lllivingivinginiininn lllos altosos altos · cover photo: dog walker lisa powell and her pooch pals...
TRANSCRIPT
Fall/Winter 2009
A Los Altos Town Crier Publication
Pet PossibilitiesPet PossibilitiesAre dogs in or out Are dogs in or out in Los Altos?in Los Altos?A Legacy of Los Altos HillsNo longer a one-family townNo longer a one-family town
How sweet it isFormer food market morphs into candy shop
livingliving los altoslos altoslivingliving los altoslos altosinininininm a g a z i n em a g a z i n e
Page 2 | Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009
A Team Worth Remembering...
Almost a half century of Hi-Tech and Real Estate Sales and Marketing experience
creates one dynamic team. Satisfi ed clients havebeen a constant source of repeat
business and referrals.
Call Jim and Jimmy for a free market
evaluation of your home!
Jim NappoCRS, GRIBroker Associate
Cell [email protected]
www.nappo.com
Jimmy NappoRealtor
Cell [email protected]
www.nappo.com
Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009 | Page 3
The Los Altos Town Crier138 Main Street, Los Altos, CA 94022
(650) 948-9000www.latc.com
Editor Bruce Barton
Magazine Editor Mary Beth Hislop
Designer Mary Watanabe
Writers Elliott Burr
Mary Beth Hislop
Pam Walatka
Eren Göknar
Fred Hibbert
Cres McFall
Copy Editors Joan Gavin
Colleen Schick
Photographers Elliott Burr
Joe Hu
Sales Manager Tom Zahiralis
Sales Staff Elaine Clark
Janice Fabella
Dawn Pankonen
Ad Services Director Chris Redden
Ad Services Assistant Leverne Cornelius
Production Staff Janine O’Neill
Mary Watanabe
Marilyn Winans
Publisher Paul Nyberg
Associate Publisher Howard Bischoff
Cover photo: Dog walker Lisa Powell and her pooch pals are a familiar site in the parks of Los Altos – but are the pooches passé?
JOE HU/TOWN CRIER FILE PHOTO
Magazine Staff SSSS
Circulation 16,500. Mailed directly to households in Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and to selected areas of Mountain View. Hundreds of subscribers receive the Town Crier in neighboring communities as well as out-of-state. The Town Crier can be purchased at newsstands in Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Palo Alto and Mountain View.
Upcoming 2009 Magazines
Home for the HolidaysPublishes: November 18, 2009
Copyright Los Altos Town Crier Company, Inc., 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Karen E. Bella
Office: 650.209.1507Direct: 650.823.5439Email: [email protected] DRE# 01067787
Arm yourself with the“Bella Experience”
For all your real estate needs. Put my 25+ years experience
to work for you!I am Dedicated, Attentive, Reliable and Responsive
to all your needs.
apr.com | LOS ALTOS 167 So. San Antonio Road 650.941.1111
Realtor®
m a g a z i n em a g a z i n eliving los altosliving los altosinin
A plethora of pet possibilities Page 4It's a sad day for dogs in Los Altos. Are exot-ics taking Lassie-type's place?
Pioneer family Page 9Long before the town's
minimum 1-acre parcels were sold, one family owned
them all.
Sweet Shop Page 14 It's been a year and a half in planning, but Stacy Savides Sullivan sees her sweet dream for the sweet tooth come true.
Page 4 | Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009
PETS
By Mary Beth HislopTown Crier Staff Writer
There’s one disclosure that realtors serving home-buyers contemplating a purchase in any Los Altos neighborhood tend to overlook. It’s practically a
prerequisite to possess a pet if you live here. If you patronize Peet’s Coffee & Tea on State Street or Starbucks on Main or if you walk down Los Altos streets on any given morning, you’re bound to run into a pooch, particularly the Saturday following Mother’s Day – the mother of all puppy promenades, the Los Altos Kiwanis Pet Parade.
As predictable as water in winter and sun in summer, the annual event is set to celebrate its 63rd year next spring as local clubs, marching bands and children gather at the top of Main and First streets – a place of pilgrimage for Los Altos’ pet population. And that pilgrimage is potentially huge. There are approximately 74.8 million Fidos owned in the United States, representing 39 percent of U.S. households. For Los Altos’ 10,000-plus households, that equates to ap-proximately 4,080 canines in the community. Interestingly, only 385 are licensed with the Peninsula Humane Society. What gives?
