October 2010, Mid Market Report - Homes Sales Castro Valley, California, 94546, 94552 Note: previous month’s numbers are in parentheses. Castro Valley, CA homes for sale that sold as of October 15, 2010 • Single Family Detached homes sold – 8(20) • Attached homes sold – 3 (0) Castro Valley, CA homes for sale that went pending as of October 15, 2010 • Single Family Detached homes, pending 11(16) • Attached homes, pending 4(2) Castro Valley, CA homes for sale as of October 15th • Total single family homes for sale in Castro Valley, CA: 120 • Foreclosed/bank-owned homes (REOs) for sale in Castro Valley, CA: 23 • Short Sale homes for sale in Castro Valley, CA: 36 Foreclosure and short sale listings make up 49% of the current homes for sale in Castro Valley, CA. Homes sold are actually at a ... 10/20/2010

CASTRO VALLEY REAL ESTATE HOME SALES JANUARY 2010 Castro Valley Real Estate Sales are looking great for the month of January 2010.  There were a total of 24 homes sold in Castro Valley this month.  The average list price was $463,315 and the average sales price was $458,416.  Meaning that property values are on the rise again. Below is a list of all real estate that sold in Castro Valley this January.  Please feel free to contact me to discuss your Castro Valley real estate needs. www.soldbynicole.com www.homesincontracosta.com www.stopmyforeclosurebayarea.com Address List Price Sales Price Square Ft Bedrooms Baths 2091  strobridge $196,000 $196,000 0 0 0 18750  CENTER ST $250,000 $320,000 1108 3 2 2681  VEGAS AVE $286,900 $270,000 1104 3 1 21103  ASHFIELD AVE $320,000 $420,000 1666 3 2... 02/05/2010

NAR is stepping up pressure on Congress to extend the $8,000 home buyer tax credit. Their strategy includes a nation-wide call-for-action which more than 450,000 REALTORS® have answered by either calling or emailing their elected officials. NAR is also placing ads in Washington D.C. newspapers and on the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post and Google websites.  Finally, NAR officials are meeting directly with congressional leaders. Earlier this week NARs First VP Ron Phipps testified in front of the Senate Banking Committee about the impact the Tax Credit has had on home buying activity in 2009.  You can read Mr. Phipps testimony by clicking here. Remember .... "Dream Green"  Considering Moving to the East Bay Area?    ~   Do you want to Buy or Sell a home?       Do yo... 10/24/2009

This wasn't our client's first Rodeo, as my assistant Maya likes to say.  The homeowner has been through the staging process before with another Realtor/Staging team in 2008.  He thought he knew what was coming and was prepared when we met for our consultation. He had cleaned out the clutter, painted a few walls and worked on the garden a bit. He was a bit surprised when we asked for a few additional items in our report, but after lots of discussion and a few photos from our website he did agree to about 80% of recommendations and committed to staging while staying on a strict budget. Wallpaper came down, fireplace was painted and some of the dated furniture went into the garage. The day of staging arrived and the client left his home expecting to return to a few additional touches and ... 09/09/2009

Guest Post from Nate Hennings After an exhausting Inman RE Conference I was only too happy when Nate offered to write a blog post. Not quite what I was expecting but you have to love the originality…..D.L. Back from another great Inman RE Connect conference and of course have a mile high stack of cards to sift through. Many good memories to recount, thought-provoking conversations to reflect on, and possible business development deals on which to follow up. Pouring over this stack I’m reminded of several do’s and don’ts that I think of after every conference, but that I’ve never catalogued in an organized format. I don’t mean to impress my opinion as authoritative, but rather offer some tips that could prevent you from becoming this guy. In true Inman style, I thought I’d enumerate them... 08/14/2009

Use these green tips for keeping your landscaping (and watering) on the eco-friendly side!Just one leaky faucet or spigot can waste approximately 2,000 gallons of water each year. Repair or replace old or damaged fixtures indoors or outdoors. If you suspect a leak, try this method to help you verify the problem: check the water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, you probably have a leak.Research the various shading strategies that will work best in your regional climate and your microclimate. To block solar heat in the summer but let much of it in during the winter, use deciduous trees. To provide continuous shade or to block heavy winds, use dense evergreen trees or shrubs. For more information on regional... 05/25/2009

