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Update from the Brisbane Library!

by Ron on March 6, 2010

Have you stopped in to the Brisbane Library lately? If not, you’re missing out. Here is some information on upcoming events in March. All are free and open to the public.

On Saturday, March 6, Andrew Gomez will be joining us for our Toddler Dance Party. This is an all-ages family event and will be taking place in the Library at 11:30 AM. Don’t forget your dancing shoes!

The San Mateo County Psychological Association will be presenting several lectures over the next few months at libraries throughout the county on various mental health topics. On Monday, March 8 at 7 PM, we will be joined by Dr. Jeffrey Bruno, who will discuss alternative holistic mental health therapies. This event will take place in the Community Center. For information on other lectures in this series, visit http://www.smcl.org.

Looking to get a jump start on your job search? The Employment Roundtable will feature five to seven Bay Area-wide employers, representing a wide variety of industries, and they will discuss their companies, corporate cultures, current/future career openings, and hiring processes. This event will take place in the Community Center on Tuesday, March 16 from 10 AM to 12 PM.

Local filmmaker Melissa Peabody will be joining us for a special screening of her award-winning film San Francisco: Still Wild at Heart, in which she explores the arrival of coyotes in our human landscapes and celebrates our urban wildlife populations. Following the film, Melissa will lead a discussion about the film and answer any questions. This event will take place at the Mission Blue Center on Friday, March 19 at 7:30 PM, and is best suited for adults and children ages 8 and up.

Are any of the children in your life feeling less than confident about reading? The Library has partnered with the Peninsula Humane Society for a special monthly event called Paws for Tales, in which kids can practice their reading skills in the company of friendly Pet Assisted Therapy dogs (and their handlers). These special dogs are at the Library on the fourth Wednesday of the month from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM (the next event will be March 24). The PHS requires parents to sign a release form each time a child reads, so make sure a parent or guardian accompanies the reader. The minimum age to participate is 5 years old - we don’t want any disappointed girls or boys, so please bring only children ages 5 or up to this event.

Do you miss the Live at Mission Blue concerts? Then join us for a special concert by the duet Chanson du Soir, which consists of soprano Chelsea Camille and classical guitarist David Isaacs. This concert is co-sponsored by the San Mateo County Library and the City of Brisbane to thank the community for supporting our Live at Mission Blue concert series for the past six years. Live at Mission Blue has been the chief fundraiser for the Friends of the Brisbane Library, and assists us in presenting high-quality children’s and adult’s programs throughout the year. This free concert will take place at the Mission Blue Center on Friday, March 26 at 7:30 PM.

Finally, this month we will also be saying goodbye to Kelly Mackewicz, who has been with us at the Brisbane Library since 2000, first as a Library Aide and then as one of our Library Assistants. We wish her all the best as she embarks on her new adventures at the Foster City Library.

For more information about any of these programs, or about getting a library card, call the Brisbane Library at 415.467.2060 or visit our website at http://www.smcl.org. We hope to see you soon!

Erin McGee

San Mateo County Library - Brisbane Branch

415.467.2060

mcgee@smcl.org

City Of Stars.. Brisbane….

by admin on February 16, 2010

If you know someone looking for a place to rent, this is a great value in the “City Of Stars”! 1 bedroom / 1 bath rental with great views. This apartment is $1400 including utilities! Call Ron or Michele at 415-516-1977.

Posted via web from Ron Davis & Company Real Estate

How to Say “I Love You”

by admin on February 14, 2010

One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life.
That word is love.
-Sophocles
How do people around the world say ” I Love You”?

