8 PC BELMONT SAGE GREEN / IVORY FLORAL COMFORTER SET W/MATCHING PILLOWS, CAL KING Review

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8 PC BELMONT SAGE GREEN / IVORY FLORAL COMFORTER SET W/MATCHING PILLOWS, CAL KING Feature

• This high end comforter set was featured in the LNT Renaissance Collection.
• Ivory florals are set against a sage green background and edged with a solid border.
• Set Includes: Comforter, Bedskirt, Two Shams, Two Gussetted Euro Sham,Round Pillow, Neckroll pillo
• Dimensions: Queen: 92 inches x 96 inches , California king: 110 inches x 96 inches
• Heavyweight and warm. This set retailed for 9!

8 PC BELMONT SAGE GREEN / IVORY FLORAL COMFORTER SET W/MATCHING PILLOWS, CAL KING Overview

This high end comforter set was featured in the LNT Renaissance Collection. Ivory florals are set against a sage green background and edged with a solid border.Set Includes: Comforter, Bedskirt, Two Shams, Two Gussetted Euro Sham,Round Pillow, Neckroll pillow.Dimensions: Queen: 92 inches x 96 inches , California king: 110 inches x 96 inches. This set retailed for 9!

8 PC BELMONT SAGE GREEN / IVORY FLORAL COMFORTER SET W/MATCHING PILLOWS, CAL KING Specifications

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Dec 22, 2009 15:00:56

A few Sundays ago, at the beginning of Advent, I was asked to give the “Childrens’ Message” at my church – appropriate (or ironic, depending on how you look at it) since at the time, my son was due to be born any day.  I warned my fellow worship leaders that this might interfere with my being there — making it difficult for me to give the Childrens’ Message!  I said that if it happened, I would be invisible (even though everyone would know why), but that I would be “present in spirit”.

Yet, there is another kind of invisibility: the invisibility of those who are unseen. 

When I lived in Belmont I would shop at the supermarket at Belmont Ave and Mt Auburn Road, not far from “Mt Auburn Cemetery” where so many notable Americans have been buried.  While shopping there, I would often see an old man – big beard, thick graying hair (though going a little thin on the top) with a Mediterranean-looking complexion.  He usually stood near the exit of the store: not saying anything, just standing there.  His clothes were neat, but obviously old and worn.  Yet, no one saw him: he was ignored as if he didn’t exist.   His face, stoic as it was, always seemed to me to be filled with a hurt pride: doing what he had to do to survive, yet once having lived a life far better than the one he has now.

Not many people think about it, but there is an abandoned railroad spur that runs behind that store: it starts as a branch off of the “Red Line” near Alewife, runs behind Fresh Pond Mall, through Fresh Pond Park, past many industrial buildings and Mt. Auburn Cemetery, before it dead ends at the Lexus dealership near the Arsenal in Watertown.  It is heavily overgrown, with at least four bridges where it passes under major roads. 

Such an overgrown area in the middle of suburbia is a perfect hideaway for the homeless: trees, old buildings and overpasses provide excellent shelter.  Recycle and trash bins provide excellent foraging for cans and bottles to redeem at the supermarket.  (I often see the homeless in the area: pushing grocery carts piled-high with cans, bottles, and their worldly possessions, searching in our garbage cans anything that they can use or redeem.)

These are the real “invisible” people: living right alongside us, sometimes sleeping just a few yards from our bedroom windows, but we never see them, we never acknowledge them, we never engage with them.  — Just like that old man I saw so many times at the Shaws in Belmont.

In this Holiday season, we often talk about how Jesus, the babe is a gift from God to the world.  (…John 3:16!)  Yet, we often forget that this gift is to the world, not just us.  That world includes the homeless, the hungry, the poor.  Also, the gift wasn’t “stuff” rather, God gave of himself.

I’m reminded of another poor man I once knew – “Old George” – who had just enough money from his Social Security Check to pay his rent, and that was all.  He survived as so many of the poor in this area survive – scrounging tin cans and bottles so that he could buy food.  He was renowned for being verbally abusive and mean to people, but he changed.  The change came not because he got more money or was given more “stuff” but because someone I knew invited him to lunch.  She befriended him, and saw him as a person.  She gave of herself, her own time: showing him that he mattered, that he wasn’t just a forgotten and poor old man. 

As the friendship with him continued, he began to take the love and friendship he was receiving and “spread it around” to others.  The thing that changed him as a person is that he learned that someone cared.  So, in this Christmas season I ask myself: how am I showing that “I care” to those around me?  How will that old man at the Shaws Market in Belmont know that he matters to God, unless I show him – as Jesus taught us to do? 

Next time I’m in that neighborhood, I’ll seek him out and say “Hi, my name’s Allen: what’s your name?”

I wonder if he’ll be hungry.

As the decade rumbles to a close, the Top Ten lists are pouring in from all corners of the Internet. The horse racing world is debating the merits of every aspect of the sport, from trainers to jockeys to owners to horses to individual performances. I’ll leave the speed figures and analysis to the experts and discuss something I know: the best races I shot this decade.

A note to the purists: this list is not a true representation of the decade. In 2000, I was one year out of college and aside from a few summertime visits to Monmouth Park, I spent most of my time as a racing fan watching televised broadcasts. 2003 was the year I started spending more time at the track and since then, I’ve never looked back.

