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My Marin Blog

Over the Fence

March 20th, 2007 1:20 PM

No Room for a Vegetable Garden?

Don’t forgo your favorite home grown vegetables this year just because you don’t have the yard space. Try growing your favorite vegetables in containers. Some vegetables to try include:

Cucumber: lots of water and a largecontainer.

Eggplant: frequent fertilizing.

Lettuce: needs frequent feedings and watering’s.

Squash: does especially well in containers.

Tomato: many varieties do well in containers, stakes are often used and

needed.

Spinach: likes organically rich soil.

Cabbage: grows well from seed and likes rich compost.

Cauliflower: small varieties do best in containers, heads need lots of room.

Radish: grows quickly and easily.

Blueberry: growswell in containers, need warm summer for berries to

ripen.

Potato: wide variety of potato types, and grows easily.

Visit your local plant nursery for suggestions on the best containers,

growing conditions and plants.

Fun Facts from the 2007 Census Report

Wondering what Americans will be like in 2007? The latest U.S. Census report which came out in December of 2006 and is actually based on 2005 data, came up with a few interesting statistics. Here are a few predictions for 2007.

Adults and teens will spend nearly five months (3,518 hours) next year watching television, surfing the Internet, reading daily newspapers and listening to personal music devices

People will spend 65 days in front of the TV.

41 days listening to radio.

A little over a week on the Internet in 2007.

Adults will spend about a week reading a daily newspaper.

Teens and adults will spend another week listening to recorded music.

Consumer spending for media is forecasted to be $936.75 per person.

Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2007: The

National Data Book can be purchased for $35 at the U.S.

Government Bookstore.

Spring Cleaning Tips

Spring is the best time to perform a thorough inspection of your home, since

spring follows the winter weather that can so often be the cause of wear and tear on a home. Do it now, with the help of a professional, before summer vacations, summer visitors and summer heat sets in.

#1 Spring Cleaning Tip: Have you’re A/C

unit serviced BEFORE it gets HOT! Few routine chores will pay off more

handsomely, both in comfort and in dollars saved, than a simple airconditioner

cleaning. You can bet that a year’s worth of dirt and debris has clogged the cooling fins and lowered the unit’s efficiency. A dirty air conditioner may even stop cooling altogether.

To reduce moisture problems, check your gutters, downspouts, extensions and splash blocks when it’s raining. Look for leaks, rusted spots, loose areas and disconnected downspouts. Clean out any leaves and pine straw so gutters won’t get clogged.

While you’re looking at the gutters, inspect soffits for signs of cracked or

peeling paint. This could indicate a moisture problem, which could lead to

rot, mildew and fungus. Call a contractor to repaint or replace damaged soffits.

If you are thinking of buying or selling a home in the near future, please call for a personal interview and property assessment with no obligation.

Millions of companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year. Ofthese, only two percent of cats and 15-20% of dogs are reunited with their owners. Act responsibly and tag your pet today.

Collars and Identification (ID) Tags

Collars and tags are a reliable way to identify your pet should they become

lost. Make sure your dog or cat always wears a collar with a currentidentification tag. The tag should include:

Pet’s name

Owner’s name and address

Telephone numbers (day and evening)

Medical problem requiring medication

Veterinarian’s name and number

Current Rabies vaccination information

Reward offer should pet become lost

Put a temporary tag on your pet when you move residences that include a

relative’s or friend’s telephone number. Many animals are lost when owners

move. Use masking tape over the current tag or consider purchasing an instant tag, available at most pet supply stores.

The most popular dogs names for mixed breeds as published in Dog Fancy magazine.

1) Max or variations: Maximilian, Maxie,

Maxine, Maxwell, etc.; 2) Sasha; 3) Oscar;

4) Sammy (for boys) Sammie (for girls);

5) Maggie

April 18-24 is National Pet ID Week

SPRING SALAD

1.Toss together the following

ingredients in a large bowl.

