Guide Me Home 2 San Francisco East Bay - Home

Adopt an Angel

2009-11-09T23:14:00Z

The Adopt an Angel program in Alameda County Child Protective Services and Terra Firma provides Christmas gifts for children in shelters, group homes, foster care and low income situations. Often the gifts provided by Adopt an Angel are the only gifts these children receive.

The children in the program range in age from birth to 18. At 18, the children are starting life on their own and they often request things that will help them such as pots and pans, dishes, and bedding. Younger children ask for bicycles, dolls, and games. As funding for the program has declined in recent years, children often ask for clo ... Continued on the blog.

Robocall Bans and the Do Not Call Registry

2009-11-08T17:44:00Z

The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has banned many types of pre recorded solicitation calls AKA Robocalls. In the past, consumers have had to join a do not call list to stop these annoying phone calls. As of Sept. 1, telemarketers need written permission from each customer in order to make a call. Rule breakers face up to a $16K penalty per each call.

Here is a list of Robocall exemptions:

Flight cancellations
Debt collectors
Delivery notices
Politicians
Charities
Banks
Insurers
Phone companies
Surveys

Live calls are still allowed UNLESS you register your phone number with the National Do Not Call Registry. You can register on line at http://www.donotcall. ... Continued on the blog.

Get a Free Ride with Tipsy Tow

2009-11-06T16:02:00Z

AAA has a new FREE promo this holiday season. It’s called Tipsy Tow. Free to members and non members on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas for drinking drivers and their cars. If you find yourself enjoying the holidays a little too much, call (800) AAA-HELP to get up to a five mile tow and a ride home FREE. This FREE service begins on November 26th at 6pm to November 27th to 6am and December 24th at 6pm until December 25th until 6am.

Posted by:Kay Korbel

on the blog.

Possible tax ramifications on Short Sale or Foreclosure transactions

2009-11-05T20:50:00Z

Every day the newspaper is filled with stories about homeowners and investors losing property to foreclosure or participating in a short sale transaction. What is often left out of the article is that there could be tax ramifications to the homeowner down the road in this type of transaction.

The only cancellation of debt that has no tax ramifications is a gift or bequest. There are exceptions for primary residence, if insolvent or if the debt is discharged in bankruptcy.

The rules for a primary residence are different from an investment or second home transaction. A primary residence is defined as the place where the person lives most often, what is shown on a driver’s license or voter registration, w ... Continued on the blog.

H1N1...Human Swine Influenza Virus

2009-11-05T16:44:00Z

The center for disease control www.cdc.gov advises:

Get more sleep
Be vigilant about hand washing. Use soap and warm water or use hand sanitizer.
Use the crook of your arm to help contain a cough or a sneeze
If you are un-well; please stay home and keep your germs to yourself
Visit www.who.int for more info
For travel notices and advisories visit www.usembassy.gov
Go see your health care provider if you have flu like symptoms

Posted by:http://guidemehome2sanfranci ... Continued on the blog.

Michaels Arts & Crafts Store Handmade Holiday

2009-11-02T16:58:00Z

Jonathan, my 9 year old entered Michaels Handmade Holiday contest. His entry is for the bookmarks he has been selling at The Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, CA and at The Print Café in Fremont, CA.

Click this link to go to the gallery.
<cente ... Continued on the blog.

Tri City Marketing Meeting

2009-10-30T18:32:00Z

Every Thursday morning from 8:30 am - 9:30 am Realtors^® in the cities of Fremont, Union City and Newark come together at the Home Town Buffet restaurant in Newark for the Tri City Marketing meeting. Some of the activities at the marketing meeting include but not limited to:

present active real estate listings
open houses
significant price reductions
coming soon listings
discuss real estate buyers wants and needs
networking opportunities
educational speakers/discussion ... Continued on the blog.

Local Harvest

2009-10-28T17:25:00Z

Are you looking for organic fresh produce and green friendly products? Visit localharvest.org for organically grown food that is local to you. Identify a local farmers’ market or even a family farm, or other sources of sustainably grown food in your area by visiting the local harvest website.

Audrey, one of my valued clients referred me to Local Harvest. Interestingly she is a vegetarian and buys her family’s produce by means of an annual local farm subscription. Audrey says that the regular shipments she receives are certified organic and the items are fresher than those items that can be purchased at one of the four local farmers m ... Continued on the blog.

