Sacramento says the tide is turning on homelessness. Local business owners are telling a very different story. 🤔 THE CITY’S SIDE, according to Sacramento City Express (Aug 31 through Oct 4): 📞 2,200+ calls to 311 about people living unsheltered 📋 475 people entered into the shared outreach system 🏠 235 people moved into City shelter sites 🗑️ Almost 247,000 pounds of trash removed. That’s over 120 tons, roughly 7,000 pounds a day. ✅ More cases closed than opened: about 9,900 came in, and more than 10,600 got closed From the City’s viewpoint, it’s not solved, but things are improving. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN: I keep watching local businesses close. Over and over. When they explain why, homelessness keeps coming up as one of the big reasons: trash left outside their doors, restroom issues around their restaurants, and customers who stop coming back. MY TAKE: Both of these things can be true at the same time. The numbers show the City is putting in the work, and business owners are telling us they’re still paying the price. The real question is whether that progress is reaching the people who feel this the most. I help families buy and sell homes in this region every day, and I know healthy business corridors and safe, clean neighborhoods matter to all of us. So I want to hear from you 👇 Is what the City is doing enough to significantly improve this? Or is it taking too long, and we need different solutions? And if you were mayor for a day, what’s the one thing you would do? Send this to the business owner you know who deals with this every single day. As always, follow me for more local updates and value. Shoutout to Sacramento City Express for some of the info in this reel 🙌 DRE #01841461 | Corp #02022092

Then the seller hit a snag on their move out and asked for a rent back. For FREE. 🤯 The buyer’s response: follow the contract. Seller had zero leverage. ✅ My take: if you squeeze the other side to the max and refuse to meet in the middle, you better be sure you’ll never need anything from them again. 🎯 That’s my take. What’s yours? Would you have granted the rent back, charged a daily rate, or rejected it outright? Drop your thoughts below 👇 🚀 Want more real world negotiation strategy like this? Join us at Further Together Sacramento on November 3rd, a live event built by agents for agents, headlined by Phil Gerdes with Katie Lance. Comment FURTHER for the details! Follow me for more value 🔥 DRE #01841461 | Corp #02022092

Everyone says breweries are dying. Rancho Cordova just opened a new one anyway. 🍺 @madfatebeer is now open at 11366 Monier Park Place in the Barrel District, in the former Claimstake Brewing space. And it’s familiar faces: Claimstake co-owners Brian Palmer and Mike Ryan teamed up with Eric Newell and the One Spot Taphouse crew from Rocklin. West Coast IPAs, lagers, and a mango seltzer. Family friendly too: all ages welcome, 21+ to drink. The City of Rancho Cordova is backing them through its Economic Development Retail Incentive program, even as operating costs climb across the industry. MY TAKE: When a city puts real support behind a business district, pay attention. Mad Fate, Logoff Brewing, and Burning Barrel all in one spot makes the Barrel District a destination. Destinations draw people in, and that’s what makes a neighborhood somewhere people want to live. Claimstake fans: Mad Fate will pour one Claimstake crowd favorite every month. Your old go-to is on rotation. 🙌 Send this to the friend who still talks about Claimstake. So tell me: will you support Mad Fate Beer Co.? And if so, what’s the first beer you’re ordering? 👇 As always, follow me for more local updates and value. Shoutout to Melanie Nguyen at Sacramento Business Journal for some of the info in this reel 🙌  DRE #01841461 | Corp #02022092

Closed! 🏡✨ The residential property at 700 Severtson Drive has officially Closed! Congratulations to our client, and great work by Kayla Andres, who proudly represented the buyer in this exciting transaction! 🎉🔑 Whether you're buying your first home, upgrading, or making a smart investment, having the right representation by your side makes all the difference. #Closed #RealEstate #HomeBuying #BuyerRepresentation #AmenRealEstate #RealEstateSuccess 📍 DRE #02208591 | Corp DRE #02022092

