Home Sweet Home

a25bad036e704b59b2e0ea3fbb8e0221 1540325774309 1

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 23:06:00 +0000

by Jeff Pereyda https://youtu.be/N7pGknKXLWM

1000 Home Block Sale May 19th!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 01 May 2018 22:32:00 +0000

by Jeff Pereyda https://youtu.be/EMhzo-cxRhU

Real Estate Federal--Warning to All Real Estate Agents

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 18:30:00 +0000

What happened when I hired Real Estate Federal.

Real Estate Federal is located on 1200 Smith St

Houston, TX 77002 according to the Better Business Bureau record. Phone ID says it is in Pleasanton TX. Their phone number is 830 268-4000.

I paid $3900 in exchange for listing appointment prospects, because I wanted help in certain areas of prospecting, so I hired Real Estate Federal.

The owner called me, and he sounded legitimate, and after talking with Real Estate Federal for a while, it seemed genuine. April 8th 2017 I signed an agreement with Real Estate Federal after I looked online, and there were no complaints. Back then, I could not see the more recent posts on the Better Business Bureau about stealing money from Quintella G. on 2/25/2018, so, I trusted Real Estate Federal and signed a contract that included a money back guarantee. That was a mistake. Below is how they are stealing my money and stealing the money of others.

August 9th, (about four months in) I sent an email to Real Estate Federal because I had not received any appointments—much less a closed escrow. I was supposed to get 60 appointments. You might say that being four months in, one third of the contract, I should have around 20 appointments, more or less. I tried to read the writing on the wall so, I reached out for refund and they replied on August 9th stating:

Dear Jeff,

Thank you for your email.

We understand you want leads.

As per the terms of the contract, the firm does not offer a refund unless we fail to deliver 60 appointments in a year or if you don’t close at least three transactions from the leads.

We have not forgotten about you and are working on your area.

We will deliver appointments as soon as possible.

Thank you.

Then about one week later, I inquired to Real Estate Federal again because there was apparently a problem with emails. Real Estate Federal wrote

Hello,

We did respond previously.

It appears our emails are going in to your bulk folder.

Please review the terms of your contract for our refund policy.

As per the terms of the contract, the firm does not offer a refund unless we fail to deliver 60 appointments in a year or if you don’t close at least three transactions from the leads.

We have not forgotten about you and are working on your area.

Please note we have been having problems with email and have changed the sending address.

We do have leads which have not yet confirmed as appointments.

As you can see, I tried to cancel in hopes to prevent them from stealing my $3900. Real Estate Federal was stealing my money, and there was nothing I could do. They would not refund. Apparently, I had to wait for eight more months. After writing, calling and texting to Real Estate Federal, they have made no attempt to contact me now.

On April 1st 2018 (approaching the one year mark), I reached out again, and I tried texts and voicemails—nothing. In all aspects of this experience with Real Estate Federal—they are stealing agent's money.

I upheld my side of the contract. I paid $3900, I set up notifications, and I asked for a refund by email prior to my one year contract. Real Estate Federal is in default of our contract. I made a mistake in trusting them. Now, they are stealing my hard earned money and will not give me appointments nor a refund.

I will post updates if I ever hear from them, or I get a refund of my $3900.

Here is a link to the Better Business Bureau page for Real Estate Federal, they have an "F."

https://www.bbb.org/houston/business-reviews/real-estate/real-estate-federal-corp-in-houston-tx-90047647

Get Real... ID That Is

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 20:08:00 +0000

Planning to travel on a plane? Traveling within the US even? Then, you better get on board with a REAL ID or else, enjoy your staycation at home. Starting October 1, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security is enforcing this not so new rule that will be in effect. It was born out of the 9/11 attacks, but the logistics has taken some time. If you have not heard of this, you are not alone. Many US citizens are going to feel left in a lurch or worse, stranded because they had no idea.

Okay, so to get started, you and I need to go here. https://goo.gl/rgH1CY (shortend link to DMV REAL ID). The DMV lets us know what to do (bring) in order for them to approve and create a REAL ID. There's more to this than you may think too.

Let's say you are not traveling, but need to visit a federal facility. You will need a REAL ID to gain entry. Unlike California, some states are already REAL ID compliant, they beat California to it by a long shot. They have compliant ID cards to wave around in our face. To see who made the cut already for the REAL ID, go here. https://www.dhs.gov/real-id#1.

Many articles pay much more attention to detail on this issue than mine. Keep in mind, I am a Tri-Valley and Tri-City Real Estate Broker http://www.tricityhome.com and not the greatest writer, but to get to the gist of it--at least visit the DMV link and get started because you can save a fee if you need to renew your license (ID) anyway. Here's one more reason to get it done. Let's say you buy a home, then need to sign the buyer package at the escrow office, the escrow officer/Notary may accept your CA ID, but what if the lender, of all people, adopts the new REAL ID standard and kicks your documents back. That will age you a bit. Wouldn't you agree? When it comes to real estate, I always keep your money top-of-mind as well. I am a frugal man. Just apply for the REAL ID and save a buck.

by Jeff Pereyda

Phone: 925 292-9532
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Top Livermore Real Estate Agent Reviews http://www.tricityhome.com/ondemand

Buy a Brookmeadow Park Livermore Home Investment Property

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 01:23:00 +0000

The Brookmeadow Park subdivision in Livermore is a good place to buy an investment property in Livermore. It is sandwiched between Autumn Valley and Windmill Springs next to Patterson Pass and N. Mines Road. Brookmeadow Park homes vary greatly in size because they are comprised of basically three builds. There are condominiums, smaller traditional and mid sized up to about 2000 sq ft built by McBail in the late eighties, so Brookmeadow Park investment property can be found in three price ranges. The larger homes are on Erica, Andrea and Mulqueeney. So, if you are looking for a good investment property, you can start in Brookmeadow Park. There are price ranges that can make sense for many investors, and the rents are strong. Exisiting homeowners there can always enjoy home value appreciation even if there are a number of rental properties around. Depreciation really only happens when a subdivision of single family homes and condos are surrounded by high density apartments. This is not the case in Brookmeadow Park.

