east bay real estate

Help Haiti NOW! Text 90999 And Message The Word HAITI!

The capital city of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, and surrounding communities are almost gone.  Last Tuesday, most of the structures were erased because of the 7.3-magnitude earthquake.  Tens of thousands have died and millions are fighting for their lives.  The human suffering is beyond anything we could imagine.  My friend, Gov. John deJongh, Jr., of the U.S. Virgin Islands said  “Eyewitness accounts of the quake indicate the worst catastrophic event in modern history.” The Hospitals, schools, the government buildings, stores and most buildings in the capital city and surrounding communities have collapsed.  There are no services available and the dead are being left where they lay as they await trucks and tractors to take them to mass graves that are being dug 24 hours a day.  It is unimaginable for me to think of how the poorest nation in the Caribbean can deal with such devastation, or how any of us would manage through this catastrophe if it ever hits the Bay Area again.   To help the world grasp the scope of the destruction, Google Earth has added a fresh layer of satellite imagery of Haiti taken Wednesday morning, allowing before-and-after comparisons of the landscape. It’s available for viewing on Google’s special crisis response page.

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east bay real estate

The Bay Area Team – East Bay Real Estate’s #1 Team!

(PRLEAP.COM)  Jim Walberg and Ann Marie Nugent,  owners of the Bay Area Team, were again honored as the Top Realtor Team for 2009 at the Keller Williams Realty – Danville Market Center from over 160 Realtors. They were also ranked #1 in the East Bay, and in the Top 10 in the entire Northern California and Hawaii Region.

When asked what contributed to their success, in the midst of such challenging economic times, Nugent-Walberg said, “The Keller Williams business systems, on-going education, networking with 77,000+ fellow Realtors within the company, and just plain hard work were the keys to the extraordinary results achieved for our clients in 2009.” In addition, they have created a global marketing network through their exclusive memberships in Who’s Who In Luxury Real Estate, and The International Real Estate Federation – FIABCI. Their award winning internet marketing strategies were also acknowledged by LuxuryRealEstate.com with the 2009 Global Networking Award selected from over 120,000 Realtor members. Read more

east bay real estate

2010 Home Maintenance Action List For East Bay Real Estate!

The first week of each New Year it is common for people to make resolutions and promises to themselves, their families, and their business results.  Statistics let us know that this annual ritual of resolutions is a very inspiring exercise that ends up rarely creating any change in a person’s life.  So, what would be like if there was a simple calendar that you integrated in your Outlook or whatever calendar system you use that would alert you to a Home Action List that was broken down in to things you can do each month to maintain and improve the quality of your home? 

Is this a good idea, or what?  It was inspired by an article in the Contra Costa Times.  Here is how it works.  On the first weekend of each month log into your calendar the following suggested action items. ( You can create you own list, too.)  The deal is to take a moment and map out things to do on twelve different weekends a year.   Here goes… Read more

east bay real estate

2010 Guide From East Bay Real Estate!

Here is to an extraordinary 2010!  Each year we look for a list of actions to be taken throughout the year that will add to it being an amazing one.  We found these 39 action items for all of us to consider for 2010 that are guaranteed to improve our lives.  Contact us anytime! We are standing ready to be of service to the real estate needs of you, your family and friends.  Happy New Year!!! Read more

east bay real estate

East Bay Kwanzaa Celebrations Begin Today & Ends January 1st!

The celebration of Kwanzaa began today all over the Bay Area.  Kwanzaa was created by M. Ron Karenga in 1966 as an African American celebration of their heritage with a focus of family values and our local communities.  Kwanzaa means “first fruits of the harvest”.

The Bay Area Discovery Museum hosts its Annual Kwanzaa Celebration today from 10AM to 5PM.  The admission is free.  There are various art projects inspired by the African continent and a Kwanzaa altar in the Museum’s Entry Pavilion.  Renowned jazz drummer E. W. Wainwright and his ensemble, The African Roots of Jazz will trace African-American musical forms, such as jazz, gospel, and spirituals, from their earliest beginnings in African cultures to today. The program features music, songs, theater, and audience participation.  You will also enjoy the Black National Anthem and the South African National Anthem throughout the week’s celebrations. Read more

east bay real estate

East Bay Real Estate: Holiday Greetings!