French

Je t’aime

German

Ich liebe Dich

Irish

taim i’ ngra leat

Hawaiian

Aloha I’a Au Oe

Italian

ti amo

Greek

s’ayapo (spoken s’agapo)

Latin

Te amo

Polish

Kocham Cie

Korean

Joahaeyo

Russian

Ya vas liubliu

Swedish

Jag a”lskar dig

Albanian

te dua

Tahitian

Ua Here Vau Ia Oe

Thai

Phom Rak Khun

Sioux

Techihhila

Hebrew

Ani ohev otach
(male to female)

Ani ohev otcha
(male to male)

Ani ohevet otach
(female to female)

via thefunplace.com

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Posted via web from Ron Davis & Company Real Estate

Home Buying Tips For First Time Buyer

by admin on February 13, 2010

Buying a home is always exciting, but it can also be stressful and exhausting if you are not prepared. Giving yourself time to take the necessary steps can make your home buying experience a fun and relaxing endeavor. The first step in buying a new home is deciding on a realtor. It is extremely important to hire someone who knows what they are doing, especially when you are buying your first property. Look for a good realtor with lots of experience in the area that you are surveying. A realtor who knows the area can not only give you advice on your house but on the location and neighborhood you will be moving into. Interview a couple realtors before deciding on one; take time to get to know them a little bit since you will trust them with some big decisions.
Once you have a realtor, start looking into what type of house you want. Consider size, timeline, price, and location in all your decisions. You probably want a place that can be semi long term, so think about career, children and changes in your life while searching for your house. How big does your home need to be in order for your family to grow? What type of income will you be having over the next 10 years? Where will you be comfortable living, in the city or in the country? These are all questions to consider before you begin looking at listings.

Paying for your new home can become a stressful issue if you do not plan ahead. Hiring a mortgage broker to help you with you planning is always a good idea. Letting a professional look at your finances and guide you with your decisions usually sets you in a better situation down the road. Make sure that you understand all of the issues surrounding your loan. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about any of the numerous papers you will be asked to review and sign. Make sure you get detailed answers about the amounts you will be expected to pay monthly and over the years. It is VERY important to be comfortable with your mortgage broker and be willing to spend a lot of time asking questions and reviewing options with them.

Once you have your team of professionals and your budget clear it is time to start shopping for homes. This is the fun part so don’t be afraid to take your time and look at tons of places! Try to stay in price ranges and neighborhoods that you know you will be comfortable living in. Look at all types of homes. New homes and usually more expensive but come with warranties and usually have less repair problems than re-sale homes. Weigh your options and think about how much time, money and effort you are willing to put into home renovations. Always keep in mind the option of buying a lot to build on. This can be a little bit more time consuming, but if you finance it right you can have your perfect dream home for the same price you would be buying a re-sale property. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you love your home before you sign the papers.

Article Source: http://www.realestatepropertyarticles.com.

via realestatepropertyarticles.com

We have many options for first time owners!

Posted via web from Ron Davis & Company Real Estate

Still time for the Tax Credit!

by Ron on January 20, 2010

November 6, 2009, Congress voted to extend and expand the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit program. There’s 100 days left to claim it.

The expiration date of the up-to-$8,000 tax credit has been pushed forward to spring, requiring homebuyers to be under contract for a home no later than April 30, 2010, and to be closed no later than June 30, 2010.

In addition, “move-up” buyers were also added to the program’s eligibility list meaning you don’t have to be a first-time home buyer to be eligible for the tax credit. If you’ve lived in your home for 5 of the last 8 years, you meet the IRS requirements. Move-up buyers are capped at a total tax credit of $6,500.

The tax credit’s basic eligibility requirements remain the same:

You can’t purchase the home from a parent, spouse, or child
You can’t purchase the home from an entity in which they’re a majority owner
You can’t acquire the home by gift or inheritance
All parties to the purchase must meet eligibility requirements

The new law includes some notable updates, however.

First, the subject property’s sales price may not exceed $800,000. Homes sold for more than $800,000 are ineligible. And, also, household income thresholds have been raised to $125,000 for single-filers and $225,500 for joint-filers.

And lastly, don’t forget that the program is a true tax credit — not a deduction. This means that a tax filer who’s eligible for the full $8,00 credit and whose “normal” tax liability totals $5,000 would receive a $3,000 refund from the U.S. Treasury at tax time.

If you need a complete list of qualifying criteria let us know and we’ll send it to you. Review it with a tax professional to determine your eligibility. Then mark your calendar for April 30, 2010.

There’s just 100 days to go!

Go to RonDavis.com to search for your home. Save the search and we will send updates to you when new property comes on the market!