Try clicking on my Livermore Lab subdivision map for interactive reports on sales price trends and more. http://www.tricityhome.com/yourhome

The Arroyo Secco, "dry stream" in Spanish, is an important Livermore watershed that winds through the subdivision, and it provides space between abutting lots of land where no one can build. There is also an electrical easement there that abuts the tract. Huge lots are created because of the easement that abut the tract, so it looks like a football field in the back yard. There is a large pool off of Marie Common and four tennis courts off of Kimberley Common. All in all, The Brookmeadow Park subdivision is a good place for starting investors as well as the seasoned portfolio holders.

by Jeff Pereyda

Phone: 925 292-9532
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Top Livermore Real Estate Agent Reviews http://www.tricityhome.com/ondemand

Rancho Arroyo Livermore Ace Train Vasco Station and Real Estate Sales Trends

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 22:26:00 +0000

Rancho Arroyo is my more challenging Livermore home routes. I am a real estate broker and property manager, so it makes sense to visit the streets near where I live and remind Livermore homeowners of real-estate-sales-price-trends and that I sell and manage homes here. The rancho-arroyo-livermore-real-estate-sales-price-trends. http://www.tricityhome.com/yourhome has interactive maps and charts updated monthly. The interactivity is not always obvious, so you have to hunt bit. It is a challenging route to walk because in order to visit each home without doubling back, etc. I have to follow a planned route exactly. Believe it or not, one can get turned around a bit and waste time.

The Rancho Arroyo subdivision is full of great neighbors who care about the neighborhood. The Rancho Arroyo-Patterson Pass traffic can be loud at times, and together with the train tracks on the other side of the pass, it can get louder during the ACE Train Vasco Station commute. But, the ACE Train Vasco Station is close by, (click map) so if you need to use the ACE Train, it is very convenient to live in Rancho Arroyo. You can park on both sides of Vasco to get to the Vasco ACE Train Station, but it gets packed fast.

The homes at Rancho Arroyo are mid size ranch style with a square footage near 1200 and 2000 with lots averaging 7000-8000. William Payne Sports Park is on the other side of Patterson Pass where a lot of soccer games are played by lower age groups. There is also a motocross track on real dirt that has high turns and steep jumps. Both Sandia and Livermore Lab employees live in this area as well.

For a more in depth look at the Rancho Arroyo real estate sales trends, just visit the link above.

by Jeff Pereyda

Phone: 925 292-9532
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Top Livermore Real Estate Agent Reviews http://www.tricityhome.com/ondemand

Mini Pumpkins--All 635 of Them!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 17:22:00 +0000

Jeff Pereyda-Livermore-Real-Estate

Joan's Farm in Livermore sold me 635 mini pumpkins, so I could deliver them to my Livermore neighborhoods around me reminding people who I am and what I do. The Livermore minis were inspected, washed and scrubbed (some of them) then set on a cart for delivery.

Ergonomic and motion study experts would have tipped their hat I think when they saw how I braced the pumpkin tub onto my cart to raise the level of pumpkins so as not to force me to bend into a tub over 600 times. Putting a 40 count cluster of minis onto the removable lid allowed even better reach and left a huge reservoir of pumpkins underneath to help me restock the lid whenever I had to deliver 200 or so mini pumpkins in one trip. My routes are all carefully mapped as well so as not to double back or deliver both sides of the street. My 15 years as a UPS driver in Fremont helped with that. I covered all the girl streets in Livermore within the boundaries of Charlotte, Joyce, Bianca and Katrina. So, if you live on Debra, Felicia, Hazel, Carla and the others, you would have by now received a mini pumpkin with my card that says, "It's No Trick, I'll Treat You Right!"

Some of my other ideas were delivering a mini bottle of Tabasco sauce reminding people that the market was hot. I delivered house-shaped sponges early spring (Spring Cleaning), I hand delivered 635 tomato plants in late spring, and I delivered bay leaves in the winter for cooking stew, etc.

My main job I am responsible for as a Livermore-real-estate-agent http://www.tricityhome.com is to find buyers for sellers and sellers for buyers, then a myriad of other things once a real estate purchase contract is signed. I also manage properties in Livermore and other areas.

Wrapping it up, be creative when it comes to reaching out to the public. Dropping off a xerox copy of homes that sold in Livermore is not creative. Make it interesting, and make it fun. They'll remember you.

by Jeff Pereyda

Phone: 925 292-9532
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Top Livermore Real Estate Agent Reviews http://www.tricityhome.com/ondemand

Preparing Your Home for Sale is Easy as 1, 2, 3

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 12 Aug 2017 00:33:00 +0000

Home selling in Livermore is in full swing and thoughts of putting your home on the market may have breezed through your mind. Industry experts say this is the ideal time to list your home. If you were considering listing your home in Livermore, you should consult with me ASAP and have a checklist ready – and that checklist is easy as 1, 2, 3.

First, let me provide you with a sales marketing plan http://www.tricityhome.com that includes a pricing strategy that takes into consideration competing homes, current inventory levels and time on market. That plan will also outline the online marketing approach and the initiatives you need to complete as a homeowner to ensure success.

Second, you will need to clean everything! Ensure that your home has optimal curb appeal, particularly as we enter into fall since gardens need a little extra attention. Ensure that lawns are mowed, clutter is removed, trash bins are hidden from view, exterior paint is fresh and no roof tiles are missing. It is also important to make sure your driveway is free of cracks and oil stains. First impressions are important and potential buyers do judge a house by its exterior, so be sure to invest a little time and elbow grease to win over buyers before they even walk through your door.

The inside counts too. Cleanliness is king when it comes to showing your property to prospective buyers. Make sure to clean your windows inside and out, vacuum carpets, mop floors and clear all the dust that accumulates in exhaust fans and lighting fixtures. If deep cleaning is not your forte, you can hire a professional cleaning service to scrub down your home. This may cost a few hundred dollars, but it’s well worth it. I have names of providers that have helped me before.

