Come to the Fair Oaks Chicken Festival September 19  Celebrating the Chickens If you are at all familiar with Fair Oaks Village, you know about our chickens.  Hundreds of wild and beautiful chickens roam the Village, and they have been part of the character of our town for many years.  They have even been the subject of national magazine articles.  Families come to the Plaza Park in the heart of the Village to watch them, and children of all ages laugh and enjoy their antics.  Some folks bring birdseed to feed them (please no junk food). Finally, a few years ago, Fair Oaks decided it was time to celebrate the chickens that have brought us so much pleasure and so many visitors.  Thus was born the Fair Oaks Chicken Festival!  This is the fourth annual festival, and it is shaping up to be ... 08/23/2009

Need insurance in the Fair Oaks CA area?  My favorite insurance agency is R.K. Jacobs Insurance Services in Fair Oaks.  For years, when I lived in Southern California, my parents lived in Fair Oaks and their insurance agent was Rand Jacobs.  My parents depended on him always to be fair and reasonable, and to get all their questions answered quickly and thoroughly. Naturally when my husband and I bought our home in Fair Oaks, one of our first calls was to Rand, and we have been happy with that decision.  R.K. Jacobs Insurance Services consists of Rand Jacobs and Jim Cox, both of whom have more than 30 years in the insurance business, and I have to say that both of them are super-nice guys.  Either of them are always willing to spend time with me, answering any questions I have and helpin... 08/12/2009

Got Dog?  Fair Oaks has a wonderful Dog Park! Many in the Fair Oaks area have heard about the annual Fair oaks Dog Walk, held every October, that starts at the Village Park, but did you know that Fair Oaks has a Dog Park?  The Fair Oaks Dog Park is in the Southwest portion of Phoenix Park, and is just a little less than 2 acres (see directions below).  There is parking right there and restrooms nearby, so it is very convenient - fun for your dog and easy for you.  There are shade structures, shade trees, benches and even poop bag dispensers. Much of the information provided here is from the website of the Fair Oaks Responsible Dog Owners Group, who partners with the Fair oaks Park and Recreation District to maintian the park, and I suggest that you check it out for answers to any questi... 08/11/2009

For years we have had a minimum of 5 cats, and we have fed strays as well and gotten strays spayed and neutered.   Ever since we moved to Fair Oaks from Southern California, our veterinarians have been the great doctors at Hazel Ridge Veterinary Clinic. Hazel Ridge is a progressive full service small animal hospital caring for dogs, cats, rabbits, and pocket pets.  You can tell when you bring your pet in to see them that they truly love animals.  They are gentle and caring, and the staff is caring and supportive when the news is not good.  We have entrusted our cats to them for all of their care, and through surgeries, infections, and all their issues. State of the art equipment and medication enable the doctors to provide the highest quality diagnostics, anesthesia, surgery dental care... 08/05/2009

Do you have some household items, furniture, sporting goods, clothes, knick-knacks or collectibles or ??? that you no longer want or need?  This is a great opportunity to turn them into some extra cash!   That's right!  It's time to get ready for the annual Fair Oaks Fall Garage Sale in Fair Oaks Park, 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd. (at the corner of Madison Avenue and Fair Oaks Blvd).  This year it will be held on Saturday, September 26 from 8:00 am to noon.  Want a booth?  Registration for the Fall Garage Sale begins August 7 at 8:00 am at the Fair Oaks Recreation and Parks District Office.  Register early, because the sale is limited to 57 spaces, and once those are reserved, there will be no more permitted.  Each booth space is 15' x 14', which is equal to 2 parking spaces, and the registrat... 08/03/2009

Beautiful Fair Oaks, California is home to a wonderful store, in which we spend a great deal of time.  It is Wild Birds & Gardens, a premier backyard bird feeding, gardening, and gift store.  They have been serving backyard bird enthusiasts since 1993. Whether you are interested in learning more about bird watching or buying a special gift, their knowledgeable and friendly staff is happy to help you with finding exactly what you need. They carry: •·         Bird seed (in 2, 5, 20 and 25 pound bags) •·         Bird houses •·         Bird feeders •·         Wildlife items •·         Optics (binoculars) •·         Flags •·         Wind socks •·         Wind chimes •·         Spinners •·         Books, field guides •·         CDs, DVDs •·         Greeting cards •·         Children's stuffed... 08/03/2009

Drive down the streets of the Northridge area in Fair Oaks and you better be careful.  Be on the lookout for golfers in their carts... or turkeys.  You are just as likely to see one as the other.   Both the turkeys and the golfers love the proximity to Northridge Country Club, one of our area's finest private Golf Clubs. While living in the neighborhood does not make you a member, many of the 700 or so homes have members as owners. Homes sell fairly quickly in the Northridge neighborhood, which is bordered by Madison Avenue on the North and San Juan on the West. * In 2007 there were 18 homes sales, from $305K - $772K in price. * In 2008 there were 12 home sales, ranging from $179 to $680K. * To date, mid-year 2009, there have been 11 sales,  with 4 on escrow.  There are currently 8 home... 07/29/2009

