In what may be a trend for many years to come, 40+ graduates of Central Middle School’s Class of 2008 will be attending Sequoia High School this fall.  This represents 1/3 of the entire graduating class, and is easily the single largest group from this class attending any given high school, according to Principal Lynette Hovland’s commencement address.  Without having historical data to draw from, I have to believe this is by far the largest group of grads from Central in recent memory to... Read Full Story

As I hinted in a prior post, I have been tinkering with the blog quite a bit lately in an effort to take this site to the “next level” of functionality for you — the readers.   Well, here it is!   I’m very pleased to unveil today what is the equivalent of “Version 2.0” of the White Oaks Blog.   There are three new additions to the blog that I think you’ll find very useful: San Carlos MLS Search:   Just click on the “San Carlos MLS Search” tab on top of the blog, or the link at top of the... Read Full Story

The summer siesta continues in the Emerald Hills real estate market.  There were only two “new” listings on the entire hill this entire week — not counting a few homes that were re-listed after taking a break for a few weeks.   As well, only two homes closed escrow this week. This is not a big surprise, as July and August are typically slow months in this region.  Click on the addresses below for more details and additional photos. Home Sales 3564 Altamont Way: (Pictured above) Sale... Read Full Story

After a couple of slow weeks, there was a nice jump overall in new listings, especially in the $1.5M and above range.  There are some pretty nice homes in this range to chose from now, so happy house hunting this weekend.   Even with all of these new listings, the current inventory is only at 56.   That means homes are still selling at a quick pace. Click on the addresses for more details and photos… Home Sales 2936 Eaton Ave:     (Pictured Above)   Sale Price: $1,102,000. Original List... Read Full Story

You may have noticed some “peculiar” behavior with the blog in the past couple of weeks, with things appearing and then disappearing and modules moving around almost continuously.  This isn’t your imagination — I have been tinkering quite a bit with the site and have a major upgrade planned for the White Oaks Blog which will be rolled out early next week.  You won’t be disappointed! Stay tuned…. Read Full Story

Remodeling has become a way of life in White Oaks.    It seems that everywhere you turn, there’s a home that’s undergoing some degree of reconstruction.  This is definitely understandable — with the average White Oaks home nearing 60 years of age (or more,) homeowners are facing the challenges of owning a home that is becoming functionally obsolete.  The old knob-and-tube wiring is hopelessly inadequate for today’s modern electronics.   The galvanized piping that was used in the original... Read Full Story

As you might expect, the week following the 4th of July holiday was a slow one in Emerald Hills real estate.   Only one home closed escrow, and there were only two “new” listings (i.e. not re-listings.)    Click on the addresses for more details and photos. Home Sales 855 Canada Rd: (Pictured above) Sale Price: $1,075,000. Original List Price: $1,275,000. Difference: $200,000 below original list.  DOM: 51 Days. MLS# 80784135, listed by Arlene Connors-Duran of Intero Real Estate... Read Full Story

The first half of 2008 is complete, so I thought it would be interesting to see how the White Oaks real estate market performed during this period.  In a nutshell, the number of homes that sold in Q2′08  rebounded strongly from a weak Q1, but the average and median sales prices were far lower.  Overall, we’re still behind the 2007 sales pace at the mid-year point.  Here area a few different looks at the numbers: WHITE OAKS:  2nd Quarter 2008 Trends At a Glance Apr-Jun 2008 Q1 2008 Q2 2007... Read Full Story

Every year, the Emerald Hills Homeowner’s Association elects a new board of directors.  For 2008, here is the current board.  For more information, be sure to check out the Emerald Hills Homeowner’s Association website. Current EHHA Directors Adriana Botto 650-368-5674 Secretary [send email] Thomas Brouchoud 650-366-7890 [send email] Tim Farrar 650-642-5195 Treasurer [send email] Joe Foraker 650-868-7495 [send email] Frank Fraone 650-743-3900 [send email] Michael Mangini... Read Full Story

As you might expect, the week following the 4th of July holiday is often a slow one, and this week was no different.   But where we lacked in quantity of sales, we made up for in quality.  Some very recognizable homes closed escrow this past week — 1309 Elm, 920 Heather, and especially 1009 Woodland Avenue. The number of active listings has once again dropped, and it’s now sitting at 52.  As always, click on the addresses for more photos and details. Home Sales  1009 Woodland Ave... Read Full Story