Hot Weather and Chili (wait what?)

So it wasn't AS hot today. I can tolerate this heat, minus that all goes "in theory" well with the kids. So Steve and I exercised a much needed day off today (still fielding calls and emails). We started the day checking out some sales at the mall and then we proceeded to the Chili Cook-off in Historic Roseville (that's where Main street dead ends).

There were great tastin’ chilis, but man they ran out WAY too early. Maybe the crowds were more than they could handle? I was really disappointed to not be able to vote because people ran out and they said it was not fair if not all participants had chili to offer.

Regardless a fun event, but there were a lot of frustrated and bummed people and it was only 1230pm. A 10am to 430pm event is what I was told. Hmmm ...

But the girls loved the pony rides. Such a nice family hosting the ponies and petting zoo (PonyUpFun.com out of Newcastle). We didn't venture into the petting zoo area with the ducks, potty bellied pig and rabbit, but the ponies were great. I kept on wondering why there were dads exclaiming out loud as their children rode the ponies, “Whaaaat? It was the horse?” Hmmm strange. When I say dad, I mean Steve. Perhaps genius placement for the pony ride at the exit and entry of the chili cook-off.

7504 Amherst, 95822

Newest REO / Bank Listing.

7504 Granville, Sacramento, CA 95822
To learn more about this property please visit: http://www.SacBankRepo.com/amherst

Granville is already pending (our other REO listing) and went extremely fast to pending.
If you have any questions what a REO / Bank-Owned property means and what it can/possibly entail, give Steve a call whether you are just curious or are actively looking.

These bank-owned properties have been a fantastic experience thus far and has kept us quite busy. Steve has been a buyer's agent on NUMEROUS reo homes, but now he is seeing from the other side of the table. A great learning experience. It is interesting to post a website only to have it go pending the next morning. Regardless it is best to take all measures for good exposure.

Just a thought ...

A big house also means a big house to clean. Just saying. Big isn't always better ... (have you seen Super size me lately? Teasin'). Heck my last post was about ice cream and cupcakes ... arggh.

So this is all coming from a person submerged in Steve's real estate world, but not an agent ... yet. Steve is a REALTOR with Coldwell Banker here in Roseville / Granite Bay office.

I just have some observations, because this is a full-time gig for both Steve and I helping people find the right real estate solution.

Dropping prices makes it enticing to find the biggest home on the block for those with stars in their eyes of all these big homes up for sale. Try to be the moderate in a great or good area if you have a firm budget you are playing by for this home purchase. BUT having said/wrote that, sometimes your first home is not going to be your “dream” home. Keep life in perspective, aim high of course, but try to live within your means and you will be much happier. You never know what the next day will bring.

It makes you wonder how this real estate world got here outside of the obvious (loans). There is no shame in perhaps actually buying WHAT you can comfortably afford. Believe in progress and your life will take you where you need to be if you plan the right path.

All situations are unique, get caught in numbers or sizes, but know there is a life to live in those numbers. Let functionality and reality sometimes have a role playing King/or as in our house ... Queen. HA ;-)

Be a proud homeowner, whether it is 900 or 2500 square feet. You are living the AMERICAN dream! Live for tomorrow, not just today.

Hot days, frozen nights ...

The return of 3-digit heat is really not cool, pun intended, nor was I hoping it ever would. I guess I was secretly hoping the cool weather would just morph into the beautiful October cool down. This heat stinks. So over the past six months plus, you probably have noticed various named yogurt shops popping up out at all corners of the area.

So "Yo-Gurt" I have what you need ... and it is the frozen yogurt craze of the area.

Man there are a lot of frozen yogurts in Roseville and Rocklin right now. Particularly in Roseville. Big Spoon, Yog-Yog and the historically, consistent and good “Honey Treat” in the Mervyn's parking lot, but I have to say our favorite is "Top it Off." I am not sure if it is just the product I like and how the toppings are dispensed (I don't like fingers grazing my toppings-even though there are SOME self scoop) or just the layout and freshness of the decor. Pretty simple as it is, I liked it the best.

Big Spoon is indeed pretty tasty too, but the lines, whether just freak timing on our part (which may very well be the case) have always ridiculously long! Kudos to them. I know of many people that like Yog-Yog. If only Jon-N-Bons (Chico) would open up down here ...

