I love fun jewelry.  Cheap jewelry. Classy. Trashy. Flashy... I love it all. I long ago gave up buying expensive jewelry - like gold and diamonds.... OK, you caught me.  I NEVER have bought gold and diamonds, unless you count the 2 carat diamond I found, for which I bought a new setting.  But that doesn't count. (And that's another story). I'm lucky my very favorite jewelry store is just a few blocks from my home, in Old Fair Oaks Village. It's The Hart Collection at 10145 Fair Oaks Blvd, right across from the Oaks Hardware. The first time I went there, I left with 5 watches and about 4 necklace sets. Little cuff watches in lots of colors.  Very cool. Today I picked up 5 more necklace sets, plus a sequined-covered purse.  That store is addicting, if you're a jewelry hound, like me! Own... 04/26/2010

Check out what is happening with home prices in Fair Oaks CA. The following two charts will show you: * The number of homes currently for sale in Fair Oaks, vs pending sales, vs sold homes, month by month for the past 15 months.     * Average price per square foot of homes sold in Fair Oaks during the past 15 months. Fair Oaks   04/12/2010

Fair Oaks is kinda fancy when it comes to housing values. Much like Carmichael, a Fair Oaks address is not to be scoffed at :-) With both newer homes and much older homes, Fair Oaks maintains a level of sophistication that can't be beat. I've had some of my best study hours in the Fair Oaks Library doing case law back in the 80's. We can't forget the chickens so well known in the charming part that is known as "Old Fair Oaks." With everything from the age-old hardware store to my favorite hot yoga studio, Old Town has something for everyone! So for clarity, Fair Oaks is stretch of land that starts just about behind Sunrise Mall, and goes on til just before it turns into Orangevale Main Street and soon after the through way to Folsom (where I was born!). Here's what's happening in Fair O... 04/06/2010

The Miller Park area of Fair Oaks California is a nice place to live.  I know this first hand, since I live in the area! The area around Miller Park in Fair Oaks is an established somewhat older area, although most of the homes have undergone remodels and upgrades through the years.  This area, like most of Fair Oaks, is a mixture of styles and sizes, although there are few very small homes in this area. As of the writing of this article, there are 12 homes listed for sale within a one mile radius of Miller Park, with the smallest being 1677 square feet on .32 acre listed for $295,000 and the largest is 9500 square feet on .493 acre, listed at $1,849,000.  But if you exclude the two homes listed at over 1 million dollars, the reast would average about $450,000-500,000 and about 2500 squ... 03/29/2010

The Phoenix Field area of Fair Oaks California has an interesting history! Many people don't realize that the Sacramento area used to have a number of small airports, which have since been closed.  Homes or other developments now stand where planes used to land. One of these was Phoenix Field in Fair Oaks, California.  The airport opened about 1947, had a 2600 foot long runway and a parallel taxiway.  A number of people lived around the edge of the field, and they could taxi their planes from their yards to the runway. Phoenix Field airport closed in about 1987, and although some residents were sad to see it go, it wasn't long before developers began building homes where the airport used to be.  They honored the old airport by naming the development Phoenix Field.  Streets were given na... 03/27/2010

The heart of Fair Oaks California is an area known as Fair Oaks Village.  It has a distinct character that differs a bit from the rest of Fair Oaks, and it's easy to fall in love with Fair Oaks Village in Fair Oaks California. Long before Fair Oaks was settled by farmers, the Maidu Native Americans had lived here for at least 10,000 years.  Then in the mid-1800s the area was inhabited by miners of Northern California’s Gold Rush.  A few families settled in and around what is now the Village area of Fair Oaks, and that was the beginning of the town we now call home. When Fair Oaks was first being settled in 1895, it was somewhat cut off from other areas by the American River.  The settlements suffered from a lack of access to water and a railroad line.  A club of businessmen in Chicago a... 03/25/2010

(Slide Show - 10 Images Total)It seems I'm too early for just about everything lately!  It began a couple of weeks ago when I made a little trip up to Daffodil Hill hoping the daffodils were poking their heads out and announcing that spring was easily on the horizon.  Alas, it wasn't to be.  A   caretaker at the hill explained it would likely be March 12th before they opened the gates to visitors.  That has since been rescheduled to March 20th.Again, this morning I was in search of the illusive spring, even though the sun was shining forth, and not a cloud was in the sky!Not far from my home is the Greater Sacramento community of Fair Oaks.  Fair Oaks has many delightful parks, activities, and things to visit and see.  One of my favorites - and a favorite of some of my grandkids, is the... 03/14/2010

Don't forget to turn your clocks forward Saturday night March 13 before you go to bed or you'll be late for any meetings or church services on Sunday!  And when you have done that, take another moment to check the batteries in your smoke detectors and any flashlights that you may have. If you tie the battery check to turning the clock back and forth, you will never go more than 6 months without checking, and your smoke detectors will stay ready.  Also, nothing is more frustrating than to have your power go out and you discover that your flashlight batteries are dead.  Both are safety issues, but just a few minutes and a small cost can perhaps save lives. So spring forward to save your Sunday and check batteries to save lives! ************ Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, ... 03/12/2010

Fair Oaks California is a wonderful place to buy property -- whether for your home or an investment.  We have all been immersed in news and experiences that have told us that when the housing bubble burst, prices came crashing down, with many homes suddenly having to sell for as little as 45 percent what they sold for a couple of years ago.  Happily for Fair Oaks, California, the experience has not been as bad. Fair Oaks has always been an address that carries value with it.  It is a special place, and property values have not been as severely impacted as in many areas.  Here are some charts showing trends in Fair Oaks CA, zip 95628, over the last 15 months, and they illustrate my point.   By the chart above, you will see that the average Fair Oaks house sold for $167 per square foot in... 02/28/2010

