The Alameda Museums 2016 Lecture Series began on March 24th. This is a 16 year tradition of lectures which has been a way for the Museum to educate Alamedans about their city’s history.   The Alameda Museum was founded as the Historical Society 66 years ago.  The Museum’s mission is to collect, conserve and exhibit the City of Alameda’s history.   And also to educate Alamedans and visitors with fabulous lectures, gorgeous art exhibits and to provide special group tours during non-business hours. RICHARD RUTTER April 28, 2016.     Alameda architect Richard RutterFollowing the clippers, came a unique American type of deep water ship which was without a doubt, the highest development of the square rigged sailing vessel.  Main built, yhis type combined great speed, maneuverability, cargo ... 04/28/2016

Rent Payments Can Really Add Up!No matter how much you pay in rent, you might be surprised what it adds up to over the years. Investing your money is a wiser financial choice. With the current home prices and mortgage rates, this is an excellent time to look into buying your own home in Fairview, California.Common Concerns of Renters and Homeowners - Advantages and ConsiderationsBUYINGProperty builds equityResponsible for maintenanceTax deductible mortgage interest*Responsible for property taxesFree to change decor and landscapingResponsible for hazard insuranceNot dependent on landlord to maintain propertyRENTINGLandlord is responsiblefor maintenanceNo equity gainsLandlord is responsible forproperty taxesRent payments are not tax deductiblePossibility of evictionNo control over rent in... 04/27/2016

Rent Payments Can Really Add Up!No matter how much you pay in rent, you might be surprised what it adds up to over the years. Investing your money is a wiser financial choice. With the current home prices and mortgage rates, this is an excellent time to look into buying your own home in Ashland, California.Common Concerns of Renters and Homeowners - Advantages and ConsiderationsBUYINGProperty builds equityResponsible for maintenanceTax deductible mortgage interest*Responsible for property taxesFree to change decor and landscapingResponsible for hazard insuranceNot dependent on landlord to maintain propertyRENTINGLandlord is responsiblefor maintenanceNo equity gainsLandlord is responsible forproperty taxesRent payments are not tax deductiblePossibility of evictionNo control over rent inc... 04/18/2016

Marina Shores is a newer home development located in Alameda California built by Lennar Homes. These beautiful homes are currently being built out and sold priced from $1,100,000 to just over 1.2 million. These are three and four bedroom floor plans with 3 to 3.5 bathrooms in sizes from 2078 ft.² to 2539 ft.². These two and three story homes feature two-car garages with five different floor plans, layouts and designs.Nestled along Buena Vista Ave in Alameda on the shores of Oakland, right across the bay from San Francisco, the Marina Shores takes advantage of being right along the waterfront with scenic views, waterfront dining and shopping nearby. Residents utilize the Alameda unified school district and are served by the Henry Haight Elementary school, the Wood middle school and the E... 12/20/2015

  Probate Home Steps Whether you are named as an administrator or you are one of the heirs, here is some useful information to take into consideration when dealing with probate properties: The probate process can sometimes take up to 24 months. There will also be some expenses associated with the process, however, as an administrator, you can expect to be reimbursed. Taking over the task of as administrator can be a full time position, make sure you have enough time to accommodate all the duties. You should be compensated accordingly, compensation must be approved by the court. Probate Properties are sold “as is” with no additional fix up improvements. So don’t expect to make any repairs other than the preparation of the property to go in the market. You have the choice to either choose... 09/28/2015

My dear Buyer,I'm sorry you didn't get the house you wanted. I know you had your heart set on it.May I take this time to revisit the importance of looking at cost to buy versus sales price. What is your actual cost to buy? For our purposes, cost to buy is a combination of your down payment and closing costs. We will also compare monthly mortgage payment at certain price points. Since you are in an enviable position of having $300,000 as a down payment, your buying ability is certainly so much more solid than some other buyers who are competing to buy a house as well.   Let's analyze the past offer you made. We discussed writing an offer at $800,000, but you decided to be more conservative and write an offer for $780,000 instead. At first glance it may have seemed that the difference bet... 06/13/2015

 Things to do in Alameda on Saturday and Sunday, May 23 and 24, 2015  Things to do in Alameda:  The Alameda’s Farmer’s Market is open to the public Saturday, May 23 and Tuesday, May 26  mornings from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, rain or shine.  All the fruits and vegetables are available at great prices.  So good!  Don’t miss the opportunity to shop for delectable fruits, vegetables and flowers.  The market is on Webster Street and Haight Avenue and is open rain or shine.   Things to do in Alameda:  Alameda South Shore Center and Off the Grid food trucks on Saturday, May 23, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm in the South Shore Center parking lot near Petco.  The trucks include Things to do in Alameda: The Meyer’s House and Garden will be open on Saturday, May 23 at 1:00 to 4:00 pm. The gorgeous colonial ... 05/23/2015

