The Cambrian Park Framer's Market is Wednesday, July 23 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.Enjoy a shopping experience where you can sample the goods; develop a relationship with the grower; learn about unique food varieties and cooking tips; and greet your Cambrian neighbor.Location: Cambrian Park Plaza, Between Camden and Union Aves, San Jose, CA 95124Info Phone: 510.745.7100A great place to live and shop.Search Cambrain Homes for Sale 07/21/2008

Reporting Willow Glen resale single family residences and condos as well as new homes in May 2008 by Zip Code.% Change is from the same month last year at the Median Price. Willow Glen sales include all attached and detached homes, both new and resale, including FSBO, family transfer and out of area sales. The information is gathered from public records at county recorders offices where documents are filed after the close of escrow.Source: DataquickCity: Willow GlenZip: 95125Sales: 40% Change: -56.5%Med.$: $699,000% Change: -11.1%High $: $9,094,300$/Sq.Ft. $512% Change: -8.3%Seearch Willow Glen Homes for Sale 07/21/2008

Reporting San Jose resale single family residences and condos as well as new homes in May 2008 by Zip Code.% Change is from the same month last year at the Median Price. San Jose sales include all attached and detached homes, both new and resale, including FSBO, family transfer and out of area sales. The information is gathered from public records at county recorders offices where documents are filed after the close of escrow.Source: Dataquick City   Zip Sales % Chg Med. $ % Chg High $ $/Sqft % Chg San Jose 95110 9 -57.1% $360,000 -29.4% $630,000 $257 -57.2% San Jose 95111 36 -2.7% $425,000 -29.8% $611,000 $322 -28.1% San Jose 95112 19 -45.7% $439,000 -24.3% $1,500,000 $360 -30.0% San Jose 95116 15 -66.7% $415,000 -33.1% $699,000 $330 -28.8% San Jose 95117 10 -61.5% $550,000 -19.4% $770... 07/20/2008

Reporting San Jose resale single family residences and condos as well as new homes.% Change is from the same month last year at the Median Price. Sales include all attached and detached homes, both new and resale, including FSBO, family transfer and out of area sales.The information is gathered from public records at county recorders offices where documents are filed after the close of escrow.Source: DataquickCity: San Jose#Sold: 603May 2008: $565,000May 2007: $679,000% Change Yr-to-Yr: -16.79%San Jose Home Buyers - it's a great time to buy in San Jose!  07/20/2008

How do you handle the Request for HOA Documents? If a seller is seriously committed to selling a condo then it makes perfect sense to request HOA docs at the time the listing is taken - right? My goal in selling a home is to have everything a buyer needs to make an informed decision to buy a home. By having all the statutory disclosures and seller disclosures completed and available at the time the property is listed on the MLS (or shortly thereafter) it helps to expedite the process. One reason I was given for not ordering the HOA documents was that "they are expensive and we don't want to order them until we have to."  Another was "they won't stale date by ordering when we get into contract."  While those reasons may be true and valid - it will definitely slow down the process. I have... 07/19/2008

  Highlights of July 10, 2008 Willow Glen Realtor Tour Picks of the week 1460 Kiner (my listing!) and 656 Palm Haven Ave Here are July 10 Highlights: The theme this week seems to be YARDS!! There were some beautiful yards on tour this week! While it was hot and you did not really want to be outside at all, it does help to have something very pretty to look at (and a cool drink in your hand). Realtors on tour often offer cool drinks and food to help us stay longer at a house and to help us remember a house- nothing calls to memory like a yummy snack or a free lunch! First up was 1018 Carolyn Way for $1,129,000. Cute charming house with lots of fun details throughout. The yard was mostly behind the garage. Once you got to the yard, it was like an English garden. Many of us said how nice i... 07/11/2008

