The Peninsula Hub

Past President’s Homes

Nancy Wierenga — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:36:36 +0000

I really enjoyed checking out these properties from our past Presidents after they left office. Good read!

For each of the U.S.’ former Presidents, the most famous residence they inhabit over their lifetime is undoubtedly the big white one at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. But before they were elected and after they left the Oval Office, these policy makers called other addresses “home, sweet, home.” In honor of Presidents’ Day, we’re taking a look at the homes of Presidents — present and past.

Barack Obama

Prior to his current digs at the White House, President Obama lived off Greenwood Avenue in Chicago. The Obamas’ home, pictured above, was built in 1917 and features 6,199 square feet of living space. President Obama and First Lady Michelle purchased the brick home in 2005 for $1,650,000, shortly after Obama was elected to Senate.

George W. Bush

When it came time for former President George W. Bush to retire from the Oval Office, the 43rd President decided to go back to his home state of Texas, picking up a sprawling 8,000-square-foot home at 10141 Daria Pl, which was a downsize from the 55,000-square-foot White House. The Bushes also purchased the property next door but tore it down in 2008. People speculated at the time that the demolition was to expand the former first family’s yard.

Bill Clinton

Unlike many other Presidents, Bill Clinton didn’t own a home during his residency at the White House. Born and raised in Arkansas, the former President and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton chose to stay on the East Coast, and purchased a home in Chappaqua, New York at the end of Clinton’s second term in office. By several accounts, the Clintons are quite popular in the small Westchester County town. Built in 1889, the Clintons’ home is situated on a cul-de-sac lot and has 5,232-square-foot of living space, 5 beds and 4 baths.

Ronald Reagan

Before Ronald Reagan lived at the White House, he lived among the star-studded hills of Pacific Palisades and Bel Air. His former Pacific Palisades property was he and wife Nancy Reagan’s home base until Reagan was elected in 1981. After two terms as the 40th President of the U.S., “The Gipper” and his wife returned to Los Angeles, picking up a prime slice of real estate in the posh Bel-Air neighborhood. The property remains Nancy Reagan’s home today.

Gerald Ford

Not one, but two of former President Gerald Ford’s homes are currently for sale — one listed in California and one in Colorado. Ford’s Vail home, pictured above, is a testament to his love of skiing and the outdoors. Listed for $9.85 million, the ski-in/ski-out home has been on and off the market starting in 2008 with a hefty price tag of $14.9 million. Gerald Ford’s other home is listed on the Rancho Mirage real estate market for significantly less. The $1.699 million listing is a mid-century ranch located on the Thunderbird Country golf course and contains some Presidential memorabilia, including a large portrait of Betty Ford hanging in the living room.

John F. Kennedy

One of America’s most famous families holds one of America’s most storied properties. The Kennedy Compound consists of 6 acres of waterfront property on Nantucket Sound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, a small village in the town of Barnstable. John F. Kennedy’s father, Joseph P. Kennedy, rented a summer cottage in Hyannis Port in 1926 and purchased the cottage 2 years later. The home, which Joseph enlarged and remodeled, became the summer getaway for the couple and their children, who enjoyed sailing on the sound. In 1956, after his marriage to Jacqueline Bouvier, Jack bought a smaller home nearby, and his brother Robert later purchased an adjacent home. Following the death of Massachusetts senator Ted Kennedy, the compound was donated to the Edward M. Kennedy Institute.

George Washington

While we don’t have the first President’s childhood home– the one where he chopped down a cherry tree — we do have the home where George Washington reportedly slept. It is believed that the first general hung up his wig at this 1739 homestead, named the “Fowler House.” The number of nights Washington slept here is up for debate, but if you believe the historic marker on the home, he often stayed here on his way from West Point to Connecticut. The New York home is 5,800 square feet and has 5 bedrooms and 2 baths and was recently listed on the Brewster real estatemarket for $500,000.

Don’t Know Where to Turn? Call 211

Nancy Wierenga — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:37:17 +0000

If you or anyone you know needs food, housing, health care or other services, just call 211 from any phone.

The toll-free number connects callers to people who can link them to services. It’s a one-stop referral service with a mission to connect people with the help they need. The service is new to San Mateo County.

To provide the service, San Mateo County and the Community Information Project have teamed up with United Way of the Bay Area

211 is confidential and available 24 hours a day in more than 150 languages.

Problem dialing 211? Call 800-273-6222 (TTY 415-808-4440 or 711)

Visit 211bayarea.org for more information about 211 services throughout San Mateo County and the entire Bay Area.

