One of the joys of Sacramento life is our tremendous tree population. Our trees cool our homes in summer, provide recreation for climbers and swingers, and provide homes for birds and other wildlife. Additionally, they improve our home values and air quality, and even have a role in preventing flooding!Driving around this winter, I noticed that many large deciduous trees are remaining leafy in winter - a telling sign of mistletoe infestation (see picture for an example of mistletoe).  It's a common problem and an important one to resolve - mistletoe strangles a tree's ability to acquire its necessary lifesaving nutrients and makes it more susceptible to other diseases.  The best time to remove mistletoe is between November and March. To remove the mistletoe properly, here are some great... 06/04/2007

HGTV (Home & Garden Television) aired a segment about top 35 ideas for bringing in top dollar from a house sale.  "Selling a home is a lot like getting a date, says host Michael Johnson.  "That first impression is big and just like that, it could be over - just like dating." There are a lot of houses for sale.  Buyers have many choices.   Sellers sell houses buyers buy homes.  What you may consider comfortable and lived in may not be something a potential buyer will see as something they want to live in.  Attract don't distract.                                                                              You only have seconds to make that first impression.  When buyers enter the home they see everything as horizontal surfaces such as shelves.  Surfaces that have more than two or three t... 06/03/2007

   Fun things to do with the family in Sacramento, CAifornia Capital Airshow featuring precision aerial maneuvers performed by the US Air Force Thunderbirds.   2007 California Capital Airshow dates: June 9th and 10th, 2007. Show gates open at 10 a.m. ansaction.  » United States Air Force Thunderbirds » Performers » Static Displays » Get Your Tickets Now!! Mather Air Field is located just 10 miles from downtown Sacramento and adjacent to Rancho Cordova. Get your directions, parking, accommodations information here: » Driving Directions » Accommodations » Public Transportation 06/01/2007

acramento housing and redevelopment, OPUS and various organizations are sponsoring a one day event in which 15 homes will receive much needed repairs.  All applicants must live within the Fruitridge Pocket area.  Community members are encouraged to nominate a homeowner in need of repairs.  The homeowner must be low income, a family with kids, disabled or elderly.  Applications are available by calling 916-455-1880 x 0 or online at www.RebuildingTogetherSacramento.org Rebuilding Together is a nonprofit organization that preserves and revitalizes homes and communities to insure that individuals live independently and comfort and safety.  06/01/2007

Did you know that the Arden Park Recreation and Park District was the first independent park and recreation district formed in Sacramento county?   Proudly serving residents for over 57 years. Facilities    The Arden Park Recreation and Park District has various facilities available for use.  The Community Center at Arden Park is great for smaller meetings, wedding receptions, dinner functions, and parties.  The group picnic area is available for company picnics, family and group picnics and parties.  Other facilities that can be reserved include the softball field, soccer field, swimming pool and tennis courts. Visit Arden Park website!  Be sure to check back on a regular basis to see what is new.   06/01/2007

   It is said that the eyes are the windows to the soul.   Windows are the eyes of the home.  They let the light in providing a framed view of the world outside.  We dress them by adding shudders, shades, curtains or drapes to add style while providing privacy. The eyes have it.   One very basic thing you can do bring out the eyes of your home is to clean them so they sparkle.   Don't use newspaper for cleaning windows.  Newspaper is not very absorbent and leaves traces of the cleaner on the window. Also, once the cleaner gets on the paper the inks will begin to run and may actually make the windows appear dirtier.   Use a squeegee to dry the windows and they will stay clean longer than those cleaned with paper towels. Scrubbing with a paper towel creates a static charge on the window, ... 05/30/2007

