Patty McMillen's Blog

I just wanted to share that our office has formed a co-ed softball team. It is such a fun time for us all and creating great comradore.

We play Tuesday nights, now through October so get in touch with me and come check our one of our games!

Picking your neighborhood is as important as picking your new home. 

1.  Look at the house several times, during the day and night.  A neighborhood can look very different at night when everyone is at home..traffic, kids in neighborhood.

2.  Neighborhood can also affect your pocket book, house prices, property taxes and don’t forget to calculate commuting cost.

3.  Talk to the neighbors they love to tell new buyers everything that is wrong with the house and the surrounding people.

4.  Life is getting busy and being close to downtown has become an important issue for people…check out the downtown on weekends and special event times, see if you can live with the traffic, noise & walking distance from the home you want to purchase.

Wow…rates on fixed-rate mortgages hit a new low this week, the average 30-year fixed rate is about4.42 percent with an average of 0.7 points.  One year ago rates were over 5%, rates are at a new low since 1971.  Perfect time for first time buyers to jump into the market.  FHA requires 3.5% down payment, cheaper than renting in this market!

North Bay restaurateur and chef Munther Massarweh and Executive Pastry Chef Debbie Coenon are set to open up Branches Wood Fired Chop House in Ukiah late this summer.

The building is huge, a whopping 10,500-square-foot restaurant, bakery, butcher shop and Irish pub! The restaurant will have its own garden as well as feature products for our many local Mendocino County Farmers! This should be another fun, delicious place for locals and visitors alike to stop, dine and shop!

315 Janix Drive, Ukiah

One of a kind! Amazing 6 acre parcel located in a gated community in the West Hills. Breathtaking panoramic unobstructed views, from Burke Hill to Lake Mendocino! All City of Ukiah utilties are at the property and there is a private paved road access. Reduced to $169,500

Call me for more information on this property! 707-367-2659

A fire started Sunday around 4pm near Cow Mountain, by Monday it had burned approximatively 240 acres! Over 300 firefighters are working to put out the blaze, including dozers, air tankers, and 3 helicopters.  CalFire says that the fire is about 40% contained as of 1pm Monday. Fire command personal expect full containment by 6pm Tuesday.

Just a remember during the dry season to be extra careful while camping and during barbeque’s!

A BIG thank you to all of the firefighters who have been working so hard to put out this blaze!

Taken by Engineer Cody Snodgrass.

The Fair is upon us…. Starting Thursday at 12 through Sunday Ukiah will have carnival noises, laughing kids and Monster Trucks in town! This is a great weekend to bring the family to town, enjoy a corn-dog and the community as a whole… Its so fun to see all the animals and the great kids who have worked so hard to raise their farm animals.

The gates open at 12 and there is fun for the whole family! Enjoy Mardi Gras at the Redwood Empire Fairgrounds!

The Gulf of Mexioc Oil Spill is expected to take a toll on real estate prices ..CoreLogic Inc., states the losses along the coast could reach $3billion over the next five years. BP is responsible for property losses but who will determine which properties should be compenstated for their losses?

New federal requirements will be that lightbulbs be 30 percent more efficient starting January 1.  Down the road all general-purpose incandescent lighbulbs will be required to produce a minimum 45 lumen’s per watt.  That is likely to mean the end of ubiquitous incandescent.  The law applies only to sale of the bulbs….

The Sundays In The Park Free Concert Series is the largest and most recognized community event in Mendocino County.

It is a blast to sit on a Sunday and mingle with friends, clients, etc. I encourage you all to attend the second to last Summer 2010 Concert In The Park.

The band this Sunday, August 1^st is Brian Anders and the Afro-Cuban Jazz Cartel. They are a World Class Latin Jazz Group.

Come to the park and wrap the weekend up right!