So if you are looking for some ways to cool off in a healthy or non-healthy route, we have more options than I ever thought possible in the area in the form of frozen yogurt. Seems like only a year or so ago we had near nothing around here. $1 scoop night on Tuesdays at 31 Flavors was about all that was to be had ...

For a more Rocklin-oriented shout out on the baked goods side of dessert: I also hear the cupcake place on Pacific street (just North east of Rocklin rd) is darn good too! Icing on the Cupcake. Cute packaging and a good fun way to brighten with a sugar smile (pretty cute packaging too). I haven't been there YET.

Movie on Up!

Friday Night (8/20): Roseville
From RCONA (Roseville Coalition of Neighborhood Associations)

Have you been to one of the inflatable movie nights at the Park? It is a good time and the kids particularly like the outing. Doesn't lend to sitting down as it is "much too exciting" to sit down, but a good time nonetheless.

Place: David Uribe Park, 3051 Empingham Way
The movie The Incredibles starts at sundown.

Rocklin:
I was going to post a Rocklin event, but the city website is down. I will update shortly.

New Listing: 6 Granville, Sacramento, CA 95838

Our newest listing, and a foreclosure located in Sacramento: see it here at www.SacBankRepo.com

6 Granville, Sacramento, CA 95838: Our first REO property.
Bank-owned=REO, REPO (if you haven't heard the term before)

A cute and moderately sized home, it is a four bedroom* with two full baths. Home is an open floor plan with a good sized corner lot. Home is situated in a court with quick access to I-80 (Great for Commuters!). Home has been recently cleaned, interior painted and floors cleaned.

Since this is a bank-owned listing, please see our website for seller paperwork and terms.
Any questions about bank-owned or any other listing, give Steve a call.
916-308-2446 and/or email us: Steve@SteveOstrom.com

Okay some new technological additions to the listing website ...

This is also one of my first opportunity to explore and actually implement google tours that I mentioned in a previous post. See how it came out here. I think it works pretty well. Granted tours will be out of date, but it gives the potential buyer a sense of the area and travel further than a normal virtual tour could take you.

Okay I know I am a semi-nerd, but with so much to learn and I love to learn with what little time I have ... As you can see above I am also using Picasa Photo Albums for our listings. AND I love it. It marries up so nicely with my google account, youtube and BLOGGER account. I used to use Flickr, but unfortunately I was blackballed because they found a logo in my pics (Flickr is a Yahoo photo service and I loved it, but no second chances even with a bunch of groveling emails). I didn't realize I couldn't have it in there. I begged to be a good girl, but no response from Yahoo. Oh well! I hope to implement Picasa photo albums as a staple on our listing websites. And of course, without any logos! eek. I have the ability to embed the Picasa slide shows almost anywhere it easily embeds into almost any site (including blogs-see above). Good for me and also great for the seller in maximizing exposure on a great format.

* Tax records state 3 bd with differing sq. footage. Recent appraisal disputes tax records and states four bedrooms with 1500+ sq feet. All interested parties must verify all information contained above and linked websites relating to this property.

"Best of" or did you get the "Best of" my gullible heart?

So Steve has been blessed to work with so many great clients over the years and many that he continues to work with finding that "right" home solution or investment property.

Clients have taken pics pictures with Steve and write fantastic notes and letters of endorsement, which mean the world to us. Heck we have even had a few submit HGTV videos with us! I will post that one soon. Thanks to you Morgan!

So what's that pic below? Hmmm. My instinct says hoax to the "moax"-est, but having your website in even "e-writing," does have it's power over your mind if it is directed at you and/or perhaps an audience that is interviewing REALTORs such as Steve.



Uh as much as I would love to say this is a real award, I just don't think so ... Of course who would not enjoy an award, but the email I received seemed odd as well as how difficult it seems to make contact with this USLBA.net group (US Local Business Association-and on their site it is "US" not "U.S."). So on this little plaque it says "US" and not "U.S." as in United States. Is this an accidental omission of proper punctuation or is it possibly a deliberate typo to make an association that would lend us to think it is a nationally affiliated group ... "Us Local Business types ... "

How was this "best of" arrived at is my question? Honestly I didn't want to write back to that email that sent me the original email.

I was left to googling and jumping on Yahoo!

