One of the great things about being an appraiser is coming across so many random things while inspecting houses. Here are a few gems I’ve seen recently. Enjoy

NFL Decor: If you’re looking for some ideas for Fall decorating, stop looking at Pinterest and start checking out NFL decals you can put in your Living Room. I saw this gem recently. I’m not too sure this would fly in my house.

Built-in Trampoline: I don’t see many of these – especially when they are surrounded by concrete. On one hand I think it’s great, but on the other hand it could end badly for kids when they’re projected to the concrete. An alternative use in my mind could be a giant fire pit. Can you think of any other uses if the trampoline was not there?

Neighborhood Patriotism: I saw this the other day at the end of a tract that separates two neighborhoods. It’s nice to see some patriotism on display. On another note, the shutdown has ended. What a relief!

It’s a “Newer” Kitchen: This is not a very exciting photo, but I think it says something about real estate. This is a standard kitchen that was updated in the late 1980s. This house is located in a classic area of Sacramento where most homes were built in the 1940s or so. Does this kitchen get an extra value boost for being newer in age? Well, the kitchen is larger in size than other original ones in the neighborhood and it does have some nice vaulted ceilings too. But the reality is this “newer” kitchen needs modernization again. Most buyers would walk in the house and think, “I need to redo this kitchen”, so it is not really much of an asset.

Meet the Neighbors: I’m always surprised that builders put houses right next to each other with a direct view into the bathroom. Yikes, I didn’t need to see that!! This doesn’t usually show up in older style neighborhoods, but part of the issue with newer houses is the lots are smaller and the houses are so much bigger, which makes this an unfortunate byproduct (I still think builders can plan better though). I saw this recently in a house undergoing construction in Elk Grove.

A Train in the Backyard: I posted this on my Facebook page recently. Would it bother you to live near train tracks? Would the potential positive of backing to open space be negated by the sound of trains passing by? Whenever I appraise homes with external obsolescence like this, I snap a photo of the tracks or the trains passing by if possible.

Any thoughts? I’d love to hear your take on one of the photos above.

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