Fourth of July Events around Pleasanton, CA

Staying home this weekend? Here are some ideas to make your Fourth fun.

The Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton will have fireworks on Friday, June 1st, starting around 9:00 pm. The Blues Festival will be held on Monday, July 4th. The Fair continues in Pleasanton through July 10th. Visit http://www.alamedacountyfair.com for more details.

Danville hosts its 4th of July Parade at 9:00 a.m. Monday, July 4th, along Hartz Avenue in downtown Danville.

Fremont hosts its 4th of July Parade at 10:00 a.m. Monday, July 4th, beginning at Mission and Pine Streets in the Irvington district. Visit http://fremont4th.org/ for more details.

The Livermore Old Fashioned Fourth of July has been canceled due to budget cuts.

Pleasanton hosts a Fourth of July Concert and Celebration Monday, July 4th, from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. at Wayside Park, corner of 1st and Neal Streets in Pleasanton. Concert by the Pleasanton Community Concert Band.

San Ramon’s Star Spangled Spectacular is scheduled for Monday, July 4th in San Ramon’s Central Park from 1:00 – 10:00 p.m. There will be fireworks, games, food and beverages, and entertainment.

Tracy’s 4th of July Hometown Celebration will be held on Monday, July 4th, from 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. at Lincoln Park, corner of East and Eaton. There will be a parade, food, music, and fireworks.

Have a safe and happy 4th!

Sincerely,

Julie Lauer, REALTOR®
Mobile: 925.963.2842
www.JulieLauer.com
https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Pleasanton-Community-Buzz/119644281444766
Keller Williams Realty

0.5% DOWN PAYMENT – FHA Loan -3% grant funds

There’s a new loan program available, just 0.5% DOWN PAYMENT! This is an FHA LOAN, with 3% grant funds.

Income limits by county- Contra Costa and Alameda $108,360
30 year fixed only- 3% grant can be applied towards down payment- closing costs and pre-paids
The 3% is not a second lien- no repayment of the 3%- the 0.5% can be a gift from family
Up to 417,000 loan amount
NO FLIPS
Owner Occupied (no non- owners)- SFR-townhouse- condos (FHA approved)

This is a GREAT option for new grads, or anyone who has family that can gift the 0.5%. Please contact me for more information!
Julie (925) 963-2842

Memorial Weekend Happenings

Has the long weekend caught you by surprise? Here are some events happening around the Tri-Valley:

Vintage B17 & B24 Bombers once again visit the Livermore Airport, May 29 – 31.

The San Ramon Art & Wind Festival blows into town on Sunday and Monday.

An Antiques Street Faire takes place on Main St. in Downtown Pleasanton on Sunday, May 29.

There will be a Memorial Day Observance at the Pleasanton Senior Center, Monday, May 30, from 10:30 am – 12:30 pm. The Pleasanton Community Concert Band performs.

Farmer’s Markets:

Danville: Saturdays in Downtown Danville, corner of Hartz & Railroad Aves., from 9 am – 1 pm.

Dublin: Thursdays at Emerald Glen Park, from 4 – 8 pm

Livermore: Sundays year-round at Second St. between J & K Sts, from 9 am – 1 pm. Thursdays through October at Carnegie Park, corner of 3rd & J Sts., from 4 – 8 pm.

Pleasanton: Saturdays on East Angela St. between Main & First Sts., from 9 am – 1 pm.

San Ramon: Saturdays, 9 am – 1 pm. New market location at Bishop Ranch 2 across from the Whole Foods/Target shopping center.

Have a terrific three-day weekend!

Sincerely,

Julie Lauer, REALTOR®
Mobile: 925.963.2842
Website: www.JulieLauer.com
Blog: http://trivalleyrealty.wordpress.com/
Keller Williams Realty
DRE Lic. #01418971

TONIGHT Free Parent Education program in Pleasanton

Please come to the Firehouse Arts Center tonight, May 27 at 7:00 pm for a free Parent Education program sponsored by Pleasanton Unified School District, in partnership with the Pleasanton PTA Council, the City of Pleasanton, and Axis Community Health.

