Alameda CA island has some fabulous condos, but one of my favorites is The Willows on 2101 Shoreline Drive. Built in 1974, the 201-unit complex is quite a desirable address. It's definitely worth checking out the units as they become available. For empty nesters or people who want to simplify their lifestyle, perhaps condo living is a viable option. Imagine waking up one morning, feeling like you'd like to take a walk on the beach, and all you have to do is cross the street!   Consider this: It's directly across the beach. Several units have fabulous views of San Francisco   It offers many ameneties. Landscaped courtyard  large heated pool spa clubhouse with party and game rooms two gyms on-site maintenance and management staff secure access reserved garage parking elevators large lobby... 06/09/2011

ALAMEDA HOME AFFORDABILITY ALAMEDA HOME AFFORDABILITY  According to the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo Bank home affordability is at a 20 year high.  74.6 percent of all new and existing homes sold nationwide in the first quarter of 2011 were affordable for families earning the national median income of $64,000.   Areal View of the City of Alameda Taken from Above Ballena Bay Marina   In Alameda, the news is not as good.  More homes are affordable and interest rates are still low but sales have been slow.  Total sales for detached homes, condos and townhouses were down 9% from the previous quarter in 2010 (statistics from East Bay Regional Data MLS).  The average price for homes sold in the first quarter dropped a bit to $538,771.       However, interest in Alamed... 06/09/2011

THE SANDWICH BOARD - GREAT SANDWICHES IN ALAMEDA THE SANDWICH BOARD - GREAT SANDWICHES IN ALAMEDA  If you happen to be walking by Park Street and Webb Avenue in Alameda in the morning, you may smell a wonderful aroma.  Its the scent of turkeys being baked at the Sandwich Board deli.  According to Mike Lee they bake four, 35 to 40 pound turkeys every day.           The Lee family purchased the Sandwich Board in 1982 and since then the Sandwich Board has been preparing sandwiches, salads, soup and other deli delicacies.  They serve about 150 to 200 sandwiches a day.         As you would expect, turkey sandwiches are the most popular items on the menu.  But there are other delicious sandwiches like their BLT & Avocado and their other specialty sandwiches.            Sandwiches are prepared... 06/08/2011

LONGFELLOW PARK - ALAMEDA PARKS LONGFELLOW PARK - ALAMEDA PARKS  Longfellow was the first Alameda city park to be developed west of Webster Street. It is another diminutive park measuring about 1.14 acres.    The largest Victorian era hotel, the Koohlmoss Hotel, in the west end of Alameda occupied the site of the present day Longfellow Park in the 1870s.  According to Woodruff Minor in his book, "Alameda At Play,"  "The grounds were later occupied by a religious cult, a sanitarium, a private school, a spiritualist and a boarding school."  Quite a colorful past for a rather sedate park. Google Map of Longfellow Park, Alameda   The city of Alameda acquired the site in 1937 and it was dedicated in 1941.  The original recreation building was rebuild and basketball and tennis courts were ref... 06/07/2011

DON'T BREAK THE LAW - MANDATORY CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR   DON'T BREAK THE LAW - MANDATORY CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR  SB 183 requires all California residents to have carbon monoxide detectors installed in their homes by July 1, 2011.  The deadline for apartments and other types of housing is January 1, 2013.       First Alert Carbon Monoxide Alarms       The law applies to homes that have appliances that burn fossil fuels or homes that have attached garages or fireplaces.  Fossil fuels include coal, kerosene, oil, wood, fuel gases and petroleum or hydrocarbon productions which emit CO.       According to the Center for Disease Control website Carbon Monoxide, or CO, is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death.  The CDC additionally says, "The most common sympto... 06/06/2011

SAND CASTLE CONTEST IN ALAMEDA SAND CASTLE CONTEST IN ALAMEDA  The 45th Annual Sand Castle Contest will be held at Robert Crown Memorial Beach in Alameda on Saturday, June 4th, starting at 9am.       Participants are urged to bring their buckets, shovels and let their creativity loose.  Registration starts at 9am to 11am on Saturday.  Judging begins at 12:00 Noon.  In previous years, gorillas, mayan temples, mermaids and castles have been contest winners.  Its fun for the whole family and doesn't require a lot of advanced preparation.  Participants use materials found on the beach as decorations on their sculptures.       The contest is divided into three categories.  Kids aged 12 and under, kids 13 years and over and families.         06/04/2011

ALAMEDA WALKS  FARMER'S MARKET AND SAND CASTLE CONTEST ALAMEDA WALKS FARMER'S MARKET AND SAND CASTLE CONTEST  The Alameda Recreation and Parks Department sponsors ALAMEDA WALKS a program started in 2003. The goal of the program was to get people out of their homes on Saturday mornings for a little exercise and a chance to learn a little about the City of Alameda.   Alameda Walks' fourth walk of the year is a walk to Crab Cove, the Farmer's Market and Robert Crown Memorial State Beach to visit the Sand Castle Contest on Saturday June 4 at 9 a.m. The walk will start at Lower Washington Park Tennis Courts in West Alameda.   The first stop will be Crab Cove which is part of the East Bay Regional Park District.  In the visitors center you can see bay creatures in the 800 gallon aquarium syst... 06/03/2011

