The Fabulous Properties Team of Ruby Hill and Pleasanton

If you love live music – and really, who doesn’t -- Downtown Livermore is the place to be on Tuesday evenings for a toe-tapping good time. Tuesday Tunes begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Flagpole Plaza every Tuesday through October. This week’s featured band is Mud Daddy, a five-piece rock cover band that started out in East Bay garages based on the band members’ love for classic rock ‘n roll and blues. Tuesday Tunes is a favorite downtown Livermore tradition, for good reason. For more information, visit www.livermoredowntown.com

The Fabulous Properties Team

Copyright 2009 Pleasanton Real Estate, Pleasanton Homes for Sale

If you’re on the fence about buying a new home, there’s no time like the present to take the leap! While no one can say with absolute certainty that Pleasanton real estate prices are as low as they’re going to go, national real estate experts are predicting they’re not going to drop much lower.

The Fabulous Properties Team

Dave & Fran, Donna, Debby and Susan

One of our favorite things about Pleasanton – aside from its top-ranked schools, well-planned housing and abundance of beautiful parks, of course – is downtown. It’s Main Street U.S.A. Charming, quaint and pedestrian-friendly; it’s a popular destination for locals and visitors alike. With the Farmer’s Market every Saturday of the year, and a plethora of outstanding restaurants and locally owned businesses, Downtown Pleasanton keeps the small town charm of our growing city alive and well.

In these tough economic times, even our beloved Main Street has taken its hits and now has a handful of empty storefronts. But we are pleased to report there’s good news on the horizon. Little Valley Winery of Sunol plans to open a wine tasting room at 739 Main St. that will include outdoor seating; Rick’s Pick, a discount retail store, is readying for a July 1 opening, and two more restaurants are reportedly working their way through the city’s approval process. We can’t wait to see who’s coming to downtown Pleasanton!

The Fabulous Properties Team

Copyright 2009 Pleasanton Real Estate, Pleasanton Homes for Sale

So what’s really happening in local real estate in Pleasanton? Has the market dropped as much as the national media keeps reporting? What about in my town? These are questions that run through many people’s minds. Almost every day I get questions about how’s the market doing? How’s your team doing? What’s going on?

So this morning I decided to take a real look at the numbers here in Pleasanton (based on MLS data). The results are interesting and worth a look:

First up –

· From 2002 to 2004 the average number of detached homes sold in Pleasanton was apprx. 1,000 per year.

· From 2006 to 2007 unit sales were down 40% to the low/mid 600 units per year. In 2008 only 450 detached homes were sold in Pleasanton.

Is this because the housing market is collapsing or is this because people love Pleasanton, love the schools, love the parks, the downtown?

Recently we’ve heard that Pleasanton is an “age in place” community – which means that people love it here and don’t want to leave. Kids grow up here, go to college then move back to Pleasanton. Perhaps units have plummeted because people don’t want to leave? There doesn’t seem to be an extremely high level of inventory available, so maybe it’s not all doom and gloom, maybe it’s the opposite? Everyone will decipher the numbers differently – but let’s look at the numbers:

Looking at average sold price for detached homes in Pleasanton it’s been going up since 2002. This could be due in large part to the bigger homes that have been built over the years, and can also be attributed to Pleasanton being a very desirable community:

· In 2002 average price sold was $671k

· 2004 it was up to $870k

· 2005 it was up to $1,033k

· Since 2005 the average price sold in Pleasanton (for detached homes) has been in the low/mid $1m range with the average price in 2008 being $1,016k

· Median price has gone from $559,450 in 2002, to a high of $850k in 2005 and 2006 and in 2008 we are at $810,000 (down 5% from the peak)

Bottom Line –

· Yes, unit sales and inventories are down.

· Median price is down 5% from its peak in 2005.

· Average price for a detached home in Pleasanton is down 4% from its peak in 2006.

· Homes are still selling

· Many buyers are actively looking to buy right now

If you’d like to know what the numbers look like for your specific neighborhood please contact us. We’d be happy to run the numbers for you and let you know just how prices have changed in your local neighborhood market.

As always please feel free to use our free Pleasanton home search at www.FabulousProperties.net.

Susan Schall, The Fabulous Properties Team

Copyright 2009 Pleasanton Real Estate, Pleasanton Homes for Sale

*information above is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.

You just need to drive through any of the wonderful Pleasanton neighborhoods to see that our town cares for its kids!

Pleasanton, home to 41 neighborhood and community parks has made approximately $2m in renovations to parks to meet the latest standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Americans with Disabilities Act. In early 2009, the work continues as the play areas and equipment at Meadowlark Park and Valley Trails Park get upgraded. Amaral Park and the Pleasanton Tennis and Community park have upgrades planed for 2010. Pleasanton, rumored to have one of the highest numbers of parks per capita in the nation, continues to make the city even more family friendly!

Learn more about Pleasanton Parks and schools at www.FabulousProperties.net