Some towns have their Cheers Bar where everyone knows their name, but in Fair Oaks, we have our own old fashioned hardware store - Oaks Hardware.  It's definately the local hangout, and the only place to go to find that hard-to-find tool or screw-ball sized screw. Owner Dave Hill took over from his parents, Dick and Jeanne Hill, who until their death, were local fixtures extraordinaire.  Now Dave holds court almost daily, assisted by Hilary the Wonder Cat.  You can tell a lot about a town by it's hardware store, and Fair Oaks is no different.  Join me on a little stroll through the store.     So there you have it.  To find out more about Fair Oaks, go here.  Or to find out more about joining our community as a home buyer, stop by for a visit at my website, www.SallyDunbar.com, or search... 07/29/2009

Rollingwood, in Fair Oaks, CA, is a beautiful neighborhood known for it's massive oaks tree and picturesque natural settings. At the edge of the American River, ridges of gorgeous homes jut out into the ravines that make their way down to the river. Natural beauty abounds, as deer, wild turkeys, squirrels, hawks and assorted wildlife provide live entertainment. To the East, Rollingwood connects with Phoenix Field, built on the Phoenix Field airstrip. To the Southwest, is the American River Parkway, with miles of bike and horse trails along the beautiful river.  Folsom is just a hop, skip and a jump away to the East. Rollingwood Raquet Club provides year round activities for the whole family with swim, tennis and person fitness. If you are lucky, there will be a special home available in... 07/28/2009

One of the areas I love most in Sacramento County is Fair Oaks, California. Old Town Fair Oaks is kind of like stepping back in time to another era when people who worked at Hardware stores always knew your name.     While the town of Fair Oaks is terrific, and the homes in Fair Oaks hold their value really well, most everyone who lives in Fair Oaks takes tons of pride in Old Town. For one thing, there are chickens. Yes, chickens. Not sure where they came from, but since I was very young, Old Town Fair Oaks has always had chickens roaming around. In fact, if you park your car, you might need to make sure they get out of your way first! They seem to travel in a pack, so you never know which part of Old Town they’ll be roaming around in, but trust, me if you go to Old Town Fair Oaks, you’... 07/28/2009

The Phoenix Field neighborhood of Fair Oaks is one of Fair Oak's finest. With nearly 500 homes, it's big enough to have it's own distinct personality, but small enough for neighbors to know each other. It's old enough to have mature landscaping, yet knew enough to have homes with contemporary design and high ceilings. The homes of Phoenix Field were built on the former Phoenix Field airstrip - home of the Phoenix Flying Club. Private planes would buzz in and out of Fair Oaks on its 2600 ft landing strip from the mid-40's until homes were constructed in the late 80's. Directly South is Phoenix Park, a multipurpose park featuring soccer and little league fields, a playground, picnic areas, a community garden and a very poppular dog park.  Gorgeous vernal pools transform the Eastern edge o... 07/27/2009

Come join the Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District for a night full of laughs! It's Comedy Under the Stars in Fair Oaks.  Sacramento's "Laughs Unlimited" comes to Fair Oaks for an outdoor comedy show you don't want to miss, featuring some of the hottest comedy acts in the business. The show is recommended for adult audiences only, and will be at the Veterans Memorial Amphitheater, 7991 California Avenue (in Fair Oaks Village).  If you haven't been to the amphitheater for awhile, you should see it now.  Many upgrades have already been made, and there will be even more in the future - it is a great venue! Open seating begins at 7:00 pm and the show starts at 8:00 pm.  Tickets are $12 if purchased in advance or $15 at the door. What a great way to start the weekend. A Beautiful Friday ni... 07/23/2009

Are you up for some great music this summer - and all for free?  Concerts in the Park are a free series of concerts for the Fair Oaks Community.  It's an opportunity for families to come together on Thursday evenings to enjoy a relaxing summer evening in the park and hear some great music! Each concert starts at 7:00 pm on the outdoor stage behind the community center in Village Park, Old Fair Oaks. So bring your blanket or folding chair, a picnic dinner if you want, and enjoy some great music with your family, friends and neighbors, sitting on the grass under the stars, or while your little ones play on the wonderful playground equipment.  It's a terrific way to spend a warm summer evening. July 23 SHELLEY BURNS & AVALON SWING (Swing Standards) July 30 DR.BACH & THE JAZZ PRACTITIONERS ... 07/20/2009

