Michael's Blog

In Alameda on Santa Clara Steet just North of Paru Street is the W.W. Dixon creation of Stonehenge, Stoneliegh and Stonefaire.

As chronicled in Storybook Style by Arroll Gellner, Stonehenge is an amazing example of a storybook home community.

The homes are built around pedestrian courtyards with lush gardens, fountians and benches.  The buildings themsevles are wonderful example of tiny little storybook tudors. The homes look as if they are out of a fairytale and just simply evoke a pleasant feeling.

Automobile traffice to the garages to thes units are carried on alleyways around each complex.  This keeps the fronts of the units facing the gardens and the strong sense of community.

I went to an open house yesterday there at the Tuesday broker's open.  While walking to the unit, I ran across one of the residents that lives in one of the units.  She was a pleasant lady to talk to.

I had mentioned that I was one of the original members of Storybookers.com and the associated Yahoogroup.  She as going to pass the information about the group to some of the other homeowners.  Storybookers, group had been kind of slow for the last few months and it would be nice to get some new activity.

Anyway, I was talking to this nice lady and she had mentioned how some of the residents had taken a tour of some of the other known Dixon and Hillen Homes and Projects, Picardy Drive in the Mills College area of Oakland and Ross Street in the Rockridge district of Oakland.

I then went on to view the open house.  It was one of the spanish/mission revival buildings in the entire complex.  This was one of the properties on the back side of the property that actually have an address on Lincoln.  The REALTOR that showed the property had known some about the complex.  She had mentioned that the part of the complex that these buildings was in was actually called Stonefaire.  Something I hadn't known before.  Just goes to show you learn something everyday.

Once again I had mentioned to her to join the online group of storybook fans, Storybookers and the associated Yahoogroup.  Storybookers has about 180 members last time I looked.

Okay you must buy these through me I want to represent the buyers on this one.

Run, do not walk to the following website.

www.cathedral-building.com

Floors 7-14 are being turned into 1 unit per floor NEW YORK STYLE units.  The view Down Broadway would have to be nothing less than spectacular.  Floor 7 features windows all the way out to the gore point of the building.  Floor 8 features a roof top deck over floor 7's gore point debut.  Floor 14 features a mezzanine level and then a roof top deck on top of the entire building.

This is a National Register of Historic Places landmark building.

Here is a photo I took a while ago.

This weekend I was holding a home open for Aireen V. Choy in East Oakland on 108th Avenue.  From the front porch of this home you could clearly see up into the hills behind Foothill Square shopping center the Oakland Zoo.  Several times I saw the little train travel it's tracks around the zoo. It got me nostalgic about my childhood visits to the zoo.

I remember on hot summer afternoons when I was a kid growing up in San Leandro's "The Broadmoor" neighborhood being able to hear some of the animals from the Oakland Zoo.

On a very good day, you could hear the lions and tigers roar, but that was rare.  Just about everyday you'd be able to hear the monkey "ewww ewww ewww ewww ahhh AHHH AHHH AHHH"  It was kind of neat to hear jungle sounds from right down here on Superior Avenue.

I remember going to the zoo as a child.  I remember the innovative monkey cage with the spiraling walkway that circled around the enclosure. I remember going to the petting zoo and being able to pet the tamed animals. My favorites were the elephants, Tigers and Lions.  The Giraffe's by far had the best enclosure being big and open for them to roam around in their own Savannah like environment. The Zoo and Park are just down the street from me.

I remember for me the absolute favorite was the little amusements that they had near the entrance and the parking lot. They had the little streamliner train that travelled around that circular monkey enclosure and out along the hillside overlooking Interstate 580 and parts of East Oakland and "The Broadmoor" in San Leandro.  The skyride chair lift to the top of the hill gave a view a flat-land child like me could only dream of.  It was so much fun to ride all the way up to the of the 300 foot tall hill (which seemed like a mountain at the time) .  The ride was exciting because it would gently glide over knolls and valleys making the terrain rise and fall beneath the riders.

I just found out that the cool art deco streamliner train was a remnant of the 1939 Treasure Island World's Fair.

The zoo and Knowland State Park were built on what was the Northern most portion of the Dunsmuir Historic Estate Property. Actually, that property pre-dates Dunsmuir and goes back to the Thompkins Horse Ranch and the Souther Farms.  The Dunsmuir's were the ones who sold off that Northern portion of the property.

