The three homes that closed in the past two years had an average sales price of $996,650 or $348 per square foot.  That price was about 99% of the asking price.  The homes were on the market for an average of 14 days.  614 Abbie Court was REO and 611 Windmill Lane was a short sale.

Built in the early 1980’s, Old Town embodies the traditional charm of old Pleasanton.  These quaint homes range in size from 2,250 to 3,000 square feet, with mostly 3 car garages and generous lots.  They are located off Bernal Avenue, near First Street and within walking distance of downtown Pleasanton.

Image via Wikipedia

’s production of the musical Annie will run through Feb. 5 at the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center.

The beloved Annie in this production will be played by Jordyn Foley and Jess Martinez will fill the shoes of Daddy Warbucks. John Maio directs the show, with choreography by Christina Lazo, vocal direction by Min Kahng and musical direction by Jo Anne Fosselman.

The original Broadway production, based on the comic strip Little Orphan Annie, opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years, setting a record for the Alvin Theatre  now the Neil Simon Theatre.

Performances will be at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 5 in the Bankhead, 2400 First St., Livermore. Tickets are $37.50 and may be reserved at 925-373-6800 or www.livermoreperformingarts.org.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

If you’re like most of us, one of your New Year’s Resolutions is to eat healthier. A great way to do that is to visit the San Ramon Farmers Market and fill your basket with fruits and vegetables.

After a break from the holidays, the market is back every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 2680 Bishop Drive, Bishop Ranch 2. Admission is free.

More than 50 vendors and growers are generally on hand. In addition to an abundance of produce, you’ll find organic flowers, artisan foods, fresh pasta, grass-fed organic beef, eggs, seafood, olive oils, farmstead cheeses, and gourmet street foods.

For more information and to see a full list of vendors, visit http://sanramonfarmersmarket.wordpress.com/about/.

NON-CUSTOM HOMES

There are no active listings or pending sales of non-custom homes in the neighborhood.  Four sales of non-custom homes have closed since September 2010.  The average sales price was $742,750 or $370 per square foot.  The homes were on the market for an average of 87 days and sold for almost 99% of the asking price.  5724 Highbluff Terrace was a short sale.

SEMI-CUSTOM HOMES

There is one active listing of a semi-custom home in Moller Ranch.  It is listed for $1,175,000 or $352 per square foot. It has been on the market for 89 days and is not a short sale or REO.

Three sales of semi-custom homes have closed here in the past two years.  The average sales price was $1,068,333 or $359 per square foot.  The homes were on the market for an average of 91 days and sold for about 96% of the asking price.  None of the semi-custom homes were short sales or REO.

Moller Ranch is a planned development in the hills of West Pleasanton.  It features a wide range of homes in an incredible setting surrounded by open space and hiking trails.  There are small lot detached homes, semi-custom homes and custom homes.   Moller Ranch is conveniently located close to Stoneridge Mall, with excellent commute access to I-580, I-680, and BART, as well as easy access to schools & parks.

The average sales price on the four 2011 closed sales was $1,488,750 or $283 per square foot.  The homes sold for about 94% of the asking price and were listed for an average of 73 days.  729 Boxbrough Place was a short sale.

Located east of downtown Pleasanton in the upper Vintage Hills area, these prestigious neighborhoods offer an impressive setting and luxury amenities.  The homes in Foxborough Estates range from 3000 square feet to over 6000 square feet, on generous lots.  Many of the homes have views of the valley and the surrounding hills.  It is a desirable neighborhood of luxury homes that has remained popular with home buyers.

Grey Eagle Estates is a gated luxury home development on 1+ acre lots.  Located on top of the hill, these homes are exquisite, and most offer stunning views of the valley and Pleasanton ridge. All of these homes are custom, and include upscale amenities and designer features.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

.

“Wheels rumble at rip-roaring speeds, as thousands of loyal fans are hypnotized by the whirling mayhem of what we call banked track roller derby,” the American Derby Roller Skating League web site promises.

The action will be filmed for TV and will feature three four-period mini-games with the World Champion San Francisco Bay Bombers, Los Angeles FireBirds and the Brooklyn Red Devils. It all takes place Feb. 4 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds at 7 p.m.

