Foreign Travel Advice and the Internet

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Joanie Williams

I took a trip to Cambodia last year. So to prepare, I got on the internet and found that some of the best foreign travel advice can be found in the Lonely Planet guide books. The book was so helpful, especially from the reviews of others, that I wanted to post some reviews to help the next person visiting Cambodia. Ta Prohm

So I did. And I recently received an email stating that my reviews has been read by 266 people. Imagine that! In some small way I have helped 266 people with their decisions about where to go, what to eat and what to do in Cambodia. I am still amazed at this whole web/Google/Yahoo/Yelp thing.

I know I’m showing my age, but the wealth of information available out there is mind boggling. And the ability we now have to walk into a new restaurant, or visit a new country with the advice of hundreds of others who came before us is so awesome. Battambang lunch

Just imagine if we were able to access the lives of so many people who lived here before us and they could say, “Go there” or “Don’t do that” or “Great place to start a business” or “Don’t make the same mistake we did!” Maybe reading biographies is a way of getting advice from those who have walked this way before. Or very possibly, we could look at the Bible as a guide from generations past.

Foreign Travel Advice may mean more than simply advice about another country. Isn’t the future foreign to us as well? We’ve certainly never been there before. A guide book for that sounds like something we should all be seeking. Think of the trouble it could save us. Tonle Sap Lake

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Seizing the Moment on my Donkey

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Joanie Williams

Sometimes just seizing the moment is the right thing to do.  For instance, the other day I was giving my donkey a lesson.  I like to keep them short and sweet.  She walked into the horse trailer very nicely, ate a couple of molasses cookies and walked out very nicely.  Perfect.

Then it was time for me to put some “human bean” weight on her like a sack of potatoes.  I laid across her and she was very calm and good.   And right then, seizing the moment just felt like the right thing to do.  So I sat up on her and the donkey was getting her first ride.  Actually, it was a first experience for the donkey and a first donkey ride for the old lady!

What happened next was the kind of thing that can happen when seizing the moment totally unprepared.

Because I hadn’t planned to ride the donkey, I didn’t have much figured out in the way of steering, so the donkey went wherever she wanted to go.  You can see the results.  Good that I had a place to step off.

Not really a bad example of seizing the moment in regular, everyday life.  Be ready for opportunites that can come your way.  Know your budget, your goals, your family plans, and those of your significant other!  Then, when an exciting opportunity is offered, be ready to jump if it fits into your personal goals.    In other words, plan ahead for the unexpected!

And take advantage of some great opportunities available today in the real estate market.  There are still homes out there that can be purchased, fixed up and turned to good profit if you are of that mindset.  Or, this may be the time to for you to be dreaming big while the banks are still making loans at these amazing rates!

And if you are training a donkey, plan ahead for steering!  Try to avoid MY mistakes!

Always Expect the Best!

Joanie Williams

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Beautiful Riding Trails in California

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Joanie Williams

The horseback riding trails in California are awesome.  But the riding trails in Central California are some of the best in the Country!  I would love to share some of my favorite places with you.   And these are not just for Equestrians.  Most of these trails are open to hikers and mountain bikers.  But double check before you head out.

Santa Margarita Lake:  This trail head is just off River Road north of Pozo Road on the east side of Santa Margarita about 2 miles before the “town” of Pozo.  Plenty of turn around trailer parking, pit toilets, and trails that go on for miles.  There is a fee to park and a per horse fee so bring your checkbook.Santa Margarita Lake trail  There’s also one large water crossing near the beginning of the trip.  Not deep but about 20 fee wide so be prepared.

San Antonio Lake:  A lovely loop trail that takes you out to a point overlooking San Antonio Lake.  Picnic table, water for your horse and a pit toilet are at the far end.  A nice wash rack for a hot and sweaty horse is available at the parking lot.  And you can camp here as well.  Just off Jolon Road on the North side of San Antonio Lake.

Montana de Oro State Park:  This park has a number of places to park a horse trailer as well as overnight horse camping.  From Los Osos Valley Road go west past the town of Los Montana del Oro campingOsos and follow the signs near the coast to Montana de Oro State Park.  No fee for day parking and pit toilets are available.  There are a number of creek crossings which will allow you to water your horse if need be.  For some of the finest trails in California this park includes ocean bluffs, dune trails, serpentined hills, flat roads, creek crossings, eucalyptus forests and amazing ocean views.

So if you are looking to hike, bike, or ride, there is room to roam here.   Truly beautiful land in a truly beautiful State this often overlooked by others who only see San Francisco and Los Angeles as the defining locations for this beautiful, blessed place.  Come see the trails of California and redefine for yourself what this State is all about!

Joanie Williams “Always Expect the Best”

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Dreaming Big in California

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Joanie Williams

I’m talking about dreaming big in California.  Not the California dreamin’ of the Mamas and Papas!