The Zoo is located just off of Interstate 580 at the Golf Links Road exit in Knowland State Park.

www.oaklandzoo.org

I was actually surprised the other day when co-worker and fellow agent Ron Palmer brought into the office a copy of the Mark Wilson Book A Living Legacy: walking tours of East Bay Architecture. I looked in the index and looked up my favorite architect William Raymond Yelland.

The usual suspects were there, Normandy Village on Spruce and The Tupper & Reed building on Shattuck. A third listing was in the index.

As it turned out, a building I had long suspected as being a Yelland was actually confirmed in the pages of this book.  The building is the Pharmacy building in Kensington and the little cafe next to it "Inn Kensington".

Back in the 1920s through the 1940's Yelland designed the entire neighborhood shopping district in a complex that was called collectively as the "Kensignton Neighborhood Center" and was a masterpiece of his Normandy Storybook style.  The Kensington Neighborhood Center was lost to a fire that destroyed the area.

The closest buildings surviving of that style are some parts of Normandy Village and the Ritter and Wherry Residences in Modesto.

The Pharmacy building is in Mission Revival Style. I am glad to finally be able to point to this commercial building as an example of his mission reivival works.  It makes me think that the Rexall Drugs that was a the corner of Bancroft & Dutton in San Leandro could share some architectural DNA.

It's neat to point out that the Pharmacy building appears to have some of Yelland's original lighting creations still illuminating the outside.

 I suspect that gray house behind it also.

 lighting creation

Have you ever noticed your local power provider running the "public service announcements" on television and radio.

They usually go along something like "If everyone replaced just 5 incandescent light bulbs with the new compact fluorescent lights, it would be like taking 400,000 cars off the roads."

Well, I propose that all the executives at the power utilities pledge be the first to hoof it to work.  These executives at the PG&Es and Edison's around the country should be the first to lead by example by taking all of their vehicles off the roadways first.

Can't you just imagine the trophy spouses of some of these executives schlepping 20 blocks to and from the supermarket with all their groceries in tow----just might break a fingernail.

In a New York Minute these same people would be ordering their groceries on-line and having them delivered to them.  But, what if the grocery store's vehicles are part of that 400,000 cars off the road?  No groceries delivered.

How on earth will their "litter precious" get picked up at suburban elementary school without their SUV or minivan.

The newest campaign from PG&E is about consumer electronics that still use energy in "energy saving sleep mode".  Once again the impact of everyone buying new toasters, televisions, computers, printers, refrigerators, alarm clock radios and all the other electronic gizmo's in modern life results in taking half a million cars off the road?

I sure could use these 900,000 cars off the road when I commute back and forth to the office and showing clients around houses.

Just imagine how easy it will be to park in some downtown areas with 900,000 cars off the road.

WHAT DOES THIS RANTING HAVE TO DO WITH REAL ESTATE?

Now that I am started on it.  Could the CFL compact fluorescent Lights be more uglier?  I think they are fine in fixtures where these ugly little bulbs cannot be seen, like under shades and in recessed cans in the ceiling. Sconces, Chandeliers and all decorative fixtures should be immune from these ugly little bulbs.  I am already seeing them show up in homes on tour and when viewing listings.  The lights emmit an awful yellow tint that just does not say welcome or buy this property.   Please advise your clients to remove all these energy saving ugly bulbs from chandeliers, sconces and all decorative fixtures such as bathroom vanity bars and place in the bulbs that were designed for the fixtures (while they are still available)

A while ago I blogged about how W.R. Yelland's very own home which was a foreclosed property and in dire need of someone to rescue it from it's very distressed state.  The home located at 829 Coventry in Kensington, done in Cape Cod style which was rare for Yelland.  He was most noted for his storybook Normandy revival styles.

Jim Jewell and Sean Steer of Bee Renovated purchased the home and in a matter of months transformed this property back into the gem it had once been.

Bee Renovated works on flipping the higher end properties in Piedmont, Bekeley and Kensington in the Berkeley Hills.

Their first property was in my very own neighborhood in San Leandro. That property located at 555 Diehl Avenue is on the next block from my home on Superior Avenue.  It just goes to show that San Leandro is a great place to get a start.

