This event features fitness classes, body fat and blood pressure testing, tennis drills and games, kids’ and parent-tot swim lessons, kid’s hip hop class, face painting, catered BBQ, giveaways, and more.

The fun-filled event is at Almaden Valley Athletic Club on Saturday, June 16, 2012 from 10am-4pm.

The District 10 seat is currently held by Nancy Pyle, who is termed out this year. The election takes place June 5, 2012.

Candidates will present an opening statement. Dr. Kenneth Entin, professor emeritus of political science at California State University at Stanislaus, will then ask the candidates questions and moderate the discussion. (Dr. Entin is also an Almaden Valley resident and member of the Almaden Senior Association.) The candidates will conclude the forum by presenting their closing statements.

The forum is at the Almaden Community Center on May 10, 2012 from 7:00-8:30pm.

Almaden Valley residents have a variety of classes and activities from which to choose. There’s something for everyone – from toddlers to seniors.

Choose from arts and crafts, camps, dance, early childhood recreation, education and enrichment, health and fitness, music, sports leagues and drop-ins, cooking, specialty programs, senior programs and events, and family events.

Registration for Summer 2012 classes and activities begins on Saturday, May 5, 2012 at 10am. You can register online, in-person (at Almaden Community Center), or via mail-in or fax-in using the registration form.

Almaden Valley Real Estate Market Update

The number of Almaden Valley homes for sale increased slightly, from 58 last Monday to 61 this Monday. The percentage of homes under contract decreased from 50% to 46% over the same time frame. The number of distressed Almaden Valley properties (auction, bank owned, and foreclosures) decreased slightly. Overall things have remained fairly much the same.

This time last year, there were around 100 homes for sale in Almaden Valley with around 40% under contract. This shows that buyer interest is there but the sellers simply aren’t putting their homes on the market.

Although buyers appear eager to take advantage of the historically low mortgage rates, they are finding a fairly small selection of homes to choose from. This can be a great advantage to sellers.

If you’d like to learn more how you can take advantage of the market here in Almaden Valley as a buyer and/or seller, give me a call and let’s talk!

Come on out to help the American Cancer Society and others in our community save lives. Join Relay for Life of Almaden Valley at Leland High School on Saturday, May 5, 2012 at 10am.

Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival is the only community-wide event in the Almaden area that introduces the public to arts and culture, as well as local wineries and breweries.

The festival features a wide variety fine arts and crafts from local artists, wine and beer tasting, food booths, live music and entertainment, and children’s play area.

All proceeds of the Almaden Valley Art & Wine Festival are donated to non-profit organizations and local schools in addition to supporting merit based scholarship programs for local students.

The festival is at Almaden Lake Park on September 16, 2012 from 10am to 6pm. The festival is supported in part by a Cultural Affairs Grant from the City of San Jose.

View the 2012 Sponsorship Brochure.

This event is at Casa Grande & New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum on Sunday, Sunday, May 20, 2012 and again on Sunday, June 24, 2012 from 1-3pm. For more information, call (408) 918-7775.

View past articles about Casa Grande & New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum:

2011 Casa Grande Open House
2010 Yuletide Festivities at Casa Grande in New Almaden
2010 Pioneer Day & Casa Grande Re-Opening in New Almaden

This is not your typical Golf Tournament! The goal of the 2012 ParTee Classic is to deliver a very fun and unique golf tournament experience that every level of golfer will enjoy.

The tournament will have a shotgun start scramble format with special themed holes throughout the course, followed by a great dinner. No live auctions, drawn out raffles, or long speeches at this event!

Reserve your space now. The entry fee is $200 per player. This includes lunch, 18 holes of golf with cart, refreshments, fun throughout the course, fabulous dinner, and prizes. Dinner only option is $50.

Silicon Valley Cares (SVC) is a volunteer group of enthusiastic, committed women, dedicated to creating an entertaining event to benefit local charity organizations.

