Susan Brady
Susan is a lifelong resident of the mid-Peninsula, and still mourns the loss of her high school, which was sold, demolished, and turned into high-end, overbuilt homes, many of which are lot line (a pet peeve). She gravitates toward the kitchen when touring open houses, as that is where her secret passion lies—in the alchemy of sweet and sour, sugar and spice. The love of food and cooking, along with a late-blooming desire to travel, has spilled over into her professional life as an editor in the form of a recently published book on culinary tourism. When she is not traveling far and wide, she can be found at her boring ranch-style suburban house (complete with husband, 3 kids, 2 cats, and prized Meyer lemon bushes) testing recipes, painting the bedroom a new color, or knitting hats for all the newborn babies that are springing up around her.
Recent posts
October 10, 2008
Well, I rolled into San Diego yesterday. Wish I could have taken scenic route down, but an heirloom delivery to La Canada necessitated use of Interstate 5. Good thing we remembered to bring a book on tape! I’ve been down to SD twice before, for youth soccer tournaments. Those adventures did not lend themselves to seeing much; a glimpse of the beach for ½ hour was about it. So I look forward to exploring the towns and making a determination if this is the place for us to retire.
The three best things so far? The price of gas: $3.39 for regular (I paid $3.79 a week ago on the Peninsula), the weather (went to bed, it was 70, woke up, it was 70) and the beach. My home base is in Carlsbad, a house located just 1.7 miles from the sand and surf. We took a ride down to the waterfront last night, lots of hustle and bustle, visitors walking the long winding path that fronts the ocean. Happy people with happy dogs. Light breeze, the lapping ocean waves against the sand. Definitely gonna spend more time down there.
Carlsbad is a cute, laidback city, and the downtown appears to be a cross between Santa Cruz and Cambria. Lots of independent shops, with a few chains like Cold Stone, Starbucks and Jamba Juice. You can hear music, restaurants do a brisk trade, people get around on foot and bicycle. There are a few shopping and strip malls, as well, and the housing I have seen so far varies. Some great beach houses right on the water, mostly rentals, several high-end retirement communities, and your typical apartments, condos, and SFRs. I found one street that I loved, with huge lots and unique homes – Painted ladies, Craftsman, and Spanish style. Larger homes, some I would go so far as to call “compounds” where multiple families could live, which appeals to me as my parents age. My guess is that it is a smaller version of San Mateo, given the types and ages of housing and the overall feel of the city.
I am staying in a neighborhood made up primarily of single family ranchers, and I’m guessing the bulk were built in the ’50s and ’60s. San Diego has been hit fairly hard with the mortgage and credit crisis. When my friends were looking, there were a lot of short sales and REOs. Three in the neighborhood were available, all in the low 500’s, high 400’s. One specific home last sold for $656,000, had been initially listed at $515,000, and got its first and final bid about 30-40 days in for $469,000. That’s for a standard rancher, 3/2, on almost a 10,000 sf lot. This home, along with two others around the corner are being remodeled at the same time. Two older homes within a block are undergoing exterior changes and upgrades, as well. The area seems to be seeing a revitalization and I was surprised by the lack of FOR SALE signs as we drove around, although remodeling efforts were visible everywhere.
On my agenda this week: Fallbrook, Vista, Santee, Escondido, Ramona…plus a few others, if I have time.
October 9, 2008
That’s exactly what Tesla Motors is trying to do. This local upstart automaker is producing (very) high-end electric vehicles for the rich and green in Silicon Valley. They have recently opened their second dealership (the first being in SoCal), on the border of Menlo Park and Palo Alto at 300 El Camino Real, a place that has become death row to four dealerships in the last decade.
The Tesla Roadster is their first production vehicle and began rolling off the line in July. This sporty little car is 100% electric, burns no oil, and gets 244 miles per charge, not to mention it can make 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds! Currently a waiting list of 1200 for this little gem, which is selling for $109,000 (base price). Obviously the economy can’t be hurting too much…at least for some.
