Mountain Lion Killed. ~ Where are all our mountain lions? 2011 sightings map.

It was so sad to hear that they ended up having to shoot the mountain lion today. It doesn't seem right. It wasn't attacking anyone. It was just scared. Sigh. I can't understand how they couldn't tranquilize it, but were okay with shooting it. Poor thing. It had just as much right to be here as we do. Let's learn to live with them and avoid further needless deaths.

Sightings in residential areas, reported by the San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services. Click markers for date, time and any other reported information. This map is best viewed in Firefox or Google Chrome. Internet Explorer users: Click here for help if you're having trouble seeing the map.

View 2011 mountain lion sightings, San Mateo County in a larger map

Mountain Lion SIghting in Redwood City This Morning!

Seems like everyone - even mountain lions - are out enjoying this beautiful Spring weather! We have some beautiful parks in the area that are great for hiking. Here's some tips in the event you are enjoying them and encounter a mountain lion.

Mountain Lion Safety

What To Do If You Encounter a Mountain Lion

• STEP 1: Avoid hiking alone, especially between dusk and dawn, when lions are most active.
• STEP 2: Make a lot of noise when hiking so you won't surprise a lion.
• STEP 3: Keep children close when hiking in mountain lion country; most mountain lion attacks are made against children.
• STEP 4: Keep pets on leashes while hiking.
• STEP 5: Avoid approaching a mountain lion if you see one in the distance - it may just be curious about you. Most lions avoid confrontation, so give it an opportunity to slip away.
• STEP 6: Be prepared for a possible attack if a mountain lion is nearby, staring at you aggressively and crouching or hiding.
• STEP 7: Stay calm and don't run if you're faced with a possible attack. Take out any weapons or deterrents (such as pepper spray), or look around for rocks and sticks.
• STEP 8: Raise your hands or hold things above your head to make yourself appear larger. Pick children up off the ground, but don't crouch or bend over if you can help it.
• STEP 9: Talk or yell loudly and slowly back away, maintaining eye contact with the mountain lion.
• STEP 10: Fight back aggressively with weapons and deterrents if you're attacked, all the while trying to remain standing.

Tips & Warnings

• Report mountain lion sightings to RWC Parks Dept. 780-7250 or email recreation@redwoodcity.org.
  
• How to prevent an encounter
  
• More about Mountain Lions

Remodeling Your Home

The classic way for homeowners to increase the value of their house is by remodeling existing rooms or adding on to its current plan.

Some choose to build recreation rooms and studies while others add new appliances, fixtures and cabinets to enliven rooms and make their home more attractive to future buyers.

But, when should you decide to stop sinking money into a home and buy a bigger place? And how much rehab is too much when it comes time to recovering remodeling costs through a home sale?

For instance, if you’ve just spent $25,000 remodeling your living room and didn’t expand your small bathroom, the chances of increasing the number of interested buyers are slim.

With these concerns in mind, we can offer a few tips for those struggling to add value to their home.

First, always protect the character of your home. Nothing sticks out more than a new addition that is in a completely different architectural style. Be consistent. Recognize your home’s character and stay within its framework.

The most financially rewarding areas to remodel are usually the kitchen and bath. Newly re-done cooking spaces and cabinets can attract more buyers and may command a slightly higher price for the home than a comparable one on the market. Simple repairs that are made to last will bring you the biggest returns upon sale.

Enlarged bathrooms are the most popular attraction for new homebuyers, according to the National Kitchen and Bath Association. Today, the most popular additions for younger buyers are sunken whirlpool baths and showers. But be sure to install modest, solid amenities. It’s easy to quickly over-spend on bathroom fixtures.

Buyers are, by convention, more interested in aboveground living space – not basements, yards and walkways. Swimming pools can be a poor investment if installed for the sole purpose of increasing a home’s value; it’s rare that a pool’s cost will be recovered in a home sale. It can also be a negative feature for potential buyers with very young children.

Replacing worn carpeting, tiles and wood floors can give your home an immediate advantage over similar properties in the area. Updating paint colors in all areas of your home can also prove beneficial.

However, it’s recommended that you use neutral colors, such as gray, beige and off-white when adding new floor and wall coverings. Fewer buyers will then turn away because of differing tastes.

Stay simple with your remodeling and look at your home as though you were the buyer. Chances are that if you find the upstairs bedroom could be brightened by a larger window, potential buyers will probably feel the same.

Don’t go overboard. Concentrate on improving two or three deficiencies in your home. More than likely, the time and money you spend adding quality to your home will be rewarded with greater profit at selling time.

For more information please contact The Clarke Team at 650-489-5399 or sold@clarketeam.com

Are Home Warranty Plans Worth It?

Some are better than others. We typically purchase a warranty plan for our buyers so that if something goes wrong the first year, they have coverage. It is for peace of mind. There are many to choose from, but we tend to recommend HISCO as we have had good experience with them.

