FINALLY...OUR FALL IS HERE!

BLUE SKY BABY!


It has been rough the last couple of weeks. Rain, wind, some fog, overcast. We are so spoiled in late September and October. The days on the coast when there is nothing better than stopping by the pumpkin patches on Highway 92 then spending a day on the beach. We are pleased to announce that today was a picture perfect day. Light wind, 70 degrees, and what locals call pumpkin traffic. Don't worry - it goes away.

Fall is in the air. The Real Estate market usually picks up a little too. Good news, last week, 7 pending sales in our inventory (South HMB to Montara). As of today, 113 single family homes. If you can believe it, that is almost the same number of homes on the market as last year.

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT AT AN OPEN HOUSE?

Our Sunday's are usually dedicated to our clients and open houses. In this market, open houses are more important than ever. It is important for seller's to open their home especially for the first two weeks after the house is put on the market. Feedback from potential buyers is precious because there are things you can change such as moving furniture, trim a few branches, paint rooms, etc. But, there are also items that are unchangeable, such as, floor plan design, change countertops or even remodel. The bottom line, is that you can hear what they are saying.

For buyer's, on the other hand, it is a time for you to see a flurry of homes all in a day. You can also compare the neighborhood and also compare what is on the market. Most of the time, it is difficult for us to show 10 homes in a day. And when you can go at it alone it is nice to go at your own pace.

We love holding open houses, but we also like to be respected as professionals, not pushy agents. For those who do know us we are not heavy sales people and want to make visitors feel welcome when they visit a home.

What is your experience like when you visit an open house? How do most agents make you feel? What do you like about them? What don't you like?

I am interested...any comments?

It was a Lovely Saturday On the Coast!!!

Alix and I had a great weekend on the Coast. The weather on Saturday was phenomenal. We started the day by stopping by the local coffeeshop and headed down towards Half Moon Bay and visited the Eco-Energy Expo and Solar Home Tour at Half Moon Bay High School.

The layout of the Expo was nice. There were booths set up in the courtyard from The Coastside Community Water District with information on water conservation, The Fitzgerald Marine Reserve on how they have provided a sanctuary for a 1000+ species in the water, and few others. On the inside was about 15 other booths. Some people also gave presentations throughout the day. I was thoroughly impressed with the booth my friends, Scott and Heidi Menary, were hosting on Green Building. There are so many products available now that builders can use!

Another highlight was the ECOBROKER booth, hosted by my colleagues, Susie Hughey-Hass and Marian Bennett from Coldwell Banker. They reminded me of a designation available to Realtors to educate them on the benefits of Green Building and also how to represent these homes when it comes time to sell them on the market. I am going to get this.

After leaving this great function, and with empty stomachs, Alix, Maddox and I were off to Princeton by the Sea for CHEF COOKOFF. This was sponsored by the American Legion of Half Moon Bay. 15 restaurants with Albacore provided by the Legion, cooked the way they want it. Basically, it was all you can eat for $20 dollars. The funds that were raised went directly to Fireworks show on July 4th. For those who went and watched the show last year, it was amazing!

My favorite meal was by Spencer at the Moss Beach Distillery (For those who don't know, Spencer was the head chef of Red Ginger and he went on to The Distillery after it closed) It was a Tuna Sandwich on Ciabatta with radishes, Hard Boiled Eggs, cucumbers, Kalamata Olives, and some spread that was out of this world. Second place went to the Half Moon Bay Inn's marinated Tuna that I thought was cooked to perfection. Thanks Christian!

Alix decided to stay behind and enjoy the music and hanging out with our friends. I decided to take Maddox with me to the Put Community First picnic and fundraiser. There I met some of my friends for food and to donate some money for the endorsement of candidates in the upcoming elections on the coast. I don't want to bore you with politics or any of the details, but this next election period isn't as exciting as usual. The picnic was at Cozzolino Park, located just off of Highway 92. It is such a cool spot.

After this we were all pretty tired and we went home, kicked up our feet and just watched a movie. We are pretty fortunate to live in such a cool place.

APR and it's New Partnership with Trulia.com