The former Mandella Garden on Q Street between 14th and 15th has once again begun to bloom!  Come celebrate the New Fremont Garden on Saturday June 9th from 10am to 2pm.  Opening remarks will be made by Mayor Heather Fargo at 11:30.  Tour the Garden or sign up for the new Bocce Ball league starting NOW!  Most of all come to show your support of community gardening.  Recognize it as a place you can slow down, walk through and look around.    Currently the plots have only had a few weeks of tending but already you can see the many varieties of tomatoes, peppers, beans and squash growing.  If you look closely you can find Cilantro, Beets, Rhubarb, Okra, Lavender and Lemon verbena.  Not to mention the many Sun Flowers.  Stop by and take a look.  I have a plot on the South side of the garden... 05/29/2007

Yes, the Sacramento County Fair is here and going strong. So, if you are looking for something to do over this holiday weekend, be sure to check out the Sacramento County Fair at Cal Expo.  When my children were younger, I remember taking them to the Sacramento County Fair when the Raging Waters first opened and what a thrill it was. Make some memories for family, loved one or just yourself...it's fun. Free admission gates opened  May 24, 2007 and will run through May 28th at Cal Expo. Below is the schedule of the Sacramento County Fair Times and Dates. Thursday & Friday 12:00 pm - 10:00 pmSaturday & Sunday 10:00 am - 10:00 pmMonday 10:00 am - 7:00 pm If you would like a schedule of the events for each of the dates above be sure to check out this file File Attachment: 07scheduleCountyFa... 05/25/2007

Sierra Oaks is a small pocket of homes bordered by Fair Oaks Boulevard to the North, American River Drive to the South, Watt Avenue to the East, and Howe Avenue to the West. Within these boundaries lies some of the most expensive and highly desired real estate in Sacramento county. The close proximity of the American River provides biking, walking, picnicking and fishing possibilities along the American River Parkway, a unique resource in the Sacramento area. Sierra Oaks is dotted with many neighborhood parks including Oak Meadow Park.Homes in this community were generally built in the late 1940's and 1950's. These older homes are typically ranch style between 2,000 - 3,000 square feet, and sit on parcels ranging from a quarter acre to an acre in size. Amongst these classic homes, of co... 05/22/2007

Home Buyer Resource Guide   Home Buyers, welcome to our great State of California. The map pictured to the left is of the Sacramento and surrounding areas and when clicked, the map can be enlarged.    It is awesome when thinking about where you want to live, just in the Sacramento area. Sacramento is very large and has many great Cities to choose from. I have provided a map for you to become familiar with the four Counties, Sacramento County, El Dorado County, Placer County and Yolo County. This will be the first step in helping you locate where you, the home buyer would like to live.      I hope this proves helpful to you especially when trying to determine the best fit for your needs. The following links below will give you a start towards finding out more about Sacramento, CA (known ... 05/19/2007

Land Park is lies just south of Downtown Sacramento - bordered by the I-5 Freeway to the west, Freeport Blvd to the east, William Land Park / Sutterville Road to the South, and Broadway to the North. This vintage neighborhood features homes built primarily from the 1920's to 1940's, and is well known for its serenity, tree-lined streets, unique architectural character, and close proximity to downtown Sacramento.Land Park was named after former mayor and hotel owner William Land, who in upon his death in 1912, bequeathed $250,000 to Sacramento to develop an urban park where the general masses of the public could go. In 1918, after six years of debate, the city council voted 3-2 to purchase the 238 acres known as the Swanston-McKevitt tract on Riverside. in 1924, the tract was planted wi... 05/19/2007

there a better way to celebrate mother's day? Take mom to the East Sacramento Garden Tour and view the perfectly manicured gardens of some spectacular homes in the Fabulous 40's neighborhood of East Sacramento. Then stop for a buffet luncheon at the Sutter Lawn & Tennis Club. This benefits the David Lubin Elementary School...Link:http://www.davidlubingardentour.com/ 05/12/2007

...is pretty cool! If you have not picked up the latest issue, I would highly suggest it. They can be purchased at Raley's & Bel Air locations, Borders, Barnes & Noble, and a bunch of other locations. In their latest edition, there is an interesting article about "green" (energy efficient) construction...Link:http://www.sactownmag.com/ 05/07/2007

