This series looks at the Constitution and what it says.  Frequently we think we know what it says, but when we actually read it we are surprised by what it actually says. You may want to read Part 1 and Part 2 first. Early in the Days of the Republic in the famous case of Marbury Vs. Madison the Supreme Court Established the Right of Judicial Review and declared something "unconstitutional" for the first time. Basically the Supreme Court set the Court System up, with them at the top of it, as the arbitrators of what the Constitution means and how it should work.  There are those that argue the Supreme Court should not be the final arbitrator of the laws and the Constitution.  Much of what contributes to the many court decisions is vague and complex laws that need interpreting and put in... 03/04/2011

I am taking a look at what the Constitution actually says in relation to what people think it says.  Take a look at Part 1 if you want a little more background. One of the biggest controversies that will not seem to die is where was Barak Obama born; and presumably if he was born in Kenya he cannot run for or be President.  It is well documented that one of the candidates in the last election was not born in the United States - John McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone. What does the Constitution Say?  In Article II Section I on the executive it goes over the qualifications to be President: No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Perso... 03/04/2011

The Liberty High School Lions in Brentwood California has one of the best high school wrestling programs around. My son is a Freshman and wrestles in the Heavy Weight Division.  He has come a long way since he was in the 6th grade and I had to watch him loose every single match; often sadly and painfully so. Our Varsity cleaned up and ran away with the BVAL Tournament.  Here is my son Nelson Riemenschneider winning the JV Heavy Weight Division.  He is in the Red Singlet.   03/04/2011

The Constitution - What Does it Really Say - Part 1                                                  Pic By Rhys's Piece it at Flickr As some of you might know I am a Commander in our Local Royal Rangers Outpost 5.  One of the things I am doing with the young men in the Outpost is teaching the Citizenship Badge, one of the required Badges for them to get the Gold Medal of Achievement. As part of earning the Badge they need to read the Constitution.  I have been doing this in class with them and bring some historical perspective to the class.  I find the Constitution is a lot like the Bible: Very important to know and understand. Sometimes hard to read when you first start. Is more enjoyable when you understand the cultural and historical background of what is going on. And finally peopl... 03/03/2011

Investment Properties Brentwood California 94513 Right now Investors are picking up bargains Investment Properties in Brentwood California 94513 and the Best Buys in Brentwood California 94513 are Bank Owned Homes. The number of Bank Owned Homes in Brentwood California 94513 is falling off and now represents less than 1/6 of the market. However, this is still a substantial portion of the real estate market. Right now the average asking price for homes in Brentwood California 94513 is $179.00 per SF; for those homes priced under $1,000,000.00 it is only $142.00 per SF, but the average asking price for Bank Owned Homes is $132.00 per SF. This is a big savings, although many Bank Owned Homes may need some work. If repairs needed on these Bank Owned Homes they are minor and the Real Estate ... 02/27/2011

How do you want to be Taxed? Well if this was an episode of Family Feud I am sure the survey would show # 1 answer - "Not at all." Realistically we need to have some taxes and no one is going to like some tax for some reason.  Now I am one of those people that think Taxes are way to high and we need to lower them or eliminate some of them, but we will always need some.  I just wrote another post - Are we all caught in the same web? talking about how we are all in some way economically dependent on the government.  On the flip side although we all want less government we still need some and it needs to be paid for. On the post - Are we all caught in the same web? one of the comments suggested a flat tax of 10% and in principal I support a flat tax, but in some ways it is not that easy.  ... 02/25/2011

Brentwood is one of the most desirable and upscale neighborhoods in Los Angeles. There are many coffee shops and restaurants to choose from, especially at the corner of Barrington and San Vicente where you will find a 2 block region of shops, restaurants and café's.  For restaurants check out The Brentwood, Chin Chin, The Coral Tree Café, Daily Grill, Gaucho Grill, La Scalal Presto, La Pain Quotidien, Toscana or Vicenti. Check out the Brentwood Farmers market on Sunday for fresh fruit & veggies. Local landmarks include the Brentwood County Club for your golf, the Getty Center for all your art museum attractions and San Vicente Boulevard for your jogging pleasure. Notable residents include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel, Alanis Morissette, Steven Spielberg, Naomi... 02/19/2011

