Happy Halloween! Well, all the grapes are pretty much off the vines. The weather is a little cooler in the high 60's but clear. There is a little more of a northern wind than usual. But still a great time to come to the valley. Downtown Napa has a lot to offer. If you are looking for a new experience outside your car, park and go. There are several new hotels, open markets with fantastic food, local wine shops and restaurants galor to choose from. This link will provide you with a map of Napa's downtown. https://napi.net-flow.com/napadowntown.com/documents/Downtown%20Map%202008.pdf Restaurant Pick of the Week: Frankies Deli on Main  www.frankiesonmain.com Our great uncle, Frank Rossi, made a life with the people of Napa. We are excited to re-open the store in his honor! Frankie's Deli15... 10/28/2009

Silent Saturday - Autumn Vineyard In Carneros / Napa Valley Wine Country 10/23/2009

Starmont Winery (Merryvale) - Napa / Carneros, CA Starmont Winery (although not open to the public) was open to Carneros Harvest Passport Experience ticket holders last Saturday (10/17/2009) and that was where we started our Carneros region winery tour. Starmont Winery is located on Stanly Lane, right off the Carneros Hwy at Highway 29 in Napa. Starmont and Merryvale wines were being poured at the Carneros location by Starmont Winery's Vineyard Manager, Remi Cohen. Starmont Winery in the Carneros region of Napa had a cheese platter, figs, strawberries and goodies from Whole Foods Market for us...yummy! We tasted five different Merryvale and/or Starmont wines from the Napa Valley and Carneros regions: - 2008 Starmont Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($18) - 2007 Merryvale Carneros Chardonnay ... 10/22/2009

Here is a map of the beautiful Napa Valley. Zoom in, zoom out and see why this area is considered by many the jewel of Northern CA. Get driving directions and more. If you have any questions about the neighborhood, don't hesitate to call or email! View Larger Map Tamara Perlman Coldwell Banker Green real estate in Napa, Truckee and Lake Tahoe For details on inserting maps to your blog or website: http://activerain.com/blogsview/1289123/how-to-embed-a-google-map-into-your-blog-or-website 10/17/2009

Carneros Harvest Passport Experience - Napa/Sonoma Wine Country, California (Carneros Region, CA) The Carneros Wine Alliance (CWA) is hosting the first Carneros Harvest Passport Experience this Saturday...and some wineries will be pouring to the public for the first time! What: The First Carneros Harvest Passport Experience When: October 17, 2009 (10 am - 4 pm) Where: Carneros region (Sonoma and Napa counties) Admission: $49/advance, $59/at the door Info: Carneros Wine Alliance, 707-253-2678 Admission includes a Carneros Passport wine glass, wristband and a map of all the wineries participating in this event. Here is a list of all the CWA wineries that are participating in the Carneros Harvest Passport: Acacia - 2750 Las Amigas Road, Napa, CA Adastra - 2545 Las Amigas Road, Napa, CA Bou... 10/12/2009

Well almost when you can purchase a $250,000 home for only $1,250! Down Payment Assistance Programs (DAPS) are loan programs designed to assist first-time home buyers with the required down payment and closing costs required by the FHA loan program. These types of down payment assistance programs are typically broken into two types of loan programs. These are the 501 (c) (3) Non-Profit organizations or county, city, state backed down payment assistance programs. All of these types of down payment assistance programs use a FHA loan. Since you must be able to obtain FHA financing in order to use any of these programs consult a lender for pre approval. Over the past year these programs have been phased out...until now. As of June 8th California Homebuyer's Downpayment Assistance Program (C... 06/18/2009

Your clothes dryer is among the top 5 energy consumers in your home.  Here are some tips for saving energy when drying laundry.  Whether your dryer is gas or electric, both operate the same, drying your laundry by heating and tumbling.  Both require proper air flow to avoid over-working and to accomplish this task efficiently.   Dryer Vent Cleaning   Proper dryer vent cleaning and maintenance ensures proper air-flow, which is most vital to avoid overworking the clothes dryer and to prevent a potential fire hazard.  When the dryer vent system is clogged with lint, it will obstruct air-flow, cause severe overheating, and eventually, a fire.  Dryer vent cleaning, by a dryer vent specialist, is recommended at least once a year; more often if you have a large family.   Maintain the Lint Filt... 02/01/2009

I just want to take a moment and comment at how elated I was on this Historic Day.  We in America have now shown the world that we are growing in our ideas about society and what it takes to be a leader.  We are no longer afraid.  We have now elected our first African American President!  And whether or not we voted for him does not make a difference today.  It was a momentous day no matter what political party we lean towards.   After watching Obama come in - I saw on another channel - a celebration in Midland, TX of Bush arriving there.  One leaves the presidency in Washington and another takes over.    Bush left the festivities at the White House, chocked up when saying goodbye to the troops, took his last flight over the crowds and was greeted by a huge crowd in Midland.  President ... 01/20/2009

