Need a Foreclosure Game Plan? Find it on KCBS.com’s “The Real Story With Colleen Edwards”

Run Date: August 27, 2009

By Amy Kennedy
Silicon Valley Mercury News

With a daunting array of foreclosure issues, trends and topics in today’s housing market, there’s a one-stop, go-to solution for those seeking a comprehensive source of information to help in the decision-making process: KCBS.com’s The Real Story with Colleen Edwards.

Edwards offers podcasts and interviews with industry thought leaders committed to providing insights and perspective on the ever-evolving real estate world. As a veteran of more than 30 years in the new home market, Edwards also offers a blog, addressing a variety of compelling subjects to those interested in buying, selling, investing or remodeling.

With regard to foreclosures, Edwards recently interviewed Chris George, president of CMG Mortgage and secretary of the California Mortgage Bankers Association. Here are some topics they discussed:
Consumer confidence is the key to a economic recovery, and it’s increasing slightly a baby step in the right direction.
A wave of adjustable rate mortgages will reset in the next few months, causing more havoc and more opportunity.
If you’re facing foreclosure, be proactive about suggesting a workout plan to your lender.
Foreclosure doesn’t benefit anyone including the bank.

Edwards also talked with Lota De Castro of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage about these issues:
The Three P’s of buying a foreclosure: patience, preview, perseverance.
When buying a foreclosure, how do you know you’re getting the best deal?
The short sale is a long and complex process.
Buying a foreclosure comes with many potential frustrations.

Condos replace Salvatore’s in San Carlos

Run Date: August 23, 2009

By Judy Richter
Special to The Chronicle

SAN CARLOS BILLS ITSELF AS “THE CITY OF GOOD LIVING”

It lives up to that billing with pleasant parks, respected schools, a bustling downtown and a convenient location about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose.

These assets are touted by 1001 Laurel, a 90-unit condominium project that sits between El Camino Real and Laurel Street, downtown’s main drag.

The 1-acre site once was occupied by the Golden Platter restaurant and its parking lot, according to John Baer, a principal in the Matteson Cos., developer of the condos.

The restaurant became Salvatore’s after chef Sal Campagna bought it in 1977 and offered an Italian menu. The San Carlos resident also served as the San Francisco 49ers’ food consultant.

Matteson talked to Campagna about buying the site in 1999, Baer said. Hoping to capitalize on the dot-com boom, the company planned a 100,000-square-foot office building with penthouses on the fourth floor.

On orders from the city, Campagna closed the restaurant on Dec. 31, 2001, because the unreinforced masonry building, the last in the city, didn’t meet seismic safety standards.

In the meantime, the dot-com bust caused Matteson to scrap its office plans in favor of 104 apartments. Once those plans were OKd, the restaurant was razed in September 2005.

More economic changes led to the 90 condos plus 5,700 square feet of ground-floor retail space. “It was a natural evolution,” Baer said.

Construction began about two years ago. By the time the project opened in mid-July, more than 1,300 people had signed the interest list; 500 of them visited on the opening weekend.

1001 Laurel is close to shops, services and restaurants with cuisine from around the world, many with sidewalk dining. Bianchini’s Market opened on Laurel in May.

Laurel hosts a farmers’ market on Thursdays from May through September, while nearby Burton Park offers free Friday night concerts in July and August. The Caltrain station is four blocks away, and SamTrans buses run along El Camino.

Twenty-five of the condos have one bedroom and one bathroom plus, in most, a tech nook. Averaging about 700 square feet, they start at $430,000.

The 57 two-bedroom, two-bath units range from about 1,027 to 1,097 square feet with prices starting at $599,500. With prices starting at $775,000, the eight three-bedroom units have two or three bathrooms and 1,241 to 1,419 square feet.

Some of the one- and two-bedroom units are available for lower prices to first-time buyers who live or work in San Carlos and meet income guidelines.

The two-bedroom units come in two variations. Of these, Plan 1 is shown as a model.

On one side of its entry hall is a combination closet and laundry area for stacked appliances. On the other side is the kitchen, which features maple cabinets, granite counters, gas stove and stainless steel appliances.

The kitchen looks into the dining area and living room. Off the living room is a door to a patio on the ground floor and to a balcony on the upper floors.

The second bedroom has a wide closet, while the master bedroom has a walk-in closet. Its bathroom includes both a tub and a shower. The other bathroom, across from the second bedroom, has a tub with shower.

Homeowner dues at 1001 Laurel range from $320 to $420, including water and gas. Dues for two-bedroom units are projected from $360 to $390.

One-bedroom units get one underground parking space. Others get two. Extra storage is available for purchase on each floor. All units have air conditioning.

The four-story building is arrayed around a central courtyard with a fountain, barbecue area, fireplace and trellised sitting area. There’s a fitness center on the ground floor.

Matteson is negotiating leases for the retail spaces. Two of the tenants are expected to be an accountant and a drop-off site for White Oak Cleaners of San Carlos.

VITALS

Address: 1001 Laurel St., San Carlos
Developer: Matteson Cos.
Architect: Christiani Johnson Architects
Model: Two bedrooms, two baths
Price: Starting at $599,500
Square footage: 1,027-1,097
Price per square foot: Starting at $583.74
Parking: Two underground spaces
Monthly homeowner dues: $360-$390
Sales office hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday-Thursday
Phone: (650) 594-1005
Web: www.1001laurel.com

Summertime and the living easy at 1001 Laurel

Run Date: July 22, 2009

Judy Clarke and Kelly Clarke
San Carlos Real Estate Blog

It’s the opening that the Peninsula real estate community has been waiting for—1001 Laurel, the new architectural jewel with 90 condominium homes in downtown San Carlos. The sales office will be open Saturday through Thursday beginning July 25th.

