Murphys, CA

Stanislaus County Short Sales - Time to Get A Little Twisted

I'm sure everybody in the world has heard of California's Napa Valley. I have been there myself a few times. The Napa Valley is beautiful and produces some world class wines. Of course being so famous does have its drawbacks too. Huge crowds is the first one that comes to mind. Just try to talk to the person pouring the wine when the tasting room is wall to wall people.

For a great change of pace and some great wines I have a secret. Just to the northeast of Stanislaus County is Calaveras County. Tiny little Calaveras county has some great wineries and great wines. Just a quick trip up into the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas and you will be in wine country.

Most of the wineries have tasting rooms in and around the town of Murphys. My favorite is Twisted Oak Winery. The winery is at the top of a hill just outside of town. They also have a tasting room on Main St in Murphys. I enjoy visiting both. First and foremost Twisted Oak has some great wines. (I must disclose that I am NOT a wine expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I do like to drink it) Secondly it's a fun place to go to.

If you are going to the winery watch out for the rubber chickens. Reuben the rubber chicken is the Twisted Oak mascot. As you are driving up the hill you will see rubber chickens along side the road, hanging from the trees and on signs. Join the wine club and you get a free rubber chicken. I have mine in my car now.

My favorite wine at Twisted Oak is the Tempranillo. This is a Spanish Varietal grown locally. I have tried several Tempranillo's from the area and from Spain and this is my favorite. Another favorite and one to drink on a special occasion is The Spaniard. The Spaniard is "A Rioja-style blend of Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha". I'm not really sure what that means but I do know that I really, really like it. If you ever make it there to try the wines and you want to buy some, join the wine club. You will get some pretty significant savings on the wine when you do. And don't forget that rubber chicken.

Twisted Oak also has several events at the winery through out the year for the club members. I have not made it to any yet but plan to this year. The rubber chicken roast is coming up next month. I'm pretty sure they don't actually roast a rubber chicken... I hope not anyway.

Well it's time to get back to the business of listing and selling Stanislaus County Short Sales. I think I will have some Tempranillo with dinner tonight.

Stanislaus County Short Sales - Why live in Stanislaus County?

I am a Stanislaus County Short Sale Specialist and also a Stanislaus County Resident. I have lived in Stanislaus County all of my life. There are many things to see and do in and around Stanislaus County.

One of my favorites is visiting the town of Murphys in Calaveras County. Calaveras County is just to the northeast of Stanislaus County and just about an hour away. Calaveras County has lots of really great wineries and the town of Murphys is one of my favorite places to go wine tasting. There are several tasting rooms right on Main St in Murphys.

My personal favorite winery in the area is Twisted Oak. They have some really good wines and it's always fun and informative to taste at either their winery or at the tasting room. I like them so much that I will be doing a separate post on them later.

Another attraction of Murphys is the Murhpys Historic Hotel and Saloon. The Hotel is the oldest continuously operated hotel in the state, celebrating its 154th Anniversary on August 20, 2010. The Saloon is a great place to stop for an adult beverage or try the restaurant for a great lunch or dinner.

A newer place in Murphys is Marisolio Tasting Bar. Only this one is a bit different than the other tasting rooms in town. Marisolio's features olive oils and balsamic vinegars. They have dozens of different flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars for you to try before you buy. I will be going back there soon since my bottle of balsamic is almost empty.

So if you are looking for a knowledgeable Short Sale Specialist in Stanislaus County to either buy or sell give me a call at 209-633-2839. If you just want some information about the area I would be happy to help you out with that too.

P.S. Murphys was named "One of the Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America" by Frommers.

