Volume 143 - Summertime and the Living is Easy

"Summertime and the living is easy. Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high . . .  

Were it only so. While my two dreamy boys lounge in sun kissed sheets, I've barely stopped to catch my breath.  Certainly the need to focus only on myself in the mornings makes for a much easier start to the day, but once I step inside The Grubb Co. offices, the pace is entirely different than the more relaxed atmosphere at home (I miss being a kid in summer). With the July 4th holidays  just around the corner, many new homes are hitting the market this weekend and they are aggressively priced to sell! That's great news for buyers (and for sellers as well).

Opportunity and affordability, coupled with the extension of the Federal Homebuyer's Tax Credit should make for a brisk summer. Where will you be in that mix?

Certainly, you will want to take advantage of the increased interest. (School is out and graduation is behind us.  Now is a great time to move!) But don't "test" the market - instead, compel it to respond. In other words, it's all about price (irrespective of whether you are the buyer or the seller). Only serious players are welcome in a more conservative marketplace. The GRUBB Co. started our summer with a field trip to the Award Winning Margarido House* in Rockridge where we met with a LEED certified designer of Amato Architecture. Rebecca spent several minutes explaining the sustainable systems of this particular house and encouraged us - both as Realtors and as consumers - to think "green" in our own design choices. (Heads Up! "CALGREEN" building codes will be mandatory in the state of California beginning in 2011. If we aren't thinking "green" by now, we certainly will be soon.)

* If you'd like to gather some ideas with respect to GREEN building and enjoy your own field trip, The Margarido House will be open this Thursday evening (that's tomorrow) for a wine and cheese reception from 5-8pm! Please join the visionaries there and experience a sunset like no other:  5950 Margarido, Oakland, CA, 94618. We followed up our breakfast lecture with a tour of this spectacular LEED certified home

www.5950Margarido.com then visited brand new construction at 6201 Ruthland Road in Montclair, wrapped up our tour with old-world charm at 324 Sea View Avenue in Piedmont and then hit the offices in quick fashion. "Green," newly constructed or time-tested charm, whatever your desire, the values are abundant. Let's get out there and take a look! (Guess what? I am available.)  "Summertime and the living is easy . . .One of these mornings, You're bound to rise up singing. Then you'll spread your wings, And take to the sky . . .    So don't get lazy now. If it's easy living you are hoping to find, it is time to take advantage of timing and opportunity.   Trivia Time: Who wrote the song, "Summertime?"  I have beautiful red GRUBB Co. canvas Farmer's Market Bags for the first five correct respondents (courtesy of my generous colleague Tricia Swift).