Big Band Era San Carlos

Nancy Wierenga — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:14:10 +0000

This is a fabulous event: Lots of dancing with everyone, families, kids and of course adults are welcome. Advance Ticket purchase is required!Ticket cost ~ $10 per person
Friday, Feb. 17 ~ 7:00pm to 10:00pm

Spend a nostalgic evening dancing as you are swept back in time with music from the past. Singles and couples are invited to join us for this special evening. Refreshments and light snacks will be provided.

Call the Adult Community Center for more info at 650-802-4384.

Dance the night away.

Date:	2/17/2012
Time:	7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Crab Feed in San Carlos

Nancy Wierenga — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:01:27 +0000

Annual Crab Feed

Save the Date!

Fresh Cracked Crab
Pasta & Meatballs
Salad & Dessert

Sunday, February 26, 2012

No Host Bar at 4:30pm ~ Dinner at 5:30pm

It’s the Annual Friends of San Carlos Adult Community Center fundraiser at the Adult Community Center to benefit Senior programs.

The no-host wine & beer bar opens at 4:30pm with the delicious dinner following at 5:30pm.

Cost is at $39 per person.

Tickets are now on sale at the ACC Front Desk. Please call 650-802-4384 for more information.

This is an awesome event with lots of fresh crab that is cooked to perfection by our own chef, Bruce. Thank you volunteers for all you do.

Historical Home On-The-Market

Nancy Wierenga — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:00:17 +0000

Storied “House-On-Hill” In Hillsborough Listed for $29 Million

I once had an open house (Verbalee Lane) on the street from this estate and “no” mine was a mere $2 Million. It is on a short street with very different houses along the way. When you got to the end of the street you could see this big estate with the front gates. A lot of history in this home. I just wanted to share this with you. I think those of you that love Historical Homes will find this fascinating.

At a list price of $29 million, it might be a stretch to call this fabled San Francisco-area property a bargain.

But considering the history and quality of this 30-room, 35,000-sq-ft Hillsborough real estate market gem — called one of the most spectacular private residences ever created — “House-On-Hill” should turn a few heads, especially since the price has dropped dramatically since the estate was first offered for sale at $45 million in 2002.

“The owners are very realistic now and there is no other property on the market like this one,” said listing agent Daniel J. DerVartanian.

“You could not recreate this property now, not for the quality of the $20 million renovation that the current owners undertook or for the fact that they wouldn’t let you build this size home on six acres,” he said.

While the house has been marketed by the owners for the past two years, listing it with a real estate brokerage has appeared to been a boon. In the week since House-On-Hill has been listed, DerVartanian said the property has been shown to several interested and qualified buyers — not a tough demographic in a region where Silicon Valley millionaires may be looking to make their own impressive mark on the real estate map.

House-On-Hill as it looked in 1930. SOURCE: Chicago Treasures

Designed by architect David Adler as a Cotswold-style Tudor, the mansion is nestled in the hills overlooking San Francisco and was completed in 1931 for Hibernia bank heiress Celia Tobin Clark.

In 1992, the property was purchased from the Tobin-Clark family by Sam J. Bamieh, a prominent businessman at American Intertrade Group and major Republican Party donor. While the property had already boasted an illustrious history of world-famous visitors, that tradition continued under Bamieh, whose connections to the Saudi royal family and others is its own intriguing story.

A special VIP suite of rooms has been the guest residence of a prestigious list of U.S. Presidents and other world leaders including, Presidents Nixon, Reagan, Ford, and Bush, as well as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and His Majesty King Hussein. The list of other notable guests who visited Bamieh for parties or fundraisers is much longer.

DerVartanian said Bamieh and his wife meticulously renovated the entire property with an attention to detail and an eye for the preserving the original design features. All the systems have been updated, from the opulent music room to the lovely Otis lift to the hand-mill work, and no detail was overlooked.

The list of features includes:

Carved front entry opening to an elegant black and white marble reception foyer
Carved balustrade staircase leading to opulent public rooms including a banquet-sized formal dining room with carved marble fireplace
Over-sized French doors leading to the loggia and grand terrace
Cozy library with 17th-century English paneling featured in Helen Comstock’s “One Hundred Most Beautiful Rooms in America.”
Grand music room
The mansion includes 12 bedrooms, including 4 master suites
12 full baths and 3 half baths
Four kitchens
12 fireplaces
In-ground pool
A six-car garage

It’s tough to argue with a sales pitch that calls House-On-Hill a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but given the location, the restoration and the history of the place, that pitch sounds right on key.

