Citrus Heights couple sells home after receiving over 100 offers the first weekend

By Mike Hazlip—
A single-family home in Citrus Heights garnered a total of 122 offers on its first weekend on the market, indicating the region’s hot housing market is showing no signs of slowing down.

Home sellers Barry and Anita Jackier told The Sentinel in an interview Saturday they didn’t expect so many offers to come in at one time. According to the couple, most offers were over the $399,900 list price, and one buyer came in with a cash offer of over $500,000.

“Before we even did this, we had a fun little wager going,” Anita Jackier said. “I thought we’d have eight offers, he thought we’d have ten.”

The house at 6514 Elza Court is located about a half-mile from San Juan High School and is a typical three-bedroom, two-bath home with just over 1,400 square feet of living space. The property is on a quarter-acre lot however, and the family says the large backyard and pool has been a popular feature. The 1990 construction date and a three-car garage were also likely a plus.

Realtor Deb Brittan of Keller Williams said she was expecting “A good handful of offers.” She estimated about 20 or 24 offers, based on a listing the previous weekend.

“We did everything that we knew it was going to take to make sure that the palette appealed to a potential buyer,” Brittan said.

Related: ‘A new Gold Rush.’ COVID shutdown fuels Citrus Heights housing market

The agent helped the Jackier’s stage the house and the couple left town for the weekend that the home was being shown. Every 15-minute slot for a showing was booked from 8 a.m. Friday through 8 p.m. Sunday, according to Anita.

Brittan said she received an additional 500 to 600 messages from buyers who were not able to book a showing that weekend.

“I wanted to protect my own integrity,” Brittan said. “I had two different clients that were putting in offers on the property and I didn’t want to know what the highest offer was or what the terms were.”

Both the agent and the Jackier’s said they considered each offer, and were objective in selecting the buyer, using only first names so the couple wouldn’t know which buyers Brittan was representing.

“We’re going to keep a level playing field,” Brittan said she told other agents. “Bring your highest and best with the best possible terms because we are not going to counter.”

For the Jackier’s, price was not the sole factor in selecting a buyer. The couple is also selling a second home in the area, and the home they are buying in Idaho hasn’t closed escrow.

“One of the things we were looking for was somebody who didn’t want the house the day escrow closed,” Anita Jackier said. “We wouldn’t have been able to make that move.”

The family needed time to make arrangements for the move. In the mid $400’s, the winning offer was not the highest, but it had everything they were looking for, according to the couple.

“Price was one factor, but it was not the only factor,” she said. “If that were the case, we’d have taken the offer that was over $500, but it didn’t check all the boxes.”

Related: Young couple desperate to buy Citrus Heights home turns to social media

Husband Barry said during Saturday’s interview he’s excited to be turning this new page in his family’s life.

“We are thrilled,” he said. “We are beyond thrilled. We’re chomping at the bit to get all this done.”

Brittan said the frenzy of offers is an indicator of where the market is currently.

“The inventory is not there,” she said. “If you don’t have an agent who does not understand strategy as to how to position an offer to an agent, it can be extremely, extremely challenging to get an offer accepted.”

“It also shows the desirability of Citrus Heights and the desirability of this price point and how many amazing people are out there that want to engage in that lifestyle,” Brittan added.

Read part 2 of this story here: Why this Citrus Heights couple sold their home and is moving to Idaho