WEDDING BELLS IN ALAMEDA ON 11/11/11         WANT TO GET MARRIED ON 11/11/11?  The City of Alameda is at your service.  A civil wedding ceremony is being offered to those love birds who want to be married on the lucky day of Friday, 11/11/11.        Since that day is Veterans day, a national holiday, most municipalities are closed.  According to Laura Weisiger, Alameda City Clerk, it was decided that this would be the perfect day to kick off the City's expanded wedding service.       The expanded service includes video, photography, personalized vows and a decorated venue.  Weisigner said that reservations for wedding ceremonies have been very good and include couples from Alameda to as far away as San Diego.  The clerk's office has been flooded with inquires about the ceremonies.  Cit... 11/05/2011

MY REAL ESTATE ELEVATOR SPEECH Buying or selling real estate in Alameda can be a difficult proposition.  If you are a buyer you may be quivering in fear about whether you will qualify for a loan. Or whether you can find the right home in the area you want in your price range.    If you are a seller you may have nightmares wondering if your home will sell for what you want.  Don’t be afraid.  I am here to help you. Buyers, I will assist you in finding a lender who will pre-approve you for a loan.  I will take the terror out of the offer and closing process.  I will tell you in excruciating detail what to expect.  I will monitor the escrow with a crystal ball to be sure everything is going smoothly. Sellers, I will not terrorize you but will help you decide what you need to do to spruce u... 10/31/2011

    ALAMEDA MARKET REPORT THIRD QUARTER 2011    The third quarter statistics for detached, single family homes in for Alameda.      Many people think of Alameda as a bedroom community.  And essentially we are.  We have many charming vintage homes, tree lined street, tranquil neighborhoods and a wonderful sense of community.  Those who search Alameda for homes in the past are now finding they can find larger homes in their price range.        Third quarter stats show that one and two bedroom homes sold in Alameda were 19% of the market.  The average sales price was $430,000 about $365/square foot.  Average days on the market was 58 days down a little from the previous quarter days' on the market of 59 days.     Three bedroom statistics for the third quarter show that the average sale pri... 10/28/2011

    ALAMEDA POLICE DEPARTMENT TAKING BACK DRUGS   No, they are not going into another business to add to their coffers.  They are partnering with the Drug Enforcement Administration(DEA) as a collection point for Alamedans to drop off prescription drugs.  Residents are asked to bring their unwanted and expired drugs to the Alameda Police Department at 1555 Oak Street on Saturday October 29 from 10 am to 2 pm. When my Mom was in her 80's she was taking all sorts of drugs which she never completely used.  Some of them were heavy duty drugs.  When she passed away, we tried to turn them back to Kaiser but they could not take the prescriptions back.  Luckily, we were able to find a place to dispose of those drugs.  Others in the same situation as we faced are lucky to have a local place to d... 10/28/2011

HALLOWEEN COMES TO ALAMEDA    As we approach Halloween, more and more houses are being decorated for the Trick or Treaters.  Below are three of those home you may want to drive by.  There are other scary decorated homes on the 2600 block of Central Avenue and the 3000 block of Central Avenue.  Be sure to see the house on the corner of Clay and Broadway for a huge Halloween display.     HAUNTED HOUSE AT THE CORNER OF SAN JOSE AND WILLOW   HALLOWEEN WESTERN HOUSE ON SANTA CLARA AVENUE BETWEEN WILLOW AND CHESTNUT HALLOWEEN HOUSE ON 100 BLOCK OF MAITLAND DRIVE   Please go to Alameda Patch to see other locations of decorated houses in Alameda.   Alameda is a wonderful island community.  If you would like more information about Alameda, please call or text me at 510-504-5612.     Contact me ... 10/28/2011

  GOOGLE CLOUD PRINTING WITH KODAK   Puerto Rico is a favorite destination of my family when we visit the Caribbean.  So much history, beautiful beaches and fun things to do.  It is a great place to relax.   However, when I listed a home in Alameda  for a probate sale in which the seller was an executor of a will who happened to live in Puerto Rico, problems were created because of where he lived.  The sale occurred many years ago. My client was in California when we signed the listing agreement and he provided keys to the house and give me what little information he had about the home.  But he had to fly home soon after our first meeting.    I have other clients who live out of California and there have been no problems.  But my Puerto Rico client lived in an outlying area.  He had no ... 10/27/2011

  A PICKY BUYER OR A PRUDENT BUYER?   I am assisting a long time friend and client with her search for a condo or townhouse.  She is very definite about one thing.  Price.  Price is her most important consideration.  Since she is buying the unit for a family member she doesn't care about amenities, condition and size.  Although she would like the unit to be in very good condition and would like to have a 2 bedroom unit, those criteria are not as important to her as price. She might be classified as picky but I don't think so.  After all she is being very generous to her family member.  Their only hope of acquiring a home is with her assistance.  She is retired and needs to be careful with her financial situation.  So is she picky?  Heck no.  But some might think she was.  She just wants... 10/25/2011

