So. Walnut Creek Home Preview from Terri Adams-Scott on Vimeo.

On our local Broker Tour this week (Contra Costa), I came across this So. Walnut Creek home on the market. It's located really close to downtown, freeways and BART. It falls within the Walnut Creek School District.

Attn Realtors:

If you would like information as to which properties are in this video, please feel free to contact me. I'll be glad to share the MLS# with you for your clients.

(The homes in this video are presently listed with other real estate Brokers in the Contra Costa MLS offering Broker compensation. This is not an intent to solicit their listings.)

Moving to Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Alamo or Central East Bay?

Contact Terri Adams-Scott, Realtor, Prudential California Realty (925) 765-4339

Feel free to search the MLS 'hassle free' and get community/school information at Terri's Website

5 BR/3 BA Walnut Creek Home from Terri Adams-Scott on Vimeo.

While out on Broker Tour this week, I came across a property that I thought was worth sharing with you. Great value for a Walnut Creek address!

Attn Realtors: If you would like information as to which properties are in this video, please feel free to contact me. I’ll be glad to share the MLS# with you for your clients.

The homes in this video are presently listed with other real estate brokers in the Contra Costa MLS offering Broker compensation. This is not an intent to solicit their listings.

Moving to Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Alamo or Central East Bay? Contact Terri Adams-Scott, Realtor, Prudential California Realty 925.765-4339

Feel free to search the MLS 'hassle-free' and get community/school information at Terri's Website.

Staging® has become the "in" thing to do in real estate sales. HGTV© spends endless episodes on the subject, and many staging® companies and designers cropping up, as well as many real estate agents marketing themselves as staging® experts. I'm in many houses with prospective buyers, and I can tell you first hand that what starts with good intentions of making a home more appealing, can easily backfire and become a distraction to potential buyers. Staging® is truly an art, one that when done well subconsciously pulls potential buyers in by creating a warmth and feeling of comfort to the space. The idea is not just to show a home "furnished", but to show buyer's its greatest potential.

Some things I've seen recently as an attempt to stage® include a home with lawn chairs brought in to the center of a vacant living room with a plant in between, a large master bedroom with a small, cheap wicker chair in the corner and a shawl thrown over it, a 1950's kitchen with place settings on the countertop in an otherwise empty space. All of these types of "staging" do nothing to enhance the buyer's feeling about the property.

It's important to get back to the main purposes of staging® a home -

1.) Define the space - If there is too much furniture in a room, it makes the room feel smaller and compact. Furniture should be minimized, and arranged in a way that creates flow throughout the house.

2.) Use rooms as they were intended. Maybe you have your office in the dining room, because that works for you, but with potential buyers, it will emphasize that there isn't enough room for them. I had a client last year that converted the large master bedroom into a family room. It worked for them, but buyers couldn't see past it to other possibilities. To this day, I'm confident that home would have sold quickly if the seller had allowed us to convert that room back to its intended use. Dining rooms should be set up as dining rooms, living rooms as living rooms and so on.

3.) Show off the best features of your home - If you have attractive hardwood floors, don't cover them with lots of rugs. If you have a great view from a particular room, highlight that and don't cover it up with large curtains. Remember, buyers are buying your house, not your things. As Barb Schwarz, founder of StagedHomes.com says, "If they can't see it, they won't buy it."

4.) Neutral Colors Rule! - Maybe you love your purple bedroom, but the majority of buyers won't. Painting and flooring are two of the most cost effective improvements you can make prior to putting your home on the market, but keep it simple! Paint colors should be neutral tones, with some contrast between your wall color and trim color a good thing. Also, accent walls with a shade darker tone than the other walls in your room can add depth and interest. Color can and should be added later through accessorizing the space.

