David Bellings of Coldwell Banker recently listed this coveted Lake Street property which is currently featured as the Cover Home in the latest issue (Vol 20-6) of the San Francisco Bay Area edition of Homes Magazine. Located in San Francisco, this special, three level, beautifully renovated Edwardian home features five bedroom and four baths. The kitchen offers gourmet eat-in amenities with an adjacent family room, while standout features outside include wonderful decks and a fabulous rear yard. A luxury real estate property, the Bay Area home was recently renovated with every attention to detail.  Price available upon request.

David Bellings

A Master in the Fine Art of Selling Luxury Real Estate

#1 Agent | Broker | Attorney | Top Producer for 20 years

Call for details on this and other fine San Francisco Bay Area real estate

415.447.1600

www.davidbellings.com

Mark Oliverez of Alain Pinel REALTORS® proudly presents the cover home for the latest issue (Vol.13 - #5) of Homes Magazine. This incredible Santa Cruz estate property may be the answer to all your real estate dreams. 

983 Charles Hill is a spectacular estate located on 3.1 acres of pure paradise, yet this home is only two minutes to Highway 17. Features include exceptional attention to quality and detail, 5 large bedrooms with a grand first floor master suite, 6.5 gorgeous bathrooms, 6200 square feet of living space, separate office/den, 4 fireplaces, 4 car garage plus a beautiful infinity pool with breathtaking views. Offered at $3,395,000

Tour this and other properties at www.MarkOliverez.com

Property presented by

MARK OLIVEREZ, Broker Associate

Alain Pinel, REALTORS®  408.357.8786  |  408.891.4663 Cell 

The Mitchell Family Team of Sotheby’s International Realty in Carmel proudly presents 25015 Bold Ruler, an exquisite Monterey, CA property highlighting not months, but years in design and fabrication, as the featured home for the cover of the current Monterey Peninsula Homes Magazine (Vol 13, Issue 5), the Peninsula’s premier real estate magazine.

This 6400 sq. ft. home is representative of one of Monterey Peninsula’s finest in artisan craftsmanship and detail. This romantic estate, with a 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath main house and a 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath guest house, represents the ultimate in luxury, detail and enjoyment. Energy efficient, foot thick walls accented with ochre-tinted plaster, burl cabinets, a chef’s gourmet kitchen.

Additional architectural highlights of the of this luxury home include 18th century doors and roof tiles from Spain; solid limestone window and door casements, hand carved stone fireplaces, and a village fountain all imported from France. This stunning piece of Monterey real estate is set on 2 usable, private acres with spectacular views and over 6500 sq. ft. of stone clad terraces, an outdoor kitchen with granite countertops and top-of-the-line appliances, and a 3-car garage. All of these amenities and more can be found in this Monterey home, conveniently located close to all that the Monterey Peninsula has to offer.  Priced at $4,600,000

Tour this luxury home online at www.25015BoldRuler.com. For additional information about this and other Monterey Peninsula real estate contact:

  The Mitchell Family Team 

Bill & Vicki Mitchell | 831.624.3355 | www.billmitchell.mpsir.com

Shelly Mitchell Lynch | 831.277.8044 | shelly@carmel-realty.com 

Hallie Mitchell Dow | 831.620.6312 | www.halliemitchell.mpsir.com 

Luxury properties are still the most stable area of real estate sales today.
Ever wonder why?

Here is your answer. Marketing is not just a career… it’s a verb!

Real Estate Professionals who specialize in the luxury market prioritize their marketing campaigns for long term listing cycles, and over-all continuity. They are always highly visible, both in print, and online. These professionals would view a lack of advertising as cutting corners, NOT cutting cost. Advertising is the right hand of successful marketing professionals, and is THE investment in their continued success. While the real estate market is not at all the feast of closings it was two years ago, it is going to change again…it always has, and it always will.

Maintaining a high profile in print, which includes advertising in real estate magazines such as Homes Magazine which publishes 9 local editions featuring premier real estate properties across the Central Coast, Northern California, the Wine Country and Lake Tahoe, as well as the use of online campaigns insures new business.

A seller is almost three times as likely to list with a high profile advertiser.  Why? Because they appear successful and familiar… they know that their home will be marketed in the same fashion, for an optimum sale price. Sellers know they need an agent with a strong marketing campaign.

Consumer behaviors have changed dramatically over the years. The amount of trade conducted electronically has grown extraordinarily since the spread of the Internet in the 1990’s.  It is quite rare for anyone to pick up a phone, and call your office without looking for you online. Your web presence is key here. You must stand out over thousands of sites. While search engine optimization (SEO) will help you do this, print is also a major web traffic generator. Statistics show over 60% of website traffic comes from print advertising which includes everything from agazines, brochures and flyers to for sale signs, sign riders and business cards. A functional and attractive website, as well as an aggressive print campaign is now standard. Remember, a strong advertising campaign is paramount in today’s market.

