Greenbrook Neighborhood – what do I love about it?

I have been living in Danville for a decade now and enjoy every bit of it. Previously I lived in Holland, Australia and Italy.

After I met my American wife we moved to the Bay Area and after being in Pleasanton for about two years we decided to make the move to Danville. We bought a house in the Greenbrook Neighborhood.

Greenbrook is an area that consists of several other smaller neighborhoods and covers an area between Sycamore Valley Road and Crow Canyon Road with I-680 on the west. It is a neighborhood that was built in the seventies and is known for the good size homes with bigger yards and mature trees. Most of the smaller neighborhoods in Greenbrook have their own Home Owners Association with reasonable homeowner dues but with great facilities, e.g. pools, clubhouse and play ground.

Danville is a safe and family-friendly community with a great downtown area, beautiful parks and top rated schools. Our two older boys both went to San Ramon Valley High School which is beautifully located on the west side, close to the hills, downtown and the Iron Horse Trail. Our 9 year old son goes to Greenbrook Elementary; a brand new school complex surrounded by parks and also close to Iron Horse Trail.

Throughout Danville you will find parks where people go for a stroll or to run, celebrate birthday parties and barbecue; play with the children or play sports. Through our son's sports activities and schools my wife and I have met many wonderful people. We currently have tons of friends and a very busy social schedule – we love it!

The Iron Horse Trail has been built on the same track where trains used to run. If you like to walk or ride your bike this trail is amazing; it runs all the way from Pleasanton to Walnut Creek. From almost every neighborhood you can easily ride you bike to downtown for a coffee or breakfast. It is a safe ride without any cars.

Danville also has a great history; my son recently had a school assignment which led us to all kinds of different historical places in the Danville area. We had a great time exploring the places that go all the way back to the Native Americans.

As you probably can read, I am a raving fan of Greenbrook and Danville, California. We highly recommend the Greenbrook area and Danville for people relocating to the East Bay. 

If you're moving to the East Bay and looking for a home, our team would love to talk to you.

Our FREE In-Depth Real Estate Market Reports updated weekly, break data down by zip code and price point. These are the best "real time"sources of data you can get for your local market.

Contact Us for more information – 925-855-6410

Local Children in Greenbrook & Shadow Hills Help Their Parents Sell the Home

Harper Mees & Associates recently awarded their High-5 Certificates to 5 children in Danville that did their part to help the parents sell the home. 

Presentation is a key factor in helping to sell a house. One of the services we provide to clients selling their homes is staging. Having a professional stager's help in getting the home ready for the public is critical – but keeping it clean is another factor. Getting the kids motivated to help keep their rooms straightened up can be challenging.

One of the ways we help our clients to motivate their children to participate in helping to sell the home is to sign an agreement with the children stating that if they keep their rooms clean, Harper Mees & Associates will pay them $50 for their help when the house sells.

We recently had the opportunity to present checks and certificates to 5 children from two Danville families. BTW – both house went pending in about a week of hitting the market – maybe those clean bedrooms had a lot to do with the quick sales.

Basketball Star Adonal Foyle's Summer Camp for San Ramon, CA

One of the great resources for children and parents in the Bay Area is all of the professional athletes that have outreach programs to the local communities – like NBA superstar – Adonal Foyle.

Adonal walked in the Danville, CA 4th of July Parade to help promote his new Athletics & Academics Basketball Camps. 

We are fortunate to have Adonal as a client – see his testimonial on our home page

For the summer of 2009, Adonal will hold a very special one-day camp on Saturday, August 22nd from 10:00 – 4:00pm at Iron Horse Gymnasium in San Ramon CA. Register your children early for this special event.

Inflation Will Upset the Apple-Cart for Many Home Buyers

More and more we hear professionals in real estate, finances, economics and lending talking about the inevitability of inflation and the resulting increase in mortgage interest rates. Most everyone is expecting rates to rise back to 7% – 9% by early 2010.

What this means to home buyers is that the next six months represent the best buying scenario for California real estate a home buyer could hope for.

Historically low interest rates will continue to fluctuate between 5% – 6% until the big jump. (4% rates are gone – don't hold your breath for their return)

East Bay home prices are about as low as they are going to go? Why – won't foreclosures force them even lower? NO. Why? Because the banks are exercising more price controls over foreclosures entering the market and they are withholding foreclosures from the market.

Why would they do that – don't they want to sell them? Yes & No. The Federal government as part of their stimulus package and bankk rescue plan is allowing banks to write off today's losses against the last 3 years – which means they may get tax refunds for profits already in their pockets. If they hold a foreclosure off the market, they can write it off this year and then sell it next year.

Most home buyers cannot afford foreclosures. Why? Because banks are selling most of the foreclosures to people with all cash offers. Who are these people that are buying foreclosures? Investors are the home buyers that have always done well as the market swings from the bottom up.

Short Sales will diminish. Why? Because banks are now including language in contracts that allow them to recover the difference from the home seller.  This will force more homesellers in trouble to go the foreclosure route instead of the short sale route. Why would banks force more foreclosures? Tax write offs!

Home buyers have the market they have been begging for – why are they still sitting on the fence? We seem to be living in an age where things are never good enough – until hindsight kicks in.

Our FREE In-Depth Real Estate Market Reports updated weekly, break data down by zip code and price point. These are the best "real time"sources of data you can get for your local market.

Contact Craig for more information – 925-984-4910

Rubber Duck Rescue Reminds of Us the Need for Eldercare Safety Procedures

In June, the Contra Costa Times carried a story about a 90-year old Walnut Creek woman who was stuck in her bathtub for several days. She wasn't stuck in the sense of being bigger than the bath tub – she was stuck from being too weak to get out of the tub.

This story reminds me of how fragile and sensitive our bodies become as we age and the need for routines and safety procedures to ensure that our loved ones are safe and secure. I am learning of this first-hand as we moved my 83-year old father out here a couple of months ago.

It is alarming at times to see how my father, once so full of strength and energy, is moving slower, taking more naps and suffering from memory lapses. Keeping a cell phone with him at all times is a must as is having proper identification.

Here are some tips and things to consider when it comes time to adjust the living arrangements for parents or grandparents:

1. Ensure that all rooms have good lighting with convenient and easy to use switches.
2. Replace carpet, electircal cords, throw rugs and anything else that may contribute to tripping.
3. Use night lights near stairs and other night-time traffic paths.
4. Get furniture that easy on the bones and easy to get up from.
5. Start uncluttering the house and cabinets. Keep the memories but streamline the living process.
6. Get small appliances that turn off automatically.
7. Establish a regular call pattern and establish a good relationship with a neighbor that can keep an eye on things.
8. Have regular conversations about money, finances and any solicitations.

"The simple truth about elders is this: they want their lives to be validated, and they do not want to die alone," writes eldercare consultant Joy Loverde in her preface to the second edition of The Complete Eldercare Planner. While that desire is entirely valid and compelling, there is an equally real parallel reality: caring for elders is a formidable responsibility, a sometimes daunting maze of financial, medical, personal, legal, and logistical issues. Acutely aware of both truths, Loverde's goal is to provide the caregiver the support and efficient, practical guidance he or she needs to be able to enjoy the often-rewarding and moving experience of caring for an aging loved one. And in an era when the fastest growing segment of the population is those 80 and older (among those, the majority are women), it becomes increasingly important for caregivers, who are themselves one day going to need care, to be informed about eldercare facts.

Joanna Quan specializes in helping seniors to find the right-sized residence for their life style – 510-374-8240