Thank You for All the Birthday Wishes

Nancy Wierenga — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:11:20 +0000

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to thank all of you for your wonderful birthday wishes for me today. What an awesome day. My friends always have a way of surprising me. I have 2 neighbors that share my birthday, one is Jane Cotter (6th grade) and the other was my dear neighbor, Lee Merritt who passed away and we had his birthday and his celebration of life today (94).

When I returned home I spotted some balloons on my front porch from a dear neighbor. I am so blessed to live in such a great neighborhood. Thank you all!

My daughter took me out to dinner at the Melting Pot in San Mateo. I have never been there before and she had a couple of times and really liked it. A few months ago I mentioned that it would be fun to go there sometime and we did this evening. What a great time us girls had. Who would have thought that hours later you would be leaving the restaurant. The staff was great too!

San Carlos Elder Care Resource Fair Tomorrow

Nancy Wierenga — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:41:56 +0000

Elder Care Resource Fair
A Community Education Event For Older Adults and their Loved Ones

What
Workshops, demonstrations, information, and resources for elders and their loved ones.

When
     Saturday, January 28, 2012
     10:00 am to 3:00 pm
     Refreshments & lunch sponsored by Sequoia Healthcare District

Where
     San Carlos Adult Community Center
     601 Chestnut Street, San Carlos

Pre-Registration Required
     Pre-Registration is required to receive a ticket to the Fair and Free Lunch.
     You can pre-register at the San Carlos Adult Community Center, 601 Chestnut Street

The Event
Please join us at the San Carlos Adult Community Center for a day of education, resources and support at the San Carlos Elder Care Resource Fair.

This event will bring our community together to educate both old and young of some of the future decisions that needs to be made as a family and what options are available in our area.

Learning about your options before a dire need occurs helps to create a better outcome. Your participation at this event helps us make life better for our older adults in San Carlos.

The day will showcase exhibitors and feature three breakout rooms with six speakers on differnet subjects of interest to the attendees.

More Info
     Please call or email:
     Beverly Bouma                                Lori Palmatier
     bbouma@cityofsancarlos.org       events@baylaurellaw.com

Living On Your Own Island

Nancy Wierenga — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:36:22 +0000

I couldn’t resist posting this property for sale in Alaska, 2202 Sawmill Creek Rd, Sitka AK. Price at $1,495,00.

The city of Sitka sits on Alaska’s Baronof Island and is flanked on the east side by mountains and on the west side by the Pacific Ocean. It is surrounded by hundreds of small islands, some of which hold private homes. However, there’s only one Sitka home for sale that boasts both waterfront and island property.

The special parcel is populated by some very handsome structures, including a main house set back from the Sitka road system and completely hidden by trees. There’s also a boat house where a 180-foot steel walkway leads to guest quarters that are situated on quaint, separate Bart Island.

Listing agent Jason Shaffer testifies to the home’s uniqueness.

“This is the only property like this in Sitka. There are other islands near Sitka with city power with houses but they are only accessible by float plane or boat,” Shaffer said. “The beauty of this home is that it’s accessible from the main road system, but you feel like you’re on an island.”

Built in 1950, the main home has been completely renovated by the current owners with significant updates to the kitchen, including installation of high-end appliances and granite countertops.

Sitting on about 6.5 acres, the main home has five bedrooms, three bathrooms and a little over 3,000 square feet of living space. The home also has custom, locally-made furnishings, pine floors, large wooden decks and an extensively landscaped yard.

Across the steel walkway, the half-acre Bart Island has a house and separate guest quarters. The 1,250-square-foot guest house was custom-built in 2000 and features a hot tub, vaulted ceilings, radiant heat in the tiled baths as well as complete city power, water, phone and cable.

The separate, 700-square-foot guest quarters was constructed in 2003 and has an additional two bedrooms, two bathrooms and wood decking and complete access to all utilities.

I am sure you would only want to live here in the summer.

Real Estate In Trust Information and Resources

Nancy Wierenga — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:50:28 +0000

At this time of year, I have some folks thinking that they should get their properties in a trust or how about a living will, directive, etc… I will plan on having some resources available for the end of this year for everyone. If anyone has a direct question you can always call or email me. This is important for all of us.

Here are some great resources for you if you have any further questions about how to put real estate in trust:

Statistics for Single Family Residences & Condos San Mateo County

Nancy Wierenga — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:20:45 +0000

Click on Single Family Nov. Report for your November update on the listings, sales, current inventory, etc… in San Mateo County. This is the most current report until January. For Condos and Townhomes click on Condo Report Nov. 2011. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.

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