Equally important is to declutter as minimalist interiors tend to show best. https://youtu.be/EXcIGkO2YJ8 Buyers walk in and try to imagine their ideal or actual furniture in various spaces. There is nothing worse for house hunters than walking into a cluttered space and being so overwhelmed with stuff that they decide against it on the spot. Be sure to minimize extra furniture and objects by renting a small storage space while you are in the process of showing your home. The small cost is worth the large return.

Third, comfort is key. Particularly during the warmer months, so be sure to have your AC running at a comfortable temperature. If your home is not equipped with AC, then make sure the windows are open and fans are running in the extra warm spaces. It is also a good idea to ensure that shutters and blinds are drawn until just before the open house to help keep out the heat.

by Jeff Pereyda

Phone: 925 292-9532
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Top Livermore Real Estate Agent Reviews http://www.tricityhome.com/ondemand

Park Plaza Homes Livermore CA

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 14:02:00 +0000

Roy N. Jensen built a lot of homes in Livermore in the late sixties. There is even a street named after Mr. Jensen right off East Avenue just East of Livermore High School. Everybody knows the name Jensen in Livermore. His office was located on East Avenue and on Tuesday, October 10, 1967, He filed his corporate status with the sate of CA as Roy N. Jensen Homes, Inc. Albeit that his name and subdivisions were and still are well-known. There was a not so well-known subdivision project Jensen was fond of called Park Plaza Homes.

The Park Plaza Homes ended up being a relatively small build out of about 12 homes on Hazel Street and Terry just off Charlotte Way. Why so small? At the time of writing, I am currently not sure, but the Park Plaza plans were anything but small. The Park Plaza Elementary School, the Park Plaza Park and the Park Plaza Shopping Center were all part of the building plan within a significant size lot just west of Livermore Lab. The Park Plaza Homes parcel of land was just east to what was then called Sandia Corporataion and Lawrence Radiation Laboratory. Jensen was actually supposed to live in one of the homes in Park Plaza Homes on Hazel Street.

When my wife and family sold our Fremont Townhouse and moved to Livermore in June of 2014, we bought one of the Park Plaza Homes by Jensen. At he time, I only knew that it was way different than the other homes around. I knew it was a custom build, and I also knew I wanted to live in it. So, we bought it, and I am so glad we did.

I now live and work in this neighborhood, and one of my neighbors has hired me to sell their Livermore home http://www.tricityhome.com in Jensen's Park Plaza. I have an affinity for original brochures of homes built some time ago. I like mid century stuff. My clients actually have the original brochure for the Park Plaza Homes by Jensen. I took some digital images and thought I would share them with you.

These single story ranch Park Plaza Homes are fortified with 2 x 6 and 2 x 8 rafters throughout, 1 1/8 inch thick subfloors, girder and beam supports and more. They were and still are tanks.

You do not need a Jensen home to be happy in Livermore. Just come to Livermore like I did. Visit www.cometolivermore.com and let me know if there is anything I can do to help with that. I hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane.

Reunited After 16 Years :)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 04:41:00 +0000

Alameda County Tax records shows that a client of mine from 1999 sold her Fremont Niles home in 2004 without me as her real estate agent. I was the real estate agent who helped her buy the Niles Canyon home back in 1999, but we had lost contact after a few missed tries to stay in touch. When I saw that she sold her Niles home in Fremont, I felt bad. Turns out, the tax records are incorrect.

Recently, I received a text to voice line from a Zillow app. Something about selling her house. It was quite jumbled. After some quick digging, I realized it was my long lost client who now needed to sell her home in Niles Fremont. She must have typed in Jeff Pereyda, real estate agent in google and "pow" there I was, now a real estate broker. She was so glad she found Jeff Pereyda, Real Estate Broker http://www.tricityhome.com, rather effortlessly in fact.

So, after 15 years, she simply googled me. That says something nice about her. I also must have done something right in 1999.

Try this cool google aplet that searches for you. Maybe someone will use it to reconnect with you some day soon.

Google me

by Jeff Pereyda

Phone: 925 292-9532
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Mistaken Identity

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 13 Dec 2015 00:07:00 +0000

From a real estate agent's perspective, marketing a home for sale in Livermore http://www.tricityhome.com involves getting creative. When I take a listing, one of the things that I do is walk through the neighborhood where the home for sale is located and talk with the neighbors to let them know about the home in Livermore that is for sale. As I walk up to the door, I have my Livermore home flyer as well as a large dog biscuit. I ring the door bell, and, with proper porch etiquette, I place the marketing piece where it is easy for the homeowner to reach. During that brief stay at the porch, if I hear a dog bark, or if I know a dog lives there, I leave the nice looking treat there in addition to the information about the home for sale in Livermore. It gives the marketing piece more punch if it involves the pooch.

So, why the post? The other day, I was doing just that for a general marketing piece. I walked to a neighbor's porch, rang the door bell, and I heard the distinct "woof woof." I placed my marketing piece, got out my biscuit then placed it on the step. No human came to the door, so I was on my way to the next house when the door swung open and out came a middle aged woman looking about. I turned back to see her confused look as she picked up the large dog biscuit. As I made my way back the the front porch, it awkwardly became evident that there was no dog living there at all. Then, she brought her hand to her mouth and coughed--seemingly identical to a de-barked beagle. I came clean and told her the truth that I thought she was a dog. I laughed, she did not. I told her in haste, "I thought I heard a bark from far away." That was the truth too, but not much better. I made amends, took my dog biscuit and went on my way. Next time, I'll be more careful.

by Jeff Pereyda

Phone: 925 292-9532
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Top Livermore Real Estate Agent Reviews http://www.tricityhome.com/ondemand

Livermore Real Estate Agent Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 00:29:00 +0000

If I am buying a particular item on Amazon that I am not finding locally, I'll read the reviews associated with that item almost every single time, Reviews help me quite a bit, and I usually make my final decision on what to buy based on what reviews I have read. When it comes time to sell a Livermore home, or a home in any other city, Get real estate agent reviews.

