Terrylynn's Blog

I am not alone in being thrilled at Kate's successes in this industry.  She's been someone to watch from her introduction into the industry years ago and am proud she'll be providing her tips and wisdom live and in person.

Diablo Valley Farmer's Market Halloween Harvest (Walnut Creek, California)

Diablo Valley Farmers Market
Mitchel & N. Wiget
Shadelands, Walnut Creek
Every Saturday from 9am-1pm
Year Round!

Our family has visited all the local farmers markets and this one is one of the BEST when it comes to organic and vegetarian offerings.  Sometimes we go just to have snipets of the various food offerings from the different vendors, yum...

On Halloween, 10/31/09, the Diablo Valley Farmers' Market is having Halloween Harvest.  There's a kids' costume contest, you can win the prize for scariest, funniest, best farmers' market theme, most creative, best overall.  There will be a pumpkin patch, an area to decorate your own mini pumpkin, a contest to guess the weight of a GIANT pumpkin, games and more! 

The kid's costume parade is at 10am.

Every week this farmers' market has a Market Basket Drawing! Join their mailing list and you are entered to win a $100 Market Basket.  These always look delicious, we have yet to win one.

Eat healthy, support your local farmers, and have some fun at the Diablo Valley Farmers' Market!  In addition to superior produce, there are vendors there with fresh pasta and sauce, amazing fresh bread, local delicious olive oil, and so much more.

- Terrylynn has been a Realtor in Contra Costa County for over 32 years.  She works with Diablo Realty in Walnut Creek and is consistently a top producer.  Terrylynn is a local expert, please contact her for any Real Estate needs, or with a question about the area.

Clayton, California Pumpkin Patch open 10/1-10/31 from 9am to 8pm daily

Clayton Valley Pumpkin Farm & Christmas Trees
1060 Pine Lane
Clayton, CA 94517-9706
(corner of Pine Lane and Marsh Creek Road)
PHONE:  (925) 672-5198  (925) 672-5198
EMAIL:   info@cvpumpkinfarm.com

This is not just a pumpkin patch!  They also have a pumpkin playground, gift shop, train rides and gorgeous Mt. Diablo Views.

It's a very fun place for kids and adults alike.  They have a nice school tour program as well.  When it's time to pick out your pumpkins this year, check them out.  Right now they even have a soup recipe contest.  What's better when the weather starts to chill than homemade soup!

Submit your own soup recipe to be a part of Chef Pumpernickel's Soup Delight Cookbook!

We've been visiting this pumpkin patch for a long time.  It's always a lot of fun, just remember you'll spend a little more time here than the usual pumpkin patch!  There's a lot more to do.

- Terrylynn has been a Realtor in Contra Costa County for over 32 years.  She works with Diablo Realty in Walnut Creek and is consistently a top producer.  Terrylynn is a local expert, please contact her for any Real Estate needs, or with a question about the area.

Terrylynn's AH HA MOMENTS - Did you know that Americans could save more than 400,000 trees if every family bought a roll of recycled toilet paper JUST ONCE?

WHAT CAN YOU DO?  Buy a roll instead of your regular toilet paper.

Toilet Paper - What's all the fuss about toilet paper?

A recent article from the Washington Post says that it's a menace, an example of America's excess.  Well I don't know about you but most people are not yet ready to give it up.  SO what can we do?  Well there are some new data that gives options about saving money on toilet paper and perhaps making wiser choices in the process. 

Real Simple magazine November 09 issue talks about the cost of toilet paper.  Remember the surveys asking consumers about going green and using sustainable products show that people are willing to go green and make better choices but that saving money is a huge motivator toward that effort. 

A brief cost comparison of an Ultra Plush Toilet paper is that per 100 sheets it costs .48 cents.  The double ply plush is .90 cents per 100 sheets.  An alternate brand of Ultra soft is .63 cents per 100 sheets.   BUT Seventh Generation 100% recycled is .28 cents per 100 sheets.  For the at home family buying only 5% actually buy the recycled product.  What does all this mean?

Plush U.S. toilet paper is usually made by chopping down and grinding up trees that were sometimes decades or even a century old.  It's slow going getting Americans and Europeans to make the switch to recycled goods.  The largest tissue maker has signed a truce and promises to do better.  But the larger battle goes on - the ultimate test is whether Americans and Europeans will go green when nobody is watching.  The consumer wants softer paper, the environmentalists say "it's only toilet paper".  

Market Research, Inc states that the three ply toilet paper sold 24 million packages in the past year, bringing in more than $144 million in revenues.  Earlier this year, Consumer Reports did studies that tested toilet paper brands ultra plys and the recycled and the recycled were noted to be "not unpleasant".  But the three plys win out getting the highest rating.  SO, what to do?  Well, give a try to recycled paper when you have the opportunity, see if it's palatable and perhaps we'll realistically end up with the 40 or 50% recycled that will be the answer.  For environmentalists that may not be enough, but as far as small steps to move the consumer in the right direction, it just might be an answer.  But of course, that's just my opinion. 