Although I’ve always been artistically inclined, I only had instant cameras and borrowed point-and-shooters until I purchased my first SLR in 2006. My mind was seeing fantastic images but the photos themselves were abysmal until about three years ago. Perfect portraits of With Anticipation swirled through my mind but all I could get was a sloppy wide angle of him in the Monmouth Park paddock. But this should give hope to the people who complain that they do not have the right gear :^)

So these are the top ten races I shot this decade, not by some mathematical measure of speed, but instead by how powerful the races were to me as a racing fan and a budding photographer.

10) Azeri: 2004 Go For Wand Handicap. From the West Coast, The Champ swept in and ran hard every time. She was defeated by Storm Flag Flying in the Personal Ensign, but that was almost as cool because I loved both mares. Azeri is as game as game can be and she simply turns away all challengers in this performance.

9) Ginger Punch: 2007 Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Another race in which a top mare shows the field who is the boss, except they take a mud bath in the process. This was my first Breeders’ Cup shooting as a credentialed photographer and when I look at this image, I can still feel the electricity I felt that rainy, rainy, rainy weekend. It’s also the only racing photo of my own that I have framed and displayed in my apartment ;^)

8 ) Lost in the Fog: 2005 Bay Shore Stakes. Bellamy Road won the Wood Memorial the same sunny day at Aqueduct, but this race made me a believer in Lost in the Fog. As he was led toward the paddock, he stopped for just a moment and looked at the crowd. His wicked, wicked speed made him the coast-to-coast king of the Sprint Division until he was stricken with the same form of cancer that claimed the life of my horse, Alibar.

7) Goldikova: 2008 Breeders’ Cup Mile. All week long, I tried to get good photos of the French filly exercising on the track. My photos were just-okay… she was small and feisty, and not at all what I expected. She flipped her head a lot. As the gate sprung open for the Mile, I kept my faith and my camera focused on her. She is fierce in this image, poised for glory and not at all the fussy filly of the mornings.

TIED at 6) Henny Hughes: 2006 Jersey Shore Breeders’ Cup Stakes

TIED at 6) Ghostzapper: 2004 Iselin Handicap. Both of these performances share a theme: a superstar New York-based invader trouncing all over the New Jersey competition. Henny Hughes won on a crisp, clear July afternoon in 2006 and Ghostzapper won on a muddy, murky day in ‘04. Both horses toy with their competition for just a stride or two before launching into warp speed and crossing the wire alone. Bobby Frankel kept Ghostzapper in the saddling stall before the race, not circling the paddock until it was time to go to post. Ghostzapper was tense, working his bit feverishly with his teeth. Frankel and his team did everything in their power to keep him calm and prepare him for his race. In the parade, he became more animated and I saw a spring in his step. The rain did not stop for the race and there were just a handful of people on the rail for his performance. Ghostzapper was a mudskipper, running a hole in the wind in one of the mightiest displays of raw speed I’ve ever seen.

5) Birdstone: 2004 Belmont Stakes. It was a tough call between this race and Birdstone’s Travers. Seeing this diminutive powerhouse silence the Smarty Party just edges out seeing him cross the wire through sheets of rain at Saratoga as lightning illuminated the black sky. In this photo, you can just see the outline of Smarty Jones- he is eclipsed by Birdstone.

4) English Channel: 2007 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational. I was lucky enough to be borrowing Bud Morton’s 300mm lens and shooting the top of the stretch for this one. In one of the finest displays of equine grit and determination, English Channel makes a path where there is none and motors away, expertly piloted by John Velazquez. One of my all-time favorite races.

3) McDynamo: 2007 Breeders’ Cup Steeplechase. The tears that flooded my eyes as the mighty McDynamo won his fifth consecutive Breeders’ Cup Steeplechase almost prevented me from getting these shots. Long live the King of Far Hills.

2) Rags To Riches: 2007 Belmont Stakes. I would have sworn the Belmont Park roof was blown off the building from the roar of the crowd as the super-filly defeated Curlin.

1) Zenyatta: 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic. Perched on my ladder, I held my breath and fired frames of Zenyatta winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The place went wild. Greatest horse I’ve ever photographed, greatest race I’ve ever witnessed. Pure poetry.

Out with the kids this evening to view some of the 4KQ Christmas light entrants.  First off we went to Brandella Place Belmont.  Wow the whole street got into the festive spirit with some excellent displays and tons of Christmas cheer.  Next stop was Abbeyfeale Street Tingalpa which gave Brandella Place a run for their money.

It was nice to walk along the streets with hundreds of others, kids in PJs, all enjoying the fantastic displays.  Was also great to see the homeowners out mingling with the passerby, creating a great community spirit.

Took some snaps, I hope you enjoy.  Make sure you check the streets out before Christmas.

Ah yes there are some photos of buses in  there too.  That’s right they were busing people in!  It was fantastic!

Happy Christmas Brandella Place and Abbeyfeale Street.  You made my kids eyes light up, and we are all in a festive mood now!