They said we couldn’t get her. I said it would be hard. She got her anyway 😂🙌 Closed it right in the middle of Zillow Unlock. Katie Lance is officially speaking at Further Together Sacramento 🎤 If you’ve ever wanted to stop posting into the void and start using social media and AI to build real business, this is the room to be in. 🔥 Phil Gerdes headlining 🔥 Katie Lance on social media and AI 📍 Dante Event Center, Sacramento 🗓 Tuesday, November 3 Built by agents, for agents. Every brokerage welcome. Comment FURTHER for the details 👇 DRE #01841461 | Corp #02022092

The rail crossing gates that froze Folsom traffic last week can’t even tell SacRT when they’re broken. 🚦 On October 7th, equipment failed at several light rail crossings and the gates stayed down during commute traffic. SacRT says every crossing is working again and has apologized. Two days later, SacRT and the City of Folsom built an action plan: more SacRT crews in the Folsom area during rush hour, replacement parts kept closer for faster repairs, a direct line to Folsom Police dispatch, and a group text between SacRT and city staff to share updates while it’s happening. The part nobody’s talking about: that crossing system has no automatic alert. When it fails, SacRT usually finds out because someone reports it, often their own train operators. The upgrade that would fix that is a multimillion dollar project, and the money hasn’t been secured yet. This is a system with 42 miles of track, 69 crossings, and a lot of equipment more than 30 years old. MY TAKE: Folsom is one of the best places to live in this region, and the commute matters to buyers almost as much as the house. Thirty year old equipment with no funding yet for the upgrade that would catch these failures is something this city needs to keep the pressure on. See a gate stuck down or acting strange? Call the SacRT Crossing Gate Hotline: 916-648-8433. It goes straight to the control center that sends out repair crews. Tell them which crossing, what you’re seeing, and when it started. Share this with the friend who drives through Folsom every day. They might be the one who has to make that call. Which crossing in the Sacramento area drives you the craziest? Tell me in the comments 👇 As always, follow me for more local updates and value. Shoutout to Bill Sullivan at Folsom Times and SacRT for some of the info in this reel 🙌 DRE #01841461 | Corp #02022092

Buyers are picking homes based on something that never shows up on the listing sheet. How far it is from Costco. 🛒 A Kansas City dad who hits Costco four days a week chose his family’s rental because it was five blocks from the warehouse. On Reddit, buyers are lining up Redfin maps against Costco locations, and one person moving to Austin added a “distance to Costco” column to their house hunting spreadsheet. People are calling it the Costco effect. Here’s the part agents should pay attention to. Zillow looked at active listings in 606 ZIP codes with a Costco, and only about 3% mention it in the description. That’s a lifestyle selling point most listings are leaving on the table. Agents say the sweet spot is 5 to 15 minutes away, close enough for a quick run and far enough to skip the traffic and delivery truck noise. One Austin broker turned it into a brand. He built a home search on his website that filters by distance to Costco and H-E-B, the grocery store Texans love, and now he’s known as the Costco guy. Buyers still start with schools, safety, and commute. But when two homes are neck and neck, lifestyle breaks the tie. Stop marketing square footage. Start marketing the life. Drop it in the comments: in your market, what’s the one thing your buyers have to have close by? 👇 Shoutout to USA TODAY and Jessica Guynn for some of the info in this reel 🙌 Ready to take your business further? 🚀 Further Together Sacramento is November 3rd. Four speakers who’ve built what you’re trying to build, all in one room, headlined by Phil Gerdes and Katie Lance. Comment FURTHER for the details. 📍Sacramento, CA DRE #01841461 | Corp #02022092

You know the Super Bowl question. “You just won. What are you going to do next?” 🏆 Phil Gerdes has been crushing it on the Zillow Unlock stage, and his answer isn’t Disney World. 🔥 He’s headlining Further Together Sacramento on November 3rd, and you’ll want to be in the room. Comment FURTHER and I’ll send you the details. 👇 DRE #01841461 | Corp #02022092