I have a General Electric plan on our home and have had mixed experience with them. Recently, we called them to service our Thermador oven. The broiler wasn’t working. They came out several times and finally told us that it would cost more to fix it than repair it. The oven costs approximately $7,000 and they offered to give us $1,250 for it! We were upset. But had no choice but accept their meager offer.

A friend who is a chef encouraged us to get a second opinion before we purchased a new oven. We contacted Otto’s Appliance who was referred to us by the dealer. Otto’s came out and not only repaired the broiler, but tuned and cleaned the entire oven. It is as good as new and they only charged us $250! We were thrilled. The joke is on General Electric, but it could just as easily been on us.

Kelly Clarke
The Clarke Team
650-489-5399
sold@clarketeam.com

What City Should You Live in?

Are you relocating to or from the San Francisco Bay Area? Are you overwhelmed with trying to find which city you should move to? If so, check out www.FindYourSpot.com Take their online quiz and they will provide you with a tailored list of the best cities and small towns that fit YOU. Compare the perfect hometowns and undiscovered havens that match your interests. Dig deeper with colorful reports, job listings, and more. It's fun & easy!

Relocating anywhere can be a daunting task. There is so much to think about. The Clarke Team will also help you navigate through moving to or from the San Francisco Bay Area. Don’t stress – call us! We are happy to help.

Kelly Clarke
The Clarke Team
650-489-5399
sold@clarketeam.com

Home Improvements

What home improvements really pay off when the time comes to sell your house?

That’s an important question for any homeowner contemplating moving or remodeling. And the only possible answer is a somewhat complicated one.

That answer starts with the fact that really major improvements – room additions, total replacements of kitchens and baths, etc. - rarely pay off fully in the near term. It ends with the fact that small and relatively inexpensive changes can pay off in a big way in making your home attractive to buyers if your decision is to move now.

It’s often the case that the most appropriate major improvements are unlikely to return their full cost if a house is sold within two or three years.

Does that mean that major home improvements are always a bad idea? Absolutely not. It does mean, though, that if your present house falls seriously short of meeting your family’s needs you need to think twice – and think carefully – before deciding to undertake a major renovation. Viewed strictly in investment terms, major improvements rarely make as much sense as selling your present home and buying one that’s carefully selected to provide you with what you want.

Even if you have a special and strong attachment to the house you’re in and feel certain that you could be happy in it for a long time if only it had more bedrooms and baths, for example, there are a few basic rules that you ought to keep in mind.

Probably the most basic rule of all, in this regard, is the one that says you should never – unless you absolutely don’t care at all about eventual resale value – improve a house to the point where its desired sales price would be more than 20 percent higher than the most expensive of the other houses in the immediate neighborhood.

Try to raise the value of your house too high, that is, and surrounding properties will pull it down.

Here are some other rules worth remembering:

Never rearrange the interior of your house in a way that reduces the total number of bedrooms to less than three.

Never add a third bathroom to a two-bath house unless you don’t care about ever recouping your investment.

Swimming pools rarely return what you spend to install them. Ditto for sunrooms – and finished basements.

If you decide to do what’s usually the smart thing and move rather than improve, it’s often the smaller, relatively inexpensive improvements that turn out to be most worth doing.

The cost of replacing a discolored toilet bowl, making sure all the windows work or getting rid of dead trees and shrubs is trivial compared with adding a bathroom, but such things can have a big and very positive impact on prospective buyers. A good broker can help you decide which expenditures make sense and which don’t, and can save you a lot of money in the process.

Why work with a team?

Real Estate is a 24/7 job. Try as we might as individual agents, it’s not always possible for one person to be available at all times. A strong team with solid systems assures smooth coverage for buyers and sellers.

At the Clarke Team, we have standardized procedures and integrated systems that allow us access to all information and results in seamless back-up.

Whenever possible, Judy and I both get to know every client. If one of us is on vacation or unavailable; it’s never been a problem for the other to step in.

This was put to the test when I broke my foot on broker tour recently. I was not able to get around and we were easily able to shift responsibilities until I became more mobile. An individual agent or teams without strong systems and integrated technology would have a harder time managing an unexpected change like this.

Lastly, Judy and I have a long history together. We have been working with each other for over 20 years and have a comfort and trust that has been built over a long period of time. That is not easy to duplicate!

We take pride in the service we provide to our clients and would welcome the opportunity to assist you or anyone you know that is interested in buying or selling their home. Just ask. We are happy to help!

Kelly Clarke
The Clarke Team
650-489-5399
sold@clarketeam.com

What's your home's style?

Styles of houses vary across the country. From the New England Cape Cod to the Victorians of San Francisco, the choices are almost endless.

Following is a quick guide to help you recognize and use the professional terms for many of the most prevalent house styles:

• Cape Cod: This compact story-and-a-half house is small and symmetrical with a central entrance and a steep, gable roof. Brick, wood or aluminum siding are the materials most commonly seen.