Curtis Park originally was a neighborhood built  in the 1900's around an oval park that was considered suburban living. Curtis Park was outside of the City of Sacramento. Hard to imagine now, that this was a neighborhood designed to be the new American Dream of Suburbia. Curtis Park was named after William Curtis. The trees line the streets of Curtis Park as they do in Sacramento, the City of Trees. Approximately 2,500 homes were built with middle to high income levels in mind. Curtis Park has a variety of homes with character.  In Curtis Park you will find Victorian, Colonial Revival, Arts and Crafts, Tudor Revival and Spanish Revival.  You can spend all day there and never see the same thing twice. Each is individual with its own character. The homes in Curtis Park were known as bunga... 05/04/2007

Now I'm a non-smoker but I feel if you want to smoke, go right ahead, just be considerate of others around you.   I think the City of Sacramento agrees with me.  The Sacramento City Council is trying to vote on placing a smoking ban in public parks.  Smokers could be fined $250 per cigarette.  Do you think that is a little steep for lighting up outdoors? 05/01/2007

Well the Natomas Keller Williams office in Sacramento is painting the town red. We are having about 30 open houses today in the 95834 & 95835 area codes. If you stop by one of the open houses and fill out a entry form. You could win some great items. We have maps at every open house you can have that show you where all the open homes are today.  04/29/2007

 Freddie Mac said it would provide backing for up to $20 billion in new mortgages to aid distressed subprime borrowers. The offer was aimed at assisting borrowers who would normally qualify for fixed-rate loans, and assures lenders that there will be financing available if they shift borrowers from high-risk subprime loans to traditional mortgages. Washington Mutual Inc. said it will refinance up to $2 billion in subprime mortgages to help borrowers avoid default and foreclosure. The program will allow subprime borrowers who remain current on their existing loans and are bracing for payment increases to apply for discounted fixed-rate loans or other refinancing options. 04/26/2007

"A Tale of Two Towers on Capitol Mall"by Rob McQuade, ABR, Sacramento REALTOR®Sacramento CA Real Estate Even before work stopped on the Towers site in January and John Saca confirmed in February that the developer had defaulted on a $22 million loan, a lot of people had their doubts about Sacramento being able to sustain a project of this magnitude. As new obstacles popped up and CalPERS proved to be less than willing to negotiate a buyout, the storm cloud darkened.Late in March a letter from Saca to the future homeowners at the Towers confirmed what had been hinted at: a new equity partner was being sought (most likely to replace CalPERS). The letter also included an addendum that restated the contract dates to be effective May 1. The team handling the sales is now chasing those addend... 04/12/2007

"Real Estate Trends - Downtown & Midtown (February 2007)" by Rob McQuade, ABR, Sacramento REALTOR®Sacramento CA Real Estate The Sacramento Bee reported that February's year-over-year real estate sales figures for the Sacramento area show continued decline, with an 18.6% decrease in the number of homes sold in February 2007 compared with the same period in 2006. The good news is that the report, based upon published information from La Jolla-based DataQuick Information Systems, shows a median sales price decline of only 1.4% from the previous year.DataQuick's findings, based upon single-family detached resale homes closing escrow, paint a different picture for the central city. Downtown (95814) saw one less home sell in February 2007 over the previous (which, with only four sales in the ... 04/05/2007

"Friday night concerts in the park are back May 4th" by Rob McQuade, ABR, Sacramento REALTOR®Sacramento CA Real Estate Hey, Sacramento's summertime mainstay is back: Friday night concerts in the park at Cesar Chavez Plaza (10th & J across from Sacramento's City Hall) start up again on May 4th. Concerts begin at 5pm and go 'til 9pm or so, and several local bars and restaurants are offering discounts afterwards to those with wristbands. ♦LinksFriday Night Concerts in the Park (Downtown Sacramento Partnership)2007 Post Concert Specials 04/05/2007