As I write it is about 9:35 and the temperature outside is still 87. Both the house AC is running and the little one in my window for just the office which protects the computers while the rest of the house is often without AC, that is until this most recent heat wave. Wow
I slept until 7 this morning having gotten home so late. I jumped up and showered quickly knowing I had work to do.
Since Steve's car was out I took it to Starbucks and while there filled the tank. pretty amazingly the full size Accord delivered 36 mpg which I think is amazing. The car has a little motor but so much power and a 6 speed transmission, drives like a dream and is so comfortable. Honda certainly knows how to built a nice car.
I worked through the morning nodding off from time to time, then it was time to drive to Martinez to see a quadruplex, that is 4 living units under one roof, owned by the same owner and usually rented to 4 tenants. I arrive and it was very hot. Tempers were short and they wanted me to go in first but I know from experience that I need to quickly determine the outside dimensions before heading inside. One tenant giving the person who was there to let me in trouble. He was challenging the person and demanding to be informed one week in advance. From my experience of 26 years I know that a 24 hour warning for this kind of inspection is all that is required. The tenant was contacted last Friday so had more than the minimum warning. I felt I was doing them a favor but the tenant was angry about me coming on Sunday. Once I was inside I was just amazed by the bad condition, the piles of trash and stuff everywhere and in the middle of the room was a large lady only partly covered with a blanket lying on a bed. She yelled for me not to take a photo of her, well I had no intension of doing so, not today, not ever! So I quickly shot a corner shot of living room, bathroom and kitchen and made a hasty retreat. By now I was perspiring heavily, it was just hot. The rest of the units were much better kept and went smoothly.
I was glad to drive away and park under a tree nearby as I waited for the two to quit talking so I could take the front photo. Eventually they did just that and I got my photo. Once I had the photos shot then I did a field review of an appraisal that was completed in 2005. I think the appraiser was high on value, higher than anything that sold at that time in the neighborhood. So after completion of the exterior photos I headed home.
The little bug was struggling with the heat but kept me cool as I drove. I was listening to a great book, one I've heard before but it is good and that helps the miles pass by.
I stopped at Red Robin for a garden burger and along with the salad it was very good. Then it was back to the house to meet up with Jason and family as they stopped by briefly to pick up Jason's car since he left it here on Friday when we travelled to Tahoe. His car is solid black and it was really hot when he left.
Now its bedtime once again, the bedroom AC is cranking away keeping the bedroom chilly so sleep is possible. My heart goes out to people who do not have adequate cooling. Its just hard to escape the heat. It was even hot up at the time share on the ridge but cooled in the evening when the wind came up.
So at this point I'm sending to love to all,
Tim
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Just in this minute
What a nice time the last 24 hours have been.
Steve, Jason and I left here on Friday evening and arrived at the Ridge above South Lake Tahoe late in the evening.
I slept on a hide a bed and it was pretty good. I woke to hear Keanna moving about but she was so quiet I just went back to sleep. Later, about 7:30 we started getting up and later in the morning we went to breakfast at a great local place, what great food. Then after playing some cute little put put golf near the unit we drove around the lake in the two vans. Jo was not too wild about driving on the ridge with all the switch backs along Emerald Bay but she did a great job. We stopped in Tahoe City, found a very nice beach and the family played for hours.
Discovering that we were all hungry we found a nice Mexican place on the main street and that meal was great too. I've included a photo that Nikki shot at some point today of me and Kallie.
After we completed our trip around the lake the family headed to one of the two pools at the complex and driving Steve's new Accord I came home. What an incredibly smooth car to enjoy. Now I'm home and read to rest, then ready to get up and work hard tomorrow.
Here is some photos Nikki shot today.
I think you can see why this was such a great day, how can you lose when you are around such great kids.
Love to all
Tim (Pappa)
Steve, Jason and I left here on Friday evening and arrived at the Ridge above South Lake Tahoe late in the evening.
I slept on a hide a bed and it was pretty good. I woke to hear Keanna moving about but she was so quiet I just went back to sleep. Later, about 7:30 we started getting up and later in the morning we went to breakfast at a great local place, what great food. Then after playing some cute little put put golf near the unit we drove around the lake in the two vans. Jo was not too wild about driving on the ridge with all the switch backs along Emerald Bay but she did a great job. We stopped in Tahoe City, found a very nice beach and the family played for hours.