Keep an eye on Bee Renovated for first class properties remodeled with first class appointments. Visit their website at www.beerenovated.com

I plan to retire to French Lick Indiana because there is so much to offer.  I like the county tourism website as my portal to start my searches http://www.orangecountyin.com/.  Another great site is the regional tourism website at http://www.exploresouthernindiana.com

Here is just a partial list of things to do: 

Historic mineral spring resort hotels

French Lick Springs http://www.frenchlick.com/default_.asp

West Baden Springs http://www.frenchlick.com/accommodations/west_baden.asp

Golf courses

The Donald Ross Course at French Lick (1mi)

The Tom Bendelow Course at French Lick (1mi)

Paoli Country Club (11.2mi)

Casinos

French Lick Springs (1mi)

Boating

Patoka Lake Marina (8 mi)

Skiing

Paoli Peaks (11.2 mi)

Historic Towns

Paoli (11.2 mi)

Madison (75.1mi)

Antiquing

Village Market and Antiques (1mi)

Old Town Gallery (1mi)

The Village Butter Churn, Inc. (1mi)

Down Home Antiques and Primitive decor (1mi)

Museums

Train museum (1 mi)

Attractions

Holiday World Theme Park (44 mi)

Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom (57.2 mi)

***revised 11/18/2008 added links to French Lick and West Baden Resorts

***revised 11/18/2008 added re-blog

***revised 11/18/2008 added to groups (Buildings architecture and dings, Historic homes, things to do/places to visit)

I was on broker's tour again today.  It amazes me sometimes when I see an older home with an outdated closet.  You have all seen the closets, you know, one single rod with a shelf above and maybe some hooks placed around.

If you're gonna place a house one the market, it just makes sense that you upgrade the closet rod and shelf and install a full closet system.

Double the amount of storage and increase the organizational aspects that the closet can fulfill.  Place in some built-in drawers and shoe cubbies for pete's sake. 

You're trying to sell a home in 2008, why not atleast have some upgraded features to make life easier. I don't think that upgrading closets will hinder the integrity of an older home with character.  Sure, have a 1908 victorian home listing, but at least bring the closet organization up to 2008.

Hey historic home watchers,

Here it is, as featured in the book "Storybook Style" the central castle on Picardy Drive in Oakland.  Run to your local library and look up this book and check out this building! 

This was the sales office for the tract and showed off the talents of architect W.w. Dixon and builder R.c. Hillen.  The living room of this unit looks and feels like a castle.

Marvin Garden Real Estate is listing this property 5717 N. Picardy Drive.  It is listed for $525,ooo.oo.  The local MLS # for this listing is 40332889.

Contact me if you are interested in seeing this landmark property.

There I was, on the Tuesday broker's tour for Alameda looking at the listing at 1821 Broadway (one of my clients had shown some fleeting interest in that property).  This little home is near the corner of Broadway and Clement.

Across the street on the Northeastern corner of Clement and Broadway there it was.  A little non-descript industrial building.  Done in the Mission Revival style popular at the time.

The architect William Raymond Yelland, who is most famous for his storybook style buildings was also dabbling in mission revival also.

One of his signature elements was stamped tin weather vanes and other roof ornaments.  On a house built on Euclid street in Berkeley were the startled cat tin ornament along the roof ridgeline, a rooster topped the chimney and a flour de les grace a roof peak.

This little industiral building in Alameda has one of these such ornaments.  In this case it's a little cabelero cowboy riding a bucking bronco.  Age has taken it toll on this wonderful detail, the front half of the horse has withered away into history.

When looking for Yelland's it pays to look up.  Considering that commercial property goes for less (around here it's a pretty good investment) this little building would be a great piece of property to fix and bring back to life.

Opportunity knocked.

I am showing 2323 Magnolia Street Unit 10 with Andres Enriquez from the San Francisco office of Prudential.

This is a dramatic loft space with soaring 18 foot ceilings.  An open floor plan great for entertaining friends.  Up the steel staircase is an office area and a large bedroom.  Custom walnut cabinetry in the kitchen and bath just add to the finishing touches that are all over this unit.  1500 square feet of living space

Call me for an appointment to see this great living space.  This property is offered at $575,ooo.oo

Floridian Investment Group Buys Rights to Alameda's Lagoons. 