The tournament is at Cinnabar Hills Golf Club on Thursday, August 30, 2012, with registration at 10am and the shotgun start at 12pm. Use the driving range and putting green prior to the shotgun start.

Multiple sponsorship opportunities are available. Download the 2012 ParTee Classic Brochure for further details.

They learn to navigate their world and make choices based on our relationship with them. This seminar will explore ways in which we can empower our kids to be the best they can be.

It will also discuss risk factors that lead to poor choices and how we can minimize these so that our teenagers can be healthier – mentally, emotionally, and socially.

This seminar will be lead by Dr. Susan Oh Cha, a licensed clinical psychologist with over two decades of experience working in various settings, including university counseling centers, hospitals, and community mental health agencies.

She recently co-authored “Guest Pass: Access To Your Teen’s World” with her daughter, Yumi. Dr. Cha has given numerous lectures and workshops on parenting and developmental issues, especially related to teens and their families.

Dr. Susan Oh Cha is currently in private practice with a group of multi-disciplinary mental health professionals.

The seminar is at Leland High School on May 2, 2012 from 7-8pm.

Kids will learn the most important survival skill of all: They can always depend on Jesus and His promises of true peace, true riches, true power, true love, and true hope!

Each day, your children will explore one of five bible stories that will help them understand who Jesus is and why they need Him. As the kids explore the wonders of our National parks, they’ll discover the Big Answers to their Big Questions about Jesus.

The camp is at Holy Spirit Church on Monday June 11-15, 2012 from 9am to 12:30pm daily. Registration is $60 per camper. The registration deadline is Friday May 11, 2012.

Inventory in Almaden Valley continues to remain low this week. The number of single family properties currently on the market dropped from 61 last week to 58 this week, and the percentage under contract dropped from 53% to 50% over the same time frame.

Sellers who decide to put their homes on the market are frequently finding eager buyers hungry for new inventory. The high percentages of properties under contract indicates a high buyer interest in the limited inventory currently available, but sellers simply are not coming out to take advantage of the situation, disappointing buyers by the relatively small selection of homes to choose from.

Traditional (ie non-distressed) properties experienced similar results, with available homes dropping from 52 to 51 and the percentage under contract dropping from 45% to 41% over the last week. The number of distressed properties (pre-foreclosure, foreclosure and auction) continues to increase.

Buyers are still taking advantage of historically low interest rates which have remained fairly stable over the last several weeks. This situation creates a potential win-win situation for both buyers AND sellers. Give me a call or drop me an email and let me show you how you can take advantage of our unique market, whether you are looking to buy or sell.

Math Enrichment is an independent Summer program for students going into Kindergarten through 11th Grade. It offers a challenging educational environment to all students, while creating an atmosphere that inspires a lifelong love of learning and helps each student to reach his or her fullest potential.

The program provides a superior Summer educational experience in a diverse, family-oriented environment, and meets all the academic, social, creative, emotional, and physical needs of the individual student. The academic curriculum is focused on reading, writing, and mathematics.

The main goal at Math Enrichment is to provide each and every child with a rigorous, fulfilling scholastic experience. All students who attend Math Enrichment, however, will also have the opportunity to participate in a variety of recreational activities planned throughout the summer.

Math Enrichment’s staff is comprised of California Credentialed teachers from various school districts throughout the Santa Clara County, and is fully accredited by the Schools Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

Math Enrichment is at Leland High School in Almaden Valley. Classes begin June 11, 2012 and end July 20, 2012. Class is held Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 3:00pm. Before and after school care is provided.

Early registration discount – save $50 – ends April 21, 2012

The number of Almaden Valley homes on the market has stalled since last week. There were 62 properties on the market last week, and 61 as of today. Buyers, however, continue to snap up properties, sometimes within days of them coming onto the market. The number of listings under contract increased dramatically from last week: 48% then to 53% today.

