Home for the Holidays, Albany Residents?
Albany homeowners can participate in a fantastic winter race. The City of Albany’s Last Run 5K will take place on Saturday, December 18th at 5 p.m. The race begins in front of the Judicial Building at the corner of State and Park and continues through Washington Park. The Capitol Holiday Lights will guide runners through their race. Runners should not experience overlapping, as some course remapping has been done for this year’s event.
Official Last Run race windshirts will be given to the first 1,000 runners. First place awards will go to one male and one female athlete and awards will also be given to the top three finishers in each category. Online registration closes on December 15th at 9 p.m. Pacific Time and costs $20 prior to December 3rd and $25 until December 17th. Race day registration will be $30. Packets are available for pick up at City Hall on December 17th from 11a.m. to 6 p.m. The post race awards ceremony will follow the race at the Egg at the Empire State Plaza Concourse in Albany.
Berkeley Hills Homes Under Frost Advisory
Berkeley Hills homes are currently under frost advisory and in some parts have light snow already this winter. It’s pretty chilly outside, so make sure you bundle up and drive safely if road conditions are less than ideal. According to weather.com, there are a few things you should know if you must drive on icy roads in Berkeley Hills.
Go slowly and leave three times your usual spacing between cars so you have time to stop when needed. When you do stop, brake gently and ease off the brake if you feel the wheels locking up. Use low gears and turn on your lights to make your car more easily seen. Do not pass snow plows and wait until they have cleared your road before driving on it, if possible.
If skidding becomes an issue, take your foot off of the gas and evaluate where the skid is happening. If your front wheels are the issue, place the car in neutral and refrain from steering until the car has slowed. If your back wheels are skidding, steer in the direction you want to go slowly. Pump your brakes, unless you have ABS. If you have ABS, steadily push the brakes.
A Great Reason to Make Berkeley Your Home
If you needed a great reason to make Berkeley your home, consider the cultural experiences that could be yours! German violin virtuoso Christian Tetzlaff may be one of those. A once in a lifetime opportunity awaits you as he performs at Zellerbach Hall at the University of California at Berkeley on Saturday, December 4th at 6 p.m. and takes you on an unforgettable musical journey! The essential Bach sonatas and partitas for solo violin (BWV 1001-1006) combined with Tetzlaff’s musical integrity, insight, and technique will result in a remarkable marathon performance.
The program consists of J.S. Bach: Sonatas Nos. 1-3 and J.S. Bach: Partitas Nos. 1-3. Prices for the concert begin at $34 and more information is available by calling 510.642.9988 or by clicking here. Plan now for your night out, by reserving your space at the Adagia@Zellerbach’s buffet. This new addition to Zellerbach Hall, located in the mezzanine, allows you to get a bite to eat over the dinner break, from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m.
Residents Volunteer to Improve El Cerrito
Enjoy working in the garden at your El Cerrito home? Here’s a service opportunity where you can use your skills to benefit your El Cerrito community. Friends of Five Creeks is meeting on Saturday, December 4th for a work party from 10a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Meeting at Creekside Park, the day’s event is focused on mostly rather light, easy planting without steep, muddy slopes, along with time to enjoy nature and celebrate the season.
Friends of Five Creeks is an all-volunteer group of East Bay area residents working hands-on for clean water and healthy watersheds. They seek to protect and restore natural areas on the urbanized east side of San Francisco Bay. In November, volunteers planted over three hundred natives plants on Cerrito Creek. Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month (except on holidays) at 7 p.m. at Albany Community Center. Call 510.848.9358 or click here for more information.
Improve Safety in Your El Cerrito Or Kensington Home
Are your First Aid and/or CPR skills a little rusty? If you own or rent a home in El Cerrito or Kensington, you are in luck! Specialized training is available to you through the Fire Department.
The El Cerrito-Kensington Fire Department will offer classes in CPR and First Aid on December 11th. Adult CPR with AED, Child CPR, Infant CPR, and Basic First Aid certifications and renewals will be available. CPR will begin promptly at 9 a.m. and break for lunch (bring your own). First Aid training will start at 1 p.m. and conclude at 4 p.m.
Priority registration is available to El Cerrito and Kensington residents. A $25 processing fee is required for CPR certification and a $50 fee will be needed for CPR/First Aid certification. Classes will be held at Station 72, located at 1520 Arlington Blvd., in El Cerrito. More information is available by calling 510.215.4550 or emailing here. fire@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us.
Glen's East Bay Housing Numbers (Through October 2010)
The October edition of Glen’s numbers is in, and it looks like the East Bay housing market is stabilizing a bit.
- October marked the first month since the beginning of the year that we did not see an increase in inventory. However, we are still 114% greater than where we started, 7,803 homes now listed compared to 3,690 as of 12/31/2009. Typically, we see a drop as the summer ends.
- Although we saw no real change in October for the amount of pending sales, (homes that have gone into contract), they are back to their January levels due to a 22% decrease since 4/30/2010, (the federal and state incentives deadline).
- Our Pending/Active Ratio of .78 now indicates that we are, on the whole, back in a “buyer’s market.”
- Months supply has increased from 1.7 months at the beginning of the year to 3.9 months now.
Is It the Right Time to Buy?
I have to agree with Robert Kleinhenz, chief economist with C.A.R. (California Association of Realtors), in his article from last week, Home Buying Trifecta: Right House, Right Price, Right Rate.
The months ahead offer a prime opportunity to seek the home buying trifecta: finding the right home at the right price for the right mortgage rate. Here’s why:
• First, there is a wider variety of homes on the market now, including a mix of REOs, short sales, and conventional or non-distressed homes for sale. …
• Second, home prices have stabilized or risen in most California markets for at least a year, but still remain well below the peak levels of the last decade. …
• Third, mortgage rates are at their lowest levels in over 50 years, pushing the monthly payment down dramatically….
If you’re looking to buy property in the East Bay right now, you’re doing so in a market that we haven’t encountered in quite a while.
As always, I’m available if you want to talk about the market, or explore your options for buying, selling or investing in East Bay real estate. You can reach me directly at 510.333.4460.
You can download the entire copy of Glen’s East Bay Housing Numbers Through October 2010 here.
Equal Housing Opportunity. Equal Opportunity Employer.