PCCHA Futurity Competition October 23 - November 2 Paso Robles Event Center The weather is cooling, but the competition will be heating up here for one of the top western events on the west coast.  This event is the Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Association's largest annual event with nearly $1 million in prize money. This event will draw over 600 horses and team riders from many different Pacific Coast states and Canada during the 12-day show at the Paso Robles Event Center. Come and see the excitement.  The arena is covered for your comfort, and there are individual comfortable seats as opposed to bleachers.  Tickets are usually free, there are many vendors, including horse tack, food and a no-host bar.    For more information, visit www.pccha.com.   09/25/2008

                                     Hawaiian Sunset Excellence is the key to joy in your work.  If you know your profession well, you will enjoy it... Fear of failure can be devastating, so some of us make excuses for why we can't do our best, or we don't try at all.  We become mediocre and settle for not realizing our fullest potential instead of reaching for it.  Don't let others reinforce the negative feelings in your head.  Try to rid yourself of the negative self-talk most of us are guilty of.  Replace that with thoughts of taking action, making the right choices, restoring faith and having a positive attitude... If you have any real estate questions or general questions about San Luis Obispo North County or Paso Robles, please contact me via email, call me at (805) 235-0234 or v... 09/25/2008

Next time you are visiting Paso Robles, be sure to at least go wine tasting at Justin Winery.  It is a tad out of the way on the west side of Paso, but it is well worth the drive.  The scenery is beautiful and the wines exquisite. Justin & Deborah Baldwin purchased the 160 acres in the Adelaide Valley that would become Justin Vineyards in 1981.  Seventy-two acres would be planted in grapes in 1982.  Sometime between 1982 and 1983, the Baldwins began construction on the winery.     The 1987 harvest was the first year of commercial production of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and a small amount of Chardonnay.  Justin Winery has received numerous awards along the way, including the London International Wine & Spirit Competition's Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande trophy fo... 09/23/2008

San Luis Obispo County, which includes the Paso Robles area, experienced another decline in the median price of homes and sales activity in the month of August.  Since August of 2007, the median price of a home in the county has dropped 17.4% from $508,500 all of the way down to $420,000. The total number of sales during the same period dropped 15.2%.  Of course, new homes experienced the biggest decline falling 64.2% in the last year. This, coupled with a decline in interest rates, makes this a very favorable time to become a first-time homeowner or invest in income property.  Values may slide a little more, but if you're in it for the long haul, this is a fabulous time to make the plunge.  Plus, this is still a buyer's market with lots of inventory including short sales and foreclosur... 09/20/2008

Hello all!  I initially designed this Emergency Contact Information Form primarily for my Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo North County clients, but it can be used for any locale or country.  My original intent for designing this was for your children in case of an emergency when you weren't at home, but I have found it helpful in our home even though our children are grown.  In the case of an emergency, we often get nervous and flustered and have a hard time looking up emergency contact numbers.  This form takes some of the frustration and fear away.  Feel free to copy this, add your local emergency contact numbers and then place it in a plastic sheet cover to protect it so you can keep it close to the main phone in your home for yourselves and particularly for your children. Help them ... 09/19/2008

Here is a free report for all of you thinking of selling your home For Sale By Owner in Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo North County.  All you have to do is email me or call with your address, and I will mail this free report to you.  This report covers Preparation, Financing, Pricing, Marketing, Preparing Your Home for Showing, Negotiations and Contracts, Possession Coordination and the Transaction Closing. If you would like a free copy of this report or you have any real estate questions or general questions about San Luis Obispo North County, please contact me via email, call me at (805) 235-0234 or visit my website for more information. It starts with a dream... 09/18/2008

Paso Robles, like many other cities in the US, is experiencing a fair amount of short sales and foreclosures.  Because of this, selling your home For-Sale-By-Owner (FSBO) is even more daunting than it was in the past.  Even homes listed by Realtors(R) and Brokers have to abide by these rules as the competition for everyone is the same.  The homes that are currently selling abide by these rules.  50% - 60% of the homes I see listed for sale on the MLS look like model homes.  They don't have to be new or extravagant, but they do need to be clean, all repairs made and hopefully staged to show off their best qualities and amenities. Define your goals, wants, needs and expectations.  A good place to begin is by exploring your short and long-term goals in life and how selling your home fits i... 09/18/2008

