Benicia Transit is hosting for the third year a festive, inexpensive way to see the holiday lights in Benicia.                                             Ride in a "luxurious Benicia Breeze Coach" and enjoy Benicia's annual light shows around the city.  There will be some refreshments and drinks on board. The tours last approximately one hour.All for the minimal cost of $1.50 each!!  You cannot drive a big SUV for that and see all the twinkling, colorful holiday vignettes.WHEN: Friday Dec 14th, Saturday Dec 15, and Sunday Dec 16.WHERE: Meet at Military West and First StreetTIME: 7PMBring your family, friends, and neighbors for a holiday gathering you will want to make tradition in the years to come!For more information you can call Benicia Breeze at 707-745-0815 or "511"Visit Benicia B... 12/11/2007

     I just have to share how good it feels to get in the holiday spirit!     We had our Benicia tree lighting street open house last night.  What a great time!  I saw friends and clients I hadn't seen for months.  Everyone was happy and having a good time.      We had our double doors open for everyone to come in and sit with Santa.  Children, no, people of all ages, stopped in to see Santa and enjoy the festivities.  Todd Willis, a fellow Realtor, did an outstanding job of being Santa and wowed the kids with his charm and good cheer.  HO!  HO!  HO!  Outside of our door we had two popcorn machines going nonstop to compliment the cotton candy machine in between.  We also had a group of young musicians who had set up shop on the street serenading the public with their flute and clarinet ... 12/08/2007

Foreclosures are top of mind in today's news.  Neighbors, friends, relatives, clients, people in the grocery store, customers waiting in line at the bank, you name it if I wear my badge they will ask about the current market.Often foreclosures and the current mortgage situation are the hot topic.  As to the current mortgage situation, the rates are great, as low as 2005. With rates so great, what a fantastic home you can buy!!Than the topic of foreclosures come up.  What is going on in Benicia?  We do not have the same degree of foreclosures/bank owned properties as some parts of the state and country. That is a fact. What is here must be sold. That is a fact.  Banks are not in the business to own homes. And that is a fact!As of today the multiple listing service for Benicia listed 199 ... 12/07/2007

Coldwell Banker Solano Pacific has a red Santa's Mail Box waiting for letters to Santa.  The Mail Box is located at 900 First St Benicia in our lobby. Every year this special mail box receives lots of mail and Santa is looking forward to more this year of 2007!Write a letter to Santa, drop in the mail box by December 19th and get a handwritten letter back.  Remember to put your return address so Santa can get a letter back to you.This special Santa Mail Box is waiting and willing to receive your letters!!        12/07/2007

     That's right!  Santa's coming to Benicia on December 7th during the Open House Holiday Tour to Coldwell Banker Solano Pacific.  Bring a canned food item and have your picture taken with Santa Claus.  Santa comes every year to talk to all of the boys and girls hoping to share their Christmas wishes with him.  Free photos for all who stop by, with or without the canned food.       The Food Bank of Solano County would certainly appreciate the canned food donations.  Coldwell Banker Solano Pacific has a drop off bin at both the Benicia (900 First Street)and Vallejo (2581 Springs Road) offices.  They provide meals for local families, and all contributions are gladly accepted.     Don't miss out on the fun of the downtown Benicia Holiday Tour.  The annual tree lighting ceremony at the fo... 11/28/2007

I have been very leary about taking any short sales the past few months.  Not knowing what to tell my clients if they asked a question or even be able to help them with some ideas, before they got to the Notice of Default.  Well, I decided to do something about that and went to one of these many free seminars that everyone seems to be having.  Boy,  Did that help me.  Not only did I start to understand what a short sale was all about, but also realized all that was involved in processing one. I would strongly advise everyone to take one of these seminars.  They give you information on how to help people before that dreaded short sale. They give you information on the steps that need to be taken along with some great insight from their experiences.  Really great on-line resources for jus... 11/08/2007

Coldwell Banker Solano Pacific has a drop off barrel for toys.  We are located at 900 First St Benicia.  When out shopping, buy a little somethin' extra and put it in our barrel.  Local children will be grateful and you will get a good will feeling for doing it.Do it Now and Do it early!! 11/08/2007

