Sara Greenwood Real Estate

When: Sunday, December 11, 2011 2:00PM – 5:00PM

Where: Treehouse in the Glen

1275 Lincoln Ave, Downtown Willow Glen, San Jose

From my home to yours this Thanksgiving

Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie

How to Make Pumpkin Puree from a Fresh Pumpkin

Bon appétit!!

I have been checking in on the progress of the Willow Glen Town Square since its conception in 2008.  If you’ve driven by the site, you will see that it is getting closer to completion.  In speaking with the leasing office, it is expected that by March 2012 is when construction should be complete and businesses should be up and running.

The new town square will include a gorgeous public plaza at the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Willow Street  featuring lush landscaping and a landmark water fountain located in the center of the courtyard.

The main attraction of the square will be the San Jose favorite, Lou’s Village; the original Lou’s located 1465 W San Carlos Street in San Jose shut down in December 2005.  Tim and Tom Muller, the owners of Lou’s Village made a very sound business decision to sell their 5-acre lot that has been in the family since 1946 to Summerhill Homes for $15M.  Today, Summerhill’s Village Square features almost 100 townhomes and a street name called Muller.  If you remember the original Lou’s it was very big; it was ~ 28, 000 sq ft.  The NEW Lou’s Village will only be 3,500 sq ft but from what Tim and Tom Muller have said, it will be more manageable with a much smaller space.  Lou’s will have a nice bar and outdoor seating for all us that love eating al fresco!

If you love breakfast, you will be excited to know that the CrepeVine is coming to Town Square!  CrepeVine, a family run business for the past 15 years prides itself on the natural and organic ingredients that their foods are made from.  All of their foods are made from high-quality product and it is all fresh and made from scratch.  This will be a lovely addition to the Avenue, but it will be interesting how it will fend being so close to Bill’s Café, which has been the breakfast favorite and tradition in Willow Glen since 1977.

Willow Glen favorites like Willow Street Wood Fired Pizza and Willow Glen Frozen Yogurt and Ice Cream Company will remain where they are currently located but will be improved.  Willow Street pizza is still undergoing their remodeling project with a brand new lounge area and a larger patio for dining al fresco.  The other favorites like Yuki Sushi, Jamba Juice, Peet’s Coffee, Noah’s Bagels, Powell’s Sweet Shop, Peninsula Beauty and Petroglyph will undoubtedly benefit from increased visitors on the avenue and it can only boost business.

Not directly related to Willow Glen Town Square but very much part of the plans to increase business and revenues in the town is another great eatery that is planning on opening in 2012.  Jim Stump, the much respected chef and business owner in Silicon Valley is opening a neighborhood urban eatery called “the Table”.  Jim Stump’s goal is to make his new restaurant the best that he’s ever done in his career; his goal is to make it sophisticated casual with no pretense and stress … just a very casual neighborhood place to dine.  The Table will be located in the building where Willow Glen Bicycles' previous location was and perhaps expanding into the current home of Vic’s Coin Shop.

There are plans for many more new stores to open in 2012 and great small offices designed for the small business person complete with Kitchenettes, conference rooms, on-site drop off dry cleaners, and auto detailing available.

I will continue to keep you posted on the progress, but if all goes well, I’ll see you at the center of town, at Willow Glen’s Town Square very soon!

Stroll down the Avenue this August 25th from 6PM – 10PM with your friends and family tasting wine and visiting your favorite Willow Glen businesses. This is the 1st annual event, and we’re hoping that it is a huge success so that we can do it again in upcoming years.

Tickets to the event are $32. If tickets are available on the day of the event, they will cost $35. This includes a commemorative wine glass, a Willow Glen Wine Walk map displaying the participating businesses & wineries, and 15 tasting tickets for 1-ounce pours. Only 1,000 tasting tickets will be sold, so you must buy tickets soon, as they are selling out quick.

Make sure to stop by The Grapevine to pick up a FREE raffle ticket for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to the Grapevine, compliments of Sara Greenwood the premier sponsor of this year’s event.

Here’s a short list of some of the participating wineries:
Coterie
Big Basin
Odonata
Fenestra
Nottingham
Aver Family Vineyards
Regale
Comartin
Sones
Leal Vineyards
Stags Leap
Moniz Family
Toolbox Wine Co
Alfaro Family
Sarah’s Vineyard
TreRicci

Participants must be 21-years or older; no one under 21 years of age will be allowed in the designated tasting areas. Please drink responsibly, drive responsibly.

Ladies Night Out May 2011

Sponsored by the Willow Glen Business Association, downtown Willow Glen is AGAIN hosting Ladies Night in Willow Glen. This is a night geared toward pampering women, enjoying cocktail parties, wine tasting, watching fashion shows, listening to music and discounts on products and fashions.

Stroll along Lincoln Ave with your friends and enjoy being a lady!

Download a map with a list of all participating businesses and their specials!

I am the first to advocate the perfect marketing flyer with gorgeous photos on glossy paper and a well-written summary of the subject property. I don’t believe that the flyer will sell the property but if it’s done well, it can showcase a listing and is a great presentation piece to display a home.