Paso Robles is proud of its rich agricultural heritage, and autumn is full of activities celebrating our rural way of life. The most endearing of these activities is Pioneer Day, started by a local minister in 1931 during the Depression as a way for the townspeople to thank area farmers and ranchers for growing crops in the Paso Robles area. “Leave your pocketbook at home,” is the long-standing slogan for the day. Of course, times have changed, and you should NOT leave your pocketbook at home, but there will be free beans in the City Park and plenty of free activities to enjoy—a parade with vintage tractors, games, demonstrations, a street dance, and a gymkhana featuring area cowboys and cowgirls. Pioneer Day will be held Saturday, October 6th this year. If you have any real estate que... 09/15/2008

Interest rates came down a bit last week, so I started considering refinancing my home to a lower interest rate. Of course, the first thing I thought to do was to have my credit report run by the loan officer in our office. When the credit scores came up, she said, "You don't have any mortgage lates, do you?" I said, "No, that is the first payment I make every month, and I have always been on time." Well, surprise, surprise! There is a mortgage late from May of 2007 showing on the report. I was stunned... The first thing I did the next day was call the mortgage company who, by the way, no longer services my mortgage, because I knew I refinanced sometime last year. The service representative was obviously located out of the country and hard to understand - boy, that gripes me - but I ha... 09/14/2008

RFID tags (radio frequency identification) are creeping further into our lives.  RFID is already used in tagging retail products and tagging cows' ears to confirm where they come from and that the proper cows are in the proper place.  This system was promoted to prevent the spread of cow disease and prevent bio-terrorism. RFID devices receive digital queries via a radio frequency and transmit relevant information back.  RFID is also currently used for turnpike tolls and is quickly replacing bar codes at major retail chains. Now it is our turn to be tagged.  Not on the ear, but in the form of cell phones and driver's licenses.  Arizona, Michigan, Vermont and Canada have already instituted this practice with their driver's licenses, and cell phone manufacturers are equipping their phones ... 09/09/2008

How would you feel about little fishes eating the dead skin off of your feet?  I just read an article in the current Newsmax Magazine about an entrepreneur, John Ho, who purchased and imported 1,000 tiny fish to his hair and nail salon in Northern Virginia to do just that.  He charges $35 for a 15-minute visit with the fish.  You put your feet in the water, and these tiny fish, who don't have teeth, chew on the dead skin on your feet.  His customers say it feels kind of tingly.  Since his venture has been successful, he is considering opening a chain.  I think I'll stick with a normal pedicure.  What about you? If you have any real estate questions or general questions about San Luis Obispo North County, please contact me via email, call me at (805) 235-0234 or visit my website for more... 09/09/2008

  Come visit Paso Robles City Park on September 20th when the downtown area will be transformed by not only the harvest but by Italian chalk art right on the street starting at 8:00 am. Stroll through downtown Paso Robles as artists create sidewalk chalk masterpieces, and from 11:00 to 4:00 pm many of the local restaurants will be serving bites of their favorite recipes from their menus. There will also be live music provided. The Downtown City Park is located at 12th and Spring Street. If you have any real estate questions or general questions about San Luis Obispo North County, please contact me via email, call me at (805) 235-0234 or visit my website for more information. It starts with a dream...   09/09/2008

Now is the time to book your room  for the Paso Robles Harvest Wine Weekend, which will be held October 17 - 19.  Harvest time is when you have the opportunity to experience rarely seen vineyard and crush activities that only happen at this time of year.  Activities to enjoy will include winemaker dinners, barbecues, seminars, art and live music.  These events will be held at over 130 wineries throughout the weekend.  Click here to search events by day, activity or winery! If you have any real estate questions or general questions about San Luis Obispo North County, please contact me via email, call me at (805) 235-0234 or visit my website for more information. It starts with a dream... 09/06/2008

    The new Paso Robles Courthouse at the corner of 10th and Spring Street is due to open sometime mid-October. The initial construction began in March of 2007, which isn't too bad considering it is a 2-story, 23,000 square foot building with initially two courtrooms and the ability to add two more when necessary. The new courthouse will handle mostly civil and family law cases as that is the majority of cases that arise in North San Luis Obispo County and will provide 25 new jobs to the Paso Robles area. Initially, when the courthouse first opens, the employees will start with processing ticket fines and paperwork before it ramps up to actual trials. If you have any real estate questions or general questions about Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo North County, please contact me via email... 09/06/2008