This is a FANTASTIC Time to purchase real estate.  Every day I see so many great deals.  The money is still very cheap and the home prices have dropped drastically! The truth is that we currently have a great "Buyer's Market" - BUT only for those with great credit, a fair amount of money for a down payment, and documentation to show their employment and income for at least 2 straight years.   We have almost no 100% financing now.  We also no longer have the famous, "Stated Income" loans.  So we are back to the basics that have been around for years.  This is really a much better place for us to be.  It is much safer and - much more friendly!   For those of us working in the real estate business, whether in sales, loans, Title, Escrow, etc., we all saw quite an escalation of dishonesty ... 01/16/2009

www.compago.net 12/15/2008

In July of 2008 we witnessed the sale of 23 Napa county multifamily units. For August we see nearly a 50% reduction in sales to 12 units all with "special" attributes which skewed prices upwards and none were true multifamily investor deals. Here is a breakdown: August 2008 Napa County multifamily sales:   August 2008 average unit sale price- $263,750 6778 Yount Street - $223,750 per unit (8 units) 5200 Wragg Canyon - $325,000 per unit (2 Units) 618 Seminary - $362,500 per unit (2 Units)   In June of this year I commentedon the extreme valuation of this property and how a bank would be hard pressed to lend on this property. I search of tax records reveals the new owners borrowed a meager $600,000 of the purchase price and put down $1,190,000!!! Holy cow!!! The seller Jim Keller purchase... 09/05/2008

How Often Should Professional Dryer Vent Cleaning be done?   You know you need to make sure you get the proper maintenance done on your dryer, but you may have a tough time deciding how often to do what you can yourself and how often you should call in a professional to do the rest. Here are a few things to consider that will help in making a responsible decision:   How old is the dryer?   The age of your clothes dryer is something you really need to consider.  The older the dryer is, the more likely there is lint clogged up in the system. It's a fact, time means more loads have gone through the machine and more lint has gone through the system. Another thing to keep in mind about older clothes dryers is that they were not built to the same efficient standards as today's dryers so they ... 08/27/2008

This is the most simple thing you can do.  As a matter of fact, most agents dont do it!  My favorite questions to ask every new agent is, "What separates you from the other 700 agents in this market place that have more experience than you?  Also, without sounding cheesy, or saying something that every buyer/seller hears and reads from every other agents website, business card or other marketing material form, how would you convey that idea to your client?"....Big question.  What I am trying to do with this question is to point out that all agents promote this "honesty, experience, I work for you, professional, "run of the mill standard everyday, THOUGHTLESS response that agents give is meaningless. Now one would think that a resume (and I have a really impressive one) with a brag book ... 08/18/2008

Foreclosures occur across all states and cities.  NO city is immune to people losing their home.  Napa is a sought after location to live and work.  Foreclosures do happen in Napa. This is an update to a blog  written last year.So what is happening in Napa? This information is for the city of Napa, not to be confused with the entire Napa Valley real estate market.  As of Bay Area Real Estate Information Service 1/12/2008, there are 503 homes for sale.  The median price is $578,000 for homes listed for sale.  The price of homes for sale range from a low of $265,000 to a high of $11,425,000!!  How does this compare to foreclosed homes for sale in Napa?  These homes are bank owned and the banks have contracted with Realtors to sell the homes in their inventory.  Banks are not in the owners... 01/12/2008

Foreclosures occur across all states and cities.  NO city is immune to people losing their home.  Napa is a sought after location to live and work.  Foreclosures do happen in Napa.So what is happening in Napa? This information is for the city of Napa, not to be confused with the entire Napa Valley real estate market.  As of Bay Area Real Estate Information Service 12/10/2007, there are 536 homes for sale.  The median price is $536,000 for homes listed for sale.  The price of homes for sale range from a low of $12,000 to a high of $11,425,000!!  How does this compare to foreclosed homes for sale in Napa?  These homes are bank owned and the banks have contracted with Realtors to sell the homes in their inventory.  Banks are not in the ownership or rental business.  They have to get these ... 12/10/2007

Napa County FairgroundsThis is the ONE Home show you don't want to miss. Over 600 exhibits for home improvement. Upscale remodeling ideas, free gifts, booths, demos, info on pools, window treatments, paint, counters, granite cap counters, vacs, dishes etc.Master Gardener event: Click on photo below for a link to a discount ticket for the show. 05/18/2007