Tesla is the one car that is headquartered, designed, and will be produced locally. Tesla’s home base is in San Carlos, but they made the decision to mass produce their cars in San Jose. The new state-of-the art plant, to be located off Zanker Road and Highway 237, will pour $250,000,000 into the local economy in construction costs, and will house the assembly plant, corporate headquarters and their R&D campus. Construction begins next summer and when completed will employ 1,000 local workers.
The Tesla S, their 5-passenger luxury sedan, will follow as the second car in production. Once the San Jose plant is up and running, they expect 15,000 vehicles to roll off the line per year, starting in 2010. The Tesla S will run on a lithium-ion battery pack and be priced around $60,000, a bit more affordable in the scheme of things, not to mention it will hold a family and groceries.
One thing Tesla has done right, trumping mortgage lenders, is requiring a $5000 initial deposit to lock in price, and an additional $55,000 before production begins. That’s a 55% total down payment, significantly more than recent home loans.
October 9, 2008
Right, most of you are thinking “I can’t even afford my first house, forget about retirement.” But there are those of us in the Bay Area that are thinking about these things. There has been a large exodus in the last 10 years, and will continue to be, due to baby boomers cashing in their equity and moving to a slower-paced life, in a less-expensive, smaller home.
My husband and I are looking down the road a few years to retirement. It has been our intention and goal to semi-retire in our fifties. We’d like to move out of suburbia and have some room to stretch our legs. We’ve seen too many family members either work up until they died, or retire early and succumb to disease and illness in their sixties. We had our children young, so we’d like to spend our later years doing a bit of travel, gardening, and whatnot before infirmities or death set in. While we may very well live into our 80s or 90s, nothing is for certain and we’d like to take advantage of our stable legs and sound mind while we can.
While we don’t have the money to invest in a second home yet, it’s important for us to try and find the right fit, location-wise, which means some travel. There are a few things we are determined to have in our search for a new area to live. One is that we will stay in California and the other is that we want some land. Doesn’t have to be a lot of land, just an acre or so, just so we don’t have to hear our neighbors sneeze and we can sleep without loud music keeping us awake or leaf blowers waking us up. Beyond that we have criteria to help us whittle down the large number of potential sites available to us. They are in no particular order, but I’m sure over time that I will build some sort of spreadsheet and we will develop a rating system to help guide what is sure to be an emotional decision.
Promixity to family (by plane or car)- Proximity to major airport
- Price of real estate
- Weather ( we like it warm/hot)
- Quality of medical facilities
- Cost of living
- Safety
- Ability for additional residence on property (for aging parents)
A few months ago I found a link to a site that recommended areas to live based on a few minimal criteria (and which I cannot seem to locate now). It seemed a bit half-assed, but I’m game to try these things in the interest of research. What came back was 8 of the 10 recommended cities were in San Diego County, a place we had never entertained thoughts about. But it got me searching and wondering, and given that a friend just relocated to Carlsbad, I though it might be a good idea to check it out. So, today my hubby and I are off on a road trip to visit said friend and look at possible cities to retire. I’ve done my homework and there are quite a few, at least on paper. I’ll be doing posts on these towns and properties on the San Diego Sweet Digs blog. If anyone around these parts is interested, I’d be happy to post them here, too. Just let me know.
October 8, 2008
Two hours of Congressional grilling yielded no apology from Lehman Bros. CEO Richard S. Fuld. The fired exec earned over $350 million dollars in the last 7 years—a figure which he calls “appropriate”—and yet watched his company go down in flames, taking no direct responsibility during testimony. Why shouldn’t I be surprised? Apparently, he wants to know “Why Lehman didn’t get a federal rescue while others did.” A bit more business acumen might have not only kept his company afloat, it might have benefited from the recent bailout bill. Bur we’ll never know, and that’s probably a good thing.
But who will the bill bailout? That has yet to be seen, but Carolyn Said over at the SF Chronicle has an idea of some measures the government could make to help out you, me, and the economy: An interest rate cut to stimulate the economy [note: a key rate was cut this morning by .5%]; a stimulus package—think tax cuts, maybe another tax incentive to buy a house, and money to create jobs; further deposit insurance, beyond the $250,000 current limit; restructure mortgages to prop up housing and prevent further wholesale foreclosures; and, direct capital injections to keep companies afloat—in return for a share of the profits. This last idea is one I wrote about September 24th in the weekly news, in which Sweden stopped a similar crisis by participating as owners in companies they helped fund. It was win-win for the companies and the taxpayers.