I was walking down our Main Street last Sunday, along with many others, and noticed all the trees were turning color and the leaves are starting to fall.  This is the first sign of my most favorite time of year.  Benicia is a small town were everyone is very friendly.  The first Friday of December our town turns magical. First Street closes down and we have our tree lighting, all the stores are decorated to the hilt, not to mention the whole street.  The shops invite you in with the smells of hot-mulled wine and Christmas Cookies. Everyone comes downtown and walks around saying HI to friends they have not seen in a while, Carolers are singing, the High School Band is playing, there is a hay ride for everyone and you can always hear their happy voices singing Christmas Carols. The follow... 11/06/2007

It was recently announced that three schools in Benicia made the Honor Roll. Benicia High School, Joe Henderson Elementary, and Mathew Turner Elementary. The California Business for Education Excellence Foundation and Just for the Kids-California 2007 Honor Roll that is!  This distinction is given to public schools by California's business community.  It is a high honor to receive and 570 public schools were chosen for 2007.  What the foundation and Just for the Kids-California look for are schools that show consistent high student academic achievement and progress toward closing achievement gaps among all their students per the Vallejo Times Herald article dated 10/25/2007.Congratulations and Kudos go to these three schools! 10/29/2007

Our office, Coldwell Banker Solano Pacific, has a large container we need to fill with food for the Solano County Food Bank.  It is located outside our office at 900 First St in Benicia.  Our manager visited the food bank and was shocked to see how empty the warehouse is.Benicia is a wonderful place to visit if you have not delighted in our sights, food, and shopping.  Come down our "main street" of First Street, bring a can of food to help feed people in need throughout Solano County and enjoy our lovely town! The container is outside in front of our office.  Help fill the need!! 10/26/2007

The more I look at the current market the more I see Home Prices DropThe Number of Realtors DropNumber of Homes for sale increasing and the Number of People looking for homes IncreasingThanks For the Price / Interest Rate DropFrancisMazzuca.comBeniciaHomeFinder.com 09/20/2007

     The wandering humpback whales, Delta and Dawn came to visit Benicia the other day.  They had wandered inland all the way up the Sacramento Delta area, seemed to be confused about which way to go back.  As we all watched our TV's hoping they would get going, sure enough they did.  Back down to the Rio Vista area and then stalled again.  They seemed to be leary of passing under the bridge, and swam around for over a day until they started moving again.  On Memorial Day they swam under the Benicia-Martinez Bridge, hurray.   Lucky Benicians got to do a little whale watching in the midst of our own very special little city of Benicia!     Parades of people were downtown trying to get a glimpse of the mama and calve humpback whales.  How exciting, but at the same time we couldn't wait fo... 05/30/2007

On a dark and stormy Friday night.....Actually on a balmy, breezy Friday night (5/25) I had an opportunity to watch (from shore) Fleet 76 take to the choppy, briny waters of the Carquinez Straits.  The Carquinez Strait is the main shipping channel for humongous tankers cruising from distant ports around the world.  They travel all the way from the Pacific Ocean to SF Bay to Benicia, to Sacramento and inland to Stockton California. There are watercraft of all kinds that frequent the popular channel in addition to the wayward whales that occupy the news.Fleet 76 is a group of hardy, seasoned and not so seasoned sailors.  Their mode of transportation is a unibody sail boat referred to Vanguard 15.  Let me preface the rest of my story with I know nothing about sailing other than I love to w... 05/26/2007

                    I went down to our local farmers market the other day and was greeted by the delightful sights and sounds of small town charm.  Just inside the entry banner was Fred McCarty, a bay area musician, entertaining the crowds with his guitar and voice to the song, Mr. Bo Jangles.  What a treat!  Singer, songwriter and guitarist, Fred delighted the crowd with his talent, and award winning music.       As I continued down the block I came across the Benicia Main Street table that runs our market.  2007 marks the 15th season of bringing farm fresh food, friends, families, and entertainment to the historic downtown of Benicia.  The season runs from April through October from 4 to 8 p.m.  Check out their website to find out more about our "jewel" of the bay area.  Coldwell Bank... 05/19/2007

