Luxury Real Estate

Courtesy of Matthew Haber of Real Sparks LLC

Saint Petersburg, FL– With demand for social networking, SEO, design, content creation and website construction services on the rise for small businesses and professionals, it is with great pleasure that Real Sparks LLC announces the launch of their West Coast Division. Under the direction of Sonya Winterhalder, the company is now poised to bring a wealth of professional and marketing services to companies in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

Sonya comes to Real Sparks with a history of media management, marketing and sales experience. Originally from Eastern Washington state, Sonya graduated from Western Washington University and attended Graduate School at Seattle University. Most recently operating as the Real Estate Sales Manager for the San Francisco Examiner, her professional background also includes periods at Hartle Media, California Home & Design Magazine, 7×7 Magazine, Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate and a notable position as Director of Estates Marketing at Pacific Union International Real Estate, an exclusive affiliate of the Christie’s network.

“We are thrilled to have Sonya as part of our team,” says Matthew Haber, owner of Real Sparks LLC. “Sonya is a marketing and media expert with a tradition of providing over-the-top service for her clients. Her experience and personality blend perfectly with the philosophy behind Real Sparks.”

About Real Sparks LLC

Real Sparks LLC is a full service design, marketing and consulting agency based out of Saint Petersburg, Florida. Formed in 2011, Real Sparks LLC is founded on the principles of providing excellent service and accessible technology to businesses. Real Sparks personnel grew up during the dawn of the Internet and are experts in the fields of website construction, social networking strategy, search engine optimization, logo, brand and identity design, content creation and consulting. For more information, please visit: realsparks.net

“The mission of the Lightship was a life saving mission, to stand resolute regardless of peril and guide all to safe haven.”
—The Nantucket Lightship WLV-612: Brief History and Ship Specifications

The Luxury Real Estate Vacation Rental program is proud to introduce its newest member, Nantucket Lightship WLV-612. With the first Lightship placed on station in 1820, WLV-612 was created near the end of the Age of Lightships. It started out in San Francisco in 1950, three miles off of the Golden Gate Bridge (of course, back then the ship was known as the “San Francisco”). After serving other California locations over the years, the ship traded the Pacific Ocean for the Atlantic and was posted in Maine as the “Portland”. Lightships were slowly but surely being replaced with 40 foot unmanned buoys, so it wasn’t long before the 612 (at this point known as its current name, the “Nantucket”), had the distinction of being the last Lightship station in the United States, 45 miles southeast of Nantucket Island and it was decommissioned in 1985.

The WLV-612 is one of a proud line of Nantucket Lightships which were known as the Guardian Angels of the North Atlantic. Lightships serving this station were in international waters and were exposed to the dangers of fog bound collisions, enemy attacks and natural disaster from hurricanes to severe winter storms. From 1854 to 1983, it was the Nantucket Lightship and not the Statue of Liberty which first greeted mariners and immigrants to America.

In 2000, Bill and Kristen Golden bought the ship on Ebay, preserving and refurbishing it, offering the luxury yacht for charters, vacation rentals and events. As one of only a dozen lightships remaining, Bill and Kristen seek to showcase the Nantucket Lightship WLV-612 as a new model for historic marine preservation so that other ships may be saved for future generations.

This unique opportunity not only allows you to relax in a beautiful nautical setting—it can also be the perfect dockside venue for events requiring grandeur and glamour. Choose an itinerary that suits your tastes: Jazz Fest in Newport, Opera Cup in Nantucket, anchor in remote coves, explore the quaint seaside towns of Martha’s Vineyard or other coastal communities between Maine and New York.

Join the log of senators, CEOs, entrepreneurs, celebrities, film producers, entertainers, adventurers and romantics that have made the Lightship a “Grand Salon” over the last decade.

"Our previous website was a consumer favorite when it launched in 2003," said Randall Kostick, Chief Operating Officer, Zephyr Real Estate. "With all the advances since then, we wanted to maintain -- and surpass -- that precedent, to provide our agents and their clients with the best tools available."

