Friday, April 28, 2023

Non-Digitally Altered Pictures of 8167 Treecrest Ave, Fair Oaks

 

The front Yard-not Digitally Altered- My gardener need to trim the bushes soon

In preparation for my residence listing in a few days, a professional photographer took several pictures of the Inside and Outside of my house. I got a  copy of the 54 photographs today. I also took a few pictures of the backyard and pool using my cheap cell phone. My realtor informed me that out of the 54 photos only 7 will be digitally altered for the virtual marketing. The digitally altered photos for advertising will not be available until next week. Meanwhile here are a few of the real ( not altered) taken by the professional photographer of both inside and outside of the property. I am also posting my own photos of the backyard I took this morning with my cheap cell phone. 

In my disclosure I intend to leave to the buyer a few of my potted plants and ornamentals as well as a few Garden Statuaries and Plaques. I estimate the value of these potted plants and statuaries to be approximately $500. My backyard is a Gardener's delight as shown in the following unaltered photos.



The above three unaltered photos were taken by the professional photographer

The following photos of my backyard I took this morning with my cheap cell phone.



 



Here are some professionally unaltered photos of the rest of the House. 


 

The Master Bedroom
One of the Guest Rooms with the Trundle Bed
The Kitchen and Breakfast / Family Room Area
The Kitchen- with sliding Pantry shelves
The Living Room and the Picture Window-The Piano is for Sale


The Entrance Foyer and Part of the Family Room

The Main Bathroom-Double Sink

The Family Room
The Formal Dining Room

Another Guest Room-Former Room of David E III with some of his Caps Collection  

Looking forward to the Proposed 7 digitally Altered Photos for Virtual Advertising. I will certainly shared them as soon as they are available.



 

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Three Comparables for My Residence Planned Listing

 

My Lighted Swimming Pool- at 8167 Treecrest Ave, Fair Oaks, Ca

My current search for comparables to my residence showed 2 homes in the Fair Oaks Area that may be a comparable. Both homes were sold just last week, indicating that Real Estate Market in the 95628 ( Fair Oaks) is getting and picking up a little bit compared to last month. Here are the 2 homes and their link.

1.9070 La Serena Dr,  3BR, 2BA 1600 sq. ft  Remax  Listing-625K-Sold 640K

I am not sure if this house has been renovated or has also a renovated pool, but the photo of front yard looked like it was professionally landscape;  Here's the link

https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/ca/fair-oaks/9070-la-serena-dr/pid_52874611/ 

2. 7990 via Roma, 4BR, 2BA, 1682 sq ft Century 21 sold-605K  

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Fair-Oaks/7990-Via-Roma-Dr-95628/home/19182395 

Again, I am not sure if the House or swimming pool have been renovated. The comparables are based on the square footage of the house and the neighborhood.

3. 5637 Gitta Ria Court, Citrus Heights, Ca

Note: This house is across Fair Oaks Blvd a few blocks from my residence. Ii is officially located in Citrus Hts.

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Citrus-Heights/5637-Gitta-Ria-Ct-95610/home/19192965 

 It sold last month, March 23, 2023

It has 4BR, 2.5BA, 2108 sq ft sold for 645K

My house has also 4BR, 2.5BA 2117 sq ft- Listing Price? Under Discussion .

Monday, April 24, 2023

A Welcome Visit from Yuka, Alex and Family

Alex Jr. with my newly Resurfaced and Tiled Swimming Pool as Background 
 

A visit from a relative is always welcome since I have been living alone( over a year now) except for my 2 cats. Yesterday, Yuka, Alex, Alex Jr and Elena visited me bringing with them Pinoy dishes from the Oriental Market in Roseville.

The two dishes ( Nilaga na Baka- Beef soup with Vegetables and Goat Calderetta) were delicious. However, the Calderetta* was out of this world. The meat was tender ( young/baby goat ribs and some fatty tissue) was super delicious. I planned on ordering this dish on line, but I found out that the Oriental Market is not on Doordash or Grubhub.

A few weeks ago was Elena One-year birthday. I gave her a Snoopy and a Baby Bear Music Boxes from Macrine's Music Boxes collection. It will be a souvenir from her Lola Macrine.   Here are some photos from their visit:




Young Alex is no longer scared of me. He gave me several hugs, but when I picked up Elena, she started crying. Alex Jr gave her the bottle to calm her down. I am looking forward to visit them in their big house in Roseville this weekend. 