No one ever wants to pay more taxes than necessary, but this year it's even more important to save every penny you can. Here are some tips that can help you get a larger refund: Property Tax Deduction for Non-Itemizers: Before 2008, only people who itemized their deductions could deduct property taxes. For 2008, individuals who do not itemize can deduct up to $1,000 of property tax on a joint return or $500 on a single return. Driving Deductions: The IRS increased the cents-per-mile deduction for business-related driving expenses from 50.5 cents to 58.5 cents from July 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008. They also increased the rate for deducting medical and moving driving-related expenses from 19 cents to 27 cents for that same time period. Disaster Losses: Casualty losses (i.e. like t... 04/04/2009

The California Association of REALTORS® has prepared a comprehensive guide to the housing components of the various federal and state stimulus plans. The summary prepared by the C.A.R. Legal Department covers the various home buyer tax credits; tips for working with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac regarding short sale commissions; refinancing options through the Making Home Affordable Program; and an explanation of the 90-day foreclosure extension program. You can download the guide by clicking here. Considering Moving to Castro Valley or the East Bay?    ~   Do you want to Buy or Sell a home?       Do you have clients with needs in the East Bay?      Search East Bay Area Properties    Visit my website at http://pamwinterbauer.com 03/07/2009

Restoring a piece of furniture can seem like a daunting task, but with a little time and patience many projects can be fairly easy. Here are some tips for making your old furniture look like new.   Before beginning, apply a small amount of furniture restoration cleaner in an inconspicuous spot to determine if it is compatible with the furniture's finish. Thoroughly inspect the piece to determine where the worst build up is and clear away any obstructions such as splinters or stray nails. Remove all hardware (handles, etc.) to make the restoration easier.   Experts recommend working in 10- or 12-inch sections first, and then going over the entire area (top of table, side of piece, etc.). This will ensure a more thorough cleaning. Use a small paintbrush or toothbrush to clean hard-to-rea... 02/09/2009

One of the advantages of being in an area for a long time. You get to remember buildings and businesses that are no longer in our towns.  Having grown up in the East Bay I remember the area sometimes the way it was. I for some reason I was having a moment of nostalgia.  I was thinking about the chain of fast food burgers and chicken called RED BARN. Castro Valley had one such outlet.  One of the other RED BARNs I remember was near my uncle's house in Newark. It got me onto a google and wikipedia search to find out what happened to RED BARN.  I came across the following site.  The site below tells the story of the rise and fall of the company. (did you know that it was once part of the Motel6 company) http://barnbuster.net Apparently there were many RED BARNs all over the United States a... 01/06/2009

The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco will be holding a Homeownership Preservation Meeting on Monday, November 3 from 1:00 - 2:30 pm.    The workshop will be held at the Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS® 1651 North 1st St. in San Jose.  This event was organized very quickly by the FHLB in order to meet fast-approaching program deadlines.  The FHLB is rolling out the following two programs that seek to stabilize communities by preserving and increasing homeownership: Workforce Initiative Subsidy for Homeownership (WISH):  Grants to qualified home buyers. The program is designed to help people living in high-cost areas to purchase homes near their work.  For more information please click here. Homeownership Preservation Subsidy (HPS):  This program will provide grants to ... 10/31/2008

eEngineers offer outsourcing services and solutions in Architecture and MEP services, Civil engineering and Structural engineering field. eEngineers is a faultless addition of our client’s engineering and architectural arm so leveraging the accessibility of very trained, skilled engineers and architects in India and create significant economies of scale More » Our outsourcing services and solutions for engineers and architects have helped us to set up our footsteps in the international market. We have be a division of the team for a lot of clientele across the world and have processes and systems in place which make sure high degree of partnership through the customer. The profits of these two-way efforts are many: 31-51 % lessening in engineering price, skills and capability to handle ... 09/21/2008

The community's biggest event of the year has become a block party - a great big quarter-mile long block party. Castro Valley Boulevard will be closed off from Redwood Road to Wilbeam Avenue. The Festival will feature over 100 arts and crafts vendors, along with community booths representing private businesses, governmental agencies, information, displays and services. The Festival will feature a food court with a large variety of foods and treats which will pair nicely with this year's addition of a beer and wine garden. Three stages will supply a variety of entertainment, which will appeal to everyone from the little ones to the oldest of our population. The festival will be open 10:00AM-6:00PM. To compliment the Festival there will be a car show featuring pre-1972 cars to be held in ... 09/15/2008