If you've never been to a quilt show, you're missing out.  This is an art form at it's best.   The Carquines Strait Stitchers have organized their biannual  Quilt Show.  It's a colorful display of quilting in it's many beautiful forms.  Quilts, wearable arts, fabrics, books, classes, vendors, food and fun.  It really is a great show!  It's coming to Benicia at the historic Clocktower Saturday, May 5th from 10 - 5 p.m., and Sunday May 6th from 10 - 4 p.m. In case you haven't been there before. the address is 1189 Washington St., Benicia, CA.The featured artist this year is Marcia Stein.  Textile artists put on the best demonstrations.  I haven't seen Marcia myself, but I've heard some very good things about her, and I can't wait to see her in person.  I do have a personal favorite quilt ... 05/04/2007

Recently I had a client who was interested in Senior Communities in the SF Bay Area.  She needed to know how close Kaiser was to these communities and that they be an hour driving distance to San Francisco/San Rafael(not during commute times!).  I collected massive quantities of information along this journey.  I know my client did not want to see detail, just the highlights.  This information was summarized into one sheet.  I researched for Senior Communities that one could buy or sell, how close to Kaiser, did they have activities, how old the community is, etc.  The communities I have highlighted are from Solano, Contra Costa, and Sonoma Counties.  I am sure I have missed a pocket of homes somewhere!!  This is one of the fastest growing segments of real estate ownership across the US... 05/02/2007

It's not often you get the opportunity to watch a clutch of barn owls be raised by a great couple, namely Frida and Diego.  This year once again they nested, laid their eggs, hatched the eggs and currently have four remaining adorable chicks growing into beautiful birds.  It's really an amazing thing to watch.  You too can check them out at the Owl Cam .com at your convenience to see the beauty and wonder of nature for yourself.  The webcam is a live feed, and the photos change every few minutes.Frida and Diego have taken up residence in the Benicia Arsenal area seasonally since 2001.   Benicia, California's historic arsenal district is home to one of the best artist communities in the Bay Area, and of course Frida and Diego.  You can see photos of their humble abode entrance at the lin... 05/02/2007

So here it is another Saturday on floor at the office and the streets of Benicia are beginning to be roped off for a Mardi Gras parade on April 28th.  How does that happen?  Well Benicia loves a parade!  Any excuse for fun and festivity, and Benicians are there.  Naming it the Gold & Gumbo Parade with a definite Mardi Gras theme brought out the crowds on Saturday morning.  Parade participants lined up early enough for the event to kick off promptly at 11:00 AM.  Forty-five minutes later the last of the many colorful participants had passed by; throwing the numerous treasures that pleased the crowd.  Children of all ages were covered in garlands of jewel tone beads and necklaces.  Coldwell Banker Solano Pacific passed out the traditional free popcorn to the masses, and a good time was ha... 04/30/2007

I had already written a blog, and went to add some tags, and the blog got eaten^&*()%#$^*$%)())So...here are some pix of Benicia...a wonderful historic town on the water close to San Francisco!  I'm not sure how to format photos on this site...but here are the descriptions.The first photo is the old State Capitol.  Benicia was the capital of California for about 18 months.  The entire legislature of the state met in this little building, the senate downstairs, and assembly upstairs.The second photo is the old railroad depot.  Before the bridges were built, railroad cars were ferried across the Carquinez Strait.  The building now is the office of Benicia Main Street program.The third photo is the gazebo...a popular wedding site and site for many fairs, too.The fourth photo is the sunset ... 04/28/2007

     This is my very first posting so please be kind.  This is an arrangement I put together for the 2006 Solano County Fair Horticulture Dept.  It's titled "California Delight".     I belong to a floral arranging group called Shibui Arrangers Guild.  We meet in Benicia, CA for monthly meetings.  We have members coming  from Solano, Napa, and Contra Costa counties.  We share artistic ideas on gardening, arranging techniques, flowers, and have a good time.     If there's anyone out there that enjoys flowers too, please let me know.  I'd love to hear fom you.     04/04/2007