The Sartori Team's Blog

Highway 101 Freeway Widening in Sonoma County

The Sartori Team (Keller Williams Realty) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:58:53 -0700

Having grown up in the "Pothole Capital of the World" (Petaluma) I have been left with a kind of stigma surrounding road construction. I get that it's supposed to help out but just like everyone else I don't like the fact that it gets in my way. The Highway 101 freeway widening project through Sonoma County seems to take the "It's gonna get worse before it gets better" mentality. I drive through the construction everyday during both morning and afternoon drive times. The traffice is worse now than it was before the construction started.

This is why I needed to know when it was going to end. I found out all the information I need to know about the project on the Sonoma Country Transportation Authority. You can find their write up about the Hwy 101 freeway wideinging project here.

As a real estate agent this is very much information that any buyer and/or seller should know. Not only can freeway construction affect a buyers preferences such as lengthing their commute time from their new home it can affect the value of a house your trying to sell depending on how close it is to the freeway.

Here's a quick rundown of timelines for the different phases on the Sonoma County widening project:

Wilfred (Rohnert Park Expressway to Santa Rosa Ave.) - Scheduled to be completed in 2012

Central (Old Redwood Highway in Petaluma to Rohnert Park Expressway) - Phase 1 to be completed by end of 2012, Phase 2 has already started construction and Phase 3 is scheduled to start later this year.

Marin/Sonoma Narrows (Hwy 37 in Novato to Old Redwood Highway in Petaluma) - Phases to start construction in 2011 and be completed by 2014.

Sonoma County Business Spotlight - Taps Restaurant & Tasting Room - Petaluma, CA

The Sartori Team (Keller Williams Realty) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:45 -0700

In this episode of the Sonoma County Business Spotlight we feature a great downtown Petaluma restaurant, Taps. I talk with the owner, Eric, about what sets his restaurant apart from others in downtown and I give you a quick tour of the inside including the keg room. With 35+ beers on tap including hard cider you'll definitely be able to find something to soothe those thirsty taste buds at Taps Restaurant and Tasting Room in Petaluma.

Sonoma County Business Spotlight - Two Chicks Coffee Co.

The Sartori Team (Keller Williams Realty) — Thu, 12 May 2011 10:27:01 -0700

In episode 2 of The Sartori Team's Sonoma County Business Spotlight we help you kick start your day with some morning java at Two Chicks Coffee Co. in north Petaluma. This full service coffee stand owned by two Sonoma County natives serves breakfast and lunch and you can even hire them for your next special event.

Sonoma County Business Spotlight - Evermay Garden Center

The Sartori Team (Keller Williams Realty) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 22:26:05 -0800

In episode 1 of The Sartori Team's Sonoma County Business Spotlight we learn more about the Evermay Garden Center in downtown Petaluma. This full service nursery can help you with all of your garden needs from purchasing a few potted plants to landscaping consultation.

Tim Sartori is a Buyer Specialist with The Sartori Team of Keller Williams Realty. Phone: 707-583-7007 Email: tim@thesartoriteam.com

5 Things to Do in Sonoma County This Week

The Sartori Team (Keller Williams Realty) — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 00:06:23 -0800

Here's your list of some community events coming up this week starting November 15th thru November 21st.

November 16: Organic Wine and Food Pairings

Beat the bad weather this coming weekend and get out and taste some wine with some great food at Medlock Ames Tasting Room in Healdsburg. There will be garden tours, slow food pairings and tasting of their current releases and library wines. Click on the link above for further information.

November 18: Book Sale at Sonoma Valley Regional Library

You can't beat a sale where all items being sold are $2 or less. The book sale at the public library in downtown Sonoma will include close to 10,000 items including DVDs, CDs and video's. Click on the above link for more information.

November 19: The Cake Boss at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts

If you like cakes with a little bit of over the top personality then you have to see Buddy Valastro. This boisterous cake chef will be at Wells Fargo Center talking about his hit TV show on TLC, his Italian family and he'll even show you some techinques on how he makes his famous cakes.

November 20: Holiday in Carneros

This multi-winery open house ushers in the holiday season in the Carneros region in both Sonoma and Napa Counties. Each of the more than 20 wineries involved will have special activities including food and wine pairings, live music, holiday arts and crafts and special discount pricing. Click on the link above for ticket information.

November 20: Holiday Home Tour and Winter Market

The Junior League of Napa-Sonoma's annual fundraiser allows you to walk through festively decorated homes for the holidays in Bennett Valley. You can also stop by their winter market at the at the Friedman Event Center where local vendors will display and sell their holiday merchandise. This is free to attend and a great way to help out a local organization.

5 Things to Do in Sonoma County This Week

The Sartori Team (Keller Williams Realty) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 16:12:27 -0800

Here's your list of some community events coming up this week starting November 8th thru November 14th.