How to Buy and Sell Real Estate – Contra Costa County, CA  FIVE BENEFITS OF PROBATE PROPERTIES Big Bargain Basement Prices: The probate properties market is full of tremendous deals. In fact,  you can actually grab properties for 30% to 50% below market value. You can resell quickly and even capture a lifetime of gains within just a few days. It is your best --  buy low/sell high scenario. This Has A Huge Inventory: Did you know – there are nearly 6 million estates in probate, with assets worth trillions of dollars. That means that it has every type of real estate imaginable —  with a range from houses to beach front motels. This leaves you all sorts of creative opportunities. This Is A Buyer's Market: When you purchase a property out of an estate it assures you of a highly motivated se... 05/07/2015

The “Big 5” Things You Need To Know About Probate Properties – Alameda, CA – East Bay Homes When dealing with probate properties here are the 5 things you want to keep in mind….. Probate Properties are sold “as is” with no additional fix up improvements. So don’t expect the owner to lower the price of the property for existing or past problems.Make sure you read the disclosures. When you get a probate property there are special disclosure documents governing probate sales. Make sure you get acquainted with this information and that you understand the terms before making an offer.Be prepared in court. The court will be looking at the timing, the amount you offer and the form in which you make your deposit. This process is closely regulated.Remember, that the seller doesn’t have to wait f... 05/07/2015

 Things to do in Alameda on May 1, 2 and 3, 2015  Things to do in Alameda:  Preview book sale sponsored by the Friends of the Library book sale on Friday, May 1 from 6:30 pm to :00 pm.  Admission is $5 at the DeWitt “O” Club, 641 West Red Line Avenue.  Things to do in Alameda:  Used book sale sponsored by the Friends of the Library book sale on Saturday, May 2  from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Free admission at the DeWitt “O” Club, 641 West Red Line Avenue.  Things to do in Alameda:  The Alameda’s Farmer’s Market is open to the public Saturday, May 2 and Tuesday, May 5  mornings from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, rain or shine.  All the fruits and vegetables are available at great prices.  So good!  Don’t miss the opportunity to shop for delectable fruits, vegetables and flowers.  The market is on Webst... 05/01/2015

 ALAMEDA WALKS – 2015 Schedule The Alameda Recreation and Parks Department sponsors Alameda Walks,  a program started in 2003.  The program was initially a collaboration of the Alameda Recreation and Park Department, Pedestrian Friendly Alameda and Alameda Collaborative for Children, Youth & Families.  According to Patrick Russi, Recreation Supervisor, Alameda Recreation & Parks,  the goal was to get people out of their homes on Saturday mornings for a little exercise and a chance learn a little about the city of Alameda.  Patrick also notes that while ARPD loves the furry pets, they prefer that they wait for you at home. Alameda Walks are held 2 Saturdays of each month from May to November.  The walks are usually an hour long and are easy unless otherwise noted.  Some are architectural... 04/30/2015

When we bought our place in Alameda, CA, the backyard was full of construction debris, and was very uneven. The only living thing in the back yard was a tall plum tree which looked dead and ugly. Gary explained that it was simply getting ready for winter and that it would come back in the spring. Harummmpf, I thought to myself. That tree is dead, and we have to take it down! At that time,the most important item on my wish list was to have a fenced in yard where it will be safe to have dogs. But first, we have to rid the yard of all the debris and rusty nails and broken glass before we would have our dogs go there. GROW FRUITS, NOT LAWNSIt took years, but we leveled the ground and then planted fruit trees. Much to our delight, our soil is so fertile -- very dark like loam with lots of wo... 04/12/2015

 For a couple whose first years were spent moving from place to place, we have turned from rolling stones to being planted in stone in our adopted island city of Alameda CA Nomads, that's what we wereWhen Gary and I first met in Tallahassee FL, I was on the verge of moving to Orlando FL. He decided to come with me. In Orlando, we lived in an apartment before buying a house and then buying another. Fate intervened through mergers and acquisitions, and I was given time out. But then another branch of the company hired me in Dallas TX only to be forced to early retirement. Homeless, jobless and friendless  Well, I felt like I was too young to go out to pasture. I wanted to work!  We decided to go to California to be closer to my family.At that time, I was "Homeless, jobless and friendless"... 04/11/2015

Real estate is local....however, our latest challenges in spiking rents seem to be everywhere Tight rental market, highest rents In the Bay Area, CA, rentals are among the highest and fast rising than other parts of the country.   Berkeley had the largest change, with a 32.4 percent spike in rents from January 2014 to January 2015. (Though its growth outpaced Oakland's last year, Berkeley's too small a market to have appeared in the aforementioned Trulia report.)According to Zillow's numbers, Oakland saw a 21.3 percent increase, while in San Francisco itself rents were up 16.6 percent. The Zillow Rent Index puts San Francisco's median rent at $4,021, while Oakland's is $2,412. It used to be that in a seller's market, competing buyers pulled out all the stops in appealing to the sellers,... 04/09/2015

