How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is being presented by West Valley Light Opera at the Saratoga Civic Theater (northwest corner of Allendale and Fruitvale in Saratoga, CA) from November 5-December 3, 2011.

Returning to this theater is the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical comedy; an irreverent satire about Corporate America, based on the book by Shepherd Mead in which J. Pierpont Finch owes his meteoric rise from window cleaner to Chairman of the Board of the World Wide Wicket Company. He accomplishes this not through hard work, but by his ability to make others work hard for him.

This musical opened on Broadway in 1961, receiving a Tony Award for Best Musical, starring Robert Morse and Rudy Vallee, who also repeated their roles in the movie. A new production of this delightful musical opened on Broadway in 1996 and the National Tour appeared in San Francisco.

Memorable songs include “Coffee Break”, “The Company Way”, “A Secretary Is Not A Toy”, “I Believe In You”, and “Brotherhood of Man”.

Go to Artsopolis or Brown Paper Tickets for more information.

There will be arts, crafts, hay rides, antique cars, antique equipment, animals, music, food and wine – something fun for everyone in the family!

The watercolor painting above is by my wife Lynne Bonetti, who is a member of the Saratoga Community of Painters. Artist Kay Duffy and other notable local artists will be at the Saratoga Mustard Faire.

Watercolor by Kay Duffy

Rick Bonetti | APR Referral Network | 408-857-8800 | DRE #01237009

Saratoga Contemporary Artists invite the public to their Sat., Feb. 5, 2011, demonstration at the Care Center of the Federated Church (the Old Saratoga Post Office next to the Saratoga Fire Station) at 10:00 a.m.  Prize-winning portrait and figure artist, David Lazarony, will demonstrate the process of painting a portrait for the group.

Also, SCA sponsors an indoor painting session at the Old Post Office on Mondays from 10:00 until 1:30 open to local artists and quilters. There is a still life to paint or some bring their own photos or projects on which to work.  Both activities are open to the public. Refreshments are served.  Call Ginny Sampson, 354-3027 for more information

St. Andrews Episcopal School is located one block away at 13905 Saratoga Ave., Saratoga, CA 95070. They are having a winter admission open house on Saturday, January 29, 2011 from 2PM to 4PM. Saint Andrew’s offers preschool and K-8 advanced, comprehensive academic programs plus enrichment in the areas of the studio and performing arts, physical education, foreign languages, technology, character development, religion and community service. Although affiliated with the Episcopal Church, Saint Andrews’s welcomes students of all beliefs and includes teaching about all major faiths.

Saratoga Presbyterian Preschool is located at 20455 Herriman Ave., Saratoga, CA 95070  It was founded in 1992 by the members of Saratoga Presbyterian Church who recognized the need for quality childcare in the community.  Their program is open to all young children, regardless of race, nationality or creed, who are three years old in December and toilet trained. They offer a developmental based program that integrates basic Christian teachings and values into the curriculum.

Village Preschool of Saratoga is located at 20390 Park Place, Saratoga, California. 95070. Phone 408-867-3181

Click>here for a link to a map of parks in Saratoga, CA.

Rick Bonetti | APR Referral Network | 408-857-8800 | DRE #01237009

Buyers Market: As the chart above shows, according to Altos Research, Saratoga CA has been a “buyers market” since late 2007.  This means that the rate at which homes are being absorbed (sold) is relatively slow compared with total available inventory.  This market condition is more the case in the upper price range, but there was a good price distribution of Saratoga home sales during 2010 as the detail below shows.  There was actually a hot market for homes within the Saratoga school district in the $1.3-1.5 million price ranges during the Spring, 2010.

Sales Volume: There were 287 homes sold in Saratoga, CA during 2010.  Note: this includes only those homes listed on the Multiple Listing Service and there were a few properties sold, but not listed.  This volume  is up from 2009 and 2008, but lower that previous years prior to the national recession.  The average and median price of Saratoga homes sold during 2010 was actually higher than in 2004.

Price Range: Prices of detached homes actually sold (closed escrow) in 2010 ranged in price from $5.6 million to $456,000.

Inventory : At the start of 2011 there were only 68 detached homes and 8 attached homes listed on the Multiple Listing Service in Saratoga, CA.  This is expected in increase seasonally this Spring.

Distressed Sales: There were only 20 detached homes sold through the MLS that were distressed (Real Estate Owner or Short Sales) – this represents less than 8% of the market!

Days on Market: Many overpriced homes have been on the market quite a while, but for those properties that actually sold (closed escrow) the DOM in 2010 was a reasonable 66 days.