Discovering that we were all hungry we found a nice Mexican place on the main street and that meal was great too. I've included a photo that Nikki shot at some point today of me and Kallie.
After we completed our trip around the lake the family headed to one of the two pools at the complex and driving Steve's new Accord I came home. What an incredibly smooth car to enjoy. Now I'm home and read to rest, then ready to get up and work hard tomorrow.
Here is some photos Nikki shot today.
Love to all
Tim (Pappa)
Saturday, June 29, 2013
At Tahoe ridge
After a long day of work it was great to load up and head to the mountains.
Steve was kind enough to drive us in his new Accord. So comfortable and nice to have someone else drive.
The kiddos were fast asleep so we adults sat and talked. I'm thrilled to have the family under one roof.
The unit has a lockout so has two bedrooms and a bathroom for each unit. It's in a very nice complex that has facilities for every kind of activity.
So I'm thankful to be here tonight. Hope your weekend goes great for you and yours.
Love
Tim
Steve was kind enough to drive us in his new Accord. So comfortable and nice to have someone else drive.
The kiddos were fast asleep so we adults sat and talked. I'm thrilled to have the family under one roof.
The unit has a lockout so has two bedrooms and a bathroom for each unit. It's in a very nice complex that has facilities for every kind of activity.
So I'm thankful to be here tonight. Hope your weekend goes great for you and yours.
Love
Tim
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Excellent day
Up at 7, rode the updated treadmill for a few minutes without incident, showered and came down to work.
At 10:45 left for Brentwood with Keanna. Inspected a home to determine a value as of the day of death of the man, he was 92. Then to Lowes where we found a new very nice but heavy measuring wheel. Then to Target for Keanna's lunch, then dropped her off at her house. Nikki was preparing to leave for Tahoe having left work at noon today.
At 2:30 I was in Livermore to inspect a decent place, then having shot the comps I headed back to see a place in Discovery Bay, a duet, there are not very many of such homes, homes where ownership is for each side individually compared to a duplex where one owner owns both sides. Then back home to work in the office some more.
Up early tomorrow and seeing three properties before leaving in the late afternoon for Tahoe with Steve and Jason. Should be a great time at the Ridge. Nikki sent a photo and you can see the lake from the unit. So nice.
Love to all,
Live is good
Tim
At 10:45 left for Brentwood with Keanna. Inspected a home to determine a value as of the day of death of the man, he was 92. Then to Lowes where we found a new very nice but heavy measuring wheel. Then to Target for Keanna's lunch, then dropped her off at her house. Nikki was preparing to leave for Tahoe having left work at noon today.
At 2:30 I was in Livermore to inspect a decent place, then having shot the comps I headed back to see a place in Discovery Bay, a duet, there are not very many of such homes, homes where ownership is for each side individually compared to a duplex where one owner owns both sides. Then back home to work in the office some more.
Up early tomorrow and seeing three properties before leaving in the late afternoon for Tahoe with Steve and Jason. Should be a great time at the Ridge. Nikki sent a photo and you can see the lake from the unit. So nice.
Love to all,
Live is good
Tim
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
A Great Day
I'm just back from an evening with Bob and his grand daughter, what a delightful time.
First we had dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory, the raced over to be seated near the front of the theater.
The show started on time, it was a musical by Cole Porter, Anything Goes. The cast were very enjoyable, the costumes were perfect, the music first rate and the dancing was amazing. Its a great story and full of fun and romance.
I could easily see it again tomorrow evening, it was that good.
Jessy arrived early this morning so she could assist me with an appraisal of a huge property here in Discovery Bay. The home was beautiful and the morning bright. I think we got great photos but our comparables are weak, not much has sold recently and that does not help.
Then we drove to Tracy to see another property and in the process of measuring that home we discovered that the measuring wheel is not reliable, just now I've measured in the garage the same distance that I know to be 11 feet. Sometimes I get 11 feet but I also get anything from 3 to 6 feet for the same distance. something has worn out in the wheel and yesterdays rain did not help at all. So tomorrow is going to be interesting as I try to measure three homes and get them right. Yikes this could be challenging. I think I'll just measure everything twice, once both ways and if it comes out the same then I'll be right but if different then I'll do it again and also I'll take a tape to be sure.
