510 Bohemian Highway, Freestone, CA

January is half over and I am only on my first blog of the year.  I plan to write weekly but things keep taking my time.  I returned home from Hawaii on January 10 at midnight and was answering text message at 8 AM.  There has hardly been an hour that I have not been scheduled in the last 8 days.  I don’t bring this up because I need to act busy and important.  No – I bring this up because real estate is very busy.

Kitchen of 510 Bohemian Hwy

Statistics of Single Family Homes for the first two weeks of the year in Sonoma County are:

237 New Listings of which 71 are short sales and 52 are bank owned.

314 Properties went into contract of which 143 are short sales and 72 are bank owned.

176 Homes sold with 34 being short sales and 49 being bank owned.

Notice something here?  Short sales are going into contract a lot faster than they are closing.  There are plenty of “regular” or “equity” sales – sales where the sellers have equity in the home and the sale is not due to a distress situation.   If you are looking for a great price on a new home and do not mind the uncertainty of a closing date, a short sale may be the answer to your dreams.

View from the Living Room

This week I listed 510 Bohemian Highway.  The address is officially Sebastopol but most people refer to it as Freestone.  Freestone is a very small town that is home to Wildflower Bakery and Osmosis Day Spa.  It is a wonderful place.

The home at 510 Bohemian Way is situated on 5 acres with a panoramic view of the Freestone Valley.  The land is a gentle down slope that holds a garden full of exotic and fragrant plants.  The house is 3 bedrooms and 2 baths.  The floors are wide planks and the counters are concrete.  This home must be sold in the next three weeks.  While this is a beautiful home much loved by the current owners, it is a distressed property that will soon be foreclosed by the bank holding the note.  My expectation is that the property will sell for around $700,000.  It is a steal at this price.  If you have any interest in living in lovely Freestone, please send me a message or give me a call.

Garden View

Happy American Canyon Buyers and Los Altos Sellers!

The last day of 2011 and what a year it has been.  When January 2011 came around, I had no idea where I was going or what the year was going to bring.  My first post was about the increased and difficult business of real estate.  Thankfully the volume continued and I am pleased to report that I closed more transactions than I have in any other year of my real estate career.  The year finished as it had begun with a flurry of activity.  Alas, the difficultly continues as sales are plagued with late appraisals, slow loan approvals and the hurry-up-and-wait process of short sales and bank-owned properties.  Home values have continued to decline except in those few areas where the prices fell so precipitously that there is nowhere to go but up – specifically Rohnert Park has seen some price increases in single family homes.  This December was a very busy month.  Not only was I working on Sonoma County real estate but I closed transactions in American Canyon (Napa County), Los Altos (Santa Clara County) and Lakehead (Shasta County).  These put a few miles on my car but I love working with great folks and these buyers and sellers were top-notch in my book.  I would go anywhere in the State of California for people like them.  And speaking of going – I only attended 8 parties in 14 days during this frenzy of work.  I needed a rest week after Christmas.

View from a Bedroom Window - No difference which one - they are all fantastic!

I am starting 2012 with a listing that I expect to be of great interest to anyone looking for a luxury weekend getaway.  Privacy, space and up-to-the-minute elegance is the best description.  This modern tree house is in a wonderfully sunny spot on Green Valley Road.  It will hit the market late January and you can be certain that you will see it on this blog.  There are many people looking for bargains in real estate and I am working to serve them.  But enough about 2012.  This post is about 2011!

The statistics for this blog were sent to me today.  Around 5,300 hits in 2011 with 35 posts.  I have made a New Year’s resolution that you will get a weekly update on Sonoma real estate.  This is something I follow and I should be sharing the information.  I was surprised to learn that my most read post in 2011 was the one I wrote in May of 2009 on our Redwood Empire Rose Show.  I guess that tells me that I should be more diligent about reporting on the Rose Society.   And, of course, I will continue sharing events around Sonoma County and my travels.  I don’t expect much traveling this year but then, one never knows.

Just a quick report on the Sonoma County real estate numbers.  Here are some numbers comparing November 2010 to November 2011.  The months of inventory (meaning – at the rate houses are selling, how many months would it take to sell all the houses on the market if no new ones were added for sale) has dropped significantly from 5.9 months to 3.3 months.  This is an indicator that buyers are taking advantage of these great prices and low interest rates.  Another interesting fact is that while the average list price has increased from $616,000 to $773,000 (about a 25% increase), the averages sales price has only increased from $374,000 to $386,000 (only a 3% increase).  This tells us that more expensive houses are coming onto the market as owners realize that holding out for better prices may not be a good idea.  The lower priced homes are not getting any lower and the higher priced homes are seeing a price compression.