🌟 Agent of the Week: Nia Chicas! This week, we’re proud to recognize Nia for her dedication, professionalism, and commitment to her clients, while also celebrating an exciting milestone, closing her first deal! 🎉🏡 Nia brings integrity, consistency, and a strong work ethic to every interaction. 💼✨ Her passion for helping clients and building meaningful relationships continues to make her a valued part of the Amen Real Estate team. We’re proud to celebrate this accomplishment with Nia and excited to see all that’s ahead in her real estate journey! 👏🚀 Keep up the amazing work, Nia! 📍 DRE #02191708 | Corp DRE #02022092

Pending! 🏡✨ The residential property at 7056 Amherst Street is officially Pending! Congratulations to our client, and great work by Nick Martinez, who proudly represented the seller in this exciting transaction! 🎉 Whether you're selling your current home, buying your next property, or making a smart investment, having the right representation by your side makes all the difference. #Pending #RealEstate #HomeSelling #SellerRepresentation #AmenRealEstate #RealEstateSuccess 📍 DRE #01970486 | Corp DRE #02022092

Pending! 🏡✨ The residential property at 16701 English Country Trl is officially Pending! Congratulations to our client, and great work by Nia Chicas, who proudly represented the buyer in this exciting transaction! 🎉 Whether you're buying your first home, upgrading, or making a smart investment, having the right representation by your side makes all the difference. #Pending #RealEstate #HomeBuying #BuyerRepresentation #AmenRealEstate #RealEstateSuccess 📍 DRE #02191708 | Corp DRE #02022092

That stat from Zillow Unlock hit me hard. Buying your first home should be one of the best moments of your life, not one of the most stressful. 🏡 AI can’t fix this. Technology can’t fix this. Only WE can. 💪 Here’s what I do: from the day I meet a buyer, I put a 30-minute Zoom on the calendar every single week. 📅 They write down every question that comes up during the week, and we go through all of it together. No surprises. No panic. No tears. That’s my take. What’s yours? What do YOU do to keep your first-time buyers from feeling overwhelmed? Drop your thoughts below 👇 Ready to take your business further? 🚀 Further Together Sacramento is November 3rd. Four speakers who’ve built what you’re trying to build, all in one room. Comment FURTHER for the details. 📍Sacramento, CA Follow me for more value 🔥 DRE #01841461 | Corp #02022092

Folsom is getting a taste of Paris 🥐 Estelle Bakery and Pâtisserie is opening its fourth location on Iron Point Road near the Folsom Premium Outlets. Croissants, macarons, fresh sourdough, and cakes that look too good to cut, all baked fresh on site every day. Their pastry program is led by Gregory Doyen, a Burgundy native who worked at Le Grand Véfour in Paris. Owner Esther Son, who started Estelle in 2011, has wanted to be in Folsom for years, and what sold her on this spot was the outdoor space for people walking dogs, riding bikes, or just enjoying the day. But here’s the twist. A few years ago, an operator wanted to put a card room in this exact building, the old Mariachi Mexican Bar and Grill. Locals organized against it, and that plan never happened. Now it’s going to be a French bakery. MY TAKE: What goes into a building like this shapes the whole neighborhood around it. Buyers don’t just want a house. They want their Saturday morning spot. Opening is expected this fall. No official date yet, but I’ll keep you posted. Send this to the friend who would drive across town for a good croissant. And drop it in the comments. You tell me: would you rather have a mouth-watering French bakery or a card room? As always, follow me for more local updates and value. Shoutout to Sonya Sorich at Sacramento Business Journal, Bill Sullivan at Folsom Times, and Cat Broughton at What Now Sacramento for some of the info in this reel 🙌 DRE #01841461 | Corp #02022092

