Being a Central Ca Short Sale Specialist is not all work and no play.  Every once in a while I need to get away for a day and decompress.  One of the great things about living in the central Valley of California is that we are so close to some great things.  This past Saturday was one of those days for me to get away.  Just a short drive from the Central Valley is Half Moon Bay Ca.  Half Moon bay is located about 30 miles south of San Francisco.  This day started out with the sun shining but soon the fog rolled in.  Of course even a foggy day at the ocean is great.  If you are ever in the area stop in at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Co.  While this time I did not eat there I did enjoy a Mavericks Amber Ale.  I have eaten there on previous trips and the food is good.  The owners are also fr... 01/11/2011

Pillar Point Harbor - Half Moon Bay, CA A beautiful morning and exquisite sunrise at Pillar Point Harbor on Friday, November 12, 2010.We arrived at 6:oo a.m. and watched the sun rise as we headed out past the breakwater. In less than three hours we returned with 40 crab ... the limit for our boat. Commercial crab season starts tomorrow, Monday November 15, 2010.  Pillar Point Harbor - Half Moon Bay, CA - by Kathleen Daniels, San Jose Real Estate Agent  Homes for sale in San Jose California 11/14/2010

In the Fall in Northern California you never know what the weather will be like.  Today is cold and overcast and just last Wednesday we were having a little heat wave so I drove over the mountain to go spend a couple of hours with my son on the beach in Half Moon Bay, CA.  I thought this shot turned out pretty good considering I took it with my iPhone.  I loved how the fog was moving in to shore 11/10/2010

Getting Ready to Enjoy Martin's Beach, CA 94019 Yesterday we closed on my buyers' purchase of a little cottage in Martin's Beach, CA. They are ecstatic, and as soon as I delivered their keys to them this afternoon, off they went on the 45-minute drive across the Peninsula to check on their wonderful, magical spot.View Larger Map View Larger Map Located about 7 miles south of Half Moon Bay, on the San Mateo County Coast, is an enclave of about 50 cottages that cling to the side of the cliffs, just off Highway 1, the Cabrillo Highway. There is no hint of this settlement from the highway, and few people know about these cottages at Martin's Beach. This is a special community where a few people live year round, but most are cottages used as weekend retreats and family vacation spots. Many o... 09/22/2010

Buying Property in a Hidden Gem -- Martin's Beach, California Update: 3/17/17 A few miles south of Half Moon Bay, in San Mateo County, California lies a hidden gem -- Martin's Beach. The rural land known as Martin's Beach is comprised of approximately 80 acres, set between the Cabrillo Highway (Highway One) and the Pacific Ocean. After having been owned by the same family for many years, around 2009 this large parcel was sold for approximately $40,000,000. This sale was made subject to leases of approximately 50 small cottages which cling to the side of the bluff, just above the Pacific Ocean. The leases have around 1.5 to 3.5 years left, and then the cottages are expected to revert to the landowner. Many of these cottages have been in the same families for generations. Now, with such a... 08/24/2010

Several weeks ago I went horseback riding at Sea Horse Ranch my favorite place to ride horses. I watched how the Farrier removed and replaced the horse's shoes.A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of a horse's hoof and the placing of shoes to the horse's foot. A farrier couples a subset of the blacksmith's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adjusting metal shoes) with a subset of veterinary medicine (knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the lower limb) to address the care of the horse's feet.I am amazed at how still and patient the horses are during the process.No hot water spa treatment for the horses ... they get carrots instead.KD RealtyCertified San Jose Short Sale SpecialistCopyright © 2010, All Rights Reserved by Kathleen Daniel... 08/04/2010