So, you’re a home buyer!  You’re looking for a new, or a different house and you have a budget.  Let me tell you that you aren’t the only one.  It doesn’t matter what financial strata that you are in.  Low, medium or high income.  Everyone has a budget and sticking to it can be very important.26 sunroom

But my Mother said something to me many years ago.  She was the financial decision maker in our home and she bought and sold houses a number of times.  In those day, mid-range homes were selling around $125 – $175,000.  She said, “If I had just stretched the budget and spent $10,000 more, we could have purchased so much more house.”  You see, ultimately, we found that we were outgrowing that last family home and my parents spent cash out-of-pocket money adding on another bedroom.   P1270007

Besides needing to add on, the houses that had the pool, or the extra game room or extra bath appreciated a bit more and had much better resale overall.

My point is that dreaming big can make a big difference to you and your family just a few years down the road.  And spending that extra $20 – $50,000 today at the current interest rates can mean an additional $100 to $285 per month in your payment.  You could decide not to buy that car, or maybe not go out to eat so many times each month, or even give up your many weekly trips to Starbucks.  And those extra features, space, storage areas, or acreage can mean many more $$ when you need to sell in the future.

So dreaming big in California can truly lead to “living large” with todays prices and interest rates.  Don’t cut yourself, your family, and your future short with short-sighted thinking.

Always Expect the Best!Joanie Williams

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Here is your latest Information Nugget

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Joanie Williams

I am constantly asked “So, how is real estate doing?”  So without further questioning, I will give you an information nugget or two that you can pass around the office.

Home prices nationwide are up almost 10% in the month of January from last January.IMG_5400

Locally, our inventory is at about 2 months.  That means, that if no more homes come on the market, and sale activity remains the same, we will be OUT of houses to sell in 2 months!  And this information nugget is even more valuable when you know that a balanced market has about 4 to 6 months of inventory available.

We are in a SELLERS MARKET in San Luis Obispo County and in many other parts of the country!  WOW!  It’s been YEARS since we’ve seen that!

My smart buyers are looking at everything available and making a fairly quick decision.

Know what you want to buy before you begin to look.  Don’t expect to buy everything on your list.  Realize that this time of very low prices and very low interest rates is very short.  Get prequalified with a lender of your choice.  And work with a real estate agent you know you can trust. That’s an information nugget and a good piece of advice all wrapped into one!

I know that there are many homeowners in the marketplace who would like to sell, but will not sell “short” i.e. be a bank short sale.  I applaud you!  Your patience will be rewarded as this market turns around.  Some of you will be able to sell and then purchase another property in the next few years.  Hang in there!

And to buyers, your information nugget is that despite all the real estate websites out there, no one has more information about your local market than a trusted, full-time ®Realtor.  Find one in your area, and stick to them like glue until they buy you the best property possible for your budget.  And I believe in dreaming big!

Joanie Williams

 

Always Expect the Best!

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Looking for the Best Wineries in Paso Robles

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Joanie Williams

If you are new to this area and looking for the best wineries in Paso Robles, then you may buy that the best place to start is right in the downtown!  The lovely downtown park with it’s gazebo is a good starting point.   Park there and start strolling up and down the streets.  You’ll be pleasantly surprise at what you buy.  Paso Robles Park GazeboThere is Asuncion Ridge Winery at 725 12th St.  Stop in, taste the great wine, and shop for a new item for your home while there.  The selection in both categories is awesome!

Then stroll over to Thomas Hill Organics where you will buy an excellent selection of our local wines.  When you buy what you like, it will inspire you to set you out on a new adventure to buy those best wineries in Paso Robles.  

But before you hit the road, you might want to stop at one of the newest additions in our fine town, Paso Robles Bakery!   Yep!  We have a new bakery with fresh breads, scones, cookies and all things fine from the bakery.  Stop in for your coffee and snack and hit the road.  Your search for the best wineries in Paso Robles will be all the sweeter!

 

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Donkey Training in the Salinas River

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Joanie Williams

donkey with trash bagsHere I go again!  This donkey training stuff is not as easy as it looks.  Now that I have the right pack saddle, the feed bags attached, and a donkey at my side walking down the riverbed, you’d think that things would be just fine.  But a donkey needs lots of practice.  See her standing there with those ears at attention?  There’s something in those bushes that is worrying her.  And if she gets too worried, she’ll try with all her might to haul down the road without me!

Such is my donkey training.   She’s going to need lots more time with me.

Meanwhile, I am picking up lots of bottles, cans, plastic and general junk in the riverbed.trash

And I’m not the only one!  Every year the Atascadero Mutual Water Company puts on a Salinas River clean up day.  Or you can check in the Jamie Hendrickson at AMWC who will be scheduling the next clean up day in the Fall of 2013.

This beautiful area of Central California is well worth caring for and protecting.  I know that many people enjoy walking their dogs here, hiking and running, horseback riding, and maybe someday, I’ll be joined by others for some good ole’ fashioned donkey training!  In the meantime, walk out to this area and see how beautiful it is, even in the Wintertime!Salinas Riverbed Feb 2013Happy Trails!  Joanie Williams

 

 

 

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Beautiful Places in California

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Joanie Williams
Cuesta Grade

Cuesta Grade

The Cuesta Grade is one of the beautiful places in California.  Many people who live in San Luis Obispo County commute between the North and South sections of the County each day and have the express privilege of enjoying a commute to work that has to be one of the best in the country!