Three water heaters in seven years. Same leak. Same spot. 🔥💧 A homeowner posted that their Rheem electric tank, installed in 2019, started leaking up top near the heating element. They replaced it in 2023. Three years later, the new one leaked in the exact same place. The comments told the real story 👇 💧 Another owner said their newer unit leaked in that same spot and got swapped for free under warranty ⚡ One person pointed out the water was dripping near the electrical connection, a fire risk, not just a mess 🔩 Another blamed corrosion and grounding issues and said to get an electrician out to check for stray voltage 🧱 Someone else said skipping the annual flush lets scale build up until pinhole leaks form The end result? Another replacement tank. Here’s the agent lesson. We walk buyers through kitchens, floors, and square footage, and almost nobody stops at the water heater. But a leaking tank next to electrical is a water claim, a fire risk, and a repair request that can blow up your escrow in week two. And here in California, the seller has to certify in writing that the water heater is braced for earthquakes. That’s why I never waive the inspection. Short contingency, sure. Waive it, never. Your 10 second check on every showing: ✅ Read the label. The manufacture date is coded into the serial number ✅ Look at the top for rust, crust, or water stains near the connections ✅ Ask the seller how old it is, if it’s ever been flushed, and if any warranty paperwork comes with the house Have you ever had a water heater wreck a deal? Drop it below 👇 Shoutout to The Cool Down and Morgan Taylor for some of the info in this reel 🙌 Ready to take your business further? 🚀 Further Together Sacramento is November 3rd. Four speakers who’ve built what you’re trying to build, all in one room. Comment FURTHER for the details. 📍Sacramento, CA DRE #01841461 | Corp #02022092

Further Together Sacramento is BACK 📍 Dante Event Center 🗓️ November 3rd 200+ agents showed up last February. This time we’re going bigger. 🔥 Built by agents, for agents. No logos, no brokerage wars, no sales pitches. Just real strategies you can take back and use to finish 2026 strong and build a BIG 2027 🚀 🎤 Speakers revealed all week. Watch this page. 🔥 Top Producer Fireside Chat + AI Fireside Chat 👇 Comment FURTHER and we’ll send you the details DRE #01841461 | Corp #02022092

This Downtown Sacramento address has seen at least three restaurants come and go. Now a fourth just opened, and I think this one has a real shot at breaking the streak. 👀 Here’s the history of 1023 K Street. First it was Mother, the vegetarian spot that earned a place on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list. It moved to Midtown in 2020, and that Midtown location closed this past June. Then came Nash & Proper, serving Nashville hot chicken. Then Fire & Crisp. Also Nashville hot chicken. It lasted about a year and closed in August. Now it’s Chicken Hub Thai Chicken and Rice @chickenhubthai, which soft opened October 8th. On the menu: crispy chicken, Thai barbecue chicken, Thai poached chicken, chicken noodle soup and crispy chicken noodles. 🍗🍜 And here’s the part I love. It’s from the owners of Noodles to Thai For in Curtis Park. They’ve been open about the last couple of years being rough, and their Curtis Park spot is listed as temporarily closed. They spent that time looking for the right place to start over, and they picked this one. That’s a comeback story worth rooting for. MY TAKE: In real estate, we see this all the time. A property that keeps turning over isn’t always a bad location. Sometimes it’s the wrong concept for the people walking by. Two Nashville hot chicken spots in a row tells me this corner wanted chicken, just not that chicken. These owners aren’t rookies. They already built a following, and they’re bringing something different from what just failed there. You can’t change the location, but you can change what you put in it. So tell me. Will you go support the folks at Chicken Hub? And what are you ordering first? Drop it below 👇 Send this to the friend who always knows the best lunch spots downtown. As always, follow me for more local updates and value. Shoutout to Melanie Nguyen at the Sacramento Business Journal and the Sacramento Bee for some of the info in this reel 🙌 Photo credit: Sacramento Business Journal DRE #01841461 | Corp #02022092