BREAKFAST HEAVEN IN ALAMEDA BREAKFAST HEAVEN IN ALAMEDA  My favorite place to have breakfast in Alameda is MARTI'S PLACE.  It in an area which was formerly known as Chestnut Station when the trains were running in the early 1900's.       MARTI'S PLACE is a quaint restaurant owned by Noreen Swafford and it is a bustling business.  Its open 6 days a week, closed Mondays.  When you walk in you feel like you've stepped back in time.  It is the quintessential diner of the past.  Cute decorations, mismatched coffee cups, pictures of local sports figures, and a wait staff who anticipate your every wish.  I love this place.   Noreen Swafford, owner of Marti's Place in Alameda     I loved the crispy bacon and the eggs and homes fries are wonderful.  The Swedish pancakes with lingonberry jam are ... 06/02/2011

Bayport in Alameda was so popular that before they even built the first house in 2003, the developer was swamped with people eager to own a new home. The demand was so intense they had to have a lottery system. There was a multitude of plans with various elevations for around 600 homes. And the developer. Warmington Homes, was savvy enough to mix and match the houses so that one is never next to, or across from the same identical plan or elevation. The most expensive and largest homes had base prices of about $1 million and above. They were also building a brand new elementary school -- Ruby Bridges Elementary School. A huge park was created in addition to the mini-parks scattered throughout the development. Fast forward to 2008-2011. The era of distressed properties has arrived. In 200... 06/01/2011

ALAMEDA CITY PARKS - FRANKLIN PARK   ALAMEDA CITY PARKS - FRANKLIN PARK  Franklin Park is the fifth oldest park in Alameda.  It is located in the "Gold Coast" and was opened in 1920.  It is a small park, about about 2.98 acres, compared to other Alameda parks but a very popular park in a lovely residential area.       The Gold Coast is a residential district named for its affluence which feature tree-lined streets and lovely, large Victorian homes.  The first streets in this area were developed in the 1860s and many more homes were built in 1880.  The homes were within walking distance of the train station at Encinal and Morton.  Subsequent development in the area removed the lush oak groves that had existed before 1860s.  Several large estates were acquired for the park.  Charles L. Ti... 05/31/2011

HISTORIC ALAMEDA NEIGHBORHOODS - NOBLE AVENUE   HISTORIC ALAMEDA NEIGHBORHOODS - NOBLE AVENUE.  Alameda has many historic neighborhoods.  Noble Avenue is one of those neighborhoods.  George Noble was the foremost bungalow builder in Alameda who built these homes.  The street is named for him.  Noble build most of his bungalows in Alameda from 1909 to 1925.       Noble built over 300 homes in Alameda,  He started out building conventional craftsman then developed stylist changes such as a peaked roof on the craftsman bungalow.         NOBLE MADE STYLISTIC CHANGES TO BUNGALOWS WHICH MADE THEM UNIQUE   Along with his large output and the architectural interest of his designs, Noble was an excellent site planner.  He opened the interiors of blocks with cul-de-sacs.  The districts developed ... 05/30/2011

DISASTER SERVICE WORKERS SWEARING-IN     DISASTER SERVICE WORKERS SWEARING-IN  Thirty three new Disaster Service Workers(DSW) were sworn in on Thursday, May 26, at Alameda.   Each DSW had completed a 5 weeks of classes .  The classes included  Personal Preparedness and Hazard Mitigation, Disaster Medical, Fire Suppression/Hazardous Materials, Disaster Search Techniques, Basic Incident Command System(ICS) and Completion Exercise.     Captain Sharon Oliver, Disaster Preparedness officer for the Alameda Fire Department swore the DSW graduates in.  She welcomed them to CERT and expressed her appreciation for their willingness to participate in the Alameda CERT program.  Following a disaster, CERT volunteers will be providing aid and assistance within the limits of their training to reduce t... 05/29/2011

  EYE ON THE BAY - CITY OF ALAMEDA ON CAMERA   EYE ON THE BAY - CITY OF ALAMEDA ON CAMERA. Last Thursday a local CBS (KPIX) affiliate broadcasted a program all about my city, Alameda.  It was very good and entertaining and packed with a lot of information about Alameda in a half hour show.        One of the main areas the show visited is the downtown area, Park Street.  The host, Brian Hackney, spoke with the Alameda Park Street Business Association executive director, Robb Ratto places to see and things to do in Alameda.    They visited the renovated Historic Alameda Theater, local restaurants and Toy Safari, an unique toy store.     The show moved to the west end of the island to Webster Street another business district in Alameda.   They visited the Pinball Museum, more restaurants, ... 05/28/2011