Cheers

Shawn

PS here is a great map of all the lights in Brisbane

MAP

There was a time when using community development districts was a creative means to fund projects. When growth was at its peak this was not a problem. As more and more residents moved into master planned community the health of the CDD strengthened. But as growth has dwindled and in some cases died this health is threatened and the dynamic has changed. Let’s look at what a CDD is.

CDD taxes can consist of both a bond portion and working capital portion. The bond portion is typically payable for a pre-determined amount of time (up to twenty years). This bond is usually divided between all the homeowners in the community and the individual homeowner can pay off their portion of the bond in full at any time if they choose to. In most, if not all, cases there is no penalty for early payment. So you can already see where a community that is built out is better off than a community in process. A community that is incomplete and has few residents moving in and/or residents moving out can create an adverse effect on the CDD.

The second portion of the CDD (if applicable) provides working capital to maintain the amenities and common areas. This working capital provides long-term assurance that the community’s amenities and infrastructure will be maintained after the developer has ceased their involvement in the community. However, not all CDDs handle maintenance via payment of CDD fees. In some communities, maintenance costs are covered by Homeowner’s Association Fees, which are payable each year based on the budget of the community. These annual fees tend to vary based on the amenities available within the community, and also depending on the contracts negotiated with service providers in any given year. Note that these taxes and fees are tied to the property, not the owner of the property–if a resident leaves the community, the fees are payable by the new owner. Additionally, the length of time that the bond portion is payable does not change when the property changes hands. If you purchase a property in a ten-year-old CDD in which bond is payable for twenty years, then you are subject to paying that bond for the remaining ten years. So in those cases where homes have gone into foreclosure or the homeowner is otherwise no longer present the cash flow to maintain the community is hurt.

CDDs have a much more extensive range of power and abilities than a Homeowners Association. Unlike a Homeowner’s Association, a CDD has the power to make decisions on the nature of improvements and amenities in the area, as well as the power to finance those improvements. For example, with government approval, CDDs are able to make decisions regarding provision of schools, waste management, pest control, and water management, as well as streetlights, roads, and bridges.

CDDs and their associated taxes are planned and executed independently of local and federal government; however they are established with government approval. CDDs can be thought of as a special-purpose government unit–public board meetings are scheduled with notice given to all residents, and CDD records are subject to public scrutiny. Additionally, CDD supervisors are subject to financial disclosure in the same way that other local officials are. Once created, CDDs can effectively govern themselves in many respects–they can become self-sufficient in terms of providing both essential and non-essential amenities and services. Furthermore, they can continue to do so long after the original developer has ceased their involvement with the community.

So that is a little bit about what a CDD is. But most recently news reports are showing the actual state of affairs for CDD’s in the state of Florida. Growth has slowed. New home sales have fallen far from their peak and foreclosures are a growing problem. Today nearly 46% of all community development districts are in trouble and ultimately the homeowners and banks are on the hook.

Just like banks foreclose on homeowners who miss their mortgage payments, developers are being foreclosed on by their bond holders, restructuring bond deals, and in some cases giving back land to cover their debt. Defaulting on these projects can hurt property values and drive communities further into duress. When CDD payments are not made less monies are available for the upkeep of the community and its amenities.

Currently local Tampa communities that are listed as in trouble and are specifically cited by the St. Pete Times as being in default include Live Oak, K Bar Ranch, Cordoba Ranch, Oak Creek, Concord Station, Lakeshore Ranch, Country Walk, Longleaf, Meadow Point and Southern Hills.

With the exception of Grand Hampton, Southern Crafted Homes communities are not community development districts.

                                                                          www.southerncraftedhomes.com

Phew, aren’t we all glad to see that as the headline in many articles!   This time last year we were all heading into 2009 with trepidation, but we have rallied through the storm and here we are looking towards a bright 2010.

Australia has proved herself stable, being one of few advanced countries with a positive GDP growth.

Shane Oliver reports the following:

Outlook for 2010

In direct contrast to the doom and gloom of a year ago, the outlook for 2010 is reasonably bright. Sure, the aftershocks from the global financial crisis – such as high unemployment, periodic debt blow-ups (Dubai, Greece, etc) and constrained bank lending – will linger. But as 2010 progresses, the global recovery is likely to become increasingly self-sustaining. In this regard, the key themes of relevance for investors for 2010 are likely to be:

1. A self-sustaining economic recovery. Leading economic indicators point to continued growth over the year ahead. But most importantly, signs that labour markets are starting to turn the corner – notably in the US – suggest the recovery is on its way to becoming self-sustaining. In other words, fiscal and monetary policy has primed the pump and the private sector will now take over. 2010 is likely to see global growth of around 4% (up from 0.8% in 2009, which primarily reflects the late 2008/early 2009 slump).
2. 2. Stronger growth in the emerging world. Thanks to stronger domestic demand and less in the way of structural constraints such as debt and demographics, growth in the emerging world is likely to be 7% compared to around 2.5% in advanced countries in 2010. China is likely to grow by 10%, India by 8% and Brazil by 6%.
3. 3. Benign inflation. Inflation lags economic activity because it reflects capacity utilisation, which is below normal well into an economic recovery. This time is no different except that excess capacity is greater than normal, with the result that underlying inflation is likely to continue to fall in the year ahead.
4. 4. A gradual move to wind back the stimulus. Along with the economic recovery there will eventually be pressure to wind back budget deficits and raise interest rates. Talk of higher interest rates and uncertainty about how aggressive the wind back will be, will no doubt fuel occasional corrections in asset markets over the year ahead, particularly in those markets that have benefitted the most from low US interest rates. Namely, emerging markets, commodities and commodity currencies – much as occurred in 2004 when the Federal Reserve (the Fed) last moved to tighten. However, tightening will be a very slow process in advanced countries, given memories of premature tightening in the US in the 1930s, still very high unemployment, and falling underlying inflation. Global central banks will first move to unwind the liquidity stimulus before starting to raise interest rates during the second half of 2010. Interest rates will still be very low by the end of 2010 – maybe around 1.5% in the US. China is likely to move a bit more aggressively to tighten, but it is not as dependent on stimulus measures.
5. 5. Earnings recovery. As the economic recovery becomes entrenched, earnings growth will return and take over as the key driver of share market gains. Profit growth is likely to be in the order of 20% in the US and Australia, and 30% or more in emerging countries.
6. 6. Australian economic growth to rebound but underlying inflation to slow. The rebound in business and consumer confidence, a housing construction recovery, numerous mining projects, and increased public infrastructure spending are expected to underpin GDP growth of around 4% through 2010.

For the whole article by Shane http://www.smartcompany.com.au/economy/20091214-2009-has-been-a-year-of-recovery.html

The kitchen is the hub of any home and the meeting ground for most American families. It is where the cooking gets done and also the venue for conversation, entertainment and homework. In effect, the kitchen is the most important and most used room in the household. Matthew W. Johnson, a General Contractor (license # 445859) based in Belmont, San Mateo County undertakes kitchen remodeling projects and offers kitchen remodeling design for communities in that area. The company has vast experience in this area, many photographs of which are posted on its website www.mwjgc.com. In addition, this Diamond Certified building company is offering a free food processor for any kitchen remodeling contracts concluded this season. The company has innovative ideas in kitchen design and can be contacted at 650.591.7243. 

San Mateo homeowners can also register online at the company’s website for a GE Microwave draw scheduled for 12/22/2009.

For more information please click HERE

After a year of doom and gloom the property market is now looking to a new bright horizon. Property experts who had previously reported that the latest interest rate rise would dampen the market have made a complete turn around.

Real Estate sales on Saturday 12 December totaled nearly 1 billion dollars. Many Real Estate agents through out Australia say that they boom is being spurred by the population growth and interest rates still at record lows regardless of the rate rise. Queensland with its strong population growth should benefit.

“It is looking increasingly clear that Australia has avoided the large falls in house prices seen in some other countries over the past two years or so,” said Tony Richards of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), the central bank.

The Australian Property Market weathered the Financial Crisis well for a number of reasons. A couple being a severe housing shortage, high lending standards, record low interest rates and the FHOG (First Home Owners Grant).

Shawn Kristofer

Nashville

"vine lady": performs throughout Gaylord Opryland Resort

We went to Nashville, Tennessee — known as the “country music capital” — two years in a row around Christmastime: in 2007 and 2008. We hadn’t planned on the second trip, but the first one sold us. It was a 3-hour drive from Louisville, Kentucky — our home at the time and currently.

MUST-SEE

1. Gaylord Opryland Resort. This grand, fantasy-like hotel is an experience in itself. Sections of it are filled with luscious greenery like a giant greenhouse, and others boast colorful flowers. Yet another shows off magnificent fountains that even perform shows with music and light. Restaurants and shops can provide hours of fun. Take an indoor tour by riding a boat down the man-made river that winds through the resort. Take a dip in the indoor pool. Or, just get an atrium-facing room, sit on your balcony, and gaze out at the one-of-a-kind Christmas decorations hanging from the ceiling. There’s visual and aural stimulation in every inch of the hotel, from floor to ceiling. Free shuttle bus rides take guests to nearby attractions and shows, including ICE! The theme of the multi-room spectacular ice sculpture display the years we went was How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Just prepare to freeze, even with the thick coats you’re given at the entrance.
2. Country Music Hall of Fame. The multi-story museum has so much related to country music, it’s almost overwhelming. You’ll learn names you never knew were part of the genre!

Ryman Auditorium

3. Parthenon. Named after the famed Greek structure it was modeled after, the Parthenon in Nashville is also an architectural marvel to behold. The one in Nashville sits in peaceful Centennial Park and serves as an art museum, filled with impressive sculptures, paintings, and more.
4. Grand Ole Opry. The famous stage where stars are made (or where stars perform). Unfortunately, both times we went, the main part was closed, so all we got to see was the gift shop. So, go when the place is open.
5. Ryman Auditorium. The smaller performance hall that also has been home to country music superstars, the Ryman Auditorium is usually open when the Grand Ole Opry isn’t.
6. Belle Meade Plantation. We went on a tour of this peaceful, historical home. Living in Louisville, it was especially interesting to learn about all the Kentucky Derby horses that came from or can be traced back through the generations to Belle Meade Plantation.