For a website with more information and a link to a downloadable guide to purchasing recycled toilet paper and tissue click http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/forests/tissueguide

This is the link straight to the guide which is printable to distribute to clients, friends and family http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/usa/press-center/reports4/tissueguide.pdf

Here is a website with special pricing on recycled toilet papers... http://www.bizrate.com/cleaning-supplies/marcal-toilet-paper     

- Terrylynn has been a Realtor in Contra Costa County for over 32 years.  She works with Diablo Realty in Walnut Creek and is consistently a top producer.  Terrylynn is a local expert, please contact her for any Real Estate needs, or with a question about the area.

Walnut Creek, California, Average Days on the Market by Month (9/08 - 9/09)
The average days on the market is down 15%

Sept. 09, 63 days on market (DOM)
Aug. 09, 57 DOM
July 09, 81 DOM
June 09, 59 DOM
May 09, 65 DOM
April 09, 65 DOM
March 09, 53 DOM
Feb. 09, 72 DOM
Jan. 09, 91 DOM
Dec. 08, 78 DOM
Nov. 08, 86 DOM
Oct. 08, 74 DOM
Sept. 08, 74 DOM

- Terrylynn has been a Realtor in Contra Costa County for over 32 years.  She works with Diablo Realty in Walnut Creek and is consistently a top producer.  Terrylynn is a local expert, please contact her for any Real Estate needs, or with a question about the area.

California Supply & Demand by Month (9-08 to 9-09)
The number of for sale properties is down 9% adn the number of sold properties is up 21%

Sept. 09, 584 for sale, 103 sold
Aug. 09, 630 for sale, 96 sold
July 09, 629 for sale, 56 sold
June 09, 617 for sale, 58 sold
May 09, 597 for sale, 68 sold
April 09, 553 for sale, 62 sold
March 09, 536 for sale, 68 sold
Feb. 09, 484 for sale, 93 sold
Jan. 09, 464 for sale, 91 sold
Dec. 08, 509 for sale, 81 sold
Nov. 08, 543 for sale, 79 sold
Oct. 08, 617 for sale, 61 sold
Sept. 08, 643 for sale, 74 sold

- Terrylynn has been a Realtor in Contra Costa County for over 32 years.  She works with Diablo Realty in Walnut Creek and is consistently a top producer.  Terrylynn is a local expert, please contact her for any Real Estate needs, or with a question about the area.

The Number of New Properties Listed by Month
September 2008 - September 2009: the number of new properties is down 7%
Walnut Creek, California

September 09, 141 units
August 09, 175 units
July 09, 180 units
June 09, 167 units
May 09, 168 units
April 09, 145 units
March 09, 146 units
February 09, 137 units
January 09, 102 units
December 08, 99 units
November 08, 78 units
October 08, 135 units
September 08, 151 units

- Terrylynn has been a Realtor in Contra Costa County for over 32 years.  She works with Diablo Realty in Walnut Creek and is consistently a top producer.  Terrylynn is a local expert, please contact her for any Real Estate needs, or with a question about the area.

Walnut Creek, CA # of Under Contract Properties by Month (9-08 to 9-09)
September 2008 - September 2009: The number of under contract properties is up 39%

Sept 09, 128 units
Aug 09, 136 units
July 09, 109 units
June 09, 119 units
May 09, 102 units
April 09, 100 units
March 09, 87 units
Feb 09, 58 units
Jan 09, 63 units
Dec 08, 66 units
Nov 08, 67 units
Oct 08, 85 units
Sept 08, 92 units

- Terrylynn has been a Realtor in Contra Costa County for over 32 years.  She works with Diablo Realty in Walnut Creek and is consistently a top producer.  Terrylynn is a local expert, please contact her for any Real Estate needs, or with a question about the area.

Walnut Creek, California - # of properties for sale (by month) 9-08 to 9-09
September 2008 - September 2009: The number of for sale properties is down 9%

Sept 09, 584 units for sale
Aug 09, 630 units for sale
July 09, 629 units for sale
June 09, 617 units for sale
May 09, 597 units for sale
April 09, 553 units for sale
March 09, 536 units for sale
Feb 09, 484 units for sale
Jan 09, 464 units for sale
Dec 08, 509 units for sale
Nov 08, 543 units for sale
Oct 08, 617 units for sale
Sept 08, 643 units for sale

- Terrylynn has been a Realtor in Contra Costa County for over 32 years.  She works with Diablo Realty in Walnut Creek and is consistently a top producer.  Terrylynn is a local expert, please contact her for any Real Estate needs, or with a question about the area.

Terrylynn-n-Team Sells Walnut Creek real estate and will keep you updated monthly on the market conditions and sales in your City. 

This is a monthly report of Walnut Creek, California, # of properties sold by month

Sept.08-Sept.09 up 21%

Month, # of Units Sold
Sept. 09, 103
Aug. 09, 96
July 09, 123
June 09, 89
May 09, 88
April 09, 81
Mar. 09, 66
Feb. 09, 51
Jan. 09, 51
Dec. 08, 86
Nov. 08, 61
Oct. 08, 104
Sept. 08, 85

- Terrylynn has been a Realtor in Contra Costa County for over 32 years.  She works with Diablo Realty in Walnut Creek and is consistently a top producer.  Terrylynn is a local expert, please contact her for any Real Estate needs, or with a question about the area.