Zirana City Blog

San Mateo County Fair

August 8 - 17, 2008

Bright carnival lights, amazing entertainment, extensive educational experiences, thousands of exhibits and nearly 150,000 guests…all are trademarks of one of our area’s signature events, the San Mateo County Fair! August 8-17, 2008 will mark the seventy-fourth year for this community celebration, which continues to be enjoyed by patrons both young and young at heart.

Fair Hours:

Monday, August 11 — noon - 11 pm

Tuesday, August 12 — noon - 11 pm

Wednesday, August 13 — noon - 11 pm

Thursday, August 14 — noon - 11 pm

Friday, August 15 — noon to midnight

Saturday, August 16 — noon to midnight

Sunday, August 17 — 4 pm - 12 am

Monday, August 11

Seniors’ Day

Free admission to guests 62 & better/ Special entertainment and exhibits throughout the day.

Tuesday, August 12

Free ’til 3:00 pm

Free admission to guests entering

before 3:00 pm

Wednesday, August 13

High Five For Teens

$5.00 admission until 5:00 pm for teens. Teens entering before 5:00 pm also receive a coupon for $5.00 of a carnival wristband.

Friday, August 15

Dia de La Feria Preciosa

A celebration of Spanish influence, music, and entertainment throughout

the grounds. Special events, exhibitors, and food will be available.

Entertainment:

All Shows start at 7:30 PM unless otherwise noted.

Monday, August 11 — Drew Seeley

Tuesday, August 12 — Tower of Power

Wednesday, August 13 — Tower of Power

Thursday, August 14 — Pat Monahan

Friday, August 15 — ”Weird Al” Yankovic

Saturday, August 16 — Billy Ray Cyrus

Sunday, August 17 — Dia de La Feria Preciosa (2-7 pm)

He could be sentenced to a year in jail if convicted.

Dickenson was arrested July 11 after a woman reported the vice mayor had grabbed her purse and swung her to the ground about 4:30 p.m. at Redwood City Underground, 2650 Broadway, Redwood City, police said. Dickenson was taken into custody that afternoon but released on $10,000 bail that night.

The charges were announced Tuesday morning by San Mateo County Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe. Those charges include two misdemeanor counts of domestic violence and one count of misdemeanor false imprisonment. Dickenson will be arraigned Wednesday morning.

“We had heard the victim’s description of what had occurred and we had his description of what had occurred,” Wagstaffe told the San Jose Mercury News.

“We did some follow-up investigation … our ultimate conclusion was that we think that there are additional facts that corroborate her description of what occurred and not his.”

The woman reportedly told police that Dickenson was trying to keep her at the restaurant. When officers arrived, she had an abrasion to her left arm and armpit area and an abrasion to her right shoulder, Redwood City police Capt. Chris Cesena told the Mercury News.

Dickenson reportedly told police that she hit him in the head with her purse during a disagreement about their joint ownership of the  restaurant where the incident occurred. He and the alleged victim reportedly had been dating.

Dickenson’s initial appearance in San Mateo County Superior Court is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 13.

There are still a significant number of homes that continue to sell above their asking prices.  The majority of these homes tend to be priced between $900,000 to $1,500,000.  There were 16 sales that closed above asking price in June compared with 25 in May.  Most, however, were not significantly over.  There were only 3 home sales in the price range above $1,500,000 in the month of July.  In some cases the pricing strategy has affected the outcome, whereby, the homes are deliberately priced below the selling price the seller expects to achieve.  I observed one listing that languished on the market for about 60 days that was originally listed at $1,399,000.  It went through a couple of price reductions, eventually dropping to $1,150,000.  The home finally attracted the attention of a few home buyers who bid against one another and it sold for $1,298,000.  I sometimes pause at why more home buyers don’t just make an offer on homes that have been tested on the market for a few weeks.  By then, the sellers are getting anxious and  buyers might be pleasantly surprised. 

For the most part, prices are holding steady.  Buyers, for the most part are showing a disciplined approach and are doing their homework before coming to the table with an offer!  I have noticed with a few buyers, that if they detect there may be competing offers on a certain property, they become hesitant and may elect not to offer at all.

The supply of homes remains low by historical standards.  We are experiencing a stabilized supply of homes as we experience the summer selling season.  There is still an over supply of Buyers out there compared with the relatively small number of homes for sale.  The bulk of the buyers tend to be seeking homes that are affordable by our standards, priced below $1.5 Million.  The market trends at the moment would indicate a continued upward pressure on prices.  Homes priced upwards of $2 Million are tougher to sell.  Knowledgeable astute sellers who choose to act now can take advantage of prime market conditions unique to this area. 

Final thought:  Buyers who have been disappointed in recent months while shopping the market and have been scorned by the multiple offer experience, should consider getting back in the market.  We usually see an increase of supply as the Summer selling season catches steam.  Employers are still hiring, interest rates are moderating and this is still the number one place to live! 

Above comments are pertinent to Cupertino and surrounding communities, Sunnyvale, Saratoga, Los Altos, and Los Gatos.  The further you travel South in Santa Clara County, or head to the Central Valley, the more the picture looks like what you may be reading in the news about the troubled real estate market and rising foreclosure rate.