3 cups washed baby spinach leaves

3 cups washed and torn salad greens

1 cup sliced strawberries

2 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup snow pea pods

1/4 cup mandarin orange slices.

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

2. Dressing: Combine the following:

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

3. Slowly pour in 2 tablespoons olive

oil, whisking until the dressing is mixed.

4.Toss the dressing with salad and enjoy!

Yield: 6 Servings

Posted by Victoria Wells on March 20th, 2007 1:20 PMPost a Comment (0)

Coldwell Banker Weekly Market Watch

March 26th, 2007 1:05 PM

March 2007

The hot-and-cold-running microclimates of the past few weeks have apparently started to temper geographically. The typical spring onslaught of listings remains hesitant this year, though there has been a refreshing, if slight, up-tick in inventory in most areas. Most areas are also seeing stale inventory starting to sell, and not just due to price reductions but also to the limited selection available to buyers that are getting weary of the hunt.

While San Francisco and most of the Peninsula remain ravenous for homes to show and sell in all price categories, Burlingame, Castro Valley, Danville, Livermore, Oakland, Orinda, Redwood City, Santa Rosa, San Carlos and Woodside/Portola Valley all report an upswing in inventory coming on the market and are feeling more balanced activity.

Multiple offer situations are finally slowing down a bit, though upper-tier homes (and virtually anything in San Francisco) are continuing to see an increase in multiple and pre-emptive offers. There were 12 offers on a Portola Valley listing priced at $2,995,000. One Burlingame home that was listed at $1,388,000 had 13 offers and closed at $1,801,000. Reports from the North Bay indicate that the luxury market over $2 million is particularly hot in Greenbrae, Corte Madera, Larkspur and Ross, and Novato notes momentum in high-end sales as well. A Mill Valley tear-down priced at $800,000 sold significantly over asking and, in San Francisco, some high-end pre-emptives are going pre-MLS.

We held an increased number of homes open, over 540, and they were all well-attended. Some Sebastopol opens reported over 40 groups going through and a San Mateo Park home had over 100 groups in attendance. San Francisco Agents were noticing that it was difficult to get in and out of open houses in Noe Valley due to the number of people out looking!

All in all, things continue to bode well for spring with listing inventory remaining steady for 14 offices, increasing for 14 and decreasing in only 2. Sales activity remains steady in 18 offices, increased for 5 offices and declined for 7. Over 220 offers were ratified and more than 70 multiple offer situations occurred.

We are seeing a slight effect from the sub prime mortgage issue. The first time buyer market in the Oakland area is feeling some pain as a few loans were cancelled and some first time buyer programs may be going away. The biggest impact seems to be from the media frenzy that has taken place and may be giving some buyers the jitters. Overall we should not be impacted too much from the situation. We will be keeping an eye on this for sure.

HAPPY SPRING!

Posted by Victoria Wells on March 26th, 2007 1:05 PMPost a Comment (0)

My Personal Journey

March 16th, 2007 12:26 AM

HOW GOD SELECTS THE MOTHER OF A CHILD WITH DIABETES

by Erma Bombeck

Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures and a couple by habit. Did you ever wonder how mothers of children with diabetes are chosen? Somehow I visualize God hovering over earth selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, he instructs his angels to make notes in a giant ledger.
"Armstrong, Beth, son. Patron Saint Matthew."

"Forrest, Marjorie, daughter, Patron Saint Cecilia."

"Rutledge, Carrie, twins. Patron Saint Gerard. He's used to profanity."

Finally, He passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a child with diabetes." The angel is curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy."

"Exactly", smiles God. "Could I give child with diabetes to a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel".

"But has she the patience?" asks the angel.

"I don't want her to have too much patience, or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it. I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I am going to give her has her own world. She has to make it live in her world and that's not going to be easy."

"But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in you."

God smiles. "No matter. I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness."

The angel gasps. "Selfishness? Is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she cannot separate herself from the child occasionally, she will never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with less than perfect."