Other points of interest include downtown Nashville, prestigious Vanderbilt University, and beautiful Belmont University. Also, stroll through, eat, and shop in the neighborhoods of upscale Green Hills and quaint HillsboroVillage.

"ICE! How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" ice sculptures

Real Estate and Mortgage Market Updates and Commentary Videos by Russ Boyd are uploaded to Youtube, MetaCafe, Veoh, Vimeo and Yahoo Video by

Watch Video Here

You already know that what the Federal Reserve does with interest rates has a huge impact on the housing market.   I’m Russ Boyd and what you might not know is that the Fed influences housing prices in another significant way—through its purchasing of mortgage-backed securities (MBS)—and now the question is that when the Fed stops buying those securities in the near future, how will it affect the housing market?
Some background will help explain what is going on. Let’s start with a definition. An MBS is a group of mortgage loans that are pooled together and sold as a bond.

Part of a Pool

It is easy to understand how MBS come about and how they work. When you go to a bank or mortgage broker to borrow money to purchase a home, the home is collateral, and your mortgage—the promise you’ll pay principal and interest each month—is the anticipated cash flow the lender receives from you.
That bank or broker then sells your loan to an entity that aggregates your loan with a bunch of other loans into a big “pool” of various types of loans with various maturity dates (fixed, adjustable rate, one-year, 30-year, good credit, bad credit, etc.) The aggregator then issues these pooled mortgages as bonds, the MBS, which promise investors an attractive stream of interest payments.
Who are these aggregators?
They are government sponsored entities (GSEs). One large group is the Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLB), a private corporation made up of 8,100 member banks. All of the member banks must own stock in FHLB in order to participate in its loan program.  Other GSEs, which have become household names are Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae
To recap,  an MBS is a pool of home loans sold as a bond. And we know who issues them: government sponsored enterprises such as Freddie and Fannie, etc. So, how does this help us understand where real estate prices are going?

Easier to Get a Home Loan

Well, most banks have neither enough money, nor any desire, to hold a large number of home loans for an extended period of time. Absent a place for the banks to sell them, as many of us found out over the last year, it then becomes difficult for us to get a new loan. Thus, the MBS market is currently providing us all with an important means of loan supply, albeit indirectly via our bankers and mortgage brokers. The easier it is for banks to sell our loans to MBS aggregators, the easier it is for us to get a home loan. The more difficult it is, the harder (and more costly) it is for us to get a mortgage.
When the entire financial system found itself on shaky ground the housing market was affected big time. Anticipating a big increase in homeowners defaulting on their mortgages, investors no longer wanted to own their existing MBS, let alone buy newly issued MBS.
With no buyers for those securities, the GSEs couldn’t sell them or issue more. As a result, the supply of mortgage loans all but came to a screaming halt.
To the rescue came the Fed. Last November, as part of its efforts to get the economy moving again, the Fed announced it would buy $500 billion in mortgage-backed securities. In March of this year it raised its target to $1.25 trillion, and it has followed through on its pledge.  These purchases have undoubtedly provided much needed liquidity to the MBS market and helped keep the long-term mortgage rates at historic lows.

Behind the Higher Rates

O.K., let’s get back to the original question: What’s next? Well, just as it has been with interest rates, the Fed has been transparent about its intentions toward MBS. It has said it will stop buying MBS once it fulfills its commitment of buying those $1.25 trillion worth of bonds. It will complete that purchase sometime during the first quarter of next year.
That means that, sometime within the next five months, the Fed will be withdrawing a prop under the housing market.
What remains to be seen is how other investors react as the Fed slows—and then eliminates—its purchase program.
My expectation: As the Fed pulls out, private investors will demand a higher interest rate for such securities—to compensate for their concern people will continue to default on their mortgages—and thus long-term mortgage rates will rise. The real question is how fast and how high.
The real estate and mortgage markets are more complex than ever.  I encourage all interested buyers, sellers and homeowners to work with an agent that they can trust, an agent that values their business and an agent that has the skills and experience to provide counsel and guidance in this complex market.



If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, I invite you to start at our Resource Center, www.AboutBayAreaHomes.com. There you will find links for active home listings, including bank owned and short sales, home loans, market activity reports, home seller strategies, staging and decorating,  a suite of 19 calculators, plus my book, “Let’s Make a Deal, The insiders Guide to Buying and Selling Real Estate” and more.  Of course I am always available to discuss your real estate or mortgage related questions or concerns, just call, text or email me for a prompt response.

X55V742XWCRD Russ Boyd and his team professionally assist buyers, sellers and homeowners in the Peninsula Communities of the San Francisco Bay Area. They serve clients in San Mateo, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Licensed as a Real

Click here for more details about this beautiful home!

The address can be a little misleading, all online maps show the address incorrectly.  Below is a link to the correct map.  The house is on a service road.

1419 Old Cleveland Rd, Belmont QLD 4153

Matthew W. Johnson, General Contractor working in Belmont of San Mateo County, has some exciting offers this Christmas. Homeowners can register for a free GE microwave oven by visiting the firm’s website at www.mwjgc.com. 

