New Homes are still selling in Lodi or San Joaquin County, California: 1/9/11 New homes sales were off overall in San Joaquin despite a much higher traffic count.   The new year also produced some “updates” of year end numbers reducing overall sales counts. The Financial News produced by the Builder Division of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage observes that unemployment dropped to a 9.4 percent national rate.  The report also noted that 260,000 workers were removed from the work force. However the gains in employment were in the private sector, suggesting possible sustainable improvement.  Unemployment rates in San Joaquin County remain near 13 percent. The following information has been extracted from New Homes Sales and Marketing reporting companies and on-site visits for the week ending ... 01/12/2011

  The World of Wonders Museum at 2 N. Sacramento Street in downtown Lodi, California is about 4 miles North from the Legacy Estates subdivision.  The purpose of this hands on museum experience is to make science interesting to all ages.  This is done with simple experiments that anyone can perform that demonstrate the principles of science. On January 22nd 2011 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM the museum is proud to present Insectfest.  This program is being brought to the community in corporation with the Bohart Entomology Museum from the University of California Davis Campus and the Lodi Serpentarium. These two organizations are going to have displays of both insects and reptiles to entertain and amaze you.  You may even get to handle a snake or possibly an insect.  You will be able to ask q... 01/12/2011

They are living the words …. while others are writing about them   So exactly who is the more “distressed” homeowner – one contemplating a short sale or one facing a foreclosure? It’s interesting that this “housing crisis” has added several new words to our ordinary lexicon – but often people think they know what they mean … and they may be close, but not exactly spot on.  “Distress” is an emotional response to a usually difficult situation.  It can also be a physical response to a medical condition.  One thing for sure, not everyone’s distress is the same. Someone on the brink of foreclosure may have made an intentional decision to let the property go back to the lender – and they may have little distress at all.  Someone else staring foreclosure in the face, may still be so deeply mir... 01/11/2011

or Is Preston Castle really haunted?     Preston Castle in Ione (pronounced eye-OWN), California is approximately 40 miles East from Legacy Estates in Lodi, California.  This imposing Romanesque Revival building sits up on a hill overlooking the community of Ione.  The castle is a California Historic Landmark #867 and is on the United States National Register of Historic Places. It is said that the spirit of a female employee that was beaten to death still wanders the halls of the castle.  It is also claimed that the living areas of the staff have a number of “residual” haunts.  This type of haunt is like a visual recording of past activities that involved high energy levels at the time of the event.  On the grounds of the Preston Castle there is a small grave yard with 23 graves of wa... 01/11/2011

  The rainy season is upon us and for those of us living in the Delta areas of the Central Valley in California we should be paying particular attention to some of our car-cleanliness habits.  Often the mud and grime of a rainy road isn’t really “stuck” on our vehicles and it’s a real easy thing to just take the hose and flush it off. However, I noticed some folks today cleaning their cars in the cool but sunny afternoon.  The “goop” products they were using are chemical compounds designed to remove the “gunk” that builds up in wheel wells and side panels.  If you number yourself among those that need to “keep it clean” please read the label and make sure the products you are using are bio-degradable and water supply safe. Please remember that those drains that are only a few feet from... 01/10/2011

or We all can use a good laugh these days. Lodi, California in San Joaquin County in the Central Valley of California is one of those places that has all sorts of treasures to enjoy.  Once you arrive in the City of Lodi and look around, you will wonder why you did not come sooner.  North of the Legacy Estates in Lodi, California is the crown jewel of the City of Lodi, the Hutchins Street Square performance arts, community and senior center.  There is always something interesting happening at the Hutchins Street Square that is sure to be entertaining or educational. If you are ready to be entertained and have a good laugh, Hutchins Street Square is the place to be.  On Friday January 14th 2011 at 7:30 PM there will be two local and nationally known comedians being featured featuring Mik... 01/10/2011

To West of Legacy Estates in Lodi, California in the Central Valley of California is the San Joaquin River Delta.  This delta is the largest estuary on the Pacific Coast and acts as a funnel for a drainage basin covering thousands of square miles of California’s land.  There are two main rivers in the delta the Sacramento River and the San Joaquin River.  These rivers are forced to drain into a narrow channel called the Carquinez Straight, which then goes to the San Francisco Bay and then to the Pacific Ocean through the Golden Gate.   Just about 14 miles South of Legacy Estates at the end of March Lane in Stockton, California you will find a harbor that is dedicated to sailboats.  The harbor is part of the Stockton Sailing Club a family oriented organization that is dedicated to both ... 01/09/2011

