The San Carlos Hometown Days weekend kicks off with “SCEF Celebrates Music”

Friday, May 18 from 5:00pm – 7:30pm at Burton Park’s Madsen Field Kick off your Hometown Days Weekend by enjoying the talent  of our elementary and junior high music programs funded by SCEF. The show will include performances by  the award- winning orchestra and band programs from Tierra Linda and Central Middle Schools, as well as the music for minors elementary school program.   The Flamin’ Dogs cart will be on hand with their delicious eats or you can bring a picnic!  Join us in celebrating our community’s kids! For a full Hometown Days weekend schedule visit:

www.SanCarlosHometownDays.com

I am very pleased to announce my newest listing at 2079 Eucalyptus Avenue in San Carlos.  This five bedroom, four bath home was tastefully remodeled in 2001 and is located on San Carlos’ most famous street.

This home is available for private viewings prior to Sunday’s open house.

This property is offered at $1,475,000.

For all photos and virtual tours, please click here.

Jennifer Granholm To Attend Hometown Days

Former Miss San Carlos & Governor of Michigan to appear at 32^nd Annual San Carlos Hometown Days

Two-term Michigan governor and host of Current TV’s  political talk show “The War Room” will have a homecoming on Saturday, May 19^th at the 32^nd Annual San Carlos Hometown Days Parade. Granholm, who was born in British Columbia, moved to the Peninsula with her family in 1962, and graduated from San Carlos High School in 1977. That same year, she was crowned

Miss San Carlos had represented the city before attending UC Berkeley where she studied  Political Science. Jennifer Granholm went on to Harvard Law School, then  served as a judicial clerk for Michigan’s 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. She became a federal prosecutor in Detroit in 1990 and was elected Michigan’s first female attorney general in 1998.

Granholm was elected governor of Michigan in 2002, and in 2006, was re-elected with the largest number of votes ever cast for the office of governor in that state. While in office, she led the Michigan through a brutal economic downturn related to meltdowns in the automotive & manufacturing sectors.

She worked to diversify the state’s economy, strengthen its auto industry, preserve the manufacturing sector, and add emerging sectors, such as clean energy, to Michigan’s economic portfolio.

Under her leadership, Michigan had the second highest rate of child health care coverage in the nation. While serving as governor, Michigan was repeatedly named one of the top three states in the nation for business locations or expansions and was twice recognized by The Pew Center on the States as one of the best-managed states in the nation.  Currently, governor Granholm is a distinguished Practitioner of Law and Public Policy at UC Berkeley.  She and her husband, Dan Mulhern, recently authored the political bestseller, A Governor’s Story: The Fight for Jobs and America’s Economic Future.

“San Carlos Hometown Days is so proud to have such a distinguished guest attending this year,” says Laura Teutschel, the event’s publicity chairperson.  “She is a national leader and our community is proud to call her one of our own”.

Governor Granholm will appear as a celebrity judge at this year’s San Carlos Hometown Days parade which begins at 10 AM Saturday May 19^th. The route travels from San Carlos Avenue past City Hall, and along Laurel Street through the city’s downtown.  Judging alongside Granholm will be two local media celebrities;   Sandee Althouse of KQED radio, and Pete Liebengood, former KRON sports broadcaster.

The parade ends at Burton Park, where a weekend- long celebration takes place through Sunday, May 20^th. There are 2 stages of live entertainment throughout the weekend; food, drink, art, petting zoo, interactive games and activities for the kids. The weekend includes the San Carlos Kiwanis Dinner and concert on Saturday evening, and the Rotary Fun Run & Pancake Breakfast on Sunday morning.  The weekend closes with the 4^th Annual High School battle of the Bands on Sunday, May 20^th. Over 12,000 people are expected at this annual weekend event run entirely by volunteers since 1980.

Volunteers Needed!

The Legendary J.P. Harlow and the Treasure of 1929, which is a parents’ version of San Carlos Treasure Hunters is set to take place during Hometown Days on Saturday, May 19th, from 4:00-7:00 pm.  All teams were purchased at the annual Spring Fling auction.  All proceeds will be going to the San Carlos Education Foundation.  We are still short a few volunteers and would love some help.  Helping is as easy as taking over one of the ten secret locations within the city and handing out clues as teams arrive.

Please consider taking part in this fantastic event.  You can contact myself or Dr. Young of Young Orthodontics with the emails noted below.  Thanks!

bob@bredelhomes.com

youngortho@gmail.com

Relay For Life 2012, Comes to San Carlos

Relay for Life 2012 is coming to Burton Park on August 4 & 5.  Below are the details for this very important and worthwhile event:

Relay for Life is a 24-hour team event to fight cancer.  It raises awareness of cancer in the community and raises money to support the programs and services of the American Cancer Society.

Here’s how it works:  A team captain gets together some of his or her closest friends, family and coworkers and forms a team.  The team members go out and collect contributions prior to the event.  Relay for Life is the celebration party at the end of the fundraising.