Holiday Gift Fair

2009-10-26T09:25:00Z

The Triton Museum of Santa Clara invites you to attend the 1st annual holiday gift fair on Saturday and Sunday, November 14th & 15th, 2009 from 10a-5pm.

Visit: www.tritonmuseum.org
Tel: 408-247-3754

The Triton Museum is located at 1505 Warburton Avenue in Santa Clara (across from city hall) (near Scott and El Camino Real).

Affordable jewelry, cards, ceramics, miniatures and glass will be offered for sale by the artists that create these lovely treasures. Stop by and browse the lovely offerings. Shop for those on your holiday gift list.

Posted by:<img ... Continued on the blog.

Postmortem Mummies and Medicine

2009-10-23T21:04:00Z

At my favorite San Francisco museum, Opening on Halloween Day, Saturday, October 31st 2009 thru August 15, 2010; is VERY POSTMORTEM MUMMIES AND MEDICINE. Technology meets archaeology in a new exhibit from the permanent collection of the Fine Arts Museums that examines mummies and provides new insights into the lives of ancient Egyptians.

For tickets and more info visit: www.famsf.org

In San Francisco’s Lincoln Park, 100 34th Avenue SF, CA 94118, 415-750-3600.

Posted by:40 ... Continued on the blog.

A Day at Golden Gate Park

2009-10-23T15:40:00Z

I spent a lovely afternoon last weekend at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. It was a family day- the kids and my parents came out. We drove into the park and parked in the convenient underground parking. We had planned on going to the De Young Museum to see the Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharoahs exhibit. You can go straight into the museum from the underground music concourse parking lot, which is accessible from Fulton St at 10th Avenue.

The fee to see all exhibits is quite pricey, for kids from age 6 to 17, the fee is $16.50, for adults, $32.50. The fee was well worth it, as the exhibit was fascinating, featuring a huge collection of items recovered from the tomb of Tutankhamun, his royal family me ... Continued on the blog.

Castro Valley Book Pass

2009-10-22T18:31:00Z

The date is almost here for the Great Castro Valley Book Pass. The book pass begins at 8:30 and probably ends around 10 AM. Participants will pass about 300 books over seven tenths of a mile route between the old library and the new library at 3600 Norbridge Avenue. All this takes place on Halloween – October 31st and marks the opening of the new state of the art library in Castro Valley. The actual ribbon cutting will take place at 12:30 and then from 1 – 4 there will be tours scheduled every half hour to acquaint people with the new library and all it has to offer.

For more information, ... Continued on the blog.

Dublin – where eagles call home

2009-10-21T19:43:00Z

Located at the crossroads of the 580 and 680 freeways, Dublin was originally the crossroads for stagecoach lines. The line from the Bay Area to Stockton and the line from Martinez to San Jose crossed in what is today Dublin.

One of the treasures of Dublin is “Bella” the Golden Eagle. In 1994, Dublin established a Golden Eagle view-shed buffer zone to preserve an environment that has proven popular with the Golden Eagle. The female eagle named “Bella” has for several years nested in this habitat in eastern Dublin and raised from one to three young each year. The city even went so far as to establish a web c ... Continued on the blog.

Harvest Festival at Historical Ardenwood Farm in Fremont, CA

2009-10-20T15:52:00Z

For the past 8 years our family has been visiting the harvest festival at the historic Ardenwood Farm in Fremont, CA. Every year we climb the hay pyramid and slog through the corn maze. We choose the perfect pumpkins for carving. No charge for admission to the pumpkin patch and lots of fun for kids of all ages. Check the website for many other fun family events thru out the year.

<center>http://www.guidemehome2sanfranciscoeastbay.com/assets/2009/10/20/100_3443 ... Continued on the blog.

Moderate Climate – Great Location Think Fremont!

2009-10-19T18:45:00Z

When trying to determine where in the Bay Area to live, Fremont often comes to the top of the list. With a population of approximately 213,000 Fremont is the fourth most populous in the Bay Area and the fifth most populous city in the state. With a moderate climate that takes advantage of Bay breezes, Fremont attracts many of the high tech and bio tech professionals that call the Bay Area home.

The 680 and 880 freeways run parallel to each other and help keep commute traffic flowing at a reasonable pace. Add to that a BART – Bay Area Rapid Transit – station and a stop by the ACE – Altamont Commuter Express – train and those who need to commute out of Fremont have a number of options.

One of the highlig ... Continued on the blog.