As if it wasn’t enough that the Feds are bailing out what seems like everyone but those who read this blog, our illustrious Governator is asking the Feds for a $7 billion loan to help pay the bills for our fair state. After an 80+ day budget stalemate that he could not negotiate, he goes hat in hand to D.C. to make payroll. Not that I want state employees going without, that is not the point. The point is that we should be paying closer attention to local happenings. With the election, the credit crisis, mortgage meltdown, Wall Street taking a hit, we hardly have time to catch out breath. But if I were the federal government, I’d get the ruler out and slap his wrists. With Louisiana still trying to play catch-up and Texas in crisis due to recent natural disasters, why should we get money? There are countries that run on budgets smaller than ours….
So, what do you all think about Coldwell Banker’s 10 Day Sales Event (October 10th – 19th),
where you can get 10% off Coldwell Banker listings nationwide? I’ve been hearing about it, but I have to say that trying to confirm the 10 day/10% was difficult. The main CB website doesn’t even make mention of it all. The CB event website (which I googled) came back with 2 sentences and no details. The Buy section of CB doesn’t mention it either. The CaliforniaMoves.com site that CB owns does have an ad for it in the sidebar. Clicking on it gives you a downloadable pdf, which makes no mention of the 10% off, only a vague reference to “specially reduced prices.” Blessings go to the San Francisco Real Estate Blog, which posted part of the press release. I read the fine print and it does say that the 10% is for “participating home sellers,” which could mean 1 or 1,000 or 10,000. That’s the kicker. You have to contact them to find out which homes are participating. A great marketing ploy, to be sure. It may also help to sell houses, which is an even bigger result. Although if they don’t do better getting their message out and available, no one is going to take advantage.
I just checked out “Seductively Sold XXIX” over at San Franciscso Schtuff. They are reporting 40 SFRs sold last week, ranging from $225,000 to $4,500,000. A whopping 48% of those sold within 30 days. One even sold with 0 days on the market. Only 6 had been sitting for longer than 90 days, leaving 25% of the homes waiting 31-90 days for a buyer. I actually think that’s pretty darn good. The prior week saw only 28 SFR sales, with only 8 sold in less than 30 days, so there was a bit of a bump.
October 7, 2008
This town has a lot going on right now, and it’s hard to keep up with it all. Retail real estate seems to be booming and walking the length of downtown, I only found a couple of storefronts for lease. San Carlos has worked hard, like its neighbor Redwood City, to redevelop the downtown and revitalize business. The Thursday night Farmer’s Market is always hopping, no matter the weather, and mid-day, midweek traffic is a constant stream. I’d call that success.
I’m not sure what happened, but in the last 35 years, San Carlos has chewed up and spit out a lot of grocery stores, which is a great revenue loss for the city. When I was growing up there was a grocery at Laurel and Eaton, one where the current Rite Aid store is located, one across from the post office, Foodville at the end of San Carlos, with another mom-and-pop store almost directly across the street (where Chocolate Mousse now resides). And at one point a Safeway was located where the current Longs Drug Store is on San Carlos Avenue. Foodville is the lone survivor from that crowd, and the oldest market in downtown. (Trader Joes being the only other market, located off Belmont and El Camino.) Owned by the Bianchini’s, who also have a market in Portola Valley, Foodville is slated to move into the old Bell/Lunardis spot across from the post office. The move will mean larger quarters, more shelf space, and a new name. Foodville will join its sister store in becoming Bianchini’s Market. While I am sure that many will miss the old store for its convenience, that building was badly in need of repair and updating and my guess is that the renovation would have cost too much, in money and in lost revenue. I’m looking forward to seeing them in their new spot (below).
