SCpoevciea r lF Setaoturr ye San Jose Mercury News
There is more than one way to sell your home in today’s energized
market.
If you have the time, energy, and means to get your home movein ready, this will naturally get you the highest possible price.
However, if the thought of cleaning out years, sometimes decades, of accumulated belongings, shopping for materials, hiring contractors, and even moving out while the work is being done to get your home ready is overwhelming, there is another way. Literally, pack your suitcase, take what you want and move on with the next chapter of your life by selling to someone who can do it all for you.
Silicon Valley Realtor Rebecca
Jepsen wants only the best for her clients and is very selective about the people she works with. That is why she has teamed up with Eliza Covington of Transform Real Estate Investments, a respected Bay Area builder/developer, to offer an allcash purchase option to her clients. It gives sellers peace of mind, nearly immediate access to their money, and a no-hassle path to moving on to the next stage of their lives.
Covington, and her crew of contractors, then do a major remodel – often taking a home down to the studs (including new plumbing and electricity) when necessary.
“She does a beautiful job and has great taste when choosing high-end finishes and design features,” says Jepsen. “Her homes are move-in ready and look like model homes when they are completed. And, with her top-of-the-line stager – they are truly “magazine-worthy,” she adds.
Ninety-three-year-young Kenneth Hanson recently took advantage of this option when he was ready to move from his home of nearly fifty years at 1340 Shasta Avenue in San Jose’s Shasta Hanchett Park neighborhood. Jepsen negotiated a fair price for Hanson, who then was able to quickly move out and move on. Three months later, after a complete renovation, the home is now a sparkling gem on the beautiful, treelined street, polished and fresh with designer finishes and a contemporary style throughout.
Located about a mile from the historic Rose Garden, the home features about 1,328 square feet of living space with three bedrooms and two bathrooms on a single level. Covington added a bedroom and bathroom within the original footprint to create a more desirable and in-demand floor plan. She also created an eat-in kitchen space and added a laundry niche while retaining a spacious living room with the beautiful, original fireplace, classic built-ins, and a dining room. Original and new wood flooring, fresh interior paint, ample recessed lighting, and contemporary fixtures are the icing on this cake.
A fabulous kitchen showcases Shaker, easy-close cabinetry, quartz countertops, a subway tile backsplash, stainless GE appliances and farmhouse sink. The master bedroom has an en suite bathroom with a single-sink vanity and a shower with a sliding glass barn door. This room also has French door access to the backyard gardens. Two additional bedrooms share a new full bathroom with marble tile floors, single-sink vanity with a Carrera marble counter, a tub/shower combination, and polished chrome fixtures.
The sizeable 6,700-squarefoot lot offers a beautiful garden with prolific fruit trees, a patio, garden shed, and plenty of room to add an ADU.
“It’s a pleasure to represent a home that she (Covington) has completed,” says Jepsen. This home on Shasta Avenue recently attracted almost 100 showings on its first weekend on the market. Its value “elevates the entire neighborhood.”
“This is not the typical flipper-fire sale,” says Jepsen, but a win/win/ win situation for the seller, the developer, and the neighborhood. The seller was able to sell in absolute as-is condition (even leaving excess dishes, clothing, and a garage full of collected items.) The quick “all-cash” offer allowed him to move to the senior community of his choosing with minimal effort and almost no stress, she adds.
Covington, like Jepsen, comes from years of working in the tech industry. She now channels her passion for home design into purchasing and improving all types of homes in various conditions and locations in the Bay Area. Inspired by the renovation of her San Francisco home in 2012, she has bought and improved dozens of homes since.
She says she enjoys taking homes that have been neglected for years, even decades, and reconfiguring the layout and design to make it more functional and appealing to today’s homebuyer. She particularly enjoys renovating Spanish style and Victorian homes filled with classic features like this one on Shasta with its tile roof, stucco walls, and arched entries into the living and dining rooms.
“The challenge is to make them more modern while being sensitive to their integrity and staying true to the period,” she adds.
“It’s a pleasure working with Rebecca because she cares about her clients,” says Covington.” She negotiated a higher sale price than I had planned to go, but she wants to make sure her clients get a fair price. She (Jepsen) does a lot of research on comparable sales, is an expert in the area, and knows the market really well. And, she always exceeds my expectations”.
She adds, “I, too, am in this business for the long haul, and I want to make sure every deal is fair, and my work is of the utmost quality.”
“I love helping folks move forward,” says Jepsen. “No two scenarios are the same. It’s nice to take the work and burden off my clients’ shoulders so they can move on with their lives. I try to do all the “heavylifting” especially for my seniors – it truly is an honor to help them!”
Jepsen, of course, continues to help home sellers, who have the time and energy, to manage a complete makeover by enlisting her team of trusted professionals to get the home market-ready. She has built three homes from the ground up, does her own interior design, and, as a Santa Clara Master Gardener, even updates the landscape because curb appeal is essential to her.
“My goal is to have someone fall in love with the property before they even reach the front door,” says Jepsen.
If you are thinking about making a move, now or in the future, contact Jepsen to discuss all the options. She will help you choose the best path and timing to ensure you sell your home for the highest price the market will bear.
“I will give you all the data, and together we will make an educated decision on how to quickly and easily help you move forward,” she adds.