Along Hwy 101In the morning, you can buy yourself dropping down from perfect blue skies into a valley shrouded in fog or weather depending, you can leave on a cold gray morning and enter into a beautiful blue skied verdant green valley that will take your breath away.

It’s the beauty of this area, one of the beautiful places in California and it’s proximity halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco that makes it a choice high on the list of Ocean view on the trailmany who are relocating.

And because of that, the inventory of homes currently available is extremely low.  In some places of the country today, they have a full two years of inventory available to sell.  That means that if nothing else is listed in the marketplace, it will take two years to sell all of the houses currently on the market.  In North San Luis Obispo County, we have two MONTHS of inventory.  We have so few homes to sell that when new clients come to town, we can show them all the homes in this area for sale in two to three hours.

Santa Margarita RanchIt’s kind of crazy right now.

Not only that, the people here are amazing.  I was on the road the other day and saw a car was coming off of Hwy 101 and the off-ramp was uphill….but the car had stalled.  There was a gal at the wheel and when it was noticed that she could not get her car off of the off-ramp without help, there was almost instantly SIX vehicles which pulled over, guys jumping out, and a team of them pushed her car up the ramp and off to the side of the road.

I don’t know about you, but I love valor!  And seeing those guys all jump out and help….well, it’s better than the good parts of any movie I’ve ever seen.  And that too makes this area one of the beautiful places in California. 

What a blessing to live here.  Let me know if you’d like to check out this area.  I have lots of ideas for you!  Call me!

Joanie Williams

 

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Atascadero News – Better All the Time

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Joanie Williams

Atascadero news of the day is all good.  First of all, the City Hall retrofit after the 2003 earthquake is finally well underway and the City plans to relocate its offices back there after construction is complete.  The city park looks beautiful, the fountATascadero Park and City Hallain flowing continually and nearby, the Galaxy Theatre   is in full swing.  The downtown revitalization, although probably 15 years behind what has taken place in Paso Robles, is definitely happening.  The city, finally, is looking to the future as they make decisions today.

Secondly, in Atascadero News is the approval of the new Spring Hill Suites by Marriott.  The project consists of 130 extended stay rooms,  5,000 sq feet of meeting space, a pool and dining area.  Located in the same complex as The Home Depot at the San Ramon exit off of Hwy 101, this development will not only provide much needed tourist housing for the entire Central Coast, but it will bring needed jobs and revenue into this fine City.Spring Hill Suites  This Tribune article has even more detail on the project.

 

And additionally, Atascadero news includes future development of the Eagle Ranch in the Southwest section of Atascadero, off of the Santa Barbara Road exit at Highway 101.  This development, currently still in the planning process would include multiple single family home plots of a minimum sq footage of one half acre, acres and acres of open space, and a well developed plan that would ultimately give the North County of San Luis Obipso a place to grow and at the same time enjoy the beauty which we so love here.  Find out more information about Eagle Ranch.

So, this sleepy little town is finally waking up and coming into it’s own.  Perhaps then, its time that you looked into Atascadero as a place to put down roots and enjoy the Central Coast of California.

Call me for more information on this wonderful community!

Joanie Williams

 

 

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Always Faithful Documentary [My Movie Review]

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Joanie Williams

Last night I attended the first public screening of the new documentary called Always Faithful.  So I thought I would share my movie review.  It is about the amazing bond between the U.S. Marine Corps  and their dogs in the Canine division.  The stories focus on their work during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Always Faithful

The director Harris Done and one of the Marines in the movie, Mike Dowling, were in attendance and available to answer questions after the screening.

This special screening was a sold out show and a fundraiser for Sherwood Dog Park of Paso Robles.  What a wonderful event and a wonderful movie!

Always Faithful follows five Marines, fresh from training, into their deployments for the first time.  The handlers and dogs form amazing bonds as they face life and death circumstances. It is truly an amazing story and well worth seeing even if you are not a confirmed dog lover.

The movie, produced by Harris Done is his second story about dogs on the battlefield.  He also produced a movie called “War Dogs of the Pacific”  about dogs in the military during World War II.  Both movies are available through Amazon and I understood that Always Faithful will be released to TV soon.

According to Mike Dowling, the now retired Marine, dogs in the military are currently classified as “equipment” which is something that many people like himself are trying to change.  If the dogs can become classified as “canine” teams or something other than “equipment”, when the dog is retired, the military can pay to have them shipped to designated families for retirement.  As it is today, there is no financial help in any way.  And the classification keeps them from receiving benefits of any kind for their many hours of work in very dangerous conditions.

Always Faithful movie is worth  your time to look it up and watch it!  And it was a real privilege to have this movie shown for the first time in Paso Robles!working dog

Support the local dog parks here!  It’s a great group of people who truly care about not just about their own dogs, but about these special dogs in every area of our military now serving around the world!

Joanie Williams

 

 

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