Getting a decent return on palms when selling home

[Justin]

We're contemplating selling our place in Vista, but are hesitant for a number of reasons.  One of those is all the palms in the yard, which 1) I don't want to get cut down by the next owner (although I'm sure some of that will happen), and 2) I want to get a fair return on.

First off, if any of you want to purchase in Vista, let me know. ;-)

But assuming that isn't the case, what have others done in the past?  I'm sure I could have all of the Chilean Wine Palms dug up and boxed, even if at a loss compared to what I purchased them for.  Perhaps I could also do the same with some of the Parajubaeas, Butias, etc.  The Phoenix dactyliferas are so big, they might cost more to move than what I could sell them for.  And the Royals and the Caryota Gigas aren't going anywhere.

So I'm a bit bummed out by the thinking about any of this, but not thinking about it won't help things, so I figured I should ask the group.

Thanks in advance.

[Neil C]

From what I've heard unless you sell to another palm fanatict no one is going to pay over the odds for what is in the garden rare or not. What would your garden look like if you took a load of palms out? I think most movers just take a few palms they couldn't live without or replace and just cut their losses. Sad I know but not everyone is bitten by the bug and many people view palms as a troublesome and expensive plant to maintain.

Regards Neil

[Jdiaz31089]

Even if you don'the get a premium on your home for your palms, it would be worth noting the "rarity" of the plants in the garden on your listing. Maybe if you make it known that the garden is full of exotic, rare palms, the owner would think twice about cutting any down. Perhaps you can make sure the new owners know they can sell the palms if they don't want them. 

[Donald Sanders]

Many years ago my partner and I started a palm garden in a prime LA frost free hillside growing climate.   We planted dozens of palms as well as a multitude of other tropical gems in our garden.    We moved to Kona on the Big Island, bought a small piece of land with an old house.   Hard to keep a garden in LA when you now live and your heart is in Hawaii.   After 25 years we sold the property, yes, all of our tree friends too.   That was 15 years ago and I have never been back to the garden.   Every now and then some one gets to go there and report to me on what is left.   Many of my jewels are still thriving beautifully.   Enough to make me feel like a small piece of earth in S. Cal. might be more beautiful and 'palmy' because I was there.   Old ego in action.

Now living in Hawaii a very long time, I have found memories of my tree friends I left behind.      Except that now I am constantly consumed with the intense beauty of the trees, the land, the ocean and the people of Hawaii.

Aloha, have no fear, Hawaii is real.       I know our paths will cross here.   Good luck.............................Don

[Justin]

Thanks Don.  I kind of figure that someone wouldn't purchase this home if they weren't into palms and tropicals - seems like it would be a huge waste.  That being said, I'm pretty sure no one is going to value plants when they purchase a home into the 5 figures.  I figure if they don't care one way or the other, I could sell them and we'd both "win" (plus the palms would go to a good home).

I hope the garden continues, but I guess I don't care 100%, or I wouldn't move, right?

And I'm sure we'll see each other on the Big Island.  I need to get back out there to see the lava fire hose.  My wife is there now, and I am very envious.

[Tyrone]

I'm in the same situation now. Many things just can't be moved including 6 huge foxy lady palms. I will take what I can, sell the place, and never drive down that street again because I know what will happen and it will be much too upsetting to look at.

[Kim]

9 hours ago, Justin said:

... I'm pretty sure no one is going to value plants when they purchase a home into the 5 figures. 

Seems that would have to be 7 figures or more left side of the decimal point. 

Start fresh, it will feel good.  People will be impressed if you mention a rare palm collection, but it won't bring more money. It might kick off a serious interest for the buyer, but that would be unusual. Buyers will do things you won't like. Don't look back.

Are you leaving the San Diego area? Relocating permanently to the Big Island? 

 

[tacobender]

Sold a home in CA not long ago,the realtor advertised it as a "tropical paradise" no doubt due to the palms and other plantings. The home sold first day full price. It would be a shame if they cut them down but those palms made me a lot of money.

[Ben in Norcal]

4 minutes ago, tacobender said:

Sold a home in CA not long ago,the realtor advertised it as a "tropical paradise" no doubt due to the palms and other plantings. The home sold first day full price. It would be a shame if they cut them down but those palms made me a lot of money.

Not as much as you spent on them, I hazard to guess! 

[atlantisrising]

I am also in this predicament. Contemplating a retirement to Costa Rica but can't bear the thought of selling the property in Key Largo. Many of my trees were weeks long projects, digging into coral rock with my trusty jackhammer, carrying the rock out in 5 gallon buckets into garbage cans in my Astro van. The guys at the dump are convinced I'm nuts. The poor van would be loaded with over a ton of rock. The next owner will probably need more space to park his Lexus and take a chainsaw to my babies. I personally value my collection at over $50,000, hard costs. My realtor has told me doesn't really change what I can get for the property. I'll probably put it into VRBO rental for a while until all the new species I can grow in Costa Rica salve the pain a bit. Here's a photo from this morning's coffee on the patio, Satakentia dropped a leaf, how can you put a price on that?

