Relocation

RESOURCE uide

San Mateo

Surrounding Areasand

1 (650) 558-6800

181 Second Avenue Suite 100, San Mateo, California 94401

Steven S. LesleyA R C H I T E C T

Residential Remodels,Additions & New Homes

588 Mastick Avenue, San Bruno, CA 94066

sslesley@gmail.com | LesleyArchitect.com

650 871-9903CELL 650 269-0711

Jennifer Selvitella, AgentInsurance Lic#: 0C89496Bus: 650-377-0500

1098 Foster City Blvd.Foster City, CA 94404

raditional Builders, Inc.Bay Area

T LIC 523257

“Done right the first time”

(650)280-4288

www.TraditionalBuildersInc.com

2103 Pullman Avenue, Belmont, CA 94002

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Welcome... Thank you for your interest in our dynamic community. If you are a first time visitor; we know you will find this area a wonderful place to live, retire and/or raise a family. If you are a long time resident, you already know about the wonderful things our area has to offer.

At Coldwell Banker, our goal is to make your move an easy one... whether it’s across town or across the country. Our sales associates put their customers first and look forward to assisting you with the purchase and sale of your new home.

Thank you for choosing Coldwell Banker to assist you with your real estate needs. Please call us with any additional questions, or stop by one of our offices.

181 Second Ave. Suite 100San Mateo, CA 944011 (650) 558-6800

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able of Contents

GENERAL INFORMATION

LOCAL PROFESSIONALS

Welcome Letter

Who we are

Coldwell Banker Network

Princeton Capital

Is it a Good Time to Buy a Home

Buying a Home in a Buyers Market

Coldwell Banker Concierge

San Mateo, California

History & Area Information

Interest Rate Factor Chart

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You will find in this book a number of helpful advertisements by local professionals who will help you with home related services normally needed before, during or after the real estate transaction.

ARCHITECT

Steven Lesley

Strathdee Design & Development

CARPET & FLOORING

Simply Floors

CUSTOM WINDOW FASHIONS

Rebarts Interiors

HARDWOOD FLOORS

Floor Pros

INSURANCE

Chris Boome (Farmers)

Jennifer Selvitella (State Farm)

Josh Cohen (State Farm)

KITCHEN & BATH DESIGN

KB Associates

KITCHEN & BATH

Traditional Builders

MORTGAGE

Princeton Capital

MOVING & STORAGE

A-1 Transfer

.......................................................................871-9903

.......................................477-2147

......................................................................589-9400

..................................................................348-1268

..................................................................1(650)888-0752

.......................................................373-0595

...........................................377-0500

.....................................................854-0500

.....................................................................257-7334

.............................................................280-4288

.................................................................596-5519

.........................................................1 (855)4A1-MOVE

IFC

10

IBC

6

12

6

IFC

10

10

IFC

6

14

POOL SERVICE/REPAIR & INSPECTION

Shawn Kirby Pools

REMODELING

Pacific Coast Builders

ROOFING CONTRACTOR

West Bay Roofing

SELF STORAGE

All American Self Storage

FiveA Rent-A-Space

SWIMMING POOL REMODELERS

Diamond Cut Pool Plastering

TREE SERVICE

Natural Arbor Care

The Tree Experts

..............................................................921-8288

.............................................. 1(650)572-0718

.....................................................1(650)358-8900

........................................1(650)376-0770

............................................................341-2964

....................................1(800)550-0647

..............................................................477-8995

.................................................................222-4733

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3

12

12

IBC

IBC

BC

IBC

This resource guide does not guarantee the performance of work done by these

sponsors. COMPETITIVE EDGE and/or COLDWELL BANKER SAN MATEO

will not be held liable for any problems encountered when dealing with these

companies. However, all sponsors in the guide are committed to serving you with

their utmost professionalism.

