Today | Sotheby's International Realty Yesterday was a busy day for us here in San Carlos, California - our office became Today | Sotheby's International Realty. As our brokers Jeanne Garde and Jim Meader proclaim: "welcome to our future!" 10/01/2010

How's the market in the White Oaks area of San Carlos, CA 94070? Last week I did an analysis of the condominium/townhouse market in downtown Palo Alto, California for a client. The results were fascinating--the price drop between 2007 and 2010 year to date was quite small, less than 5%.So, that prompted me to check other market segments in towns in San Mateo County and the Silicon Valley where I have listings or have helped buyers this year. One neighborhood in Belmont California saw a decline of approximately 3% during that same period.Much to my amazement, the story is quite different in the White Oaks neighborhood in San Carlos, CA, traditionally a stronghold in the area: While a 13% drop in median price is since 2007 is not unusual in San Mateo County as a whole, I was surprised to ... 09/24/2010

D&J E-Waste Recycling is coming to San Carlos, CA D&J Recycling is making recycling of our E-waste simple by bringing their service to us! To participate, put a sign with your name, phone number, and address (street address, city, zip) taped to one of the items. Place your items on the curb on Monday, September 13, 2010, before 6:00 AM. D&J E-Waste Recycling will pick up items working or not. Accepted items: all electronics, metal and wires! monitors, TVs, computers, VCRs stoves, washers, dryers, dishwashers, water heaters, any metal car parts, metal pipes, tire rims (no tires), bicycles, car batteries Not accepted: wood, plastic, glass, furniture, propane tanks This is a great opportunity to clean out some of those unused items from the office, garage, tool sheds, etc. and do so in an ... 09/08/2010

Snapshot of the condo/townhouse market San Carlos, California My last post addressed the single-family home market in San Carlos California. Now we'll take a look at condos and townhouses in San Carlos, and how market activity in July 2010 compares with that in July 2009. For condominiums and townhomes: Home inventory has increased substantially. There were 43 condos or townhomes for sale in July 2010; only 26 for sale in July 2009 Number of closed sales is similar. 7 closed in 2010; 6 in 2009 Average days on market dropped significantly: 56 days average in 2010; 93 days in 2009 Average sales price dropped decisively: $544,714  in 2010; $604,083 in 2009 - an decreased of approximately 10% Percent of list price received: 99.01% in 2010; 95.94% in 2009 (Sellers are understanding the marke... 09/04/2010

Snapshot of single family home sales in San Carlos, California Comparing what took place in the market in July, 2010 (the latest month for which statistics are available) with July, 2009 provides a fascinating glimpse of reality in the San Carlos, California, housing market. For single-family homes: Home inventory is relative stable. There were 77 homes for sale in July 2010; 74 for sale in July 2009 Number of closed sales is similar. 27 homes closed in 2010; 23 in 2009 Average days on market dropped over 50%:  a mere 25 days average in 2010; 59 days in 2009 Average sales price rose dramatically: $1,026,008 in 2010; $842,008 in 2009 - an increase of almost 22% Percent of list price received also up significantly: 100.78% in 2010; 95.98% in 2009. These figures were taken from data in our... 09/03/2010

Hazardous Waste Disposal has become easy in San Carlos, California Recycling has become more and more important on the mid-Peninsula and in Silicon Valley, as it has elsewhere in the country. Cities in California are mandated to reduce waste by large percentages in the upcoming years, and they are making it very easy for us to pitch in and do our part. We're fortunate in San Carlos to have systems in place to make recycling very simple and safe. First it was plastics, glass and paper recycling, then green waste (including food scraps to feed these handy little buckets, then added to the yard clipping bin) and now--hazardous waste pick up! The latest program I've learned about is the Door-to-Door Hazardous Household Waste program. The steps are clearly outlined on the RethinkWaste web si... 09/03/2010

Introducing Zest Bakery in San Carlos CA 94070 San Carlos, California, is a delightful town on the mid-Peninsula, known for its good schools, fabulous library and many great services. It's slogan is "The City of Good Living." High on the list of things that make this a great place to live is the downtown. San Carlos Avenue and Laurel Street are home to many restaurants and other friendly stores, where people are encouraged to browse and shop. One of the newest places in town is Zest Bakery. Since the Grand Opening in mid-July, Zest Bakery has seen a steady increase in traffic. One reason might be it's location, just around the corner from busy Laurel Street. The main reason, I think, is that fills a niche. 100% of Zest Bakery's products are gluten-free. Yes, this means all the breads, c... 09/02/2010