Celebrate New Years in Murphys ….. enjoy our small town atmosphere and receive a $75 dining certificate! The Greenhorn Creek Vacation Cottages are offering a $75 dining voucher for Camps Restaurant with any 2+ night rental on a full cottage thru the end of December. For more information call: 209-736-9372 or visit the website: www.ghcvacationcottages.com to get additional Cottage information. Tuesdays in January - Winemaker's Night at Alchemy - Every Tuesday night you can expect free live music on our patio from 5:30-8:00, our delicious dinner menu, and a featured menu option for one low price. Call 209-728-0700 for reservations. Thursdays in December & January - Knit Nights at MaisieBlue's - Every Thursday from 6-9pm. Grab your projects and join us for a few hours. Call 209-728-8261 to reserve your space or contact us at maisieblue@gmail.com for more information. Fridays in December & January - Fridays At Alchemy. Matt Cullen Delivers style with pop, country and jazz vocal performances from the 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond every Friday on our patio from 5:30-8 pm. The music is free, and there's room to dance. Call 209-728-0700 or visit mattcullenonline.com for more information. Saturdays in December & January - Walking Tours of Historic Downtown Murphys are available at no charge on Saturday mornings at 10am leaving from the Old Timers Museum across from the Murphys Hotel. Please contact Bob Buchanan at 209-728-3517 to confirm dates and times or to set up a tour for a group of 12 or more December 14 - Mid May - Tanner Vineyards Wine of the Month and New Winter Hours - We've switched to winter hours, open every day except Tues and Wed.... Our holiday cuvee 'Doux Rose' (a light Syrah, on the sweet side) is our December wine of the month! This month we are pairing it with milk chocolate; it's a wonderful crowd-pleaser for the holidays! Buy 2 bottles and your 3rd is half off! This offer is good on all varietals except Library Selections. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We offer holiday tastings for groups up to 15 or less.. 209.728-8229 and ask for Nanette or Annie December 31. 2010 - Celebrate New Year's Eve on East Coast Time at Alchemy - Enjoy Dinner at 6 pm, Auld Lang Syne at 9 pm (Midnight EST) and be home by 10 pm. That's New Years the way you want it! Choose from Alchemy's great dinner menu or a special 3 course New Years Eve dinner. Music by Matt Cullen, Don McDowell and Dave Navarro. Dance, sing and have a good time. $5 cover charge. Call 209-728-0700 for reservations. Dec. 31st- New Year's Eve Party at the Murphys Hotel! - We will be celebrating upstairs and downstairs as usual. Upstairs is limited to the first 60 people, and includes a three course plated dinner, champagne toast, and Live Music with a Dance floor. This will start at 7:30 p.m. and end around 12:30 a.m. The cost is $79.00 per person inclusive so make reservations NOW! For more information call Brian at (209)-728-3444 ext 416. Downstairs starts anytime and ends at 2:00a.m. LIVE MUSIC starts at 9:00p.m. with "Plan B" a Local favorite. Our dining room will be open late for a 9:00 p.m. seating if needed. Come celebrate with us and become a part of History at The Longest continually running Hotel In California Saturdays in January - Guided Walks, Calaveras Big Trees State Park at 1pm. - Walk is 1.5 to 2 hours, limited to 30 people. When there is snow in the park, the walk will become a snowshoe walk. Guided walk is free, park entry is $8 per car. C all 209-795-2334 for weather updates and more details. January 13, 2011 - Wines of the World, Murphys - 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Murphys Historic Hotel. Matt Hatcher of Hatcher Winery will present Barberas from the Sierra Foothills, poured alongside light appetizers from the Murphys Hotel. Cost is $15 for CWA members and $25 for non-members. $5 discount coupon for each entrée for participants who opt to stay for dinner. Call 209-728-9467 for more info or visit www.calaveraswines.org January 16, 2011 - Fundraising Concert for Mind Matters - Steve Seskin, Craig Carothers, and Don Henry, three of country music’s most successful songwriters will return to Murphys by popular demand to stage a concert on behalf of the Mind Matters clinic on Sunday, January 16, 2 p.m. in the Black Bart Playhouse, 580 S. Algiers St. Tickets for the Mind Matters Fundraiser are $30 each and may be obtained by calling 728-2184. There is ample free parking at the Black Bart Playhouse. January 19, 2011 – Cooking Classes at the Marisolio Tasting Room – Chinese New Year Theme - 10am or 6pm We take a few liberties with this class theme, adding a dash of Thai and a little Vietnamese, but the results will thrill your taste buds. Noodles, Spring Rolls, fortune cookies and more! – Call the store at 209-728-8853 to reserve your space. Class size is limited so payment is due when reserving your space. January 21, 2011 - Silent Movie Night at Ironstone Vineyards - Featuring two great Train Movies, “The General” Buster Keaton 1927 & “The Great Train Robbery” 1904. This special evening is for train enthusiasts, on display will be Model Train Moving Displays and a Rail Road Dinner Menu. Tickets are $20/person for dinner, show, & popcorn during the show. Dinner is at 6:30 p.m., movie at 7:30 p.m. Call 209-728-1251for more information or to make your reservations.

