This morning I was rudely rousted from bed by a huge winter storm hitting the Sacramento area.  The winds are so fierce that we have already lost two trees in our yards.  I can see this is a day to stay inside and hope the wind settles down a bit.  The fun part of my morning was to see so many nice comments on my new active rain blog.  Wow, that is really cool to be welcomed by such nice people.  All too often the comments on my main blog, "Keep it Real in Sacramento" are from, shall we say, not so nice people.  It surprises me that there are individuals out there who use the internet to express their negativity and do it so aggressively.  The warm welcome here makes up for much of that.  Thank you all for the nice comments. 01/04/2008

Well, it is a new year and time for some new activities.  I have maintained a blog, "Keep it Real in Sacramento" on my http://www.jalone.com/ website for several years.  It has been fun writing about the real estate industry, the local market in Sacramento and a host of other topics that interest me or cross my path.  I have even been know to rant and provide a restraint review or two.  I have watched Active Rain for sometime and have been impressed with the growth and community of members so I thought I give it a spin too.My business has been growing for the past several years and I concentrate on developing long term relationships with my clients.  Most of my marketing dollars are spent on my son's elementary school community and some Internet advertising.  I would say the source of m... 01/03/2008

Home Stagings Tips Getting your home ready to sell? This can be a huge job, but once you identify the areas of concern, this task can be manageable if done in small steps. It has been announced by NAR that "property inventories are at an all time high". Gone are the days of multiple offers and putting up a sign and waiting for the market to catch up with your price ...now buyers have tons of choices and sellers are looking for only the most qualified agent to list their house. Today, competition is fierce and sellers must be prepared to present their home in the best possible light. Most successful real estate agents all agree that... Staged Homes Do Sell Faster! Today's average sellers are not equipped to stage a home without professional assistance. Most homeowners personalize their h... 12/28/2007

My Passion for Horse Rescue I was in a terrible accident and sustained serious injuries.  I had 7 operations and was on crutches for over two years.  I had one very special friend during that time, a Dutch Warm blooded mare.  She was well over 17 hands tall and full of energy and ability.  She was also complicated, moody and naughty.  I was never bored and usually frustrated with her behavior.  She was also the best jumper I ever had and would either win a class or get excused from the arena for being a brat!    During this time I took the left stirrup off my saddle and just rode in the hills with my cast.  My complicated, moody, naughty horse turned into an angel and treated me like a china cup!  She understood that I was injured and just took care of me.  This literally saved my life... 12/19/2007

The numbers are in for Roseville for November, 2007. The average home sold in Roseville this November for $383,605, down 17.3% from last year's average of $463,647. However, at least some this drop was due to this year's average home being 1976 square feet versus 2051 square feet last year. As a result, the average sold price per square foot dropped less dramatically (well, a little less dramatically, anyway, but we'll take what we can get). Sold price per square foot for Roseville homes in November averaged $194.13, a 14.1% decline from last November's average of $226.06. The number of foreclosures in Roseville -- and in Placer County as a whole -- is midway between the Sacramento County numbers, which are quite high, and the low numbers in El Dorado County. In active inventory, 15.2% ... 12/11/2007

Like most areas in greater Sacramento, Roseville’s real estate market in was slow this October.  Part of this is seasonal, but still unit volume has been down in September and October in general However, by compared to other markets, Roseville is holding its own fairly well.  In this report, we'll be dealing with all three Roseville areas, with  95678, 95661, and 95747. Roseville's average home price in October was $419,296, a decline of 9.7 % from last year’s average of $464,497.  The actual decline turns out to be more dramatic than that, however.  This year’s average home was some 7.2% larger than last years, so the drop in sold price per square works out to be 15.8%.  The average home sold for $241.53 per square foot in Roseville last October.  This October the average Roseville hom... 11/17/2007

