FHA Announces Stricter Standards

It’s going to be harder to get a government-backed mortgage from now on. Looking to shore up its weakening finances, the Federal Housing Administration has announced stricter standards. The agency, which insured nearly a third of new mortgages in 2009, will increase the premium it charges for its mortgage insurance and require those with weaker credit scores to come up with larger downpayments.

The FHA will also reduce the amount of money a seller can provide a homebuyer for closing costs, as well as tighten its enforcement of lenders. "Striking the right balance between managing the FHA’s risk, continuing to provide access to underserved communities, and supporting the nation’s economic recovery is critically important," FHA Commissioner David Stevens said in a statement. Source: CNN/Money. Editors Note: These changes go into effect shortly and anyone who is thinking about purchasing a home can benefit by using the old rules if they act quickly.

Real estate investors are moving back into the market, according to a recent survey from Move.com. According to the Move.com survey, 12.1 percent of home buyers today plan to buy a home as an investment property, compared to 5.6 percent in March 2009. The survey found that 15.8 percent of those interested in investment property were men and 8.1 percent were women and 52.6 percent of the investment buyers were between ages 35 to 49. Of the 25.3 percent of buyers who are focusing on foreclosure properties, 42 percent regard the purchase they are considering an investment and don’t plan to live in the property themselves; 13.2 percent plan to rent out the property; 11.3 percent are going to fix up the property and resell it; and 17.4 percent plan to house a family member until the property can be sold profitably. Of the 9.8 percent of buyers who say that they plan to purchase and live in a property in the next two y ears, 5.4 percent plan to purchase in the next 12 months; 48.3 percent are first-time buyers; 52.8 percent are women, and 44.1 percent are men. Source: Move.com

Home prices are expected to grow modestly this year and sales will keep rising as the housing market continues to recover from the worst downturn since the Great Depression, the National Association of Realtors said in their latest report. Home resales are projected to total 5.7 million this year, up from an estimated 5 million last year. Prices will climb about 4 percent after a projected decline of 13 percent last year, according to Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the trade association. "Going into 2010, I anticipate that prices will also begin stabilizing or begin to modestly improve," Yun indicated at the association’s annual conference. "That should help ease buyers’ anxiety." Yun said. The housing market’s rebound has been aided by an aggressive federal intervention to lower mortgage rates and bring more buyers into the market. Home resales rose in the previous quarter to t he highest level in more than two years, something Yun said shows buyers are eager to get back into the market. A federal tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time homebuyers has helped stoke sales last year. The buyers can claim the credit if they sign a contract by April 30 and close the deal by the end of June. Lawmakers also expanded the program to include a $6,500 credit for existing homeowners who have lived in their current residence for at least five years. Source: National Association of Realtors

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Not really, I know we need it. It always seems as if we either don’t have enough rain or are complaining that we have too much.

Today is supposed to be the biggest storm day. We are getting a bit of a reprieve right now (11:00 am), but the skies look like there is more to come. I was out this morning and so many streets were flooded - especially the lower parts. Many storefronts on Laurel had sandbags in front as the water was already coming up over the curbs.

Unless you live at the top of one of our beautiful hills in San Carlos, chances are rain can have an impact on your property. I have owned 3 homes in different areas of San Carlos. Each one has had rain considerations. It’s not uncommon, just something to be aware of and stay on top of.

Water run off from the hills can accumulate under your home or in your basement. Many homes in San Carlos have sump pumps installed. When water accumulates, they turn on and pump the water out, typically into your sewer pipes. This works great, but you want to make sure that you periodically test your sump pump. They do not last forever. We’ve had sump pumps overload and fail. Not fun.

Water sensors can be installed so that an alarm will go off if water accumulates. This is a helpful back-up system.
Most insurance companies do not cover sump pump failures. You may want to check with yours for a rider that would cover such damage as they are typically reasonably priced ~ $30 for a year.

If your water table is low (not very deep). You may also want to consider installing a well to use for irrigation during the non-rainy months. It will save you money and help conserve at the same time!

San Carlos 2009 Real Estate Market Update

Happy New Year!

We wanted to provide you with a 2009 market snapshot of the real estate activity for San Carlos and San Mateo County.

2009 Market Snapshot
San Carlos	Avg Price	Median Price	Avg DOM	Active Listings
Condos & Townhomes	$583,399	$530,000	70	24
Single Family Residential	$928,560	$880,000	53	35
Multi-Family	$1,328,500	$1,225,000	98	3
San Mateo County
Condos & Townhomes	$463,220	$430,000	83	392
Single Family Residential	$876,637	$678,750	72	1045
Multi-Family	$749,757	$688,000	97	158

The actual sales price ranged from $380,000 for a two bedroom, 1 bath home in the Clearfield Park area to $2,600,000 for a four year old custom home in the Beverly Terrace area.