This is a view from the seacliff at Pescadero Beach. We tried to get into the parking lot at San Gregorio Beach, but it was full. I guess that's how the state regulates how many people can go to the beach. If you can't get into the parking lot and you can't park on the highway, you can't go to the beach. This area is covered in wildflowers and iceplant. I almost stepped on a lizard and screamed my fool head off. I believe these are California sea lions. It's easy to mix up seals and sea lions, but I'm thinking seals have fur and these do not, so these must be sea lions. I used a 500 zoom lens to capture these lazy critters. Here I am in front of the Montara Lighthouse. This is now a youth hostel, however, it is not inexpensive to stay in a room with a bunch of other drunken college kid... 07/06/2010

The Montara Lighthouse is one of those places where it's totally impossible to mess up shooting or framing a photograph. It is possible to miss the turnoff while driving up Highway 1 from Half Moon Bay. I don't know if it was because I temporarily took my eyes off the scenery as I was trying to make a reservation for Sam's Chowder House on my BlackBerry or if it's because my husband, who is often obsessed with staying on the road and not causing accidents and, as a result, doesn't always read signs, but we missed it. We realized that as we approached Devil's Slide and ultimately ended up in Pacifica. Devil's Slide is bordered by drop-offs on rugged sheer cliffs, and the place where California will one day fall into the ocean. The road was closed in 2006 due to an avalanche. So, on the ... 07/05/2010

If you enjoy riding horses ... then you definitely want to visit Sea Horse Ranch in North Half Moon Bay, California.  Sea Horse Ranch offers the very best guided horseback riding on the beach anywhere in California. I have been riding horses at Sea Horse Ranch ever since I was a young girl. This was back in the day when experienced riders could ride horses without a guide.  Today however the rules have changed. Sea Horse Ranch only offers guided rides.I arrived early on Sunday morning (June 6, 2010) because I wanted the early bird special ... a 2 hour trail and beach ride for only $45.00.  This is a great value for such an amazing experience.  I like this beach because it is so private ... not easy to access ... unless you know the secret access point or are lucky enough to ride a horse... 06/08/2010

There are five open houses scheduled in Half Moon Bay for Sunday January 10, 2010, at the time of this writing. Here is a list of these open houses for you:   28 Jenna Lane, $2,288,000, open 1 to 4 744 Arroyo Leon Drive, $1,499,950, 1:30 to 4:30 449 Fairway Drive, $1,250,000, 1 to 4 393 St. Andrews Lane, $980,000, 2 to 4 625 Third Avenue, $824,000, 1:30 to 4 Pacifica Open Houses   01/08/2010

10/24/2009

2009 Art & Pumpkin Festival - Half Moon Bay, California (San Mateo County, CA) Half Moon Bay is the pumpkin capital of the world and its historic Main Street will be hustling and bustling this coming weekend with the 39th Annual Art & Pumpkin Festival! For those early riser pancake-lovers, there will be a 7:00 am pancake breakfast on Saturday and Sunday...but not to worry if you miss it, as there will be plenty of pumpkin-inspired munchies throughout the weekend...and even a pumpkin pie eating contest for kids 12 and under as well as one for "kids" over 12! :) What: Half Moon Bay 39th Annual Art & Pumpkin Festival Where: Main Street (between Miramontes and Spruce Streets) in Half Moon Bay, CA When: Saturday and Sunday (October 17-18, 2009) from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Admission: FREE Info: 6... 10/11/2009

If you are in the Half Moon Bay area October 18-19th don't miss the art and pumpkin festival.  If you don't like crowds then don't be in Half Moon Bay on t he 18th and 19th.  This is the 38th year of this large and popular event.  Although cooler, it is also a great time to visit the coast.  Cool and crisp air and blue skies, a change from the summer fog. At the festival you will be able to see pumpkin sculptors, the weigh off of the extremely large pumpkins($20,000 in prizes), parade, crafts, pumpkin pie and many other great food booths.  Lots of art work and hand crafted items will be available to view and buy.  There will be tons of entertainment too with lots of different Bay area musicians.  What would a festival be without a haunted house or costume party?  Well of course there wi... 10/06/2008