Connect Realty is in a pre-launch stage with the public launch scheduled for January 5th, 2008. Positioning is extremely critical for early joiners as they are just starting the process of interviewing agents. The differentiating and exciting thing about this real estate company is that it is launching a global restructuring of the real estate industry and is spearheaded by some of the world's most influential people. These are just a few: Jim and Rod Canion, part of the co-founding team that started Compaq Computers, they have successfully taken 17 companies public. Ken Carlton, 40% owner of Jet Blue, took Continental and American Airlines public, and has invested $80 million in Biz Jet, his wife is the heiress to Southwest Airlines. Dave Botner, formerly Coldwell Banker's number one w... 11/13/2007

For some time now I've been publishing some Roseville real estate market statistics on my Roseville Real Estate site, but today I bit the bullet and decided it was time to burden the blogosphere with yet another real estate blog.This month's market update shows that Roseville is continuing to do fairly well compared to other local areas. Sacramento County, for example, has over eleven months of inventory, while Roseville is in down to "only" 8.21 months.  Of course, that's still pretty much in the "buyer's market" category.Our other subjects will include nearby Placer County areas such as Granite Bay, Rocklin, Auburn, Loomis, and the rest of Placer County -- especially Southwestern Placer County.   11/05/2007

 When should you stage a home? No home is exempt. This 1920's home has the feel and charm of yesterday but still has the appeal for new home buyers. Staging is an art, let the professional use thier talents to create the right stuff to sell your home fast!  Staging is a small investment to get your home sold faster.  This home was staged using the client's own furniture. We did a comprehensive report and came back to the home to make final adjustments. Look at the result!   Staging the front of the home is critical. Can you imagine sipping iced tea on a summer afternoon? We staged this guest bedroom as a bed and bath effect. This went over big with buyers. One Step Staging is a premier full service home staging company in Roseville, serving Placer County, Rocklin, Lincoln, Granite Bay F... 10/19/2007

I specialize in helping buyers and sellers in Roseville Real Estate and the surrounding communities. If you want to search for homes for sale, please visit my website at www.roseville-ca-real-estate.com As a resident of area, I take extra care to make sure our neighborhoods are properly marketed and sold. If you need any information about Roseville, Citrus Heights California, Antelope, Carmichael, Citrus Heights, Fair Oaks, Folsom, Loomis, Orangevale, Roseville and Rocklin and the surrounding areas, please don't hesitate to contact me! I'll be happy to assist you! Thanks and I hope to hear from you soon! 10/18/2007

Roseville is conveniently located off of Highway 80 and close to the many other cities and towns surrounding Sacramento. Within an hour’s drive you can explore Gold Rush towns, enjoy water sports in nearby lakes and rivers, hike the beautiful Sierra foothills, and ski the High Sierra. Lake Tahoe, San Francisco and the California coast are just two hours away. Roseville Real Estate Visit my Roseville area real estate site and search for Roseville Real Estate, Roseville Homes and Roseville Townhomes/Condominiums 10/18/2007

Beautifully Staged Roseville Home!Location: Roseville, CaFormer Model Home you'll Love! This spacious 4/5BR is an Entertainers dream. Backyard boasts custom kitchen/bar w/grill, frig, in-ground spa w/waterfall & stone fireplace I/S, 3 more fplaces, 10' ceilings, 8'drs, plantation shutters, crown mldg, french doors, imported tile, and built-in cabinetry thru-out!One Step Staging is a premier full service home staging company in Roseville, serving Placer County, Rocklin, Lincoln, Granite Bay Fair Oaks, Carmichael, Sacramento and surrounding areas. View our web site at One Step Staging for more examples of our work.InformationContact InformationKathy Dyer916-258-1014Kathy@OneStepStaging.comPricingAsking Price: $669,900Additional Pricing Information: Call Debbie Salisbury for info on this h... 10/08/2007

