Median For Sale vs. Median Sold Aug-10 vs. Aug-11: The median price of for sale properties is down 0% and the median price of sold properties is down 13% Aug-10 vs. Aug-11 FOR SALE Aug-10 Aug-11 Change % 500,000 500,000 -0 -0%   Aug-10 vs. Aug-11 SOLD Aug-10 Aug-11 Change % 517,500 452,000 -65,500 -13%       Supply & Demand by Month Aug-10 vs. Aug-11: The number of for sale properties is down 15% and the number of sold properties is down 8% Aug-10 vs. Aug-11 FOR SALE Aug-10 Aug-11 Change % 963 822 -141 -15% Aug-10 vs. Aug-11 SOLD Aug-10 Aug-11 Change % 158 146 -12 -8%     Thank you for reading this blog. Should you have any questions regarding the data or want more information about the City of Fremont, please feel free to contact me.  If you or someone you know owe more than your home... 09/01/2011

The name Mel Blanc may not have been too well known to many young children growing up in the 60's and 70's, but he was one of my childhood heroes. You may have remembered him as Barney Rubble, Bugs Bunny (not to mention ALL of the Looney Tunes characters all the way down to even Black Jacque Shallac). They were all the voice talents of Mel Blanc.   Last week was a tough week at my real estate office here in Fremont CA http://www.tricityhome.com. One real estate lender was particularly persnickety. At the end of the day, on may way home, I heard the voice of Bugs Bunny singing the old Danny Kaye scat routine my head. A half smile made its way to what must have already looked like a genuine curmudgeon's face.   You might say that I just had to scratch that old Bugs byte. So, after I found... 08/20/2011

Last year, 330 cars were on display. This year…even more.     When: Saturday, August 20th, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Where:  on Niles Boulevard between J and G Streets. Niles, Fremont, Ca. What: Hot August Niles Car Show     For the first time, a Studebaker owner’s club will be bringing more than a dozen examples of that marque to display. The Fremont Mustang Club will be displaying its members' cars and offering up its mouth watering barbeque selections. Niles merchants and restaurants will all be open and welcoming you to visit.   …or, just stroll among the dozens of cars and enjoy the live music from the Niles Town Plaza.     08/19/2011

I spent the morning with my Lion Club selling wine, beer and soft drinks at the Cajun Zydeco Festival at Ardenwood Farm in Fremont, Ca. Since it was a warm day, the lines were steady for beverages to compliment the crayfish, oysters, chicken, and Cajun and Creole dishes.     Music was supplied by Gator Beat, Jeffrey Broussard & the Creole Cowboys, Andre Thierry and Zydeco Magic and BeauSoleil Avec Michael Doucet. The music was rowdy and fun and lots of dancing took place.     Thanks to the East Bay Parks District folks for partnering with the Dawn Breakers Lions Club to raise funds to underwrite the event and contribute to Lions charities.     For me, it was a great way to spend a morning before meeting two different clients to show houses in San Leandro and Fremont. Being a Realtor is ... 08/13/2011

Tomorrow night, Aug. 12th, Street Eats will return to Fremont at Pacific Commons in front of Any Mountain. From 4:30 to 9:00 there will be a delicious assortment of foods available coming to you in a culinary traveling caravan. Fun and good food from: Grill Stars That’s Sweet Dessert Truck BBQ Kalbi Siam on Wheels Twisted Chili       MoBow O Mi Ninja BiggShrimp’n If you miss tomorrow evening’s opportunity for a fun dining experience, Fremont Street Eats will be repeated every other Friday night through September. Mark your calendars for Sept. 26th, and Sept. 23rd. 08/11/2011

At the Fremont, Ca. campus of DeVry University, 6600 Dumbarton Circle, Fremont, Ca., the travelling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall will be on display August 10-13 from 10:00 a.m. to 6 p.m.  This is a traveling, smaller size replica of the Memorial in Washington, D.C. The replica, which includes all 58,129 names of fallen soldiers from the Vietnam War is 8 feet tall at the center and 46 feet from end to end.                                                                            Even if you have seen the Washington, D. C. original, this replica, with its reminder of all that our service men and women do for us, will move you. My wife’s uncle and one of my college classmates have their names on the wall. 08/10/2011