Here is the detail for 2010 detached homes sales (closed escrow) in Saratoga, CA:

Here is the detail for attached homes sold (closed escrow) in Saratoga, CA:

Rick Bonetti | APR Referral Network | 408-8800 | DRE #01237009

Recent media news reports trumpet that sales of existing homes plunged by 29 percent in July 2009.  Is this the whole story… or is this the beginning of election year rhetoric?  Further, do the national statistics have any bearing on how the real estate market is doing locally?

Home Prices Stabilizing – First, let’s put things in perspective. National Association of Realtors Chief Economist Lawrence Yun at his monthly press conference in Washington on August 24, 2010, pointed out that “One of the remarkable things about home sales today is the strength we’re seeing in the national median price.”  He noted a resiliency in prices as a bright spot -  a resiliency due to the equilibrium of prices to household income (including mortgage-payment to income) and the drop in new-home construction. Which is more important – number of sales or home values?

Consumer Confidence – With prices aligned with the economy and interest rates remain historically low (4.42 percent on average), what’s missing is consumer confidence, and that appears to be dependent in part on evidence that jobs are growing.  Elections will be won or lost based on which party is able to communicate best whether we as a nation are gaining or loosing on the job front.  Expect much more negative political media spin on the economy.

Saratoga Real Estate Sales – It is easy, but wrongheaded, to infer that national trends are the same as specific local markets. Take Saratoga, CA 95070 for example, where there were 25 closed detached home sales in July 2010 compared with 27 closed sales during July 2009.  The average sales price of those homes in July 2010 was $1.880 million compared with $1.819 million during July 2009.  Furthermore, those Saratoga sold homes were on the market and average of 44 days for July 2010 compared with 135 days for sold in July 2009!

To bring us even more up to date there were 29 closed sales in August 2010 in Saratoga, CA with an average price of $1.94 million. Hardly a market in decline and crisis!

A Crisis of Confidence – But we still have a crisis of confidence (whose analysis of facts to trust) – whether it be politicians, economists, stock brokers or real estate agents.  Home buyers who just read, watch or hear national real estate trend sound bytes tend to think it is a buyers market everywhere and that things may get worse – which puts them at odds with home sellers who think they are already selling below what their property is worth.

I believe the most astute home buyers are seizing the opportunity to buy a home now at good a value.  It takes careful research and local knowledge.  I try hard to deliver facts and thoughtful interpretation of the local real estate market as I see it and to avoid over-optimistic Realtor spin.  I wish we could trust our media as being unbiased.

What do you read in the tea leaves?

Related articles:

Montalvo’s Summer 2010 entertainment season is ending with a bang with three concerts mid-September as they prepare for fall concerts at the Carriage House Theater:

September
Saturday, September 11, 7:30pm Robert Cray Band
Wednesday, September 15, 7pm Chris Botti
Friday, September 17, 7pm Creedence Clearwater Revisited

October
Friday, October 15, 7pm: Hope Mohr Dance
Saturday, October 16, 8pm: James Cotton “Superharp”
Sunday, October 17, 7:30pm: The Brubeck Brothers Quartet
Friday, October 22, 8pm: John Sebastian
Sunday, October 24, 7:30pm: Hiroshima

November
Wednesday, November 3, 7:30pm: Eileen Ivers
Thursday, November 11, 7:30pm: Marc Cohn
Saturday, November 18, 8pm: Elvin Bishop with J.C. Smith
Sunday, November 14, 7:30pm: Alfredo Rodriguez (Piano Masters series)
Wednesday, November 17, 7:30pm: Average White Band
Sunday, November 21, 7:30pm: Simone Dinnerstein (Piano Masters series)

Montalvo’s Villa Chamber Music Series also begins October 17 with the Saint Michael Trio.

Click here to see all of Montalvo’s upcoming concerts!

Related articles:

• Montalvo Summer Events In July, 2010 (saratogavoice.com)

Summer garden harvests in Saratoga are abundant. Today I harvested 4 bags of tomatoes, one bag of beans and a bag of squash, which were grown specifically for distribution to Family Supportive Housing in San Jose.

This first year the SPC Community Garden is being tended entirely by members of Saratoga Presbyterian Church under the leadership of Chuck Stees, master gardener.  Plants were grown from seed.  It is anticipated that next year plots may be open to members of the community (contact Chuck at  408-867-7485 to get on his list for future information).

The project has already drawn community support and participation.  This past weekend, the Boy Scouts built the trellis gate.