He lived out of a minivan for 7 years. Then he bought a piece of raw land outside Taos, New Mexico, and gave himself one deadline: get a roof up before the snow. He looked at a yurt (close to $20K plus a foundation). A tipi (cheap, until a neighbor warned him about snakes). An adobe build (perfect area for it, way too much labor). Then he landed on the simplest answer of all: a prebuilt shed. $5,000 delivered. About $2,000 for insulation, flooring, and paint. Roughly $3,000 for solar and batteries. Gutters and rain barrels for water. A composting toilet out back. All in, about $12K cash for under 100 square feet of living space. No rent. No mortgage. No debt. Here’s what agents need to hear. This buyer didn’t want a house. He wanted freedom. And more buyers are making that same calculation right now. They’re not priced out, they’re opting out of 30 years of payments on a place they can’t walk away from. If all you know how to sell is the 3 bed, 2 bath in the suburbs, you’re invisible to that buyer. The agents who win the next five years will know land, ADUs, rural parcels, wells, septic, and what a county will actually let you build. Sell the freedom, not the floor plan. Would you live in under 100 square feet to never make a payment again? YES or NO 👇 Shoutout to The Cool Down and Leigh Cook for some of the info in this reel 🙌 Ready to take your business further? 🚀 Further Together Sacramento is November 3rd. Four speakers who’ve built what you’re trying to build, all in one room. Comment FURTHER for the details. 📍Sacramento, CA DRE #01841461 | Corp #02022092

Closed! 🏡✨ The residential property at 1647 Wee Dell has officially Closed! Congratulations to our client, and great work by Andrea, who proudly represented the buyer in this exciting transaction! 🎉🔑 Whether you're buying your first home, upgrading, or making a smart investment, having the right representation by your side makes all the difference. #Closed #RealEstate #HomeBuying #BuyerRepresentation #AmenRealEstate #RealEstateSuccess 📍 DRE #02294516 | Corp DRE #02022092

Our Zillow Showcase listing is getting 3x the impressions of similar homes nearby 👀 The marketing is working. Buyers are SEEING it. They’re just not clicking in. That tells me exactly where to look next: photos 📸 and price 💰 Your empty open house is giving you data. Read it. 💡 That’s my take. What’s yours? How are you digging in when opening weekend turnout falls flat? Drop your thoughts below 👇 Ready to take your business further? 🚀 Further Together Sacramento is November 3rd. Four speakers who’ve built what you’re trying to build, all in one room. Comment FURTHER for the details. 📍Sacramento, CA Follow me for more value 🔥 DRE #01841461 | Corp #02022092

Buyers are waiting. Builders are not 🏗️ Episode 27 of my Weekly Recap as a Team Leader at REAL 🎬 Rates just hit 7.28% (Freddie Mac), and buyers want to wait. But builders have homes to move and would rather pay down a buyer’s rate than cut price. This week my team trained on the New Build Financing Advantage to figure out two things 👇 1️⃣ Helping buyers hit the payment they want ✅ Builders have 5 tools: permanent buydowns, 2-1 and 3-2-1 temporary buydowns, ARMs, closing cost credits, and price cuts or upgrades ✅ Buyers shop for a payment, not a price. We start with their comfortable payment and work backward to the incentive that gets them there ✅ Know when the payment steps up. Buyers need to be comfortable with the highest payment, not just the first one ✅ Every buyer gets a competing loan estimate. Compare total cost of ownership, not just the rate 📊 2️⃣ Helping resale sellers compete ✅ Resale sellers are now competing with the new build down the street ✅ For most sellers, closing that gap means a price reduction, or a seller credit the buyer can use for seller points to buy down their rate ✅ Show the seller that number honestly, before the market does ✅ An overpriced listing just gives the builder more time to win the buyer The goal: put a real number next to the feeling so clients decide with the full picture 🎯 🎤 Further Together is back! My team was tapped to host again after February. November 3rd in Sacramento. Broker agnostic, by agents, for agents. Watch for speaker profiles on my Instagram 🔥 🏆 SHOUT-OUT BOARD 🏆 🏡 Buyers closed: Andrea x2, Yadira, Diksha 🔑 Sellers closed: Wilson 📝 Buyers under contract: Megan, Nia, Carmen 👋 Welcome to the team: Mary and Rodney Proud of this team 🙌 Ready to take your business further? 🚀 Further Together Sacramento is November 3rd. Four speakers who’ve built what you’re trying to build, all in one room. Comment FURTHER for the details. 📍Sacramento, CA DRE #01841461 | Corp #02022092