   What role did "Walters and Wolf Company" play at MGM City Center in Las Vegas Nevada by Robert Swetz (Vegas Bob)  "Walters and Wolf" Glass Company installed all the Glass & Panels in The Harmon Building at MGM City Center in Las Vegas Nevada, the Building with the (Blue Glass).  I started working for "Walters and Wolf" Glass Company in Las Vegas Nevada in the year of 2004. Walters & Wolf Glass Company is finishing the Harmon Building which is the Blue Building on the right hand of the photograph above.  I am still working on this project for Walters and Wolf and I have to say this is a wonderful company to work for. Walters & Wolf has their own Metal Extrusion for all the buildings they construct.  The owner of Walters and Wolf is Randy Wolf and my foreman since 2004 has been Ron Ni... 07/22/2011

The Fremont Jail is a small detention facility located at the southern edge of Alameda County and is operated by the Fremont Police Department. Typically, this facility will hold a small amount of arrestees from Fremont for up to 72hours or until the arrestee's first court appearance before they are shipped off to the Main County Jail. The nice part about community jails like Fremont is their ability to operate efficiently because they are not overwhelmed by volume. A perfect example of how the Fremont Jail operates efficiently is how quickly they process bail bonds and release inmates. In most cases once a bail bond is posted at the Fremont Jail, the arrestee will usually be released within 30 to 45 minutes. Compare this to a large facility like Santa Rita, where the release time is 6 ... 06/24/2011

His name is Retro. Initially, it was one of those 70's retro popcorn ceiling light fixtures. "He" was later created by dotting on a little mud on after removing him from our popcorn ceiling during our popcorn removal fest in our Fremont home.  Frugal as we are, my wife and I were sure that we could remove the stuff ourselves--keep in mind that the living room has a 12 foot high ceiling that measures 28 X 12. The 1700 sq ft task was labor intensive, exhausting and messy--and we supposed to have been prepared. We were not. Pooped out from popcorn removal, I tried to inject a little humor into the project. I run around the house while holding "Retro," making robot sounds and chasing the kids with it during breaks. My Fremont real estate office http://www.tricityhome.com recently sold anot... 06/18/2011

I just read a newspaper story about high performing schools in Santa Clara County. The article puffed with pride over the consistently high ranking of those schools. They should be proud. High performing schools are important to students, school staff, families, the community and homeowners. Yes! High performing schools are in desirable residential areas. Fremont, Ca. is a case in point. If you are interested in buying real estate in Fremont, Ca. you will pay a premium if the new home that you seek is in the Mission San Jose School District. Schools in the attendance area of Mission San Jose School District are also consistently ranked among the top performing California schools. We know that quality schools drive real estate values and that is true in the Mission San Jose School Distri... 05/05/2011

There was a time where I blog posted every day about Fremont real estate and homes in Fremont CA.  Since then, I have not blog posted about Fremont homes or anything for that matter until now.    In the Brookvale Elementary School area, a couple things are stirring. First, my Fremont home for sale on 3670 Alder Ave is back on the market and getting many showings--we need the exposure. It is a good Fremont home at a good Fremont sales price. The Trulia link is here at http://www.trulia.com/property/3028428984-3670-Alder-Ave-Fremont-CA-94536.  Second, and not so related, is that significant sized trout are being caught in Fremont CA at the Quarry Lakes. I have seen Fremont trout being caught twice just by observing the Fremont fishing enthusiasts giving it a try. During the most recent b... 04/13/2011

There is a lot of hard work that goes into a good article or a good blog, for that matter. After all, it takes time to write. More than that, however, it takes quite a bit of concentration and organization for the brain to dictate what to write.   As F. Scott Fitzgerald once said: “All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath. “   When you swim under water, you are in a different space. When you write, you take your readers to a different ‘world’ where your ideas reign supreme. And when you hold your breath under water, you are playing with time - for how long can you stay submerged in water? When you labor to excel in your craft, your aim is to be different and to be recognized – essentially, you are taking a risk…and you are holding your breath.      Funny, I chan... 04/07/2011

They're wild. They're yellow. And they're in our backyard in Fremont, CA. Whether you look at the whole army of yellow flowers or just isolate one yellow bloom, they surely bring a bright disposition to its audience.     03/30/2011