So for a month or so now I have been doing very "light" research on the USLBA.net that sent us the award above, after Steve received an award for his being the best in Roseville for real estate agents. I don't have the drive nor desire to claim fraud or legit with the award we received. I have seen many new companies boasting this award, and I don't know anything past what I have found with googling.

I have seen this plaque around town (one at a great local restaurant). The owner claimed it was real and he said someone had to write in to get this award (I gathered a written endorsement). When I first this award come through my email, I thought, "this seems weird" but was still excited at the chance we had won an award for our website.

I KNOW it is a great honor to be voted and/or nominated for a best of category, but WHO voted? The power of print can have indeed lend to a powerful perception and add to the perceived worth of a group. I too got quickly blinded when I saw, "Best of Roseville: Real Estate Agents." Agents? But it is just Steve? I am only the marketing person. Hmmm and he is with Coldwell Banker. Granted a typo possibly.

My background is marketing (and graphic design) and I thought something seemed way too automated and it seemed odd to me that I wasn't told the price of the plaque unless I provided my information. Is there anything to that thought process, honestly I don't know. Just my instinct that it didn't feel right to request my information before letting me know the cost of the item that I was told we won.

So I googled this group and I have found great posts and also this great article about an investigation ...

See the article out of Louisville, Kentucky: click here.

Granted if you want to pay $80+ for a plaque, go for it, but I sense this might be a clever marketing scheme to give you a cheap, but nice "enough" plaque with what appeared to be a color, glossy print out (yes I have seen it with my own two eyes), but might be plastic covering. Buuuuuut .... I would be nervous to be providing my credit card to this group.

So if you have gotten one of these in the emails ... there has to be more people locally who have received this ... I wonder. I have found only one other local person claiming it, the other one I saw in a restaurant. Hmmmm ...

I like to move it ... move it ... FASTER

http://www.tsa.gov/press/happenings/simplifying_laptop_bag_procedures.shtm

So I see on CNN that there is a new computer storage bag(s) that will expedite the process of getting through security with a type of bag that opens up in the middle or in a tri-fold manner exposing the laptop on one side and the wires on the other therefore making for a cleaner look at the laptop (so I am told or read). So I go directly to the TSA website to dig deeper for more specifics. Many of you are big travelers for work or personal so I thought this might prove useful for you. (TSA=Transportation Security Administration)

GOOD:


Image source from the TSA website.


CAN BE POTENTIALLY A LONGER WAIT IN LINE for personal screening:


Image source from the TSA website.

From the TSA Website:
"What does this mean for passengers?
If you intend to use a checkpoint friendly laptop bag once they are on the market, make sure to check that:

* Your laptop bag has a designated laptop-only section that can lay flat on the X-ray belt
* There are no metal snaps, zippers or buckles inside, underneath or on-top of the laptop-only section
* There are no pockets on the inside or outside of the laptop-only section
* There is nothing in the laptop compartment other than the laptop
* You have completely unfolded your bag so that there is nothing above or below the laptop-only section, allowing the bag to lay flat on the X-ray belt

Disclaimer:
Given TSA’s use of random screening protocols, TSA reserves the right to re-screen any bag or laptop regardless of the design of the bag."

(This information may be updated at any time please visit the website. TSA's website is a public domain and information can be duplicated)."

I conducted a search on "TSA Friendly Bags" and found some good results. Bon chance travelers!

Goog-i-licious!

SO I found a great website today for those that want to give virtual tours embedded/added to their own personal websites. Those that know and are comfortable with manipulating their html code (manipulate Whaaaa?). I am by no means a nerd to refer to ... just showing something I found. I am finding it interesting to use as a fun tool to see areas or streets, say in Sacramento of homes that I may not be as familiar with ... like say Steve may be.

Many of our friends and clients work their own websites so this is my friendly "sharing and finding" moment. Just a fun extra and helpful for those if they get lost or are going to an unfamiliar area. For example it is nice to know if we are going to see a home in an unfamiliar area, this is a quick nice reference to become familiar with points on the road. Granted residential zones of Roseville are not complete, the main roads primarily are done. Parts of Rocklin are completed as far as main roads. Hopefully that is one day down the road.

I am still learning about StreetCities.com and I will keep you posted on what I find!

