Coastal Real Estate and Lifestyles

Diverting myself from my normal business reading first thing in the morning, I allowed myself to get into the Halloween spirit. 

 Check out theses gourds! 

A human face-shaped pumpkin grown in 1938.  With a candle inside one of those on Halloween night… yikes!  or add a little voice box behind it saying “help me…help me…” (that was hubby’s contribution).

Or what about what EPCOT is doing - growing pumpkins in the shape of Mickey Mouse ears…Sounds like an activity for artists who like to use food as their pallette.  It also sounds like a perfect Coastside class - Parks & Rec or a collababoration between one of the farms and a local artist .  With an abundance of farmers and artists, imagine what someone here could create.  There could also be a separate contest for Pumpkin Festival for the best pumpkin “design”.

Blue Sky Farms got our local coastside children involved in growing pumpkins this year with their own contest, including winnners for “Most Lopsided”, “Clearest Complexion” and “Cutest” among other categories.

You do.  We buy and sell homes in earthquake country.  We’re used to it and we advise sellers and buyers of their rights and obligations to protect themselves here.  Thank goodness we’re not dealing with tornadoes…I’ve lived in Michigan!  I’m going to break it down a little here for you.  Pay attention to compliance disclosures at a point of sale - here’s an example…

California Health and Safety Code 19211.

(b) The seller of any real property containing a water heater shall certify to the prospective purchaser that this section has been complied with. This certification shall be made in writing, and may be included in existing transactional documents, including, but not limited to, the Homeowner’s Guide to Earthquake Safety published pursuant to Section 10149 of the Business and Professions Code, a real estate sales contract or receipt for deposit, or a transfer disclosure statement pursuant to Section 1102.6 or 1102.6a of the Civil Code.

Two disclosures related to earthquake safety are the Residential Earthquake Hazards Report questionnaire and the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement.  Local purchase contracts (Item 4C on C.A.R. and Item 9 on PRDS) specify that the seller provide property disclosures that include environmental, natural hazard, earthquake and other compliance statements for the protection of both parties.

The Earthquake Hazards Report Form is included in the Homeowner’s Guide to Earthquake Safety booklet given to the buyer with their disclosure package.  The seller has checked off the boxes and signed it.  The seller will want to check to make sure he is in compliance and the Realtor will want to make sure they’re handing out the most current version of the booklet.

The Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement and Report is compiled by a third party company.  This report tells the buyer some important things about the house they are considering - such as whether the property is located in an Earthquake Fault Zone, a Seismic Hazard Zone for landslides, or a Seismic Hazard Zone for liquefaction.  It will also tell you what it means to be in these locations. 

In addition to these seller disclosures, the buyer is advised to get a home inspection.  The home inspector will discuss areas of the property that may be seismically unsafe and warrant further inspection by a specialist - two common discussion points are the foundation and water heater.  Most seller homes that I see have their water heaters strapped, however there are more than you would think that have them strapped improperly, as pointed out by home inspectors.

As an example, I stopped in Oceanshore Hardware on Tuesday to check on their water heater strapping kits for this post.  As I discussed the confusion that we sometimes experience between sellers and buyers, the owner, Larry Hassett, agreed that there is a “disconnect”.  A seller will honestly believe the water heater is strapped properly and a buyer will ask that it be strapped to be in compliance before they take possession.  A good listing agent will get it done pronto because it protects their client!

Back at the hardware store, Larry also pointed out that the marketing on the packages may be misleading when it comes to resale homes (water heater already installed).  So he graciously took the time to open the package… sure enough, there was a plastic “block” allowing the company to advertise “California compliant”, but as he points out and as I’ve seen firsthand, what’s in the package may not be the right piece for your house.  Bring in a plumber or contractor to have it assessed and sleep at night knowing at least your water heater isn’t going anywhere when the rumbling starts.

Water Heater bracing general instructions

Related Article:

Coastside Continues to Prepare for the Big One.

Whether you enjoy Half Moon Bay’s Pumpkin Festival or make a point of staying away for the town’s annual showcase event, here are a few vendors we visited that you can enjoy without ever stepping foot onto high-energy Main Street during 2 full days of music, food, shopping, haunted house, and basically PUMPKIN everything.

Via Ripatti - www.viaripatti.com - I buy a shirt for my husband here every year.  The artist, Steve Ripatti draws a new design every year and I always look forward to his inspirations.  The clothing is wrinkle resistant, doesn’t fade, and is very comfortable.  The husband and wife team also create beautiful wraps and other pieces for women.

Ladybug Design - www.lady-bug-design.com - nothing to do with ladybugs…this is custom made jewelry from wood.  It’s light-weight, original, and stunning.  This is a regular stop for my daughter and me.  She had many pieces that are not on the website.

Goldenspirits  Candle Works - a new vendor this year from Paradise, CA - I was impressed.  It takes a lot for me to get impressed with candles, consequently I usually don’t buy them.  I bought 4 in various scents and designs.  The early favorite, she predicted, is Citrus Cranberry.  1.530.872.2082

Nzalamba Artworks - www.nzalamba-artworks.com - The website doesn’t do justice to his work.  Paul shared the stories behind the prints he showed us - “Not to Worry”, “At Play”, “Love”, and “The Drums”, which the website does not give you.  When you buy a print, you will receive the story, he told us.

Photography by Pame - pixelpame.com - She had some great photos of Pillar Point Harbor and other local scenes, not showcased on the website.

http://www.miramarevents.com/pumpkinfest/