What's going on in the real estate market today in San Carlos, CA 94070? While gathering information today for a potential seller, I included what's going on in the real estate market in San Carlos, California. Today, in the single-family home market, there are: 62 Active listings 28 Pending sales 11 Transactions that have closed in the last 6 weeks Looking at the condo/townhouse market, we see: 34 Active listings 10 Pending sales   1 Transaction that has closed in the last 6 weeks These are simply the bare statistics. You might like to know the trends we're seeing, what types of properties are selling, which are receiving multiple offers, and which are examples of what not to do when listing a home today. If you'd like information about your particular neighborhood or type of property,... 08/26/2010

  Antoinette Galindo | Alain Pinel Realtors | (650) 302-7411 3300 Bay Court, Belmont, CA   Simply serene this home has an ideal floor plan and is in anexcellent location.   4BR/2+1BA Single Family House   offered at $998,000 Year Built 1967 Sq Footage 2,220 Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 2 full, 1 partial Floors 2 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size 5,500 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month   see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES Central heat Fireplace Hardwood floor Tile floor Family room Living room Office/Den Dining room Dishwasher Refrigerator Stove/Oven Microwave Stainless steel appliances Washer Dryer Laundry area - inside       ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Front of house Side of house Front door Front porch Living room Dining room Family room Bonus rm off of family ro Family room Kitchen Breakfast area Ma... 08/18/2010

A "Shout Out" for Class-Act Active Rain Member, Michael O'Connor As some of you might know, I post a Mystery Photo Contest here on Active Rain every month--the same one that goes to my clients and sphere in my electronic newsletter and my snail-mail ones, on my Facebook page, etc. This month I changed the format so that people in distant locales had a bit of a chance in identifying the type of photo, even if not the exact location. The strategy was successful, more people joined in the fun, and this month the winner was none other than Michael O'Connor, our colleague from Mira Loma, California -- his name was arbitrarily drawn from the pool of correct answers. I figured a gift certificate to a local restaurant or shop wouldn't be much use, so I offered him his choice of 2 free movie tic... 07/19/2010

Mystery Photo Contest: The Answer and the Winner! This month's contest asked the following questions about the photos below, which adorn the exterior of a civic building on the mid-Peninsula. On what type of building are these located? Name the particular building AND the town in which the building is located. These plaques are found on the exterior wall of the public library in San Carlos, California! They, along with some others, adorn the back side of the building, visible from Chestnut Street. The name of everyone who submitted 1 correct answer was entered into the gift card drawing one time. When BOTH questions were answered correctly, you had TWO entries! So, even if you live far away from San Mateo County and the Silicon Valley, you had a chance this month. I'm happy to say this... 07/14/2010

Yes, it's that time of year, and FREE summer concerts have arrived again in San Carlos, California! When: Friday evenings, 6:00 - 8:00 PM Where: Burton Park, downtown San Carlos, corner of Arroyo and Cedar Streets Details: July 9, "The Distractions" rock 'n roll band, sponsored by Sequoia Healthcare District July 16, "Big Bang Beat," ultimate party classics, sponsored by Crippen & Flynn Funeral Chapels and the neighboring cities of Belmont and Redwood City July 23, "The Bell Brothers," country rock, sponsored by Palo Alto Medical Foundation July 30, "The Refugees," with a Tom Petty Tribute, sponsored by the Mills-Peninsula Women's Center Aug. 6, "E-Ticket," oldies rock 'n roll, sponsored by Bowwow Meow and RE/MAX Today (my awesome company!) Pack a picnic supper, bring a lawn blanket and... 06/23/2010

Saturday, June 19, 2010, is your opportunity to be awed at the "Vertical Challenge" Helicopter Air Show. In it's 11th year, this show is hosted by the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, California. The show is devoted to demonstrating to the public how helicopters affect our daily lives -- from traffic and news reports, to life saving ability, to the national defense of our country. Two separate shows! Schedule of events: Act I 11:30-12:30 National Anthem Parachute jump Otto the Clown Helicopter Stearman Otto race CHP Demo RC Helicopters Harriers Act II 2:00-3:00 Sundowners Kite Demonstration US Coast Guard SAR Demo Parachute Jump PG&E Demo Harriers 3:00 - 5:00 Helicopter Departures Buy your tickets online, learn tons more about the event, the military helicopter display on Sunday Ju... 06/16/2010