To buy tickets and for more information, visit www.arsdbombers.com

Well, there’s a new exhibit coming to the Museum of the San Ramon Valley in Danville that will put all sorts of quirky collections on display. The Weird, Wild & Wonderful Exhibit will run Jan. 28 to April 28. You can explore the history of early collections and the beginnings of museums. An eclectic mix of collections from San Ramon Valley residents will answer many of your questions about collections … or perhaps leave you more inspired to think about the objects closest to your own heart.

Visitors to the museum will see collections of oil cans, light houses, anteaters, ink stands, political buttons, fish hooks, baseball cards, and much more, according to the Contra Costa Times.

Image via Wikipedia

The Museum of the San Ramon Valley (in the Danville Depot), 205 Railroad Ave., is open Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 4 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission is $3 for guests, free for museum members.

Visit www.museumsrv.org for more information.

For the full Contra Costa Times article, visit http://www.contracostatimes.com/san-ramon/ci_19808367

Four sales closed since November 2010.  They sold for an average price of $1,012,500 or $321 per square foot, which was less than 95% of the asking price.  The homes were on the market for an average of 84 days.

Vintage Heights is a custom neighborhood off Vineyard Avenue built in the 1990’s. These homes range from 2,700 to 4,000 square feet or more, with lots ranging from 9,000 square feet to 1/2 acre or more.

The table below shows all nine sales that closed in the past two years.  The homes sold for an average price of $566,167 or $290 per square foot.  They were on the market for an average of 47 days and sold for nearly 100% of the asking price.  Three of the homes were short sales.

These 3 and 4 bedroom homes feature contemporary California styling in a quiet location in the Dougherty Valley. The homes range in size from 1900 to 2400 sq ft, with lots typically in the 5000 to 8000 sq ft range, with 2 car garages.  7735 Squirrel Creek Cir. is a short sale.

The eight active listings are priced at $1,463,721 or $295 per square foot, on average.  These homes have been on the market for an average of 60 days.  Two of the properties are short sales and one is an REO.

On the market for an average of 68 days, the five pending sales carry an average asking price of $1,341,800 or $256 per square foot.  Three of these homes are short sales.

The three closed sales sold for an average price of $1,396,333 or $264 per square foot.  They were on the market for an average of 38 days and sold for about 99% of the asking price.  None of the three were distressed.

Norris Canyon Estates are high end luxury homes in a secluded, wooded setting in the hills of West San Ramon.  Homes feature 3 and 4 car garages, luxurious master suites, several fireplaces, custom kitchens and finishes, and more.   Lots range from 1/3 to 1/2 acre, many of which boast incredible views of the hills and valley.   Roubion is the final phase of Norris Canyon Estates and features luxury homes 1/2 to 1 acre lots, many with views.

There is one active listing in the neighborhood and no pending sales.  The active listing is on Arther Drive and it is listed at $736,765 or $318 per square foot.  It has been available for four months and is a short sale.

Six sales closed in the past six months, a large number of closings for this neighborhood.  By comparison, three closed during the prior six month period.  The average sales price of the six closed sales was $816,817 or $360 per square foot, which was about 98% of the average asking price.  The homes were on the market for an average of only 25 days.  None of the properties were short sales or REO.

Parkside is located adjacent to the Pleasanton Sports Park off of Hopyard Road. It was built in two phases. The original phase, near Hopyard Road, was built by Crocker Homes in the early 1980’s. The second phase was built by Emerald builders in the mid-1980’s. Homes range in size from 1,650 square feet to 2,300 square feet.  All have 3 car garages, which has made this a very popular development.  Lot sizes range from 7,500 to 10,000 square feet.

The two active listings are priced at $539,950 or $313 per square foot.  They have been listed for 34 days and six days, respectively.  The home on page Court is a short sale while the one on Holland Drive is REO.

The average list price of the 12 pending sales is $511,916 or $307 per square foot.  These homes have been on the market for an average of 49 days.  Eight of the twelve homes are distressed.

The eight sales that closed in the past six months sold for $535,625, on average.  That was $327 per square foot and about 99% of the asking price.  On average, the homes were listed for only 32 days.  only 6258 Garner Court was distressed (short sale).