Buyers appear to be eager to take advantage of the historically low interest rates, which might be stimulated by recent talk of possible rate increases. Sellers, however, are not showing up with the much-desired inventory.

The number of distressed properties have increased slightly over the last several months, which may give us an indication of why at least some sellers are hesitating putting their homes on the market. They may be waiting to see if values increase, decrease, or stay the same and be delaying a selling decision until they have more clear indications of where the market is going.

If you are buying or selling, our current market presents unique opportunities. Buyers can still take advantage of low interest rates before they go up, and sellers will find eager buyers for their well-priced homes.

If you are considering buying or selling a home, contact me and let’s discuss how you can take advantage of the market.

Inventory is increasing, and buyers are responding. The number of single family homes in Almaden Valley increased from 57 last week to 62 this week. The number of listings under contract had remained steadily between 47% and 48% for the past several weeks.

When one considers that this percentage remains nearly 50% even when the number of homes put on the market has increased, it indicates a strong interest on the part of buyers for new inventory.

Although interest rates remain at historic lows, they are gradually increasing and it appears that buyers might be anxious to take advantage of the current rates.

The number of distressed properties has edged upward over the past several weeks.

Although Macbeth is both an agent and victim of malevolence, his keen insight and imagination allow him to observe the folly and torment of choosing evil over good. Even as he yields to his temptations to usurp the Scottish throne, he recognizes that violence will beget violence, and ultimately end in disaster.

The play is at Almaden Branch Library on Wednesday, March 28, 2012 from 5:30-6:30pm. Post-show Q&A with the cast at 6:30pm.

In this workshop presented by Kaplan Test Prep, get advice about what essay graders are looking for, as well as strategies on writing effective essays.

This workshop will include practice essay writing and evaluation.

The workshop is at Almaden Branch Library on Wednesday, March 14, 2012 from 6:30-8:30pm.

This workshop is presented in partnership with Our City Forest. The mission of Our City Forest is to cultivate a green and healthy San José metropolis by engaging community members in the appreciation, protection, growth and maintenance of our urban ecosystem, especially our urban forest.

The workshop is at Almaden Branch Library on Friday, March 16, 2012 from 3:30-4:30pm.

Take advantage of the early bird registration offer. If you register by April 30, 2012, the registration fee for football is only $295 and cheer is only $200. You can register your child online.

Cheer requires an additional $315 or $422 uniform fee that includes the skirt, shell, liner, shoes, socks, pms, briefs, and bow. Football requires an additional $250 equipment deposit for helmet and pads.

Almaden Pop Warner Football and Cheerleading programs are associated with Almaden Valley Youth Athletic Association (AVYAA), which is a 25-year old non-profit organization.

AVYAA’s mission is to provide dynamic, diverse athletic programs that equip children with character and athletic skills, and prepare them for a positive and productive future.

Lunch includes corned beef with tangy mustard sauce, spinach salad with red onions and cranberries, butter braised cabbage with curry powder, and boiled small red potatoes and dill carrots.

Also enjoy Shillelagh punch, and Irish cream chocolate mousse for dessert. Entertainment will include world famous Irish dancers.

This celebration is presented by Councilmember Nancy Pyle and Almaden Senior Program. The celebration is at the Almaden Community Center on Friday, March 16, 2012 at 12pm.

Tickets can be purchased near the sports and fitness desk inside the Almaden Community Center. Tickets are $5 for members and $10 for non-members. Tickets are limited to four per person.

The National Steinbeck Center is located in John Steinbeck’s hometown of Salinas, California. The Center offers three distinct visitor experiences in literature and history, agriculture and art, as well special events and educational programs.

Wild Things takes great pride in offering sanctuary to many animals that can no longer participate in entertainment or would otherwise not have a home or family. You can see the animals on guided tours and educational programs that are fun, safe, and rewarding to all – especially the animals.

The trip is on Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at 8am to 5:30pm. The price is $42 per person. Lunch is not included.