Cynthia Larsen - Sonoma County Real Estate Broker

Ever thought of working and living in a small little town on the edge of Wine Country? Are you a resident manager with experience in HUD Administration?

Charles Street Village is a charming 48 unit Seniors complex in downtown Cotati. The residents of Charles Street not only just live there, they love to get involved with the care of the premises, grow vegetables, have potlucks and just plain old socialize.

In exchange for rent free occupancy of a two bedroom unit in the complex, your enthusiasm and commitment towards Burbank Housing's mission of providing quality and affordable housing to low income individuals of all backgrounds is your best character trait.

Built in 2001, these units are in great shape and when I say charming, I mean CHARMING!

Check out these links to read more about Charles Street Village, and specifically about the resident manager job opening.

We had a real treat this past week in Bodega Bay, when Tall Ships based out of Grays Harbor, Washington, paid us a visit. According to the local paper, Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain have never been here before and their presence was an instant hit. Actually ... too much of a hit.

Thousands of curious locals descended upon the tiny hamlet of Bodega Bay to get a closer look. Hundreds of folks had to be turned away due to lack of parking and lack of hours in the day. I got lucky and took advantage of a mis-print in the paper that had the wrong date of arrival. I rushed to the harbor and was able to tour Lady Washington with time to spare.

On Saturday and Sunday, the boats headed out of the harbor into Bodega Bay for a mock battle. It was pretty cool to hear the cannons and see the smoke, realizing just how close these boats had to get to each other to do any sort of damage back in their day.

Lady Washington, the boat on the right, portrayed the HMS Interceptor in "Pirates of the Caribbean". Aye Aye, Matey!

I feel pretty
Oh so pretty
I feel pretty and witty and blessed
I feel pretty ... and I pity
Other toilets in the M-L-S
 I feel pretty
Oh so pretty
I could be yours if you buy this home
I feel pretty
Oh so pretty
Oh please make me your new throne

Telling it like it is ... I have a profound appreciation for real estate agents who have the courtesy of describing a home accurately. It irks me to no end when I read about a "charming home with loads of potential" when the only thing worth saving is the front door.

Yesterday, I came across a listing that *kind of* tells selling agents what to expect. "Home staged by recent widower ... It's a MESS!" Thank you for the heads up, Mr. Agent. Now we won't be surprised to see a pair of dirty socks on the floor. And maybe some dirty dishes in the sink?

I love helping people. And when helping someone a great deal only requires an unsecured loan of $25.00, it pleases me to no end when I see a loan payment land in my bank account. Today, $8.27 has been repaid including the $2.07 I received this morning.

The loan I am referring to is a micro loan through an organization called Kiva. Azar, a locksmith and blacksmith, needed a loan to buy metals for his business. Myself and 68 others pooled our money together (through Kiva) and loaned Azar $1,975.00. He has made every payment on time and has paid 33% of the loan amount.

Azar lives in Azerbaijan, is 24 years old with a wife and a 6 month old son. His business is thriving because of the micro loans that have been made possible through Kiva. To date, I have loaned the same $25.00 to 4 different businesses ... it just keeps coming back!

Want to help out someone too? Visit www.kiva.org and search for the next lucky entrepreneur.

Holy Cow, Batman. Where did the inventory of Homes for Sale in Sonoma County go? Since the beginning of the year, we have experienced a huge spurt in buyer activity, primarily due to low interest rates and low prices. As a result, the current supply of available properties in Sonoma County is less than 2 months. In some areas, such as Rohnert Park/Cotati, we are down to less than one month.

If this keeps up, prices will start climbing as demand continues to be stronger than supply. It's too soon to tell, but maybe, just maybe, this is the beginning of a much needed reprieve for sellers in this area. It's starting to look like it's going to be a HOT summer.

As a real estate broker, I am constantly traveling back and forth between towns and Cities within Sonoma County. And as well as I think I know my County, I'm quite often surprised when I find that a home isn't in the City I thought it was in.

There is a line of demarcation somewhere, dividing jurisdictions from one City to another, but that line is invisible. And sometimes it moves. This isn't usually a problem, until I find myself needing assistance.