NO FENCE SITTERS ALLOWED   A buyer whom I am helping find a condo has been equivocating about whether to buy now or wait.  We have looked at many condos which meet the criteria she wanted in a unit.  I have been showing her property for 1 and a half years, off and on.  Each time we meet, after a two or three month interval, she tells me she is ready to purchase now.  And each time something prevents her from making an offer.  First it was location.  She was not satisfied with the areas in which we were look.  We finally found the right area and began our search again.  After looking at some very nice units she finally tells me that she is worried that she did not have enough to put down on a unit if we found the right one.  So I asked her to consult with her mortgage broker for advice ... 10/25/2011

  INVESTORS NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY INCOME PROPERTY   An interesting fact, in this Topsy Turvy market we are in, is that rental prices are rising but rental properties have not recovered from the market slump.  An investor, in Alameda or in most cities, can still find an apartment building, duplex or triplex far below values.    It is amazing to me that investment properties have not experienced an upswing in prices.  In view of the fact that in most cities, apartment rentals are becoming scarce and prices for those apartment rentals are going up, you would think that sale of investment properties would also go up.  That is not the case.    A big part of the problem is the fact that loans are harder and harder to obtain for income property.  Even so, investors who have ready cash can pur... 10/25/2011

  COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TRAINING IN ALAMEDA     The Alameda Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training is being offered again beginning October 25, 2011 at the Alameda Fire training classroom at 431 Stardust Place, Alameda.   CERT class have been offered in Alameda since 2002.  About 560 Alamedans have been trained in disaster preparedness since that time.  The training is free and open to anyone 18 years or older who lives or works in Alameda.   There are five classes which include:   Personal Preparedness and Hazard Mitigation Disaster Medical 1 and 2(two classes) Fire Suppression/Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) Awareness Disaster Search Techniques, Basis Incident Command System (ICS) and Completion Exercise    We should all be prepared for the next big one.  These classes ... 10/25/2011

FIVE REASONS TO BUY A HOME NOW   Buying a home now is a scary proposition now.  Buyers worry about many things, most notably, will they be paying too much.  Will prices continue to decline?  Will rates go up?  Can they qualify for a loan     Buyers here are 5 reasons buy now!    1.  First and foremost, renting is not an easy proposition now.  Rental rates have increased and, in some areas where there is little or no inventory, will continue to go up.  The laws of supply and demand are at work.  Many of those people who were forced out of their homes by foreclosure or short sale must live some where.  The only alternative for them, unless they can convince Mom to take them in, is to rent.  New apartments are not being built so there will be no addition to the rental inventory any time s... 10/25/2011

  LOOKS TO DIE FOR IN ALAMEDA   The Antiques by the Bay Vintage Fashion Faire featured wonderful fashions from Victorian time to the present.  Everything from women's, clothing,  men's clothing, couture fashions, jewelry, accessories, textiles, fine linens and much more.   Some of the most charming styles were men's fashions with snappy hats, wide ties and cool vintage suits.   Vintage rhinestone, beads, pearls, celluloid bracelets and pins were an eye catching splash of color.   Felt , fur and beaded hats were arranged at rakish angles, wide brimmed sun hats,  cloche felt hats, gloves, jewelry boxes and other accessories were displayed in lovely profusion. More jewelry, all silver, was charmingly displayed by Brenda Ackley, the owner the Sweet Silver booth who came from Cameron Park, C... 10/23/2011

  ALAMEDA FORECLOSURE REPORT SEPTEMBER 2011     Alameda is a small island community on the San Francisco Bay with charming neighborhoods, beautiful Victorians and other architectural gems, a low key life style, good schools, many parks and of course the beach.      According to Foreclosure Radar, notices of defaults in the City of Alameda are down 32% from August 2011 filings.  A Notice of Default filing is the first step in the foreclosure process.  When the Notice of Trustee Sale is filed the date and time of an auction is set.  The notice of default gives the homeowner their final notice before sale.   "Preforeclosure inventory is an estimate of the number of properties that have been served a Notice of Default against the property, but the sale date has not yet been set," according ... 10/19/2011

