Serving Developers, Investors, Buyers and Sellers in the Sacramento Urban Core - Giannini Realty

Finding a good location for an observatory is tough in Britain due to the dense population and the resulting light/air pollution. That’s why the new Kielder Observatory chose a remote region in Northumberland, which offers clear skies and an uncluttered landscape perfect for star gazing. If you can handle the commute to the area, you will be rewarded by a beautifully designed all timber structure that houses both professional equipment and rooms for amateurs to enjoy the same views. The building itself is powered completely by a 2.5kw wind turbine and solar panels. What makes this project so inspiration is not simply the design, but the fact that it was built for only £415,000 (which we’re told is a good deal on an observatory). The Guardian details:

Barclay’s observatory is a happy balance between what appears to be little more than a simple, almost cartoon-like, timber gangway with some sheds on top and some fine technology inside, with the cranks and cogs needed for the telescope turrets sitting delightfully within the simple wooden walls, floors and ceilings. It is rather like being in an early Victorian steamship, especially in the dark, when the red lamps glow (red keeps light pollution to a minimum).

[The Guardian via PSFK]
(Also be sure to check out the gallery of other great observatories)

Designer Yuli Sung has come up with a lawn mower concept which detects overgrown grass in your lawn, automatically trims and collects the clippings, then compresses the grass cuttings into balls and discs. Collect them, make chairs and have grass-ball fights. Or simply throw them on top of the compost pile. Fun? Yes. Weird? Absolutely.

[via Gizmodo]

I just helped a wonderful couple purchase a home. They are empty nesters. They are young and active (actually, athletic) baby boomers that no longer have a need for a larger home in the suburbs.

This has me thinking. I believe our economy over the next generation or so will be determined in large part upon the actions, desires, needs, and, yes, spending habits of the generation that came before me. So the same will of course be true in regard to the real estate market, no?

I should think that we will begin to see the inhabitants of those wonderful suburban McMansions (often occupied by baby-boomers with children) begin to empty out as the kids move on and the parents no longer have any need or desire for their 2,500, 3,500, 4,500 square foot home. It makes sense to me that, while there will certainly be people of my own generation eager to take their place, that there just won’t be enough numbers to compensate for those looking to sell.  Where will these baby-boomers go? That is the $60,000 question, isn’t it. I don’t know. Remain in the suburbs? Maybe. Move to the cities? Possibly.

The one thing I can guarantee, though, is that most of them won’t be staying put.

[via Friends of Fremont Park]

Celebrate CADA’s 30th Anniversary and the Revival of Fremont Park!

Join the Capitol Area Development Authority (CADA), Councilman Rob Fong, the City of Sacramento Parks & Recreation, and Local 522 of Sacramento Area Fire Fighters on Friday, September 19, 2008 from 5pm to 9:45pm for food, live entertainment and Disney’s movie, “Enchanted.” Fremont Park is located at 16th and P Streets and the public is encouraged to walk to the event or utilize the free bike valet provided by Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates (SABA).

Avoid the commute and enjoy barbequed hamburgers and hot dogs starting at 5pm! Bring a lawn chair or blanket for the movie, but come early as the seating area is limited to 200 people. Admission is free and the movie is anticipated to start at dusk (around 7:30pm).There will be a bounce house, balloon artist, face painter, carnival games and free fingerprinting for the children.

For more information about CADA’s 30th Anniversary, contact Karen Fleming, CADA Communications Administrator at (916) 322-2114 or (916)384-7210.

There are few things as rewarding as helping newlyweds and first-time buyers negotiate and close on a killer house at a great price. I just had the honor of helping guide a young couple through what ended up being a very challenging transaction. There were so many opportunities this transaction could have fallen out of escrow, but the right people fought hard to make this deal happen for this ecstatic couple.

But this is only the beginning of the reward. The real reward will come as I see them complete work on the house, put their finishing touches on it, make it a home, and, of course, grow a family there. On days like this, I LOVE MY JOB.

