Today I was at Chicago Title on Hartz Avenue in Danville, CA to listen to Gus Kramer, Contra Costa County property tax assessor. If you own California real estate, property taxes are always a concern.

Before I got to Chicago Title, I stopped at the Sideboard on Hartz Ave. for a couple of poached eggs and some dark coffee to get the day rolling. I was there when they opened at 7am, so I had a couple of hours to get some work done.

When the eggs arrived, I asked Ford (owner & head errand boy) if he had some Tabasco. He came back with an old beat up red toolbox and popped the lid to reveal about a dozen bottles of hot sauce! Good food and good humor.

I asked Erin (the real head bigwig at Sideboard) if she could crank out one of their famous pineapple upside-down cakes for the staff at Chicago Title. I took it over hot out of the oven AND if you can believe this - I never had a bite!

Gus Kramer spent a couple of hours with us talking about Proposition 60 (Transfer of Property Tax Base for Senior Citizens), Proposition 8 (Decline in Property Value), and Propositions 58 & 193 (Reassessment Exclusions for Ownership Transfers).

Gus mentioned that one neighborhood in Antioch has seen its property values decline to 1998 levels. That spurred his office into reassessing property values for about 150K of the 279K single family homes in Contra Costa County. The county assessors office is expecting property tax base adjustments for 65K to 70K homeowners.

Gus Kramer spent a great deal of time explaining how the assessors office works and their focus. He reassured everyone that his office works diligently to insure homeowners are treated fairly. Gus is a genuinely likable guy and seems to have the property owners best interest at heart.

If you believe that your home has fallen in value during the last couple of years due to the problems in the housing market, you can fill out this form and mail it in for reassessment of your property tax base. You’ll probably wind up saving a few bucks on next year’s property taxes. Visit the Assessors website for more information

I was talking to Dr Anita Haque, Livermore Chiropractor, and her husband, Don Parker, Personal Fitness Coach, today about Internet marketing and promotion. We met at barnes and Noble out in Hacienda Crossing for about an hour.

I’ve pitched four chiropractors on the opportunity for chiropractors to dominate Google search results in their geographic over the last two years and not one of them has caught the vision. Dr. Haque and Don did.

I’ll be talking to a San Ramon chiropractor tomorrow and I’m looking for a female personal trainer in the San Ramon Area to also be part of the team. Within six months of launching our online effort, I expect these four individuals to dominate the TriValley area for organic search results.

Dr. Haque told me she will be addressing Ware Malcomb, an architectural and design company for commercial real estate with a local office in San Ramon CA tomorrow.

“At this ‘lunch and learn’, my presentation will include the four main essentials of health,” said Dr. Haque. 

The 4 Essentials of Health are:

• Food
• Water
• Oxygen 
• Nerve Impulses

“Three of the four essentials are obvious however putting it into action is easier said than done. I plan on bringing a little humor and providing people in this company some easy and creative ways to become more efficient at eating, exercising and drinking more water (not coffee).”

“The fourth essential, nerve impulses, is an area of my expertise.  Since nerve impulses are basically the messages that allow the brain to communicate to the body and vice versa,  eating right, exercising and drinking more water will not make much of a difference if these impulses are not working properly.  This is where posture, stress  and the subluxations is discussed since it has a huge effect on nerve impulses.” – Anita Haque, D.C.

I’ll be interested to hear how the group at Ware Malcomb in San Ramon responds to this insight from a propfessional chiropractic doctor who walks the talk.

Here are a few facts and pointers for first-time homebuyers in San Ramon and Dublin CA:

• More and more innovative mortgage packages are being created, offering the borrowers options between 3% and 5% down. Some lenders offer zero down, if you have excellent credit. For first-time
  buyers, it's in your best interest to do some serious comparison-shopping.
• Every lender works with its own rates, based on their standards as well as the type of loan being considered. Rates change every day, so once you've made the decision to buy a house, check rates
  with more than one lender, and check on a daily basis. 
• Job stability is important, but the five-year rule is merely a myth. For example, if you have worked in public relations or some other industry for 10 years but have had three jobs in that time, because you've stayed within the same business, lenders will often consider this as continuous employment, especially if you've made advancements. In addition, solid credit and a larger down payment can compensate for work history in some instances. 
• It's true that credit is very important when qualifying for any loan. However, if you have been out of a bankruptcy for two years and can provide a good letter of explanation to the lender, it will usually be
  accepted. If your credit is in bad shape, consider a credit counseling service to help you get back on track. Generally, this can be done in as little as 12 to 18 months. 
• As you make financial comparisons between renting versus owning, be sure to consider tax deductions. When you buy a home, the closing costs, mortgage interest, and points are all tax deductible.

The wisest moves a first-time homebuyer can make are conduct research and ask questions. Purchasing a house is never easy for anyone. However, interest rates are currently lower than they've been since the 1960's, so if you can buy a house, this is probably a great time.

Of course, this information is just as valid for first-time buyers in Concord, Martinez, Walnut Creek and the rest of California. 

After years and years of hoax emails about cell phone laws, California will implement two new laws dealing with cell phone usage on July 1, 2008. The information below is a recap of the salient points. Full details can be found on the California DMV site here.

The first prohibits all drivers from using a handheld wireless telephone while operating a motor vehicle, (Vehicle Code (VC) §23123).

Motorists 18 and over may use a "hands-free device."

Drivers under the age of 18 may NOT use a wireless telephone or hands-free device while operating a motor vehicle (VC §23124).

Full details on our new listing in Highland Oaks – Pleasanton, California will be up on the site in the next couple of days. Here are the basics:

Popular westside Highland Oaks Updated home 3 bedroom 2 bath with dual panes, home has been extensively updated to include an open gourmet kitchen/family room & separate Living Room…don’t miss this great value!  Highland Oaks has neighborhood swim club & low HOA dues.

4558 Lakewood, Pleasanton, CA

Offered at $799,000.