Come Relay Day:  Participants grab their tents and chairs and head to the Relay for Life.  It’s like a community camp-out.  People pitch their tents on the field, and take turns walking around the track.  One person is always on the track representing the team for the 24 hours.

Relay for Life is not just about honoring Survivors; it’s about empowering them to fight back against cancer.  The first lap at the Relay is special … it’s the Survivor’s Lap.  Cancer survivors are invited to walk the first lap.  It’s very emotional and hopeful to see how many people DO survive cancer.

In the evening:  there is a Luminaria Ceremony.  White bags with sand and a candle line the track.  Each one is dedicated IN HONOR OF a cancer survivor, or IN MEMORY OF those who have lost their battle.  Luminarias encircle the track and light the way as Relay participants walk through the night.

It’s special:  Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature event.  It allows us to honor cancer survivors, remember those we’ve lost, educate the community on early detection and prevention of cancer, and raise much-needed funds for our community programs and services.

Why 24 hours?  We are asking you to give one day out of your life for those who may not have another.  There are similarities between the Relay For Life and what a cancer patient goes through:  It may get hot during the day and you may feel like quitting.  But you keep walking.  It may get windy and cold at night and it may rain.  But you press on…knowing that the sun will come up and it will be a new day.

WE ASK YOU TONIGHT TO JOIN US IN THE FIGHT.

 Why Relay?  One in three people will be diagnosed with cancer within their lifetime. The money raised at Relay saves lives by funding cutting-edge cancer research, early detection and prevention education, advocacy efforts, and life-affirming patient services. Your involvement makes this all possible.

For more information, please contact Relay Event Chair, Allie Glatt at allie.sancarloselay@gmail.com

or check out our website at www.relayforlife.org/sancarlosca

Shop Bianchini’s on May 16th

Shop Bianchini’s Market San Carlos on Wednesday, May 16^th 2012 and 5% of the store’s total daily sales will be donated directly to the San Carlos Education Foundation. Keeping true to its motto of Community, Quality, Service, the Bianchini family and staff are committed to our community and to our schools. Bianchini’s is not a large national grocery chain; rather, they are a family owned business with 2 Peninsula locations. This makes their generosity all the more noteworthy.  I hope you’ll join me in shopping Bianchini’s on May 16^th and supporting them all year long. After all, they do have the best butcher department in the Bay Area!

While you’re shopping on May 16^th, be sure to take part in the complimentary wine tasting from 4:30 -7 PM. Susan Lerner, wine representative and SCEF parent, will be pouring selections from Spann Vineyards. The wines will be paired with some great cheeses from Bianchini’s cheese dept. and all will be available for sale! By the way, don’t forget to empty your loose change into the SCEF collection jars at Bianchi’s check stands all month long.

Just put a sign in the ground

I have many friends who think they are quite the comedians.  “Selling a home in San Carlos?  Bob, just stick a sign in the ground.” If only it were that easy.  Trust me, it’s tougher than it looks.  Even considering the intense buyer demand in San Carlos right now, the truth is that each house is different and requires its own unique strategy when coming on the market. Not every house is set up for multiple offers.  For example, your standard 3/2 at 1,500 square feet in White Oaks….price it for multiple offers.  A 3,300 square foot home in the hills with some updating and layout issues, you better build in some negotiating room….no matter how hot the market may be.

Assess the demand for your house

Step one is being realistic with the demand for your price range and location.  Understand that while demand is extremely high for San Carlos right now, the vast majority of high demand is in concentrated price ranges.  $800,000-$1,000,000 & $1,400,000-$1,600,000 are the hottest price ranges. Where is your home in San Carlos?  Howard Park, Oak Park and White Oaks are red hot right now.  While other areas are moving very well, they are not quite at the level of the flats of San Carlos.  Many sellers also have a tough time distinguishing between what they believe to be the ideal location, and what the vast majority of the potential buyers believe to be the ideal location. If your agent really knows San Carlos and is telling you that your particular property and location may not quite be as attractive as you may believe, listen to your agent.   For example, I have a few clients who believe that their views from on top of Crestview make their homes incredibly unique and can’t understand why anyone would prefer the flats over a home with their views.  In this case, two things can be equally true:  (1) these homes have tremendous views; and (2) the majority of potential buyers still prefer the flats.  Remember, not every buyer will put an emphasis on the things that you really like about your home.  The true question centers on isolating the percentage of buyers who will envy the strong characteristics and location of your home when assessing demand.

Is your home San Carlosed?

Once you have realistically determined the demand for your home you can look to a second level of scrutiny that I like to call “San Carlosed”.  You have a San Carlosed home if there are additions and modifications that don’t quite flow with the rest of the house.  You could also have unpermitted bedrooms, roof lines that go from a gable roof to a flat roof or a father-in-law who believes he is a contractor and doesn’t see the need to pull permits when tackling projects at your home.  If any of these are ringing a bell, it’s time to start deciding just how much to knock off your list price. The more San Carlosed your home is, the more of a shift you will need to make in the price.  San Carlos buyers are smart, they will pick up on these items almost immediately.