Real Estate, as every agent knows, isn't the safest job in the world. Agents meet with people they have never met in homes they have never been in. Because of this, I store the contact numbers of every police and sheriffs department in my cell phone.

Today is one of those days where I need to find out who I should call in case I find myself in a vulnerable situation. The foreclosed home I am visiting to do an occupancy check is right on the cusp of two Cities. To make my job even harder, the online County recorders office says the home is in one City, the online County Assessor's tax roll says its in another.

One of these Cities has its own police department, the other is under contract with the County Sheriff. After a phone call to the City police, I was told the address is within the County's jurisdiction. Another call had to be placed, of course, to make sure the County Sheriff's dispatcher agreed with that. They did.

Part of me wants to buy a can of spray paint so I can define my own line of demarcation based on my research, but I won't. Like I said ... sometimes those lines move. And it is better to be safe than sorry.

Have you ever tried to fit something through a doorway, just to find that the door itself was in the way? Just ask anyone who has ever been confined to a wheelchair at some point in time, they will tell you that most doorways are too narrow to begin with.

One solution is to remove the door altogether, but in modern homes today, the only rooms that have a door are bedrooms and bathrooms. A little privacy please?

A great solution to this problem are Swing Away Hinges (also called Offset Hinges). These hinges swing the door completely out and away from the opening, adding almost 2" of clearance.

The last time I checked, a pair of Swing-Away Hinges were selling for around $20 on Amazon.com. Now isn't that cheaper than a reciprocating saw?

Aging in Place, as defined by Wiki, is "the ability to live in one's own home - wherever that might be - for as long as confidently and comfortably possible".

Think about that for a moment ... think about the home you are living in right now. It may be a little too big if you are an empty nester. It may be a little too small if you are a growing family. Then again, it might be just right.

But, even as Goldilocks would discover, an individual with a disability may not be able to function well in your home no matter how big, small or "just right" it is.

Barrier Free Design, in simple terms, provides accessibility. And by "accessibility", I'm not just referring to the occupant, it also applies to anyone who might want to visit.

Here in the Unites States, we have witnessed more than two decades of accessibility improvements, mostly due to the American Disabilities act of 1990. But the ADA does not apply to private housing, so seldom do we see ADA improvements in a Single Family Residence.

All of that is about to change. Barrier free design is becoming more than a need for those with disabilities. It is becoming a planning tool for developers and seniors alike who understand the trend for future housing needs.

Pretend for a moment ... you are confined to a wheelchair. Now imagine yourself going into your kitchen to make breakfast. How easy would it be to sit sideways in front of your stove and scramble eggs? How accessible are your pots, pans and utensils while you are cooking? Could you even get into your kitchen? (I couldn't, that's why I ask).

The photo in this post is an example of modern day barrier free design. The cabinet with pots and pans rolls out. The top of the cabinet provides a preparation area. A person in a wheelchair can roll under the cook top and face forward with easy access to the controls. The cooking elements are electric so that clothing will not be exposed to flames.

And the best part? It's beautiful. Accessibility no longer has to mean flimsy metal ramps and green Astro Turf. Barrier free design is bringing a well planned, aesthetic element into current and future housing. Be ready for it.

- - -

Aging In Place: The Role of Barrier Free Design is one of a series of posts, sharing my thoughts about the aging baby boomer population and how it will affect where and how we live.

Other posts in this series thus far are:

Last-Time Home Buyers
Aging In Place: The New Frontier
Aging In Place: The Role of Universal Design

Stay tuned for:

Aging In Place: Home Modification
Aging In Place: Reverse Mortgages
Aging In Place: Can We Talk About Hospice?

As a Native Oregonian, I love it when I see other Oregonians representing their home State in a good light. Haley Johnsen, from Beaverton, is doing just that. Last night, American Idol aired a performance featuring Haley, Reed Grimm, Elise Testone, and Eben Christian Franckewitz. It was a fantastic group effort and very fun to watch.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one who enjoyed the show. This morning, a photo of the foursome was featured on the landing page of yahoo.com. These kids young adults sang their hearts out with their rendition of “The Night Has A Thousand Eyes”. I have to admit that I'm not a huge American Idol fan, but I will certainly stay tuned this season.

Go get 'em, Haley!! You're making Oregon proud.