November 10: Pancake Breakfast for Military Veterans

Who doesn't like pancakes in the morning? Even if your one of the select few who doesn't you should still come out to this event in Healdsburg where the proceeds will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project. Veterans get in for free and everyone else is $10. Please click on the link above for location information.

November 11: Warren Miller's Wintervention at The Wells Fargo Center

This extreme sports winter film done by Warren Miller Entertainment and narrated by Jonny Moseley will have you wanting to hit the fresh powder as soon as you get outside. This film will feature some epic winter terrain from around the world including Canada, Antarctica, California, New Zealand, Utah, Austria, Alaska and more. Click on the link above for more information.

November 11: 21st Annual North Bay Veteran’s Day Parade

One of the largest Veteran's Day Parades in Northern California will take place in beautiful downtown Petaluma at 1:00PM. There wil be plenty for the adults and the kids to see. So come down during your lunch break or heck take the day off work and come out and relax have a good time at the parade.

November 13: Hands-On Artisinal Cocktail Class

Do you have a holiday party coming up but are tired of serving the same old holiday punch? Well take it up a notch by serving great holiday inspired cocktails. Spend a 2 hour class with Spoonbar mixoligist Scott Beattie at H2Hotel in Healdsburg and you'll leave there with new cocktail receipes such as Hot Buttered Rum, Sparkeling Bella Ruffina and Lion's Tail. Click on the link above for information on signing up because space goes fast.

November 13: Rodney Strong Vinyards Holiday Craft Fair

This kick off to the holiday shopping season will include handmade crafts and goods from local artists and businesses. If you bring in a food or cash donation for the Redwood Empire Food Bank the winery will treat you to a tasting of their newly released Malbec. In addition to the craft shopping there will be pre-holiday wine specials and food samples. Check out more information about the event at the link above.

Start of the Holiday Season in Petaluma

The Sartori Team (Keller Williams Realty) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 12:05:12 -0700

Halloween is over and that’s when I start getting antsy for the holiday season events to start (Sorry, I love this time of year). So I got even more excited when I came across an article the other day that I thought rang so true. “Santa’s Arrival on Petaluma, CA’s River Signals Start of Holiday Season."

On November 27th Santa will be riding into the downtown Petaluma riverfront harbor. Him and Mrs. Claus will arrive on a tugboat around noon that day to quite a fanfare with entertainers on the street and a ton of kids. They’ll even be passing out candy canes and who doesn’t love those? J You can see the jubilation below at last years Santa’s arrival in to the harbor. Thanks Petaluma Pete!

It’s never to early to start getting the happy holiday bug especially now that Halloween’s over. Stay tuned for more upcoming holiday events in Sonoma County. Yes we include Thanksgiving in that ;)

Thanks!
The Sartori Team,
Sonoma County’s Premier Father/Son Real Estate Team.

5 Things to Do in Sonoma County This Week

The Sartori Team (Keller Williams Realty) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:10:20 -0700

Here's your list of some community events coming up this week starting November 1st thru November 7th.

November 2: Making Social Media Marketing a Part of Your Business Plan and Get Yourself Found on Google

Have a small business? But don't know how to navigate the crazy social media marketing maze. Then attend one or all of the three workshops being put on by the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce to help beginners navigate social media marketing. These workshops will help you gain a better online presence and set you on the right path. Click on the above link for further details aobut registration and location.

November 3: Trivia Night at Murphy's Irish Pub in Downtown Sonoma

Sometimes you just need to take a breather from life and have a good. Especially in the middle of the week. Why not do that with a little freindly trivia competition at Murphy's Irish Pub in the Sonoma Downtown square. Bring a group of 4 or meet some new people and form your own team. With free entry and a chance to wine a bottle of wine there's no telling what sort of shenanigans may occur. Click above for more info.

November 4: "The Vietnam Experience, A Soldiers Story" Exhibit at The Petaluma Museum

Come and learn a little bit about the the personal stories of local veterans who served in the Vietnam War. The exhibit includes historical artifacts, photographs, and documents interwoven with remarkable oral histories. This is a must see for anyone who wants to learn more about the Vietnam War through the eyes of Sonoma County natives.

November 5: First Fridays ArtWalk in Healdsburg

With one of the highest concentrations of art galleries in the North Bay, downtown Healdsburg hosts an Art Walk that will make any art enthusiast blush. From 5PM-8PM you can experience art, photography, music, food & wine in the beautiful downtown area. Click on the above link for more information and a map of the art galleries.

November 6: Behind the Scenes at Pixar Animation Studios

Take a behind the scenes look at the animations of the powerhouse studio Pixar. One of the supervising animators behind such great movies as Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 will be speaking on his experiences with the company for the past thirteen years. This is a great "how it's done" for any movie buff. Click on the link above for ticket prices and times.