Murphys CA - We recently negotiated a short sale on a VA Loan. After the appraisal is complete and all the other necessary document have been received, VA guidelines state the loan servicer should give us an answer within 15 days. The loan servicer took 65 days to give us an answer. That is a complete violation of VA’s requirements. “Oh, but that’s no big deal”, you might say. Discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale to avoid foreclosure by clicking here. It is a big deal, because VA (and every single US Taxpayer) loses money as a result. VA insures VA lenders against loss, provided they follow their guidelines. VA is able to make an “educated bet” that they can issue these guarantees because they have laid out rules to control the lending and loan servicing environment. When the company servicing the loan doesn’t follow VA’s guidelines, it is no longer an “educated bet.” Most short sales that get turned down and foreclosed upon sell for less as a foreclosure. That means VA loses even more money. I can tell you from experience as a Gainesville Short Sale Realtor that the 60 day turn around means that VA loses a lot more short sales to foreclosure. But no one really cares because it almost a victimless crime. At least the victims don't care. The employees at VA don't get hurt because it's not their money. The US Taxpayer already knows the government wastes money. The victim ends up being American's Veterans who don't have as much money in the VA Loan Program to use to buy a house. Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property and never pay the bank another penny. Send me an e-mail at danseider@gmail.com. I will contact you for a free consultation. When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail. If you prefer, then you can call me at (209) 743-1061. Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here. Thinking about a loan modification? Our Murphys Loan Modification Kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your lender. Click here to request a copy. Thanks for reading this, Daniel Seider. Daniel is a Real Estate Daniel Seider at Big Trees Real Estate. Phone: (209) 743-1061. danseider@gmail.com. Climb Higher View My homes for sale at www.bigtreesrealty.com. Daniel Seider specializes in loan modification assistance and short sales in Murphys California. Murphys Loan Modification Help, Murphys Short Sales, Murphys Short Sale Realtor. Short Sale Realtor. Murphys CA Short Sales. Murphys Realtor. Copyright 2010 SFI Marketing Institute, LLC. All Rights Reserved. This is not intended as legal, technical, or tax advice. Please speak with a licensed professional before making any decision. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed as of the date of writing. The views expressed here are Daniel Seider's personal views and do not reflect the views of Big Trees Real Estate. This information on Loan Servicer doesn’t follow VA Short Sale guidelines on a short sale of a VA Loan is provided as a courtesy to our viewers to help them make informed decisions.

November 27, 2010 - Sounds of the Season, Ironstone Vineyards - Begin the Christmas season in style at Ironstone Vineyards with the wonderful "Sounds of the Seasons" concert. Concert starts at 4:30 followed by a Winter Supper. Tickets $35 Adults, 12 and under $25. Reservations required. Call 209-728-1251 for more information. December 1, 2010 - Wines of the World in the Mark Twain Ballroom at the Murphys Historic Hotel - Starting at 5:30 pm, this month's presentation will feature Steve Collum and the bubbly! For more information call Brian @ 209-728-3444 December 3, 2010 - Murphys Open House from 5-8 pm, Parade at 6:00 pm. Join Murphys shop keepers downtown as they host their annual evening of evening of wine, shopping and holiday goodies. Once again Santa and Mrs. Claus will lead the parade and light the town tree before arriving at the Native Sons where children can visit and have their photos taken with Santa. Stroll the streets from 5-8 pm and enjoy the music and small town atmosphere. Our lovely posters will be available for purchase at The Spice Tin and the Muir Legacy Tasting Room. December 4, 2010 - Paws & Claus - Bring your pet for photos with Santa from 10 am to 4 pm at the Masonic Hall at 384 Church Street in Murphys. Gifts and baked goods for sale, raffle tickets and pet adoption opportunities will be available. Call Sherry at 209-795-7527 to volunteer or obtain additional information. December 4, 2010 - Calaveras Winegrape Alliance presents Holiday Open House - Visit any and all of the Calaveras wineries between 11 and 5 and enjoy appetizers, special wine discounts, good friends and even visits from Santa. Cut into that holiday shopping list with exquisite wines from Calaveras County. Admission is free! Reminder - Wren Cafe will be closed for the holidays. Enjoy the season and we'll see you when we open again on the 4th of January.