A plethora of pet possibilities
Cockatiels are great alternatives to dogs, if you can stand the squawking. Don't hug too hard.JOE HU/TOWN CRIER FILE PHOTO
Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009 | Page 5
It’s just possible that with all the new and exciting species available today, feline and canine compan-ions have become yesterday’s news. And Mutts and Mittens are miffed. The up-and-coming generation of Los Altos’ pet population is looking just a little more exotic than the town’s has-been, furry, four-legged creatures. And those sidelined at the pet parade in recent years are witnesses to today’s trend – a pet doesn’t have to have four legs and a tail or be cute and cuddly to qualify as a parade participant. Just ask Audrey Chang, who dragged Silkie the silkworm out last May – without a leash – who was probably terrifi ed to see Ann Li Tico’s two para-keets – even if they were caged – who were ecstatic over the sight of Charlie and Madison Davis’ fi sh-ies swimming and swimming and getting nowhere – spooked their Radio Flyer transport was doomed to tip over. And the boa that accompanied Ian and Theo Ciemieweicz was on the lookout for roving ro-dents. While there’s still a good-sized proportion of dogs that make their homes in Los Altos and allow their masters to dress them up for Kiwanis’ annual event, you’re just as likely to encounter animals sporting scaly and slimy skins as opposed to Fido’s furry fl uff.
www.BuchananAndBowen.comColdwell Banker Residential Real Estate
JO BUCHANAN, [email protected]
STUART BOWEN, E-PRO650.949.8506
The Buchanan & Bowen Sales Team
791 Linden Avenue, Los Altos
1470 Hollidale Ct., Los Altos
165 Pine Lane, Los Altos
1701 Lantis Lane, Los Altos
740 Orange Avenue, Los Altos
For Sale
Call for m
ore info.
461 Patrick Way, Los Altos
For Sale
Call for m
ore info.
For Sale
Call for m
ore info.
PETS
Continued on Page 6
JOE HU/TOWN CRIER FILE PHOTO
With all of the exotic animal choices available, tortoises included, dogs could be losing their place as man's best friend.
Page 6 | Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009
Robison CremonaT H E P O W E R O F P A R T N E R S H I P
Patricia RobisonDRE# 00994433
650-619-2814
Ursula CremonaDRE# 00899342
650-740-8824
apr.com | LOS ALTOS 167 So. San Antonio Road 650.941.1111
PETS
Exactly what, I’ve asked myself, are the en-dearing qualities that attract masters to pets other than dogs and cats? Have these tested, tried and true companions taken the route of chocolate- and vanilla-fl avored ice creams? Has man’s love affair with his canine best friend become as predictable as his marriage partner? Are women tired of serv-ing their felines’ food on Waterford crystal? Meg Grooms, author of “Rats as Pets,” gives the reader some questionable insight into the an-swer at www.bellaonlin.com – BellaOnline – The Voice of Women (a dubious declaration – I’m a woman and I say rats are overrated). “Rats are sociable and intelligent,” Grooms wrote, presumably sincerely. “Rats can learn their name and be taught to perform simple tricks.” The only trick I want rats to learn is how to get out of my house when I scream upon discovering one in my kitchen. “Rats are clean,” Groom’s case continues. “They tend to eat in one corner of their cage and leave waste in another.” My children got the potty training thing down, too, but no matter how messy their bedrooms are. I’d still prefer them inside my house than a rat. Equally incomprehensible to me is people’s
JOE HU/TOWN CRIER FILE PHOTO
Yes, they are furry, four-legged and have tails, but rats for pets? And just where do they rate on the obedience scale?
Continued from Page 5
Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009 | Page 7
A Team of Two, Working Twice As Hard For You!
“We are so grateful for all of your hard work and effort regarding the sale of our house.
It was so nice to know that you two were there taking care of everything when we were all
the way across the country.”
~David & Darcy A.
“We specifically wanted to work with the Campi’s because of their unrivaled market expertise. They found the perfect
buyer for our last house and went the extra mile to help us buy our new dream home!”
~Sam & Christina C.
