This is my last House Hunt column to be submitted to Danville Patch’s delightful editor, Liz Shemaria, so I wanted to find a theme that could be in her honor. Next week, House Hunt will continue as usual, but we will have new editors on the job. I asked Liz what she would consider a great feature in a home, and she had a wonderful answer: A backyard with fruit trees and a vegetable garden.  She said she enjoys the fig tree in her backyard today — and would love to have more fruit trees and a place for a garden. So with a fond farewell to Liz, let’s explore a few homes that she might enjoy …

“Halloween is done,” my husband said. “You know that right?”  No, I thought, I haven’t even snacked on candy yet, much less enjoyed trick-or-treating or spotted a single cute kid dressed up as Barney or Dorothy. “If you’re not thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas, you’re behind.” Like many consumers, my husband is already two months ahead. An avid Costco shopper, he reports that the shelves are full of holiday paper and specialty gifts. In life, he balances my optimism with his special doom-and-gloom outlook, such as “no one is buying houses now, people are focused on the holidays.”  But…

New homes aren’t plentiful in every town, but having a brand new home is very appealing to many people and there will always be a market for them. In fact, the subject of new homes came up on Saturday in Wisconsin. I was there for a wedding, chatting with Judy Blazin, a resident of Castro Valley who would like to move to San Ramon.  Blazin said, “I want a new home, never lived in by anyone.” Judy also prefers a single story. Newer and single level are both qualities that demand a higher price per square foot — and may therefore be better investments. Although nothing stays new forever, of …

It’s September and all the kids are back in school. Traffic patterns show the change, with most families driving their kids to school. Some kids walk, but the increase of vehicles driving up to school grounds is definitely a sign of the times. As a kid in Colorado, I walked the 10 blocks to school with my little brother in tow, walking in a bigger group as we encountered other kids on their way to Asbury Elementary. When my kids were at Rancho Romero Elementary, it was delightful to ride our bikes down the Iron Horse Trail, but the times of waving good-bye to children from the front porch are…

While we all enjoy “getting away from it all,” the convenience of being close to everything is also something we value.  Can you have your cake and eat it too? On a side note, what good is the cake if you only get to look at it? Where does that nonsensical expression come from? Here are some homes that have the “get away” feeling of country living — yet are only minutes to shopping, freeways, and all the places we need to be. Alamo 1678 Via Romero is offered by David Azimi of J. Rockcliff. Jones Ranch is a 20-year-old neighborhood developed by Branagh. Situated in Alamo’s westside, Branagh …

When you picture a house filled with luxury, what are you picturing?  Are you picturing the homes Robin Leach visited before he sent you off with his "champagne wishes and caviar dreams" on "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"? I asked my kids this question — two teens that have seen more homes than most (if I make an unexpected left turn, “aw, don’t tell me we’re going to see another house,” they will whine).   To the question of "luxury," my teenage son immediately brought a home to mind — it’s been a few years, but when he described it, I knew immediately which home it was.  A gorgeous …

This week, let’s get away from it all.  Have you ever heard a ringing phone and realized it’s your neighbors? Listened to loud kids across the fence in the backyard? Or their even louder parents? Is it maybe a little too convenient for your neighbor to “borrow” your tools, camera, birthday candles, etc? Maybe you’re ready to consider a more secluded setting. Here are some homes that are tucked away from it all. Alamo 2471 Royal Oaks Dr. is offered by Jay Weymouth of Re/Max Accord. This home, located in Roundhill Country Club, is surprisingly secluded: gated and set off the road. It’s 3,500 …

I have such fond memories of playing “Red Light, Green Light” and “Mother May I?” as a kid — not on the street I grew up on (a busy corner in Denver), but when visiting my cousins in New Jersey, on their delightful cul-de-sac. After dinner and until dark, all the kids would gather in the street and play. You’ll say that’s a nice memory from another era, and you might be right, but I know my kids will look back on their childhood with fond memories of playing in the street in front of the house we lived in when they were small. It was on a quiet lane in Alamo and the kids would race each other…

Unless it’s Halloween or I’m expecting company, I hate the sound of the doorbell. My dogs go berserk and it’s usually not worth the hassle to fight them for the crack in the door to chat with the magazine salesperson or the guy that wants to trim your trees. It's not a big problem since unless there’s a big election around the corner, my doorbell is usually pretty quiet. But for those who dislike the random stranger pushing their bell even more than I do, the gated community holds a lot of appeal. Here’s a look at some homes for sale in gated communities. There’s a big range of prices, and …

I don’t golf. I’m a tennis player — a sensible sport where you can get a great workout in an hour for the cost of a can of balls ($2.99). Golf, on the other hand, is time consuming, expensive, and (I’m told) can be quite frustrating. I’m a fan of the movie “Happy Gilmore,” but that’s the closest I’ve ever been to playing or even watching golf.  My son loves golf, my husband tolerates it, my dad enjoys it — obviously there is something there. The sport is incredibly popular, but I remain unconvinced. However, no need to convince me that a golf course is a beautiful place to live near. I have …