Maike in Kauai

This last week I have spent on Kauai with my granddaughter – oh, and her parents and my friend, Katy.  What a great way to spend Christmas – no hassle, no clean up, no expectations.  We have had a wonderful time and I may get to reporting on our activities here.  But now it is New Year’s Eve and I wish the very best of 2012 to all my readers, colleagues and friends.

View of Bali Hai from the St. Regis Beach

Skyline from Our Room

Christmas season weekend in San Francisco is a yearly tradition.  This year it was just my friend, Barbara Benda and me – just like the old days.  We saw a few Santas (remember all of the Santas saw last year?).  We took in the decorations (Gumps is still my favorite.)  But the winners this year for our attention were our accommodations and dining.  Well, maybe the real winner was the weather – I wore a light weight sweater and felt warm as we waited for the lights.

Our Comfy Chaise

Our room was at the Stanford Court Hotel on Nob Hill and it was roomy, sunny and comfy.  The view was terrific.  We hung out on the chaise, did a little reading and enjoyed ourselves immensely.  After a bout of shopping, we came back to our wonderful hotel and changed for dinner.  I have always wanted to dine at Gary Denko down in the wharf area.  This meal was yummy, yummy, yummy.  I  have had spectacular meals in my life but this one was tasty, so much fun and worth every penny – very special.  We showed up at 5:30 and got the last two seats at the bar.  The concierge says that the times to get a seat are 5, 7 and 9.  We were very lucky to snag places.

Christmas Decorations at Gary Denko Bar

After dinner we went to Fela, a play that is music and dance.  I could go into the details but you can Google it if you want know more.  It was energetic and entertaining but with the first act being one hour and twenty-two minutes, we slipped out at intermission to get back to the Stanford Court Hotel.

Sunday was sleeping in, working out at the gym and getting a bit of Christmas shopping done.  Another year has passed and we are looking forward to next year.  I love Sonoma County and that fact that it was so close to San Francisco is part of that.

Christmas Display at Gumps

Angel at Trentadue Winery

This has been a whirlwind of a weekend.  It started on Thursday and has progressed until now – Sunday evening at my friend’s home in Pleasanton.  There is so much to do and so little time.

Ian at the French Garden

Thursday evening was Dining Out for Life in West Sonoma County.  This is a local fundraiser for Food for Thought, the food pantry for AIDS patients.  Not sure how much money was earned but I can assure you that no one walked into a restaurant without reservations and was seated immediately.  There is a host for each establishment from the community whose role is to make sure that their tables are full.  The restaurants give 20% of their take to Food for Thought.   Katy, Jen and I ended up at the bar of the French Garden on Bodega Avenue at Pleasant Hill Road.  We had a wonderful dinner and then slipped over to a party just south of Sebastopol.

If that wasn’t enough of a partying weekend, Friday night was picking up wine shipments in Healdsburg and a Holiday Art Show on Florence Street in Sebastopol.  The first stop was Francis Ford Coppola Winery.  A little tasting and chatting at the tasting room and away we went with Gail’s quarterly shipment.  Was it that long ago that we were there picking up the last shipment?  Where does the time go?  The next stop was Trentadue Winery.  Remember our visit to Trentadue last June?  Last week I shared the 2009 Trentadue Sangiovese with Jen and Dan.  It was really good.  Good enough that we consumed two bottles.  The Christmas lights at Trentadue are spectacular.  You can go for the wine or go for the lights – either are worth the trip.

Our last stop was at the home and studio of Abby Bard, local weaver, on the art street of Florence Avenue.  I love Abby’s garments.  She was joined by a group of friends with paintings, jewelry, pottery and leather works.  It was a lovely display and we picked up a few Christmas presents.

So five events under my belt and I was completely ready for the weekend.  And this was Christmastime in San Francisco weekend.  I will post as soon as I get my next free minute.

Beginning of the Holiday Season

Thanksgiving Color on Joy Road

Favorite holidays come in many forms.  While I love Christmas and must always do something special on New Year’s Eve, the two holidays that I find the most rewarding are Easter and Thanksgiving.  Yes, they both have deep family traditions of food, friends and relaxation.  I seem to be more verbal about my Thanksgiving feelings as I find posts from every Thanksgiving since I started this blog but there is nothing about Easter.  I will try to remember that come Spring.