www.campisisters.com
Jaclyn CampiBroker Associate
Lauren CampiRealtor
PETS
attraction to snakes. “Some of the fascination comes from the fact that they have no legs, and this makes them mysterious to us,” writes the author of “Pet Snakes” at www.PetReptiles.com. “In fact, snakes are clean, dry, silky-skinned animals that are mostly nondangerous to humans.” There’s that clean thing again. I don’t care if snakes can fl ush a toilet – they are not welcome in my home. “Poisonous snakes do not make good pets. Stay clear of them – these should be handled only by professionals,” emerges a voice of reason, fi nally, from the Web site. “If you want a snake to impress your friends or shock your inlaws, then do us all a favor and just dye your hair orange or get your eyelids pierced or something.” Yes, rats and rodents are verboten in the Hislop house-hold, which leaves open the possibility for such promising pets as parakeets, cockatiels and fi shies. And silk worms for feeding. Without Chang’s love and protection, Silkie would otherwise be doomed for a travel date down an in-testinal tract. I admit I’ve done the bird and fi sh thing before. Re-clining next to a fresh-water fi sh tank aglow with gentle lighting, water gurgling from the fi lters and colorful fi sh swimming in schools is a most relaxing experience. Until you have to clean the tank. Fish have notorious reputations for swimming in their own … er … sewage. Combine this disgusting habit with laziness on my part, and you have a situation that can po-
tentially culminate into a deathwatch as fi sh succumb to a lack of oxygen, making their appearance at the top of murky waters, belly-up. All of this can be avoided by downloading virtual fi sh, also known as screen savers, according to information found at www.toptenreviews.com. Barring viruses or other computer anomalies, virtual fi sh have a long life span, they are low maintenance and don’t smell and, the cat can’t get ‘em – all good reasons to invest a few bucks for a pretty picture, according to the Web site’s sales pitch. Parade participants Charlie Swall and Charlotte Fletcher may have already fi gured that out – they brought their stuffed dogs to last May’s event. But despite all the reasons out there to drop the mun-dane and embrace the exotic, I can’t imagine life without my Sasha, my Alaskan Malamute, who, upon my arrival at home tonight, will immediately walk behind my car as I back down the driveway; who will wait exactly one moment once I’m inside the house to remind me it’s time for her dinner; who will immediately expect a raw hide as soon as she’s fi nished; who will bark in anticipation if I pull out my walking shoes; and who will plop herself at the front door tomorrow morning as soon as I leave for work and begin the routine again when I arrive. So predictable. And all so much more comforting – and yes, common-place – than the exotic thing. ❖
Page 8 | Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009
Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009 | Page 9
By Pam WalatkaSpecial to the Town Crier
Elizabeth Yuba Murphy and William Taaffe re-ceived a wedding pres-
ent remembered longer than a blender or fi ne China. They re-ceived Los Altos Hills – almost all of it – when they married in the 1860s. Elizabeth was born on the fi rst wagon train that came over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to California. Her father, Mar-tin Murphy Jr., was co-leader of the wagon train, which left Missouri in 1844. As the story goes, Elizabeth was given the middle name Yuba because she fell out of a saddlebag into the Yuba River.
Linda Taaffe, former associate editor of the Town Cri-er and now editor of the Sunnyvale Sun and Cupertino
LEGACY
COURTESY OF LISA ROBINSON/LOS ALTOS HISTORY MUSEUM
Tractors were the autos of the era for Martin Joseph Taaffe, left, and his son Martin J. Taaffe Jr.
Pioneer family
Continued on Page 10
Taaffes among area's first settlers
Page 10 | Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009
Courier weeklies, has worked with her aunt Ar-line Taaffe Reed to research family history. Linda said that the Murphys emigrated from Ireland to Canada and then Missouri. “They decided to head West after some family members died of malaria. Also, California was giving away land and Catholics were welcomed there.” The Murphy party preceded the Donner par-ty, which stayed in cabins the Murphy party had built. Murphy and his family settled fi rst in the Sacramento area. Using innovative farming techniques, the Murphys worked hard and be-came quite successful – they were among the fi rst multimillionaires in the California Cen-tral Valley, according to records in Sacramento. They purchased more land. Their holdings formed a con-tinuous tract from Sacramento to San Luis Obispo. The Murphy property included what is now Sunny-vale, and the family moved there. In the 1850s, Murphy purchased the 3,800-acre Rancho Purissima Concepcion from Juana Briones, Briones kept a small strip for herself along Arastradero Road. Rancho Purissima Concepcion comprised most of what is now Los Altos Hills. Linda said that Murphy, who signed the deal with an
“X” because as a Catholic he had been denied an educa-tion, used the land for grazing cattle and growing hay and wheat. Wheat farming was an innovation – other local landowners were only grazing cattle. The wheat brought in a good income and Murphy was able to grant Rancho Purissima Concepcion – Los Altos Hills – to his daughter and her husband, William Taaffe, the son of a San Fran-cisco dry goods store owner, as a wedding present. Elizabeth and William Taaffe opened a second dry
Teamwork
Marlys Powell & Polly Neumann, CPA, MSTRealtors®
(650) [email protected] [email protected] www.powellneumann.com
that works for you!
Home Holidaysfor the
m a g a z i n e
When gift shopping or preparing for entertaining, there is no substi-tute for doing it in your own home town. And when it comes to holi-days, Los Altos has something for everyone. This guide is designed to give exclusive promotion for Los Altos merchants and services.
Highlights of this Guide:Inserted into the Los Altos Town Crier & MAILED to 16,500
homes in Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, and Mountain View
Ad Schedule:Ad close deadline: Wednesday, October 14, 2009Publication date: Wednesday, November18, 2009
Downtown Los Altos, Rancho, Loyola, Woodland AreaKathy, Ext. 307
Reserve Your AdToday!