And now, from the “Why didn’t somebody think of this sooner?” department:

With electronics everywhere these days, plugs can be at a premium. Who hasn’t had the experience of searching for a wall outlet, only to find it occupied by a gigantic power cord blocking access to the other socket ?

Thanks to designer Kim Gerard, we now have the ingenious 360 Electrical Rotating Duplex Outlet. Each socket rotates a full 360 degrees, allowing endless configurations, and most importantly, the ability to fit two bulky power cords in the same outlet.

Terrific, simple design solution - a little change with big results.

[via Remodelista]

It looks as though first-time buyers are going to get a little help from Uncle Arnie after all.

From The Sacramento Bee:

A special financing program that helps first-time buyers get below-market loans to buy foreclosed homes has expanded to Sacramento County.

The program, established last month by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, sets aside $200 million to help up to 1,000 homeowners buy houses repossessed by banks. It is available in areas hit hardest by the foreclosure crisis.

Sacramento County was added Thursday, alongside San Benito and Monterey counties.

 

In Sacramento County, a family of three or more earning up to $99,400 would be eligible for a home valued up to $580,000.

For details, go to the California Housing Finance Agency’s Web site: www.calhfa.ca.gov. Click on Community Stabilization Home Loan Program.

I wrote yesterday about a recent short sale success.  As much as I would like to take credit for all aspects of my successes in my battles for my clients, the reality is that in real estate, much as in life, I depend on a lot of other people.

1. I depend upon my team. I like to stay on the front line of all of my negotiations and deals.  My clients are paying for my expertise, not for me to delegate the key components to any deal over to my team. That being said, I have a team that is far better at “support” and “administration” than I will ever be. I believe that it is important to know where I am stronger than others, but, more importantly, I am aware of the things where I am weaker.
2. I depend on my clients. Okay, this should probably be #1. If you are looking for the agent who knows that they know better than you and push you into a certain direction “for your best interest”, then I am probably not the right choice for you (and there are plenty of other choices out there!). My philosophy is to give my clients as much information as possible so that they can be assured that they are making the correct decision for them. 
3. I depend upon the other agent in the deal.  In most transaction (an overwhelming number, in fact) there are two agents involved. I depend upon the other agent to make sure their client takes care to perform all of their contractual commitments.
4. I depend upon the other agent’s client. I expect that they will meet all of their contractual commitments.
5. I depend upon the escrow coordinator to help to make sure that all parties are making their contractual commitments and to work with the lender, the buyer, the seller, and their representatives to ensure a smooth and timely closing.
6. I depend upon the lender to make sure the loan funds. In today’s market, this is becoming more and more difficult. I try to encourage to be very careful who they choose as a lender, because this is the point where deals often unravel.  I depend upon good lenders to do what they need to do to take care of their clients (and not get them into bad loans!) and to make sure that the loan funds smoothly.
7. And, okay, so I do consider it a big part of my job to make sure all of the people above do their part. And that can’t be done without relationship, a relationship that is built in large part upon recognizing that one does indeed depend upon others.

It’s hard to know what to call Bruno Taylor. Is he a street artist, or a guerilla playground builder? Either way, his work is a fun commentary on the sometimes overly serious society of today.Taylor took it upon himself to inject a dose of play back into the streets by installing swings in London bus stops.

He explains the project:

“71% of adults used to play on the streets when they were young. 21% of children do so now. Are we designing children and play out of the public realm?

This project is a study into different ways of bringing play back into public space. It focuses on ways of incorporating incidental play in the public realm by not so much as having separate play equipment that dictates the users but by using existing furniture and architectural elements that indicate playful behaviour for all.

It asks us to question the current framework for public space and whether it is sufficient while also giving permission for young people to play in public.

Play as you go…” Bruno Taylor.

[Pixelismo via Wooster Collective]