"She does not realize it yet, but she is to be envied. I will permit her to see clearly the things I see .... ignorance, cruelty, prejudice ... and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life because she is doing my work as surely as if she is here by my side."

"And what about her patron saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in mid air. God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."

The reason I write this story, is that my thirteen-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes almost a year ago, when she was twelve years old. I was devastated and another mother of a diabetic child e-mailed me this story. I wanted to share it with you. Thank you for reading it.

Posted by Victoria Wells on March 16th, 2007 12:26 AMPost a Comment (0)

Marin County March Update

March 8th, 2007 9:30 AM

Percentage in contract figures for both SFR's and Condo's took a bit of a dip this week, mostly due to an influx of new listings. The market appears to remain healthy. Here's the way it stacked up:

Condos

23 New listings

19 Price reductions

12 Contingent

4 Pending

14 Sold

Single Family Residences

74 New Listings

31 Price Reductions

48 Contingent

33 Pending

43 Sold

For the month of February, there were 216 new listings and 208 accepted offers on SFR's vs. the same period in 2006 with 202 new listings and only 110 accepted offers. Figures for condominiums are: Feb 2007---76 new listings and 75 accepted offers vs 2006 with 68 new listings and 63 accepted offers. The level of activity seems appreciably higher, especially in the SFR market. In view of this, the small drop in percentage in contract figures does not seem to be a matter for concern-at least not now. It appears the market has enough strength to absorb the listings that are coming on, but time will tell------

A significant number of price reductions---31 in the SFR market and 19 in the Condo market should be a red flag to sellers who think market strength may invite more aggressive pricing. Still a lot of negotiations going on. Overpriced listings still sit while attractive, well-priced listings enjoy lots of attention and often sell quickly.

City-by-city report included this month has no major surprises but does have some fluctuations----most are due to small sample sizes and do not represent major changes in the markets. Mill Valley, Corte Madera, Greenbrae still hot. Kentfield, Belvedere, Novato still lagging. San Rafael making steady progress and now a solid seller's market.

More next week

Best wishes,

Victoria

Posted by Victoria Wells on March 8th, 2007 9:30 AMPost a Comment (0)

MARIN COUNTY IS WELCOMING NORMALCY

March 2nd, 2007 4:00 PM

EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT OUR “CHANGING MARKET”.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU?

Recent newspaper headlines such as “housing price fall” and housing prices predicted to drop” are understandably raising concerns and fears among homeowners and home sellers here and across the country. Unfortunately, these are similar “scary” headlines do not accurately reflect the insights and perspectives of real estate experts, the realities of the marketplace, or the unique nature of Marin.

Let’s look at reality:

It’s not as bad as it appears. Although the median price for single family in Marin decreases 3/3% from September 2005 to September 2006, the decrease is not significant. Indeed, if you combine condo and single family home sales, the median price actually increased by 1.4% over the year.

You can not judge real estate trends by focusing only on small snapshots of the market.

The housing market is going through a correction that’s badly needed after five year record sales and price appreciation. The key issue is whether it’s “orderly” or “ disorderly” and it’s clearly the former. Yet the financial press and TV news programs are “portraying it as a catastrophe”.

Keep Things in Perspective. Over the long term, residential real estate in California has been and will continue to be a solid investment. Since 1968, the long-term average price appreciation has been 9.1%.

Marin is Different. Marin County tends to be more insulated concerning market downturns since we have very little new housing and raw or developable land, and we have a diversified economic base. Our county is not dominated by one type of industry or one company.

Balance is Back. The days of multiple offers and homes on the market for one week are gone. We are in a balanced and healthy market and it’s not unusual to see home remaining on the market longer. Due to the increased supply of homes for sale, buyers can take more time making their purchasing decision and able to negotiate better terms.

Opportunities for savvy investors. What is your IRA earning? Why not to diversify and use your IRA to invest in real estate and purchase income property? Ask me how.

Posted by Victoria Wells on March 2nd, 2007 4:00 PMPost a Comment (0)