To Reserve Advertising Space Please
Other Los AltosDawn, Ext. 310
Real EstateJanice, Ext. 302
LEGACY
Continued from Page 9
COURTESY OF LISA ROBINSON/LOS ALTOS HISTORY MUSEUM
Martin J. Taaffe, left, purchases stamps from the Los Altos postmaster circa 1957.
Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009 | Page 11
Erika Ameri Realtor®, SRES
650.209.1508
DRE# 01727613
LEGACY
goods store in San Jose. Sunnyvale, location of the Mur-phy family’s home and ranch, was not a town at the time – there were no stores there. “I believe they had a small weekend house in Los Altos Hills, but never used LAH land as their home or for ranch-ing,” Linda said. They were merchants, not ranchers. Elizabeth and William both died young before raising their four children, Martin, William, Matilda and Mary (as in local street names). Each of their children inherited one quarter of Los Altos Hills. One of their sons, Martin Taaffe, Linda’s great-grand-father, was the fi rst in the family to settle in the hills. He and his wife, Rose, were married in 1888 and shortly thereafter built a home and ranch called “Rose Hill” on Taaffe Road. Martin died in 1901, before he was 30. Rose, left to manage the ranch alone after Martin’s long illness, started subdividing and selling the property. Their son, Martin Joseph Taaffe, married Elsie Orr (from the town of Mayfi eld, now part of Palo Alto), raised three children in Los Altos Hills – Martin Jr., James and Arline – and repurchased 11 acres of property that had previously belonged to the family. The property, at the corner of Purissima and Concepcion roads, included a bungalow built in 1910. Martin Joseph founded a construction company (with horse-drawn equipment) on the repurchased property and moved his family into the bungalow. When the children grew up and married, they built their own homes on or
near the property. After Martin Joseph’s death, his widow, Elsie, lived on the property until her death. The bungalow is still stand-ing (This reporter has been renting it since 1978). Martin Jr., James and Arline, and their spouses, continued to run the construction business – the Martin J. Taaffe Compa-ny. Martin Jr. married Los Altos Hills resident Marion Steineke, now widowed. She continues to reside in Los Altos with their two sons, Max and Martin Benjamin (Ben), and their daughter Elisa. Their daughter Florence lives in Cupertino. They run a reorganized version of the construction company, M.B. Taaffe Company. Ben Taaffe has a new son, Max Benjamin Taaffe.James married Deanna Silva and had three daughters, Linda, Candace and Natalie. Natalie, now Natalie Feath-ers, lives in Los Altos and is active in historical recre-ations of pioneer life and costumes. Arline married ZT Reed and had four children, Terry, Laurie, Scott and David. More information about the Murphy-Taaffe pioneering story is documented at the Los Altos History Museum and in the book “The Martin Murphy Family Saga” (Califor-nia History Center, 2000) by Marjorie Pierce. You can see reminders of the Murphy-Taaffe legacy on a surpris-ing number of our local street signs. ❖ Follow Pam Walatka on twitter.com/pamwalatka or contact her at [email protected].
Page 12 | Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009
C O L D W E L L B A N
At Coldwell Banker, we view the real estate tranIt’s about supporting our community,
Los Altos First Street 650.948.0456 Lo
SaraAhsan
MimiBaker
EllenBarton
Hannelore Blanchard650.917.4209
DavidBlockhus650.917.4250
BarbaraChang
KarinClark
650.947.2224 www.karinclark.com
Karen Emerzian650.917.4367
TerriCouture650.917.5811
Carole Feldstein650.917.4267
LoraHu
EnisHall
TinaKyriakis
MelanieJohnson650.575.5031
EppieLam
RicParker
SheetalMohan
ShellyPotvin
ChristineSorensen650.947.2238
MickeyShaevitz650.947.2266
ElizabethThompson
LindaTakagi
CarolVan Zee650.917.7733
AfsieMina
SiaMotazedi650.208.4603
Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009 | Page 13
N K E R californiamoves.com
ransaction as something more than just business. ity, making friends and enriching lives.