Zephyr began the process about 15 months ago with the goal of creating a new website with a simple design, intuitive user interface and meaningful content that would be a useful, relevant real estate and community resource. Months were spent analyzing peer websites as well as those of other industry leaders, attending conferences and assembling a team to build the vision.

"The top three things most visitors seek when they visit a real estate site are a comprehensive property search, neighborhood information and market trends," stated Melody Foster-Brown, Director of Marketing.

"Even more important than having that information is making sure it's accurate and relevant to the marketplace. San Francisco has very nuanced neighborhood and school data, so rather than licensing from a third party with no understanding of the area, we took painstaking care to ensure our content was both well presented and hyper-local."

Most sites offer market trends by zip code (there are 30 in San Francisco), which is less helpful in a city where there are 89 neighborhoods. Zephyr has fine-tuned the data so that the information is pertinent and genuinely valuable.

"We use the MLS neighborhoods designated and used by the San Francisco Association of REALTORS® and by property appraisers to generate our market data, not zip codes," said Matthew Borland, Managing Broker/Partner. "Our neighborhood-level market trends take you inside the real numbers to give our clients the insight needed to make informed decisions."

The new www.zephyrsf.com offers unprecedented and in-depth coverage of the 89 neighborhoods of San Francisco, featuring profiles, videos, maps, market trends, demographics, available properties and open homes. In addition, visitors who register have access to Multiple Listing Service (MLS) information previously unavailable to the general public. Visitors with a MyZephyr account can search sold properties, save favorites, track the value of their own property and receive email alerts on new matches and price changes.

"The site is built to be expanded and enhanced as new technologies and resources become available," stated Hud Bixler, Director of Technology. "We've launched it, but that doesn't mean we're finished. We are able to integrate new applications and content seamlessly into this dynamic site."

For example, public school selection in San Francisco is not determined geographically but by using a complex lottery system, which is organized, explained and made searchable on the Zephyr website. As the school district's system evolves, Zephyr's website will continue to provide the updated information to its visitors in a user-friendly environment.

"Our team set out to create a new site that positions Zephyr well ahead of anything else out there. We contracted with Marker Seven and put together an incredible in-house team to work together to build our vision," said Borland. "It's been a challenging, yet rewarding project."

About Zephyr Real Estate

Founded in 1978, Zephyr Real Estate is San Francisco's largest independent real estate firm with approximately $1 billion in annual gross sales in 2009 and a current roster of more than 200 full-time agents. Zephyr has six offices strategically located in San Francisco and serves a large customer base throughout the City. For information, visit www.zephyrsf.com.

By Gary De Martini of Hill & Co. Real Estate

San Francisco, CA – November 3, 2009 – Architect Richard Neutra (1892-1970) has long been considered one of Modernism’s most important architects. His design thought has been described as being based on a proposed “new realism” of focus; the realism of the “needs of the user,” the human. His concentration was based on designing specific relations among rooms and outdoor views. His open floor plan, wide expanses of glass, and use of industrial finishes have withstood the test of time and are popular choices for modern living today.

The home now for sale at 2056-2058 Jefferson is a stunning example of the Neutra style of architecture in a prime San Francisco location, near the Palace of Fine Arts and Marina.

The building includes two flats plus a studio. The upper three bedroom, three bath unit occupies two levels, with an expansive roof terrace off the master suite that affords Golden Gate & bay views. The penthouse level also houses a 600-bottle wine room. The lower unit has the same footprint of the upper's main floor, with two bedrooms and two baths. The property includes a gorgeous garden, plus a four-car garage and a dumbwaiter from the garage to every floor.

A local newspaper once explained how home owners engaging Neutra played a significant role in shaping the design of the home itself. “What may have contributed to the individuality of a Neutra design was part of the process that was unique for architects at the time: to methodically inquire, using detailed questionnaires, what the owners of the homes truly wanted, allowing them to define the true needs for their residences.” This was indeed a remarkable approach, displaying an astonishing ability to address practical lifestyle needs coupled with brilliant architectural design.

