How to Write a Love Letter

In this competitive Bay Area, California real estate market, often times it's recommended that buyers submit a "love letter" along with their offer.  When I mention this to my clients, they have usually never heard of this before.  What is the purpose of a real estate love letter?

Sometimes, when a home seller is looking at multiple offers, and has to make a decision on which buyer to go with, the seller will look at every aspect of the offer.  Obviously the price is important, as well as the terms (Any contingencies? How long is escrow?), and how qualified are the buyers? (Here is where proof of funds and approval letter are needed).
And lastly, who are these buyers?

You may think that a seller doesn't care who buys their house and really just wants the highest and best price.  But that's not always the case. Homeowners may have a special connection to their home, may have lived there for decades and are friends with their neighbors. They may want to select buyers who they feel will fit into the community they are leaving behind.

Also, if buyers are looking at two very similar offers, it could be that the love letter puts one buyer a notch above the other. Any little advantage helps in this hot real estate market.

I always ask the listing agent if they think a Love Letter from my clients may be useful. If the answer is "no way" then I don't bother, but often times you'd be surprised by the answer.  It can't hurt to ask. Be sure your Realtor is asking for you.

5 Tips On How to Write Your Love Letter

1. Keep it short. As with anything these days, people don't want to read anything long.  One page max, half page is even better.
2. Use the homeowners actual names.  Your Realtor can get that for you.  Much more powerful than writing "Dear Home Owners," 
3. You can include where you work, where you are originally from, where you went to school and any hobbies/interest. All things that could make a connection between you and the sellers. ("Wow, they play the ukulele too, AND they went to the University of Hawaii?")
4. Write about why you like the house/neighborhood. 
5. Do not include pictures of yourself.  Tempting, but it's not recommended due to discrimination concerns. 

Some clients find it overwhelming to have to write a letter like this.  I have samples I provide to my clients and I also tell them that when they write a letter once, they can re-use the same letter with slight edits.

In this market, be sure your Realtor takes every step possible to give you the winning edge when making an offer on the house you want.

Pros & Cons of Moving "Through The Tunnel".

"Through the tunnel" is how people living around here define the two areas separated by the Caldecott tunnel.  The Caldecott is a four bore tunnel via highway 24, which goes through the Berkeley hills.
One one side of the tunnel is Oakland/Berkeley and on the other side is Orinda, Lafayette, Moraga (also known as "Lamorinda") and Walnut Creek.

Oakland is urban, more traffic, more diversity, more restaurants, more things to do, higher in crime... just more urban.

Lamorinda is more suburban, more green, less traffic, more rancher style homes... less restaurants, some would say less diverse.

That's it in a nutshell.  They are both very different places in some regards, but also very similar because they are less than a quarter mile apart. (Actually, the tunnel is 3,610 feet, long, to be exact.)

The Lafayette Reservoir - popular hiking area.

And yet, people who live on either side will have lots to say about what it's like on the other side of the tunnel.  It can seem like they are two different worlds, these two sides.  But the truth is there are lot of people who have lived on either side and move back and forth. And let's not forget how short the distance between the two really is, so it's hard to imagine that it's all that different.

I have known people who have said, they will never ever want to live in Oakland, and then some who say they would never ever live in Lamorinda. But most people, I think, would be open to either.  And so the decision of on which side of the tunnel to live can be difficult.

American Kitchen - popular outdoor dining in downtown Lafayette

The public schools in Oakland are struggling.  Lamorinda has better public schools.  But some of the public schools in Oakland are good also, and there are some incredible private and charter schools there too.  Both places are beautiful.  Oakland has impressive bay views with all 3 bridges, or Lake Merritt views. Lamorinda has trees, rolling hills, nature, beautiful canyon views, the Lafayette Reservoir and warmer weather.

If you will be living in Lamorinda and working in Oakland or San Francisco - as many do - there's the commute to consider.  The tunnel itself can have some heavy bottle neck traffic.  But there is also BART (train) stations in Orinda and Lafayette, so that makes it convenient.

I have lived on both sides of the tunnel. I like them both and it's hard for me to chose which one is better.  As a Realtor, I get many clients who are relocating here and work in either Oakland or San Francisco and are debating on whether to live on the Oakland side or through the tunnel in Lamorinda.  I try to paint a picture of what either side is like, and try to guide them as to what will suite their lifestyle the best. (Are public schools the most important to them? Do they want a shorter commute to work? Is nightlife important?)

Lake Merritt - they have gondolier rides.

One fact is for sure; the Lamorinda side is hotter.  The weather is.  Sometimes 10+ degrees warmer. And I personally like that, but not everyone does.  Otherwise, you can't lose and we are lucky to live in the beautiful Bay Area at all!