Apr
21

Vetrazzo Recycled Glass

Posted In: Green Living, Home Improvement
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Looking to redo your kitchen?  Consider using Vetrazzo Recycled Glass.  I haven’t used their product, and I don’t actually know anyone who has, but this sure looks cool. This was taken directly from their website: www.vetrazzo.com Exquisitely repurposed glass With Vetrazzo Surfaces you can express both your styles and your respect for the earth without compromise. Vetrazzo is 85% glass, [...]
Apr
19

Richard Tuck, Creator of El Cerrito’s Playland-Not-At-The Beach, Dies at 63

Posted In: Contra Costa County, El Cerrito, Fun for Grown Ups, Fun for Kids
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Last week the famed creator of El Cerrito’s Playland-Not-At-The-Beach passed away in his home in El Cerrito.  Richard Tuck may not have been a legend but what he created was legendary. I remember when I first met Richard.  It was in 2000 and I had just received my MFA from the Academy of Art in San Francisco.  I saw an [...]
Apr
18

Taxes, Boo

Posted In: Good ol' Fashion Humor, Taxes
Are you done with your taxes?  Yes, No or it’s complicated? Last year two of my clients were told by their tax preparer that they needed to buy a house for tax purposes.  I guess if there is a good reason to buy a house, that is one! Check out these companies, they didn’t pay their taxes! http://front.moveon.org/d-which-corporations-are-the-biggest-freeloaders/?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4dac7c525ef33dc1,0  
Apr
14

How Much Rent for my House?

Posted In: Community, Rentals
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Ever wonder what the average rental rate might be on your house?  In your neighborhood?  It seems like in the world of short sales and REO’s that people are starting to rent a bit more.  I am often asked how much rent a particular house could get.  I am not in the rental market, but I do have some great [...]
Apr
12

Glen’s Numbers: East Bay Market Statistics for March 2011

Posted In: Alameda County, Contra Costa County, For Buyers, For Sellers, Local Market Statistics
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Glen Bell from My East Bay Agent had some interesting things to say about the East Bay Market this month. It seems that inventory and pending sales crept up slightly since last February: pendings were up 3.1% and supply remained steady at 3.3 months (months supply at this time last year was 2.5 months). The pending/active ratio also had a [...]
Apr
12

Freecycle

Posted In: Community, For Buyers, For Sellers, Green Living
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Ok, so last week I posted some great resources for recycling your unwanted items.  What I completeley forgot to mention was my FAVORITE reuse website, www.freecycle.org.  You can list items that you want to get rid of for free, as well as items that you are looking for. Example: I bought some shampoo and conditioner that I didn’t really like, [...]
Apr
11

Mortgage Monday: New FHA Inspection Requirements

Posted In: For Buyers, Mortgage & Finance
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Attention FHA buyers.  It seems there are new changes to FHA Inspection Requirements, meaning if you are a buyer who is using an FHA loan for financing, these changes will affect you.  This information is from an email from Tirso De Ubago of Castle Rock Inspections. The New FHA Inspection Requirements With the FHA loans becoming extremely mainstream due to [...]
Apr
08

Recycle Your Unwanted Stuff!

Posted In: Community, For Buyers, For Sellers, Green Living, Home Maintenance
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I have become a recycling junkie.  It is exhilarating.  Productive.  Cleansing.  Seriously.  For me there is something so refreshing about getting rid of crap. While I was on maternity leave I emptied out my closet (got rid of 8 bags of clothing), cleaned out the kitchen (2 boxes of glassware and vases), cleaned out my office (filled 6 boxes), and [...]
Apr
04

50% off Exterior Power Washing for Your House

Posted In: Community, For the Heck of It
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Well shoot!  I missed last Friday’s LivingSocial deal of the day: $120 for exterior house washing, that is 50% off! To be sure that you don’t miss out on future deals, subscribe to their deal of the day.  I did! By the way, this is the image from the LivingSocial Deal of the Day that always shows up when I [...]