2056-2058 Jefferson was built for Dr. William Schiff and Dr. Ernest Wolfes in 1938. The current owner – an architect – purchased the building from original owner, Ilse Schiff, in 1993 and has spent the last decade restoring the building with remarkable care and precision.

Neutra’s affinity for designing spaces which incorporate the outdoors through seemingly transparent walls of windows is evident throughout all the living areas. Overall, the property is a stunning example of the Bauhaus style of architecture in a prime San Francisco location. The Schiff house was featured in the Architectural Record of 1939 and Sunset Magazine in April 2005, along with many other publications.

More photos and information on this very special property can be found at www.2058Jefferson.com. Private showings can be arranged by contacting Hill & Co. Real Estate’s Caroline Kahn Werboff at (415) 321-4260.

Please Note: Sources for this piece include Richard Neutra Complete Works by Barbara Mac Lamprecht, and Time Magazine’s cover story on Neutra in August of 1949.

Hill & Co.

Founded in 1956, Hill & Co. Real Estate is a San Francisco brokerage long associated with the City’s finest properties. With four offices and nearly 100 full-time agents, the company enables clients to successfully navigate San Francisco’s complex real estate market. Two additional Hill & Co. offices provide property management and rental services. For more information, visit www.hill-co.com.

By Jim Walberg of Caribbean Islands Realty

There is an increasing number of East Bay families at risk during these challenging times. The One Warm Coat project is a critical service provided to these families.

For the past 13 years we have organized our local real estate community to participate in the One Warm Coat project. We spent the last two weeks collecting any type of good warm clothing; coats, sweaters, blankets, sleeping bags, socks, hats, etc. This year there was over 15,000 pieces of clothing collected in the East Bay for this critical project. Giving back is critical for all of us who are alive.

What we have discovered is that people in our community want to help with the needs of those less fortunate. Often times the reason they don’t participate in giving is because they have not been given an easy way to do so. We passed out over 1,000 large plastic bags on the front porches of the neighborhoods for whom we serve their real estate needs. We made it very easy for individuals to help, and they did in overwhelming ways. You would not believe how many truck loads of pick-ups I made. It is as if the community as a whole are reordering their priorities and giving back even more during these difficult economic times. “If you have a loaf then at least share a slice.”

We even invited other friends of ours to take up the challenge to gather warm clothing. Dean Langston from Milestone Mortgage and Ashley Provost from ROI Home Services decide to through a Holiday party at Dean’s home as the “hook”. The ticket to the party was a warm coat. They collected over 660 coats the night of the party!!! They even involved our local community vendors to supply the party’s needs. For example, The Peasant & The Pear supplied all the food! And they passed out coupons for a free dessert the next time you go their restaurant. It was an inspiring result from two people dedicated to giving back to the community.

Several community organizations are benefiting from the collection of all these warm clothes. Two of them are Sheperd’s Gate, and Contra Costa Family Services. The impact these two organizations have in serving families at risk is unbelievable. Contact me if you would like to find out more information as to who you can help in serving the community needs of the East Bay. Until next time.

By Jim Walberg

From his blog: Economic Meltdown Causes Fear In East Bay Real Estate Community!

No matter how positive and resilient one is, we are in stormy economic times! However, opportunities abound in the midst of this economic hurricane!

I was chatting with my friend, Bob Waun – president of Vacation Finance, which is headquartered in Michigan – about the financial meltdown going on in the credit markets and the stock markets. He asked if I was afraid for what is next for our real estate businesses in the Bay Area and the Caribbean. I told him, “Nah… we are still having the time of our life!” The mantra of a sailor is…, “Do not be fearful!” And, the definition of FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real! If you didn’t know, my favorite condition in sailing is with the gunnels (side rails on each side of the boat) in the water and salt water spraying all over me. You can’t imagine the big grin on my face while I am sailing in those conditions. However, it is not the time for the faint of heart if you are a sailor in stormy seas. It is the time when experience pays off.