Most homeowners take months, sometimes years to finally decide on whether or not to sell their Livermore home. When the time comes to choose their Livermore real estate agent, some do it in just one day, almost haphazardly. Some homeowners get lucky in choosing their Livermore real estate agent http://www.tricityhome.com--others do not fare too well. Real estate agents are not all the same. There is a REALTOR Code of Ethics, but it is only as good as those who follow it.

As a Livermore real estate agent, http://www.cometolivermore.com, I can say that getting agent reviews is a modern real estate agent's requirement. But, what if the potential client does not want to read through hundreds of letters or reviews written on the real estate agent's website. What if the homeowner is more of an audible learner. That's why, years ago, I developed ondemand real estate agent reviews http://www.tricityhome.com/ondemand that play on your computer without downloading anything. My on demand reviews play immeiately after you click the play arrow. One recent client told me that until they listened, yes "listened" to my past clients talking on his computer, he was still unsure who to trust, even after he read a lot of my reviews. He ended up chosing me. Here's what an on demand review looks like on my website.

Dennis... "We interviewed other agents."

Listening to reviews is not new. We hear them quite often in fact. For example, I wouldn't be the happy owner of my Roomba had it not been for a live review. Twice people stopped me in two different stores when I was standing in front of their Roomba displays looking pensive. One fellow shopper simply said, "You should get it. I love mine," And, another told me "It really works!" I now have a Roomba, and I like it a lot.

If you thought about selling your Livermore home, I say Livermore, but I sell homes everywhere in the east bay, then perhaps consider listening to my real estate agent reviews on demand. These are real past clients that speak up about their experience after using me as their real estate professional. Having that information before you choose your Realtor and sell your house is like listening to a fellow golfer who had to make a similar shot as you on that very same putting green you happen to be on. You get to know how that ball rolled. Priceless.

by Jeff Pereyda

Phone: 925 292-9532
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Two Hooks to Get More Looks

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 19:35:00 +0000

If you had a checklist with room for just two items on it, there are the two things that should be on the list when it comes time to sell your Livermore home. One, make sure there are upgrades before you go on the real estate market. The second of the hooks that will get more looks is to use a professional real estate photographer to capture only the best pictures of your Livermore home for sale after it has been staged.

The success of this marketing strategy crosses over into other markets. When you test drive a new car, most dealers will place you in the upgraded model, right? Bringing it back to real estate, new home builders want you to see the model home which has what? Right, upgrades. Selling a home in Livermore is no different. You will want to make sure you have moderate upgrades to your home.

The minor kitchen upgrade recoup for San Jose was 131% in 2015. *Cost vs. Value Report 2015. Recoup from an upgrade is reinforced because, you yourself can get the remodel done for fractions of what the new home buyer has in their mind, further assuring the recoup margin. Here is a quick example. A home buyer walks into a Livermore home for sale and sees old windows that are leaking and almost falling out. They turn to me, a Livermore real estate broker and agent http://www.Tricityhome.com and ask, how much will it cost to redo all the windows? When I tell them the actual cost, most of the time, the home buyer over estimates, and they place a value that agrees with the Cost vs. Value Report because the job is already done and they do not have to do it. Simple, yet true.

The second thing to remember when selling a home in Livermore is to use a professional photographer to capture only the best pictures of your home for sale. Millions go into new car marketing material. Wouldn't you agree. Those commercial photographers are some of the best in the business, and their images are stunning. New home builders are not any different. Their homes for sale are upgraded and staged to the hilt, then they professionally photographed. Your house for sale should be no different. So, if you are thinking of selling your Livermore home, put those two things on the top of the list, but call me before you do, so I can tell you where to focus your efforts.

There are exceptions to the rule, like when timing is much more important than price, but generally speaking, you will want to have upgraded before you sell your home in Livermore or anywhere else.

*Cost vs. Value report is free after registering at remodeling dot hw dot net.

by Jeff Pereyda

Phone: 925 292-9532
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2014 Livermore Christmas Parade in Livermore CA

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 07 Dec 2014 19:30:00 +0000

I attended the 2014 Livermore Christmas Parade in Livermore CA. It was Saturday, December 6th from 6 pm to 8 pm.

Parade goers lined the curbs and sidewalks of First Street as many unfolded their own chairs and waited to watch local participants, mostly Livermore and Pleasanton organizations, parade their own floats downtown on First Street. One of the earlier local entries, Livermore Sanitation, donned one of their new, huge trucks with Christmas lights. Right in front if it, wheeled a very cute, miniature Livermore Sanitation garbage truck complete with its fully operational fork lift. It must have been a remote controlled community promo vehicle of some kind. My son and his sidekick, much more interested in the Livermore parade at this point, edged their way closer to the action and anticipated what would come next. LPFD Livermore Pleasanton Fire Department did not disappoint. Not only did they show off the big red truck shortly after, (always a kid pleaser) but another one of the Livermore Pleasanton Fire Department's engines, with the rear steering cab, was later used to introduce Old Saint Nick at the end of the Parade, a Christmas Day Parade tradition. While eating some local food, as many shops were glad to stay open to accommodate, I enjoyed the rest of the Livermore Parade and Christmas Tree lighting. I would have liked to see a Jeff Pereyda-Coldwell Banker-real estate agent http://www.tricityhome.com float in the Livermore Christmas Parade. I am currently in the top 10 in my office, but this was other's and Santa's big scene.

Skipping to the end of the event, Santa came through and was proudly waving to the crowd young and old from the back of the big Livermore Pleasanton fire engine. Local news stations had their cameras ready to capture the local visit and Santa's initiation of lighting the Livermore Christmas tree. But not to be out done, parade goers also lit up the night skyscape. Dotted with glowing handheld device screens held as high as arms could reach, the crowd itself was decorated while all electronic eyes were focused on the big man, and capturing memories. All in all, a great turnout to a Livermore tradition. Until next year.

by Jeff Pereyda

Phone: 510 742-3212
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Which Variety of Fremont Avocados Do You Have?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 07 Apr 2014 18:53:00 +0000

I was raised having the privilege of enjoying an abundance of some of the most fragile, yet, hands down, the best home grown avocados ever at my parent's home in Sunnyvale CA. All that is gone now, and I have been searching for that rich tasting, thin-skinned avocado I grew up with ever since. However, the avocados I uncovered time and again during my search were never the variety we think is called the Zutano or Fuerte Avocado. Sadly, I was never sure of the variety because my parents weren't sure either. It seemed hopeless, and that those tasteful memories would never return.