This wheel came from Harbor Freight and I guess they have a life time and I'm past the lifetime. It says it has a lifetime warranty on it, we will see.
So sending love to all,
Tim
First we had dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory, the raced over to be seated near the front of the theater.
The show started on time, it was a musical by Cole Porter, Anything Goes. The cast were very enjoyable, the costumes were perfect, the music first rate and the dancing was amazing. Its a great story and full of fun and romance.
I could easily see it again tomorrow evening, it was that good.
Jessy arrived early this morning so she could assist me with an appraisal of a huge property here in Discovery Bay. The home was beautiful and the morning bright. I think we got great photos but our comparables are weak, not much has sold recently and that does not help.
Then we drove to Tracy to see another property and in the process of measuring that home we discovered that the measuring wheel is not reliable, just now I've measured in the garage the same distance that I know to be 11 feet. Sometimes I get 11 feet but I also get anything from 3 to 6 feet for the same distance. something has worn out in the wheel and yesterdays rain did not help at all. So tomorrow is going to be interesting as I try to measure three homes and get them right. Yikes this could be challenging. I think I'll just measure everything twice, once both ways and if it comes out the same then I'll be right but if different then I'll do it again and also I'll take a tape to be sure.
This wheel came from Harbor Freight and I guess they have a life time and I'm past the lifetime. It says it has a lifetime warranty on it, we will see.
So sending love to all,
Tim
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
A Day of Adventure
Well I guess you know it rained today. I certainly found out once I reached Santa Rosa. It was pouring, not some friendly California sprinkle, nope, this was a Washington downpour.
So I found the little dump, I mean house and it was wet, the place was rough, very near downtown, had nice tenants, agent never showed up at all. I darted out into the rain to measure, then back under eves to write the numbers down, my sheet was soon soaked. Once I got inside it was old, about 100 years and weak but had character, in a back unit I found a younger brother of the renter in bed with his girl so I just shot my photo over them and let them resume whatever they were doing before!
Once I was completed I checked my time and found I had just enough to catch a Starbucks so I ventured out one more time to get soaked and have a mocha, a bagel and a break. I had already driven 2 hours through the rain to get there.
Now it was time to turn to Oakland and so I hit the road, gradually the rain let up but it was hard to keep the car's windows from fogging up with all the wetness in the car. So I drove with the heater and AC on and it all worked out.
The next house was a beast. Almost 3,500 sf and on a steep downslope, had a unit deep in the lower levels, the house was pretty dirty but eventually I figured out the layout, shot my photos and then spend the next 45 minutes trying to locate the comps on narrow one lane streets in the pouring rain once again.
The next property was in Hayward and by then it was warmer, no rain and I was a bit late. No matter. The owner had died and Sun West is going to try to sell the property to reclaim their money. This one was strange. A tiny little 100 year old house surrounded by other tiny homes or light industrial uses, a welding shop, a trucking company, a storage for pallets etc.
There were some nice folks there when I arrived, the main guy who met me had lived there for 8 years in his Bounder Motorhome and he showed me around. The main house is tiny, floors are sketchy and the owner turned a tiny storage shed into a little unit and of course the renter there was showering. His wife / girlfriend let me in anyway so I shot my photo the other way and moved on. This property was on Bridge Street and it was as close to the Bay as could be, I mean the street sticks right out into the bay almost, never been there before, so I learned something but knowing how much it is worth, well I don't have many clues yet.
After that I headed back to Oakland near the downtown to find that the house I had researched had been totally remodeled and was now 500 feet larger. The owner had done a super job on the place and it was nice, once again opening one bedroom door I found some young people, one boy, one girl looking a bit guilty so I shot my photo and moved on. Dad was right there so I guess its OK.
After that I headed home and that process took some time as traffic was moving slowly.
I'm looking forward to Tahoe this weekend. The family is descending on the Ridge where STeve and Nikki have a time share, great place, Jo is there tonight with kiddos, Nikki will go up tomorrow and I'm going to drive up on Friday late afternoon with I think both Steve and Jason with me. I'll stay one night and then come home but it sounds like great fun.
Right now going to bed sounds like a great plan. In the morning at 8:30 I see a huge one here in Discovery Bay, would you believe I found the sketch of the floor plan from 1999 so I'll not have to measure. That is a big deal as this one is tough to measure.
Love to all, I'm praying for my special friends, Bob, Glen, Dolly's husband Ken who is recovering from a broken hip and others as well.