This year will be again with friends who graciously share their home each year.  I have been the beneficiary of their generosity for four years now.  This year my daughter and her husband are attending with me.  The rain will most likely interfere with the Sock Golf but dinner will be just as wonderful.  I am bringing the brussel sprouts and cranberry sauce.  Jen was assigned pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes but I think she has expanded that to include pecan pie and cauliflower mash.  My stomach is saying “Eat, eat, eat!” as I think of it.  There will be turkey and yams and dressing and wine and cheese…  the list goes on.

Also, in a metaphorical sense, Thanksgiving signifies my new life.  I reflect on this past twelve months and am inclined to go through the ritual that often accompanies a new year.  Evaluation – Celebration – Goal setting.

Home Celebration by Homebuyer Alicia Marie

This has been a year of steady improvement.  Recently I have been receiving comments on my “progress” in pulling my life together.  These complements (and, yes, that is what they are) at first seemed unwarranted as I thought that I have been doing pretty well over the span of the last year or so and still struggling with the immense changes in my circumstance.  But in this evaluation stage, I reviewed my journal from a year ago.  I can only marvel at the difference between the thoughts and aches of November 2010 and those of today.  I have come a long way, baby!  Emotionally, socially, professionally – things are going pretty darn well in November 2011.

On the celebration front, today will be a blast.  Forget the diet – share with family and friends.  I am a consummate celebrant.  I celebrate when I complete a workout or close an escrow.  (The picture above is a wonderful woman and new homeowner with some of her guests at their house warming party.  Now that was a celebration in style.)  I celebrate when I arrive at an appointment on time.  I celebrate life daily.  But there are those special times.  I was given a bottle of Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose when I left Conor Court in January 2010.  This is my favorite champagne and I have saved it for a time when my feelings were in true joy.  The bottle was consumed last weekend and it was as good as I remembered any champagne ever tasting.  A true celebration of life.

I am thinking of plans for the coming year.  I will keep on the road of healthy living.  I will maintain or improve upon my business successes.  I will enjoy my many wonderful friends.  The specifics will be played out throughout the year and next Thanksgiving I will be thankful for all the blessings in my life – just as I am today.

Friends at the Pink Martini Concert in Marin Civic Center

View from Francis Ford Coppola Winery - A Sonoma County Destination

Wednesday morning I had the opportunity to hear Ben Stone of the Sonoma County Economic Development Board speak on the state of the economy in Sonoma County in general and specifically in Sebastopol.  I have known Ben for years – long before I entered the business of real estate – and have always found his comments to be well formed and appropriate.  I was going to say accurate but who really can predict the future?

Ben is a very positive guy – and he worked hard to come up with some positive economic news.  It was very nice to hear that the West County Schools have above average SAT scores and the lowest drop out rate in the county.  The other good news was actually on home sales.  While the Press Democrat recently had the headline “Mortgage defaults jump” (which is a very misleading headline), Sebastopol saw a rebound of 4.3% in home sales from 2009-2010.

The prediction for Sonoma County is that the pace of recovery is likely to follow the path of the broader U. S. economy.  Why?  Because Sonoma County exports products outside of the area (read WINE) and tourism is dependent upon the country having the disposable income in order to travel.  Thanks to these industries, Sonoma County is in the top 20-30 economic areas of the United States.

From my perspective, the housing market is in much better condition than recent years.  The struggle today is to get loans closed in a timely manner.  The closings happen but always with a delay.  If you are looking to buy or sell, keep this in mind.

A View of Central Graton

Treasures All at Bargain Prices

The Craft fair is one of a number of community events that make Graton more than a bump in the road.  Today my P.E.O. group has a table that is a mini version of our famous somewhat annual rummage sale.  This year we are taking a break from the rummage sale and have two tables inside the Club.  As always, I picked up a few things when I working on setup yesterday.  The big score was a Faberware electric skillet in the original box for $12.

There are tables with Christmas crafts, original art, vintage jewelry and handcrafted pottery.   Hopefully people will come out in the rain to support the community and get some terrific deals.   The sale continues through Saturday.

I love living in Sonoma County.