Both my parents, especially my dad being from Mexico, loved growing avocados, so it explains why we had two giant avocado trees.

Just recently, I had amazing upturn of events. My long search is now over. Spread the news--Huzzah! I have found it at last.

So how did I come to find the Fremont avocado? Let me share. I drive through Glenmoor in Fremont almost daily as a regular during school days because my kids attend Glenmoor in Fremont, and because my wife teaches there. Moreover, as a Fremont real estate agent, I always look at homes selling in Fremont--Glenmoor (Centerville), Irvington, and other popular Fremont real estate areas as I drive to and from my Fremont real estate agent office at Coldwell Banker http://www.Tricityhome.com, while passing through Glenmoor, I noticed an avocado tree owner carefully pruning and even covering his tree at different times of the year. A noble avocado grower because Fremont does get some frost. A couple of years went by. I watched him grow the Fremont avocado tree, then suddenly, out of the blue, he was chopping the tree down with no sign of turning back--cutting it right down to the stump. With my mouth agape, I turned to my son in the car and said, "We have to get to the bottom of this." I turned the car around and rolled to a stop next to the gruesome scene. As I approached the avocado grower, I noticed what appeared to be a single fallen fruit on the well manicured lawn. He was a nice man, but why he had cut the Fremont avocado tree down did not make sense to me.

After a few pleasantries and pointed questions from my part, he began to tell the story. He did not know the name of the variety either. He felt that the avocados started roots in the fruit while they were still on the tree and that the sprouting made it non palatable for him. That sounded familiar. And, top that off with hard work Fremont avocado trees need from everyone who owns one, and you get a frustrated avocado grower. If only I had known what was going on in his mind a few months ago and if I knew this in fact was the correct variety, I would have easily negotiated removal of the tree and paid a tree removal service to replant and grow the avocado tree at my Fremont house. Or, at least share tips and tricks for enjoying this temperamental variety and explain how to get it just right.

I lowered my head to see if I could glean something from the wreckage. There it was, an abused, omitted avocado, unencouraged and lying there. It looked beyond saving. It was evident that even the birds had a go at it and left it for not. I told my son to take it and handle it carefully, not knowing this was the prized fruit of my youth. But, just in case, I wanted to save it from the all to certain destination of the green, Fremont waste garbage bin. My son clutched it carefully with his small but certain hands and we both headed home in the car. I began telling the stories of the best avocados ever to my singular captive audience all they way home.

Perhaps a week went by as a few oranges and garlic bulbs in a big blue bowl willingly squeezed aside to make room for the bruised and battered avocado welcoming it to a new home. Over time, nature had its way and the hardness of the green citrus eased up and lent itself to becoming softer. Even the skin changed its look from having shiny and stretched looking pock marks changing ever so slightly into wrinkled and almost dry in appearance. I often caught myself engaging in long stares onto its skin while carefully clutching the slowly changing green orb. That last noticeable change was all too familiar. I performed the thumb test. It was ready to eat. Words, at least mine, cannot convey the delight I felt. Even though I second guessed myself a few times, my wife was right there to concur that this was in fact the right variety of avocado we all coveted. Call it what you will, but we will name the variety as one Zutano/Fuerte. I almost started story telling to my long-suffering wife who has heard over and over, "I miss mom and dad's avocados... Remember the time when I had to climb the tree..."

It takes years for a young avocado tree to bear fruit. Heaven knows I have tried--only to discover that it was the wrong variety of avocado. As the bearer of the fine fruit must almost always wait for the avocado to become ready to eat, patience is what all avocado lovers must endure. There is nothing really fast about an avocado tree accept during its mature stages. Then you soon realize that they never stop growing, and their speed of growth increases significantly.

But alas, my parent's prize avocado trees and now the nurtured Fremont Glenmoor tree were gone, never to blossom again. I may have found the fruit, but my hope of ever learning the right variety were dashed. Or, wait a minute... Perhaps not. I now have one undeniable seed of hope, the seed itself.

Wish me luck!

by Jeff Pereyda

Phone: 510 742-3212
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Stolen Sweets are Sweeter

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 20 Dec 2013 17:11:00 +0000

I didn't actually steal these. These wonderful persimmons were encroaching onto our common area in the wonderful town houses in Fremont California in which I live. If you happen to have a Sunset Western Garden book, or any other reputable garden or landscaping book, you would know that Fremont California lies in climate zones 15 and 16. In addition, if you are looking to grow persimmons, then Fremont California is an excellent choice. In the West, there are two very well known species of persimmons. There is the Oriental or Japanese persimmon and the American persimmon. Both of these trees are quite hardy and resistant to an oak root fungus. They are very easy to grow, but make sure you only prune the deadwood after the last of the fruit. There was one problem that they have referred to as fruit drop. It's common in young trees. But, if you are consistent in feeding and watering and make sure you have a good irrigation, it should not be a problem. In Fremont, you can probably find a great choice of person and trees at Reagan's nursery on Decoto Road.

You might see in December, a blackish brown tree with large bright orange persimmons left. This is most likely the Hachiya persimon--The Hachiya is the persimmon shown in the photograph above. I am a Fremont real estate agent http://www.tricityhome.com that looks for not just number of bedrooms and square feet and neighborhood and all the rest, but I take into account the landscaping and what types of trees already exist on the property. I recently sold a home in Fremont that had a wonderful Japanese persimmon tree in the backyard.