The company undertakes kitchen design and remodeling in its line of building expertise. This Christmas, homeowners who wish to remodel their kitchens have a treat in store. The company will submit a proposal with a free kitchen remodeling estimate and present the homeowner with a free counter top appliance while stocks last. Three days after signing the proposal, the homeowner will receive a free food processor. Matthew Johnson, General Contractor has built and remodeled many kitchens which may be viewed by clicking on www.mwjgc.com/11-10-2009_004.htm.  

This licensed contractor (#445859) can be contacted by calling 650.591.7243.

Alright, so about a week ago,

I picked up this game for really cheap off ebay and i played it in my spare time. I expected the game to be at least decent, and I really liked the fact that the art wasn’t the same anime style (i didn’t mind it, but i preferred the old style) from Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin (though those games were still moderate).

I really also liked the new way weapons (or rather, “glyphs”) were handled in this game, it was hard to adjust to but in the end VERY satisfying.

To be completely honest, I’ve played quite a lot of 2D castlevania games (I have only played curse of darkness for the 3D ones) and I always enjoy them, no matter what time they’re from or what storyline. They’re always enjoyable. But this game was the first game that actually caused me a bit of stress.

I’ve never died so many times unintentionally in a Castlevania game in my entire life! Even the NES Castlevania games weren’t this hard, at least I could get past the first stage without dying. Sheesh. But that all added to the quality of the game.
Dying constantly makes you formulate different strategies and to study your opponents movements, etc.
All in all, this was a very quality game, and its graphics rivaled Symphony of the Night (which I am still debating if this game was better or worse than order of ecclesia, that’s how good this game was).

Only downsides really was the music in this game. Though the QUALITY of the music was superb, I didn’t really enjoy it. It wasn’t as great as Symphony of the Night’s soundtrack. Not to say it’s soundtrack wasn’t bad though, it was still very nice, and I respected the quality of it, due to the fact that the horrid GBA soundtracks sound outdated.

So, to summarize, I think anyone with spare time and a DS or a DS emulator should definitely try this game out. It’s frustrating as hell but it’s VERY satisfying.

Here are photos showing the effects of the flooding in the village of Castleconnell.

Note that, despite what RTE radio and the AA have been saying, you can get to the Castle Oaks House Hotel, and to Stradbally and Stradbally North, along the “back road” from the N7 near Finnegan’s Roundabout. The AA and RTE have been saying that the only way in to Castleconnell is from Daly’s Cross but that is misleading: the road is blocked at the bottom of Chapel Hill, at the Ferry carpark. So you can’t get to Stradbally or the Castle Oaks from Daly’s Cross and you can’t get to the centre of the village from the Stradbally side.

The side-roads from the N7 to the back road near Herbert’s pub and via Belmont hill and road are both flooded.

The R525 from Daly’s Cross to Montpelier and O’Briensbridge is blocked by flooding under the railway bridge. However, the R466 from Birdhill to Montpelier and O’Briensbridge is open.

Please do not drive through flood waters if there are houses or other buildings nearby: your wash drives water against walls and doors that are, in some cases, mere inches above the water level. And it’s even worse if the water is contaminated with sewage, as it may be here.

Here are some photos of the riverside walk from the Castle Oaks House Hotel to the Ferry carpark.

Note that, despite what RTE radio and the AA have been saying, you can get to the Castle Oaks House Hotel, and to Stradbally and Stradbally North, along the “back road” from the N7 near Finnegan’s Roundabout. The AA and RTE have been saying that the only way in to Castleconnell is from Daly’s Cross but that is misleading: the road is blocked at the bottom of Chapel Hill, at the Ferry carpark. So you can’t get to Stradbally or the Castle Oaks from Daly’s Cross and you can’t get to the centre of the village from the Stradbally side.

The side-roads from the N7 to the back road near Herbert’s pub and via Belmont hill and road are both flooded.

The R525 from Daly’s Cross to Montpelier and O’Briensbridge is blocked by flooding under the railway bridge. However, the R466 from Birdhill to Montpelier and O’Briensbridge is open.

Market Perception Today

I had a recent email from a client, noting how she was unsure where the market was now or where it was heading. She commented that prices seem to be going up, and contemplated whether she should she hold off buying until the First Home Owner’s Grant (FHOG) reduces further and/or see if there is an impact of expected interest rate hikes?

I can only make comment of what I have seen in my patch of the woods, the East side of Brisbane. So let’s look at her first query – have Sellers increased their asking prices? Well, yes and no.

Up front it should be said if a property is priced to meet the market, it will sell. I have seen, even as of today, new properties listed at an attractive (or sensible) price, which I know will be snapped up quick.

I feel the problem with some new listings, is some Sellers have started to get a little greedy. That’s fine, I too would want to sell my house for as much as I could get, but if I wish to sell my house, I still have to meet the market. This principle will always remain no matter what the state of the market.

There has been recent press saying how the housing sector has bounced back extraordinarily well from the doldrums created by the GFC. I listed an article dated October 20 on this blog noting this very thing. Unsurprisingly, when a Seller sees this type of press, their eyes light up.

But first we need to look at where the press obtain their figures of growth? If it is via Government Departments (this is where database s such as PDS Live, RP Data gain much of their information) there will be a lag time. If a house sells in August, with processing time, the information may not reach a database until September to October. Keep this lag time in mind for the moment.