Both our Bay Area and Caribbean real estate businesses are thriving… however, it is taking all hands on deck to pull it off. We are blessed with a great team who only look at the glass half full, and are committed to creating a GREAT experience for our customers. Many of our competitors are running down to Starbucks talking about how the sky is falling. The vacuum they are leaving within our real estate community is amazing, and whoever fills that void today will have a larger market share when the market shifts again – which it will. In order to make it through these tough financial times we all need to work together, side by side, realizing storms don’t last forever. At the end of Bob’s and my conversation, he left me with these thoughts:

Faith, beliefs and conviction can be fickle friends when they are tested by panicked masses. “The end is near!” seems to be the chant of the crowd across the world today. But what of substance has changed within our global economy. Did a world of Fathers change their commitment to feed and clothe their children? Did Mothers decide that the generic brand cereal would be fine in mass? Did we stop wanting nice things and suddenly over the weekend decide to settle for less? What is the shift that causes such a panicked response? What fundamental changes are causing us to doubt the future? Purely fear of what “MIGHT” change. Does that sound rational to you?

Historians and economists can attest that humans don’t always act rationally en masse, but as individuals we can still choose to be rational – to act out of faith and conviction, not panic. ”Looking back on it, I was a trader in the pits of the S&P in 1987. It was the most exciting and profitable stock market opportunity of my lifetime,” a friend told me today… Did he notice it at the time? No. He said he was scared to death, but he kept at his work of trading stocks in the best way he could. Life is clearer in the rearview mirror. Regret is more painful than overcoming fear…

In a storm, it is not time for people to jump ship and swim to safety. A storm is the time for experienced sailors to do their work and sail through it. It doesn’t mean we are not afraid. However, it does require us to not panic – which could cause our ship to go down. I promise we will all will make it through this economic mess. We may get wet and a bit wind-blown, but working together, we will get to a safe harbor and live to see another day when we will look back and tell the stories of how we made it through the storms of 2008 and 2009. Contact me today if you would like some help through your storm. Until next time… fair winds!!!


Editor’s Note:
Jim Walberg is the co-Broker/Owner of The Bay Area Team, the most-successful team at Keller Williams Realty-Danville. He is also a member of the global Luxury Real Estate network. Jim is an exceptional blogger, as you can see by visiting his blogs, East Bay Real Estate and Caribbean Islands Realty, and reading his great blog entries like the one above. He is the master of fractionals and other luxury homes in the Bay Area and the Caribbean, and he always has a lot of great opportunities to share. Such wonderful words of hope! Thank you, Jim, for your marvelous understanding of what is really happening in today’s market. People are filled with great fear at the moment and it’s hard to know what to do when we’re in the middle of so many crashing waves. I trust that wisdom and goodness will lead us to prevail over these hard times. I hope that we will all be wiser about who we put our faith in after we come through this. I am in total agreement with Jim that this is no time to panic or jump ship. Let us return to honesty and kindness, for it appears to me that this crisis was brought on by the dishonesty and selfishness of a few. Now people don’t know who to trust. I hope we will all be trustworthy and good, like I know Jim is.

By Jim Walberg
From his blog: Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac Bailed Out Today! Boom Or Bust?

“The Feds took over Fannie Mae and Feddy Mac today! Time will tell what happens next for East Bay Real Estate consumers and who will pay the bill, says Jim Walberg.

The Federal Government made their historic announcement today – a Federal bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could not wait another day! The straw that broke the camel’s back was the liquidity condition of both of these mammoth financial entities. It is frightening to imagine that both of these companies own or guarantee about $5 TRILLION in home loans – about half of all the nation’s total home loans! And, we need to be reminded about my phrase, “Do not be fearful!” – False Evidence Appearing Real!

The plan that was announced today by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and James Lockhart, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, places the two companies into a “conservatorship” to be run by the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Under conservatorship, the government would temporarily run Fannie and Freddie until they are on stronger footing. “A failure of Fannie and Freddie would affect the ability of Americans to get home loans, auto loans and other consumer credit and business finance. And a failure would be harmful to economic growth and job creation,” Paulson said at a news conference today in Washington. With this bailout, the Feds have now made $200 BILLION available to them to shore up their liquidity issues. Again, this money is coming from the United States as an addition to the national debt.