HAFA to Speed Short Sales in Brentwood California 94513? Every month I prepare detailed reports on Short Sales in Brentwood California 94513. If you want more details on the Short Sale market reports or other market reports in Brentwood California 94513 or other markets you can e-mail me directly. The numbers on Short Sales go up and down some from month to month but one thing remains consistent about Short Sales - They are not selling as fast as they should! Right now in Brentwood California 94513 there are 91 Short Sale Homes on the market representing nearly 1/2 of the Brentwood California 94513 real estate market. Currently there are 202 Pending Short Sale Homes in Brentwood California 94513, however there were only 30 Short Sales in December and 31 Short Sales in January in Brentwo... 02/16/2011

I have been following Wrestling for a few years and my son is Wrestling at Liberty High School in Brentwood California as a Freshman. I have learned that there are 3 basic types of matches: Double Elimination where individuals wrestle within their weight class and are eliminated with 2 losses. Round Robin where you wrestle everyone within a weight class to determine the medal winners. The 3rd type is a Duals Meet where you Wrestle as a team.  Both schools enter one wrestler in each weight class and you get points as the matched wrestlers meet.  You get more points for a pin than a win on points.  The team with the most points wins. On Saturday February 24, 2011 my son went with the JV team to Freedom High School for a Duals meet.  Now I don't know why the call it a JV team as some varsi... 02/12/2011

I am one of those guys who has trouble throwing anything out.  I am getting better about it and more selective.  However, after my wife and I were married about 9 years ago I found a Silhouette I had made probably in kindergarten or back in the 1st grade; I was probably living in Oklahoma then. My wife said she had hers too and found it.  Many kids do this when they are young and in school, but I thought it was unique that we both could find ours. I had them framed for her for Christmas:   02/12/2011

Homes for Sale Brentwood California 94513 Homes for Sale in Brentwood California 94513 are some of the nicest homes in East Contra Costa County. This report looks at Single Family Homes for Sale in Brentwood California 94513. Right now there are 218 Homes for Sale in Brentwood California 94513, but we will only look at the 212 homes priced under $1,000,000 or it skews the stats. The asking price on these homes averages $329,412.00 or $142.00 per SF. The prices on Homes for Sale in Brentwood California 94513 went down a little in January, as did the total number of sales. In December 88 Homes for Sale sold at an average price of $313,833.00 or an average of $135.00 per SF. However in January only 70 Homes for Sale in Brentwood California 94513 sold at an average price of $300,052.00 or a... 02/11/2011

My Team will be at this Wonderful Brentwood Home on Sat and Sun Stop by for buyer info, seller info, loan info or short sale info! This home is a must see! With many upgrades it is a true beauty! 3 Bedrooms and 3 Bathrooms with over 2600 sq. ft. of living space. Mosaic tile entry, stained glass frech doors, with 2 tone paint and GRANITE kitchen. Please stop by and check out this very nice home in Brentwood! For Brentwood Real Estate : Shannon Coe Realtor #01489731 WR Properties Brentwood CA http://www.ShannonCoe.com   02/11/2011

As I blogged about New Homes I set out to see each developement and blog about what they have to offer: Today it is Penrose at Barrington: Very nice day today! They are built by Standard Pacific Homes www.StandardPacificHomes.com These homes are really nice. Built on the outskirts of town next to what will be our newest Elementry School. They have about five models ranging from 2000sq. ft. to 3300 sq.ft. Most are on nice sized lots. Most models have 3 cars garages, some are two car with a tandem. Prices range from $359,000 to $419,000. I know some incentives that I can get you! Call me if you are interested in a new home. Easy financing, FHA Ok! For more information on New Homes in Brentwood: Shannon Coe Realtor #01489731 WR Properties Brentwood CA http://www.ShannonCoe.com 02/10/2011