BOOST! LEADERSHIP IN ALAMEDA   BOOST! LEADERSHIP IN ALAMEDA  is an Alameda program which utilizes peer leadership to emphasize role-modeling, being responsible for your actions, solving conflicts properly, playing fair and having fun together.  There are about 90 kids participating as leaders at the two schools offering the program.       BOOST! LEADERSHIP began in 2007 at Edison Elementary School in Alameda.  The program is now also at Otis Elementary.  Lissa Merit is the founder and Program Director. She began her career facilitating team building and leadership programs, since then she has worked with several organizations facilitating activities for youth and adults helping them develop leadership programs.        The school programs provides peer leadership training programs focuse... 05/27/2011

  WASHINGTON PARK ALAMEDA PARKS   WASHINGTON PARK ALAMEDA PARKS  The original site of Washington park was a pristine oak grove bordered by a white sand beach, it was the third park purchased by the city in 1909.  The park site was 4.5 acres and originally owned by William H. Taylor.  After his death his heirs sold the property to the City for $45,000.00.  Washington Park was formally dedicated on February 24, 1912.  Sports teams from Alameda and Oakland competed in soccer, tennis, baseball and basketball.  Gymnastic for children was a popular sport at the park.  Everyone participated in swimming and rowing races in the bay.  The Washington Park boys' Band performed ate the park.  The beach became the single most popular feature in the park system.    Washington Parks lush lawns and flow... 05/24/2011

PG&E GAS LINES - DISCLOSE OR ADVISE?   PG&E GAS LINES - DISCLOSE OR ADVIS?  On September 9, 2010, a catastrophe occurred in San Bruno, California.  Underground PG&E natural gas pipelines ruptured causing a huge fire.    The disaster caused the death of eight people and $38 million in damage to homes, property, and public infrastructure    Everyone, buyers and sellers alike,  are asking about the gas pipelines.  They want to know where the pipelines are and any other information available.  California Association of Realtors attorneys have indicated that we should refer buyers and sellers to PG&E for more information, advise not disclose.  Disclosures companies have prepared their reports by either providing a Gas, Oil Pipelines and Wells Advisory or an actual disclosure report that the ... 05/23/2011

ALAMEDA WALKS, PART THREE   ALAMEDA WALKS, PART THREE  The Alameda Recreation and Parks Department sponsors ALAMEDA WALKS a program started in 2003.  The goal of the program was to get people out of their homes on Saturday mornings for a little exercise and a chance to learn a little about the City of Alameda.     Alameda Walks' third walk of the year is a walk on the Bay Trail and the Tidewater Aquatic Center and the East End on Saturday May 21  at 9 a.m.  The walk will start at the Lincoln Park Gates on High Street in Alameda.     Lincoln Park was dedicated in 1909 and is a very popular park in Alameda's East End.  Originally, it extended to San Leandro Bay but as the years went by some of the park lands were sold for development.  There are some beautiful oak trees on the park ground... 05/20/2011

ALAMEDA ARCHITECTURAL PRESERVATION AWARDS   ALAMEDA ARCHITECTURAL PRESERVATION AWARDS  The Alameda Architectural Preservation Society will present their Fourteenth Annual Preservations Awards at the Auctions by the Bay Theater on May 19, at 6:30 pm.     The awards honor restored properties in Alameda with historic or architectural significance.  Nominated properties may range in age from 19th century through the 1940's.  Properties nominated can be residences, commercial properties, churches, governmental structures and apartment houses.  The awards showcase projects that preserve, restore or reuse historic property in a way that enhances it architectural character.     Previous honorees include the U.S.S. Hornet aircraft carrier museum, Kofman Auditoriumin the Historic Alameda High Sch... 05/19/2011

ALAMEDA CITY PARKS - MCKINLEY PARK ALAMEDA CITY PARKS - MCKINLEY PARK  McKinley Park was the second park opened in 1909 after Lincoln Park and bought the total city parks to three.        It was originally the site of Oak Shade, a oak forest Northside estate built by the Magil Family in the 1860s.  The land was originally 4 acres and stretched to the estuary.  In 1885 James A. Wymire and his family bought the property.  He was a prominent attorney and politician who managed the California presidential campaign for William McKinley.  He was also a University of California regent.  Over the years the property was transformed into a showplace with exotic plants including palm trees.      Wymire had a reversal of fortune and the property was foreclosed upon in 1907.  At the same time the Ci... 05/17/2011

ESCROW HURDLES   ESCROW HURDLES  Last week I was talking with an escrow officer who told me that short sales are still causing the biggest problems with escrows.  One such problem concerns divorced couples, one of whom had signed a quit claim deed removing that persons name from the deed.  The difficulty arises when that spouse is still on the deed of trust.  Lenders will not fund without the divorced spouse signing off on the deed of trust.  Sometimes the the spouse is not available and this creates delays until the spouse can be found.     Homeowner's Owners Association(HOA) dues may also be another glitch at the close of escrow.  Frequently when a seller is underwater on their loan they probably are not paying their monthly HOA dues either.  The amount due will be increasing during t... 05/16/2011