Strategy

It is wise to remember that even in a market that is moving as well as San Carlos is right now, not every property should have a strategy of gaining multiple offers.  In order to gain multiple offers you need to be in a location and price range of very high demand.  If you have a house outside of these parameters, you will need to examine the possibility that you may need to negotiate on the house.  This is usually a better strategy than pricing the house much lower than where you intend to end up solely to gain multiple offers because these homes never draw the massive overbidding and attention that the others do. In most of these cases, you will usually end up in a better position if you have patience and can build in some negotiating room.

Fed Up

If you had asked me a year ago where most San Carlos buyers were coming from, I would have told you that San Francisco was the clear front-runner. That is no longer the case.  As hot as our market has been over the first few months of 2012, Palo Alto’s market has been even hotter.  The amount of money being poured into Palo Alto real estate right now is unreal.  It is very close to rivaling the craziness of 2005.

Here’s the difference between the San Carlos market and the Palo Alto market:

In San Carlos, a 3/2 at 2,000 square feet comes on at $1,100,000, gets six offers and sells at $1,175,000.

In Palo Alto, a 3/2 at 2,000 square feet comes on at $1,300,000, gets twelve offers and sells at $1,600,000, all cash.

While this news is great for sellers, some Palo Alto buyers have had enough. The dream that was once Palo Alto for many, will remain just that. I have spoken to more than a handful of buyers at open houses recently who told me that they just finally had it with Palo Alto.  As one buyer told me, “You can only lose so many times in a multiple offer situation before you start to feel that you have an abusive relationship with the housing market down there”.  This frustrated buyer is not alone. About 50% of my current buyers looking in San Carlos originally started their search in the Palo Alto/Menlo Park area. Other San Carlos realtors have expressed similar sentiments over the last few months.

Why San Carlos?

That is really the key question. The answer is most likely a combination of (1) process of elimination; and (2) common ground between the two cities.

First, let’s look at other competing mid-peninsula towns.  Menlo Park is the first obvious choice because it shares a border with Palo Alto.  However, if you look closely at real estate in Menlo Park, the price difference between Palo Alto and Menlo Park isn’t as large as some may believe. The Menlo Park market is almost just as competitive as what is going on in Palo Alto.  Some people like to compare Menlo Park and San Carlos, but really there is no comparison as far as real estate goes.  Menlo Park homes sell at prices that are about 20% more than San Carlos.  In the end, many of the frustrated buyers eliminate Menlo Park almost immediately because they feel that if they are going to give up on Palo Alto altogether, they want a clear difference in what they are getting for their money and the competition they will face.  Menlo Park does not offer this type of break.

Moving up the peninsula, Atherton is the next town, which is obviously eliminated right away.  Redwood City will probably get some attention, but it most likely does not have enough in common with the buyers who originally targeted Palo Alto.  That leaves San Carlos and Mountain View. Both are on the receiving end of the overflow buyers from Palo Alto.  San Carlos certainly does not have the downtown of Palo Alto, but it does have a legitimate downtown.  It has excellent schools, a great community and has built an ever-increasing solid reputation.  In other words, there is enough there to pique the interest of the frustrated Palo Alto buyer. It is a learning process for these frustrated buyers.  They immediately pick up on two things:  (1) their money goes a lot further; and (2) it is more competitive than they thought, but they can handle it when compared against their experience in Palo Alto.

50 Year Reunion

For those of you that don’t know, San Carlos did have a high school! The alumni of San Carlos High School are a very proud bunch, as they should be.  I don’t think I have ever heard of a former Don speak in anything but glowing terms for his or her high school.

The Class of 1962 is getting ready to hold their 50 year Reunion.  Below are the basic details, but please download the full announcement by clicking here.

*  When:  Saturday, October 13, 2012

*  Where:  Sparky’s Hot Rod Garage in San Carlos

*  Cost:  $75 per person or $145 per couple, before June 30th.  $85 per person after June 30th.

The coordinators of this event are trying to reach all members of the Class of 1962.  Please feel free to forward this post to anyone who may be connected to this class.

A Stunning Custom Home, Offered at $1,895,000

I am pleased to announce my newest listing at 111 Beverly Drive in San Carlos.  This absolutely stunning home is located in the heart of Devonshire Canyon.  Unparalleled attention to detail, high-end designer touches throughout, and a backyard that rivals an entertainer’s paradise is all yours in this truly special offering.

Here are just a few of the many wonderful features of this home:

*  Four bedrooms, plus a large office

*  Four full bathrooms

*  A luxurious master suite with vaulted ceilings, large walk-in closet and spacious master bath

*  A grand formal entry with towering ceilings

*  A large, park-like backyard, with patios, a bocce ball court and mature oak trees

* A fabulous great-room with the ultimate chef’s kitchen

Please click here to view all photos.

This home will be new on the market on Monday morning.  Please contact me directly with any questions on this fantastic property.