In the words of the hit sitcom theme song, “Green Acres is the place to be!” While the Palo Alto version of Green Acres is far removed from the TV show’s “farm livin’,” living in Green Acres in Palo Alto is just as idyllic.  As a matter of fact, the current neighborhood is on a site that used to house sprawling citrus orchards, so city conveniences truly do meet country charm here in Green Acres.  This neighborhood has all the features that families look for in a full service neighborhood.  It’s walking distance to the amazing public schools, it is bordered and well-defined, and it has shopping and restaurants all within minutes.

Convenient, charming, family-oriented, and a bit more affordable than other Palo Alto neighborhoods, it’s easy to understand why Duveneck/St. Francis (also affectionately known to locals as Green Gables) is one of the area’s most coveted neighborhoods. Whether you are looking to buy your first home or are an investor looking for a reliable income stream, start your search by researching the available homes in Duveneck/St. Francis.  Duveneck/St. Francis provides easy access to the entire Bay Area, Silicon Valley, and beyond.

By Eric Holder – President/CEO Able Glass, Window & Door

Able Glass, Window & Door has been installing windows and doors in all types of residential and commercial (apartment) buildings since 1969.  Over the years we have seen many different types of windows, window systems, and installation methods come and go.  Window trends appear with the different types of construction, architecture, and consumer tastes as well as the ever changing rules of the industry standards to ensure that a building is energy efficient.  Window design and construction has gradually improved with technological advances in making a building use less energy, which helps reduce energy costs.  Today, in the San Francisco Bay Area housing market, we are experiencing some new trends in the types of windows being constructed and installed primarily for residential rental and investment properties by professional property management companies.  These trends continue to develop and evolve but here is an outline of what we are seeing in today’s environment.

If you’re looking for the perfect place to call home in the Bay Area, you may feel overwhelmed by the abundance of options.  Mountain View, Saratoga, Los Gatos, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Los Altos, Menlo Park, Palo Alto… How do you narrow your options? You need to learn all you can about the pockets and enclaves in this amazing region of California. If you are looking for a family friendly area with charming homes that are priced reasonably, take a closer look at South Palo Alto real estate listings.

If you are looking for a quiet, peaceful Palo Alto neighborhood look no further than Leland Manor, Garland, and Embarcadero Oaks.  Located in the middle of Palo Alto, there exists these three small neighborhoods, all connected and which extend north from Oregon Expressway, to Middlefield Road, Embarcadero Road, and Louis Road.

These three neighborhoods were annexed into Palo Alto proper in the 1930s.  Each quaint neighborhood has its own unique and pleasureful personality.  Most of the homes in these neighborhoods were built in the 1930s to 1960s and many have been upgraded and improved with time.  Many of the homes in these three mini-neighborhoods were built as three and four bedroom ranch-style homes, sprinkled with the occasional custom Eichler. The central location for Leland Manor, Garland, and Embarcadero Oaks allows for ease of access to US 101, local shopping, great Palo Alto schools, Stanford University, and community amenities.

In a historic move California Governor Jerry Brown issued an emergency order and declaration of water conservation rules which are now imposed on everyone in the state with the exception of farmers.  There will be fines and potential rate hikes for residents that fail to hit stepped-up conservation targets as the state endures the fourth straight year of severe drought conditions.  Governor Brown has issued water-saving orders for 25 percent statewide reduction in usage which includes bolstering enforcement of water waste, requiring drip irrigation at new construction projects, eliminating rouge farmers who divert water illegally from irrigation channels, and implementing an investment strategy in new water-saving technologies.

Are you a rental property owner? If so, it’s great isn’t it?  You receive income from the rents, also known as other people’s money (OPM), and you realize capital appreciation from the equity gains in the value of the property – a rising tide raises all boats.  In fact using OPM is a great strategy for paying for your child’s college education, and providing a passive income stream for yourself in your retirement.  The key is buying and holding onto an investment property as soon as possible and taking full advantage of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) allowable deductions and expenses.  Becoming educated about this investment strategy is easy, fun, and should be taught to your children.

Over the years I took the deposition of several landlords – each of whom did not know the first thing about what the term “habitability” meant, nor could they articulate the law with respect to their requirements as a landlord.  “[I]gnorance of the law is no excuse,” and many landlords and property owners have managed to skate by without knowing they are violating the law when it comes to habitability of rental units.  California Civil Code Section 1941 et. seq. states in pertinent part that “a rental unit is required to be fit, or habitable, to live in and rent by tenants.  The rental unit must substantially comply with local and state building, health, and safety codes that materially affect the tenant’s health and safety.”  In California landlords and tenants each bear responsibility for certain kinds of repairs – however landlords ultimately are legally responsible for making sure the rental unit is habitable.

A landlord who wishes to terminate a periodic (month-to-month) tenancy may do so by properly serving advanced written 30-day or 60-day notices on tenants.    The operative word is properly.  The reality is that most “mom and pop” landlords are on cruise control and don’t know the “ins and outs” of landlord-tenant law, namely California Civil Code section 1946 et. Seq.  Over the years I defended many tenants who were improperly served by the landlord – the result of which was a delayed end of the tenancy.  By failing to properly serve notice the landlord will be surprised when they find out (usually at the end of the 30 or 60 day period) that they need to re-serve the notice thus resetting the calendar for another 30 or 60 day period.

Barron Park is the one Palo Alto neighborhood with the greatest range of types of construction and architecture all with a rural to suburban atmosphere.   Many people are attracted to Barron Park because there is so much diversity in the housing stock.  Barron Park is improving every day with newer homes being constructed with a  Craftsman flair.  This neighborhood might be for you if you enjoy a slightly slower pace of life with a well-regarded community association and friendly neighbors who make an effort to become your friend.