Also on the horizon are three new eating establishments (like San Carlos really needs more!). On the west side of Laurel between Cherry and Olive, a new wine bar is being created. The Cask, located next to Cowabunga Creamery at 782 Laurel, will be a sister to Spasso, just across the street. Spasso features some great tapas and probably one of the best lavender crème brulees that I have ever had. The owners are diversifying and trying their hand at offering something for the after-dinner crowd. On the east side of Laurel, in the same block, the former crepe restaurant is being completely transformed into something very Asian. The
design, bamboo plantings, and serving dishes sitting in plain sight gave away its intention, but no sign tells us what exactly it will be. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Finally, Red Mango is opening up a storefront by Starbucks, on Laurel between Olive and Arroyo (see photo right). This frozen yogurt chain offers all-natural yogurt, with no artificial anything. This will make the 5th NorCal store on the map, beating out its rival Pinkberry, which has not strayed out of SoCal as yet. Unfortunately, there is already an independently owned organic fro-yo store around the corner on Arroyo, Harmony Frozen Yogurt. Serving Strauss Creamery yogurt, it has gotten rave reviews and has quite a following. I hope readers will continue to frequent this establishment so it can remain in business.
The other “big” project is at Morse and Laurel; dubbed 1001 Laurel, this project will house 90 luxury condominiums as well as professional and retail space, further extending downtown. Look for a full post on this project in the near future.
For those of you with children, you’ll be happy to know that the Burton Park Playground renovation, initially scheduled to be completed last August, is now set to open on October 25th, assuming that the landscaping is established enough and the final touches are complete. What has been done so far looks fun and safe for the city’s youngest residents: bright colors adorn the climbing structures and slides, a water-spray feature has been added, there are modern swings, soft and safe ground covers, new benches/seating, and low knee-high walls with children’s artwork. Shades for the school-age area, picnic tables and final landscaping is all that is left to do.
October 7, 2008
Back in July I wrote about real estate site Property Shark, kind of an online detective service for housing. Limited to 15 major markets, including SF, this site provides a long list of info on all homes, and you can get comparable and foreclosure info as well.
One of Property Shark’s more recent postings is a color-coded map of the month detailing which areas in our beloved 7×7 have seen a drop in the price of sales, drop in the number of listings sold, and rise in the number of foreclosures. Cleverly worded as Triple Bubble Trouble (if all 3 criterion exist), Double Bubble Trouble (2 criterion) or Single Bubble Trouble (you get the jist here). I see that there are even pockets that are not color coded, which leads me to believe that they aren’t in trouble at all.
Neighborhoods in Triple Bubble Trouble, appropriately colored red, include Chinatown, Western Addition, Upper Market, Castro, Twin Peaks, Bayview/Hunters Point, Sunnyside, Ingleside, Crocker Amazon, and Visitacion Valley. On the other end of the spectrum, those areas absent of color—meaning they seem to be faring well in this crisis—are the Marina, North Beach, parts of SOMA, and the Civic Center neighborhoods. The majority of the City is purple, meaning there are only 2 of the 3 criteria present, and there are only very small pockets of blue (other than bodies of water), indicating only one issue is at hand. I’ll keep an eye on future Bubble Trouble maps, hopefully to see more blue and less red.
October 6, 2008
Today is the last day we will spend in San Francisco, and we get a sneak peek at some of the highest end homes, of which there are three, all in the Pacific Heights neighborhood. Two of the three are historical homes, designed by famous architects for famous people, and one is only 2 years old, on the market since its construction.
First off is a $23,000,000 beauty built for Adolph Spreckels in 1912 and, I believe, currently owned by author Danielle Steele. On the market 91 days, and holding steady at its asking price, this home has been fully restored with every attention given to the original details. Its 7800 square feet is made up of gorgeous dark wood (floors, doors, window casings, wide baseboards and crown molding, fireplace mantles, and even paneling in some rooms), and windows galore, allowing light to flow into every room. The lower of the 4 levels has been completely developed, adding space and an elevator transports you between floors. Bonus here is a buildable lot (maybe a carriage house for the help? Additional garage for the toys?).
Today’s middle-of-the-road mansion can be found just three doors down from the most expensive property (see below). 2901 Broadway, designed by Henry Clay Smith, is a $48,000,000 Italian Renaissance mansion built in 1928. Listed for $48,000,000 (originally $55mil), it has been on the market for 532 days. Site of the 30th Annual San Francisco Designer Showcase in 2007, it was the first time that the doors of this spectacular building were opened for the public. With 7 bedrooms. 7.5 baths, and over 10,000 square feet in size, this home has all the requisite amenities a high-end home should have, including its own tennis court. Beautifully appointed, inside and out, it really must be seen to be believed. The agent has kindly posted 33 photos on the MLS listing, affording us peons a glimpse into the magnificent.