Today on the broker's tour of San Leandro, Hayward and Castro Valley I had the pleasure to tour the model homes of Seven Hills Castro Valley by Delco Builders. Being the first person there for the day I had an opportunity to talk to Tom Hale, the community sales manager. This appears to a high quality constructed new neighborhood.  HOA fees will be fairly low and reasonable. Large sized & very comfortable homes with large rooms perfect for today's lifestyles.  Architectural styles echo craftsman and traditional styles. Financing is available through the developer's chosen lender partner Wells Fargo Home Mortgage www.delcobuilders.com is the website for the builder.  You can find information about the community here as well as pricing and floor plans. If you would like to take a look at ... 09/03/2008

It has been almost a year since Castro Valley High School in Castro Valley, CA celebrated the opening of their New Sports Stadium. The 46 year old stadium was torn down on June 16th, 2006. It took a little over a year to complete and the grand opening was held on Friday September 28th, 2007. The New Stadium is incredible!!!! It truly looks like a professional stadium and includes artificial turf, 4000 metal bleacher seats, a synthetic track, concession building, restroom building and an incredible sound system. It is situated right next to the new Castro Valley Center of the Arts building. It was very inspiring and exciting to be a part of the first and largest graduation held at Castro Valley High School. 2008 Written by Pamela Ann Northup 08/04/2008

  The Annual Castro Valley Fall Festival returns the weekend of September 13th and 14th for its 36th year!!! Expected crowd this year is estimated at 60,000.  The Festival was taken to the street area and crowds have increased over the years.  We have people coming from all over the Bay Area.    The Castro Valley Fall Festival has a traditional car show located the the Castro Villiage Shopping Center.  There will be three stages with continuous entertainment and a Kids zone near Walgreens. Also attending is Lil Red's Petting Zoo of Castro Valley. This is an exciting year as the Castro Valley Chamber of Commerce is working with the Sanitary Distrrict and Waste mangement on make the Castro Valley Fall Festival as "green" as possible by enhancing recycling efforts and asking vendors to eli... 08/03/2008

The 9th Annual Georgie Porgie Mini Golf Tourney was back by demand and held yesterday at the Golden Tee in Castro Valley.  This event looks as if it was a huge success in raising money for the Bay East Association Foundation Members Helping MembersTM. Members helping MembersTM assists REALTORs® and Affiliate members in need. This program raises funds that are distributed directly to Bay East Association REALTOR® or Affiliate members who have experienced a catastrophic event in their lives and may need some financial help. Over the past few years, the Members Helping Members Program has helped members with terminal illness be able to move home to their families; help pay for the funeral arrangements when a loved one of a member died tragically; and helped a member purchase a specially eq... 07/26/2008

Here are some of the celebrations that are happening around the Bay Area on the 4th.  Be safe an enjoy. Alameda:  Friday, July 4, Parade at 10am. The Alameda 4th of July Parade is the second longest Independence Day parade in the nation. With over 170 floats that travel a three mile route.  Info: www.alamedaparade.com  Berkeley:  Fourth of July at Berkeley Marina. July 4, noon-9:30pm, live entertainment, arts & crafts, boat rides. Fireworks at 9:30pm off the end of the Berkeley Pier.  Info: www.ci.berkeley.ca.us . Fremont:   Friday July 4, Fremont 4th of July Parade in Centerville District, starting at 10am.   Info: http://www.fremont4thofjulyparade.org/index.html.  Livermore:   Old-Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration, Friday July 4, 4pm to 10pm in Robertson Park. Entrance fee is $15 p... 07/02/2008

http://castrovalleyhomes.wordpress.com/ 07/02/2008

It's another Sunday evening and the beginning of preparing for the week.   As we all know or should know preparation is a crucial element to success whether it is preparing for an important meeting or an upcoming summer vacation.  As Zig Ziglar once said, "You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win." Here are some steps you can use to prepare for anything.  Ask yourself: What is the objective?  Determine where you want to end up before you get started, and make sure you don't just pick the easiest or most obvious result.  Make sure your objective ties into your short and long-term goals. Are there precedents?  Look for people who have both failed and succeeded in similar situations and see what and how you can learn from their expe... 06/29/2008