Paso Robles is going to hit 103 today...  Not our hottest day of the year by far but still a bit uncomfortable...  Not to worry, though; the beach is only 30 minutes away where it will be in the 70's, and then there is Lake Nacimiento.  It will be 103 at the lake, too, but I'll be in the water. Lake Nacimiento is a 16-mile long lake located just 15 minutes west of Downtown Paso Robles.  With over 165 miles of shoreline and hundreds of small, secluded coves, the lake offers much scenic beauty and all of the services you need for a day, week or month vacation. Services include a marina, small grocery store, laundry room, fuel, tackle & bait.  Lake Nacimiento is known as one of the best water-skiing and wakeboarding lakes in California.  Pontoons, ski boats and paddle boats are available f... 09/06/2008

Weekday twilight open houses are a very good alternative or addition to traditional weekend open houses. As we all know, a home in the evening with its lights on casts gentle light and always makes the home look more inviting. Also, families have hectic routines, and carving out 2 hours on the weekend to preview homes becomes even more difficult with baseball, soccer, football schedules and the holidays. Refreshments aren't critical, but if you send invitations to the neighborhood and offer snacks as an inducement, you are more likely to have a great turnout. If you offer wine, be sure to make it a white wine in case of any spills. (Serving alcohol could pose liability issues for the seller or yourself, so check with your local association first.) Here are some advantages to a weekday t... 09/04/2008

The holidays are still 2 months away, but I thought I would share with you my recipe for old-fashioned apple pie so you can try it before the big event. I have been preparing this recipe for friends since the late 1970's, and I always get fabulous compliments on it. The recipe is easy but looks like you slaved over it. I used to make my crust from scratch, but the new pie crusts already rolled out in boxes (Pillsbury or Vons/Safeway) works just fine. No one will ever know the difference.... Pastry for a 2-crust pie 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 4 tablespoons flour Dash of salt 5 Granny Smith or Pippin Apples sliced and pared 4 tablespoons of butter in pieces 1 egg yoke mixed with a little water Put 1 pastry roll out into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim and refrigerate until needed. Preheat ... 09/04/2008

If you ever dreamed of buying real estate in Paso Robles as an investment or rental, now may be the time. Buying a house around $350,000 with today's interest rates and rental rates increasing over the years would put you in a position of positive cash flow sooner than in the past. Also, when the real estate market improves, the escalation of values of lower-end homes are going to be the ones that appreciate the fastest. Just like the stock market, you can never time the absolute bottom of the real estate market. You are never going to find it more affordable than today. Values may continue to go down just a tad over the next 6 months, especially over the holidays, but any small amount of loss in value will be made up by locking into the low interest rates we are currently enjoying. The... 09/04/2008

As long as there are business and demographic cycles there will be real estate cycles. It's not "Different this time." North County is in the middle of a nasty down cycle. While we are better off then many areas within California, the pain is present. Cycles don't end on cue, they just fade away. There is a lot happening today in North County.The average price of a North County residential single family home has dropped to $330,000. Looking back to the peak we see a price dip of almost 30%. That's a big haircut. There is a vibrant demand for homes in the 250k to 350k range. Very active. Almost 40% of that category are foreclosures. A phenomenal opportunity for the first time buyers and investors. Rents are strong and money is cheap. These properties will not be here forever. Most buyers... 09/02/2008

Your home must be every buyer's dream home...        There is a point where improving your home doesn't pay off.  Don't get too carried away with repairs and replacements.  A REALTOR will show you competing properties on the market so you can make sound judgments on what improvements to make on your home.   Minor repairs can wait...        Most buyers are looking for homes that are move-in ready.  You would be very surprised at what most homes look like during broker caravan.  They look like model homes!  Do not mean to scare you, but it is true...  In this market, you need to put your best foot forward from Day 1!  "You never get a second chance at a first impression."   Curb appeal is not important...        Buyers will probably never make it through the front door if the outside doe... 08/29/2008