         3153 SIERRA RD San Jose(5) $999,950 6+ bed(s), 4+ bath(s) SF:3,156 Lot:4,500+ to 6,500 SqFt DOM:99 MLS:80788558 Age:48 GREAT INVESTMENT PROPERTY WITH GOOD RENT INCOME, $6,900/MO. 9-BEDROOMS,4-FULL BATHROOMS AND 4-OPTIONAL ROOMS.HUGE KITCHEN W/ CERAMIC TILE FLOOR, DOUBLE OVEN, TWO COOKTOP RANGE, REFRIGERATOR & PLENTY OF OAK CABINETRY. INSIDE LAUNDRY WITH 2-STACKABLE WASHER & DRYER. ALL BEDROOMS EQUIPPED WITH SMALL REFRIGERATOR, CABLE, PHONE & DSL CONNECTIONS.DBL PANE WINDOWS THROUGHOUT. BEAUTIFUL FRONT LANDSCAPE.       3923 SOPHIST DR San Jose(5) $995,000 4 bed(s), 2 1/2 bath(s) SF:3,200 Lot:.25+ to .5 Acre DOM:64 MLS:80807327 Age:43 Gorgeous hilltop home and absolute best value in NVY today. Large bonus rm.-could be media rm.,inlaw quarters or 5th bedroom. Huge master bedroom ... 07/09/2008

Many homeowners believe that to maximize their profit on a home sale they should sell it themselves. At first glance, they feel selling a home is simple and why should they pay a broker fees for something they could do themselves?Almost 90% of for sale by owners (FSBOs) will be sold by real estate agents. Fewer than 13% of FSBOs will sell by owner. Over 87% will end up selling through Realtors according to NAR's Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers Report.Close to half of the FSBO's said that they would hire a professional next time they sold. Thirty percent said they were unhappy with the results they achieved by choosing FSBO. Why?Many FSBO's told us that the time, paperwork and everyday responsibilities involved were not worth the amount of money they saved in commissions. For others, ... 07/05/2008

The ability to reap additional profits on the sale of your property can be accomplished easily enough if you make the right improvements. Many changes can provide the prospective buyer with enhanced feelings about your home. Feelings of more space, more light, more rooms, more closet space, greater privacy, warmth and security. Basic, simple and inexpensive improvements can provide an improved emotional response in a potential buyer.An example could be something as small as a crack in the paint on a wall. Simply by applying some plaster and touch up paint, you eliminated what may be an unstated concern that your home was poorly maintained. Though the feeling may be unconscious, it's just as important that the potential buyer feel an overall desire for your home. If you are working with ... 07/05/2008

Willow Glen San Jose is part of San Jose although it was once an incorporated city in its own right. Willow Glen is located three miles southwest of downtown San Jose and is bordered by the Guadalupe River, the Los Gatos Creek and Coe and Curtner Avenue. Some people, including real estate agents, may attempt to include adjacent neighborhoods. Willow Glen feels like a small town with its own main street. Lincoln Avenue is surrounded by tree-lined neighborhoods of architecturally distinctive single family homes, many of them Spanish-style homes built in the 1920s and 1930s.The Lincoln Avenue downtown business district, located between Coe and Minnesota, is lined with sidewalk cafes, Italian delis, home design stores and clothing boutiques. Although Starbucks, Peets, Noah's Bagels and othe... 07/05/2008

If there was a perfect suburbia, its name might just be "Blossom Valley." Situated in south San Jose, just northeast of the breathtaking Los Capitancillos Ridge that separates it from Almaden Valley, Blossom Valley's well regarded schools, recreational amenities, outstanding Mediterranean climate and convenient location make it one of the region's best family neighborhoods. And by Silicon Valley standards, it's affordable.Populated by soccer moms and little league coaches and interspersed with vestiges of San Jose's agricultural history, Blossom Valley is a short drive from downtown San Jose's cultural resources and Silicon Valley's high technology work centers.Blossom Valley offer views of Mt. Umunhum to the west, and from higher ground, the lights of the Santa Clara Valley at night. A... 07/05/2008

Founded in 1777, San Jose is the site of the oldest civil settlement in California. San Jose was incorporated on March 27, 1850. It was California's first incorporated city and site of the first state capital. It is comprised of 177.7 square miles. San José is approximately 45 minutes south of San Francisco and 90 minutes north of Monterey. San Jose is the third largest city in California and the 11th largest city in the nation.Northern California in general and San José in particular have a world-renowned quality of life. The City of San José has the nation's best public safety record of any metropolitan area, a marvelous ethnic diversity and a beautiful climate. The San Jose Metropolitan Area ranks first in the nation in median household effective buying income among all metropolitan ... 07/05/2008