Personally I believe the turning point in the market was around July/August this year. Homes valued below $430,000 started to get picked up, and momentum increased. As properties in these lower brackets began depleting and confidence grew, Buyers started looking a little further up the price range and a ‘trickle up’ effect could be seen. However I haven’t seen this trickle up effect go much past the $550,000 bracket just yet.

Hence if the market was heating up in August, we hear about it in October (due to the lag time). Sellers start thinking it’s a Seller’s market and start upping listing prices.

Another interesting point I have noticed, is during this initial surge, the majority of interest was from Investors, not particularly first home buyers. They were certainly present, but the Investors seem to be the most active.

There will always be people who need to buy and sell property no matter what the market, due to external factors (say moving interstate for work) but Investors have the luxury of picking their mark. When they feel the market has bottomed out, they jump, as they of course wish to purchase at the lowest point to maximise their growth.

But have Investors interested in purchasing property already done so by now, and left the market, thereby reducing the Buyer pool for the Sellers just as they thought things were kicking along? I don’t think so.  I still have quite a number of Buyers on my Database looking for investment properties, but they are specific and know what the right price should be. If you are a Seller and list too high, you may get good numbers enquiring as there is still much interest out there, but there will be no offers, and your property will sit.

There is also the theory by some the FHOG has artificially increased the costs of lower price bracket property. Having had few come across my path, I can’t see Sellers asking that much more because of a perceived flood of easy cash in the system. It’s just not happening.

If there are several interest rate hikes, the market may slow, possibly for a short period, but I feel most people are sensible enough to acknowledge interest rates are incredibly low, and there will be expected movement up. This is of course assuming the RBA and Lenders don’t get silly.

I was speaking with the local Loan Market Mortgage Broker, Simon Winters, who said his market felt the likelihood of interest rate increase in December was 50%, where everyone was saying 75% just a few weeks earlier.

Sellers pricing sensibly are selling quick as there is still much interest in the market. But list high and you will struggle for an offer. There are still plenty of keen Buyers out there, Investors and some new home buyers getting in before the FHOG reduces. Interest rates don’t appear to be making any dent. Similarly for Buyers, there are still many properties correctly priced in a market which appears to have recovered from the GFC. I don’t see a return to the 2007 times (which is a good thing) so all in all, at present, it is probably a reasonably equitable market.

Please feel free to leave a comment. Perception, by its nature, is an individual thing, so I am always interested in other people’s thoughts.

Real Estate and Mortgage Market Updates and Commentary Videos by Russ Boyd are uploaded to Youtube, MetaCafe, Veoh, Vimeo and Yahoo Video by

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While sometimes it feels natural to focus on life’s challenges and difficulties, I’m grateful that the Thanksgiving Holiday is upon us.  For me, Thanksgiving is a true reminder about all that I have to be thankful for. From my family to yours I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

As it turns out, I’m thankful for all the first time home buyers who, according to a report released by the National Association of Realtors, have represented 47% of buyers this year.  This surpasses the previous high record of first time purchasers set back in 1991. This can best be illustrated in data show in these graphs just released by Zillow.com.

The first graph is the San Francisco Metro Area and includes San Mateo, San Francisco, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.

The second graph is Santa Clara Metro Area comprising Santa Clara and San Benito Counties.

It’s clear that the housing recovery for the bay area began at the beginning of 2009 and continues to progress.   It’s also clear that first time buyers are critical to housing and a general economic recovery.

Why? Because they absorb excess inventory created by the high number of financially stressed homeowners and resulting foreclosures.  The research confirms that the current high level of first time buyers compares to the recession in 1991, where the same dynamic played out as first time home buyers started the chain reaction that led the nation out of recession.   The combination of tax incentives, record high affordability, low interest rates and pent up buyer demand has led to a high level of sales which began earlier this year.  Economists would also credit the FED with suppressing any immediate rise in interest rates affecting home mortgages while the economy is still so fragile.

The survey reflected that the median age of a first time home buyer is 30. First time buyers are being realistic about the long term nature of their investment by planning to live in their homes for at least ten years.  Nationwide, 78% of the homes purchased were single family homes.

Of all the first time buyers, 96% choose a fixed rate mortgage.  61% of first time buyers used their savings as a down payment while 22% received down payment assistance as a gift from family.  This tells us that saving for a down payment is back in vogue.

And no surprise here, a staggering 84% of first time home buyers are using the Internet to find their new home.

Reflecting the complexities of the market, 85% of successful home sellers used a Real Estate Professional to sell their home.  The actual number of homes sold without buyer or seller representation was a record low according the most recent survey only 6%.

If you have an interest in Bay Area homes you will find what you are looking for at our website, www.AboutBayAreaHomes.com.

There you will find links for home search, listings for bank owned and short sales, home loans, market activity reports, home seller strategies, staging and decorating, my book “Let’s Make a Deal, The Insiders Guide to Buying and Selling Real Estate” and more.  Of course I am always available to discuss your real estate or mortgage questions or concerns, just call, text or email me for a prompt response.

Russ Boyd and his team professionally assist buyers, sellers and homeowners in the Peninsula Communities of the San Francisco Bay Area. They serve clients in San Mateo, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Licensed as a Real Estate Broker by the California Department of Real Estate, 01264240.