Los Altos San Antonio 161 S. San Antonio Rd. 650.941.7040
om
RobertBranden650.917.4210
Jo Buchanan &Stuart Bowen
650.947.2219, 650.949.8506www.BuchananAndBowen.com
BarbaraCannon
Vivi Chan
Jo Ann Fishpaw650.917.7735
CharleneGeers
YvonneGau
VickiGeers
Margot Goodman650.917.4218
GerryLawrence650.917.8248
KirkMahncke650.917.7988
DaveLuedtke650.917.7960
Terrie Masuda
PatMcNulty650.917.8262
KarenQuaid
Nargis Sadruddin650.917.7971
FrancisRolland
Satya650.917.4309
KarenScheel
DianneVernon
Teri Woolworth
AnnWard
EllieZias
Fred Hibbert Managing Broker
Page 14 | Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009
Phyllis & Jamie CarmichaelBroker/Realtors
www.TheCarmichaelTeam.com
161 S. San Antonio Road Los Altos
The Team that Delivers Success
Welcome Home!
Great opportunities for moving up! Call me to discuss a strategy.
SWEET
Sweet Shop
Old Foodland market reopens as community
gathering place, candy storeBy Eren Göknar
Special to the Town Crier
Stacy Savides Sullivan stands in the middle of The Sweet Shop at 994 Los Altos Ave., point-ing out the glass, not plastic, candy jars filled
with multicolored treats. Like everything else in the store, the containers are environmentally sound and the sweets are organic.
Savides Sullivan and her husband, Peter, who live on Van Buren Street in Los Altos, reopened what was once the Foodland market in August. A lifelong Los Altos resident, Savides Sullivan remembers walking by the old Adamant/Foodland store on her way home from Terman Middle School. Although she’s a Philadelphia native, her parents moved to Los Altos when she was 2, and they still live in Los Altos Hills. Passionate about the community, she plans to donate everything above operating expenses to the Los Altos public schools.
“We’re not in this to make a ton of money,” Savides Sullivan said. “We look at the shop as a great opportunity to put in place a special meeting
Stacy Savides Sullivan's shop on Los Altos Avenue offers a wide variety of sweet – and colorful – treats.
ELLIOTT BURR/TOWN CRIER
Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009 | Page 15
FOR LEASERetail Space
Prime Downtown Los Altos Location
331 First Street, Los Altos
For further information, please contact:
James Koch Broker
YOUR NAME HERE
George Monaco Broker Associate
Cell 650.799.3948www.LosAltosSite.com
Local specialist unparalleled experience
Let Experience Be Your Guide!Whether selling your current home, or
considering the purchase of a new home, call George Monaco.
With more than 25 years of experience, George can help guide you through
the intricacies of the Real Estate Industry.
George has been a Vice President/Manager of several leading Real Estate firms, and has
resided in Los Altos since 1966.
apr.com | LOS ALTOS 167 So. San Antonio Road 650.941.1111
SWEET
spot for the community.”She’s also borrowing some ideas she learned
at her day job as director of human resources at Google, a post she’s held for 10 years. Prior to that, she worked at SGI in human resources.
“Early on, I’ve been drawn to challenging people issues … and working to create inter-esting, fun and positive work cultures,” said Savides Sullivan, a graduate of UC Berkeley.
From the ice cream beads called Dippin’ Dots, which chill in their own special refriger-ated case, to the whimsical baked goods from Sibby’s Cupcakery in San Mateo, the shop sells “highest-quality ingredients that are locally produced.” Even the cleaning products are biodegradable, and the solar panels on the roof provide energy, a modern twist on a historical business.
When George and Eleanor Mundinger first opened Foodland in January 1941, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was president. Those were the days when a neon beer sign sat out front. The place was a fully stocked market, “well-equipped to handle the needs of everyone,” according to the Los Altos News.
The Mundingers later sold the store to John Cheng, who continued to operate the market. In 2004, however, when the Landa family purchased the place, they lived in the house in back, and the store remained closed.
The Sullivans dreamed of opening a place where
grandparents, parents and children could meet. To that end, adult customers can sip espresso drinks or fresh-fruit smoothies outside on the patio while children watch the specially installed “dancing waters’ pad.” Frozen yogurt comes in sweeter soft-serve as well as the tarter variety now in style.
It’s been a long year and a half of fielding neighbors’
Continued on Page 16
ELLIOTT BURR/TOWN CRIER
Stacy Savides Sullivan's sweet treats are stored in glass jars for bulk purchases.
Page 16 | Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009
noise and traffic concerns, as well as con-forming to the city’s new green build-ing guidelines. But the Sullivans persisted, buoyed by their vision of a “Paul Newman model,” not-for-profit cafe. It will be run along similar lines as a Palo Alto shoe store, In Her Shoes, which donates all prof-its to the Global Fund for Women, but not as a registered non-profit.
Thanks in part to Savides Sullivan’s tenacity, the shop opened in late August.
“Stacy has been patient and respectful of neighbors’ concerns,” said Los Altos resident and interior designer Julie Brown, of Brownhouse Design, who designed the project. Her touches include the “ice-stone” counters made from recycled glass and concrete, and the sayings imbedded in the thresholds. One in the bathroom says, “wash your hands, sweetie.” Brown notes that they used “vibrant and fun” colors throughout.