Mar 27, 2008

ORLANDO, Fla. (Mar. 27, 2008) - Floridian Investment Group has acquired the water rights to the lagoon system in Alameda, California.

"Beginning in the first quarter of 2009, our group will be raising alligators in the lagoons.  The West Coast operations will supply zoos, aquariums and theme parks with alligators" said Joe Kingly of The Floridian Investment Group.

"The salt water lagoons are ideal for raising these reptiles" said Kingly. "The constant flushing of the system to and from the bay makes it one of the best locations we have found yet"

Keep your pets and small children away

Kingly warns residents along the lagoon system to be careful when in their backyards barbecuing. "It's just asking for trouble" said Joe Kingly.  Keep your pets and small children away from the water and there shouldn't be any problems because the alligators really prefer the water.

The Alameda Citizen's Advisory council sold the water rights to the Floridian Investment Group to help the City of Alameda pay for it's ailing school system. April Ha of the Alameda Citizen's Council stated at the meeting on March 1st "This may also help reduce the school overcrowding issue".

A visitor center will be constructed along Otis Drive across from the Alameda Towne Center.

About Floridian Investment Group Floridian Investment Group, a member of Global Organic Ocean Farming(NYSE: GOOF) family of companies, is the world's largest alligator related business, as measured by the number of alligators currently being raised.  Floridian Investment Group is headquartered in Orlando, Florida, and is supported by more than 1,200 employees globally.

# # #

Media Contact:
Joe Kingly  - Manager, Corporate Communications 
Floridan Investment Group 
(510) 334-7800
mailto:Joe.Kingly@AlamedaAligatorfarms.com

Happy April Fool's Day

If you're looking for a great place to eat in San Leandro's downtown plaza area.  Try Tequila Grill, it's a mexican restaurant for lunch and dinner.  For Breakfast it's an all american good food diner.  There is some mexican overflow on the breakfast menu and that's really a great thing.

I have the Huevos Divorciados with rice and beans and flour tortillas.  MMMMM yummy.  This dish comes with both Red and Green Enchilada sauce over eggs and tortillas.  I order my eggs scrambled because I am not too much of a fan of mixxing the yoke with the two sauces.

The servers Chuy, Luis and Fatima are friendly and like family to all the customers.

My group of diners on Sunday mornings have been eating at the same table for about 10 years now.  The restaurant has changed hands recently and was called Dino's International a few years back. 

It's located in the building that was the Old Chuckburgers Diner on East 14th Street just a few doors South of the Estudillo Avenue intersection. Free parking is available at the back of the building in the city parking lot.

The news came down today at the office meeting.

The Alameda office of Prudential California Realty will be merged with the Grand Lake Oakland office next month. The Alameda office will soon be closed down.

This leaves lots of uncertainties with the team here at this office.  I for one like this location and it's the main reason I chose to work out of this office.  It's modern, clean and in a great area.

I was not happy with the other office because of the need for pay parking and a much older and inefficient building.  Dare I say stodgy?

Well, dust myself off and pick myself up and start all over again.

Life gives you lemons, make lemon cream pie.

After having spent the last several months, since September 07. I am now  close to my first sale.  I have this investor from my farm area that is looking for a fixer-upper project house.  I found one yesterday on the MLS, printed out the client report and dropped it off in his mail box last evening.

He excitedly called me and said that he wanted to see it.  He works in the area and wanted to drive by the place this morning on his way to work.  He liked it.

I saw the building personally this morning also.  It has great potential.  Now the next step is for the client to get with his family and the family trust and get some funds together.  His trust money and along with financing from a lender and we should be doing an offer on this property very soon.

I am getting excited.  It seems that each day is getting better and better. whooo hoooo

Well folks, I have mixed feelings about this.  The historic home designed by William Raymond Yelland located on Alma Place in Oakland went pending today.  I had been holding open houses to find buyers every Sunday from October until March.

Built in 1925 in the Lakeshore Highlands tract, the home sits high on the upslope lots at what was the intersection of Chatham Road and Alma Place.

The home has a classic Yelland Normandy flair that he was famous for.  A two car garage is located in the basement level, cut into the upslope.  The two cars park tandem with a single car width door.