 Wine Country Homes Magazine Will Be There!

 ~ AN INVITATION TO ALL MOVIE BUFFS ~

Program to be announced June 27

Festival Dates are July 24 - August 16, 2008

A popular roving festival, the 22nd Annual Napa Sonoma Wine County Film Festival takes place outdoors in spectacular settings and in select theaters and venues in and around some of the most beautiful real estate in Napa and Sonoma Valleys, California.

More than one third of the past 2007 Sonoma Valley Film Festival selections have already received theatrical release and national distribution deals. With unique opportunities

for personal and relaxed face-time with key industry players, Sonoma has become a unique and seductive venue for launching independent films, as well as a hot zone for some of the best independent films of the year. 

Festival Overview

Internationally known for spectacular open air film screenings, there are sixteen celestial film nights:

Eight film nights at Sequoia Grove Vineyards on Highway 29 in Rutherford in the Napa Valley: July 22-25 and July 29 - August 1.

Eight film nights at Kunde Estate Winery on Highway 12 in Kenwood in the Sonoma Valley: August 5-8 and August 12-15.

In addition, over 100 films from around the world (in addition to our sixteen celestial film nights) screen at Copia, the American Center for Food, Wine and the Arts in Napa, the historic Sebastiani Theater in Sonoma and at the Kenwood Train Depot, in Kenwood.

History

The Annual Napa Sonoma Wine Country Film Festival is the oldest and longest running film festival in the wine country region of California. Located 55 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, the NSWCFF is held in Napa, Los Carneros and in Sonoma.

Chemical Engine House 44, located in the San Francisco neighborhood of Noe Valley, was originally built in 1909 and served as a San Francisco firehouse until 1959. The home has recently undergone an extensive renovation and now a modern masterpiece sits behind the historic structure.

The brilliant renovation of this historical piece of real estate includes 4 levels of unique living space as well as an observatory tower, large wine cellar and tasting room; all designed for modern living. The open floor plan is accentuated by the center staircase/elevator atrium which is washed in sunlight from the immense skylight above.

Presented by Joe Marko and Rafael Acevedo of Paragon Real Estate Group in San Fancisco, the clever mix of modern and original details creates a home that is truly one of a kind. Upon entering through the massive original copper doors you will be captivated by the innovative floating level above.

Features that make this home a standout include an impressive glass and reclaimed lumber staircase, two story family room with a wall of glass, gourmet “loft” kitchen with adjoining catering kitchen, original 4 story spiral staircase and zinc clad doors, air conditioned bedroom levels, home spa, heated tiled floors, surround sound, roof terrace & dramatic observatory tower with 360 degree views.

This is a unique opportunity for the discerning buyer craving something distinctive.

• 4 Bedrooms
• 4 Full Baths & 2 Half Baths
• 2 Car Parking
• Landscaped Gardens
• Roof Terrace
• 2 Fireplaces
• Original Firehouse Details
• Elevator

For additional information about this unique San Francisco real estate listing and other homes for sale or for more information on Joe Marko and Rafael Acevedo of Paragon Real Estate Group visit these websites:

Firehouse44.com

www.joeandrafael.com

Joe Marko
415.738.7076
jmarko@paragon-re.com

Rafael Acevedo
415.738.7077
racevedo@paragon-re.com

The Sotheby’s International Realty team of Wilson & Co. represents this fine Central Coast property which The Central Coast Homes Magazine is proud to showcase on the cover of the current issue of its luxury home publication.

With extraordinary custom quality evident throughout, this new 4 bedroom, 3 bath contemporary Morro Bay coastal home was designed for entertaining. The great room, with its soaring ceilings and broad window expanses, affords dramatic views of Morro Rock and the bay.

Sleek gourmet kitchen, cherry and mahogany wood cabinets, granite accents, ceramic tile and bamboo finishes throughout. Other amenities of this ocean view  listing include a third story bonus room, elevator, professional landscaping and several view decks.

Priced at $1,995,000.

For more information on this home and other Central Coast real estate offerings, contact Linda Wilson at 805-801-3232. Go to www.WilsonandCoSIR.com to view property additional listings in Morro Bay as well as San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, Nipomo and surrounding areas along California’s Central Coast region.

Today, the Associated Press released the results of their AP-AOL Money & Finance poll (conducted from March 24-April 3, 2008) in which consumers expressed their fears of shrinking home values, missed mortgage payments, rising gas prices, higher jobless rates and the overall slowing of the US economy.

So where does this poll say about the US housing market and real estate in your area?

Interestingly, while 60% of those polled said they definitely won’t buy a home in the next 2 years, the same poll found that 59% think that now is a good time to buy.