MLS data holds a wealth of information that can provide explanations, support or negate assumptions by quantifying real estate transactions that fit certain criteria. Here is a look at MLS data in Fremont, CA which aims to gain a better perspective of short sales that become foreclosures. Specifically, this is an attempt to answer and put numbers to the following questions:  What percentage of sold REOs were previously listed as short sales? What is the sold price of REOs vs. their list price when they were short sales? How long were the short sales listed before they were pulled out of MLS? To set the base of this analysis, the following MLS data were pulled:  Sold REOs that were short sale listings within 6 months prior REOs sold Jan. 1 - Mar. 25, 2011 (recorded sold per MLS) Propert... 03/29/2011

It was an amazing sight to behold - birds flocking together in a rhythmic pattern across the blue skies of Fremont's Lake Elizabeth. Whether they are just playing or seriously sticking together for security, they send a message loud and clear - there is strength in their number. For is not a flock strong because of the individual birds that have bound themselves together in pursuit of a common goal? A single bird is as strong as the flock that supports it; conversely, a flock is only as strong as the birds that form it. This flock of birds displays it so gracefully, unknowingly showing us humans that simple yet powerful virtue called UNITY.  03/15/2011

When I decided to go bike riding with my daughter, I had no idea what I was getting into. We started our workout on the Sequoia entry point on the Fremont side of the Alameda Creek Trail, which spans the cities of Fremont, Newark and Union City.   The long curving trail runs a distance of a good 12 miles. And no, we did not bike ride that distance, not even close! But whatever we traversed, the labor of pedaling wasn’t all that bad, and in fact was made a little lighter by sceneries of the gorgeous hills of the Niles, the refreshing sound of the running stream and occasional ducks on the side.   And after cycling our way back home, my knees finally gave in and cried “I’m sore!” And my response: It was well worth it! 02/14/2011

  The drive from Fremont to Sacramento required for us to take several freeways, the main ones being I-880, I-680 and I-80. In certain sections of the freeways are carpool lanes, intended to ease traffic especially during peak hours.   Interestingly, carpool rules differ from one freeway to another, that’s why I had to constantly look for the carpool signs to make sure I followed the rules and avoid being penalized a huge $381.   Entering I-880’s carpool lane was almost automatic for me and my husband; I knew carpool meant a minimum of 2 persons per vehicle. But when we approached I-680’s Benicia Bridge (also known as George Miller Jr. Bridge), the rules of the game changed. We were no longer privileged to get into the carpool lane, since the definition changed to 3 persons per car.   ... 02/12/2011

FHA Government Loan is still available in Fremont CA .. for now Did you know? FHA (Federal Housing Administration) Government Loans allow low to moderate income families to purchase/refinance their own home. FHA loans take experience in originating, processing, underwriting and closing---that's why working with an experienced lender is so important. Here is what I can do for an FHA Government Loan: - Down payment as low as 3.5% ! - down to 500 FICO Credit Score - 45% DTI (Debt to Income Ratio) for housing expense. Up to 57% Total DTI with strong compensating factors -Can do NO DOCUMENTATION with streamline without appraisal program (Email /call me for more details to see if you qualify) -Can Receive 100% of the down payment and closing costs from an approved gift source (like a family m... 02/11/2011

  The library provides a comforting respite amid the stress and pressures of work or just the boredom of one’s daily routine. And so it was with much anticipation that drove a few blocks down to the local Centerville Library, not so much as to seek quiet – since most of the library patrons were kids whose energetic voices filled the small library with a delightful buzz.   But instead, my purpose in going to the library was to sit, relax and watch a DVD movie which I have borrowed from this same library last week. The movie, “The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros,” a Filipino Indie film nominated for Best Foreign Film during the 2007 Annual Academy Awards), was now going to be due in two days, and what better way to avoid late fees than to watch it and return it at the same time, while you’... 02/10/2011

5 Steps to First Time Homebuyer Happiness in Fremont CA 1) Find out what you can afford to pay for a house, condo, or co-op with a First Time Homebuyer Program(This will all depend on the amount of cash you have available for a down payment, your credit, income, assets and overall financial situation)                         - Mortgage qualification is easier if all the documents are provided to the lender upfront in a timely manner   2) Without a formal loan application, an issued prequalification letter does not carry the weight of a preapproval letter. HOUSE HUNTING TIP: You are in a much stronger position negotiating with a seller if you have a preapproval letter stating that you are qualified for the mortgage you will need to close the sale. It could be essential if you are competi... 02/04/2011