The Grape Festival in Lodi California is a summer event.  But…the activities at the vineyards which produce the fruit that is feted at the festival … aren’t just a summer event!  It’s pretty much a year-round thing. On the western wall of the festival hall is a mural that depicts the entire year.  The two end panels celebrate each of the seasons while the main panel depicts the impact to the culture and economy of the community. The first tableau on the left is “winter.”  So starting with winter and then following each of the next three seasons, the “real world” and the world of art will collide.  We'll look at the real life representations of the mural, season by season and make a few side journeys along the way.   The pruning season is upon us… and not by some slick machine.  Vines a... 01/09/2011

There are treasures to be found in Lodi, California this picturesque community in San Joaquin County in the Central Valley of California.  Some are in plain sight and some are not.  The ones in plain sight are for everyone to see and enjoy.  The other treasures take a bit of effort to find. There is buried treasure to be found at all the compass points from Legacy Estates.  Well, it is not exactly a real treasure of gold and jewels.  The real treasure is in the time spent having fun looking for these caches with friends and family. Ok, so how does someone go about finding these buried caches? Geocaching is the hunting for buried caches left by other people at certain coordinates.  The idea is to use a GPS, or your phone with a GPS app, to find these buried caches.  You do this by using... 01/08/2011

  From small acorns mighty oaks do grow!   Employment Opportunity … What a wonderful sign to find in our neighborhood business district … coming soon … to a space that has been vacant far too long.  The added benefit … not only a new business, but several new jobs as well. So in this space Cheese Central will open its doors this month.  If you’re dying for a preview, click here for a link to their web site.  Otherwise – check back, we’ll be doing a focus feature on this new business soon after its “premier …”  If you are interested in become part of the staff, click on the “About Us” tab for a downloadable application! Downtown Lodi, Ca is partially shaped by the action and interaction of the Downtown Business Alliance, a commercial community demarked by location not membership.  All b... 01/07/2011

Lodi, a community located in San Joaquin County in the Central Valley of California, has so much to offer to anyone who takes the time to seek its treasures.  This is an area known for the growing of premier grapes and the production of some of the finest wines in California.   North of the Legacy Estates, near downtown Lodi, is another treasure in the form of the Hutchins Street Square Community Center.  The building that houses this community, performing arts and senior center is the original Lodi Union High School that opened for classes in the autumn of 1913.  When the school was originally built it was on the western edge of town and today it is in the middle of the town. The building was in continuous use as a high school until 1977 when a new high school was built.  In 1980 a fo... 01/06/2011

Needing a little fresh (and cold) air after a trying afternoon, I ambled around the downtown area of Lodi, California.  Some holiday remnants were still in place, a few businesses were starting to wrap red and foil stuff around the display cases in early valentine preparation.  Folks were moving in and out of shops, not in great masses and in a pretty relaxed manner. I grabbed a cup of designer coffee and just watched.  Even in the nippy late afternoon, a quiet peaceful minute or 10 invaded my mind … and I felt relaxed, in touch with what mattered and ready to return to the office!  I also became aware of a number of small businesses that I have missed in my tours in the past.  Perhaps it was because I often have an agenda when I walk on School Street … that some of these interesting b... 01/06/2011

New Homes are still selling in Lodi or San Joaquin County, California: 1/2/11 New homes sales in Manteca still leads the pack this week; Stockton performed as far as traffic was concerned, all other subdivisions reports poor to minimal traffic.  Caution and an optimistic look forward at the whole market highlight this week’s economic review.  The numbers are still showing some minor strength across the board.  The following information has been extracted from New Homes Sales and Marketing reporting companies and on-site visits for the week ending 1/2/11: Focus on Stockton: Total Projects Reporting: 4: Traffic: 25; Sales: 2: Cancellations: 1; Net Sales: 1; YTD Sales: 104 San Joaquin County:               Total Projects Reporting:  27; Traffic: 121; Sales: 10; Cancellations: 2; Net Sales... 01/05/2011