I recently did a Home Staging Report for a home owner that wanted some ideas to make her home stand out  when she was ready to list her home 3 months later.  It took me 2 hours to list off all the marketability points she needed to accomplish before her home was to be listed on the MLS.  The list included painting her home, which she did herself, planting flowers in her yard, mulching, rearranging her furniture, and buying some accent pieces to brighten up her home. We used all of her furnishings and even weeded some out in order to make the rooms look larger. I sent her some links to Target for some ideas on wall decor, so she knew the kind of look I wanted her home to have.  She was willing to buy accents and pillows that she would eventually take to her new home.  She duplicated thos... 10/08/2007

We have our latest numbers out for the Roseville real estate market, with yet another collectible John Lockwood talking head video. If you prefer to read the text instead of watching the television version, you can check that out here. Yes, I know, there are more entertaining videos out there, perhaps some day I'll think of a more creative use for them. Meantime, just to show you I understand the goal, how about a dog on a skateboard? 10/03/2007

Beautiful Single Story Townhouse! This home sits on a corner lot, and has been tastefully updated. It features new carpet, fresh paint, hardwood floors, crown molding,Large balcony and a 2 car garage. This is a private community that includes swimming and tennis. What a great place to call home! 09/25/2007

I've put together a couple of articles recently on the real estate market in Placer County. Actually, I should say I put together an article and a video of me being a Lockwood talking head, using our new BrokerCam(tm).(The story behind the BrokerCam is I really wanted a nice Web Cam, so now I'm a hundred bucks broker).Anyway, be that as it may, here's our update for the Placer County real estate market, August, 2007.The talking head version deals with one of Placer's major metropolitan areas, Roseville. 09/24/2007

Visit our new Web site dedicated exclusively to Sun City Roseville Residents and Real Estate.  Free monthly drawings and a wealth of news and information regarding Sun City Roseville.  Visit MySunCityRoseville.com today. 09/11/2007

Real Estate Solutions to maximize your net return.  This home seller hired me to help prepare their home for sale. They had nice things and just needed help deciding where to put everything to present their home in the best light. I spent 3 hours with them and prepared a list of things that they could do themselves and things that we could do that day. The transformation is apparent.           One Step Staging is a premier full service home staging company in Roseville, serving Placer County, Rocklin, Lincoln, Granite Bay Fair Oaks, Carmichael, Sacramento and surrounding areas.  View our web site at One Step Staging for more examples of our work. 08/22/2007

Staged Home Went Pending in 20 daysLocation: Bridgeway IslandThis vacant mid priced home was listed by Debbie Salisbury Realtor of Keller Williams Realty and staged by One Step Staging a premier full service home staging company in Roseville, serving Placer County, Roseville, Rocklin, and surrounding areas. View our web site at www.OneStepStaging.com for more examples of our work. InformationContact InformationKathy Dyer916-258-1014OneStepStaging@comcast.netPricingAsking Price: $349,900.00Additional Pricing Information: Call Debbie Salibury for more information on this home. Keller Williams Realty916-768-5780 Property Location3501 Cooper Island RdWest Sacramento, CA 95671LinksOne Step StagingAlBright Cleaning ServicesFeaturesBedrooms: 3Bathrooms: 2Year Built: 2003Subdivision: Bridgeway ... 08/22/2007

 Installing a fence, of one sort or another, is one of the basic urges of homeownership.  It doesn't matter whether you live in a detached or semi-detached home, a townhouse, or a historic urban rowhouse.  We all naturally crave the pleasure, privacy and increased security that comes from establishing borders, boundaries and visual barriers.   Fences come in every imaginable form.  And, each form has its purpose.    Hedges, house-high or diminutive, are living fences.  Some fences are nothing more than trellises to support climbing plants.  A stone wall, or stucco-covered concrete blocks, are both forms of fences.   Some fences, such as those made in Huckleberry Finn's day from painted pickets, or cast iron, are designed to capture a particular architectural period.   Some fence styles ... 06/19/2007