For all you avid golfers out there in the Bay Area don't miss seeing the 20 best female golfers of 2008 play at the Half Moon bay Golf Links. This is the first time Half Moon Bay has hosted the tournament in which players are competing for $1 million at the Samsung World Championship from Oct. 1-5.   The Samsung World Championship includes the winners of all four LPGA major tournaments this year, the leading money winner on the Ladies European Tour and the leading LPGA money winners. Defending champion, LPGA Player of the Year, Money List and Vare Trophy champ Lorena Ochoa, will compete against the World No. 1, McDonald's LPGA Championship teenage winner Yani Tseng, U.S. Women's Open champion Inbee Park and Ricoh Women's British Open champion Ji-Yai Shin in addition to others.  If you c... 09/24/2008

Here's what this week's Altos Report Market Update for Half Moon Bay single family homes shows: Half Moon Bay (as a whole, not specific neighborhoods) list prices have been coming down from the peak of 2005 - now the median list price is $1,099,000; average list price is $ 1,322,108. The quartile with the lowest days-on-market is the lower-middle 25% of homes with a median price of $877,000. . . at 70 DOM.  The other three quartiles of homes currently for sale all average over 100 days on the market. 55% of listings have reset their days-on-market. 30% of properties on the market this week have price reductions. Average price per square foot for listings is $475.00 It is important to note that this information is for Half Moon Bay only, not the entire coastside, and not for specific nei... 08/21/2008

When I was a young child my father owned and operated a fishing boat out of Pillar Point Harbor which is a little north of Half Moon Bay.  It's probably because of my many wonderful childhood memories that Half Moon Bay and the surrounding area remains my favorite coastal get-away today.Pillar Point HarborAs a child I would fish, play on the beach and sometimes go horse backing riding. I still ride at the same place ~ Sea Horse Ranch. My favorite horses name was "Tac."  We would ride on the beach and sometimes ride at a full gallop ~ what a rush that was for me as a young girl. I still get that same rush as an adult today.  I love animals ~ especially horses and dogs and birds.  My love for animals compels me to volunteer at the Humane Society of Silicon Valley in San Jose. It feels so ... 08/06/2008

We are fortunate to live in one of the most desirable areas in the country, visited by many and home to a lucky few - a tiny corner of San Mateo County that is limited in its development because of the natural barriers of the Pacific Ocean, mountains, and local growth initiatives.  We are Half Moon Bay Coastside!  What does our market look like now? Year 2008 is starting to take shape.  Are some waiting for the other shoe to drop?  Certainly a market peak occurred between 2004 and early 2006.  In fact, the correction began here in Fall 2006; it was not to be noted until early in 2007. Here's today's look at some single family home numbers for Half Moon Bay, El Granada, Moss Beach and Montara combined for 2008 so far.  A more detailed analysis comparing the 2006, 2007 and 2008 from the r... 07/04/2008

Just learned about this very handy tool yesterday from our Advertising Coordinator, Gene Wilkins.  She was the first to broadcast that Highway 92 had been closed yesterday afternoon within seconds of its happening.  She had gotten a notice from SMCAlert, a system that broadcasts road, earthquake, weather, and other emergency situations.  Here's a snippet from the FAQ... Emergency Situations: Notify employees, and/or citizens of the location of the nearest emergency shelter, available bed space, hours of operation during a crisis; Notify employees/citizens of available evacuation routes during an emergency; Activate special teams within the community, based upon an event Precautionary Warnings: Severe weather warnings; Change in the Homeland Security Advisory System terror alert level Pr... 06/23/2008

Here is a trend of the market over the past 16 months from Pacifica to Half Moon Bay. Our market continues to remain steady over the last 6 months. 03/03/2008

I have reviewed the November MLS statistics for Single Family Homes in Half Moon Bay, California. Please listen to my podcast to learn about the key trends and indicators in this area. If you have any questions about the market, feel free to give me a call at 408-829-4141 or e-mail JohnPinto@jvpinto.com Thank you, John V. Pinto 12/14/2007