[Darold Petty]

Justin, the bitter truth is that many people do not share our love of palms.  In fact, a fair percentage of potential buyers would consider your special garden to be a liability.

  If you can realize some net cash from selling your in-ground palms, I would encourage you to do so...

[Zeeth]

4 minutes ago, Darold Petty said:

Justin, the bitter truth is that many people do not share our love of palms.  In fact, a fair percentage of potential buyers would consider your special garden to be a liability.

This is somehow the unfortunate truth.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/weather/1941643-anyone-besides-me-dislike-palm-trees.html

[tacobender]

1 hour ago, Ben in Norcal said:

Not as much as you spent on them, I hazard to guess! 

Didn't spend a lot of money on palms, most were well grown common palms nicely placed

[Steve Mac]

Justin, I wish that I had seen Tyrone's advice 2 weeks ago, " and never drive down that street again",

I just wanted to see my palms and trees and lovely house of 30 years ago.

I felt that I had been 'gut shot' as a cowboy would say. Suffice to say that I did not leave my house like this.

It is too sad to list the palms that we had there. Dig up and sell what you can.

[Neil C]

Ouch!!!!!

[humangenomaproject]

18 hours ago, atlantisrising said:

I am also in this predicament. Contemplating a retirement to Costa Rica but can't bear the thought of selling the property in Key Largo. Many of my trees were weeks long projects, digging into coral rock with my trusty jackhammer, carrying the rock out in 5 gallon buckets into garbage cans in my Astro van. The guys at the dump are convinced I'm nuts. The poor van would be loaded with over a ton of rock. The next owner will probably need more space to park his Lexus and take a chainsaw to my babies. I personally value my collection at over $50,000, hard costs. My realtor has told me doesn't really change what I can get for the property. I'll probably put it into VRBO rental for a while until all the new species I can grow in Costa Rica salve the pain a bit. Here's a photo from this morning's coffee on the patio, Satakentia dropped a leaf, how can you put a price on that?

You can get big sized Satakentia here in Costa Rica. Marco Herrero is growing them by the hundreds and last I saw, they were monsters!

[Gonzer]

Sometimes it's best to remove $$$ from the equation.

[Palm Tree Jim]

23 hours ago, Darold Petty said:

Justin, the bitter truth is that many people do not share our love of palms.  In fact, a fair percentage of potential buyers would consider your special garden to be a liability.

  If you can realize some net cash from selling your in-ground palms, I would encourage you to do so...

This is probably your best bet. 

[bgl]

On ‎2‎/‎3‎/‎2017‎ ‎4‎:‎09‎:‎08‎, Justin said:

1) I don't want to get cut down by the next owner (although I'm sure some of that will happen), and

2) I want to get a fair return on.

First off, if any of you want to purchase in Vista, let me know. ;-)

3)...what have others done in the past?

4) So I'm a bit bummed out by the thinking about any of this, but not thinking about it won't help things, so I figured I should ask the group.

Thanks in advance.

Justin,

You already know all of this, but here goes anyway:

1) what happens after you sell is beyond your control. Get it behind you!

2) not going to happen unless you find a very unusual buyer. Yes, farfetched indeed!

3) for peace of mind - only one thing to do - let go emotionally and preferably BEFORE you leave the property. No matter how attached we are to our palms they are still just possessions. Never good to let material possessions control us.

4) actually you NEED to think about it but in the context of removing yourself emotionally from your garden and your palms. It's a process. The sooner you begin the better off you will be.

And yes, if you can move, or sell, some of the in-ground palms, why not? But those are probably the exceptions.

Bo-Göran

 

[DoomsDave]

Justin:

Hate to see you sell, but . . .

I offer my limited experience.

First, I concur with Kim and Bo's advice. If you can, don't look back. But it's not always easy not to, and I can't resist going back to the various places Iived in what will soon be 32 years in California. Memory lane gets long, and pretty, too. Many palms I planted (some in rentals) still stand, presumably making someone happy.

On the other hand, palms can add value to property, too. You have a nice arrangement, and a well-laid out landscape of which the palms are a part. I remember the grand sweep of your lawn, with palms in the back. Very nice, like a mini-Downton Abbey! That by itself ought to add to the value of your place. Tastes vary, of course, but a nice landscape is a nice landscape, which adds to curb appeal, which can't hurt the price. My first house in California was in San Bernardino, in a cheap 'hood; the palms definitely gave the place a stately air it otherwise lacked. I can't prove it, but I think the queens helped a lot to sell the place. They're still there, 60 feet (20 M) tall.