This gives you an idea of how San Carlos is holding up compared to the County. As you can see, condos and single family homes in San Carlos are stronger in comparison. Inventory is very low at this point. More homes typically come on the market after Super Bowl Sunday. Now is a great time to list before the competition!

If you have specific questions about the value of your home or the activity in your specific area, we would be glad to provide. Just let us know what you are looking for – we are happy to help!

City of San Carlos 2009 in Review

As we end another year in San Carlos, it's time to review the major achievements and key projects that the City experienced during 2009. Here are some of this year's highlights: 1. San Carlos General Plan: 2030 Approved After an extensive 2 year process involving several community meetings and review by the 21-member citizens General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) and the Planning Commission, the City's new San Carlos General Plan: 2030 was approved by the City Council in October. The new General Plan Update was led by Community Development Director Al Savay, Planning Manager Deborah Nelson and their staff and features a document that is written in a more user-friendly fashion and consolidates several earlier area specific plans into the General Plan document to facilitate future development in the community. A copy of the San Carlos General Plan: 2030 document is available on the City Web Site. 2. Addressing City Budget Challenges During 2009, the City once again faced challenges in the General Fund portion of the City Budget. In June, the Council took several steps to address the shortfall including shifting the Infrastructure Contribution from the City's Shoreway Center Host Fees to General Fund, delaying Equipment Replacement Funding, giving the Arguello Park Tennis Court back to the School District for maintenance and cutting other areas of the budget. The City Manager and Administrative Services Director worked with employee groups to obtain a series of salary and benefit givebacks that included a tiered retirement system and reductions in retirement health benefits for new hires, increased employee contribution to health insurance, elimination of pay for performance for management, police and confidential staff and a number of other changes that put City salaries 5% to 15% below salaries and benefits of comparable jobs in neighboring cities. In December, the Council ratified additional reductions that were initially approved in June if a proposed revenue measure did not pass. These included additional cuts in the Parks and Recreation, Police and Administrative departments in the City and also included transferring the Healthy Cities School Tutoring Program to the School District and ending the Special Needs program at the end of the budget year on June 30, 2010. The Council asked City Manager Mark Weiss, Administrative Services Director Jeff Maltbie and City Department Heads and Staff to look at all areas of the City Budget as well as agreements with the Fire JPA and other agencies for additional budget savings to be considered in the next City budget to help close the remaining $3.6 million budget shortfall in the General Fund. 3 . New Solid Waste Hauler and Single Stream Recycling Coming to San Carlos In October 2008, the City Council authorized the City Staff to negotiate a new Solid Waste Franchise Agreementand to authorize the issuance of bonds for the new Shoreway Environmental Center. Work on these projects continued in 2009 when the City Council along with 2/3 of the agencies in the South Bayside Waste Management Authority (SBWMA) gave final approval to new Solid Waste Franchise Agreements with Recology San Mateo County (formerly known as NorCal Waste Systems), an agreement to turn the operation of the Shoreway Transfer Station and Recyclery over to South Bay Recycling and to issue bonds to convert the recycling facility on Shoreway Road in San Carlos to a Single Stream Recycling facility. The City is now working with the SBWMA on these programs which will significantly enhance the Solid Waste and Recycling services that San Carlos residents receive. 4. Federal Recovery Act Funds Improve Infrastructure and Soon - Energy Efficiency San Carlos participated in the national American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) program's infrastructure grants in 2009. The result is now being constructed on the streets of San Carlos with the addition of curb ramps at a number of intersections throughout the community. Public Works Director/City Engineer Robert Weil put together the City's grant application and was able to fund both the curb ramp workand an upcoming road improvement project on Crestview Drive with these funds. A second ARRA grant for energy efficiency will be coming to the City Council in January 2010 for approval. It will use "Small City" energy efficiency funds to make City Buildings more energy efficient as well as convert a number of City Street Lights to more energy efficient LED Street Lighting. 5. San Carlos Climate Action Plan Approved and Wins Planning Award Along with the development of the General Plan Update, the City also put together the community's first Climate Action Plan (CAP) in 2009. The CAP was developed by a 3 member citizens subcommittee of the General Plan Advisory Committee with staff support from Planning Manager Deborah Nelson and Assistant City Manager Brian Moura. The CAP was funded through a grant from the Bay Area Air Quality Management Board (BAAQMD) and included several innovative features including a link to the General Plan 2030 document and a very quantitative and measurable approach to Climate Protection measures. The San Carlos Climate Action Plan received an Innovation in Green Planning Award from the Bay Area Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) and was also nominated for an award by Sustainable San Mateo County. Since that time, a number of cities around the Bay Area and the State have requested information and presentations by the San Carlos staff on the CAP and how a similar plan could be developed by their agencies. 