At the beginning of the month, the California Department of Food and Agriculture announced a quarantine on homegrown fruit and vegetables in a 112-square-mile area of Santa Clara County — including Sunnyvale, Cupertino, and Los Altos — in an effort to stop the spread of fruit flies. Palo Alto Weekly has the story.
No matter the size, a crack in the concrete foundation holding up your home is a big deal, and like any household pest, a crack doesn’t come alone. It always has buddies. How can you spot them, and what can you do about them?
If you find vertical cracks, it could mean your home is still settling, but that doesn’t mean you should let it lie. It’s best to hire an inspector to get to the bottom of the issue. Horizontal cracks are a bigger problem and could mean compromised integrity caused by poor construction, excessive moisture, or other stress. Once you spot these cracks, you could already be well on your way to a major repair job.
It’s always smarter — and cheaper — to fix the problem as soon as you find it rather than wait around for it to miraculously fix itself. Getting on top of a small crack now could save you from deeper structural issues and a whole lot of headaches later. But your foundation is a project you shouldn’t necessarily take on yourself. If you need a referral to a good contractor, send us an email!
If your neighbor can hang Christmas lights in August, then we can start talking about beers and brats in September. Yes, Oktoberfest is back! And The Six Fifty has a user manual for how to celebrate all month long on the Peninsula.
Even in a sellers’ market, savvy buyers are always hunting for opportunity. Price reductions are like chum on the water and could lead to a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars on the sale. So how can you get the price you want?
Like the saying goes, there’s no second chance to make a first impression. Get your home in tip-top shape to show it in the best possible light. A fresh paint job, window cleaning, and flooring refinish can turn ho-hum into yahoo! But nobody will appreciate all your work without a comprehensive marketing plan. Back up a targeted email and social media campaign with old school mailers to cover all your bases.
Don’t let an agent tell you what you want to hear. Sometimes, they’re just looking for a pay day, and it’s not just unethical, it’s also against the law. Hire an agent who knows how to negotiate effectively on your behalf and successfully manage the disclosure due diligence processes. It’s also critical to find someone who knows the numbers. Local comps and market conditions are your best bet for finding the right price the first time.
Are you ready for the big three-day weekend that signals the beginning of the end of summer? Here are some tips for things to do, recipes to try, and drinks to mix. Let us know if you try any of these and how it turns out!
Speaking of Labor Day, there’s nothing like a cool treat on a long, hot weekend. Just in time, the Mountain View Voice curated this list of the top 10 spots to grab an ice cream on the Peninsula. And they’re serving a lot more than chocolate and vanilla!