As an EcoBroker and someone that is environmentally conscious, I am more than aware of the waste associated with printing materials to sell a home. Although essential in this day and age, it is something that I am trying to manage with my GREEN business. I’ve already done away with hard copy contracts; I’m completely paperless and have streamlined my practices by instituting DocuSign, an electronic signature system that allows buyers, sellers and other Realtors to sign contracts and disclosures without printing. It is approved by the NAR (National Association of Realtors.)

My new venture is experimenting with QR Codes, or Quick Response Code. QR Code is a specific two-dimensional code, readable by a dedicated QR barcode reader and/or a camera phone. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be text, URL or other data. The intended use of the QR Code is to allow the contents to be decoded at high speeds. How, you might ask, can this simple technology aid with GREENING Real Estate marketing? Suppose Sara Greenwood has a new listing and instead of printing out hundreds of flyers to market her showcase property, she installs on the signpost a QR Code. The only equipment necessary to find out the details of the property is a smart phone with a camera and the FREE phone application. A Realtor, or potential buyer can snap a photo of the QR Code; the encoded information will take them to a URL to the virtual tour with pricing and information about the home. This URL can be emailed or MMS (Multimedia Messaging System) to others to see.

If you’re interested to see how this new technology can work, download a QR Code Reader on your smart phone, and then take a photo of the attached QR Code [showcasing 1134 Janis Way]. What do you think?

This year, Willow Glen is celebrating Earth Day 2011 with Simple Acts of Green & Healthy Living. Now through May 1st, many businesses on Lincoln Avenue are offering green and healthy products and services. On May 1st from 12pm-4pm, there will be a mini eco-faire along the Avenue; organizations and businesses will line the streets and provide information and giveaways to make your life greener and healthier

Fred

A few weeks ago I received a frantic call from “K”, a renter in San Jose. She has been renting a single family home for a few years, and the home owner just gave her 60-day notice because he will be putting the house on the market. K’s story is unique and very heartbreaking, and very much worth sharing.
K is a young woman that has a heart of gold. She is college educated, very smart, and compassionate and has an absolute love for animals. While attending Berkeley she was a huge advocate for shelter animals and would foster them and adopt them out to families. She has literally rescued and fostered over 1,000 animals, mostly dogs. K moved down to San Jose to pursue a career in social work, working with mentally challenged young adults; her real dream is to continue her education to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. She found a great little pet-friendly house in the Cambrian area and moved in with her 4 dogs [and 2 egg-producing chickens].
Over the course of living in this house, her oldest and soul partner [dog] Fred became blind. One would say that Fred is not much to look at, and K calls him a “hot mess”, but he is the absolute love of her life. Fred is a senior dog with milky eyes, crooked teeth and an under bite; he has one ear that sticks up and the other flops down and he's got a belly of adorable spots. Fred is the sweetest dog and loves his human unconditionally. K is keeping it together as well as she can, but she is so afraid of what will happen to Fred when they have to move out of their home. Because of Fred’s blindness, their home is the only place that he can get around. He knows every corner, every door, and every nook & cranny in the house.
When I heard K’s story, I wanted to help her so much!! I am an animal lover, have 3 dogs of my own and can feel the connection to K. She is very kindred to me. I have never considered myself to “own” dogs, but instead feel like I am a human owned by dogs. The unconditional love that dogs give us humans and the lessons in life that we can learn from dogs are remarkable. From here on out, I will do everything that I can for “Mission Fred”.
K, in her desperation and panic of the news that she was going to be displaced from her home, did not know what to do, or where to go. She jumped on YELP, looking for anyone that she could that would help her. Her first thought was, “maybe I can buy the house”. She came across “Sara Greenwood – Realtor”, saw my raving reviews by my wonderful clients and called me. I believe that the connection was destined. She didn’t know anything about me, but I was the first call that she made. I immediately called my friend, fellow dog lover, and preferred lender, Andrew Soss at Stewart and Soss Mortgage. If you have ever visited Stewart & Soss Mortgage in Willow Glen, you would have noticed a few furry companions with offices: Sarah and Baxter, both rescue dogs with pampered lifestyles. Andrew and I sat down with K and her family to find out if it would be possible to buy the house in Cambrian so that Fred could have a comfortable life and wouldn’t have to learn how to find his way around another home.
Unfortunately, living as a single person on a social worker salary, and not having a down payment secured for a $500,000 home in San Jose is not going to work for K and her family, but I am still searching for properties for sale and rentals. K’s mother, who is just as wonderful a person as K visited with Andrew and I this past week to offer a generous contribution, but it’s not enough to get her into the house. I cannot rest until my mission is complete. If you know of a pet-friendly rental, or can help in any way for Fred and K, and the rest of her family (Daisy, Marley & Indie, plus Saucy & Bossy the chickens) please let me know. K is a beautiful human being and is a truly one-of-a-kind person; she has become so dear to me.

This is for you Fred!!

Beautiful homes will be on tour again at the Willow Glen Lifestyle Home Tour to benefit San Jose Day Nursery on Saturday, April 31st and Sunday, May 1st. I know that it’s a ways away, but volunteers are needed to make this event a success. Yours truly (Sara Greenwood) will be volunteering again this year.

For more information, or if you are interested in volunteering at this FUN event please contact Sara Greenwood

sara@realestaterain.com
(408) 655-5262