*Here's a link and recipe for the Kambing Calderetta if you want to cook it yourself.


https://panlasangpinoy.com/stew-goat-meat-kalderetang-kambing-recipe/

Friday, April 21, 2023

Time to Say Good Bye to Fair Oaks is Near

 

With today's completion of the resurfacing and tiling of the swimming pool, my realtor is preparing to list my residence for 20 years for Sale. The real estate market here in Fair Oaks is picking up a little speed in spite of the still high mortgage interest rates compared to last year. I took pictures of the backyard with the pool partially filling in. I also took a picture of my side yard, after I spent $300 to have a trash guy dumped all the scraps/woods etc... on the side yard including several boxes of old books/clothes stored in the Shed. What is left in the Shed are dozens of picture frames/mirrors that I have save for 60 years. They will be on sale planned for the first week of June. Here are some photos of my backyard. 

Backyard as viewed from the Family Room. Note that Robin is eagerly watching the pool filling in. 
Backyard as Viewed from the Master Bedroom Sliding Door. The exercise machine is up for free adoption to anyone who can haul it.
My side yard with the Storage Shed after Clean-Up by the Trash Guy
A view of Some of My Potted Plants and My Parrot Decor from Marinduque

The start of the filling-in process- Contracted to a Professional Pool Service and Repair company near me.

Looking at my beautiful backyard with pool running gave me second thoughts of moving. But life must go on. Its time for a change. Good Bye Fair Oaks. Give me good luck to my move to Walnut Creek this June.

Note: The Estate Sale of my Household Goods is scheduled for the first weekend in June.    
 

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Some Reviews and Amenities of the Heritage Downtown, Walnut Creek, CA

The Gated Entrance-Under Ground Parking Garage-Each Residents have an Assigned Parking Space with a Storage Bin

The Heritage Downtown (THD) is the Bay Area's premier active senior living community. Centrally located in beautiful Downtown Walnut Creek, CA. The Heritage Downtown is nestled in lush green grounds and provides simply the best in 55+ retirement living apartment homes. This resort-style independent senior living community was established in 1986 and offers an array of all-inclusive amenities including daily 5-star dining, health and wellness programs, fitness classes, social activities, assisted living care and elegant surroundings.

Awarded BEST OF SENIOR LIVING by a Place for Mom – 2023

The Newton Restaurant and Front Entrance
History -Established in 1986. Originally built as condos, the property become senior shortly thereafter. With the addition of our 5-star restaurant Newton's, no other senior property in the area can compare in quality of dining and living.
  • Overall rating is 4 out of 5. Of the 14 reviews only 2 were 1 Star. All other ratings were either 4 or 5 Star. The Reviews were old. I did not read any 2022-2023 reviews. The place was formerly known as the Heritage Pointe. It is not own by a mega corporation.

    Here are some reviews: I deleted the names of the Reviewers for privacy.
     
    5/20/2018- My parents lived at Heritage for almost 4 years and it was a wonderful experience. The food was excellent, the staff was caring and always went the extra mile. We only moved them away because my parents needed a lot of medical care but if they had maintained their health they would still be living there. If something came up, the staff would call me out of state to let me know. The field trips and speakers are plentiful and lots of variety. 
     
     
    The Lobby and Front Desk Office-Concierge Services- The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and the East Bay Newspapers are available/free in the Lobby every morning 
     
    9/30/2021-My wife and I lived in a two-bedroom apartment at The Heritage Downtown for a year -- from October 2020 to September 2021.  It was a great place to live with a nice location near downtown Walnut Creek, friendly residents and great food.  We moved back to northern Oregon only because we found we missed our old friends and our previous community more than we expected.  The residents at The Heritage were older than I expected with an average age probably in the upper 80's.  However, our dinner table conversations were almost always interesting and we made many friends.
    The Swimming Pool and Jacussi
     
    4/1/2020- I got a tour of this place not too long ago and I was amazed by how clean and nice it is. The staff is so attentive and friendly! As soon as I walked in, the people at the front desk took their time to say hello and see if I needed anything. The restaurant area was sparkling and the food looked really good. The residents looked happy and engaged, which is the most important part. I highly recommend this place for senior living
     
    3/22/2020- A rude staff member- Filipino guy in glasses at front- does not know how to talk to people. He needs re-training asap. ( Just wondering how did she know the guy was Filipino).
     
    One of the Court Yards in the Center of the Apartment Buildings
     
    6/18/2017- My brother and I dined here for Father's Day brunch.....first class service and cruise ship atmosphere!  The food was excellent!
    The Fully Equipped kitchen with Electric Stove and Microwave.
     
    9/15/2016- The staff is amazing and what I love about the place, is the feel when you walk in the door.  Residents are really enjoying themselves and living their lives.  A couple of my clients are at The Heritage Point and I recommend this wonderful place to anyone who is interested!
     
