Last Month of Virtual Tours

6326 Potrero Drive, originally uploaded by Photo2217.

Dear Friends,

This month marks my end to five years of virtual tours. In five years I have documented hundreds of homes in the bay area and santa cruz county. Each home tells its own story. Each house has it own unique greatness and as well as the little secret it is trying to hide. It's so true they even have a huge disclosure sheet that talks about the history of the home.

I never know what to expect when I arrive. I have had the opportunity to work with great agents who are super professional and then I have had the misfortune of working with some agents that barely passed the real estate exam.

Sometimes with out even knowing the history of the home from a homeowner or agent you can totally tell what is going on. If the house is partially messy with some scrathes on the door or corners of the wall, it's very likely that a young family has outgrown their home and needs to move out. If the home is very clean with two offices, it is most likely that a couple wiithout kids/ or grown up kids live there, and they are really into their business. If the house is yellow/brown/organe with old carpet and appliances and hte bathroom hasn't been remodeled in 30 years, it's most likely that they've lost a loved one or a loved one is to elderly to take care ot it anymore. If the yard hasn't been worked on it's a likely sign that renters lived there, or an elderly person, wasn't able to maintain it any longer.

I have been to several houses, and they've all been so interesting. The first month I did virtual tours I didnt know what to expect. Each home was so different. I walked into a house with barking lil weenie dogs and they had been pushed out into the garage. from the front doors there were a whole bunch of soiled poopy papers The homeowner had placed poopy papers all over the floor for his new found litter of weenie dogs. Did I write that they were soiled? He then had the nerve to ask me to pick them up and put them back as I photographed each room. Gross and oh so wrong on so many levels. why would anyone put BACK soiled poopy papers? Seiously, I ask you.

I photographed another house of a recent divorced woman. She sat in her car in the driveway until I drove up. She then drove around the house in circles until I left. She wanted to know my name and telephone number incase I was one of HIS other WOMEN. what? I was so shocked when the agent told me this. The house had all the elements of their wedding in it. On each wall was a framed veil, invitation, the champagne glasses that they had their first toast with, her bedroom had an old fashion manequin form with the wedding dress on it with the shoes displayed as a piece of art. The agent had expressed to me that it was a messy divorce and they had to split the house after sale. I then understood why the woman outside circling my house didn't want me to photograph it in the first place. So I sadly expressed that I am sure that divorce isn't easy for anyone and since it is all so new that she still needs time to heal, etc. The agent expressed that they had been seperated for five years and divorced for two and she still will not move out of the house. What? Why would she still have invitations and wedding dresses out? so strange.

The two coolest houses I ever photographed were in Saratoga and Palo Alto. The Saratoga home was so beautiful. It was an all white house on the outside on almost an acre of land. They had a swimming pool, lagoon, and hot tub out back. They even had a huge Japanese style kabuki room surronded by orchids. Gorgeous. The lagoon had a trail that went underneath the house into the living room. The living room had a stream of clear glass right in the center for an area rug, and as you sat to talk with your invited guest the koi from the lagoon would swim in the living room and then back out to the lagoon. With a click of the button the clear glass would hide itself and you would have a pond in the center of your living room with koi. So cool.

The most favorite was this beautiful hacienda in Palo Alto. Haciendas are my all time favorite homes on the planet. This house had been decorated for the holidays and the homeowners insisted on a Christmas tree in every living area. So there was a Christmas tree in the living room, family room, dining room, den, office, and library, and entryway. and in the third landing of the staircase. Spectacular. They had a little girl who had her room faux painted as sunset it in Italy with huge cumulous clousds surronding her bed. Her canopy was surronded by a beautiful blue and matching murano chandalier.

I photographed each room. Did all the normal stuff, as I tried not to ooo and ahhh at everything. And then we went to the back yard. There was a swimming pool, fountain, tree house, bocci yard, outdoor kitchen, guest house, widows perch, but the next spot we had to get permission from the daughter to venture too. Through the yard and pathway, the little girl took us to her place. A place that her daddy made for her. she pulled a ribbon necklace from her neck. Took us to a wall that had roses all around it. Cleaned off a stepping stone, and pulled out an old fashion church key attached to her ribbon. She opened up an old wooden door and let us in. He had built her a secret garden, after reading the book. My fave book ever. I was in awe. There was everytype of tree, flower, lily pond imaginable. she had a human sized chess board in the middle. There were statues of Alice in Wonderland characters everywhere and a gardening station with wheels on it, so she could move it from spot to spot. She had a puppet stage, etc etc etc. That little eight year old had the coolest garden in all of the bay area I am sure. I was only allowed to photograph that garden for the family, but wasn't allowed to kepe the photograph. But it is so stuck in my brain. A secret garden.

Of all the homes I viisted I couldn't help remember how the prophets, and people of the bible would pray a blessing over every home that welcomed them. Eventhough I was entering as a photographer, I also entered the home a follower of Jesus and prayed a very special blessing on every home. That the sellers would have peace in the big move. That the future homeowners would have peace as they rested their head and closed their eyes in their new home.

That there were be a great peace for individuals all over the bay area.

We sure could use it.

So the chapter of virtual tours have now come to a close. End of chapter. Last paragraph. Last sentence. Last sentence. Last period. Close book. (for now)