Published by: COMPETITIVE EDGE

PO Box 8357, Truckee CA 96162 (530) 414-1223

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The story of Coldwell Banker is one of leadership and success. Our rich history began in San

Francisco in 1906. In the time immediately before the First World War, when Colbert Coldwell

and Benjamin Arthur Banker were striving to establish a real estate business, San Francisco was

hardly the booming market it is today. The city’s western half was shrub-covered dunes.

Downtown business practices were nearly as informal as they’d been during the Gold Rush.

Much of the city was still in ruins from the 1906 earthquake.

Unscrupulous businessmen were out to take advantage of the situation. In an industry where

straight dealing had become optional, Coldwell and Banker saw an opportunity to distinguish

themselves by offering honest, knowledgeable and competent real estate services, bringing

much-needed integrity to the profession. The exceptional standards set by these real estate

pioneers, who blazed a trail the entire industry would eventually follow, remain the hallmark of

Coldwell Banker.

Today, the Coldwell Banker Northern California network includes 59 offices and more than

3,600 Sales Associates. While strongly connected to the national organization and its values, it is

managed locally and independently. Our focus has always been on the needs of our local

communities. We represent the top Sales Associates in the area, supported by the strongest

Managers in the industry.

Who We Are... Company Profile

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Insurance for yourHomeAutoMotorcycleBoatMedicalLifeUmbrella

Chris BoomeOwner/Agent License #OA99058

1004 Oak Grove Avenue, Burlingame, CA 94010

Office 650-373-0595Cell 650-464-0728Fax 650-548-1585

Email cboome@farmersagency.comWeb www.farmersagent.com/cboome

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Is It A Good Time To Buy A Home?

These are some of the questions we’re hearing and we’d

like to give you a few straight answers.

Yes, it’s a good time to buy a home because home loan

interest rates are still at an all time low. that helps the

buyer.

And if you want to sell, it will be easier to find and qualify

a buyer. Then what? The family that has just sold a home

doesn’t move into a tent. They buy a new home, perhaps a

larger one that’s been out of reach. And, because it’s a

buyer’s market, they can pick from a wide selection and

finance their new home at lower interest rates.

The point is, a buyer’s market can be good for sellers, too,

because they then become buyers and enjoy the benefits of

the current market.

Some people are calling the current real

estate market a buyer’s market. Does that

mean it’s a poor time to try to sell your

home?

181 Second Ave. Suite 100San Mateo, CA 944011 (650) 558-6800

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BUYING A HOME INA BUYERS MARKET

When is the best time to buy a house? With many

markets reporting an abundance of homes for sale,

and interest rates remaining at near historic lows,

now might be one of the best times in recent

memory. While today’s real estate market does

offer advantages to buyers, consumers still need to

be savvy in order to get the best deal they can.

What follows is some valuable home buying

information that we at Coldwell Banker think

every home buyer should keep in mind.

When home

prices are lower, it is very tempting for potential

buyers to try to wait as long as possible in the hopes

that prices will decline even further. this strategy

can be detrimental because when there is high

inventory, smart sellers price their homes properly

- not according to past sales but according to

current conditions - so their homes will sell in a

timely fashion. Once a home is priced to what the

current market will bear, buyers will make offers.

The National Association of Realtors reports that

homes are staying on the market for several

months. Recent increased inventory give home

buyers a great opportunity to compare homes that

meet their needs. However, this does not mean that

home buyers should procrastinate. If you find a

house you love, put in your bid and negotiate.

Don’t provide an opportunity for another buyer to

make an offer.

Don’t Try to Time the Market.

Shop Around. But Don’t Wait Too Long.

Currently, mortgage

rates are still near historic lows. this presents a

strong opportunity to enter the real estate market,

particularly for first time home buyers who have

no need to sell another home. Simple mortgage

calculators widely available online can help you

determine just how much you will pay per month

based on a given interest rate. For example, a

monthly payment on a 30-year fixed 5% mortgage

rate on a $300,000 loan will be $1610.46

Watch Mortgage Rates.