"Wow, we found it... this is THE ONE.  Now, my Dad says to always offer 5% less, my friend had to pay over full price, and I hear of bank foreclosures at fifty cents on the dollar.   EEEHHHHHHH.... how am I supposed to know what to offer?  After all, I don't want to pay too much, and I sure don't want to be a duck in THIS market.  Heck, we want to feel like we are STEALING a home!" OK, folks, I hear this every day from buyers.  And it's a good question. But when you figure that one home may be over-priced and the next may be under-priced, you realize it's a different answer for each home.  It's not a one-size-fits-all answer. Here's what I do with my buyers. These are the steps I take to figure out what price to offer. Hope that helps. Call me if you want to talk strategy on buying your... 07/05/2009

I hate spending money when I can't see the results.  That's why I liked buying my new Mac - a big bang for the buck.  Or a vacation... a great use of money. Tangible results make me happy. Then there's dry rot.  Now there's something fun to spend your money on.  (remove tongue from cheek....) Talk about a sucker of cash that could have been avoided. You get dry rot when water lingers on wood.  The little dry rot vermin LOVE wet wood. (so do beetles and termites, by the way... and toxic mold is not far behind if there's sheetrock nearby.) Some rot comes inadvertently... an undiscovered roof leak, an unknown toilet leak (eeewwwe...). But a lot of it could have been avoided with a little diligence.  Sprinkler Watch is the diligence I'm talking about today.  Ya gotta get on this one, or it ... 07/05/2009

Congratulations.... you want to sell your home. And you are right, you have done some amazing upgrades, and your home IS special.  It IS worth more than anyone else's.... ;o) But this is the time to get real. Why?  Because you are going to get your hopes up, you're going to exhaust yourself cleaning and painting, and packing up all that stuff you've accumulated.  And you are going to put up with realtors coming by at all hours, and making appointments and not showing up.  It's frustrating and a lot of work. But it's quadruply frustrating if you do all that work... get your hopes up... make new plans AND THEN YOUR HOME DOESN'T SELL because it's overpriced!  Bummer.... Way Bummer, in fact. Actually it's even worse if it's goes into escrow, but it won't appraise.  Dang their appraisers....... 06/29/2009

"What the heck is she talking about", you say?  FHA has a killer loan "add-on" where you can save money by borrowing money to upgrade your heat and air unit, windows, insulation and other energy efficient products.  It's pretty cool... (or hot, if you get a new heater!) "So stop with the mumbo jumbo and give me the details!"  Ok, here's an example.  You are buying a $200K bank repo using FHA financing, with a nearly dead heat and air unit (or missing!), ugly aluminum single pane windows that are drafty, a measly 2" of matted down insulation in the attic, and a rusted out water heater blowing orange water into your kitchen sink. But it's a good deal and you want it.  Here's where the EEM loan (Energy Efficient Morgtage) does it's magic. You plan to put down 3 1/2 % (that what FHA allows)... 06/26/2009

First, I'm sorry you are in this predicament.  None of us dreamed of this when we plunked down our original down payment on our shiny new home. But this is life... there are no guarantees. If you have already tried a loan modification, or if a modification just won't help you due to your circumstances, you might consider a short sale, rather than allowing your home to be foreclosed upon.  It will be up to your lender, or lenders, and they will require you to have a hardship that prevents you from paying your debt, but if you have a hardship, a short sale can offer some advantages over a full-on foreclosure. First of all, after a short sale, you may be able to rebuy more quickly ... like in 2 years.  With a foreclosure it will take from 5 to 7 years. I know that seems like forever, but t... 06/25/2009

For the last 15 years or so I've enjoyed playing golf with my son and it has been a pleasure to watch him grow and improve and far surpass me. At times I wonder what it would take to keep up with him on the golf course in the coming years, however I think I've stumbled across the ultimate inspirational golf story for the middle aged male psyche. Click on the link below to read about the exploits of the "World's Greatest Golfer", a 5'3" older gentleman from Asia, and no, it's not Tiger Woods hunched over. Working on your handicap? I don't wanna give away the punchline but you're about to meet the golfer who has shattered the meter on that scale...FORE! P.S. This superhuman "athlete" also rolled a perfect game 300 his FIRST time out bowling. And my son and I thought we were pretty good at... 06/14/2009

If you get Wall Street Journal's columnist Yoder & Son in your paper, check it out this morning.  I'm in it. I love this guy.  His post is always about an issue he is having with his son, Isaac, who is just graduating from high school.  Steve writes the first half of the article from his perspective, then Isaac writes the second half, always on a topic about Isaac's upbringing.  Isaac's viewpoint always impresses me, being well-thought out, responsible, with the kid slant you still want to see.   Recently they wrote about whether Isaac should work for money his first summer out of high school, or travel and seek adventure.  The Sunday it appeared, I hopped from my chair and slammed a out my response to them.  It appeared in this morning's column....   "I vote for travel and mind-expandi... 05/24/2009