5.) Light and Bright - If there's one thing most buyers I've worked with over the years are universally looking for, it is a home that has great natural light. Keep windows unobstructed and curtains and blinds open when you're showing your home. The difference between entering a dark house, and one that is light and bright is unmistakable in the minds of potential buyers

6.) Beware of odors - Staging® is more than just the arranging of the space. It encompasses everything potential buyers experience when viewing a home. If you're thinking of cooking Salmon one night, you may want to reconsider! Is there something causing a musty smell in the bathroom or basement? Buyers will notice, so getting that problem eradicated before going to market is crucial to getting top dollar. Have pets? Potential buyers may not. If it's possible to have them stay with friends or relatives during the sales process, that's ideal, but if not, make the litterbox is in an inconspicuous spot or the yard is picked up daily!

If you're considering staging® and selling your home, consider using an Accredited Staging Professional (ASP)©. Lists of ASP realtors® and stagers® are available at www.stagedhomes.com.

Over the years, this would have to be in the top 5 questions I've had from buyers and sellers alike. The common perception of most sellers I talk to is that Spring is the obvious time - nicer weather, flowers are blooming, etc., and certainly it is the most popular time of year to sell. Also, many families with children like the idea of getting the move done over the kid's summer vacation. With the uncertain market times these days, that can be a little hit or miss. But, is Spring really the best time to sell?

While there are typically more sales as Spring rolls around, there's also a lot more competition. The reality is that any time of year can be a good time to sell if your home shows well, and is priced competitively with the market, but I think there is something to be said for lisitng in January and February. Looking back at my own sales over the years, I've had great success in the first two months of the year. There is typically much less competition, and many potential home buyers are coming out of their holiday season hibernation with an excitement about getting back into the market. Maybe it's a little bit of holiday euphoria left over, and the fact that our Winters can be quite mild, but each year, regardless of an up or down market, I've found open houses to be busier and have had great success in getting listings sold. In the down market we've had the past few years, I've found that to be especially true. Any new listings I've taken after tax day seem to get caught up in a wave of other comparable homes for sale, and increased buyer apathy, leading to price reductions and longer market times. In a seller's market like we had a few years ago, any house would sell at any time of year, but in these slower times, sellers would be smart to consider the option of going to market earlier than the widely accpeted "Spring selling season".

For buyers on the other hand, my advice has always been the same. If there is a good time of year to buy to get the best deal, it would be between Halloween and Christmas. Sellers that are generally selling during this period are usually doing so out of necessity - job transfer or other family reasons are most likely - and are usually more motivated to finalize a sale. Each year, in our marketplace, the median home price dips slightly in the 4th quarter. Inventory is typically lower during this period, so the number of options may be more limited, but if you can find what you're looking for, you're likely to have less competition from other buyers and find yourself in a better negotiating position than in other times of the year.

Sometimes it takes something new to appreciate something that is older. All of the new large developments in the surrounding cities of Danville and San Ramon have done just that. Now, There is a revived appreciation and demand within the town of Blackhawk. What was considered outdated is now considered traditional, unique, and even quaint.

The Country Club Community of Blackhawk was built on the principles of true luxury living to meet any lifestyle, from comfortable condos to multi-acre park estates. Many of these homes were constructed as dream estates detailed down to wall coverings and even china patterns. Now these building styles are rare or incredibly expensive to duplicate or even mimic. Such features include parquets, moldings of plaster, unique stonework or clever brick pattens, terracotta chimney pipes and wooden paneled offices with marble floor inlays to name just a few of these characteristics.

Blackhawk is known for its unique trademark building styles that is discernible only to this community. Among them are all are a creative rendition of classical styles including the French Provincial, the English Tudor, the Mexican Hacienda, the Georgian plantation, and many more. Also included is a unique take on luxurious modern living.

Now is a better time than ever before to invest within the community. Prices are reasonable with a nice amount of inventory. There are various styles to choose from for the more discerning of buyers to match anyone's lifestyle. The community of Blackhawk is, also, simultaneously experiencing revitalization. Within the past couple years the LPGA has made the Country Club's Lakes course an annual stop on their circuit. Meanwhile Blackhawk plaza, a luxurious shopping center, is undergoing a complete renovation and expansion to meet the communities needs and demands. Neighboring Danville, also seeing a spur of growth as thier downtown is experiencing growth as well.