*Jakarta Globe, 25 November 2009

Strangers. The word tends to have an ominous cloud hanging over it. But in the beginning, everyone is a stranger, an unknown quantity — even the people who become our friends.

As a journalist, chatting to random people comes with the job. It’s a prerequisite, in fact.

The other day, I struck up a conversation with two middle-aged men watching a salsa class in San Francisco. They were from Guatemala. After conversing about dancing and being immigrants, the portlier of the pair said, “You’re very open. Most women here don’t normally speak to strange men.” What a pity, I thought, because those women missed out on meeting these two who, with twinkles in their eyes, taught me a little about their country.

I like strangers. They are a novelty with their different points of view and stories.

But like the Guatemalan said, trust in this day and age is hard to come by. After all, if colleagues can backstab you, friends betray you and spouses more likely than not cheat on you, then who’s to say the strangers you befriend aren’t liable to harm you?

Traveling in unfamiliar territory, everyone I meet is a stranger — a possible threat or friend. So as a solo traveler, I try to be more cautious. But on any journey, nothing quite goes as intended. In my experience, strangers have enhanced my travels and, more often than not, come to my rescue.

As a foolish youth driving solo across England and Ireland, I managed to get my car wedged in a ditch. There, surrounded by dense fog, past midnight, in the countryside somewhere between Dublin and Galway, I sat in the dark waiting for help. Eventually, I flagged down two men on their way home from the pub. Unfortunately, due to the substantial amount of Guinness in their system, their car ended up in the same ditch as mine. It was only after the pub closed and the rest of the inebriated villagers came our way that we were saved.

This time my story began when a 5,000-pound steel cable snapped off the San Francisco Bay Bridge, causing it to close for a few days. Due to the bridge closure, Amtrak canceled its buses, which I needed to connect to a southbound train, leaving me stranded in the city. Amtrak did leave a note on the bus stop sign. Catch the train in San Jose, it read. Nothing else.

I went to the local subway station to find a train bound for San Jose. A kind attendant informed me that the southbound Amtrak would leave the next morning. “Do you have a place to sleep tonight?” he said. At the train station, naturally. Unfortunately, the stations close at night, was his reply.

Lack of lodgings was the least of my worries. My mission was to catch my train to San Diego. The route I had to take was simple: a Bay Area Rapid Transit train from San Francisco to Millbrae followed by a Caltrain to San Jose where I was to wait for an Amtrak bus to Santa Barbara, and finally a train to San Diego.

Zipping down to Millbrae, I was slightly apprehensive. Was San Jose the right place to catch up with my wayward Amtrak transportation? Midnight was closing in fast. I turned to the elderly couple behind me and asked if they knew where I could catch the Amtrak train to San Diego. Their names were Bill and Rosanne, and they were on their way home from watching the musical “Wicked” in San Francisco. There were no trains till tomorrow. Again came the question: “Do you have a place to sleep tonight?” “No,” I replied.

Before alighting in Millbrae, Bill turned and said, “You can sleep on our couch tonight.” And with those words, the kind pair saved me from spending the night outside of the San Jose station.

So I hopped into their car and we drove to their home in Belmont. It was a quaint old house with a porch, the random passing deer or raccoon in their yard, a kitchen with flowery wallpaper and a brown-and-white Papillon dog called Mickey.

When Bill discovered my budding love for riding long-distance trains, he took me to his basement. On a wall a sticker read: “My wife says if I buy one more train she’ll leave me. Gee, I’ll miss her.” Bill is a railway aficionado.

He had spent the last 41 years turning the basement into a miniature country of undulating mountain peaks, canyons, clouds and cities connected by railways tracks and trains of all shapes and colors. We talked of trains till well past the witching hour.

It wasn’t until I was snugly settled on their couch that a thought crossed my mind — what if they were a couple of elderly serial killers? Laughable misgivings that dawned too late and completely unwarranted for the kind couple shepherded me onto a train headed for San Jose the next morning.

A friend of mine once asked what it feels like to befriend strangers. I had answered: happy. Looking back, I’ve changed my mind. My answer now? Grateful.

!!!
The other day, I decided to use the restroom at Walgreens on Belmont and Broadway in Chicago. Walgreens is one chain that almost 100 percent of the time has a public restroom in Chicago. So that is definitely a good secret in case you have to take an urgent poop or pee. But you will also have to deal with the horrible maintenance of the bathrooms. In less than five minutes I could point out seven disgusting things about the bathroom:

1. Soap on the floor and walls, DISGUSTING, crusty, and probably 3 month old handsoap.

2. Dried white “who knows what” on the mirror. Are people brushing their teeth in the bathroom and splashing on the mirror?

3. Spilled coffee, or something disgustingly brown on the floor.

4. Pee still sitting in toilet from person before.

5. Coffee cup ring on toilet paper dispenser…disgustING!

6. Foamy moldy stuff on bottom of toilet, accompanied by a piece of chewed gum.

7. Coffee stains on “unused” toilet seat covers.

Now, if Walgreens offers a public restroom, the appearance should state something about how clean the store is. This just convinced me that the store is a royal and moldy mess!

Any thoughts on the Golden State Warriors. Just curious how many games do you think they will win?

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