Jules Older - Take Me Home: How to Rent or Buy in a Hot Home Market

This book is dedicated

to

Grammarian-in-Chief

Fellow Home Hunter

Partner-in-Crime

Effin Older

2015 Jules Older. All rights reserved.

Published by

Older Unlimited

www.julesolder.com

ISBN 978-0-9848580-2-6

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The idle rich

What theyre saying about
TAKE ME HOME

I loved it! Beautifully written, and an interesting read for anyone already in, looking in, or in for a peek at a hot rental market. On top of all that, some excellent advice and good laughs. Well worth reading.

Marybeth La Motte, producer, Red Carpet Bay Area and lucky homeowner since 1997 (OK, its a condo) in San Francisco

If youre looking to rent or buy in a hot home market, YOU NEED THIS BOOK!

Graham Beattie, creator of Beatties Book Blog and homeowner in Auckland, New Zealand

San Francisco writers Effin and Jules Older were blindsided one day by their landlords decision to move back into the apartment theyd rented in the toniest part of the city for more than 11 years. Facing a deadline in one of the tightest and most competitive rental markets in the country, they found their dream apartment a few blocks away. How did they do it? The answers are in Olders ebook, TAKE ME HOME. Find out how to make your dream-home search easier and why you shouldnt believe all the doom and gloom you read in the real-estate press.

Robert Hollis, former San Francisco Chronicle real estate journalist and a condo owner in Hawaii and California

From a Millennials perspective, this book is a refreshing reminder to seek out human connections (the mailman) in addition to the various technological mediums for your housing search.

Josh Francis, architect and proud new homeowner in Lafayette, Colorado

The Olders first-hand experience provides valuable insight into the process of finding the right home. It is always the best advice to thoroughly do your homework before making the move.

Richard Dudum, Realtor in San Francisco

With surprising good humor, Jules Older describes his difficult but ultimately inspiring experiences when he and his wife were suddenly faced with the need to find new digs in San Francisco. After their ultimate success, he deftly turns their urban adventure into a witty narrative with sage advice for anyone faced with similar problems anywhere in the world.

Robert W. Bone, travel guidebook guru and author of Fire Bone! A Maverick Guide to a Lifetime in Journalism

Hunting for a home/apartment? Here are wise readable lessons getting to the heart of the task, putting other advice in the shade. Good stuffan inversion of the expected. This is the manual to change the odds in your favor.

Gerry Wingenbach, veteran house hunter in Utah who recently spent a summer in his car rather than give up his dog

As a recent first-time homebuyer, the information packed in this ebook couldnt be more useful and accurate! The very last paragraph sums it all up: The process probably wont be easy or fast or entirely pleasant. Youll go through ups and downs, emotional highs and lows. Youll hug, fight, sulk, elate. A great read for anyone looking to dip their toes in this wet and wild housing market!

, registered dietitian and certified personal trainer in Colorado

TAKE ME HOME is a how-to book with a differencewell, with many major differences: It isnt in any way banal, preachy, hopelessly impractical and unrealistic, written sloppily, clich-ridden, pious, or mind-numbingly dull. Its the antithesis of everything that makes it impossible for me to get beyond the first page of most how-to books before taking them to the thrift store, having first hurled them into the trashcan.

The Olders were hit for six (as we say in Old England) when they were told they had to quit their much-loved apartment in San Francisco. It was the kind of newsand just plain bad luckthat could put folks on the dark road to ruin. Jules tells the story of their search for shelter (of an equivalent, high-end standard) with economy, gusto and wit, and along with it, comes up with invaluable tips for finding a home of your own in the planets most desirable places.

David Kernek, writer, editor and homeowner in Bath, England

Why you need
TAKE ME HOME

NOT ONLY DO my wife and I live in San Francisco, we live in one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in San Francisco. Our apartment is owned by someone else, someone whos been traveling the world for most of the eleven years weve lived here.

THIS IS THE STORY of what happened when we had to leave. And, under the ticking time bomb of a deadline, how we went about finding a new home in the priciest hood in one of the worlds most desired cities.

BUT MORE IMPORTANT, if youre looking for a house or apartment, this is your users manual. In the course of our search, I discovered what worked, what good advice to ignore, and a trio of secret weapons that even Realtors hadnt thought of. Plus, a pair of attitude shifts that will help you stay the course when the game gets rough.

DONT THINK this book is just about finding a house or apartment in San Francisco. Nay, nayif youre looking wherever theres competition, TAKE ME HOME will give you a major advantage. What works in these pages also works in Auckland and Oakland, Sydney and San Jose, Singapore and Shanghai, London and Los Angeles, Honolulu and Hong Kong and even New York, New York.

HERES HOW IT WORKS: Show and Tell. TAKE ME HOME starts with SHOW, taking you through the highs and lows, the Aha! and Oh No! moments, the missteps and mood shifts, the old-school and new-school strategies that went into our search. Then, the TELL: what works, what doesnt; what your competitors are trying, what theyve overlooked; secret weapons and helpful attitudes; lessons learned and triumphs earned. As a bonus, it answers FIQsFrequently Imagined Questions dealing with credit reports, storage, mood swings, useful websites and more. And, if all else fails, The Nuclear Option.

IF YOURE ON THE HUNT or may be soon, this short, clear, honest book will help. It is the best investment youll make in your quest for shelter.

AND, IF YOU WANT to talk with others on the same quest, go to www.HotHomeMarket.com , a work in perpetual progress.

Jules Older, Ph.D.

TAKE ME HOME

How to Rent or Buy in a Hot Home Market

SHOW

March 26

Bad news

Were driving down I-80 heading home to San Francisco from Reno. Im at the wheel; Effins checking her emails. Oh, she says, good news. Susans finally sold her folks home in Washington.

Then, a pause. A long pause. And shes coming back to San Francisco.

Oh no! Susan is our landlord. If shes coming back, that means were moving out. After eleven years in Susans lovely apartment, we need to find a new home. You can hear our synchronized groans all the way to Auburn.

March 26

Wasted space

Carrying our bags up the stairs and into our apartment, its easy to see why were groaning. Its one short flight up in a smallish 1920s building. Though just a one-bedroom, its full of what many people miss-identify as wasted space.

Wasted space is actually good living space, space that gives you room to stretch, to pace, to be alone, to think deep thoughts. Our apartment is full of it. And since were both writers who work from home, we need it.

And thats not all. We live in the heart of San Francisco. All our lives, weve lived in one of two placesin the thick of things (Greenwich Village and the East Village in New York) or in the middle of nowhere (a fishing village in New Zealand, a farming village in Vermont). We dont do suburbs.