The persimmon tree is very popular because it is one of the best fruit trees for ornamental use; good garden or small shadetree use as well. It can be espaliered quite easily to show off it's mature structure. Not to mention, mature trees can produce huge amounts of fruit that can be dried and saved for the rest of the year. If you pick them off of the tree, make sure they fully ripen before you eat them. These particular persimmons shown in the photograph will be used for Persimon pudding, A slight twist on Christmas pudding. I hope that Charles Dickens would have approved.

By Jeff Pereyda

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Fremont CA Water Quality & Low Hot Water Pressure Fix

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 20:41:00 +0000

I found a very inexpensive fix concerning my Fremont hot water pressure or lack there of. Over a period of about 3 to 4 months, my family and I noticed very low hot water pressure. It also felt like there was just not enough hot water to go around. Moreover, dollar signs were appearing in my head because, when I searched the Internet for possible fixes, I found many causes for the same low hot water pressure problem--bad pipes, and bad water heater were to name a few.

Here is what I did for a quick $0 fix. I shut off the water main. Our Fremont Townhomes have a massive 1" water main. As a Fremont real estate agent, http://www.tricityhome.com I see many homes, and 1" pipe is rare. Point being, there should be no reason why we have low pressure hot or cold. Anyway, after shutting off the main, I opened my kitchen faucet to let out the hot water pressure build up.* I then used 2 pipe wenches and removed the hot water out fitting. This was that flex tubing coming out from the top of the hot water out nipple. What was left on the water heater was the nipple or short piece of pipe. Much to my surprise, I thought I could simply use a coat hanger wire to knock through any hard water deposits. Our hot water heater out pipe was 98% clogged with what looked like rust and calcium deposits. No wire I possess would remedy that significant of a clog. I took out my drill, and started a test drill bit of 5/16 inches. It worked very well to drill through the clogged length of the pipe without damaging the pipe. I then stepped up the drill sizes until I simply drilled out the hot water out nipple using a 1" spade drill bit. I now had a cleaned out pipe. I put everything back together carefully and tested the hot water after closing the kitchen faucet and turning on the main again. It was like having a brand new hot water heater. Now I face a new challenge of trying to prevent my family from using too much hot water.

I believe that you can also simply replace the nipple on the hot water out as well, but this was my first go at this issue, and it worked beautifully. I will make sure I replace the copper fitting using a dielectric fitting ASAP. Hot water heaters have sediment build up at the bottom of the tank anyway, so another 2 or 3 Tablespoons of sediment that I created from the drilling was not about to hurt. We are due for a water heater replacement soon, but this procedure bought us some time and solved the problem in less than 1 hour.

My installer for the hot water heater back in 2000 used copper nipples and not dielectric ones. When I do replace the hot water heater, I will make sure I have a dielectric fitting.

About the water, the Alameda County Water District has guidelines it must follow from the State of CA and the Federal Government. These standards were set by the California Department of Public Health and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, However, I can taste a huge difference in my water when I drink from the faucet and when I drink the same water filtered through my reverse osmosis filter. So, what am I filtering out, or rather what does the EPA allow CA and Alameda County to leave in?

There are many sources that are updated on a regular basis that will disclose the quality of water in Fremont. Alameda County Water Disctrict provides a thorough five page report on their water quality each year. It is mailed out, but I did not receive mine--I actually downloaded the 2012 Water Quality Report provided on their website to take a look. It is a good report in my opinion. But when you ask around, and you talk to other Fremont residents about their water from a non-scientific point of view, the word is that it is a hard water with a notorious record for leaving hard water deposits where ever it is left to stand or dry out.

*My kitchen faucet is slightly lower elevation than my hot water heater, so the release of pressure was both initial water pressure release and gravity or siphon pressure release. I did it that way so that I would not have a gush of water after removing my hot water flex pipe from the hot water heater. I only had a manageable trickle.

by Jeff Pereyda

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1235 Deer Rd, Fremont, CA 94536

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 19:58:00 +0000

This may or may not be your cup of tea, but out of all the people you know--who do you think would be looking for something like this? Look at all the pics provided in the link below..

1235 Deer Rd, Fremont, CA 94536: 1235 Deer Rd, Fremont, CA 94536 — Jewel of the Niles. So close to nature, you can touch the hills. Well over 120k in well thought out upgrades like drainage, electrical circuits, Hardyplank siding, forced air furnace, roof, windows, flooring, kitchen, raised decking front and back and bathroom. Yes, hardwood is underneath too...
by Jeff Pereyda

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Fremont Blvd Chili's Glenmoor Elementary Findraiser

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 30 Oct 2013 02:04:00 +0000

More like Glenmore elementary hair raiser. Glenmore elementary school is having its annual fundraiser at Chili's on Fremont Boulevard. Right next door is a haunted house "Ghost House" and lots of scary and fun activities for the children and family to do while donating money to Glenmooor Elementary.

It is such a fun way to enjoy a spur of the moment fun time during the week and donating money to a great school in Fremont. Go Wildcats!

Glenmore elementary real estate shows no signs of slowing down that much during this fourth-quarter.

Our close friend and 5th grade Glenmor Elementary teacher Mrs. Prescott wears the witch costume all too well. If you get a chance, see if you can come out and donate to Glenmore elementary school and have a good scare at the same time.

Tracphone Unlimited Free Texting

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 02:21:00 +0000

You can enjoy a free unlimited TracFone texting. However, there are some limitations. First of all, long texts are a no go. TracFone allows a very limited set of text characters to filter through on the preview screen. I discovered this when I was taking some time off from my Livermore real estate agent office at http://www.tricityhome.com with my daughter watching my son practice soccer. She happened to purchase a TracFone and wants to text, but there is a fee involved when texting. So, during the free time we had, we explored what combinations of texting characters can we send for free and still get across a meaning to the receiver. As long as the receiver does not open the text message, certain text messages can be understood without opening. Here is what we came up with for texting for free.

This is what I see when I send free unlimited TracFone texting to my daughter from my iPhone.