181 Second Ave. Suite 100San Mateo, CA 944011 (650) 558-6800

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Good design & quality products

make special spaces

Cabinetdesign

& sales

pamkbassoc@jps.net650-257-7334

www.kbassocdesigns.com

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RELOCATION FACTSBringing MoreBuyers to You

#1 RelocationCompany Worldwide

Ÿ Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is a principal broker for Cartus in Northern California.

Ÿ Additionally, we are considered a preferred partner for Sirva and Altair and we work with many of the other third party companies listed below.

Ÿ Well-qualified, corporate relocated buyers with relocation benefits.

Ÿ We bring more buyers to your listings than any other brokerage.

Cartus is the industry leader, with a long tradition of meeting diverse client needs. They are the company that helps America’s top corporations and the U.S. Government seamlessly move their employees from city-to-city, state-to-state and country-to-country.

Cartus manages over 187,000 employee relocations annually from companies of all sizes. These include emerging firms that may move only a handful of employees to half of the fortune 100. Relocation buyers are preapproved and ready to buy now.

#1 Relocation ProvideMarket Share byPercentage of Moves

Still considering another broker?Don’t forget to ask how they’ll bring more buyers to your home. With our Relocations reach, there is no question.

Cartus34.3%

Sirva14.6%

Other14.3%

Prudential8.9%

Weichart8.4%

Lexicon, 2.6%

NuCompass Mobility,

2.8%

Brookfield Global,

3.1%

Graebel, 3.3%

Altair, 3.4%

Capital, 4.4%

Source: The Relocation Intelligencer, LLC - March, 2010, White Paper #8

181 Second Ave. Suite 100San Mateo, CA 944011 (650) 558-6800

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www.cafloorpros.com

Lic. #896889

SHOWROOM AVAILABLELifetime Craftsmanship Warranty

Full closets? Stuffed garage?

De-cluttering the spare room?

Call for a visit

(650) 376-0770

FREE UP SPACE IN YOUR HOME OR OFFICE

• Your Treasures • Your Sports and Camping Gear

• Your Holiday Décor • Your Business Equipment & Files

• And, So Much More • We’ve Got Room For All of It

www.selfstoragesanmateo.com

2000 E. Third Ave., Between San Mateo and Foster

Serving San Mateo-Foster City for over 25 years.

WESTBAYR O O F I N G & G U T T E R S

All Types, Repairs Too

Seamless Rain Gutters & Downspouts

Office 650-358-8900Cell 650-921-0080

We offer flexible pricing

24 HRAnswering

Service

Walt Higgins - Owner

Lic #771903

westbayroofing@ymail.com

We will beat any local, licensed & insured

roofing contractors priceGIVE US A CALL!

San Mateo California... Some Interesting Facts About San Mateo

San Mateo, (Spanish for "Saint Matthew") is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of approximately 100,000 (97,207 at the 2010 census), it is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the east, Belmont to the south, and Highlands-Baywood Park and Hillsborough to the west. San Mateo was incorporated in 1864

GeographyPerhaps the best-known natural area is Coyote Point Park, a rock outcropped peninsula that juts out into the San Francisco Bay. The early Spanish navigators named it la punta de San Mateo, but cargo ships carrying grain in the bay renamed it Big Coyote (BLM, 1853). In any case sailors had a penchant for naming promontories at the edge of San Francisco Bay after the coyote, since across the bay in Fremont are the Coyote Hills, part of Coyote Hills Regional Park. By the 1890s the shore area was a popular beach called San Mateo Beach, originally named by the Spanish in 1842 as playa de San Mateo. Today Coyote Point is home to CuriOdyssey, formerly known as the Coyote Point Museum, one of the best natural history museums and wildlife centers in California. The Peninsula Humane Society is also situated at Coyote Point.There are a variety of natural habitats present, including mixed oak woodland, riparian zones and bayland marshes. One endangered species, the California clapper rail, was sighted feeding on mudflats by the Third Avenue bridge in San Mateo. The marsh areas are also likely habitat for the endangered Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse, who enjoy the middle and high zones of salt and brackish marshes, as well as for the endangered marsh plant, Point Reyes bird's beak.Sugarloaf Mountain, whose name traces back to at least 1870, is a prominent landform between the forks of Laurel Creek (Brown, 1975). In late 20th century, this mixed oak woodland and chaparral habitat was a site of controversy involving proposals to develop a portion of the mountain for residential use. Today it is park and open space area and home to the endangered Mission Blue Butterfly. Its population as of 2010 is 3,967,932.San Mateo is located at 37°33′15″N 122°18′47″W. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.9 square miles (41 km2), of which, 12.1 square miles (31 km2) is land and 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2) (23.63%) is water.