Rental prices are currently high, and for some, it may make sense to buy instead of signing another year-long lease on your rental property. I am working with clients moving here from Hawaii who are excited to purchase their first home, instead of renting. They had a brief visit here, and looked at a few homes, but when it came time to purchase, they picked something they hadn’t seen. That’s right, first-time home buyers, buying their home sight-unseen. They are brave. I am nervous. I can’t pick out an appliance online, much less imagine buying a whole house that way.  However, the buyers' …

My house has a few extra rooms in the summertime: The outdoor dining room, the outdoor family room, and the game room, which is all of the outdoors. Having a swimming pool is nice for all the practical reasons — great fun for the family and the kids. But even for those of us who don't frolic daily in the water, the pool is something beautiful that graces our back yard. When my husband complains that he is the pool boy and I don't even use the pool, I always point out that I use the pool every day, all year round — whenever I look at the backyard. Here are some homes for sale that have …

With interest rates incredibly low, inventory high, and prices attractive, first-time buyers are considering venturing into the market. Move-up buyer from townhomes are considering purchasing their first single-family home. Here’s a sampling of what is available in the way of smaller three bedroom homes: Alamo 383 Livorna Heights Rd. is offered by Jill Fusari of Empire Realty. At the end of a delightful country lane, this three bedroom home sits on a half acre lot. It's nicely updated and has picturesque views and a private tranquil setting. The backyard oasis includes a custom designed pool …

The idea of a family compound makes sense; it’s practical in so many ways. When the kids are small, grandparents are nearby to help out; when the grandparents are too old to be alone, they have family nearby to care for them. Sharing the expenses and being able to help each other are the practical reasons, but I would think the nicest part of a family compound is the closeness of family. My husband’s brother and his family live with my father- and mother-in-law on a 5 acre spread in Rescue.  If you don’t know where that is, you are not alone: it’s a speck off Highway 50 in the foothills not …

I imagine that being part of a large family is fun. I grew up as one of two kids (I have a little brother I enjoyed torturing), and my children can say the same (the torturing goes both ways with those two). My cousin Matthew has six children. Yes, six! With our two children in tow, my husband and I visited their busy happy home (in Pennsylvania) not too long ago. Volume of this magnitude must be a constant logistical challenge: cooking for so many, not to mention finding enough chairs for everyone (and the visitors). I can’t even imagine the arrangements that must be made when all six have …

I’m a big fan of Dr. Suess and loved reading all of his books to my kids when they were small. At one point, I could recite the first 26 pages of The Cat in the Hat from memory because my daughter insisted on hearing it so often. In desperation, I would substitute the similar-looking but lesser-know sequel, The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, to give myself a break from the repetition. In this book, the kids in the story are dismayed when the cat’s antics ruin their dad’s “$10 shoes.” Clearly, when the book was written, the $10 shoes were considered to be special, but by the time I was reading the…

Every time I think that spring is here, with summer right on its heels, those pesky rain clouds return. It’s nice to dream about hot summer days, however, and I’m sure they will show up one of these days. And on those perfect days, there’s nothing nicer than relaxing around a pool in a private back yard — not necessarily skinny-dipping, but nice to know you could if you wanted to. Here are some homes for sale with pools and private back yards; swimsuit optional! Alamo 383 Livorna Heights Road is offered by Jill Fusari of Empire Realty. At the end of a delightful country lane, this three …

The sun is shining. Spring is here. Beautiful flowers are blooming in front yards everywhere and “for sale” signs are sprouting as well. Inventory has spiked across all markets, and I thought it would be interesting to see what is available in the middle ground of each market. You remember learning your averages: The mean, median and mode. The mode (most frequent number in the set) is really not pertinent in real estate. The mean (a traditional average) isn’t too meaningful since it is so easy for it to become skewed. A market with 100 homes for sale ranging from $500,000 to $1,000,000 will …

Townhome living can be convenient for many reasons, and appealing to many types of buyers. The young professional with not much time for yard work who appreciates a spacious home with a garage. The empty-nesting couple that still need the space for the kids to come visit, but want to have more flexibility with travel and time. A family that wants to be part of a community that can be fun for the kids, with friends at the complex pool or on the playground. From Alamo to Livermore, here are some available townhomes that are roomy and have garages—but no lawn to mow! Alamo 318 Alamo Square is my…

Foreclosures, sadly, have become a way of life. Bank-owned homes are more commonplace in some places but they can be found in any town or neighborhood. Since people are always curious about the bank-owned market, I thought it would be interesting to see a sampling of REOs, which stands for Real Estate Owned, the bank’s term for the assets on their books. REOs are different than short sales—a short sale is not owned by the bank but will require the lender's approval to sell “short” of what is owed. This can be a very long process. Make no mistake, the term "short sale" does not refer to timing…