The role of these two financial institutions is to buy mortgage loans from banks and package those loans into securities that they either hold or sell to U.S. and foreign investors. This allows national banks like Wells Fargo Bank and Bank of America to make more loans. The problem affecting the mortgage meltdown has hit Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac VERY hard! The past 12 months have seen an alarming number of their loans started going into default, emptying out the companies’ financial reserves and sending ice through the veins of the credit markets around the world. Costs have skyrocketed and the Feds could not wait another day by placing them into a conservatorship. The Treasury Department is now guaranteeing the solvency of these two lenders. That means that YOU and I are the ones guaranteeing the loans because more money is just going to be printed to bail them out.

With this bailout, mortgage rates on conventional, 30-year fixed-rate loans are expected to fall by the end of September. If the mortgage interest rate falls for home loans, it should attract more buyers into the market, which would then have a positive effect on home prices. However, Greg McBride, a senior financial analyst at Bankrate.com, did say, “Continued investor wariness and a depreciating housing market may keep rates from dropping. We are not looking at sunshine and daffodils in the housing market anytime soon.”

Paulson stressed that both Fannie and Freddie are still in business and will have a new management team. Freddie CEO Richard Syron and Fannie CEO Daniel Mudd will no longer run the companies, with the FHFA taking over control of their boards. Syron and Mudd will be replaced by two market veterans with the job of restoring the mortgage agencies to a profitable condition. Herb Allison, the former chairman and CEO of pension provider TIAA-CREF, will head Fannie Mae. Allison formerly served as president of Merrill Lynch. David Moffett, who served as vice chairman and chief financial officer of U.S. Bancorp until early 2007 and then joined the Carlyle Group private-equity firm as a senior adviser, will take over Freddie Mac.


Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, who led the efforts to help get the U.S. housing market and the broader economy back on track, applauded the decision by Lockhart and Paulson. “These necessary steps will help to strengthen the U.S. housing market and promote stability in our financial markets,” Bernanke said in a statement. The real test will come when financial markets around the world open Monday. Pimco’s Bill Gross, a widely followed bond fund manager, said that the Freddie-Fannie plan was the right move. “This is a significant step and almost exactly what we had hoped for,” Gross told CNNMoney.com Sunday.

Time is always the judge of any decision, especially one of this magnitude. I am not a fan of ever increasing our national debt. Today it is already staggering without the additional billions required to support this bailout. Still, the rescue of Fannie and Freddie may go a long way towards bringing stability to the housing market while making it easier for consumers to obtain affordable mortgages. We will see. I look forward to your comments.


Editor’s Note:
Jim Walberg is the co-Broker/Owner of The Bay Area Team, the most-successful team at Keller Williams Realty-Danville. He is also a member of the global LuxuryRealEstate.com network. Jim is an exceptional blogger, as you can see by visiting his blogs, East Bay Real Estate and Caribbean Islands Realty, and reading his great blog entries like the one above. He is the master of fractionals and other luxury homes in the Bay Area and the Caribbean, and he always has a lot of great opportunities to share. This is a pretty scary time. It’s disappointing to see that things became so tough for these two institutions that they were unable to survive without government help. This definitely deserves some close scrutiny, and I hope that things will turn out all right in the end.

By Jim Walberg
From his blog: East Bay Real Estate Community Supports “Stand Down”!

2008 “Stand Down” serves 600 homeless veterans at the Alameda County Fairgrounds August 7th - 10th!

Another example as to how your real-estate community and its service providers continue to give back to the needs of the Bay Area was demonstrated on Friday, Aug. 8 at 5:30 a.m. at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. Members of the REALTORS® Marketing Association served breakfast to a “village” of war veterans.

Every two years the Diablo Valley Vietnam Veterans Association arranges for an entire “tent city” to be set up in the East Bay so homeless veterans can be served. “Stand Down” is a term used during war to describe the practice of removing combat troops from the field and take care of their basic needs in a safe place. That is exactly what has been created for 600 homeless veterans this week. The RMA contracts Ruggie’s Restaurant in San Ramon to supply ALL the food they serve.