ClimateSan Mateo enjoys a mild Mediterranean climate, shielded from the Pacific Ocean by the Montara Mountain block of the Santa Cruz Mountains. There is a gap in the mountains, west of the College of San Mateo, where State Route 92 meets State Route 35, resulting in gusty afternoon winds and allowing fog to flow toward San Mateo in the late afternoon through early morning in the summer months. The National Weather Service maintained a cooperative weather station in San Mateo until 1978; records for the period show that January, the coolest month, had an average maximum of 57.8 °F (14.3 °C) and an average minimum of 41.7 °F (5.4 °C), and September, the warmest month, had an average maximum of 78.0 °F (25.6 °C) and an average minimum of 54.2 °F (12.3 °C). The record maximum temperature was 109 °F (43 °C) on June 14, 1961, and the record minimum temperature was 25 °F (−4 °C) on January 5, 1949, and December 9, 1972. Annual precipitation averaged 18.77 inches (477 mm) of rainfall, falling on an average of 60 days each year.

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Kirbys PoolsConstruction & Remodeling

Pool Service • Koi Ponds

Equipment Upgrade

www.k i rbyspoo ls .com

Shawn Kirby, OwnerRyan Kirby, Service Tech

Ph (650) 921-8288kirbyspools@gmail.com

CA L i c . #C61 C53 858963

History

Originally part of the Rancho de las Pulgas (literally "Ranch of the Fleas") and the Rancho San Mateo, the earliest recorded history is in the archives of Mission Dolores. It indicates in 1789 the Missionaries had named a Native American village along Laurel Creek Los Laureles or the Laurels (Mission Dolores, 1789). An 1835 sketch map of the Rancho refers to the creek as arroyo de los Laureles, but by now most of the Laurels have vanished.

Coyote Point was an early recorded feature of San Mateo in 1810. Beginning in the 1850s some wealthy San Franciscans began looking for summer or permanent homes in the milder mid-peninsula. While most of this early settlement occurred in adjacent Hillsborough and Burlingame, a number of historically important mansions and buildings trickled over into San Mateo. A.P. Giannini, founder of the Bank of Italy (that became Bank of America), lived here most of his life. His mansion, Seven Oaks, currently in disrepair and listed in the National Register of Historic Places (No.99001181), is located at 20 El Cerrito Drive. In 1858, Sun Water Station, a stage station of the Butterfield Overland Mail route was established in San Mateo. It was located 9 miles south of Clarks Station in what is now San Bruno and 9 miles north of the next station at Redwood City. The Howard Estate was built in 1859 on the hill accessed by Crystal Springs Road. The Parrott Estate was erected in 1860 in the same area, giving rise to two conflicting names for the hill, Howard Hill and Parrott Hill. After substantial use of the automobile by about 1935, neither name was commonly applied to that hill (Brown, 1975). The Borel estate was developed near Borel Creek in 1874, with present uses being modern offices and shops; the property is still managed and owned by Borel Place Associates and the Borel Estate Company. Scholars Cottage, at 37 E. Santa Inez Avenue, was built by Ernest Coxhead in 1875 in the Tudor Revival style. The Eugene J. De Sabla Teahouse and Tea Garden was established in 1900 at 70 De Sabla Avenue, designed by Makoto Hagiwara. It exists today as a garden of a later home, and it features rock art and other sculpture. "Hayward Park," the extraordinary 1880 American Queen Anne style residence of silver and banking millionaire Alvinza Hayward (often said to be "California's first millionaire"), was built on an 800-acre (3.2 km2) estate in San Mateo. The property, which included a deer park and racetrack, was converted into a hotel after Hayward's death in 1904. It burned in a spectacular 1920 fire.