• Dutch Colonial: The Dutch Colonial has two or two-and-one-half stories covered by a gambrel roof (having two slopes on each side, with the lower slope steeper than the upper, flatter slope) and eaves that flare outward. This style is traditionally made of brick or shingles.

• Georgian: Popular in New England, the Georgian has a very formal appearance with two or three stories and classic lines. Usually built of red brick, the rectangular house has thin columns alongside the entry, and multi-paned windows above the door and throughout the house. Two large chimneys rise high above the roof at each end.

• New England Colonial: This two-and-one-half story early American style is box-like with a gable roof. The traditional material is narrow clapboard siding with a shingle roof. The small-pane, double-hung windows usually have working wood shutters.

• Pueblo / Santa Fe Style: Popular in the Southwest, these homes are either frame or adobe brick with a stucco exterior. The flat roof has protruding, rounded beams called vigas. One or two story, the homes feature covered/enclosed patios and an abundance of tile.

• Queen Anne / Victorian: Developed from styles originated in Great Britain, these homes are usually two-story frame with large rooms, high ceilings and porches along the front and sometimes sides of the house. Peaked roofs and ornamental wood trim, many times referred to as “gingerbread,” decorate these elaborate homes.

• Ranch: These long, low houses rank among the most popular types in the country. The ranch, which developed from early homes in the West and Southwest, is one-story with a low-pitched roof. The raised ranch, which is also common is the U.S., has two levels, each accessible from the home’s entry foyer, which features staircases to both upper and lower levels.

• Southern Colonial: This large, two-to-three-story frame house is world famous for its large front columns and wide porches.

• Split-levels: Split-level houses have one living level about half a floor above the other living level. When this type of home is built on three different levels, it is called a tri-level.

• Tudor: Modeled after the English country cottage, Tudor styling features trademark dark-wood timbering set against light-colored stucco that highlights the top half of the house and frames the numerous windows. The bottom half of the house is often made of brick.

These are just a few of the many styles of homes available across the country – some are more prominent in different areas than others.

Shoes off vs. clean floors for open houses and broker tours

Have you ever been to an open house where you were required to take off your shoes before entering? This is becoming more and more common. As a realtor, we do not think twice about having to take our shoes off to tour a home. At least I didn't - until 6 weeks ago that is when slipped and broke my foot and four toes on some slippery tile stairs while previewing a home in San Carlos on broker tour! I couldn't believe it happened. Who would have thought than being a realtor could be so dangerous?!

Here I am now, 6 weeks into a 12 week recovery. It has not been fun.

We have always had our clients sign a release for a "no shoes" policy just in case, but it doesn't feel like such a remote possibility now. Yes, your floors will be clean, but what if someone accidently falls? is it really worth it? If it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone. I had never broken anything before. This was a first.

I am not sue happy and did not go after the homeowner, but that won't be the case for everyone.

Bottom-line, think twice before making people take off their shoes.

Kelly Clarke, San Carlos Realtor

The Clarke Team

650-489-5399

sold@clarketeam.com

Getting Prepared to Sell Your Home

One of the great challenges to selling a home can be showing all of its space, decor and natural light potential. For example, every home has crowded closets and dead space. Sellers should be aware that areas such as these are easy to spruce-up with a little elbow grease and old-fashioned innovation.

Begin by evaluating your closet/storage space, determine which areas can cut-down in clutter. Go through old clothes, shoes, etc., and get rid of anything that will not be used and in turn create more space. Consider organizing shelves and other areas to make better use of your storage space, including your garage and basement. Also, try to throw out or give away any old furniture that is no longer of use. All of the discarded items can be given to Good Will, Salvation Army or even sold at a yard sale.

Although most sellers keep their homes clean and well-decorated, it can be difficult to convince a buyer of a home's potential when clutter is noticeable. As agents, it's our responsibility to offer any tips that will expedite the sale and make the experience more enjoyable for the seller.

Once you've eliminated the unwanted items and furniture, begin the 'renovation' process. For non-storage spaces that could use a little more decor, consider adding a small bookshelf complemented with a cozy reading chair. Always be sure you're filtering as much light into your property as possible. Open or replace curtains. For example, light from a window overlooking the backyard offers a room more color, a great view and the illusion of more space.

Always maximize the potential of existing decor; wash old curtains, re-stain old wood casings, anything that refreshes and emphasizes all the potential of the space and decor of the home.

Prospective buyers are often more drawn to homes with features that they don't have, those with clutter-free closets, open sunny rooms, and cozy little corners. To ensure you've realized all of the above characteristics the last step should be to bring in a friend and observe their reaction. Make sure it's an honest friend, who will offer suggestions as well as notice the improvements. Seeing your own home through someone else's eyes is a great way to make a home optimally attractive and more sellable to prospective buyers.

Be diligent in your efforts and be sure the renovations improve the aesthetic appeal of the home. All the hard work will be worth the reward of a successful sale.

If you have questions, or would like more information on selling your San Carlos home, please do not hesitate to contact us!