In our Northern California it is well publicized if a home is NOT a short sale or an REO. Why...because we have had a bunch. Many homeowners in our area have had to short sale or be foreclosed on. I have helped many of these people relocate and start their life again. But there is another whole area of Real Estate that is coming back to our area....New HOMES! Yes the building has begun again. There are opportunities for closing cost credit to be paid and for your to move right in with out a lot of out of pocket repair expenses. It is a great time to buy a new home and I know what builders have the best deals and the available inventory! But do not go alone, you still need an agent to go with you and be on your side! For More information on New Homes: Shannon Coe Realtor #01489731 WR Pro... 02/10/2011

I live and work in a wonderful little town calledBrentwood California. We are located in Northern California about an hour from the Capital Sacramento. We are a quick bart ride to the City of San Francisco. We are just a quick hour or so to the Silicon Valley. We have the Delta WaterwaysWe are bordered by beaches...1-3 hours away and the snowy mountains....about the same. We have a great community feel to our town with lots of parent and grandparent involvement. We have a great little mall where you can find most things you may want. We also have a great Real Estate Market.. If you are thinking of Relocating to California...Give Brentwood a look: I can help: Shannon Coe Realtor #01489731 WR Properties Brentwood CA http://www.ShannonCoe.com   02/09/2011

Concierge Customer Service I have had some bad Customer Service experiences.  My latest one is with the cable provider.  I have been bounced around for two months trying to get their Internet phone service.  I will call or go on line with a problem and get tossed to 2 or 3 different people, often with no solution.  No one can/will solve the problem and call me back.  No one cares - as long as they do their job in their narrow parameters that is all they need to do. As a Realtor Customer Service is one of my primary goals.  I only get paid when my customer gets what they want.  I have many specialized skills designed to help my clients buy and sell real estate.  A real estate transaction is one of the most complex transactions you will ever complete.  I find a real estate transaction to ... 02/04/2011

Yes there are Beautiful, brand new homes available in Brentwood California! With clean carpet and granite counters. Nice floor plans, with new neighbors moving in. Many upgrades are also included. Closing costs are sometimes paid! We can get backyard landscaped! I know where the best deals in town are! For more information on these great deals... Contact: Shannon Coe Realtor #01489731 WR Properties Brentwood CA http://www.ShannonCoe.com   01/31/2011

Bank Owned Homes 94513 Right now many Real Estate Investors are buying up Bank Owned Homes. Bank Owned Homes are some of the best bargains for Real Estate Investors and traditional home buyers in years. This report looks at Bank Owned Homes in 94513, Brentwood California, by comparing the current active month with the sales from the last two months. This report only looks at Single Family Bank Owned Homes, not condos and townhouses.   Right now there are 44 Bank Owned Homes on the market 94513 with an average list price of $287,572.00 and a median list price of $299,450.00. The average price per SF is $123.00 and the homes have been on the market an average of 33 days. In November 29 Bank Owned Homes in 94513 sold for an average of $261,408.00 and a median price of $285,000.00. The aver... 01/30/2011

Today Saturday Jan. 29,2011 I will take a Family Day. I actually mean a mother daughter day. Tomorrow I have events with my husband and boys. At first I was stressed....what a whole weekend lost to competitions and tournaments...when can I work?? But after a little calm down I realized that I need to have balance in my life and I need to make sure I am having family time. One of the BIG reasons I became an agent was to have a flexible schedule so I can spend time with my kids. So this weekend I will just relax and enjoy the competitive spirit of my children and root them on during their  sporting events! But I will not forget to ask for referrals! Shannon Coe Realtor #01489731 WR Properties Brentwood CA http://www.ShannonCoe.com 01/29/2011

Right now has been a good time for investors and I have been working with a lot of them; but another group of people that should be looking to buy at this time is Move Up Buyers.  There is one general qualification to be a move up buyer at this time: Have equity in your current home.  The entire concept of moving up means selling one home and buying a bigger/better home.  You might short sale without missing a payment (very hard to do) and buy right away, or maybe you can afford to move without selling the old home.  But Having Equity in your current home is the most common way. (Photo by Shawn Perez at Flickr) Here are the reasons now is a good time to move up:   Smaller homes often purchased by first time buyers are hot!  Investors want them and people with a scaled back income want ... 01/26/2011