San Mateo California...

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Parks and Recreation San Mateo maintains more than 15 parks scattered throughout of the city. Central Park is considered to be the city's main park and hosts many community park functions which serve downtown residents. It also has a Japanese Tea Garden, a Rose Garden, and a Mini Train. Beresford Park is another large park which offers bocce ball as well as a skate plaza. Martin Luther King Jr Park and Joinville Park both offer swimming pools while Ryder Park boasts a water play structure. Parkside Aquatic Park located on the San Francisco Bay has beach swimming and volleyball. Many of these parks contain picnic areas with grills, children's play areas, basketball and tennis courts, and baseball diamonds. Coyote Point Park is also in San Mateo near the border with Burlingame and on the San Francisco Bay. It is a 670 acre regional county park known for it's ideal location for windsurfing and sailing. It is also home to CuriOdyssey which is a hands on science museum and small native animal zoo.

TransportationFreeways San Mateo is considered to be near the center of the San Francisco Bay Area about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose, the region's two largest cities. It is served by three major freeways including U.S. Route 101, Interstate 280, and State Route 92. State Route 92 east of San Mateo traverses the San Francisco Bay as the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge to the city of Hayward on its eastern shore.Public transportation SamTrans provides local bus service within the city of San Mateo as well as the entire county of San Mateo. AC Transit provides transbay bus service via the San Mateo Bridge to Alameda County. Caltrain provides commuter rail service on the San Francisco Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose. Caltrain operates three stations within the city of San Mateo with the Hillsdale Station, Hayward Park Station, and the San Mateo Station in downtown. There are 41 northbound and 41 southbound trains with a stop in the city each weekday and 18 trains in both directions on weekends. Extra trains are run to accommodate extra passengers when the San Francisco Giants play. See public transportation in San Mateo County for more details.

Downtown San Mateo is considered to have one of the larger, well developed, more prominent suburban downtowns in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is located roughly between Tilton and 9th streets and Delaware Avenue and El Camino Real. The downtown core contains over 800 shops and restaurants, many of them in historic buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A large, modern 12 screen movie theatre complex gives the downtown a major entertainment option. Central Park is considered to be San Mateo's signature park with tennis courts, picnic areas, playground, a baseball field, a recreation center, a miniature train, and a Japanese Tea Garden. Caltrain operates a large train station in downtown.

The downtown is also home to many large and small multistory office buildings, apartments, government buildings and Mills Medical Center making the area a busy employment center day and night.Hillsdale Hillsdale Mall is a major shopping area within the city and surrounding area. It is the largest mall in all of San Mateo County and a major destination for shoppers. It has over 100 stores in the mall and is surrounded by many other big box type stores. It has its own Caltrain station across El Camino Real.Bay Meadows Bay Meadows was a horseracing track near Hillsdale Mall which closed down in 2008. It is currently being redeveloped into a large mixed used development which will include hundreds of new residential units, office space, retail space and acres of parks including a town square, it is scheduled for completion in 2017. It is a significant amount of new building given the city's and peninsula's limited space available for development.