    4/15/2015-Professional, caring staff- that goes the extra mile or two if needed. The food is great ! The staff is above and beyond the call of duty...as I see it. My mother has been here two years...and the level of service, communication is great ! I can't see having my mother at any other place. Please feel free to contact me ..and I will tell you...mom is good, the care is good, and the food is GREAT !
     

    The Newton's in the Facility- A 5 Star Rated Restaurant-There is also a Cinema in the Compound
     
    12/21/2017- My mother-in-law lived at The Heritage Downtown for almost 11 years, until she needed the help of an Assisted Living facility at age 95.  It was great for her and great for her large extended family.  Our family became 'friends' with many of the people who work there, from the Administration to the loving servers and cooks in the Dining Room.  The food served in their open-kitchen was always fantastic--like a nice restaurant, always with various selections.  She enjoyed the variety of activities and entertainment offered there.  We are ending our time with THD, but look back very fondly!
    The Open Kitchen using fresh produce from the Facility Vegetable and Herb Garden
     

    9/13/2017- My mother-in-law has lived at The Heritage Downtown for over 10 years now and she loves it.  She gets lots of attention there and the meals are wonderful! Some of the staff have become 'friends,' due to the high level of care and attention they give both the resident and the resident's family.  Nice quiet location, but handily located near downtown.  Five Stars!!
     
    3/3/2015- Great place. Fantastic location. Staff is very friendly and helpful. My father said they treat him like a King.
     
    1/12/2015- DO NOT STAY HERE!  BEWARE:  This place cheated my mom out of her rightful deposit refund.  The marketing department makes promises to get your business and then back- pedal to get out of it. Staff manipulative and facility poorly run. In addition - MANY, MANY safety issues for the elderly. Call the City of Walnut Creek for the long list of complaints.  Agree with other reviewer - my mom took a sudden and unplanned turn for the worse and they forced her to give 30 days notice and pay rent, along with meals,

 

Night Time at The Heritage Downtown, Walnut Creek, Ca-my future home

Personal Notes: Based on my initial observation from our tour last week, I am already rating it as a 4.5 star senior living facility. Jenny Shively, the Community Relations Director, our tour guide was knowledgeable, friendly, patient and just an excellent guide of the Facility. Thank you, Jenny for your work and of course, the complimentary lunch for both Dodie and Me. 

The Deal maker of our tour besides the Amenities and the Apartment with fully equipped kitchen was the huge patio that had enough room for Batman & Robin to play Hide and Seek as well as some of my potted plants. 





I have a feeling I will be very happy in this facility only 15 minutes from Benicia or Dublin where my 2 oldest children reside. Moving Date: June 1.

This is my current patio space here in Fair Oaks. It is a little bit wider but shorter compared to my future patio space as shown in the three photos above.


 

Monday, April 17, 2023

Two of My Favorite TV Series on Netflix-Beef and The Night Agent

The swimming pool resurfacing had began. Four men speaking in Spanish all at the same time had started their noisy tools whirring making Batman & Robin nervous. 

This resurfacing project by Tropical Pools is part of the Revitalize Project of Coldwell & Banker Realty. The estimated cost of the project is 12K and will be subtracted from my estimated gain in the sale of the House. Meanwhile, here are two of the most popular TV series in Netflix this week.   

If you are a Netflix Fan, here are the top two Series this Week. I enjoyed both and highly recommend it. Enjoy!!!!

The Limited TV series Beef is # 1 in Netflix this week. The Night Agent is #2. I binged on the 2 last week. I enjoyed very much the 2 TV Series. Beef is labeled as a comedy. It is more than that. Watch it and read the reviews and you know what I mean. The Night Agent is a Thriller. A lot of twist and turns in the story line. The supporting character is Asian, where as in Beef almost all of the Actors are Asian-American. Here are 2 reviews of Beef.    

From NBC News:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/fans-critics-agree-beef-one-best-shows-year-rcna79186 

And from Vox:

https://www.vox.com/culture/2023/4/12/23680055/netflix-beef-review-ending-explained-season-2 

 

The second TV Series that I have enjoyed this week is the Night Agent. It is a typical drama, spy thriller story with twist and turns. It is not as highly rated and praised as the BEEF, but I still feel it is worth watching if you like the genre.  The supporting actress is Asian-American. 

Here's the rottentomatoes.com review of the Series:

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_night_agent/s01/reviews?intcmp=rt-what-to-know_read-critics-reviews

Ditas recommended Trese a filipino anime series based on Filipino folklore-aswang and Nuno.

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