May 16 Food Drive at the Rose Garden in Danville, California
Harper Mees & Associates, WomenHomeowners.com and Keller Williams Realty will be hosting a food drive at the Rose Garden on Saturday, May 16. Rose Garden merchants are contributing gift certificates and other items for raffle prizes.
Still Rockin' will provide live music in the Keller Williams' parking lot from 1pm to 4pm. Craig Harper of Harper Mees & Associates and Dennis Viers, mortgage broker with US Bank, are members of Still Rockin'.
The current economic conditions are straining the resources of the Contra Costa Foodbank. There are many people in need that need our assistance. Please come by the Rose Graden any day from Monday, May 11 through Saturday, May 16 with your food donation or contribution – any of the merchants will kindly accept your donation.
Please alert your friends and neighbors about the food drive and encourage them to come by with a donation.
Have you ever been at the local home store taking one last deep breath, mustering the courage to get a room organized as you loaded up your cart with clear, plastic containers?
Fast forward to you standing in a room of half filled containers, bags of items to donate that you really want to keep and the room looking severely worse than when you started. Sound familiar? You are not alone.
It may sound simplistic, but what is needed is an understanding of THE ORGANIZING PROCESS. The good news is anyone can learn the process, even if they were not born with "the organizing gene".
Join Ginny Mees and her team of women homeownership professionals to learn the simple 5 Step Organizing Process taught by a professional organizer, Marcey Donnelly. Marcey is the owner of Get Organized Today.
Ginny's team of professional women will also be available to answer any questions about home ownership for women. The team is a core group of 8 women: Realtor, Mortgage Broker, Escrow Officer, Professional Organizer, Insurance Agent, Legal, CPA, Kitchen & Bath Design who can assist you with a wide variety of homeownership needs and questions.
I met with Tatiana Dutraemello at Pacific Bay Coffee today. Tatiana is a graphic designer I met when I presented to the Moraga Chamber of Commerce.
As I look around Pacific Bay Coffee these days, I'm not sure they are going to survive. The shelves are bare though the business still seems brisk with Kasier Permenente across the street. I hope they do. This is a great spot for an informl business meeting.
Tatiana and I talked about real estate and the needs of Realtors for graphic design services. I told her that many real estate agents are in the process of re-branding themselves as Short Sale & Foreclosure experts and that they need help with all things branding. In addition, these same Realtors will need to re-brand themselves again in 12 to 18 months when the foreclosures and short sales dry up.
I introduced her to SendOutCards, which she had heard of, but she had never seen anyone use it the way we do. I think she may want to use it herself. I have offered to speak to her design group about the use of technology in creating business. She informed me that my buddy Dean Guadagni has already addressed the group, so there may not be much left for me to say!
Immediately after meeting with Tatiana, I met with Grant Stubblefield to follow up on a project we may cooperate on.
Say Hello to James @ PF Chang's in Walnut Creek CA
I stopped into PF Chang's in Walnut Creek twice in the matter of a few days a couple of weeks ago and was delighted to make the acquaintance of James Marks, Manager. James used to be the head chef and was very friendly and helpful in suggesting a combination of dishes.
I was there on tax day, because PF Chang's was one of the local Bay Area restaurants offering a Tax Day deal for diners – 15% off.
After my two visits to PF Chang's, I realized, I need to drop in more often – the prices are reasaonable, it's a great location and the staff, along with James Marks, are a pleasure to be around.
Affordability, Low Rates & Desire to Buy – Hope for the Housing Market
Housing affordability now stands at its best level since 1971. This greater affordability is helping boost home sales.
First-time home buyers are responsible for up to 50% of new home purchases. The $8,000 tax credit helped move many of these first-time buyers out of their rentals and into their own homes.
The U.S. government and Federal Reserve remain proactive in their attempts to stabilize the housing market and keep interest rates low. While economists expect continued softness in the overall housing market, encouraging buyer signs abound given the historically low mortgage rates and the availability of distressed properties.
There are many opportunities for savvy investors and for those buyers who are qualified, willing, and ready to buy on the cheap. The question for many borrowers becomes, how long will the good times last?
The Fed's actions and mounting federal deficits could weaken the dollar and spur the aforementioned inflationary trend, which could send interest rates back up. In addition, the first-time home buyer tax credit expires at the end of November. Prominent economists maintain that low rates should be available for "at least the next several months."
But inflation fears could lead to increased interest rates for mortgages. Some estimates show 23% Americans expect to buy a home in the next five years.
According to NAR President Charles McMillan, “With the drop in interest rates, a median-income family can afford a home costing $20,000 more than a year ago for the same monthly mortgage payment.”
Still Rockin' will provide live music in the Keller Williams' parking lot from 1pm to 4pm. Craig Harper of Harper Mees & Associates and Dennis Viers, mortgage broker with US Bank, are members of Still Rockin'. 
Making Your Home a Place to Run to, Not From
Say Hello to James @ PF Chang's in Walnut Creek CA
Affordability, Low Rates & Desire to Buy – Hope for the Housing Market