The most expensive property listed is this Neoclassical villa, located at 2845 Broadway. Sweet Digs blogger Anna Hibble wrote about this home back in March of 2007. Listed for a cool $65 million, this home has been patiently awaiting a buyer for 948 days (without budging on the price, I might add). Built in 2006, it boasts over 20,000 square feet, plus a guest house, and sits on two lots between Broadway and Pacific (although the aerial map on Redfin does not show the second lot in a red outline.) Needless to say this is the best house in the best neighborhood. You can read Anna’s post and check out exterior pictures here.
October 3, 2008
Previous Posts:
A Kitchen Odyssey: Follow Along If You Dare
A Kitchen Odyssey: From the Beginning
A Kitchen Odyssey: What Needs to Be Done
When we moved into our current home there was old cracked and stained linoleum on our kitchen floor. Due to our limited budget and construction time, we opted to put down vinyl sheeting over the existing floor. As I mentioned before, this linoleum lasted 11 years, until a dishwasher leak forced us to tear it up. We also had to try and tear up two older linoleum layers that had fused together. This was practically impossible, and we finally gave up, installing FLOR carpet tiles as an interim fix.
This brings us up to the present. What complicates matters, when thinking about kitchen flooring, is two adjoining spaces. Through an open doorway (no door) is what was originally designed as a dining room. The previous owners used it as a family room, and we bought the house with the intention of using it as my office, which it has been for the 13 years we have owned the home. When we go to sell, down the road, it will be staged as a dining room, which is its most efficient use given the layout of our home. Currently this room is carpeted in the same FLOR squares used in the kitchen. We also have a foyer, which upon entering the home connects to a hallway on the left (to the bedrooms/bathrooms), the kitchen to the right, and opens into the living room. Currently this foyer is tiled in 6×6 gold tile with thick brown grout. Very ’60s-’70s. In other words, hideous. It needs to be replaced, so we will consider replacing it, depending on our final kitchen floor choice.
Right now there are four options in my mind:
1) Wood: there is hardwood in the living room, hall, and all bedrooms. Only the living room floor is currently exposed, as the other floors were ruined by pet urine from the previous owners. If we were to choose hardwood, it would only go in the kitchen and dining room, and it would most likely match the living room, to some extent. While I
would like to consider bamboo for my kitchen, all voices warn me against this choice. Bamboo is softer than many woods, and dings and mars more easily. Because our kitchen is a very high traffic area and gets a lot of use, it just would not be prudent. With the appropriate finish, wood can wear very well in a kitchen.
2) Linoleum: I’m not talking vinyl here, I’m talking real old-fashioned linoleum, made from linseed oil, not some synthetic petroleum-based product. Linoleum has come a long way from your grandmother’s kitchen, and is a very durable surface, not to mention hypoallergenic. The newer types of linoleum come in some great colors, and can be solid, marble, flecked, or with a pattern. (Like the Armstrong Marmorette in Terazzo Gray seen here.) It comes in sheets or tiles. This would be an option for the kitchen only.
(3) Stone or Tile Squares: Floor tiles come in a variety of sizes, but since my kitchen is relatively narrow, I would be hesitant to use the larger 18×18 tiles. I think the 12×12 would be better suited, and could work in the foyer and dining room, as well. Or there are multiple sizes that can be combined to form a pattern. Indoor stone choices include granite, travertine, limestone, slate, marble, and manufactured stone. Tiles come in a variety as well, such as terrazzo, encaustic, ceramic and terra cotta. Both are fairly easy to maintain, with a mop and warm water; they don’t stain easily, and are hypoallergenic.
(4) Concrete: This is a very durable option, and could be used in all three areas, kitchen, foyer and dining room. It wears well, cleans well, and I really like the contemporary look of the concrete floors. You can polish them, stain them, tint them, stamp them. (I like the look of the polished concrete at right, by A. Pellizari & Co.) They can look like marble or granite, or even like conventional tile. It can be somewhat cold and hard, but that doesn’t bother me in the least. A large area rug could be used in the dining room for color and warmth, and I like a functional kitchen that cleans easily.