“Stacy had a vision and she wouldn’t let it go,” Brown said.
“We want to partner with the neighbors,” Savides Sullivan said.
Indeed, Savides Sullivan’s dream of a “gathering place, not a grab-and-go place,” won over city officials and many residents. In the September 2007 Los Altos Neighborhood Newsletter, Kathy Putman praised the neighborhood cafe concept, noting “that alone was good news. But we could barely believe our ears when we
learned of their plan to donate all profits to the local schools.”
Others applauded the community-friendly, walk-in concept. The store is within walking distance of Santa Rita and Egan Junior High schools, as well as Pilgrim Haven nursing home. It fulfills the Sullivans’ desire to create a safe, pedes-trian-friendly environment for all genera-tions. Although there will be four parking spaces in front of the shop, most customers are expected to arrive on foot.
The Sweet Shop is definitely a family affair. Peter, an engineer, advises on “vision and design,” according to Savides Sullivan. He also shares the house in back, which has been completely remodeled and serves as an office for his work on the impact of heavy metals such as mercury and arsenic on human performance.
Sons Max, 10, and Jack, 12, have also weighed in with their advice, suggesting the Dippin’ Dots ice cream, for example. Savides Sullivan’s sister, Menlo Park realtor Stephanie Savides, sold the house.
Ten part-time employees work at the store, as well as two managers, Sandra Cotunga and Los Altos resident Peggy Miller. Savides Sullivan said she’s had many requests from moms and younger children who want to volunteer at the store as well. ❖
The Sweet Shop’s hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. For more information, call 941-7467.
apr.com | LOS ALTOS 167 So. San Antonio Road 650.941.1111
Susan Sims,Realtor/SRESDre# 01408349
Offi ce: 650.209.1607Cell: 650.743.1838Email: [email protected]
Susan will provide you with:
If you are looking for an agentwho will always go the extra mile
-call Susan.
Let me make your real estate dreams come true.
Marcia Newton, Los Altos Resident and Expert for 28 years, will serve you best!
Please call me so we can discuss your real estate needs. I look forward to hearing
from you.
Marcia NewtonDRE# 00686035
Direct 650.2009.1536Cell [email protected]
SWEET
Continued from Page 15
"Stacy had a vision and she wouldn't
let it go."
– Julie Brown
Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009 | Page 17
An unwavering commitment to
excellence in service.
Shelly [email protected] 2% Coldwell Banker Worldwide
Free Reports:www.ShellyPotvin.com
Donate your used cell phone to aid victims of domestic
violence. Drop off at any CB office.
Respect,Service,Results,
& Referrals
Lynn NorthSRES
President’s Club
direct 650.209.1562cell 650.703.6437
DRE# 01490039
4th Generation Resident
Serving the neighborhoods
of Los Altos, Mountain View,
Sunnyvale and Cupertino
I am personally committedto your success in selling orfinding your dream home.
LYNN
NORTH
AGENT
By Fred Hibbert
The key to choosing the realtor who best suits your needs is selecting one with the right mix of knowl-edge, skills and personality.
Following are my top fi ve ways to know if you have connected with the wrong agent.
No. 5: Your agent isn’t Internet savvy. While full-service brokerages make buying or selling a house easier and more cost effective, the Internet is an im-portant weapon in a marketing arsenal. Most fi rms have a home-search tool at their Web site to enable buyers to fi nd homes with specifi c characteristics that interest them. Many sites will notify agents and clients when a home matching those characteristics comes on the market. If your agent isn’t using the Internet as a primary search tool, it may be time to fi nd a new realtor.
No. 4: You’re so stressed that you feel you de-serve the commission, not your agent. There’s no way to avoid a certain amount of anxiety when it comes to buying and selling a house, but a good realtor can make the experience much less stressful. Competent agents will use their skills and expertise to take care of the nagging details and make the transaction as smooth as possible. As your go-to person, your agent should address your concerns and communications thor-oughly and promptly. Relieve yourself of the added stress if your agent isn’t doing all he or she can to make your life easier.
No. 3: Your agent asks for directions to your town. All real estate, like politics, is local. It’s important to choose an agent who knows your city and neighborhood
Five signs you might have selected the wrong realtor
Continued on Page 18
Page 18 | Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009
inside and out. If you’re buying, your agent should be able to provide information about the schools, local services, attractions and price comparisons of other real estate in the neighborhood. When selling, pay attention to the for-sale signs in the neighborhood. Are you seeing the same agent’s face or name over and over again? If so, that’s likely the person to contact.
