Fair Oaks, CA

I just read a news story about an office worker who is suing a co-worker for wearing a strong perfume to which she is having allergic reactions. The offending gal also uses plug-in scented air fresheners at her desk. The allergic gal has been suffering from terrible headaches, and the other gal will not give up her perfume. I can identify, because I too have allergic reactions to some perfumes.

The reason I bring this up is because this time of year, especially, many people fill their homes with scented candles and sprays, and they spray perfumes and colognes on themselves and their clothing when they prepare to go out for holiday parties. Some of those folks are trying to sell their homes, and potential buyers (as well as agents who may have an interest in showing the property to their clients) may find all of these scents offensive and they may even be sickened by them - even though they are perfectly nice fragrances.

If you are marketing your home this holiday season, your chances of finding someone who will fall in love with it are greatly increased if you remember a few things:

1. Be very sparing with perfumes and fragrances. One bottle of essential oil with bamboo sticks can infuse your entire home with a subtle aroma. Although it may not seem as "Christmasy", a light vanilla fragrance is probably the best to make your home fresh without affecting so many allergies. And if you are a smoker, it may be helpful for you tl restrict your smoking to the back yard until the home is sold.

2. While on the subject of scents, remember that the holidays can be stressful for your pets, and may trigger "accidents" that would not otherwise occur, or bouts or diarrhea. The best behaved dog or cat will sometimes become overexcited or nervous, and you should do what you can to keep them calm. It is best to have them gone, if possible, for any showings. If you must lock your dog in the garage during a showing, be sure to put a note on the garage door to alert the agent and prospect not to open that door.

3. We all look forward to decorating our homes with trees, lights, stars, snowmen and Santas, but when potential buyers tour you home, you will want them to focus on the wonderful features of your home and not on how pretty your tree is or your cute snowman. Some decorations will brighten your home and put buyers in a good mood, but cut your normal decor in half while your home is on the market.

4. A Christmas tree will crowd your home to some degree, and you may have to remove a few pieces of your regular furniture. Buyers are interested in large comfortable rooms and will want to imagine their furniture fitting in your home. If the house looks too crowded, it will seem smaller than it actually is, and buyers may not feel their things will fit.

5. When you are expecting a showing, go through the house and turn on all lights so your home will look bright, cheery and welcoming. And if you usually like your home a bit chilly, turn the thermostat up just a couple of degrees until after the showing.

6. I don't recommend lighting a wood fire in the fireplace if you will be leaving the house, but if you have an insert or other safer fireplace, and if you will be gone only minutes, you might want to have a welcoming fire. If you will not have a fire, please be sure that the fireplace is cleared of ashes.

7. Since winter weather means that trees are not as leafy, flowers are not blooming and skies are gray, your home might not feel as cozy. Brighten it up with a couple of red throw pillows on the couch, a red tablecloth or place mats on the table, and a few subtle touches of red i nthe other rooms. Nothing overwhelming, but enough to make your rooms seem warmer and cozier.

8. As usual, watch out for clutter. If you have collections, you may want to pack them up until your home is sold. Once you sell and move, you will need to pack them up anyway. This will give the appearance of more romminess in your home, and will keep your prospects focused on the architecture and not your personal items. Also, this will help to protect them from breakage while people are touring your home. The same thing goes for family photos. I once previewed a home for a buyer client where the sellers had 47 framed photos of their wedding on display! I showed it to my buyer anyway, and sure enough - she was so fascinated by counting the wedding pictures that she couldn't remember much of anything else about the house. She counted 48, so she must have spotted a couple that I missed.

9. If you have presents under the tree, it may be best if you keep the smallest and most expensive ones stashed in a dresser drawer or somewhere safe. Most people are honest, but it is better to be safe than sorry. All Realtors I know are sensitive to this, and will do their best to see that their clients behave themselves in your home, but just keep this in mind anyway. Keep in mind that buyers will look in your closets to check their size and features, but have no business looking in your dressers or other furniture that will not be sold with the house.

10. Have a wonderful holiday season. The economy this year has everyone more stressed than usual, so find moments to relax and have some quiet time every day - even if it's just a few minutes. Please understand that none of these tips are meant to upset anyone or hurt your feelings, but are simply tips which may help you to sell your home more quickly and at a better price.

Here comes the annual Christmas in the Village! Sponsored by the Fair Oaks Chamber of Commerce, this special holiday community event will be held Saturday, December 6, 2008. There will be arts and crafts sold during the day. Santa will be at the American River Bank, the Fair Oaks Theatre Festival will sponsor a special free "Winnie-the-Pooh" show at the amphitheater, and an "Old Fashioned" Christmas parade will begin at 4:00 pm, followed by Christmas caroling and the lighting of the Community Christmas Tree.

This is always a fun event, and you can get some of your holiday shopping done, get into the Christmas spirit, and enjoy some good food with your friends and neighbors. The Fair Oaks Veterans Memorial Amphitheatre, located in Plaza Park in the Village, is an outdoor community theatre, so bundle up the kids nice and warm.

The Village is the town center of Fair Oaks. It is just east of Sunrise Blvd, between Winding Way and Fair Oaks Blvd., and Plaza Park is in the center of the Village. American River Bank is at 10123 Fair Oaks Blvd. There is limited parking at the Community Center at the east end of the park, and plenty of street parking surrounding the Village. Call the Fair Oaks Chamber office at 967-2903 for more information.