San Carlos, California, 97070, is a real down-home kind of place, located on the Peninsula in San Mateo County, mid-way between San Francisco and San Jose. The motto of our town is "The City of Good Living." Well, this story I came across today shows that is more than empty words--San Carlos really is the City of Good Living! Last month a Good Samaritan found several $100 bills dancing along a downtown sidewalk, in the heart of our shopping area; looking further, he saw a whole stack of bills, totaling $2,000. He immediately took the money to the Police Department, where it was held for safekeeping. Meanwhile, the woman who had withdrawn the cash from the local Wells Fargo Bank discovered a hole in her jacket pocket and the cash gone. After properly identifying herself, and with the ass... 05/23/2010

The market for single-family homes in San Carlos, Ca, 94070 remains attractive to buyers. During February, March and the first part of April, we were woefully short of inventory which resulted in multiple offers becoming common once again. During the past 30 or so days, more homes have been listed for sale, but activity remains good. There definitely are people looking to buy a 3- or 4- bedroom home, and when value is perceived (price and condition) they sell quickly and often with multiple offers. Take a look at the ratio of sales price to list price--pretty amazing. And when the particular neighborhoods have such few sales, looking at the city-wide statistics might give you a better idea of the trends.  All in all, the market up and down the Peninsula is alive and well. If you're thi... 05/16/2010

Here are the April statistics for single-family homes in San Carlos, CA 94070: 78 - Active single-family homes 20 - Homes sold 29 - Listings pending 27 - Average days on market $971,000 - Median sold price 100.64% - percent list price received And April stats for condominiums and townhouses in San Carlos, Ca 94070: 37 - Active condos and townhouses homes 7 - Homes sold 12- Listings pending 30 - Average days on market $495,000 - Median sold price 99.05% - percent list price received Statistics gathered from MLSListings.com. For information about your specific neighborhood or for additional details, please contact me. 05/06/2010

Market Report: Real Estate Activity, San Carlos, California It's interesting to compare market activity in San Carlos, California during the first quarter of 2009 and 2010. Although listings have picked up these last few weeks, during the first quarter of years they were sparse. Following is a glimpse of what we saw for single family residences in San Carlos. If you'd like details about condominiums or your particular neighborhood in town, give me a call.                                         First Quarter, 2010                First Quarter, 2009 Current Inventory                            59                                        82 Closed Sales                                     36                                        33 Average Days on Market               59                   ... 04/17/2010

City community centers need the community to keep offering classes.  Have you ever signed up for a class then have it cancelled?  Well that is because there weren't enough people.  The community center has to have enough people to make it worth while. The City of San Carlos has kindly offered to step out of procedure and prorate the 5 week class session for Nia to allow people to join.  There are three class left, join now to finish out the session.  This won't be something that they will be able to continue to do. Nia is new to the community center and they are doing a great job in helping it grow.  They are supporting the community by offernig new exercise classes. Your city is doing a nice thing, you can get out there and support it! Nia is on Tuesdays at 6 pm at the San Carlos Adult... 04/15/2010

In addition to teaching Mondays and Wednesdays in the morning in Willow Glen (San Jose), Terre is going to teach the Nia class that the San Carlos Park and Rec Department is offering on Tuesday nights at 6:00 pm starting April 6, 2010. On Tuesday, April 6th, 2010 you can come try it for FREE.  We do need a minimum number of participants signed up to make sure the session is a go, so it is best to sign up early to ensure the set of classes will be held for the scheduled session.  But you can come try it first (on Tues, 4/6), but be sure to sign up on your way out. Nia is a cardio workout done to music so it is a little bit like dancing.  You make it what you want as you follow the teacher through the moves. For more information, please see my website:  http://www.helpyouwell.com/ If you ... 03/29/2010

San Carlos Elms, located at 707 Elm Street in downtown San Carlos, California, is a rental housing community created for Seniors looking for the comforts of home in a supportive, friendly environment. Whether you are selling your San Mateo County or Silicon Valley home, or are moving into the area from afar, living in your own apartment at the beautiful San Carlos Elms offers opportunities to: Feel at home with your own furnishings and family treasures in your own apartment Join in the on-site activities programs, enjoy the crafts room, library, game room, exercise room and spacious lounge Stroll to the nearby San Carlos Adult Center, the beautiful downtown library, and the charming San Carlos shops, restaurants and services Make new friends, and entertain visiting family and friends En... 03/24/2010