We have a new listing in the foothills of Sierra Nevada Mountains in the historic community of Ione, California.  Ione’s history is closely tied to the gold rush of 1849 and was an important supply center on the main road to the Mother Lode and Southern Mines.  While I was looking around the town I found something I did not expect.  A Castle.  Well, not exactly a Knights of the Round Table type castle but a castle just the same. Some history:  In the late 1880’s if boys were convicted of a minor crime they could very well be sent to San Quentin or Folsom State Prisons.  In 1889 it was decided to do something different.  Rather than send the young offenders to prison a rehabilitation process was established. On December 23, 1890 the corner stone for the beautiful Romanesque Revival build... 01/05/2011

I've had this listing for a few months now and have had some showing activity, but nothing much else besides one low offer. It wasn't until the sellers finally decided to price the property closer to reality as far as what buyers are willing to pay, that the activity REALLY jumped and showings started happening in larger numbers, even on rainy days. I've got a couple that will be taking a 2nd look next week because they want to see the property when it's not soaked from the rain, so if anyone has any direction with the master rainmaker, then please let them know to take it easy for a couple weeks until my buyers can take another look and get a chance to drive the golf cart around the 4.3 acres to get a better / closer look at the whole property. While waiting for the grounds to dry up I... 01/04/2011

When it’s raining cats and dogs outside, remembering that water is a “commodity” that has started and ended wars, divided countries and transported the worlds good for years is a task.  With flood and standing water warnings over much of the nation … water has become at least for the moment, a bane to our communities. Given a few months and our attitudes will change – as we appreciate the need again for conservation, good water management and great reserve ideas.  Lodi, California has a “wall mural” that reminds us every time we pass by.  Located at the corners of Church and Oak Streets – the mural not only adds a little color to the otherwise dreary and grey winter days … it reminds us of what a community together in action can do. Clean, safe and healthy water is a staple of our huma... 01/04/2011

The City of Lodi DeBenedetti Park Athletic Fields sports complex is located at the corner of Lower Sacramento Road and Century Boulevard in Lodi, California just north of the Legacy Estates.  This Public Works / Parks and Recreation Project is a 49 acre sports complex that has been many years in the planning and is now becoming a reality.  The first phase of the project will include three soccer fields, two 60 foot baseball diamonds for Little League Baseball games, and another soccer field that will also be cross-lined for flag football. The second phase of this project will include three more baseball diamonds for adult league play, basket ball courts, a playground and parking lot.  The goal is to open the park in the spring or summer of 2011.  This sports facility was built to provi... 01/04/2011

  There was a time, not so long ago, but before the “air pollution” guidelines, when bakeries sent vapors into the air and the heady, yeasty smell of baking bread undermined all calorie counting commitments!  I can remember a time when Alexander’s Bakery on the Avenue in Lodi, California replaced the thoughts of “a loaf of bread, a jug of wine and thou” with “forget the wine and thou … just get me the bread and a quarter pound of butter!”  Fresh-baked bread, still warm from the oven seemed almost sinful.  Sure you could share that wonderful doughy mass … but only if someone caught you with it and you didn’t have the courage to yell …. “mine, mine!” Those days are long gone and so is the active bakery that for generation provided the staff of life to the community.  Now a long deserted ... 01/03/2011

The Legacy Estatessubdivision is located on the Southern edge of the grape growing and wine producing community of Lodi, California in San Joaquin County.  Legacy Estates in Lodi, California is made up of 217 units built between 2005 and 2007. North of theLegacy Estates in the downtown Lodi, California you will find every Thursday evening during the summer a wonderful Farmers Market.  The City of Lodi closes off School Street, the main street of downtown Lodi, from Lodi Avenue to Elm Street.  School Street and some of the side streets then fill with all sorts of booths selling fresh vegetables, baked goods, sandwiches and knickknacks of all sorts.  People come to the Farmers Market to stroll in the cool of the summer evening from booth to booth to enjoy all the offerings that are prese... 01/03/2011

I have a listing that is very unique and overall is a great property located at 4931 E. Live Oak Rd in Lodi, CA.  It has TWO homes sitting on 4.3 acres and has its own small private lake.  I love this property and I love to show it very much because it has so much to offer to the right buyer.  BUT, since it has SO much land that hasn't yet been landscaped or even hardscaped, it doesn't show very well when it's been raining cats and dogs for almost two days! This photo was taken on a beautiful sunny day before our terential rains started soaking everything around us.  What a beautiful setting, and how awesome it would be to have your very own private small lake in your backyard.  But today when I went to meet new clients to show them this wonderful property, this is just a little of what... 01/02/2011