No. 2: Your agent responds, “This baby will practically sell itself,” when you ask how he or she plans to market your home. The fact is, homes do not sell themselves – or at least not typically for the best price. Gone are the days when multiple offers came in within a day or two of a house go-ing on the market. These days, agents must have extensive marketing strategies. A good agent’s marketing plan will include all possible channels to sell your home – ads, open houses, the Internet and more. Agents may also think outside the box to include creative tools such as staging and spending a little money to improve the overall appearance of the house, which can bring a payoff many times over in the sale price. In the end, if your agent truly has your best interest in mind, you’ll see it in the marketing plan.
No. 1: They dropped off their card at your house and you hired them on the spot. Like any other major decision in your life, you should do your homework before selecting a realtor. Ask friends, family members and neighbors – anyone you know – if they can recommend a good agent. Take the time to inter-view two or three agents and check their references. This decision can affect your future for years to come. If you’re buying, you want an agent who can help you get the most for your money. If you’re selling, you want an agent who will negotiate for the highest price possible for your home. Before making a commitment, make sure you know what your agent can do for you. Taking the time to fi nd the right realtor may seem like too much work, but it is well worth the trouble. The time you put in at the beginning will more than pay off down the road. ❖
Fred Hibbert is manager of Coldwell
Banker Residential Brokerage in Los
Altos and a 20-year real estate veteran. For more information, call
948-0456 or e-mail fhibbert@cbnorcal.
com.
Nancy SimonSenior Mortgage Broker
Nancy Simon(650) 917-6688 Office(650) 823-1962 [email protected]
www.nancysimon.net
A Broker Licensed by the California Department of Real Estate.License #01381788
Your Home Financing Specialist. Serving Peninsula home buyers and investors in residential Real Estate. One application gives you access to several bank’s loan options and competitive rates to fit your individual needs-giving you the benefit of choice.
Call me to discuss your scenarios today.
Expert color matching and re-dyeing.We can repair leather, vinyl, fabrics & plastic. Even pet damage and burns!
Fibrenew Silicon Valley408-773-1395
www.fibrenew.com/silicon_valley
LeatherFurnitureRepair
Upholstery Cleaning
FREE ESTIMATES MOBILE SERVICE
AGENT
Continued from Page 17
Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009 | Page 19
Page 20 | Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009
Location is king in Los Altos
LOCATION
By Cres McFall
How do you value a parcel of land in Los Altos? Mark Twain quipped, “Buy land – they’re not making it anymore.”
Los Altos today has few undeveloped lots. It is this scarcity of land that increases home prices – not the houses themselves. Because there is a market for newer and larger homes, builders buy older homes and tear them down to have a building site. Construction costs have risen and many homes have been improved, but the major price increases can be at-tributed to the value of land. The economy may have tem-porarily dampened the increase, but the value of living in Los Altos will always be extraordinary. The benefi ts simply add up – a mild climate; a lush landscape; an invit-ing downtown; employment opportunities across Silicon Valley; easy access to commute routes; proximity to San Francisco, the Pacifi c Ocean and the Sierra, with innu-merable recreation possibilities; a rich sense of commu-nity; prestige that comes with a prosperous citizenry; ex-cellent schools; and a wealth of cultural activities. Clearly, location is king. So, how do you calculate the value of a particular par-cel? When faced with a conundrum, the late Roy Alley, a Los Altos-based attorney and droll humorist, would ask, “How long is a piece of wet rope?” Here’s a wet rope question: How do the size and char-acter of a parcel affect its value? A single home site in Los Altos can range from 6,000 to more than 40,000 square feet, so calculating the cost per square foot is not useful. Even small building sites here sell for more than $1 mil-lion. Before Los Altos was incorporated in 1952, small-lot subdivisions were not uncommon. The streets north of Egan Junior High and neighborhoods around Foothills Congregational Church and Loyola Corners all have small lots. At the other end of the scale, deed restrictions pre-vented owners from subdividing large 40,000-square-foot parcels along a section of Covington Road. The value of a parcel in one part of town can be radi-cally different from the same-sized parcel in another part of town. Lots in the north end of town are in the greatest demand. A wide lot is generally more valuable than a nar-row one. A view, a quiet cul-de-sac, expensive homes in the neighborhood and the distance to downtown all add to the desirability of a home site. With so many factors to consider, only buyers can answer the question of lot value, and they must answer
Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009 | Page 21
subjectively. An objective view is available only over time. The majority of Los Altos parcels are between 9,000 and 16,000 square feet in area, so a graph of average sales of vacant lots in this size range comes close to a comparison of apples to apples. Data show a $300,000 appreciation in value from 2000 to 2007. There were few or no sales in this size range to
provide meaningful data in 2003, 2004 and 2008. The data for 2008 is drawn from sales of small homes on large, buildable lots. The bottom line: If you own a home in Los Altos, you have a lot to be grateful for. ❖ Cres McFall is owner-realtor of McFall Real Estate. E-mail him at [email protected].