One of the most attractive residential areas of Silicon Valley, the South San Jose community of Almaden is distinguished by nice hillside views and "one of the most gorgeous landscapes in America," according to the Greenbelt Alliance website.Almaden Valley's key attraction is Almaden Quicksilver County Park, which contains remnants of a historic mercury mine that produced more than $75 million in mineral wealth from the Gold Rush era to the 1970s (the San Jose mine's name came from the Almaden Mine in Spain).The Almaden Quicksilver Park also boasts plenty of hiking and biking trails and a spectacular wildflower display during the springtime. Almaden Expressway helps make the cultural attractions and amenities of the downtown area easily accessible for Almaden residents.Almaden Golf & Co... 07/05/2008

I am embarrased to say I have been a very pale green lately. yet on the other hand, I am painting with no VOC paint so I see a pattern in myself, a learning curve if you will, where I embody the new green techniques then want to learn more. I am at the more part. I very much want to go the the green event below and am looking for some of my AR friends who would like to join me. Click here to find out more.   06/26/2008

I was at my Listing and there was a Plum Tree, I pulled off a Plum and as  I thought... they were sweet, so I grabbed a couple more. Next day I get an Email from the Buyers agent, a huge limb came down and there may be some hidden issues with that tree. I go to take a look and realize the limb I was standing under, picking fruit could have crushed me while I was there alone. Just a heads up for all to remember that going alone, somtimes things can happen. Denise Stuart Coldwell Banker http://denisestuart.spaces.live.com/     06/15/2008

  Highlights of June 12 Willow Glen Realtor Tour Pick of the Week! 1394 Robsheal Dr. AND 1131 Dean Ave   DEAN, James, DEAN (ave) Here’s June 12 Highlights: Tricky part about being a realtor in an area you love is that I find houses that I want to BUY all the time. My husband has to pull back the reins or we would be paying for a few more mortgages than there are paychecks coming in. I am so excited about 1131 Dean Ave.! It is an REO property which means the bank repossessed it and hired a realtor to sell it. Pretty good gig for  a realtor. REO properties are usually priced very well and are much easier to purchase than a dreaded short sale. This gem at 1131 Dean Ave. is a stroll to ‘the ave.’ priced at $499,900- Yes, you read that right under $500K (barely). Granted it is small at 1130 ... 06/14/2008

We have created a new Meet-Up group to hold regular meetings of buyer/sellers of For Sale By Owners. We hope to have a least two meetings per month, maybe more if there is enough demand. Check us out at http://homebuyer.meetup.com/253 Come and share you FSBO home buying and selling experiences!   05/25/2008

Highlights of May 22 Willow Glen Realtor Tour WOW victorian on CHERRY Ave and huge house on Peregrino Every Thursday I attend a realtor tour of all the new listings in Willow Glen. It’s a great way for realtors like me to stay on top of the market, and a fantastic way for sellers to get their property seen by all the top local realtors. The tour . is organized by Mike Gains of REMax, and usually includes 25-50 realtors. Every week I’ll report back on highlights from this tour – a summary of what’s going on in the Willow Glen market, exceptional new listings, stuff like that. If you ever have any questions about what I put here, or would like to see me take a different approach with this weekly summary of the tour, please let me know! Here’s the second installment… The first home we saw ... 05/23/2008

Data, data, DATA - charts, graphs, PowerPoint presentations, virtual tours, video tours, single property web sites, inquiry forms, email, IM chats, Tweets, iPhone's, RSS feeds, blogs, Blackberry's, SmartPhone's, Web 2.0 tech gadgets and gimmicks. All these are merely TOOLS. None of these will write and ratify a contract on a home for you. None of these will pre-approve a buyer for a loan in this environment of ever tightening credit restrictions. The Internet will NOT deliver a home to you (yet).It takes people working together to create the successful For Sale By Owner property transaction. Sellers must interest buyers in their property. Buyers must view and approve the property. Both sellers and buyers must connect with each other so they can share what each needs for the transaction ... 05/22/2008

Should we remodel or move? This is a question that I get asked a lot from clients and friends in San Jose, CA especially in Willow Glen. We asked it of ourselves in 2005. At the time we had a a 1300 sq ft home with 4 br and 2 ba. (Translation, lots of bedrooms and not a lot of living space and no garage). The location is on a great tree lined street with charming homes, great neighbors and pride of ownership. At the time, we had one child about 1 yr old and the second was on the way.   Here are the factors that we used to make our decision: First step for us was to get some drawings done to see what the possibilities are with your current floor plan. I have seen it cost between $1800 and $5000 for professional drawings (aka ones that you can take to the city for approval and start the p... 05/20/2008