need however they no longer have the owner’s personal information on file..... the owner will need to call again.

Status: Handy Fred will start on Friday (today); he doesn’t need electricity to remove the carpets. Once I know the status of the electricity, I can request the measurer (they need 2-3 days notice) and I can reserve the professional window washers.