Built by Singer Homes between 1968 & 1973, Val Vista features homes between 1,370 and 1,950 square feet on lots that typically range from 6,000 to 7,000 square feet.  Centrally located off of W. Las Positas and Hopyard Rd, this neighborhood contains Donlon Elementary School, as well Val Vista Park and the new soccer park.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

If the cost of two tickets to paradise is beyond your budget right now, then maybe two tickets to see Eddie Money would be within reach.

Money will be playing at Tommy T’s Comedy Steakhouse in Pleasanton on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at 7:30 and 9:30.

Money was a regular in Berkeley clubs in the late 60s and then knocked out numerous hits in the 70s and 80s including “Baby Hold On,” “Two Tickets to Paradise,” “Shakin,” “Think I’m in Love,” and “I Wanna Go Back.”

The musician tours the “Oldies” circuit, often with other successful rock acts of his time.

To buy tickets, visit http://tommyts.com/pleasanton/tb_calendar.html?Page=http://www.ticketbiscuit.com/TommyTs/EventListPage.aspx?Search=Eddie+Money

No reason to panic, at least yet.  December is typically the low point for inventory and inventory often climbs rapidly as we get deeper into the year.  That was certainly the case after December 2009, when inventory rose steadily into late 2010.  Some communities (Pleasanton, Danville and Blackhawk) have fewer months of inventory now than in December 2009 but the other communities in the Tri-Valley actually have more.

If we look at the data on a quarterly basis, we see that the most recent inventory levels aren’t as tight as the late 2009/early 2010 period, and not nearly as tight as it was pre-2006.  The chart below shows the months of inventory in Pleasanton on a quarterly basis going back eight years. The rest of the Tri-Valley looks similar.

Looking beyond the Tri-Valley, San Francisco is also experiencing low inventory levels, as discussed in this SFGate.com article.  Nationally, the Wall Street Journal reported that inventory is at a four year low.

So what does all this mean?  Will the real estate market help pull the broader economy up or will continued weakness in the broader economy keep sellers (and possibly buyers) on the sideline? Yes inventory is low, but for the moment it has not really translated into higher prices for sellers overall, just faster sales.  Buyers are still mostly cautious about the market, and so even in situations where there are multiple offers, we are not seeing the wild, frenzied bidding we saw during the peak.  And no matter what you sell the property for, it still has to appraise unless the buyer is paying all cash.  So while it is good news for most sellers, it is likely more of a temporary condition that will change as more inventory comes on the market.

If you’re a buyer, you will probably have some competition if the home you are interested is priced correctly.  But it is still a great time to buy right now, with prices down and interest rates at historic low levels.  Just don’t expect to get that prime property at a big discount.

It will certainly be interesting to watch the market unfold as we enter the Spring.

Overall, inventory stood at 61 homes at the end of December, down 18% from 74 at the end of November.  Pending sales fell to 12 during December, after jumping to 16 in November from seven in October.  While the overall number of homes was down during December, there were still plenty of homes on the market, with 5.1 months of inventory relative to pending sales at the end of December.  That is actually higher than November’s inventory at 4.6 months, due to December’s sharp decline in sales and November’s unusually high number of sales.

All Alamo Single Family Homes
Inventory Vs Pending Sales December 2011

Homes priced under $2 million accounted for 74% of Alamo’s inventory at the end of December and 100% of pending sales during the month.  November’s 57 at the end of November shares were 77% and 94%, respectively.  Inventory fell from 57 at the end of November to 45 at the end of December, a 21% fall off.  December’s 12 pending sales were 20% lower than November’s 15.

Alamo Single Family Homes Under $2 Million
Inventory Vs Pending Sales December 2011

16 homes priced over $2 million were listed at the end of December, one lower than at the end of November.  There were no pending sales in this segment during December, compared to one during November.

Alamo Single Family Homes Over $2 Million
Inventory Vs Pending Sales December 2011

Alamo saw inventory fall for the fifth consecutive month, while pending sales were relatively strong for December.  Plenty of inventory remains and demand is strong as we head into 2012.