6. Artificial Turf Project at Lower Highlands Field Progresses In early 2009, the City Council approved a Mitigated Negative Declaration Environmental Report and authorized Parks and Recreation Director Doug Long and Public Works Director/City Engineer Robert Weil to retain the landscape firm of Callendar and Associates to develop plans and specifications to install an Artificial Turf field at Lower Highlands Field and to explore turf systems with virgin rubber and organic fill materials. The project will reduce the City's annual maintenance costs for the field as well as improving the field's condition, reducing water usage and increasing the number of play hours for San Carlos children and residents. In November, this work led to a Call for Bids for an Artificial Turf field at Lower Highlands Field that included the use of coconut husk based infill materials in use in Europe and at one local site. Extensive contractor and bidder interest at the project's pre-bid meeting led to an extension of the bid deadline to facilitate more bids on the project. 7. Police Department Neighborhood Watch Program & Town Hall Meeting In 2009, the San Carlos Police Department partnered with a new neighborhood group in the White Oaks Neighborhood to establish the City's first formal Neighborhood Watch program. Chief Greg Rothaus, Commander Jon Read and the Police Services Technicians worked with neighborhood leaders to start the program which included a series of meetings in the neighborhood on crime avoidance measures. The Police Department also held a Town Hall Meeting at City Hall to discuss the department's crime prevention activities and to field questions from San Carlos residents and businesses. A video of the Police Town Hall Meeting was shown on the City's Cable TV Channel, Cable Channel 27 to further share this information with the community. 8. San Carlos Green Programs Continue to Deliver Results Once again in 2009, the City's Green Programs continued to move San Carlos towards being a more sustainable community. San Carlos businesses continued to participate in the Chamber of Commerce Green Committee as well as the San Mateo County Green Business Program which now includes over 20 certified green businesses in San Carlos. Expanded programs in the recycling area led to the City meeting and exceeding its AB 939 and SB 1018 targets for the first time. This included stepped up documentation and enforcement of the San Carlos Construction and Demolition (C&D) Ordinance, Free eWaste and eShred events during the year and Compost Giveaways in the Spring. Community events including the Art and Wine Faire and Hometown Days featured outreach by the resident-based San Carlos Green group. In March the City began the first weekly residential food scrap and yard clippings recycling program in the SBWMA service area in San Mateo County. In December, the work that the City of San Carlos, SBWMA andLook Design put into the marketing and rollout of this program was recognized with the International Davey Gold Award for marketing excellence. 9. City of San Carlos Joins Twitter and Facebook to Disseminate Information to the Public During 2009 the City continued to expand its methods of sharing information on City programs and projects by entering the world of social media. In July, the City created a Twitter feed which quickly grew to over 300 followers which was then followed by the creation of a Facebook Fan Page in October that picked up over 1,900 fans. Assistant City Manager Brian Moura added an Economic Development angle to the City's Twitter and Facebookofferings by linking San Carlos based businesses with current business registrations to the City's social media pages. The result was added traffic for these local firms with over 50 San Carlos businesses linked to the City's Facebook Page and almost 90 San Carlos businesses linked to the City's Twitter Feed. The San Carlos Chamber of Commerce participated in the program by offering a Pulse of Business Workshop for San Carlos firms on how to use social media for their firm's marketing and outreach. 10. Carly: The Virtual Receptionist at City Hall Recognized with Technology Award In May, the City's Information Technology Division received a Technology Achievement Award for their development of Carly: The Virtual Receptionist. Due to the City's chronic budget shortfall, a full time receptionist position at City Hall was eliminated. To assist the public with City Services at the City Hall Counter, Senior IT Analyst Jasmine Frost used an on-line software service to develop an avatar named "Carly" to provide these services. The new centralized information station for the public saves the City over $100,000 per year and led to inquiries from cities and counties around the nation asking how they might develop a similar cost saving system for their community.

Survey: San Carlos Redevelopment Agency Wants Your Input on City Branding

Please take a few minutes of your time to assist the City of San Carlos in an important economic development process. The following survey is an important component of the community branding research. You may complete the survey by following this link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WCDFMMC In order to expedite this process, the survey must be completed no later than December 23, 2009.

