It was billed as a safety fair, but I think it was more than that. We had 16 vendors from San Jose Police horse and K-9 unit as well as doing finger printing (80 children total were fingerprinted!) and Ace Hardware showing off the latest in earthquake safety to Morgan Mulitmedia bringing us the skills to make the most of your small business marketing and internet safety and local potter Kyczy Hawk with Crowded Studio selling beautiful art pieces. The event for me was like community building (getting to know your neighbors) on a networking foundation (while learning what other people offer and how they offer it).

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10 new listings on tour in Willow Glen today and 5 of them were ranch style homes. These ranchers range (you know like, home on the range…) in price from $798,000 for a 3 bed 2 bath 1652 sq ft on Wawona to $1,099,000 for a 3 bed 2 bath 1880 sq ft. on Willow Oaks. The house on Willow Oaks has a SIX plus car garage (you could store a lot of ranch equipment there). Here is a picture:

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Mounted police, K-9 unit, fire trucks, Ace Hardware, finger printing and local vendors! Saturday, Aug. 16 the first annual Safety Fair with P.A.L. soccer. Free event for vendors and participants! And there are a few playgrounds and restrooms for added convenience (wink).

Come check it out! Great safety information and fun for the kids!

Willow Glen Safety Fair

Pick of the week! CARMEL COTTAGE CHARMER IN WILLOW GLEN! 1580 Cherry Glen Way (off Hicks & Mercer) 3 bed 2 bath 1732 sq ft. $1,199,000. This house felt like Carmel charm and just gave you a hug when you walked through the white picket fence (sounds cheesy I know, but really you should check this house out.- Open house on Sun. 8/10/08). And, there is a happy little dog that is due any minute with puppies so you might be able to see puppies at the open house! Okay, back to the house, charming bathroom with a claw foot tub and chandelier, remodeled kitchen with what the agent called Metaphoric Granite (jade green marblelooking stone that is said to be harder than granite) and a full size master suite addition that works well for privacy and access to the backyard.

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Last week I was out and about previewing homes in a nice area of Willow Glen and came across this funny placard on someone’s front lawn…I had to snap a picture!

I wonder if they have a specific dog that has found an interest in their yard or they feel that all dogs have. Just finding the humor in my day and thought I would share.

What funny things have you come across in your real estate travels?

Pick of the week 2498 Westgate Ave. 5 bed 4+ bath all one level, 3937 sq ft. on 12,350 lot @ $2,975,000. There was a mixed reaction about the price. Mostly that it appeared to be high. Although the area and home are PRIME, $3M is still tough for Willow Glen.

Here are two cool videos about this house. Keep in mind that I am new to this video thing!

It appears the more highly desired streets are having more listings come on market. This week we looked at properties on Westgate, Husted, Mulberry, Fairglen and Koch. The buzz is that both in August and mostly September there are a lot of sellers planning to put their homes on the market. Typically, September is known as a slower month. From what I am hearing from local agents, this September is shaping up to be a September to remember!

• Number of houses on market for the week of 7/24/08 for Willow Glen was 235
• Number of houses on market for the week of 7/31 for Willow Glen was 227

Professionals in the Willow Glen area agree that 225 is a healthy threshold for the # of houses on the market.

The theme of this week seemed to be 3 bedroom 1.5-2 bath in homes on busy streets. I have to say that the 1200 block Malone Rd where a 3 bed 1.5 bath priced at $829,000 in original condition is on a great part of Malone. However, the name Malone rings busy for many buyers and the rest of the agents seem to think it was a bit over priced (we shall see if we were right). Down on the busier part of Malone in the 1000 block near the corner of Lovoi the 3 bed 1.5 bath priced at $750,000 close to original condition the group of realtors seem to think it was priced well (again, we shall see!).

Here are some interesting numbers about this past week in Willow Glen’s real estate scene:

· 15 sales last week in area 10

· 225 active listings in Willow Glen this week 5/29/08

· 225 active listings in Willow Glen last week 5/22/08

210 active listings is the gold standard for a sign of a healthy market for this area. The fact that we are consistently in the 230-240 range (225 again this week!) indicates Willow Glen to be a stable market.

My pick of the week is 1798 Grace Ave. I imagine it is sold with multiple offers by now. Quiet street, FOUR car garage, priced well at $1,297,975 with good layout and recent quality updating.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LISTING RIGHT NOW?

The first home we saw was the most amazing house on market right now. It is 1252 Cherry Ave. This amazing Victorian was built at the end of the Civil War in 1865. You look out the leaded glass windows and you can feel the history, almost hear the horse drawn carriage and picture the view of miles of open land. The house is perfectly restored down to its ornate matching door hinges on every door and mother of pearl light switches. The soaring ceilings are oozing charm and history with period wall paper, stunning curtains and furniture. The current owners did a wonderful addition that make the house even more amazing and useable for entertaining and family. The house is listed for $2,475,000 with 3 bedrooms 2.5 bathrooms and 3814 sq ft on a 13,041 sq ft. lot.

I noticed a dichotomy while on tour this week. On the one hand the smaller homes on tour tended to be tight and I heard several comments about how the owners needed to remove several items to open up the space. Then we went to 1951 Peregrino Way and at 6000 sq ft. the comments were the opposite. The house was staged yet, if felt ‘empty and lacked the wow factor’ were the comments I heard. ‘The staging does not fit the style and scale of the house’ was another comment I heard. The lesson there is you have to find that ‘staging’ balance to appeal to the emotions of a buyer (and the realtor working with those buyers).

From speaking with various agents and lenders, it appears that buyers are starting to be less afraid and are starting to buy. They understand that interest rates are low and prices are low! As I tell my clients, everything is on sale, now is the time to buy!

Here are some interesting numbers about this past week in Willow Glen’s real estate scene:

· 17 sales last week in area 10

· 225 active listings in Willow Glen this week 5/22/08

· 238 active listings in Willow Glen last week 5/15/08

210 active listings is the gold standard for a sign of a healthy market for this area. The fact that we are consistently in the 230-240 range (225 this week!) indicates Willow Glen to be a stable market.

Anyone who lives in Willow Glen should be a proponent of strong public schools. Whether you send your kids to a public school or not , strong schools are a direct reflection of both the almighty dollar (property value) and community strength (do you know your neighbors, can you go next door for sugar, if you are hurt can you knock on a strangers door?).

8/3/08, was the second community playdate for all families thinking of attending ANY Willow Glen public school in 2008, 2009, 2010. Although turn out was lower hoped, there was four families that came. As they say (whomever they are) something is better than nothing… Lets do all we can to build a better Willow Glen!

What do you think about Willow Glen public schools?

When it comes to selling their house, most people will hire a professional just as you would hire a professional if you needed some dental work or you wanted to update the electrical in your kitchen. And, many people will listen to all the advice a realtor offers about cleaning up the home and putting away personal items. When it comes to pricing the property however, many sellers think they know best. If you have picked the right realtor (one who knows your area and has some level of experience and professionalism) they will know how to price your house so it sells! There are many reasons people hire realtors however the largest reason for most sellers is to GET THE HOUSE SOLD! The beauty of a realtor is they are not emotionally attached to a home in the way a seller usually is. They can see the property for what it is and price it accordingly. If you plan on selling your home and you want to control the price, I suggest you allow your realtor to pick the first 3 digits of the price and you pick the last digits. 3 easy steps to sell your home! Step 1 Hire a good realtor Step 2 Listen to that realtor Step 3 Get the house sold!