PruCalVoices is a real estate blog supported by Prudential California Realty located in San Bruno, California and www.PruCal.com
Here is a selection of my recent posts:
Karin Cunningham:
San Bruno is a Great Place To Live!
May 14, 2010 · Karin Cunningham · 7 Comments
San Bruno house in the "Belle Air" neighborhood $399,000
San Bruno, Ca is an affordable and charming city on the San Mateo peninsula. Snuggled on a long. wide slope between San Francisco and Burlingame, the weather is usually in the 60′s with a little wind and hardly ever any fog!
We have the best public schools around, as well! As the PTA President of Allen Elementary School, I can give first hand testimonials, as I meet with the other PTA presidents monthly. We are a close knit bunch with all the same goals in mind, to keep our San Bruno children in the best learning environment possible! San Bruno parents really care about their city! Just ask the San Bruno Mother’s Club! Read more
“I Have My Newborn in a Drawer!” And Other Tips On Balancing a Real Estate Career with Motherhood.
April 6, 2010 · Karin Cunningham · 3 Comments
I write this post to encourage those, who would like to have a successful career in real estate AND have a family, to give it a try. It can definately be done!
December 20, 1999 was the day my first child was born! I lived in a studio condo that my husband and I had recently bought in San Bruno. He worked in a hotel as a waiter and worked most evenings and weekends! I was a new real estate agent with just one year in the business. I wondered how I was going to pull off a successful career with a newborn!
I made a pit stop at my office in San Bruno on the way home from the hospital to pick up a cradle for the new baby boy. He was a month early so I hadn’t even made a nest! Luckily, I had a friend who brought me her hand me down cradle for him to sleep in. I looked pretty funny walking in my office to pick it up in a hospital gown and bracelet still on my wrist! That was the day that I realized that I was going to make it in this business, baby or no baby! I could take the ridicule of looking funny and winging it when time didn’t allow preparation as long as I kept moving forward. Read more
Over 55? California Property Tax Relief
March 16, 2010 · Karin Cunningham · 3 Comments
By Marc Weissmann
Since its passage, Proposition 13 prohibits property tax increases until property ownership is changed.
If either spouse is over age 55 (when the old home is sold), PROP 60 allows replacement of a primary residence with a new home of equal or lesser value (but see below) within the same county and transfer of the Prop 13 assessed valuation from the old home to the new property. This is allowed once in your lifetime, and a spouse who has done it before ‘taints’ both spouses. Read more
California School Budget Cuts Affect Homeowners!
March 15, 2010 · Karin Cunningham · 2 Comments
- Save Our Schools Daily Journal Pic
I attended an insightful meeting the other night of PTA/PTO Presidents in San Bruno. I learned that ALL of the public schools in California are expecting a lot of teacher and counselor layoffs next week. San Bruno’s only middle school, Parkside Intermediate will possibly have the most layoffs cutting out music (they have an awesome marching band), art, leadership, counseling, and more. Our elementary schools will have no art, music, PE, large classroom sizes of 30+ kids per class, no English tutoring, GATE programs, loss of funds to improve libraries and to supply instructional material like BOOKS and one school, I hear, will loose up to 7 teachers, leaving them with 4!! Read more
Where To Eat In San Bruno?
February 16, 2010 · Karin Cunningham · 5 Comments
Ok, so I love to help people buy and sell houses but still I need to eat! I LOVE to eat and I love to cook! I love to dine out and I love family and friend gatherings at home over a large home cooked meal. Since I live and work in San Bruno, I like to dine locally. Sometimes I go to San Francisco, my hometown, but most of the time, when we have the opportunity to dine out, we go local!
A few of my favorite places are Don Pico’s for Mexican fine dining, La Paloma Taqueria, Hon Lin for Chinese, Sushi House, Famous Johnny’s for pizza and beer, Amma’s Kitchen for Indian, and the West Coast Cafe for Italian. All of these places are walking distance from my house.
Living in San Bruno is really super convenient. From my house, I can walk to the Mexican market, the dry cleaners, the library, and the corner grocery store. Not to mention I can walk to my kids’ school, our friends’ houses on Friday nights for “family fun nights”, and my office, if I am so inclined. I always drive and it’s just 6 blocks away!
I love Don Pico’s a lot! I mean a lot lot! My favorite dish is the crab enchiladas with green sauce made with “real” crab! I could live on the chips and salsa. I love spicy salsa with good flavor! I also love the ambiance at Don Pico’s. It’s a warm, comfortable room with a lot of traditional Mexican decorations and some impressive ones, too! My favorite being a big framed picture of Frida Khalo! The booths are from Original Joe’s on Powell Street in San Francisco! The proprieter is Isaac Mejia. He’s great! He is welcoming, enthusiastic about his food, and keeps his menu delicious and interesting. He’s currently the president of the San Bruno Lion’s Club. His sisters help at the restaraunt, too. They are fantastic! On Friday and Saturday nights there is a live guitar player/singer. It’s just awesome!
Check out their website: www.DonPicosBistro.com
Do you have a favorite San Bruno restaraunt?
San Bruno Real Estate “Shake Up” 2010!
January 15, 2010 · Karin Cunningham · 3 Comments
112 Georgia Ave. San Bruno, Ca. $419,000So far, in 2010, San Bruno real estate inventory is low making it a great new environment for homeowners who have been thinking of selling! Currently there are only 30 homes for sale ranging from $299,000 for a small one bedroom home to $1,000,000 brand spanking new homes in a new developement! Md range is about $550,000-$600,000.
With interest rates still teetering between 5 and 6%, home buyers are out in full force looking for good deals before the rates hike up!
What we are seeing is pretty quick sales of homes in the lower and mid ranges while the high end homes are taking awhile. They are selling though! It took quite a few months but the new homes in the Skycrest Develoment next to Lunardi’s have all sold! One most recently at $918,000! Read more
San Bruno Halloween Houses!
November 3, 2009 · Karin Cunningham · 3 Comments
San Bruno sure knows how to celebrate Halloween especially if you live on Elm Ave. (Nightmare On Elm St.) Every year families crowd the streets, trick or treating by the thousands. Most homes who give out candy run out. Lines form in front of some houses and there are traffic jams on some of the narrow sidewalks! I saw news cameras one year on the corner of Elm and Clark! Decrations are always a hit! I have posted some for you to see!
Booooooooooooooooooo! San Bruno Coats For Kids 2009!
October 8, 2009 · Karin Cunningham · 2 Comments
“Coats for Kids” in San Bruno is a wonderful community tradition coordinated by San Bruno Garbage and The City of San Bruno every year as the weather starts to get chilly!
You can help someone stay warm this winter by simply donating a clean, gently used coat at one of many drop-off locations in San Bruno!
Click here to see which drop-off location is nearest you!
I love helping at this event every year. It’s a great fun way to get to know the neighbors and give back a little to the community.
The coat giveaway day is Thursday, November 19th 4:00-7:00 pm at the Fireman’s Hall/ San Bruno Chamber of Commerce, 618 San Mateo Ave., San Bruno, Ca. All are welcome. Limit one coat per person. Children must be present to receive coat.