Summers End

You thought I'd forgotten a food blip....Never!

Summer is quickly coming to an end, and if your garden was anything like mine my tomatoes had a late start so I still have a fair bunch.

One of my favorite things to do with them is roast them. Sooo easy and even more yummy.

The big tomatoes just chop them up the little teardrops you can roast whole. Give them a little

bath of Olive Oil a sprinkle of salt and pepper a little red chili flake if you like it spicy!

I love to through in a sprig or two of fresh thyme and few minced garlic cloves...who am I kidding

I like plenty of garlic. Put it all in a preheated 400 degree oven and roast until the tomatoes just start to char.

Once their out you can take this mixture as is and mix it into pasta tear a little fresh basil and some Parmesan cheese for a fast yummy dinner . Or put it in a blender with some chicken stock

Blend it to a nice consistency add just a touch of cream to richen it up and top with fresh basil, Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of great olive oil...Whala dinner

As usual...Live a good life and ENJOY!

This Weeks Fav

WOW...Vacation has come and gone and the time has flown by. Came back and got my new listing staged and ready to go on the market. Selfishly it's my pick of the week.

Luckily for all of you...It's CHARMING!!

Great College Greenslocation. Look at the family room beamed ceilings wide open to the backyard and the kitchen. This screams for summer BBQ's or a football game and a roaring fire. The kitchen bar is another great entertaining feature or a plce for the kids to do their homework.

There is also a large living room and 3bed/2ba including a huge master suite. It includes a large sitiing area perfect for your own private get away. This house is so bright with natural light you can't help but smile.

Additional bonuses are new A/C, fresh paint, recessed lighting and all the popcorn ceilings have been removed. Copper plumbing.

At a list price of $310,000.

You can't beat it!

Wow how time flies!

O M G where did the last week go?

Work has gotten busy ( Yippie!!) and so has life. I know everyone has that problem, some just manage it better than others.

I got all my ducks lined up so to speak and have headed off for vacation. Spending some time

in Mt. Shasta with the hubby and the dogs.

Ok on to the business at hand.....This weeks pick:

It is a darling house in college greens. I personally think this is a great neighborhood for families and first time buyers. It has remained well kept over time and you can get some great deals currently. This little gem has so much curb appeal it almost has a cape cod feel to it, white with black shutters- classic and adorable. Just over 1500 sq ft 3Bd 2BA and the master is upstairs. Your own little sanctuary complete with a deck over looking the pool, yep it has a pool.

The kitchen opens to the family room and vaulted ceilings make it so airy, sliders make it so bright. The kitchen has granite and stainless as do the baths. Really all you have to do is move in.

Here's some interesting stats for you:

Median home prices for June 09 were $ 274,740

Median home prices for July 09 were $285,480

Yes, that's right we're going in the right direction UP 3.9% not huge but we'll take every inch in that upward trend. We are also UP 12% in sales year to date over last year. This information is from the California Association of Realtors.

By now you wondering what all these pictures are of I'm sure. They are the farmers market in San Francisco.....Ooooh I love it. You know I always have to end with some kind of food or cooking.

This market makes you want to live in a place that you could walk to a market like this and get your ingredients fresh every day. Peaches smell like peaches, tomatoes are so sweet you think they're candy. They have fresh peas in the pod, and strawberries as red as a fire engine! They also have mom and pop companies selling Jams and honeys and oils that are like nothing you have ever tasted.

Top it off with a trip to the wine store for a little cheese and a wine pairing and you have the makings for a perfect saturday.

P.S Stay tuned when I get back from vacation I am listing a darling house in college greens as well.....Pictures to follow.

As usual...Live a good life and ENJOY- Sue

This weeks pick and area stats

I have 2 favorites this week.: One is in my usual area and one is in the land park area, although neither are brand new listings. The first is in East Sac and completely re-done and adorable. The style from the street is mediteranean and keeps that tone flowing through the entire house. The kitchen is a large galley style, and although I too love a big kitchen I still think a galley kitchen functions so well. It has been updated with all the bells and whistles.....granite stainless and one of my favorites, a farmhouse style apron sink and even better it's copper- ooh lah lah. The basic stats are 3bed ,3bath (with a bed and bath downstairs) 2158 sq ft. and .12 acre lot. on a great street and a cute front courtyard. List price as of today is $799,000.00 The second is in the land park area on one of my favorite streets accross from the park. From the street it has all the charm of a Carmel cottage, but on a street that just exudes days gone by. I can picture sitting on the porch with a glass of lemonade, the dog and the kids playing in the front yard and not a care in the world.....oh if only! This house too has been updated, although not entirely. The kitchen was very well done and has a cool little family room area attached that has a kind of mid town wine bar feel to it. This though is really my favorite part, the family room area has a french door to the front porch. Again....days gone by. All you'd have to do is replace the phantom screen with the old fashion kind! Can't you just hear it slamming shut as we speak? The basics of this one are 2010 sq ft 4 bed 2 bath .25 acre lot. List price as of today is $725,000.00 If I've captivated you with either call me and we can go take a look at them. Everyone seems to be trying to judge the pulse of their neighborhood in these times, so I've decided that once a week when I post my favorites, I'll also post the stats for the 3 zip codes I work most in. If you are in another zip code though call me, I just can't list them all. 95825 Active -26 Pending this week -2 Sold this week- 1 95864 Acrive-140 Pending this week-10 Sold this week-1 95608 Active-173 Pending this week-16 Sold this week- 3 Last....oh but not least here's a little food tid bit. Had dinner in Napa last weekend and had an appetizer of fig pizza.....Stay with me. Whole foods or Sellands will sell pizza dough already made but in it's raw state and they are really very good. So..... here's what I think: Spread out your dough brush a little olive oil on it grace it with a little salt and pepper and toss it in the oven for a few to start it crisping. Take it out, spread it with a little gorgonzola or cambozola cheese then back in the oven to melt. When all that yummy cheese is soft and melty add some sliced figs a little arugula and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Pour yourself a little wine or a tall glass of iced tea and dinner is on the table! All rightie then, that's my contribution for now. As always, if I can help with any real estate needs please call me 916-541-3706. Live a good life and Enjoy- Sue

Getting Started

Today is the day........

I'm joining the ranks of techies staying in contact with the world via a blog.

I plan on checking in and telling you about my favorite houses I tour during the week, giving you news about real estate etc. I will probably throw in a few things about the other things dear to my heart cooking, gardening, really anything having to do with home!

Here's a little tip on using mirrors.....

Mirrors can solve many design dilemmas. Brighten a dark room by positioning a mirror to reflect light from a window or a lamp. Mirrors also make small rooms appear larger, and windowless rooms appear airier. You can also place a mirror so that if you’re seated with your back to the view, it can still be enjoyed via the reflection. One of my favorite things for a coffee table is to lay a mirror down and add lots of candles on top the reflection of them lit is magical.