Here is a quick and easy way to find places of interest in Fair Oaks, California.  Just click on your interest.

I hope you'll visit Fair Oaks, and come back often!

Celebrating the Chickens

If you are at all familiar with Fair Oaks Village, you know about our chickens. Hundreds of wild and beautiful chickens roam the Village, and they have been part of the character of our town for many years. They have even been the subject of national magazine articles. Families come to the Plaza Park in the heart of the Village to watch them, and children of all ages laugh and enjoy their antics. Some folks bring birdseed to feed them (please no junk food).

Finally, a few years ago, Fair Oaks decided it was time to celebrate the chickens that have brought us so much pleasure and so many visitors. Thus was born the Fair Oaks Chicken Festival! This is the third annual festival, and it is shaping up to be the best yet. And there is no admission charge. The festival and parking are free, as are shuttles to Plaza Park (see below).

Friday Night Barbeque

The celebration starts on Friday September 19 with a pre-festival barbeque in Village Park. Yes, there will be barbequed chicken, but no Fair Oaks chickens are harmed! There is a $15 charge for adults and $10 for children age 10 and under, but that is for the food. You can come and enjoy the fun and music even if you do not have dinner with us. Food will be served from 6-10 pm and the featured band will be Blues Farm Band. You can buy the dinner tickets anytime between now and then at the Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District Office.

Big Day on Saturday

Breakfast

The big day will be on Saturday, September 20 from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. If you would like to join us for an Old Time Country Breakfast, come to the Fair Oaks Community Club House, in the center of the park. All you can eat for $5.00 per person, with tickets being sold at the door.

"Music to Sooth the Savage Chickens"

Many people eat at home and then come directly to the park to just enjoy the free festival. Beginning at 10:00 am on Saturday, there will be live music all day on the Chicken Festival Stage in the Village -featuring Lightning Hand Band, Blues Farm Band, the phenomenally popular Mumbo Gumbo, Marshall Wilkerson Band, and Jeff Watson Band.

Vendor Booths and Special Activities for Adults and Kids

There will also be a number of food and craft vendors from 10:00 am - 8:00 pm, a barbeque cook-off competition, and from 10:00 - 3:30, lots of kids' activities and events, including crafts, hug-a-pets, gold panning, and games for kids.

Microbrewers

For those who enjoy a delicious beer, there will be microbrewery beer tasting with music to sip by provided by "J's House," Featuring the following microbrewers: New Belgium Brewery - Fat Tire, Lost Coast Brewery, Killian's Irish Red, Blue Moon Brewing Company, Alaskan Brewing Company, Rubicon Brewing Company, Sierra Nevada Brewery, Sacramento Brewing Company, and Lockdown Brewing Company.

Parking and Shuttles

There is limited on-street parking around the edge of the Village, but you can also park at several local parking lots and shuttle to the festival. Shuttles will run every 15-20 minutes from 10:00 am - 7:30 pm on Saturday, making stops at Fair Oaks Park (Fair Oaks Blvd and Madison Ave), Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church (on Fair Oaks Blvd, to the south side of Fair Oaks Park), New Life Community Church at Sunset Ave and Fair Oaks Blvd). You can also park at Scandinavian Design (4301 Fair Oaks Blvd at Winding Way) and walk across Sunrise. There will be handicap parking at Russ Monroe's Village Chapel (corner of Winding Way and Fair Oaks Blvd).

Come to the Fair Oaks Dog Walk - a fun day for all: adults, kids and pets. This year it will be on October 4. It is held every year on the first Saturday in October and features a beautiful two mile walk along the American River. There will be a live band, dog contests and games, free doggie treats and there will be water for the dogs and their people, and some food booths with yummy people food.

The walk begins at the Fair Oaks Village Park, crosses the old historic Fair Oaks Bridge, then follows the horse trail along the river, and ends up back at the Village Park - a truly beautiful route. The Village Park is just east of Sunrise Blvd and just south of Winding Way. There is street parking, and a number of spaces at the Community Center on the east side of the park.

The event finishes with a raffle, giving out dozens of prizes donated by local businesses. There will be booths and vendors with fun items to buy, and some of the vendors will also be giving prizes.

There are rules for participation, but they are simple and common sense. There is also a nominal registration fee of $10 for the first dog and $5 for each additional dog you want to bring. You can find the rules, the registration form, and some photos of previous dog walks at http://www.fairoaksdogwalk.com/fodw/Registration.html, or you can register the morning of the event. On site registration begins at 8:30 am and the walk will start at 9:00. If you would like to purchase a 2008 Fair Oaks Dog Walk T-shirt, they are $15 and you can pre-order and pick them up the morning of the event or buy them at the event if supplies permit.

The proceeds from the registration fees will benefit the Fair Oaks Chamber of Commerce, and two other non-profit groups: Fair Oaks Responsible Dog Owners Group (FORDOG) www.fordog.org and Teaching Everyone Animals Matter (TEAM) www.sacanimalshelter.org.

If you don't own a dog but you just want to join the fun, come on out. It's always an enjoyable day.