Keep in mind, free TracFone unlimited texting requires a very specific string: Two characters, a space, two characters and another space or a period. From the top, this is what they mean: Come home, call home, love you, friendly flower, and are you okay?--this one requires a call back. I leave these on my text message screen. When I want to send TracFone free unlimited text, I simply tap edit then select then forward to my daughter. This assures me I have done the right characters in the right sequence

To get unlimited free texting on the Trac Fone phone, you may have to experiment what works for you. My wife used the same characters but was unable to get through. She had to come up with her own set of free texting characters.

I used my TracFone unlimited free texting characters today. I texted CM space HM. Three minutes later my daughter walked through the door.

It may not be real free texting, but it accomplished two things. One, it brought my daughter and I closer together while problem-solving. Two, it saves a few bucks, and that makes my daughter happy.

by Jeff Pereyda

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Glenmoor Musical Theater--Stumped

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:42:00 +0000

Glenmoor Elementary School, a 2012 recognized California Distinguished School by CA Department of Education, in Fremont has an outstanding musical theater company called Glenmoor Musical Theater (GMT). The GMT has been around for many years and has performed musicals that outperform many would be expectations. These must see performances are made possible in part to the tireless work of Mrs. Smith, Kindergarten teacher and head of the Glenmoor Musical Theater.

Parents of the performers must also volunteer their skills in order to make it all work however. As a result, there are directors, editors, set designers, costume designers and plenty of gaffs.

The latest production this Spring is The Rainmaker, set in a a jungle rain-forest backdrop that sends an ecological message. This is not the first eco message the children have sent us over the years. Native American themes have also had a presence on the Glenmoor stage. There are, however, a few firsts for the Glenmoor Musical Theater this time around. For example, "Spoiler alert" there will be a tragic scene for the first time in Glenmoor Musical Theater's history. Another first, and on a lighter note, yours truly will be solely responsible for the designing and building of the rain forest fig stumps set stage left and stage right--hence the pun in the title of this blog post. I have the design in my head. Now, I just need to get it to work. I will be building the stumps this Saturday at the multi purpose room at Glenmoor Elementary. Hopefully, with the use of jigs and a template or two, I can get it done on time. I have 3 hours to do the job.

The children, including one of mine, have been working diligently on their lines and their delivery. My daughter is in the play as the Snake, and although her lines are becoming easier for her, it's her delivery and feeling that needs work. Who really enjoys a mumbling snake on the stage? Never the less, her confidence is slithering along nicely as are the rest of the performers who are all getting closer to curtain time. There will be Shamans in costume dressed in the colors of the rainbow, actors dressed as monkeys that actually swing, and a fully working rain forest waterfall.

I am sure that Mrs. Smith, together with all parents involved with costume and set design, and with the hard-working students on and off stage should command a standing ovation at the end.

After a very focused week of selling Fremont homes http://MyColdwellBankerHome.com It will be nice reconnect in a different way to the community that makes Glenmoor and enjoy the fruits our labor.

by Jeff Pereyda

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BART's New Warm Springs/South Fremont Station

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 18:25:00 +0000

Warm Springs/South Fremont Station is now the formal name of the new BART station that is being built. It extends the Fremont BART line in a more southerly direction and should be completed over the next few years. Starting from the end of the existing Fremont BART station between Walnut and Mowry, next to the Tule Pond (pronounced Tu-lee). From there, the line will continue southeast UNDER Lake Elizabeth then turn south before it emerges from the depths of Stivers Lagoon just east of Aqua Adventure Water Park. Afterwards, it will parallel the existing railroad tracks that hug near Driscoll, then Osgood, then Warm Springs until it stops right at the very northern part of the parking lot at the old Nummi Plant, now Tesla.

The BART site has an image for the new location on a map, but it views the landscape from North to South, opposite of the normal or default view of Google Maps. I flipped it below, but it is still hard to view.

Here is another image that I created for us from Google Maps that is easier to view.

As a Fremont Real Estate Agent http://www.TriCityHome.com and Fremont Real Estate Broker Associate that sells Fremont homes http://www.MyColdwellBankerHome.com, I am asked about home values and homes' proximity to BART quite a lot.

Homes near BART's new Warm Springs/South Fremont Station will include some of these popular Irvington residential areas. All of the homes south of Grimmer Park next to Grimmer Elementary School like Jamestown, Montrose, Continental, Independence, Jamestown, Yorktown, Charleston, Hopkins, Salem, Wilmington, Columbia, Salem, Jersey, Newport, Sumter, Norfolk and Savannah.

Also on the other side of 680 many homes close to the BART's New Warm Springs/South Fremont Station will be Parkmeadow, Ivy, Winding, Ponce, Ute, Onondaga, and many other streets next to and around Weibel Elementary School.

In spite of the fact that the noise and construction may invade the right to quiet enjoyment of the people who live in homes near it, BART stations on the other hand have been proven a very strong real estate value booster.

It is not certain whether or not the BART line will have an Irvington Station or not before it goes all the way down to Warm Springs. Cool as it may be for Irvington, we will not know until more beans have been counted so to speak regarding the funding for the project. You can always look at updates from--and even contact--project coordinators if you visit the BART web site. BART has come a long way and depending on the investment dollars, it may keep going. For now, that will be south, south east.

by Jeff Pereyda

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Niles Rancho Arroyo Home for Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 16:09:00 +0000

Since real estate is all about location, location, location, how then does the Rancho Arroyo area of Niles stack up? Your first impression could be how wonderfully the mature trees line the curved streets. After that first impression, just south east of the center of Niles, Rancho Arroyo Park, Niles Community Park and Quarry Lakes Regional Park you may be struck as to how the parks create a significant southern perimeter of half the Niles area. To the north boasts Niles Canyon, a beautiful canyon where even golden eagles have been spotted. With such a landscape, it is easy to be taken by Niles' charm and appeal.

What's more, Niles' historic back round has always given a certain pride of ownership to its residents. Tributes to Charlie Chaplin's films and the historic Niles train station are always at the center of Niles and its main Boulevard. Tea shops, antique shops, cafes and more line Niles Boulevard to make it one of the few places in Fremont that have retained a true downtown look and feel.

