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La Dolce Vita – Gala to benefit Marin FSA & Abused Women & Children

Posted on September 12, 2007 by Ginger Wilcox

Family Service Agency GirlAs you may know, I love to “give back.” One of my latest projects is the Marin Family Service Agency Gala fundraiser. I started working with the agency through the Junior League of San Francisco five years ago, and have continued on my own. Over the last year, I have been working with 5 fabulous women on a advisory committee to put on the auction at this year’s gala event.

On Saturday night, September 15, a stunning Kentfield residence will be turned into an Italian fantasy land. Guests will be able to watch Italian Street Painting (live), play a game of bocce ball, and enjoy open air Fellini films. A live and silent auction will feature fabulous packages from tropical getaways to one of kind wine and dine experiences. It will be a magical evening raising money for a fabulous organization.

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Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival

Posted on by Ginger Wilcox

Mill Valley Arts FestivalThe Mill Valley Fall Art Festival is coming up this weekend. This is a great event, and inexpensive as well! Tickets are $7 for adults, free for children under 12. The setting is picturesque-located under gorgeous redwoods. This is a unique festival featuring art, music and other entertainment. Kids will have a ball at the Children’s Grove- great kid friendly music, puppet shows, dance troupes and more!

When

  • Saturday, September 15 10:00 am -6:00 pm
  • Sunday, September 16 10:00 am -5:00 pm

Where– on Throckmorton, just outside of downtown Mill Valley.

More info– www.mvfaf.org

I wish I could attend, I will be busy with a charity fundraiser this weekend!

How does your credit score compare?

Posted on September 9, 2007 by Ginger Wilcox

Fico scoresEver wonder how your credit score compares to the rest of the U.S.?  Seattle Real Estate expert Ardell DellaLoggia has some great information about Average Credit Scores in the United States. She has nationwide charts as well as scores broken down by age group.

Interestingly enough, credit scores go up as people age.

Check it out to see how you compare!

Go fly a kite- kite boarder style!

Posted on September 7, 2007 by Ginger Wilcox

Do you ever see colorful kites dotting the beautiful bay as you cross the Golden Gate Bridge? There is likely to be a person on small board underneath that kite. Kite boarding is one of the hottest new sports. The St. Francis Yacht Club hosted the first ever US Kite Course Racing Nationals here in San Francisco in July.

I have seen a lot of this sport recently…I guess I could officially call my husband a kite boarder.   He has become a regular at 3rd Avenue in San Mateo – this is one of the hottest kite boarding sites around the Bay and it is quite a sight to see! For those of you seeking a little adventure, be sure to take some lessons first- the sport can be dangerous for newbies.

Fairfax, California’s 5th Annual Car Show

Posted on by Ginger Wilcox

Classic CarIf you like old fashioned cars, visit the 5th Annual Fairfax Car Show presented by the Rotary Club of Ross Valley. The event will be held this Sunday, September 9th, 2007 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, in the town of Fairfax, California.

All proceeds to benefit local children’s charities. Sounds fun!

Stop the Credit Companies from selling YOUR Information

Posted on September 6, 2007 by Ginger Wilcox

Credit CardDid you know that when a credit report is pulled, the credit companies sell your information to telemarketers within 24 hours? You could be getting unwanted calls almost immediately. Crazy, but it is legal. You can opt out by calling (888) 5-OptOut or by going to www.optoutprescreen.com. By opting out, you also opt out of unauthorized credit checks. Any bank can request your credit history without your authorization and then “pre-approve” you for a credit card. When you opt out, banks can no longer prescreen you. This can be a great protection against future identity fraud as well.Information courtesy of Sofia Nadjibi, Union Trust Mortgage

I found a child left alone in a car

Posted on September 5, 2007 by Ginger Wilcox

Child Sleeping in Car SeatI saw something today that was so disturbing that I had to post about it. When I picked up my child from a Marin County school today, I saw a young child (approx 4-5 years old), honking the horn of the family vehicle. I looked in to see a very hot, sweaty child left alone in the car with the windows up.

The parent was no where in sight. I notified another parent and someone in the school office immediately. When prompted, the girl was able to open the car door. Still no parent in sight. The child was extremely sweaty and warm.

First of all- never, ever leave a child alone in a vehicle, particularly with the windows up. Especially on a 90+ degree day. According to Careful Parents, a car left in the sun with the windows closed on a summer day can easily reach 120 to 130 degrees in less than 10 minutes.

The child was left alone for far more than 10 minutes. Please, please don’t leave your kids alone, for even a few minutes. You never know what might delay you…and it only takes a few minutes to create temperatures that could be fatal to a child.

Buyers waiting- # Marin Homes for Sale Down

Posted on September 4, 2007 by Ginger Wilcox

Looking at the Marin County median home prices for August is pretty depressing. The percentage change for many cities is down. Tiburon is down 38.23% since August of 2006. Does this mean home prices have dropped almost 40%??BuyersWaitingtoBuy

No, they haven’t. Many Marin County areas only have a handful of sales each month. (Tiburon had 12, Larkspur 2, Corte Madera 7).

The median isn’t a great gage of what is happening in the market when you look at this few of sales. For the past couple of years, August has been a slow month for Marin real estate. August 2007 was exceptionally slow as both buyers and sellers waited to see what would happen in the Marin real estate market.

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Marin Real Estate Market Trends- August 07

Posted on September 1, 2007 by Ginger Wilcox

Initial numbers are in for August Marin real estate sales!

Marin Median Home Prices

According to initial numbers, the median price is $1,045,000 for single family residential homes. The median price for all residential (including condos) is $947,000. This represents a 6.4% change over last year, and a 12.81% change over August 2005.

Initial sales numbers by Marin County City

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Labor Day Happenings around Marin

Posted on by Ginger Wilcox

Labor Day Happenings around MarinYou don’t have to cross the bridges this weekend to enjoy great Labor Day festivities. Here are some of the happenings are Marin:

Belvedere-Tiburon

The third annual Labor Day Parade begins at 2:30 p.m. Sunday in downtown Tiburon and follow a parade route including Tiburon Boulevard, Main Street, Beach Road and San Rafael Avenue. The parade will conclude at Belvedere Community Park at 450 San Rafael Ave. and be followed by a free concert.

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