LOCATION
Page 22 | Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009
‘Network’ serves as advocate for homeowners
NEIGHBORHOOD
By Elliott BurrTown Crier Staff Writer
Dense traffi c, two-story homes and large commer-cial developments can tweak mental thresholds when residents feel the changes affect the char-
acter of their neighborhoods. Frustration and anxiety are relatively natural reactions in this town. There exists a coalition of city offi cials and residents with the goal of informing neighbors of their options to minimize the tribulations in such situations. It’s named the Los Altos Neighborhood Network (LANN) and, ac-cording to adviser Lou Becker (also a Los Altos city coun-cilman), it keeps people abreast of the public process. “The idea of two-stories is always contentious,” Becker said. “How do you inform people of the ordinances? ... If the code says you can do it, you can do it.” As Ken Lorell, one of LANN’s founders, said, “it helps residents feel more of a conduit to the bureaucratic ma-chinery” of Los Altos. LANN publishes 10 newsletters per year with concrete information on land-use decisions and other citywide is-sues. Jon Baer, LANN treasurer and a Los Altos planning commissioner, said although the group doesn’t endorse initiatives proposed by residents (traffi c calming, for in-stance), they will direct concerned residents to the right people to talk with in the city government. “We try to provide a balanced perspective to neighbors, the background and information and analysis, so people can make their own decisions on issues,” Baer said. Lorell, LANN's vice president, helped establish the group 10 years ago after two things were apparent: the now-antiquated Los Altos Homeowners League proved ineffectual in drawing attention to residents’ concerns and homeowners were trying to remodel a neighboring 2.5-acre historical property. “The deck was stacked in favor of developers and real-tors,” Lorell said. “We had to get involved.” A developer purchased the Meyer property, as it was known in 1988, with plans to raze it and build a new struc-ture. But armed with a passion to have a voice in matters, Lorell and Becker crusaded to alter the plans to better pre-serve its historical nature. And they succeeded. Nearly a decade later, they and Los Altos resident Kathy Putman formed LANN. Becker ran and won a seat on the city council. “It went from a handful of grumpy, old men in the Ho-meowner’s League to a young, intelligent skill set,” Lorell said. “And we had many women, too, which was progres-sive for the time.” ❖
LIST OF ADVERTISERS
Bonnie Osborne/Spotlight Realty Services . . . . . . Page 11
Bus Barn Stage Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Cashin Company Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13
Dylan Studios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Erika Ameri/Alain Pinel Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Fibrenew Silicon Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
George Monaco/Alain Pinel Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
James Koch, Broker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Jim & Jimmy Nappo/Alain Pinel Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Jo Buchanan & Stuart Bowen/Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . 5
Karen Bella/Alain Pinel Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Kathy Bridgman/Alian Pinel Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Jaclyn & Lauren Campi/Campi Properties, Inc. . . . . . . . . 7
Lori Nelson/Alain Pinel Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Lynn North/Alain Pinel Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Marcia Newton/Alain Pinel Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Marlys Powell & Polly Neumann/Coldwell Banker . . . . 10
Nancy Simon/Diversifi ed Capital Funding . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Owen Signature Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Patti Robison & Ursula Cremona/Alain Pinel Realtors . .14
Phyllis & Jamie Carmichael/Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . 14
Sereno Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Shelly Potvin/Coldwell Banker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Susan Sims/Alain Pinel Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
The Macvicar Team/Sereno Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009 | Page 23
We Are Your Neighborhood Realtors®
Connie BealDRE# 01223272
Mar Andres-KeehnDRE# 01771753
Frank ConradDRE# 01204925
Veronica DowneyDRE# 01838840
Stephanie FieldenDRE# 01779557
Josie GamberaDRE# 01229604
Steven HoDRE# 01234462
Bonnie KehlManager/Vice President
DRE# 00896243408.605.0236
Victor PlatonoffDRE# 00860354
Paul KimDRE# 01719273
Guy MongilloDRE# 01511702
Ruben VillalpandoDRE# 01301730
Ulli Rieckmann-FechnerDRE# 01831140
Rachel SiressDRE# 00592984
Michael TeymouriDRE# 01368039
Deniece Watkins-SmithDRE# 01295757
Farideh ZamaniDRE# 01364595
Page 24 | Living in Los Alltos | September 16, 2009
KATHY BRIDGMAN
“With these current market conditions letmy experience work for you.” -Kathy Bridgman
Nationally Ranked By The Wall StreetJournal Top 100 For 2008 Sales Volume!