Boo! Real Estate is Local!

What's New?
Brokers’ Tour came and went without a single new introduction in Piedmont this week. However, several stellar properties are still available, beginning with Linda McClain’s Grand listing on Sandringham which has a substantially reduced asking price; Debbi DiMaggio’s Cool Contemporary on Estates Drive - which has also been reduced; and Dana Cohen’s Lovely Traditional on St. James Drive, which will be open again this Sunday, 2-4:30. If you missed your chance to see these wonderful homes, now is the time!

If we move down the road to Crocker Highlands, there is a magnificent new 4bdrm/2bth Mediterranean property on Longridge Road, featuring spacious formal dining and living rooms, two sun rooms, large family room, chef’s kitchen with indoor-outdoor dining, faux finishes, and enchanting gardens. For a private viewing of this exceptional property, please give me a call.

What's Coming?
Even with the holidays looming, there are still some nifty properties coming up just around the corner, starting with Dana Cohen’s new listing on San Carlos. This Traditional home, featuring 4bdrms/2bths, high ceilings and downtown Oakland City views is waiting for your finishing touches. Stay tuned!

What's Pending?
There truly is a buyer for every house and it just takes one . . . The property on Linda Avenue that had been on and off the market for several months has finally found that perfect buyer while the home on Lake Avenue sold almost immediately. So far, September and October have shaped up to be incredibly active months. Remember, Real Estate is local!

What's Happening Now?
Since we're talking houses, it only seems appropriate to mention Piedmont's own Haunted House at the Rec Center. "Magnolia Manor" opens up on October 18 and runs through October 26, culminating with the Halloween Carnival on Oct. 26, at the Rec Center Basketball Courts from 7-9 pm. Magnolia Manor has "scary," "very scary," and "not so scary" viewings, depending on your child’s age and capacity for fright! Boo! Tickets will be sold at the door and are $6 for children, $4 for adults. Check for times by calling the Rec Center 510-420-3070.

What's Fun!
Fall is in full swing which means that it must be time for the annual Neighbor’s and Newcomer's Margarita Party - which is always lively. This year, I have the honor of holding this fun event at my home and gardens on Littlewood (I’m hoping for clear skies)! While I’m not sure that four years qualifies me as a "newcomer" any longer, I'm happy to be included. (In Piedmont, it seems to take a generation - if not two, before really establishing oneself as a "local.") However, I have definitely earned my stripes as a good neighbor, becoming the "pot-luck queen" along the way (a moniker I wear proudly). If you have put off home repairs, throw a party. . . There is nothing like the threat of visitors to get you quickly motivated (I've been planting flowers all weekend)!

I am looking forward to seeing those of you who have already confirmed -and to meeting many more of you, this Saturday, October 20. If you haven’t yet signed up to attend, there is still time. Contact Jennifer Cavenaugh at 428-1442 or click onto the PNNC website at www.piedmontneighborsandnewcomersclub.org. The Piedmont Neighbor’s and Newcomer’s Club is open to everyone and they welcome new members!

See you next week!
For more information about any of the properties or events listed above, please call me at (510) 339-0400 x264, or simply respond to this email. I'd love to share my real estate tips and my experience in the Piedmont community with you!

Feel free to visit my website at JulieGardner.com for more information as well.

Indian Summer Sales! The Piedmont Perspective, Vol 25

What's New?
Lexford is back on the market after four quick months with a snazzy new renovation and it looks spectacular! Apart from the high-end finishes and designer fixtures utilized throughout this 3bdrm/2bth Mid-Century Contemporary, there lies a gracious open floor plan that accommodates all types of lifestyles from toddlers to retirement and everything in between. And if that weren’t enough, the spacious and lush back garden extends well beyond its formal boundaries, prompting me to create a new term just for it - the "infinity"garden. Truly breathtaking! This should go quickly. Don’t wait!

What's Coming?
We’re going to see fewer and fewer properties coming to market now that the holiday season is right around the corner. We’re also going to see fewer rentals as well. The silver lining? Properties that do come to market between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, represent extremely motivated Sellers and you’ll most likely be up against fewer buyers as well, making this a GREAT time to buy. Make an offer and see where it leads . . .

What's Pending?
The market has experienced a flurry of activity in September/October. Huntleigh is now penidng, as are the homes on Harvard and Ranleigh and the fixer on Sylvan went well above asking with multiple offers!

As we move closer to the fall holidays, now is the time when properties that haven’t found their perfect buyer, consider withdrawing until the Spring market potentially brings more activity (but that doesn’t mean that they are necessarily off the table!). If you passed on a home earlier this year, you might check with your agent to see if the Seller is still interested in selling. This happens more often than you think and it is not a bad strategy to employ if you're still interested. One never knows until they ask. Put your agent to work, and have them make a phone call or two on your behalf on "withdrawn listings" that might fit your criteria!

What's Happening Now?
Indian summer is upon us, bringing days of warm fall sunshine, followed by cool crisp evenings. The autumn leaves are turning every shade of crimson and soccer has taken over most of the playing fields. This is Piedmont at its most inviting . . . warm and cozy and above all else, community based.

Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to see our special neighborhood through the sophisticated eyes of a prospective buyer moving back to the Bay Area from Amsterdam. His prestigious job has taken him to world-class cities most of us have only briefly visited, but its Piedmont he and his family are thinking about setting up house in for the next decade or so. And why shouldn’t they? With top-rated schools, historical architecture, and family-friendly atmosphere, this might be the nicest place he’ll ever live! (That’s certainly been my own experience.)

Aside from the little boy who stopped to say hello, the inviting fall weather, and the double-espresso we lingered over at The Terrace Coffee and Gift Shop (That's Europe rubbing off)we spied a wild turkey and her chick walking up Huntleigh, making for a nearly magical afternoon. Introducing Piedmont to others, made me appreciate Piedmont all the more. I can't wait to show it to the rest of the family!

What's Fun!
Half Moon Bay is kicking off its annual Pumpkin Festival this weekend. If you’ve never visited this quaint seaside town, you’re overdue. South of San Francisco, about thirty-minutes down highway 1, it’s fun for kids of all ages. Load up on pumpkins, locally grown fruit, and fresh cut flowers. Get lost in a corn maze and view the pumpkin contest on display, where this year’s winner weighed in at a record-breaking 1540 lbs! Now that’s a pumpkin Cinderella could ride in.

If Half moon Bay seems a tad too far, enjoy our own neighborhood patch here at Coaches Field. The Wildwood Dad's Club is once again sponsoring the Piedmont Pumpkin Patch with proceeds benefiting the school. Open after school and on the weekends, it's a very worthy endeavor and a fun little outing! (You'll be buying a pumpkin anyway.)

The Piedmont Plug! (A shameless nod to Piedmont's entrepreneurs)
If you picked up one of my water bottles at the Harvest Festival after enjoying the warm outing (they were easy to spot, what with my shameless self-promotion printed right on them!) you might be wondering exactly how that’s done? While there are many companies that imprint logos, I always use Rod and Barbara Brown’s company, Made To Order, whenever I want to create something quickly and memorably. Not only can I depend on the great customer service and quality of product I receive, I support a local business venture as well. www.madetoorder.com


See you next week!

For more information about any of the properties or events listed above, please call me at (510) 339-0400 x264, or simply respond to this email. I'd love to share my real estate tips and my experience in the Piedmont community with you!

Feel free to visit my website at JulieGardner.com for more information as well.