Walnut Creek Art and Wine Festival

Heather Farm Park, Walnut Creek, California

Are you and your family looking to indulge in a day that includes an appreciation for both fine wine and art, coupled with family-friendly entertainment?  If so, you absolutely do not want to miss out on the opportunity to attend this weekend’s Walnut Creek Art and Wine Festival event.  Heather Farm Park invites you to come out for a magnificent weekend in celebrating talented local artisans, united with an exquisite array of fine wines fashioned from locally-grown grapes.
 
The Walnut Creek Art and Wine Festival is one of the premier outdoor events held in all of Contra Costa.  Year after year, hundreds of thousands of people await its arrival and attend the two-day happening.  This weekend the Festival will be celebrating its 33^rd consecutive year in hosting this popular family-friendly event.

The Festival will feature on-going live entertainment, excellent wine and beer offerings, and a unique shopping experience.  Over 100 wines and beers will be highlighted, along with the returning craft beer garden.  Two stages of live entertainment will be showcasing musical remembrances of the 1960’s and ‘70’s.  Over 200 artisans will be exhibiting and selling their unique, handcrafted items.  And for our children, a kid’s zone will be set up presenting games and activities.

As always, both admission and parking are free for the attendance of the Walnut Creek Art and Wine Festival.  So bring the entire family out to Heather Farm Park this weekend for a 2-day art, wine, and entertainment extravaganza.  There will be something for everyone, adults and children alike!
 
Saturday May 31^st - 11:00 AM-7:00 PM

Sunday June 1^st - 11:00 AM-6:00 PM

For more information regarding the Walnut Creek Art and Wine Festival event, please click here. 

Saraya and Simon Motley

Pacific Union and Christie’s International Real Estate
Serving Alameda & Contra Costa Counties
510.459.4338/direct . 925.385.8503/direct
925.403.7802/eFax
saraya@eastbayhouse.com
www.eastbayhouse.com
CalBRE License #01265873  

Photo courtesy of Mystic-Art/deviantart.com.

Homebuyer Alert: Minimum FICO Scores Are Falling

Good news for Bay Area buyers: Fair Isaac Corp., the company behind FICO credit scores, is urging lenders to lower the minimum-score requirements for home loans. 

Fair Isaac says the high credit-score “cutoffs” that mortgage lenders imposed during the housing crisis are tighter than necessary. That’s according to veteran real estate columnist Kenneth Harney. 

FICO credit scores that were considered acceptable risks for mortgage applicants in the early 2000s — the 640 to 680 range — were exceedingly rare until recently. FICO scores run from 300 to 850, and most buyers in the first quarter of 2014 needed scores higher than 700 to get their home loan approved. 

We reported in this this blog last month that lenders have started to loosen their credit requirements, and Harney confirmed in a recent column that Fair Isaac’s own researchers found that the risk of default on more recent borrowers is much lower than it was at the onset of the recession. 

In 2005, for example, 36 borrowers with a FICO score of 700 paid their loans on time for every one who went into major default. In 2011, however, 91 borrowers paid their loans on time for every one who defaulted — a big decline in risk to lenders. 

Researchers at VantageScore Solutions, a Fair Isaac rival, found similar results. The company concluded that mortgage lenders could safely expand the pool of homebuyers by lowering their credit-score requirements — without loosening up on other standards of down payments or debt ratios. 

Earlier this year, Wells Fargo, the nation’s largest mortgage lender, cut the minimum acceptable FICO score for conventional loans from 660 to 620. In addition, it lowered score requirements for Federal Housing Administration loans to 600. 

Other lenders have also trimmed their FICO requirements. With mortgage rates still at historically low levels, it looks like there will be no shortage of buyers bidding for the perfect Bay Area home throughout 2014. 

If you plan to buy a home in the Bay Area or the Tahoe/Truckee region, Pacific Union’s mortgage partner, Mortgage Services Professionals, can offer loan advice and consultation to help make your purchase a success.

Contact me today for a consultation. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have, and/or help you find your dream home.

Saraya and Simon Motley
Pacific Union and Christie’s International Real Estate
Serving Alameda & Contra Costa Counties
510.459.4338/direct . 925.385.8503/direct
925.403.7802/eFax
saraya@eastbayhouse.com
www.eastbayhouse.com
CalBRE License #01265873   

(Image: Flickr/401(K) 2012)

Sacramento Music Festival

Emeryville Senior Center, Emeryville, California

This Memorial Day weekend come out to the Emeryville Senior Center to indulge in the 41^st annual Sacramento Music Festival event. The “party in the streets” will begin early each day, and continue long into each night.  Several live performances will be held at a variety of locations all around Old Town, and the City Center. New bands will be joining the already star-studded roster of returning favorites.  As always, the Sacramento Music Festival event promises to be a “Giant Party” in the streets!
 
This year’s Festival will feature live entertainment from a variety of musical genres including jazz, swing, blues, zydeco, rockabilly, bluegrass, Latin, and more.  The entire city of Old Sac will be transformed into a music lover’s paradise, with song filling the air, and dance in the streets. There will be specialty concerts and events, along with a Memorial Day “Salute to Service”.  A variety of dance and party groups are also slated to perform.  Complete with a high-energy Friday kick-off party, a Saturday morning parade, and closing Memorial Day ceremony, the celebration will be taking over the city.  Over 24 venues throughout the city will be hosting the on-going live entertainment.
 
Ticket prices to attend this year’s Sacramento Music Festival range from $39.00 for a one-day pass, to $99.00 for an all-event pass.  Children 12 years of age or younger are welcome to attend this event for free.  To view a complete list of your options and to purchase tickets online, please click here.
 
This weekend mark your calendars to attend the 41^st annual Sacramento Music Festival event.  Bring the entire family out to celebrate over four decades of amazing, world-class musical entertainment!
 
Friday May 23^rd - 9:00 AM-Midnight

Saturday May 24^th - 9:00 AM-Midnight
Sunday May 24^th - 9:00 AM-Midnight
Monday May 25^th - 10:00 AM-4:00 PM

For more information regarding the Sacramento Music Festival, please click here.

Saraya and Simon Motley
Pacific Union and Christie’s International Real Estate
Serving Alameda & Contra Costa Counties
510.459.4338/direct . 925.385.8503/direct
925.403.7802/eFax
saraya@eastbayhouse.com
www.eastbayhouse.com
CalBRE License #01265873  

Photo courtesy of Fantasticalicious-xX/deviantart.com.