This afternoon, I received a call from someone inquiring about a "listing" on Zillow. When I checked the address, I saw that property which listed for around 1M, sold for $1.4M in Sept 2014 after less than 2 months in the market. However, it is on Zillow again, "for sale" at $950K. Something didn't seem right for these reasons. It doesn't make any sense, especially in Alameda CA's hot, hot, hot market, why this property would be listed for 32% less than what it sold for a mere 6 months ago. The "listing" doesn't show up on the MLS anywhere. Presumably it's not listed by a realtor. Upon further research, it appears to be listed under HomesByMilitary.com. The main photo is so blurry -- like it's a copy of a copy of a copy At this price range, surely the owner can afford to have a professi... 04/05/2015

  The Alameda Museum 2015 Lecture Series   The Alameda Museums 2015 Lecture Series began on March 26th. This is a 15 year tradition of lectures which has been a way for the Museum to educate Alamedans about their city’s history.   The Alameda Museum was founded as the Historical Society 65 years ago.  The Museum’s mission is to collect, conserve and exhibit the City of Alameda’s history. And also to educate Alamedans and visitors with fabulous lectures, gorgeous art exhibits and to provide special group tours during non-business hours.   March 26, 2015.  Dennis Evanosky and Eric Kos, publishers of the Alameda Sun and authors of many books and general know it alls, will discuss “The Saga of Lincoln Park,” in which you will hear the story of how this gorgeous homesite became Alameda’s onl... 03/24/2015

  Things to do in Alameda on March 13, 14 and 15, 2015   Things to do in Alameda:  Join the Island City Opera at 7:30 pm on Friday, March 13 for their production of two one act operas “Il Tabarro” and “Mr. Bruschino” at the Alameda Elks Ballroom at 2255 Santa Clara Avenue.  Please call 510-263-8060 for more information and tickets.      Things to do in Alameda:  Guys and Dolls at the Kofman Auditorium on Friday, March 13 at 8:00 pm presented by Alameda High School.  Tickets.     Things to do in Alameda:  Opening Reception on Friday March 13 at 6:00 to 9:00 pm of Water, a show of work by Alameda Artists Ginny Parsons and Lisa Levine at Rhythmix Cultural Works at 2513 Blanding Avenue.  Please call 510-865-5060.   Things to do in Alameda:   On Friday, March 13 at 7:00 to 9:00, the Opening ... 03/13/2015

  Things to do in Alameda on February 27, 28 and March 1, 2015   Things to do in Alameda:  Join for a full evening Friday, February 27th from 6:00 to 9:00 pm by Artists' Reception & Auction, an event featuring author and humanitarian Dave Eggers including a reception of participating artists and conversation with Lost Boys, Gabriel Deng and Valentino Deng, along with What is the What author Dave Eggers. The night will end with an exciting live auction of all art contributed to benefit education and women's projects in South Sudan.  Tickets $100.  Please contact carrie@valentinoachakdeng.org (415) 550-8840 for tickets and information.     Things to do in Alameda:  The Alameda’s Farmer’s Market is open to the public Saturday, February 2 and Tuesday, March 3  mornings from 9:00 am to 1:00 ... 02/27/2015

  Things to do in Alameda on February 21 and 22, 2015   Things to do in Alameda: Saturday, February 21 from Noon to 1:00 pm Seed Starting at Ploughshares Nursery.  A workshop about starting plants from seeds.  Bring gloves and come prepared to get wet and dirty.  Free at 2701 Main Street in Alameda.     Things to do in Alameda:  The Alameda’s Farmer’s Market is open to the public Saturday, February 21 and Tuesday, February 24  mornings from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, rain or shine.  All the fruits and vegetables are available at great prices.  So good!  Don’t miss the opportunity to shop for delectable fruits, vegetables and flowers.  The market is on Webster Street and Haight Avenue and is open rain or shine.    Things to do in Alameda:  Alameda South Shore Center and Off the Grid food trucks... 02/20/2015

We were completing a 203k project a while back and the contingency reserve hadn't been used at all. The contractor stayed on budget... that is a first, just kidding.  The home owner called me and said the contractor had agreed to paing the entire exterior of the home for the money left in the contingency. Would it be okay to do that? Sure thing. The criteria is that the use of the contingency money must result in a dollar for dollar increase in value versus the money spent.  Who would have thought to ask what color are you thinking of painting your home? I certainly didn't. I'm so used to including "of a color choice of the owner" that it just didn't cross my mind they would paint it black. Well, is is actually charcoal grey but is is close enough to black to be different than any other... 02/17/2015