Okay, just a few words! This January's record storms have wreaked a great deal of havoc throughout our state, including here in beautiful Fair Oaks California.  I wasn't as brave as Russel Ray, who went out and photographed damage in San Diego, but I peeked out my front door during some of the lighter moments with my Flip video camera to give you a small taste - it got worse after this!  Brrrrr!     ************ Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy." For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com. 01/24/2010

Now that the market is improving in many areas of the country, there are a number of listings coming on the market just as the holiday season gets under way.  There are some who believe that this is the wrong time to sell your home because people allegedly do not househunt in December.  I have not found that to be true, and December has always been a busy month for me. If you are marketing your home this holiday season, your chances of finding someone who will fall in love with it are greatly increased if you remember a few things:  1.  Be very sparing with perfumes and fragrances.  One bottle of essential oil with bamboo sticks can infuse your entire home with a subtle aroma.  Although it may not seem as "Christmasy", a light vanilla fragrance is probably the best to make your home fre... 12/02/2009

  ************ Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy." For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com. 11/28/2009

It’s time again to get ready for Christmas in the Village of Fair Oaks, California.  This year the celebration will be on Saturday, December 5th, and it is a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season. Festivities begin at 1:00 pm with Santa and Mrs. Claus on hand for children to visit.  They will be available until about 3:30.  Meanwhile, from 1:00 – 2:00 and again from 3:00 – 4:00, there will be holiday music filling the area. And don’t forget to check all of the vendors of arts and crafts, holiday decorations and gifts and some business services.  Those booths will be open from 1:00 until dusk.  A good place to do some of your Christmas shopping. The Village Amphitheater will be putting on a production of “Winnie the Pooh” beginning at 2:00.  Admission is FREE with a can of food, w... 11/19/2009

When you run out to get that last minute bag of candy for the trick-or-treaters, pick up a few batteries too! Halloween night is the night to turn the clocks back an hour, and it is also the best time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors.  I had someone ask me why the batteries should be changed on the specific days that the clocks are changed forward and backward.  There really is no reason to do it on those days, except that we change the clocks every 6 months, and you should change your batteries every 6 months.  Changing the clocks is easy to remember (or if you forget, you will have an unpleasant surprise when you show up an hour late or an hour eary for church or an appointment the next day). It is harder to remember to change your smoke detector batteries, yet that cou... 10/30/2009

Are we headed into a climate change that will escalate through the years?  Many top scientists think that conclusion is inescapable.  One major contributor to the progress of a climate change that could be catastrophic over time is the increase of greenhouse gases that are burning away the ozone layer protecting us from deadly rays. What can each of us do to slow that catastrophe?  There are many simple things that we can do to reduce the greenhouse gases we emit into the atmosphere.  Some of the easiest and most effective are: •    Change your lightbulbs to those with the Energy Star.  According to the EPA, changing just 5 bulbs in your home will prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to removing nearly 10 million cars from the road.  And ... you will save money on your energy bills! •   ... 10/15/2009

Sell your own home or use a Realtor?  This is a question that many sellers struggle with because they think that they will make more money when they don't have to pay any commissions.  Unfortunately for those who choose the FSBO (for sale by owner) route, they often end up making less money and suffering much more aggravation. Julie Martin wrote a post asking for FSBO stories to share.  This is one I shared with her there, but this is a great issue to explore and I wanted to expand my thoughts into a full post of my own.First, the story I referred to:There was a FSBO in a Fair Oaks California neighborhood I had done some farming in.  After seeing that sign for a couple of months I tried 7 or 8 times to go by and talk to them but never caught them at home, day or evening, weekday or week... 10/06/2009

Comedy Under the Stars is back in Fair Oaks, Friday September 25 ! Come join the Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District for a night full of laughs! It's Comedy Under the Stars in Fair Oaks.  Sacramento's "Laughs Unlimited" comes to Fair Oaks for an outdoor comedy show you don't want to miss, featuring some of the hottest comedy acts in the business. The show is recommended for adult audiences only, and will be at the Veterans Memorial Amphitheater, 7991 California Avenue (in Fair Oaks Village).  If you haven't been to the amphitheater for awhile, you should see it now.  Many upgrades have already been made, and there will be even more in the future - it is a great venue! Open seating begins at 7:00 pm and the show starts at 8:00 pm.  Tickets are $12 if purchased in advance or $15 at the... 09/20/2009

I happened to catch the new Dr. Oz show in TV a couple of days ago, and he had several experts on the program to discuss the H1N1 virus (swine flu) and ways to protect yourself from it.  I took some notes and here is what I learned. It has clearly become a pandemic according to the World Health Organization (WHO).  The flu pandemic of 1918 killed 40 million people worldwide (including my mother's mother).  One million people in the United States are already infected with H1N1, and WHO is predicting that up to 90,000 will die of it in the U.S.  They've determined that it began in Mexico, and is just one of those flukes of mutation.  Somehow the human strain of flu and the bird flu combined in a pig and mutated into a new strain, which became H1N1.  The difference between this new strain ... 09/16/2009

09/09/2009

Sellers:  You can help your agent negotiate on your behalf so that you get your best deal.  Whether you are a buyer or a seller, there are things you can do to make your transaction go much more smoothly.  For this article, I'll be talking to sellers. First, you should be very clear on what you want, what your priorities are, why you need that sum, and why you believe that your home should sell for the amount you want.  Be realistic - clearly it would be great for your 1200 square foot home to bring a million dollars, but that is unlikely to occur. Pricing:  You should be prepared to listen with an open mind to the advice your agent provides, as he or she does this every day and knows what the market will bear.  Have your agent show you how your home compares with others in your neighbo... 09/08/2009