We are so grateful for the relationships that continue to unfolded over the years with our cherished family and friends, and the thousands of people that allow us to serve their real estate needs in the Bay Area.  You have added joy, laughter, and unforgettable moments to our lives in 2009.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.  We can all agree that 2009 has been unforgettable year for many reasons.  However, we are still surrounded by a very long list of blessings if we just pay attention.  Enjoy every moment of your Holiday celebrations with your loving family and friends.  Stay tuned…2010 is going to be another unforgettable year! Contact us any time for any reason.

east bay real estate

Jim Walberg’s Thanksgiving Prayer From EastBayRealEstate.com

Why not have everyday be a day of thanksgiving?  We are surrounded by so many blessings and often times we walk right by them without even noticing.  And, if giving thanks everyday doesn’t work for you, at least we have one day a year when that happens.  Below is the prayer we have used at our Thanksgiving table for years written by Patrick Finley.  You may find it appropriate for your celebration, too.  You may even want to pass it on to others.  Enjoy every moment of your time with your family and friends.  Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

What a gift it is to get together with our loved ones;   feast,  toast,  enjoy the blessings of life – and give thanks.   Thanks for life all around us, underfoot,  and overhead.

Thanks for the ability to remember those we love as well as to forget how much we’ve been hurt in our life;  thanks for fine young bodies, and the old venerable minds;  for the sun on our faces,  the rain on the roof,  and the food on our table grown by people we don’t even know. Read more

east bay real estate

September U.S. Home Sales UP 9.4%! An East Bay Real Estate False Indicator?

Jim Walberg states that all real estate is local, remember? The Bay Area home sales for September were up 8.4%.  It doesn’t matter what the National averages are, it only matters what the stats are in our local market.  And within our local markets are niche markets.  Do you really care about what the statistics are in Kansas City?  No.  What you care about is what is happening with home sales in the East Bay real estate markets.  But, here is the info from September’s home sales anyway.  Last month was the largest monthly increase in home sales in the U.S. in the last 26 years!  That is great news for our economy.  I believe that the reason why September was so robust in home sales was because of the panic that the Home Buyers Tax Credit was ending on November 30^th.  ( We now know that Senator Harry Reid is authoring a bill to extend it to April 30, 2010.) The September jump in homes sales revised the projected home sales for 2009 to 5.57 million!  “There’s a mini-boom going on in the housing market,” said Thomas Popik, who conducts a monthly survey of real estate agents for Campbell Communications, a research firm. Read more

east bay real estate

East Bay Real Estate News: Housing Tax Credit To Be Extended?

Tax Credit Update From Jim Walberg: Last week I sent out the alarm for home buyers to take action or lose out on the Federal tax credit that is ending November 30^th.  Today Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said that the Senators have actually agreed to extend the First Time Homebuyers Tax Credit past November 30^th.  The proposal on the table has the $8,000 credit extended until April 30, 2010.  PLUS, a $6,500 tax credit would be given to homeowners who have lived in their house for the past five consecutive that purchase their next primary residence.  The credit would be available to individuals who make less than $125,000 a year,  or couples who make less than $225,000.  This is $50,000 to $100,000 more than the last income ceiling in order to qualify.  A strategy that is being proposed in order to have it accelerate through Congress is by attaching the bill to the one extending unemployment benefits – a smart move by Senator Reid. Read more

east bay real estate

Danville Sycamore Valley Rotary’s Annual Dictionary Project!

For the past several years the Rotary Club that I have been a member of since it was chartered in 1989 has distributed dictionaries to the 3^rd-graders of the San Ramon Unified School District. There were over 30 of our Rotary club members who participated in the distribution last week.  David Behring, president of the Wheelchair Foundation, and myself assisted with the dictionary distribution at Tassajara Hills Elementary. David and I went into the 3^rd-grade classrooms to the delight of the students.  As we were distributing them we had them help us look up words so they could learn how to navigate through the beautiful hardbound dictionary.  Some of the words were “service”, “Gila monster”, and “impertinent”..  As a student would find the word they would raise their hand, then stand up and read the definition.  I hope you agree with me when I say the love of reading is one of the most important skills a young student can learn.  Dictionaries are intended to bring words to life, and as a resource for students to use for many years. Read more

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