The Beverage Bar at Howard's Station - Occidental

There has not been much time to post interesting things in the last few weeks.  I have been busy with work which is a very good thing.  In addition to having some active escrows, I am taking a class on all the latest techniques in real estate.  The class is Sales Power and the developer is Tom Ferry – coach to some of the most successful real estate agents in the world.  With all this intensity,  I decided that I was in need of a mini vacation this weekend.  Am I ever lucky to live in the best place to vacation in the world.  I read today that Sonoma County is one of the top ten places to vacation according to Traveler Magazine – no news to me!

So what does one do when they have two days blocked for just fun?  It started Friday evening in Pleasanton.  My class is in Danville (about an hour from my office in  Rohnert Park) so I just stayed over and watched the final game of the World Series.  My hostess is a St. Louis native so the game was a great omen for the weekend.

Watching the Penguins Eat

Saturday morning I hopped in the car and met my son and his family at the Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park.  I had not visited since my children were in grade school.  The new building opened about three years ago so it was a wonderful surprise.  We got to watch the penguins be fed as well as the large fish in the rainforest.  I don’t know which Maike liked best – the macaws or the ramp that wound around the rainforest.  I can vouch that the climate was like Borneo as the sign announced.  We had a wonderful lunch at the cafe in the museum and then played in the special area for the Under Age 5 crowd.

Maike Loved the Macaws

After a fond farewell, the kids headed home and I ran up to Harding Park where the Charles Schwab Cup Tournament will be held this coming week.   The evening ended with a tasty dinner at the bar of Underwood Bar and Bistro in Graton.

With such a great day, what could I do to follow it up?  My daughter was available to partake in breakfast at Howard’s Station in Occidental and a long walk at Shell Beach.  This is my favorite relaxation morning.  What a treat!

This afternoon I ran a few errands, visited friends outside of Forestville and hung around the house.   Is there any place else that I could vacation and feel ready to take on another very full week?  I love Sonoma County and the whole Bay Area of Northern California.

The Pacific Ocean Off Shell Beach

Here is what the California Association of Realtors published.

HARP Refinance Program Expanded

Borrowers who are current on their home loans may be able to refinance for lower interest rates, even if they are seriously upside down.  The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced today that it will broaden the scope of the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) by removing the current 125 percent loan-to-value cap for fixed-rate mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  Other program enhancements include, among other things, reducing certain fees, eliminating the need for a new property appraisal if the FHFA has a reliable automated valuation model (AVM) estimate, and extending HARP until the end of 2013.  New federal guidelines for the HARP changes should be released to mortgage lenders and servicers by November 15.

The basic eligibility requirements for an enhanced HARP loan are as follows:

• Existing mortgage loan must be owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.  To check whether a borrower has a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loan, go to http://www.makinghomeaffordable.gov/get-assistance/loan-look-up/Pages/default.aspx.
• Existing mortgage loan must have been sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac before June 1, 2009.
• Existing mortgage loan cannot have been refinanced under HARP previously (except for Fannie Mae loans refinanced between March and May 2009).
• Current loan-to-value (LTV) ratio must be more than 80%.
• Existing mortgage loan must be current, with no late payments in the past six months, and no more than one late payment in the past 12 months.

More information is available from FHFA at http://www.fhfa.gov/webfiles/22721/HARP_release_102411_Final.pdf

Upon entering the grassy area behind O’Reilly & Associates,  I was greeted by about ten wineries pouring generous glasses of their best wines.   I learned of a grape that I had never heard of before – Charbono.  They say it is from Italy and it certainly sounds like it.  The grapes for this Russian River Vineyards single vineyard bottling come from Mendocino County and are grown by a guy named Guido.  The wine is red, forward and very tasty.  (No I am not a wine critic.  I know what I like and what I don’t like and that is about it!)  The second wine of which I partook was Dutton-Goldfield’s 2009 Pinot Noir.  Yummy!

The event had plenty of silent auction items that were being snapped up and nibbles from the Culinary Class at El Molino High School.  The real show was the cooking of the lobster.  I wish I had been thinking about my camera while I watched the 50 gallon vats of boiling water prepare our vegetables, bratwurst, shrimp and lobsters!  Alas, I was just thinking about how good they were going to taste.  The lobster was flown in that day and as fresh as being in Bar Harbor.

The evening was full with a live auction, selling of keys to an all paid vacation to Kauai (one hundred keys at $100 each) and wonderful conversation.  I will once again go on the Mystery Tour with other women of Sebastopol as I broke down and raised my card.  The event brought in over $90,000 from the auctions alone.  Another great evening in Sebastopol.