REALTOR® Mike Weber, a member of the Diablo Valley Vietnam Veterans, is the person who continues to invite the real-estate community to be a participant in supporting this important project. They always say YES! Some of the services available for these lost, but not forgotten, veterans are:

- Medical facilities to serve their health needs – including dental, plus a follow-up care program.

- A “field court” with county judges to fast-track clearing up legal issues that may be preventing these veterans from securing employment.

- Job-placement services that also assists them in having DMV re-issued driver’s licenses.

- Assisting with identifying residential opportunities.

- A complete barber shop, new clothing, shoes and other basic clothing needs.

Members of the Diablo Valley Vietnam Veterans were inspired to create the first East Bay Stand Down in 1999 in order to provide a respite from the “streets.” In the midst of all the services provided, their commitment is to treat each of these veterans with respect and dignity. Most of us are unaware, and maybe don’t want to know, that there are about 154,000 homeless veterans on the streets of our cities on any given night. Just in our Bay Area there are over 7,000 homeless veterans! An even sadder statistic is that a BIG number of these veterans have little or no contact with Veteran Administration for either medial or financial aid. Stand Down directly addresses the issue that cannot be ignored any longer - aiding and assisting veterans in need to improve their lives, no matter how difficult it may be to do so.

The first Stand Down was held in San Diego in 1988. It has now been integrated into over 200 cities around the country with over 200,000 veterans and their families being served. A key objective is to break the cycle of the homeless epidemic within the veteran community. These are the men and women who have served our country, and we need to make sure they are not forgotten.

A quote that is appropriate for their mission is, “A community is often judged by how well it takes care of its own.” Serving the needs of those who have served to protect and create Freedom in the world is a worth activity for all of us to consider. Please contact Stand Down or Jim Walberg if you want to personally get involved, or to make financial contributions. Also, contact me any time to find out about other service opportunities for Bay Area community projects. Until next time… your East Bay real estate detective remains on duty.


Editor’s Note:
Jim Walberg is the co-Broker/Owner of The Bay Area Team, the most-successful team at Keller Williams Realty-Danville. He is also a member of the global LuxuryRealEstate.com network. Jim is an exceptional blogger, as you can see by visiting his blogs, East Bay Real Estate and Caribbean Islands Realty, and reading his great blog entries like the one above. He is the master of fractionals and other luxury homes in the Bay Area and the Caribbean, and he always has a lot of great opportunities to share. Philanthropy is awesome. We should all follow the Golden Rule as we go about our many activities in this life. Great people aren’t those who leave behind the most wealth when they die, but those who bless others’ lives and seek to lift their brothers and sisters on their shoulders. Luxury properties are what we sell, but people are who we serve.

By Janice Ridge

An historic luxury home has come on the market in Piedmont, Calif., USA. Listed at $3.5 million by Prudential California Realty Fine Homes Specialist and Top-Producing Broker Vickie Robinson, the house is the very oldest house built in the community of Piedmont. It’s located in an enclave of homes in the Oakland Hills known for its excellent public school system, its small-town atmosphere, low crime rate and desirable views of the entire Bay Area.

How old is old? Well that depends. In Piedmont, that is 130 years old or 130 years new, depending on your perspective. Built in 1878, the home is old by Bay Area standards, where the average “older” home was built in the 1920s. This is a vintage luxury home that needs a lot of TLC, so for the price, what you get is a historically significant property in a central Piedmont location with all the amenities that Piedmont has to offer. What you don’t get is a remodeled kitchen and bathrooms!

For more information on this little piece of Piedmont history, contact Vickie Robinson at vickie.robinson at prurealty.com or call her at 510-703-8207.


Editor’s Note:
As the Director of Membership & Relocation at LuxuryRealEstate.com, and herself a licensed REALTOR®, Janice Ridge is devoted to coordinating the efforts of all of the LuxuryRealEstate.com membership and Account Managers, so that each of our members is given superior service. This is a great luxury home for sale. Thanks for pointing it out, Janice! I’d like to know more about this home’s history, like who lived in it, what famous events it’s been through and things like that. Old things fascinate me.