I’ll be exploring each option in future postings. Please weigh in if you have recently put in flooring, particularly in a kitchen. I’d like to hear how things are holding up, if prices are reasonable and/or worth it, as well as any pros or cons.
Recent Sweet Digs Posts
SF: Neighborhood Art is both a Form of Protest and Escape
Home Sale Question: What Does Your Neighbor Say About You?
October 2, 2008
As of this moment, the Health Care/Bailout Bill has passed the Senate (74 to 25) with both presidential candidates voting in favor of the bill. This morning there is an extended drum roll, waiting…waiting…waiting for the House to do the same. Wall Street, and the economy as a whole, is still on a downturn, not taking anything for granted (for a change). Investors are nervous, and I’m not talking just the big guns here, I’m talking about Everyday Janes and Joes like you and me. Citizens have been actively contacting legislators with their opinions on this matter and registering to vote in record numbers, hoping that their voices will be heard.
I must admit, early on in this crisis I thought very selfishly and with a tinge of jealousy, I might add. We had worked to buy our home, constantly improving it, assuming that one day our biggest financial asset would be sold and would help fund us in our “twilight” years. I, like many other Americans, saw our homes as a source of retirement funding. It’s a particularly popular notion in California, where home prices have gained ground threefold in less than 20 years. As the mortgage crisis began and prices started tumbling, I saw part of my future go with it. (no lectures here, I see the error of my ways, thanks to Sweet Digs readers.) What was worse is that we have friends who got out at the height of the market, buying down in places like Florida and having a comfortable nest egg to add to retirement funds. Lucky them. Only 50, my husband and I had planned on a semi-retirement in the next few years, relocating to a less-expensive area and continuing to freelance until we were too old or tired to do so. So far our house has taken a hit of $150-200,000. Not something I’m likely to get back if we plan on selling in the next 5 years.
On the other hand, what this crisis has done is bring the market closer to my children. Home prices are becoming more realistic and they are seeing a glimmer of hope that some day they will be able to afford a home of their own. It is also making them much more financially savvy; investing in 401(k) plans, building up a saving account, keeping the credit card balance paid off or at a minimum, and watching the market more closely than I ever did. It’s also making them more politically aware and active, which can only be a good thing for them and our country.
So there are winners and losers. Hopefully the American people will continue to have the strong resolve to weather this storm, like they have countless others.
October 2, 2008
For one whole month, the city of Redwood City has planned events downtown dubbed “Scare on the Square.” Each Friday will bring a free movie, starting at 6:45 pm. You can even munch on free popcorn if you present a receipt from a downtown business for a purchase made on the day of the movie. Starting on October 4th will be Addams Family, October 11th brings Nightmare Before Christmas, and on the 18th is Edward Scissorhands.
On Saturday, October 25th, Red Morton Community Center will be hosting a Halloween Spooktakular. From 12-3 pm there will be carnival games, a monster maze, Transylvania treats, and a costume parade. So get that costume ready and join in on the fun. Cost is $5 and the event is geared toward ages 0-10.
Capping the month off will be Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), held on November 1st. Art, dance, music and food will be presented at the Courthouse Square on the day set aside for celebrating and commemorating our ancestors, as well as the continuity of life. Last year there were dance performances by 4 groups and a live band. Local school children had their artwork on display, and a sugar skull artist demonstrated the intricacies of his trade. Great food, arts and crafts, and a special altar to commemorate family members will also be available.
Also planned is the last outdoor music presentation of the year in Courthouse Square. Starting in early summer and running into October, each Friday night offers a different musical group performing in the Square. Residents are encouraged to come down, have dinner at one of the local restaurants and hang out with some great tunes. You can bring lawn chairs, picnic baskets, and dance to your heart’s content. The square is always packed, so come early, and catch Ze Bop (a Santana tribute band) on October 3rd from 6 to 8 pm. It will be your last chance of the year.
For more info http://www.redwoodcity.org/events/