For those of you looking for a Rancho Arroyo home for sale, I have listed a wonderful 3 bedroom 2 bathroom Spanish style home in the Rancho Arroyo area on Montecito Drive for $720,000. Plenty of windows and skylights give this home plenty of light--yet it is surrounded by mature trees of all kinds. Blue spruce, cedar, redwood, and many more types of trees contribute to the charm and warmth of the coveted area of Niles. The home has a unique ventilation system that utilizes a whole-house-fan and a dual zone furnace system to control both airflow and heat where you need it. The driveway and entry way are custom-paved to really bring out the Spanish look and feel of this Rancho Arroyo home. The house kept its original floor plan and backyard size. A custom red-stained wood patio was built that is a must see. You are always invited to contact me with regards to any and all my listings and services as a Fremont real estate agent. http://www.tricityhome.com

If you are thinking of selling a home in Fremont Rancho Arroyo area, I can provide the best service as you listing agent to get you where you need to go.

by Jeff Pereyda

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Less Is More When It Comes to Remodeling the Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 00:08:00 +0000

Image of new Cedarbrook kitchen in Niles I sold.

The numbers do not lie, and they have been in for some time. The numbers prove that when it comes time for a home seller to decide whether or not to remodel the house or sell the property "as is," that a minor kitchen remodel is the number one investment to make before reselling a house in the San Francisco Bay Area. It scored almost 116% recoup. That's a good thing. Interestingly, a major kitchen remodel did not fare as well in the recoup group as one might think. It scored a 94%, so less really is more. An excerpt from the report defined the minor kitchen remodel as:

A functional kitchen about 200 sq ft with 30 ft linear ft of cabinets.
Keeping the cabinet boxes and replacing the fronts with the new raised-panel wood doors and the drawers--This is often referred to as refacing the cabinets.
Replacing all appliances with energy efficient models.
Replacing laminate counter tops and install a mid-priced sink and faucet, repaint the walls and wall cover in necessary--also replace resilient flooring.
Slab concrete can take any type of flooring, but if you live in a multi level home where the kitchen floors may flex, then refrain from installing grout and tile flooring unless first layering with wonderboard(tm) or the like.

These numbers are encouraging for us. We want to see investments pay off, especially in the kitchen where a lot of time is spent in the home.

But, the post would not allow much contrast if I never mentioned the one "upgrade" that is really in the dark. A backup power generator install scored a loss on recoup at 45% of the original investment. So, I know you were thinking about getting that done first, but hold off. There are differences in percentages of recoup when it comes to remodeling or installing features to a home prior to sale. It depends on what remodel and to what extent. More of a good thing does not always pay off.

Hanley Wood LLC, the creator of the report, allows reproducing or posting information from the site as long as it is sited correctly as well as informing the public that it is always free, but you should use the siting properly like this: © 2011 Hanley Wood, LLC. Reproduced by permission. Complete city data from the Remodeling 2011 Cost vs. Value Report can be downloaded for free at www.costvsvalue.com. I have a copy of the Cost vs Value report on my website for you to download free here. http://www.tricityhome.com/Fremont-Newark-Union-City/Selling-Houses/costvsvalue.html By Jeff Pereyda

Niles City-Wide Street Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 18:32:00 +0000

Unknown breed of duck purchased on Portobello Road, West London

Last Sunday, we packed up the kids and headed off to the Niles area of Fremont for their city-wide garage sale or street sale. Arriving at about noon and driving ever so gently through First, Second and Third Street in the car and eyeing all that was to be had was fascinating for me but only for a little while. While I was indeed saucer-eyed looking through the car window at some of the potential deals, I quickly realized there was no way to actually buy anything from the car. I felt a little lame actually. What was I going to do--stop the car? I can see it now. Car stopped, and me getting out with the typical half skip and a jog with my arms tucked up high towards some box full of fishing tackle for sale. Then, I give the cars behind me the semi wave. You know the presumptuous wave that selfishly assumes permission was granted by the wavee while I say, "I won't take too long. I just want to poke through some of that tackle."

But, the slow stop-and-goes were very taxing on my passengers as well for the simple reason that they just wanted to get out of traffic and walk. I quickly agreed. Since every street in Niles was either blocked off by barricades or by traffic anyway. No one survived long simply driving the car on the streets looking for a bargain. I did see a couple of vans here and there double parked while the patrons were trying to load in a chest of drawers or cupboards once every couple of blocks.

In fact, most visitors who made it to the Niles-wide garage sale, also had a hard time finding a place to park once they got there. It was either costly in the pocket book ($10.00 in some lots) or costly on the feet--unless you got there at 5am and parked on one of the streets very close by allotted for parking. In short, parking was a rough go.

Although Niles is not a city but rather a district of Fremont CA, Niles is definitely a distinct community, and has the amenities to pull off something like this. Having a district-wide garage sale in Warm Springs or even Centerville would not work. But because Niles has nice square blocks and a main street as its center point, it just works.

The deals were there, but they were not to be found on Niles Blvd. I love the shops like Time for Tea as well as My Friends and I, but whether it be commission or consignment that pushes the prices up for their wares, word on the Boulevard was that the prices were just too high. For example, a relatively well put together antique wooden duck, a rather small teal to be exact, was $75.00. I have purchased more than one wooden duck before. One on Portobello road in London and two others at The Rastro in Madrid. Although this particular duck got a lot of attention, even while I was eyeing it, the poor creature never made it past the price tag tilt-n-look.

The deal of the day for me was a buying a bike part, or parts I should say. I bought two foam handlebar pads in a somewhat rare chocolate brown. I own a Schwinn Voyager SP from 25 years ago that I still ride and the original foam is on its way out. The chocolate brown will go very nicely with the caramel and bronze tones on my bike's color scheme I think.

If you decide to go the the Niles-wide garage sale, go early and wear comfortable shoes and sunscreen. There is lots of food to enjoy as well. You'll have a good time. By Jeff Pereyda