On the other hand, there's some palms you can dig and sell, like Jubes. I'd certainly explore that possibility.

If I had to sell my house, I'd face the likely need to do a big herd-thinning. My observation is excess usually doesn't sell as well as more sparing use. Again, you don't have that problem if my memory serves.

Good luck and let us know what happens!

 

[Justin]

To respond to some of the questions/issues above:

• We're debating whether to move, and this is one of the numerous inputs into that calculus
• If we do move, it will be to somewhere without a yard, so we'd have to sell all the palms we dig up, as we won't be taking any plants with us
• If we do move, it will likely be somewhere close to downtown San Diego, where things are more walkable and vibrant than out in the "country"
• Presumably, if someone wants to purchase our place, they actually like/want the yard, but I agree it's best to not look back.  That doesn't mean I won't hope for the best.

[Gonzer]

45 minutes ago, Justin said:

To respond to some of the questions/issues above:

• We're debating whether to move, and this is one of the numerous inputs into that calculus
• If we do move, it will be to somewhere without a yard, so we'd have to sell all the palms we dig up, as we won't be taking any plants with us
• If we do move, it will likely be somewhere close to downtown San Diego, where things are more walkable and vibrant than out in the "country"
• Presumably, if someone wants to purchase our place, they actually like/want the yard, but I agree it's best to not look back.  That doesn't mean I won't hope for the best.

That's something that would never cross my mind! What to do? Take up stamp collecting?

[Justin]

The 3 acres in Pahoa are enough of a yard for me. 

Having a second yard is just taking up too much time, and I don't want yardwork to seem like a chore.  It's sad how infrequently I even go out into the backyard now, so if I'm not using it, might as well live in a condo or townhome and get a lower water bill with no yard maintenance.

That's the thought, anyway.

[Tyrone]

On 06/02/2017, 12:37:14, gtsteve said:

Justin, I wish that I had seen Tyrone's advice 2 weeks ago, " and never drive down that street again",

I just wanted to see my palms and trees and lovely house of 30 years ago.

I felt that I had been 'gut shot' as a cowboy would say. Suffice to say that I did not leave my house like this.

It is too sad to list the palms that we had there. Dig up and sell what you can.

That is heart breaking stuff that. Never look back.

[DoomsDave]

Here's my old place in San Berdoo, today.

I think they way WAY overdid it with the concrete, but it's their house now. I planted all the palms back in the 1980s. That huge open field in the back is Gopheropolis, land of the Gopher Horde of Doom. ("We're coming. You can't stop us! Hee hee hee hee!")

You'll note that I'm not a novice when it comes to planting palms under the wires.

[DoomsDave]

Here's another house, a rental.

Those queen palms were planted in the early 1990s, from one-gallon plants.

[Tyrone]

Nice Syagrus Dave.

Here in this part of the world, the Syagrus would likely be cut down in the first month of the new ownership. Whoever buys my place will have a lot of fun then.

[Pando]

On ‎2‎/‎4‎/‎2017‎ ‎10‎:‎19‎:‎29‎, Justin said:

I need to get back out there to see the lava fire hose.  My wife is there now, and I am very envious.

Just don't get too close like this guy did...    

 

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Hi Justin

I remember the great day you hosted Danylle and i at your place for a palm lover s BBQ.  Lots of great specimens and an awesome house but one can never tell what the new home owner has in mind ( like at Robert De Jongs old house in San Clemente where the new owners a young couple switched off the irrigation for 9 months and presto a dead Burretiokentia verlardii etc.   Best not to look back but you might be lucky to score a palm nut !

Yes all the extra maintenance of having two yards could certainly dampen your enthusiasm.

 

Troy

[Moose]

I have no illusions that my palms along with my home will get bulldozed when I sell. The property is too large and too valuable for the future owners not to build a McMansion on it. Enjoy your palms for today.

[Zeeth]

2 hours ago, Moose said:

I have no illusions that my palms along with my home will get bulldozed when I sell. The property is too large and too valuable for the future owners not to build a McMansion on it. Enjoy your palms for today.

That's one of the reasons that I'm trying to get a lot of interesting stuff into the local botanical gardens. 

[Palmaceae]

I am in that situation now, we are moving to another house in Cape Coral and trying to sell as many of my palms as possible. I have had one Palmtalk member come and get some, and a few went to my neighbor but have a lot left. I will be taking the small ones with me as I can handle them.  So many of my palms will be left but I got to enjoy them for several years and I get to start a new garden!

[rprimbs]

I wonder if a big nursery like Moon would buy some of the large palms?