  ALAMEDA MARKET REPORT ALAMEDA SHORELINE AT DUSK Alameda is an island jewel on San Francisco Bay.  Its tree-lined streets, vintage homes, great neighborhood schools and thriving retail districts make it a wonderful place to live, work and play.  Surrounded by the San Francisco Bay, Alameda is blessed with fair weather, gentle bay breezes and incredible access to miles of shoreline.  Every Alameda neighborhood offers it's own unique style and character.  A GRACEFUL GOLD COAST VICTORIAN  A FABULOUS FERNSIDE MEDITERRANEAN In September 2010 it took 5.5 months to sell a home.  Now that time is down by 45%.  In September 2011 the average time to sell a home was just 3 months.   There are a number of factor which may contribute to this very low rate of inventory.  The major factor is the time... 10/18/2011

CASE STUDY:   Agent asks for referral fee for showing property to my clients although she wasn't asked to do so  I was holding an open house one Sunday in Alameda CA and advised my clients whom I’ll refer to as Jack and Jill, to visit certain homes also held open, and to drive by another house that just came on the market. I told them that after I have my open house, I can show them anything else that may appeal to them. The next day, Jack and Jill thought a particular house was ideal. I showed the house to them and their parents and all agreed this was the one. Because the offer date was set, we rushed to write an offer and happily, ours was accepted. Surprising call from another agent Soon after the listing appeared as pending on the MLS, I received an interesting phone call from an a... 10/18/2011

A TOUR OF MASTICK AND FITCH TRACTS The Alameda Walks group took a tour of Central Alameda in in an area which was once owned by the Mastick and the Fitch families. DENNIS EVANOSKY & ERIC KOS WERE OUR GUIDES WE STARTED THE TOUR AT THE MASTISK SENIOR CENTER, ONCE AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ORIGINAL HOME OF THE MASTICK FAMILY NOW BEING REMODELED The Mastick Station, built in 1864, was one of the original five stations on the San Francisco & Alameda Railroad.  It was named for Edwin B. Mastick a San Francisco & Alameda Railroad director whose 35 acre estate extended north from the tracks to the marsh.  Mastick's 1864 mansion located at 930 Pacific Avenue.  There is a plaque noting information about the Mastick family in front of the house SIGN IN CEMENT WHERE MASTICK STATION ONCE STOOD DENNIS AN... 10/17/2011

CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THIS BIRD IS?   I was taking pictures Sunday of a housing development I will be blogging about when I saw this bird.  I think it is a gull, but I was too far away to identify it.  And I am a lousy gull identifier.  If you know what it is, please let me know.   DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?   When I am on picture safari of houses, I always see some interesting birds.  I love Alameda if only for the interesting birds I see. But there are lots of other reasons.     Alameda is a wonderful island community.  If you would like more information about Alameda, please call or text me  at 510-504-5612.      Contact me for a free Market Report on Alameda real estate   10/17/2011

  LIVE @ THE LIBRARY  2011 CONCERT SERIES IN ALAMEDA   Wesla Whitfield and Mike Greensill will perform at the Alameda Library on Saturday, October 22 at 8 pm at 1550 Oak Street in Alameda.   The second concert will feature Wesla Whitfield and Mike Greensill."Wesla is a gifted performer who breathes life into the exquisite body of Broadway tunes, movie songs and Hit Parade numbers known collectively as the Great American Songbook. Mike is musical director for his wife, Wesla, and is resident piano play...er and sidekick on Sedge Thomson's weekly public radio show, West Coast Live. He plays jazz and writes for big bands and symphonies." All concerts are held at the Alameda Main Library in the Regina K. Stafford meeting room. Please enter from the parking lot through the garden gate. Singl... 10/17/2011

Alameda CA Market Report --- If one were to look at our current market statistics, the descriptive words are hopeful, recovering, and moving! Why would one think that? Average months’ inventory Alameda shows that comparing September 2011 with September 2010, the months’ supply of inventory has dropped by 44%, down from 6.4 months to 3.6 months. In any other market, they’d think this is almost like a seller’s market because there is obvious movement to buy property. And our inventory is less than 6 months Blue line represent days on market.   Sold properties Another positive and encouraging news, using the same time period September 2010-2011, the number of sold properties went up by 15^%   Median for Sale vs Median Sold Buyers and investors should look at this from a positive angle. Bot... 10/17/2011

Today was a slow day. After thirty minutes of an open house, no one has come in. It was really surprising since it was such a beautiful day in Alameda CA, and this is a fabulous house in a great community. I didn't want to make phone calls in case someone came in. I wanted to take a break from doing the usual reading or writing. So I turned my ipad on to some bossa nova music, and started dancing.  Yes, DANCING! Then I started to have real good fun, practiced some old moves I used to know, starting with the box step. Then it hit me! I can exercise, too. So I did my lunges all the way from the  living room to the kitchen. Not bad. Just found a new way to amuse myself besides sitting at a table, and have fun. Thank goodness no one could look into the house (another benefit of the property... 10/16/2011