I foresee continual growth within our small community as outside buyers continue to come in from Southern California, back East, and Europe. As I posted before the communities median income outweighs that of most and is coveted by many retailers. Therefore, we may start seeing vendors and amenities that have been long needed for our small town. Yet, Blackhawk will remain the secluded get away for those who need comfort casual living and exclusion.

Blackhawk Plaza is in a full overhaul this summer, now showing great progress. The $40 million remodel and expansion will enhance and modernize the old luxury shopping center from when it opened its doors eighteen years ago.

Over a dozen unnamed stores are already signed to occupy spaces for the much anticipated grand re-opening. Some are said to be national brands that are not already found in the East Bay or even the Bay Area.

The old plaza was a luxury complex meant to draw shoppers from all around the Bay featuring its grand water park and bridges teaming with beautiful fish, floating ducks and swans. The focal point was the modern Smithsonian Institute Behring Automotive Museum for vehicle enthusiasts. The Plaza boasted 210,000 square feet of shopping space encompassing 45 acres. It grandeur impressed with it luxury and unique boutiques and chic Blackhawk grocery market that had baggers in tuxedos and was best known for gold plated shopping carts with mobile phones and its fashionable black and white tile floors and dim ambiance. Those days have long gone as buyer gawked yet did not buy forcing tenants to leave.

Now years Later Draeger's, a new casual chic grocery store has replaced Gottshalks as the new anchor store with already increased foot traffic and profits. The store draws buyers with its culinary store, cooking school, ready made foods made from scratch by gourmet chefs, a tasty bakery and cook book library with reading area. The food itself comes in a larger variety for every taste, and offers ingredients found nowhere else within its 43,000 square feet of shopping space.

Anthroplogie is set to open this summer in a new building expanding the shopping space with room for another tenant as well. Shelves are already being stalked as Blackhawk residents anticipate its opening. White House Black Market has already made its debut to the plaza for its sophisticated shoppers.

The shopping space and exterior itself will boast new amenities with comforts of outdoor fireplaces and seating areas and a playground and grassy areas for children to play and roam about. The water park that was the main attraction years ago is to be newly enhanced with sophisticated lighting that will be thus featured by fresh storefronts and dining patios.

Other stores have already taken up residence in the plaza including a very large and cozy Starbucks. This new location has a Blackhawk small town feeling to it with recognizable faces behind the counter and friends in business meetings or lounging within the multiple seating areas throughout the coffee shop.

The one thing that Blackhawk locals love besides their designer bags and shoes are there Sunglasses. Now Visual Expressions indulges these obsessions with a very personalized shopping experience for the eyeglass aficionado.

Catering to the smaller folk is a new G.R. Doodlebug opening its third local store, indulging children's love of toys, books and stickers. Hush Baby also serves the needs of mother and toddler with its extensive variety of specialty merchandise.

Residents could not be more excited about the promise of a new local shopping destination. Locals have had to travel as far as Stoneridge or Walnut Creek to find a decent shopping experience. The upgrade has been long overdue and very well deserved with a average local income to boast which rivals many of the most affluent neighborhoods. Such a demographic is a retailer's dream matched only by Palo Alto's Stanford and Beverly Hill's Rodeo Drive. The Goal for this luxury shopping destination is that it will be favored far beyond others and even draw buyers away from having to go as far as S.F.'s Union Square.

This is exactly what our community has been needing and for a long time. It should even refresh the housing market by bringing with it a revitalized interest in the community. Buyers favor areas such as Palo Alto and Beverly Hills because of not only the dream homes but the luxury shopping which creates an aura of prosperity which draws buyers. Blackhawk already has the community to boast but now will have a Shopping experience to boot!

I Wonder what stores are comming? Any news let me know.....