Check this site out: http://www.streetcities.com/StreetMap.aspx

Looking for Big Fun ...

We are in a State ... a State of Cali-Fair-i-cation time again! Big Fun is their website. The State Fair is celebrating 40 years now at Cal Expo. http://apps.calexpo.com/fair/WhatsNew/View.asp?PRelId=200

Time to eat fried artichokes, people watch and swelter on black asphalt (who's fault?).
http://BigFun.org/fair/index.asp

Our family only goes if the heat is tolerable with two kids and pretty much they are happy to see a few horses, ride a pony and go to the animal petting zoo. Now with the little one being a little older, enter the "how tall of are you" or "are you taller than this" signs and their wage of war against my tall family. Don't get me started on my mental scars.

So the State Fair begins August 15th and ends September 1st.
I am not sure how, but Jessica Simpson is now on the list of performers for Monday, August 25th. Nor do I care. Although being a Washington 'Skins football fan, I do take great pleasure of her jinx on the Cowboys and her face cutout that was posted on a website last season. Ahhh.

Back to concerts and in all seriousness as you can be when speaking of a guy who sings >this song, I hear Weird Al is quite comical and puts on a show.

Here is a list of the times and schedules (and discounts):
http://BigFun.org/fair/GeneralInfo/datestimesprices.asp

So the websites says Smash Mouth, DoodleBops, Weird Al, Chicago, Air Supply, Jessica Simpson and much more will be at the fair.

So if you are looking for something to do here this weekend ... check it out.

The Farmer's in a new location ...

So maybe I am slow to the game, don't answer that, but I noticed the Farmer's market has made a move to the corner of Main and Washington in Roseville for Saturday mornings. Talk about a crowd change. A smart and much busier move for the vendors I surmise. Much easier for parking. I did get some delicious strawberries, peaches and nectarines. Yum!

And yes, I did leave my canvas bags in my car. I was not happy (see canvas story: here).

I thought the Olympics were amazing. I couldn't stay up for the torch lighting, but I had seen enough amazing visuals. Wow. I am still floored by the LCD screen and all the human coordination. Amazing. That stadium was amazing. Love the “Bird's Nest.” Wasn't diggin on the U.S.A. fashions, but oh well. Was there a serious fitting issues with properly fitting hats?

Have a great weekend all. Steve is busy out-and-about with clients. Give us a call if you have any questions about local homes or properties for sale! 916-308-2446

8-8-08: It's that time again! WaHooO

I have added a few blog-rolls to my website in the recent weeks. One being "city news" for both Roseville and Rocklin. I have linked it from the home page and can be accessed directly here: www.RosevilleAndRocklin.com/citynews.html

And drum roll please ... here is an Olympic blog-roll that I will be keeping on the home page for the duration of the Summer Olympics. It will look like the one below. Go team U.S.A.!!!

Neighborhood Associations: Roseville, Rocklin and Granite Bay

Click here to have access to Roseville's Neighborhood Association page.
Here you can sign up for emails of local news and neighborhood association "going-on's." Get quick information on emails which range from parade info, city events, local crime warnings, etc. I receive this email info system and I fully enjoy receiving it. To be added, send a request to Neighborhood Services Staff Jamie Carlson at jcarlson@roseville.ca.us

http://www.Roseville.ca.us/gov/neighborhood_services/default.asp


To receive e-newsletters for Rocklin residents, click here: http://www.rocklin.ca.us/eresources/e_newsletters.asp

Here is some neighborhood association information on Granite Bay:
http://www.granitebay.com/gbca_home.htm


I hope you enjoy this information! :-)

SearchMe

What a cool website you must check it out and give it a whirl. I did a google on Steve Ostrom and it was such a hoot! Granted there are some younger generations and older filtering through from the Minnesota states (most likely unrelated) of Steve Ostrom's ... can you believe it there are OTHER STEVE OSTROMS? HA!

So please take the time just to "flip" through the pages. The way SearchMe works is so much more geared to a visual person like myself rather than pages of text, map searching and/or sort through relevant named or tagged imagery.

The only thing I didn't see was images marked with Steve Ostrom, which I know there are 1000s marked/tagged with Steve Ostrom. Our videos from YouTube for listings showed up under SearchMe. So that was pretty cool.

Great work people at SearchMe! I am in love and I just met you. :-)