Light-washed interior spaces. Exquisite appointments and finishes. A central courtyard and a well-appointed fitness center. 1001 Laurel is stylish and functional—perfect for your buyers wanting a walk-around lifestyle. They’re offering 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom home designs. Check out their website for floor plans and images (a picture IS worth a thousand words!) Pricing starts in the $400,000s for 1 bedrooms. $600,000 for 2 bedrooms and up. HOA dues are in the low $300 to $400 depending n the square footage and include everything but electricity.

On The ‘Moneytrack’

Run Date: February 5, 2009

Program finds home in San Ramon – Model House at Windemere will be used as a set for investment series aired on PBS.

A PBS financial program is using a Dougherty Valley home as a set for filming its upcoming season.

“MoneyTrack” a weekly series that educates readers about investments, was looking for a home to use a set for co-hosts Pam Krueger the show’s creator, and Jack Gallagher to show packaged pieces on various investment topics.

The show looks for a model home to use a set, because many financial decisions are made in the home, said Katie Horgan, the show’s associate producer and marketing manager.

They look for houses in communities that represent a slice of “Americana” — and they found it at a model house on Emerson Lane in the Windemere development. The neighborhood amenities, such as its 18 parks and five schools, won over the show’s producers. Windemere first opened in 2002 and will have about 5,000 homes at build out.

“They have the parks, the community center,” Horgan said.

An 18-member crew filmed at the location Wednesday and will be filming again today. They will return later in the year to do more shots.

The house will be used in about 10 of 15 episodes of the series’ third season, which airs on more than 200 PBS channels.

The episodes will begin airing in September. The program aims to show success stories of everyday people as well as offer advice from big name financial experts such as Warren Buffett and CNBC’s “Mad Money” personality Jim Cramer.

Photo credit: Jim Stevens/Staff

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Windemere in San Ramon hosts successful media helicopter flyovers

Run Date: November 8, 2008

Recently Windermere BLC, San Ramon’s premier master-planned community, hosted three successful helicopter flyovers for members of the Bay Area and national media. The 90-minute tours enabled the media to discover why Windermere is celebrating more than 300 homes sold this year; it also showcased the community’s ample amenities — schools, parks, trails, architecture and neighborhoods.

Kevin Pohlson, vice president for Brookfield Homes, was present on all flights and remarked about the curiosity and enthusiasm expressed by each participant of the helicopter flyovers.

“The journalists were eager to learn why Windemere is so successful and to understand how all the different partnerships came together to create such a special community,” said Pohlson. “We only have about 450 homes left to sell. Sales and traffic continue to remain strong. Now that Windemere’s infrastructure is largely complete, we realized the helicopter tours provided a useful and informative opportunity to highlight the scope and scale of the community.”

One of the primary reasons why Windemere is such a hit with home buyers is the large number of magnet parks, each within walking distance of several neighborhoods, and each provide families a variety of play structures or sports activities and ball fields.

Play is taken quite seriously at Windemere in San Ramon. Along with what is perhaps the Bay Area’s best selection of new homes, this popular master- planned community includes more than 90 acres of parklands. Residents have easy access to recreational opportunities, both active and leisure, for individuals, families, casual play groups and organized teams.

Windemere currently offers distinctive new single-family homes and townhome-style condominiums by Brookfield Homes, Lennar Homes and Centex Homes. Each neighborhood has an architectural style all its own — ranging from Tuscan to Farmhouse to Craftsman.

This level of individualized design and detail is also reflected in the community’s parks.

The 2,300-acre Windemere master plan includes 18 parks, 15 of which are complete. From the initial drawing stages to the final installation of play structures, ball fields and water fountains, these parks are carefully designed to cater to the sports and activities that are important to people today.

“When we looked at the land plan for Windemere we decided to do something different and special with the parks,” said Tom Martin, vice president for Strategic Marketing for Lennar Communities. “We considered the sports and activities important to the full range of residents and designed a complementary range of parks. There really isn’t one park that’s like another in this community.”

The range of activities offered at Windemere’s parks is unmatched. In addition to play structures, there are dinosaur fossils with interpretive signs, climbing rocks, bocce, and horseshoes. A community sports park with competition soccer field, a community aquatic center, and facilities for volleyball, tennis, basketball, baseball, and miles of hiking/bicycling trails are all part of Windemere living.

A big benefit of Windemere’s parks is the social interaction they encourage. Families, singles, couples, kids, grandparents, teens and pets all gather and chat in these spaces.

“Mostly every time I come to a park (at Windemere) I make a new friend,” commented Samay Dubey, student at Windemere Hills Elementary School. “The trail that passes by the park is best for riding bicycles and hiking. The beautiful hills around the parks give me a chance to see nature closely.”

Windemere features communities from three leading homebuilders, Brookfield Homes, Lennar Homes and Centex Homes. Prices range from the mid $500,000s to more than $1 million.

The Windemere Welcome Center is located at 11440 Windemere Parkway and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 925-556-6000 or log onto VisitWindemere.com.