Hey Buddy, Want to Buy a House?

If you're reading this, well, consider yourself a special person! This is the inaugural post of my brand-spankin'-new blog, "East Bay Musings". The name could change in the future, but it'll still be me.

So who am I? I am Dan Suich, and I am a real estate agent. Sounds like an admission you'd more likely hear in an AA meeting, and maybe there's more of a parallel than I'd like to think. The fact is, there are a lot of us. I'm located in Oakland, CA, and I know that in my state, there are about 500,000 agents, out of a population of about 36 million. That's 1 real estate agent for every 70 men, women, and children! Incredible! One might say you can't swing a dead cat without hitting one of us (I wouldn't say that however, out of my great respect for the cat community).

So what would possess one to become an agent, now, and why would you want to buy a house from me, some smart-ass with a blog? Good question-- let's explore.

I was most recently a scientist working in biotechnology startups. I am trained as a chemist, having earned my Ph.D. from Berkeley back in the 90's. Sometimes people ask me what prompted the switch. The simplest answer I can give is that one morning I woke up, had a moment of clarity, and said "real estate". Sometimes the things you are interested in, like science, aren't necessarily the best way to make a living. I was lucky enough to have been interested in, and good at, science, at which you can make a decent living. I am reminded of those whose natural inclinations do not lead them to those prospects, such as most artists and musicians, who find a way to support their natural interests. Myself, I still think about and have a great interest in science.

But now I'm doing real estate.

I read a book, as I tend to do when learning something new, and was struck by a statement by the author that "no one wants to be a real estate agent when they grow up". This is true, it is generally something those of us in the profession find when they reach a certain level of adulthood. For me, I just said to myself "imagine you're on your deathbed, looking back at your life. Would you be satisfied if you hadn't made every possible effort to try new things and challenge yourself?" My answer to that was no. So now I'm doing real estate.

Ok, so here I am, a new-ish "Agent". Why would you want me to help you with your transaction? After all, aren't there more experienced agents out there?

Sure. And there are a lot of good agents, mixed in, unfortunately, with a whole bunch of not-so-good agents. I aspire to be one of the former, not the latter. To me, it basically comes down to two things: I know what I am doing, and you can trust me.

There, I said it! Getting you to realize that that is in fact true is another thing, I know, that's one reason I'm putting this out there, so we can begin that process.

What I can do for you is three things:

facilitate (do things for you because you are busy with what you do everyday)

counsel (help you through a complicated financial, legal, and personal transaction), and

negotiate (get you the best price possible)

This business touches upon personal aspects of your life, and it can be tricky to get the details right. And (especially if you're in the Bay Area), you're spending a decent chunk of change to do it. So you need someone who can guide you through the process intact. That's what I will do.

If you've read this far, I appreciate it. Please visit again soon, or subscribe if you like, and I will do my best to keep you informed and entertained. Thanks for reading!