Building Tips

The best location to find out building requirements or to understand what is and/or is not allowed to be done to your property, is to go to your local community Building/Planning Department.

The following links are an extremely helpful place to start, but a meeting with a Planner at your local City Building/Planning Department is priceless. Take a list of questions along with the full address of the property you plan to or currently own. They will look up the rest of the details for you. Check location and hours through these links first so you don't waste your time.

City Services

The best Resources are hard to find.  Unless you get referred to a contractor by friends or family it is hard to know what to expect for service.  Referrals by someone with first hand experience are the best way to procure services.  I have a list of extraordinary service providers from A to Z (that would include Architects to Zipper Repair) to help you with your home needs.  If you need a great cobbler, window cleaners, a reputable plumber, stager, home inspector, termite repairman, interior designer or anything else, chances are I have already got the best on my list.  Call me or email me and I am happy to share them with you.

County Information

San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties contain most of the Cities on the peninsula of the San Francisco Bay Area.  In my opinion, the best area to live.  Go to their individual sites for more information for anything from location of parks, to things to do.

Market Statistics

There's no doubt that a buyer's market can be challenging for sellers.  Yet it does not mean that sellers cannot enter the market - or that they cannot garner a fair price for their homes.  Home sales in a buyer's market may take longer.  But a little creativity can go a long way toward help sellers move homes, without having to significantly drop the price.

Moving Tips

4 TO 6 WEEKS BEFORE MOVING DAY

PLACE TO NOTIFY

Let the post office know when you'll be moving and what your new address will be; a temporary forwarding address might be necessary if you do not have a permanent one by the time you move. As an alternative, the post office will hold your mail and forward it upon written instructions from you...

school Information

Ratings and reviews of over 500,000 schools, tips and tools from education and parenting experts.  This site allows you to research and compare schools by City showing many important details such as test scores, as well as class sizes and so many other details...

Things To Do on the Peninsula

Some of my favorite things to do on the peninsula of the Bay area include things that do and don't cost money.  I will be continually updating the list below, so feel free to email me if you have a recommendation that should be added.  I welcome your ideas and suggestions...

Restaurants

There are many good restaurants on the peninsula, so you don't have to drive for 30 to 45 minutes into San Francisco to have a nice dinner and fun night out.

I have included some of my favorites that I recommend to anyone new to the area.  There is a real variety from burgers to elegant, so always check Yelp.com and read other reviews or go to the restaurant websites and read their menus...

Utilities

*To Connect or Disconnect Utilities.

Take care of gas & electricity should be one of many things you need to transfer. Though it may sound simple to disconnect from the utilities of your existing location and resume them in your new place of stay, the actual activity may not be that simple, unless some prior planning has gone in it.

Mortgage 101

There are many pitfalls you can avoid when you are in the market to buy a new home. Here are just a few tips and strategies to help you prepare for success:

Know your credit score.

You may be able to get a better mortgage rate and more favorable loan terms by restructuring some of your balances on credit cards, car loans, etc...

Services

The links below take you to the transportation providers' websites. We do not take responsibility or liability for the content or accuracy of linked websites. Prices and service are subject to change. Please call carrier or visit carrier's website for complete information.

Lindenwood Real Estate Newsletter

Market Action

January 2010 actual market statistics

Note all of the graphs and their meaning