Ron

Are you “good” energy?

by Tom Tognoli on January 11, 2010

Every time you see them you try and avoid them like the plague because they are just so negative and draining. To them everything is a crisis…everyone and everything is out to get them. Nothing works and everything that is not going right in their world is someone else’s fault, never theirs. They never smile and they always seem to find the negative in everything and everybody…never the positive. Anytime there is a small setback, it is like the world is coming to an end. They treat life like it is a WIN/LOSE game…and trust me, there is no such thing. Whenever someone wins and someone loses, both lose. Does this type of person sound familiar…do you know people like this? I sure do.

Then there are those people you love being around because for whatever reason they just have this positive energy about them which makes you feel good. They are always fired up, have a smile on their face and having a good time. When there are small setbacks, they seem to find the positive side or don’t even acknowledge it…they just keep moving forward as if it is an expected part of the process. They are the ones who keep their emotions under control…they don’t yell, they don’t scream, they don’t attack, they don’t fight and they don’t blame. Now don’t get me wrong, they are passionate and fired up. They just don’t fight it…they seem to always find a way to use the flow to their advantage. They aren’t pushing…they seem to be getting pulled through life. They are WIN/WIN people…always looking for ways that they can WIN, but so can everyone else.

The interesting thing about these two different types of people is that the positive ones almost always seem to win in all the equities of their life…Personally, Professionally, Business, Health…you name it. They actually say people who smile and laugh a lot…the positive ones live longer and are much healthier and happier. The negative ones always seem to look unhealthy and anxious…they seem to struggle in business and in their relationships…they look run down.

So, my question to you is which one are you? Be honest. Is your energy good energy or bad energy? Fired up energy or draining energy? If you asked those around you to describe your energy, what would they say? Fired up and infectious or exhausting and draining. Are you positive or negative? Do you fight life or do you use those people and things around you to propel you to success.

It is a choice…another one of those small choices I write about every Monday morning. It is the cumulative effects of all those small choices that will get you are looking for in life.

Make it a GREAT week!

Tom

by Ron on December 17, 2009

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New Boutique in Brisbane! India Rose

by Ron on October 6, 2009

Carter Bolick India Rose

Just opened in Brisbane, at the former site of Hilltop Market on Visitacion Ave. India Rose is much more than a boutique.

“I was probably six when I started my career of selling my creations door to door: performances, potions, candy and salad dressings. Since then I have gone into design and I am happy to say I have abandoned the potions for textiles. My biggest influence was my father. My dad was a landscape architect and San Francisco city planner but spent a lot of his time drawing, painting and constantly doodling. I spent my childhood looking at and considering every design detail of each environment we were in. I think of him always when trying to create and balance business and design.

I started my first business, Lemonheads, while in school studying art at U.C. Berkeley. After seven years painting custom floorcloths, I became part of the first design team at Pottery Barn, designing textiles and mostly rugs. Working at Pottery Barn was like attending a masters program in design. One side benefit of working at Pottery Barn was meeting my husband (and newest member of India Rose, LLC), Mark Bolick.

Our first daughter, India Rose, was born in 2001. I started India Rose, LLC in 2003, designing products for Anthropologie, Crate & Barrel, The Land of Nod, Pottery Barn, PB Teen, and others. We now work in a tall house perched on a mountain just south of San Francisco amidst the sun, gigantic trees, the constant sprinting of our dog Rexford, and all the children of India Rose whose mothers make up our company. We have slowly expanded our family to include Anu (my mastermind of production, communication, and anything Finnish), Marcus (our website guru and childhood nemesis), Cyrus (our famous for his good looks lawyer), Miriam (our master of shipments), Deanna (our bookkeeper/guardian from IRS audits), and lots of others in India who make possible all the products we produce. We also have a small new addition crawling around on the floor trying to eat the textiles, our second daughter Zarah Rae.

My inspiration comes from novels, thrift stores, fashion, my childhood and a big bag of textiles Anu pulls out after raiding her mother’s closet. I start with an idea and always end somewhere very different, laughing a great deal along the way. I hope you love what we have, and if you have any questions e-mail me at carter@indiarose.com.”