Tim
So I found the little dump, I mean house and it was wet, the place was rough, very near downtown, had nice tenants, agent never showed up at all. I darted out into the rain to measure, then back under eves to write the numbers down, my sheet was soon soaked. Once I got inside it was old, about 100 years and weak but had character, in a back unit I found a younger brother of the renter in bed with his girl so I just shot my photo over them and let them resume whatever they were doing before!
Once I was completed I checked my time and found I had just enough to catch a Starbucks so I ventured out one more time to get soaked and have a mocha, a bagel and a break. I had already driven 2 hours through the rain to get there.
Now it was time to turn to Oakland and so I hit the road, gradually the rain let up but it was hard to keep the car's windows from fogging up with all the wetness in the car. So I drove with the heater and AC on and it all worked out.
The next house was a beast. Almost 3,500 sf and on a steep downslope, had a unit deep in the lower levels, the house was pretty dirty but eventually I figured out the layout, shot my photos and then spend the next 45 minutes trying to locate the comps on narrow one lane streets in the pouring rain once again.
The next property was in Hayward and by then it was warmer, no rain and I was a bit late. No matter. The owner had died and Sun West is going to try to sell the property to reclaim their money. This one was strange. A tiny little 100 year old house surrounded by other tiny homes or light industrial uses, a welding shop, a trucking company, a storage for pallets etc.
There were some nice folks there when I arrived, the main guy who met me had lived there for 8 years in his Bounder Motorhome and he showed me around. The main house is tiny, floors are sketchy and the owner turned a tiny storage shed into a little unit and of course the renter there was showering. His wife / girlfriend let me in anyway so I shot my photo the other way and moved on. This property was on Bridge Street and it was as close to the Bay as could be, I mean the street sticks right out into the bay almost, never been there before, so I learned something but knowing how much it is worth, well I don't have many clues yet.
After that I headed back to Oakland near the downtown to find that the house I had researched had been totally remodeled and was now 500 feet larger. The owner had done a super job on the place and it was nice, once again opening one bedroom door I found some young people, one boy, one girl looking a bit guilty so I shot my photo and moved on. Dad was right there so I guess its OK.
After that I headed home and that process took some time as traffic was moving slowly.
I'm looking forward to Tahoe this weekend. The family is descending on the Ridge where STeve and Nikki have a time share, great place, Jo is there tonight with kiddos, Nikki will go up tomorrow and I'm going to drive up on Friday late afternoon with I think both Steve and Jason with me. I'll stay one night and then come home but it sounds like great fun.
Right now going to bed sounds like a great plan. In the morning at 8:30 I see a huge one here in Discovery Bay, would you believe I found the sketch of the floor plan from 1999 so I'll not have to measure. That is a big deal as this one is tough to measure.
Love to all, I'm praying for my special friends, Bob, Glen, Dolly's husband Ken who is recovering from a broken hip and others as well.
Tim
Monday, June 24, 2013
Good day
Dear Family and Friends,
This was just one of those back to work days when some work got out the door, the rain fell outside and it was just good to be alive.
I was glad to be in most of the time today, Pooka got groomed and is happy as the lady came in the van and did her job.
Tomorrow is a very long one, Santa Rosa at 10 in the morning, then Oakland at 1, then Hayward at 2:30 or so and Oakland again at 4:30. I'll stay busy and since its Oakland I'll keep an eye out as well.
Got to talk to Art today and he and Connie are traveling seeing family, they sounded good but tired as they have had the little ones for a few days and water parks can just wear you out.
So good night one and all, looks like Tahoe this weekend and that will be pretty exciting for a change.
Love
Tim
This was just one of those back to work days when some work got out the door, the rain fell outside and it was just good to be alive.
I was glad to be in most of the time today, Pooka got groomed and is happy as the lady came in the van and did her job.
Tomorrow is a very long one, Santa Rosa at 10 in the morning, then Oakland at 1, then Hayward at 2:30 or so and Oakland again at 4:30. I'll stay busy and since its Oakland I'll keep an eye out as well.
Got to talk to Art today and he and Connie are traveling seeing family, they sounded good but tired as they have had the little ones for a few days and water parks can just wear you out.
So good night one and all, looks like Tahoe this weekend and that will be pretty exciting for a change.
Love
Tim
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