The results of the interviewing process of the AP poll also supported what real estate agents across the country already know — the national housing market trends do not always apply to your area. In fact, statistics show that some regions are holding steady in home value while others are experiencing an upsurge in pricing and demand.

This means that the perception created by national headlines about the fading housing market and declining values, something that your clients and potential clients are no doubt mentioning to you in listing presentations and negotiations,  may not accurately reflect what is actually happening regionally or even at the neighborhood level. Real estate agents with local knowledge have a great opportunity to position themselves for success. Realtors need to focus on educating their buyers and sellers on what is happening in their specific market.

Gus Faucher, director of macroeconomics for Moody’s Economy.com, a consulting firm also noted, that many people bought their homes before the run-up in values that started around 2001 and remain in good shape. "So the value of your house goes down temporarily," he said. Unless the homeowner must sell now or can’t afford the payments, "that doesn’t have that much of an impact."  (Yahoo, AP article, Alan Fram, 4/14/08)

How do you take this information and create opportunities in today’s changing and challenging market? Successful Realtors like Rick Geha, who spoke to the Monterey County Association of Realtors in mid-March noted,  whether the news is good or bad isn’t the most important factor, it’s your what you do with that information when you communicate with your clients that makes all the difference.

With so much negative information in the news today, how does a Realtor in this  constantly changing market effectively communicate with his or her clients?  Is it a buyer’s market? Is it a good time to sell? Is it bad time to buy? Who can tell? Just take a look at today’s poll — in the AP survey virtually the same percentage of people said they wouldn’t buy right now (60%) but thought that it was a good time to buy (59%)! How you communicate this information to your clients is what matters.

Rick, a successful Keller Williams Realty agent and educator, with 28 years in the real estate industry, believes that real estate agents need to know their market. And as the AP poll illustrates, it can make a difference if you, as the Realtor, provide some context for the consumer public. Remember that often the information they are receiving from the media is not current.  In fact, it can be as much as 2-3 months old by the time data has been collected, analyzed and released to the press. So by educating the public, a real estate agent can alter the consumers’ mindset, while increasing the credibility of his or her own brand and message.

How’s the real estate market treating you? If the answer isn’t what you would have hoped, then this is the perfect time to develop habits and implement systems to help you maintain and increase your real estate business, making it all the more likely that you will be able to ride out fluctuations in the market.

For more information about Rich Geha and his company, The Rick Geha & Coco Lewis Real Estate Group, or his seminars, please visit his website at www.rickandcoco.com.
 

The "Salad Bowl" of the world is being recognized for the second year in a row as one the greenest places in the country.

Country Home Magazine recently named Salinas, Santa Cruz and Watsonville among their top rated Best Green Places in America for 2008. Santa Cruz and Watsonville ranked in the top 10, coming in 7th in the survey, and Salinas ranked 21st, out of 379 cities considered. "All across the country, people are looking for ways to live greener," said LuAnn Brandsen, the magazine’s editor, in a statement.

Other Central Coast cities that made the list included Santa Rosa/Petaluma which captured the number 4 spot; Santa Barbara-Santa Maria checked in at number 10; and the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles area rounded out the top 20.

Around the world, people are looking for ways to shrink their proverbial footprint. And along with that comes a push to reduce, reuse and recycle. The magazine took its 2nd annual look at energy policies, green power, the number of green buildings and the availability of fresh locally-grown food.

Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue was quoted in the local Salinas newspaper, The Californian , saying, "Who should be more green than the salad bowl of the world?" and commented that the city will be seeking community input to develop additional ways to enhance environmental practices.

Monterey County also has a number of local builders and developers who are focused on green building and sustainable living, including Clint Eastwood’s private community , Tehama, located in Carmel. Luxury home builder Saxton Palma Construction, Inc. is one of several local green builders who focus on supporting sustainable design and construction.

If you are looking for a place to call home where green is becoming a way of life, check out the local real estate listings in Homes Magazine for these communities  — maybe they should be at the top of your list too.

Sophisticated Elegance at Las Positas Meadows

There is exquisite attention to design and detail throughout this tastefully decorated home. Special features include high ceilings and bold crown moldings, Italian marble and hardwood floors, and custom cabinetry. The approximately 2500 square foot floor plan allows for wonderful entertaining spaces, including the step down living room, formal dining room and comfortable den. The Master Suite has a fireplace and French doors to a private view balcony, and a bathroom with unique side-by-side onyx pedestal basins. Situated in a prime position at the end of the cul-de-sac, and oriented to take advantage of lovely meadow and mountain views, this home is surrounded by a half-acre of private landscaped gardens, as well as 13 acres of oak-studded communal land, and is just a short distance to beaches and all the amenities of downtown Santa Barbara.

Offered at $1,499,000

Gary Goldberg
Coastal Properties
1086 Coast Village Rd
Santa Barbara, CA 93108-0709
gary@coastalrealty.com
http://www.coastalrealty.com