EducationSan Mateo High School Residents are zoned for schools in the San Mateo Foster City School District and San Mateo Union High School District. Elementary schools comprise Preschool, K-5, Middle and Magnet schools. There are three public high schools: San Mateo, Aragon, and Hillsdale. There is also one private, all-male Catholic high school, Junípero Serra.Colleges and Universities The city is home to the College of San Mateo, a community college. The campus of over 10,000 students is located on 153 acres in the western foothills of the city which offer a panoramic view of the San Francisco Bay. Other universities in the area include Notre Dame de Namur University, a private Catholic university of 2,000 students in neighboring Belmont and Stanford University located about 12 miles to the south.Adult School The San Mateo Union High School District also hosts an adult school behind the campus of San Mateo High School.

Public libraries The City of San Mateo operates three libraries within the city. The Main Library, the Hillsdale Library, and the Marina Library are all part of the Peninsula Library System. The Main Library located near Central Park in downtown opened in 2006 after residents passed a $30 million bond measure. Upon opening, the three story 93,000 square foot building earned numerous design awards and was LEED certified NC Gold. Windows from floor to ceiling provide abundant natural light inside. It is modeled after a retail bookstore and is technologically advanced.

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Interest Rate Factor Chart

44.1254.254.3754.54.6254.754.8755 5.1255.255.3755.55.6255.755.8756 6.1256.256.3756.56.6256.756.8757 7.1257.257.3757.57.6257.757.875

7.407.467.527.597.657.717.787.847.917.978.048.108.178.248.308.378.448.518.578.648.718.788.858.928.999.069.139.209.279.349.419.48

4.774.854.924.995.075.145.225.295.375.445.525.605.685.765.845.926.006.086.166.246.326.406.486.576.656.746.826.916.997.087.167.25

88.1258.258.3758.58.6258.758.8759 9.1259.259.3759.59.6259.759.87510 10.12510.2510.37510.510.62510.7510.87511 11.12511.2511.37511.511.62511.7511.875

9.569.639.709.779.859.929.9910.0710.1410.2210.2910.3710.4410.5210.5910.6710.7510.8210.9010.9811.0511.1311.2111.2911.3611.4411.5211.6011.6811.7611.8411.92

7.347.427.517.607.697.787.877.968.058.148.238.328.418.508.598.688.778.878.969.059.159.249.339.439.529.629.719.819.9010.0010.0910.19

Factors per $1,000

InterestRate

InterestRate

Term15 Years

Term15 Years

Term30 Years

Term30 Years

This chart will help you calculate your monthly principal and interest payments for both fixed and adjustable rate loans at various interest rates over 15 and 30-year terms.Start by finding the appropriate interest rate, then look across to the column indicating the desired term of the loan. That number is the interest rate factor. This is the dollar amount required each month to amortize $1,000 over the specified term. To calculate your principal and interest payment, multiply the interest rate factor by the total loan amount in 1,000’s.

Here’s an example: Interest rate:Term:Factor per $1,000:Total mortgage:

6.5%30 Years

6.32$175,500

6.32 X 175.5 = $1,109

This is a calculation of principal and interest only. It does not include property taxes, insurance, association dues, or other charges.

FloorsFLOORS FOR ALL WALKS OF LIFE

Quality, Name Brands

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL • FULL SERVICE SHOWROOMAFFORDABLE PRICING • FREE LOCAL ESTIMATES

650-589-9400

100 PRODUCE AVE, SUITE C, SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO

www.Simply-Floors.com

Mon-Fri 10 - 5pm • Sat By Appt. Only

• Carpets• Ceramic Tile• Laminates• Area Rugs• Luxury Vinyl/Tile

• Vinyl• Wood• Bamboo• Cork• Wool

tree expertsthe

carlos 650-222-4733 gonzales

Professional LandscapeFree Estimate

Reasonable RatesExcellent Tree Care

Fully Insured For Your Protection

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decorative brick wallsstone retaining wallspavingconcreteflagstonedecking

San MateoCalifornia

View of the San Francisco Bay from Shoreline Park

San Mateo High School

Japanese Tea Garden

Central Park