Above the garage is a terrace entrance porch.  Handcrafted obelisks grace the corners.  Along the first floor is a random stacked brick pattern.  Bricks arch around the entrance door which is quarter-sawn oak.  The side gate features a classic yelland element  a startled cat. Shutters along each side of the front window have a chickadee design.

The second floor is in two sections on the left is a classic stepped down gable with dovecotes and the right side is a nice Tudor with half timbering.

When you enter the home you are in an entrance hall. A door immediately to the right goes down to the basement. Next to the basement door but still on the right hand side is the entrance to the hallway. Straight ahead is the door to the laundry room, kitchen and breakfast nook area of the home.  Along the left wall is a coat closet.

Turning down the hallway and straight ahead you see a staircase starting with two steps to the a landing.  The landing goes right and makes a u-turn to mimick the basement stairs below.  To the left opens up the living room.

Now facing into the living room, to the right is the wall containing the french inspired fireplace with it's hood going up to the ceiling and with built-in book cases on each side.  Directly across the way are the french doors to the patio, an artwork niche and the opening to the dining room.  To the left is another set of built-in bookcases on either side of an artwork niche.

In the dining room, ahead are two built-in angled arched top china hutches surrounding two double hung picture windows to the back yard. The right wall contain patio doors to the same patio off the living area.  The left wall contains a swinging door to the kitchen. The upper portion of the door contains a 4 lite glass window.

In the kitchen the sink is along the far wall and toward the left side of the room.  The right side of the room is the breakfast nook with nice old style oak panelling.  Along the left most wall is a counter leading toward the refridgerator and a doorway to the laundry and half bath.  The far right wall in the nook area contains a patio door to the backyard again.  The laundry room door connects back to the entrance hall and we have now completed a loop around the living, dining room and kitchen walls.

Going upstairs.  At the top of the stairs are three closets built into the contours of the roof line of the front protruding gables.  The master bedroom is on the right. Straight ahead is the second bedroom. The left side of the hallway contains the bathroom and the first bedroom.

The two bedrooms share an outdoor sleeping porch in the left rear most corner of the second floor.  Each bedroom contains large walk-in closets with mirror panels in the center panel of these single panel doors.

This went pending on the same day when I had some clients interested in making an offer.  My clients were out done by the winning bid.

NEXT

If you read my blog yesterday, you know that I have a new challenge ahead.  I have a strong grasp on my gratitude rock and putting out good vibes to the universe that I need to have my mother cured of her newest aliment .

Well, I had opened an envelope from a pen company that contained a free pen sample for marketing... Yahoo, the secret gave me a pen.... What was more of a gift was the bubble wrap that surrounded the pen.

A shout out to pens.com

I had fun talking with our office administrator Dani about bubble wrap as therapy for stress relief.  POP, POP, POP  Bubble wrap as stress therapy.  I popped each and every little bubble.  It felt great.

So it got me to thinking.  Please send me some bubble wrap and I can take it to the infusion room at the Eden Medical Center Oncologist (Castro Valley, Ca) and let the patients POP, POP, POP away their stress.

So I am putting it out to the universe....send me some bubble wrap for cancer patients.

Michael Greenslade

Agent Prudential California Realty  660-A Central Avenue Alameda California.  Please small manageable amounts of bubble wrap.  I would not be able to handle 3 foot diameter rolls of bubble wrap.

Okay,

Where do I start.  If you've been following my blog you will have noticed that on January 27th my father passed away from respiratory failure and cardiac failure.

My mother has been battling colon cancer and was in remission.  Keyword he is was.  We saw her oncologist for the results of her recent PT/Cat Scan.  It turns out not to be good.  We are going to be having to go for some more additional chemotherapy.

So, I have blocked out all Wednesdays on my calendar for her treatments.  This will be the third round of this chemotherapy.  We have learned so much from the last rounds.

Dehydration is a very big nasty enemy in this fight.  Her appetite is also something that we have to tackle. The doctor promises us that this medicine will be gentler on her.

I am dusting off my gratitude rock, getting one for mother and we will lick this thing and give her a great life when we see the other end of this trial and tribulation.