Middle School Drug & Alcohol Forum

Representatives from the Pleasanton Unified School District, City of Pleasanton, Pleasanton Police Department, Mothers With a Purpose and AXIS Community Health will be providing the community with information related to drug and alcohol use by teens. Discussion will include prevention strategies and resources that are available to parents and our youth. Intended for parents of fifth grade and middle school students.

Firehouse Arts Center
4444 Railroad Ave.
Pleasanton,94566

For more information, please contact Amador Valley Adult & Community Education; phone: 925.426.4280.

Homeowners: How to Make Your Home “Greener”

The U.S. Green Building Council created a checklist that will help you identify a green home that’s better for your health, costs less to operate, and has fewer environmental impacts.

Furlough Daze

This weekend is Easter, traditionally celebrated with a holiday on Good Friday that results in a three-day weekend. This year, students in the Pleasanton Unified School District will receive an extra day off school, as Monday, April 24 is a teacher furlough day.

As many of you know, a furlough day is a day without pay. Many public and private employees have been introduced to the concept in the last year or two as a result of the recession. Furloughs are good because they allow workers to keep their jobs rather than be laid off. At the same time, they allow companies to keep skilled workers while reducing payroll costs.

In business, it makes sense to reduce workers’ hours when there is less demand for a company’s products or services. Less demand means less work means fewer hours needed to work. And when companies start receiving more orders, they can simply increase their employees’ hours, and everyone is happy.

Primary education is a different matter. During a recession, the number of children in a good school district doesn’t fluctuate much. Enrollment may even increase. To draw a business analogy, the “demand” is still high. The funds to pay for education, e.g., property tax revenue, however, are diminished and the lack of such funds necessitates cutbacks.

The question is: where do you make the cuts? When teachers are furloughed, they are still expected to teach the same amount of material, although in a shorter time frame. The kids are expected to learn just as much as before, also in less time. This does not seem like a win-win situation.

When teachers are laid off, class size increases. An increase to 25 students from 20 may not seem like a lot, but that’s a 25% increase. And those 25 students are all along the spectrum, from genius to maybe shouldn’t be in this grade. Each student will now receive less attention from their teacher than before. At the same time, there might be more days of instruction.

Obviously, this is a rather simple study of a complex situation. I don’t know what the answer is. But everyone should be asking themselves: what’s best for the children? I wish I knew.

Pleasanton CA Market Update for April 15, 2011

Pleasanton CA Market Update for April 15, 2011

Pleasanton has 23 new listings on the market this week.

There are 198 homes for sale today, priced from $165,000 to $7,850,000.

148 homes are under contract.

Here’s a link showing the new listings in Pleasanton CA

Request Short Sales and REOs in Pleasanton CA.

Livermore CA New Homes for Sale, March 14, 2011

Livermore CA has 26 new homes on the market this week.
There are 254 homes for sale today, priced from $69,950 to $3,988,000.
264 homes are under contract.

Request Short Sales and REOs in Livermore CA.

Castro Valley CA Homes for Sale, April 13, 2011

Castro Valley has 11 new homes on the market this week.
There are 132 homes for sale today, priced from $159,950 to $3,000,000.
109 homes are under contract.

Request Short Sales and REOs in Castro Valley.

Condo For Sale–Great Location in Dublin

Great Location !
Come home to resort-style living at the Terraces! This first-floor home has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths on one level, granite slab in kitchen, hardwood floors in living & dining rooms and a built-in entertainment center. Large terrace, pool and clubhouse with fitness center. Walk to park, restaurants & shopping. Easy freeway access. Perfect for First-Time Buyers and Investors. Just move in!!

For more information, contact Julie Lauer, Keller Williams Realty
JulieLauer.com
Mobile: 925-963-2842.