Wristwrestling to Return to Petaluma?

The Sartori Team (Keller Williams Realty) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:55:32 -0700

Many people in the Sonoma County area don't realize that in addition to the title of the "Egg Basket of the World" Petaluma was the home for the world wristwrestling tournament for over 50 years.

Now finally after 10 years there has been some talk about bringing one of the national wristwrestling tournaments back to Petaluma. For an event that started in the back of a bar in Petaluma in 1952 it rose to such prominence that it attracted ABC's "Wide World of Sports" until it ultimately left in 2000 to go to Reno.

This event certainly is a big part of Petaluma's history and has already got me excited even if it is just a rumor at this point. Lets help bring this event back to Petaluma and have some fun.

Thanks!

Photo Credit: fabbio

5 Things to Do in Sonoma County This Week

The Sartori Team (Keller Williams Realty) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 13:28:44 -0700

Here's your list of some community events coming up this week starting October 25th thru October 31st.

October 25 - 31: Halloween Week at the Chateau

Come celebrate Halloween with Chateau St. Jean in Kenwood. They'll have a haunted mansion with some specialty food sampling and of course the wine tasting. The Chateau is open from 10AM-4:30PM daily. For more information click on the link above.

October 29: Occidental Harvest Market Festival

This event hosted by the Occidental Bohemian Farmers Market will provide great harvest time activities for the family. There will be pumpkin painting, activitis involving Dia de los Muertos, food, crafts, live music and a lot more that will cost you an admission price of FREE! For more info click on the link above.

October 30: Hoots & Howls @ The Petaluma Wildlife Museum

Come and help out this non-profit student run wildlife museum at the Petaluma High School celebrate this Halloween. Costumed docents will lead you and your family on tours of the museum...in the dark. There will plenty of other actvities involving animals of the night. The cost is $5/person with kids 5 and under getting in free. For more information click on the link above.

October 31: Halloween Fun on Petaluma D Street

You won't really see this one on anyone elses event listings. From an early age my parents would take my sibilings and I to downtown D Street in Petaluma to go trick-or-treating. There are usually hundreds of people out on the street getting their treats and checking out the houses that really decorate it up for the occassion. Its really fun and experience worth going to at least once.

October 27: Petaluma Cinema Series Presents - The Shining

The Petaluma Film Alliance offers the Petaluma Cinema Series which takes place at the new Carole L. Ellis Auditorium at the Petaluma Campus of Santa Rosa Junior College. This week they will be showing the great Stanley Kubrick horror film The Shining. There is a pre-film discussion and a post film discussion until about 10PM. This is a great event for any film buff out there. Click on the link above for more information.

Free Financial Help for Homeowners in Petaluma

The Sartori Team (Keller Williams Realty) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 10:34:02 -0700

Just caught wind of a great opportunity for homeowners in Sonoma County facing financial difficulties to get free help. The conference, which will include HUD-certified counselors and experts to discuss debt, budgeting and public resources, will happen Saturday, October 2nd. It will be located at San Antonio High School in Petaluma @ 500 Vallejo Street from 11AM-3PM.

The event is being sponsored by COTS, Petaluma People Services Center and the Petaluma Adult School. To set up an appointment with one of the HUD counselors follow the instructions on the home page of the COTS website. See the link above.

If you are facing any sort of financial difficulty with your home please do not be bashful. This is the time to get any sort of help you can. Besides food will be provided and who doesn’t like free food.

Thanks!

What Your Pool Means to You and Others?

The Sartori Team (Keller Williams Realty) — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 16:01:32 -0700

I feel like most of us had that one cool friend when we were younger who had the pool in their backyard. Maybe you were that cool friend, who had all the pool parties that everyone wanted to go to. However, this economy is now making home buyers think twice about pools.

An article from REALTOR® Magazine titled, “Are Pools Worth The Expense” by Melissa Dittmann Tracey, states that on average pools can cost between $3,000 to $5,000 a year in maintenance costs. While I think that might be a little on the high side it stands to reason when you factor in safety precautions if you have children or if something goes wrong with the pool.

Gone are the days that most home buyers can afford wants in addition to needs. Home buyers are paying ever more attention to the cost of owning a home which means pools are falling by the wayside. Just about a year ago there was a home for sale in my neighborhood that had a pool in the back. After talking with the Realtor® we found out that most objections to the home was the pool. I don’t know the specifics behind it but the home ultimately didn’t sell.

As with most things in life there are upsides and downsides. Pools may have some costs associated with them but they do provide entertainment and joyful memories for most. I know I still have fond memories of the pool parties I went to as a kid. It may be a little more difficult nowadays to sell a house with a pool but there is usually someone out there who would be willing to pay for it for those added memories.

Thanks!