Demolition of Shoreway Recycling Plant in San Carlos Underway

Demolition of the South Bayside Waste Management Authority’s (SBWMA) Shoreway Recycling and Disposal Center in San Carlos began on November 9, 2009. This marks the beginning of the major construction planned at the facility to transform it into the Shoreway Environmental Center, California’s Greenest Recycling Center and Transfer Station. The public can view the demolition and construction of the MRF through webcams hosted on the SBWMA’s website athttp://www.rethinkwaste.org/shoreway-facility/construction-webcam.

The building that is currently being torn down is an existing 48,000-square-foot materials recovery facility (MRF) where the recyclables from the SBWMA’s residential and commercial customers were being processed. In its place, a new 70,200-square-foot MRF will be constructed to handle an increase of over 20,000 tons of recyclables.

Once building construction is completed, the new MRF will house state-of-the-art processing equipment specially designed to process and separate single stream recyclables, where bottles, cans and paper products are mixed together.

“We are now making tangible progress towards fulfilling our vision for state-of-the-art, cost-effective collection services for local residents and businesses,” said Kevin McCarthy, Executive Director of the SBWMA. “Once construction activities are complete at the Shoreway facility, we will have the most technologically advanced recycling systems in the country.”

In addition to the MRF construction, the SBWMA will be expanding the existing 62,000-square-foot transfer station by an additional 14,780 square feet to increase unloading space for public customers. It will also allow for a 30,000-ton-per-year increase in plant materials and food scraps collected from local residents and businesses. The transfer station construction is expected to begin in August 2010. All construction activity is expected to be completed in the spring 2011.

Other key features of the future facility include a relocated buy-back center and free recycling drop-off to provide the public a safer and more convenient access to the area, major traffic improvements for customer safety, “Green Building” features, and a new environmental education center.

The public areas at Shoreway, including the transfer station, buy-back center and free recycling drop-off remain open during the MRF construction. The public is encouraged to visit RethinkWaste.org for up-to-date construction information and any changes to services offered.

About SBWMA
Formed in 1982, the SBWMA is a joint powers authority comprised of 12 member agencies (Atherton, Belmont, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Mateo, the County of San Mateo and the West Bay Sanitary District) in San Mateo County and is a leader in implementing innovative waste reduction and recycling programs.

The SBWMA also owns and manages the Shoreway facility in San Carlos consisting of a permitted solid waste transfer station and a recycling processing facility. For more information on the SBWMA, please visit our website at www.RethinkWaste.org.

City of San Carlos Joins Facebook!

San Carlos, CA - October 21, 2009 - The City of San Carlos announced that it has joined Facebook and now has a Facebook page that provides information on City Projects and Events. The City of San Carlos Facebook page debuted on October 20th, and was formally announced at the Pulse of Business Social Media Workshop sponsored by the San Carlos Chamber of Commerce and held at the San Carlos Library this morning. The page is available on the Internet at http://www.facebook.com/pages/San-Carlos-CA/City-of-San-Carlos/159914270431?v=wall&ref=nf

San Carlos residents, businesses and visitors can find the city's Facebook page by entering "City of San Carlos" in the search box on www.facebook.com. The initial information on the City of San Carlos Facebook section includes today's Pulse of Business Social Media Workshop, this weekend's Citywide Garage Sale sponsored by San Carlos Together and San Carlos Green and the upcoming Goblin Walk sponsored by the San Carlos Parks and Recreation Department, San Carlos Chamber of Commerce and Miller & Associates. Even though the San Carlos Facebook is barely 24 hours old, it already has 30 "fans" (Facebook members that are watching the City's Facebook page).

The City's of San Carlos section on Facebook can be reached from any standard web browser including Firefox, Internet Explorer and Google Chrome. In addition, there is software to reach Facebook from cell phones and smart phones including the recently released Facebook 2.0 program that was written for Apple iPhone users by the developers at Facebook.Com.

Social Media and Economic Development in San Carlos
An interesting twist of the San Carlos approach to social media is the City's program of following local businesses that also use social media. San Carlos firms with a current business registration on Facebook and Twitter are linked to the City's pages on these services. This creates a virtual San Carlos Business Guide on each service and helps to leverage the traffic that both the City and the local business firms receive.

According to Assistant City Manager Brian Moura, this is another way that the City is stimulating economic development and the success of businesses located in San Carlos. A check of the two social media sites shows 30 San Carlos businesses linked to the City Twitter site and 11 San Carlos businesses linked to the City's Facebook site. The City anticipates expanding these virtual business guides as more San Carlos companies join Facebook and Twitter.