So, how do I turn this temporary bad situation into a something to do with real estate.  Well A while ago I blogged about taking care of the care givers.  Well, now is my chance.   Every Wednesday at 9:00 am till noon I will be sharing time with the other care givers while their loved ones are getting their infusions.  So every Wednesday morning now I will be in Castro Valley at Eden Medical Center

My S.O.I. will be growing.  I am sure that in some cases these poor souls will be needing to liquidate some estates.

I could stop by with some chicken soup and drop it by for them on occasion.  I will be able to give out the gift cards for dinners to the care givers to give them the breathers that they really could use.....does anybody have a good chicken soup recipe for cancer patients?

So what's in my future?  Who knows, I may forsee selling my home in the near future and moving into mother's house which is just down the street.  I could always rent it out to my neice Lindsay and her friends. 

When Life gives you lemons make Lemonade.

on June 30th 2006 Cedarfair Corp purchased Paramount Parks including our local Great America theme park in Santa Clara California.

Cedarfair, a very good theme park company purchased the rather mediocre Paramount Parks.  I am glad to see Cedarfair take over Great America.  On the West coast Cedarfair has owned Knott's Berry Farm for many years and has done a smashing job on that park.  In the Midwest, the flagship park Cedar Point Park is one of the best ride parks in the country.

Paramount Parks systematically dismantled everything that was a theme at Great America.  Gone are all the themes of Hometown Square, County Fair, Yankee Harbor, Yukon Territory and Orleans Place.  Paramount slowly began to install rides tied to Paramount movies as a cross promotional tool.  It did not work.  Invertigo the coaster in County Fair area was tied into the Face-Off movie with John Travolta and Nicolas Cage.  Top Gun was added to Orleans Place to tie in with the Tom Cruise movie.  The Drop Zone tower in County Fair is tied in with some obscure skydiving movie with Patrick Swayze.  Then there's Survivor the ride.  The action 3-D theater that took up most of what was Yankee Harbor became the Days of Thunder movie ride. 

Then there's just the neglect that Paramount tossed into the works. The Stealth flying coaster only lasted a season or two and was quickly yanked out of Great America and relocated to Paramount's Carrowinds park and rebranded with Star Trek's Borg assimulator.  The train that once ran around the park on the berm that was meant to keep out outside visual intrusions into the park was removed.  The berm quickly followed.  The Hypersonic XL ride was supposed to be installed at Great America but once again ended up at another Paramount Park Kings Dominion in Virginia.

Thankfully Cedarfair and their people value a good entertainment experience.  I now have hope that the bay area will get a park that is of higher quality.

On a side bar note.  The San Francisco 49er's are eyeing the Great America parking lot as the location for their new stadium.

The heck with the parking lot.   I say drop the new stadium right dead center of the great america park, salvage what ever rides they can and start from scratch with entirely new themes.  My concept would be to have open public pedestrian avenues leading to the stadium.  This avenue would be open year round even when the park is closed.  with Hotels, restaurants and shops.  The avenue should start at Tasman Avenue and work towards the center of the park encounter the stadium and turn toward Great America Parkway. Parking garages could be built to bring in close in parking.

One of the new themes could be SPORTS CENTRAL featuring sports themed rides attractions and shops.  An ENTERTAINMENT CENTRAL could be another theme based around concerts that could be hosted at the new stadium.

COASTAL BOARDWALK could be another theme for classic coasters and such (salvaging many existing rides).

WATEROPOLIS could be the "Crocodile Dundee's Boomerang Bay" water park from the existing park salvaged and relaid out.

Marriott's Great America started out in 1976 as a very nicely laid out family theme park.  Once Great America was sold it became butchered up.  The Great America Park in Gurnee Illinios suffered a better fate when it was sold to the Six Flags theme park group.  The themes were left pretty much intact from the original marriott days and even expaned upon with a wild west area that was planned but never built at the Santa Clara counterpart.

I will work on a sketch of what I am talking about in a new layout.

Just a quick note to give you fair warning that April Fool's Day is just around the corner.  If I were anyone reading my blog.  I give you fair warning that I wouldn't be believing anything posted from me on that day. (snickering with all melodrama evil villain snickering.....muwahaha muwahaha)

I will say that the Alameda lagoon system will most likely be the target this year.  Although I am also considering tinkering with the drawbridges to and from Alameda to the mainland.