Broker's Tour each week is an opportunity for Realtors to hold an Open House on their new MLS listings.  Since I preview an average of 10 homes on those Broker Tour Days, I thought I would key in on the new listings in Walnut Creek and share with you.  The video is about 1.5 Minutes in length.  (Information in the video is based on information from Contra Costa Realtor's MLS.  Display of MLS data is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by MLS.  The homes previewed are listed with different Agencies and permission granted by Agent)

To search the MLS, pls visit http://www.prurealty.com/TerriAdams-Scott/mapsearch.aspx

I admit to having a great many San Ramon CA Faves. There are so many fun things to do in San Ramon CA . The San Ramon Summer Concert Series in San Ramon's Central Park are fun and admission is free!

The concerts are Sundays at 5:30 pm at the San Ramon Central Park at 12501 Alcosta Boulevard in San Ramon. Pack up a blanket or lawn chairs, bring and enjoy a relaxing summer evening in the park with friends & neighbors. Wine, beer, soda and ice cream will be available for purchase. Sponsored byu the City of San Ramon and the San Ramon Arts Foundation.

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July 13^th, The Backburners

July 20^th, California Dreamin'

July 27^th, Evolution

August 3^rd, The Sun Kings

August 10^th, The Groove Kings

Please contact Vickie Nagy 925-407-7987 or click to e-mail Vickie Nagy for all of your real estate needs in San Ramon, San Ramon, Dublin, Pleasanton, Walnut Creek and Concord. Visit http://www.BestTriValleyHomes.com for median home prices, local information & featured listings.

I admit to having a great many Danville CA Faves. There are so many fun things to do in Danville CA. Moonlight Movies on the town green are fun for everyone and best of all, they're FREE! Gather up friends, family, lawn chairs, blankets and snacks and head to the Town Green in front of the Danville Library at 420 Front Street in Danville to catch a good [and FREE] movie. Showtime is approximately 8:15 pm PST.

Arctic Tale - Friday July 11^th, 2008

The Three Amigos - Friday July 25^th, 2008

Bee Movie - Friday August 8^th, 2008

Please contact Vickie Nagy 925-407-7987 or click to e-mail Vickie Nagy for all of your real estate needs in Danville, San Ramon, Dublin, Pleasanton, Walnut Creek and Concord. Visit http://www.BestTriValleyHomes.com for median home prices, local information & featured listings.

Tomorrow is the 4th of July and it's time to come out and celebrate with us the City's 25th Anniversary. Come one come all and celebrate tomorrow.

The City of San Ramon celebrated its 25th anniversary of incorporation on July 1st, 2008. Twenty-five years ago, the voters of the then sleepy village of San Ramon voted to incorporate effective July 1st, 1983. The entire community will celebrate with an anniversary party at the City's Star Spangled Spectacular tomorrow at Central Park. Attendees will enjoy a special edition fireworks display along with music, food and fun in the park.

The resulting impacts of the hard work and dedication of our "pioneers" of incorporation are most evident today as our beautiful City has evolved into one of the best places to live and work in America. From the beautiful landscaping that is along virtually every major roadway to our over 50 wonderful parks, our own citizen serving police department, two outstanding libraries, the best schools in California, community sporting facilities that are "world class," our City enjoys a quality of life that is the envy of communities across California and beyond.

Celebrate San Ramon!

Run San Ramon
July 4, 2008
3K Fun Walk
5K Run/Walk & 10K Run
Race Day Registration Begins at 6:30 a.m.
8:15 a.m. 10K Start
8:20 a.m. 5K, 3K Start
San Ramon Central Park - 12501 Alcosta Blvd
>>Click Here for More Information

Star Spangled Spectacular
San Ramon Central Park - 12501 Alcosta Blvd
5pm - 10pm
Enjoy music, food by local non-profit and a tribute to San Ramon's 25th Anniversary!
Fireworks start at approximately 9:30pm
Music available on 101.7 fm KKIQ

Considering moving to San Ramon or the East Bay? Do you want to Buy or Sell a home?

Contact Pam Winterbauer, 2006 REALTOR® of the Year

Broker Associate, ASR, CRS, e-PRO, GRI, PMN, SRES, At Home with Diversity Certified

Windermere Welcome Home

Search East Bay Area Properties

Visit http://pamwinterbauer.com for home prices, local information & featured listings.

Toll Free: 877 876-8889 or 925 824-4878