The Famous Talking Bear Stands Guard at the Intersection of

Southern Yosemite Highway 41 and Crane Valley Road 426

in the Center of Oakhurst

OAKHURST REAL ESTATE COARSEGOLD MARIPOSA NORTH FORK YOSEMITE AHWAHNEE BASS LAKE REAL ESTATE OAKHURST REAL ESTATE COARSEGOLD MARIPOSA NORTH FORK YOSEMITE AHWAHNEE BASS LAKE REAL ESTATE OAKHURST REAL ESTATE COARSEGOLD MARIPOSA NORTH FORK YOSEMITE AHWAHNEE BASS LAKE REAL ESTATE OAKHURST REAL ESTATE COARSEGOLD MARIPOSA NORTH FORK YOSEMITE AHWAHNEE BASS LAKE REAL ESTATE OAKHURST REAL ESTATE COARSEGOLD MARIPOSA NORTH FORK YOSEMITE AHWAHNEE BASS LAKE REAL ESTATE OAKHURST REAL ESTATE COARSEGOLD MARIPOSA NORTH FORK YOSEMITE AHWAHNEE BASS LAKE REAL ESTATE OAKHURST REAL ESTATE COARSEGOLD MARIPOSA NORTH FORK YOSEMITE AHWAHNEE BASS LAKE REAL ESTATE

NEWSLETTER

“Yosemite Gateway Properties and Lifestyles”

A Locally Focused Newsletter for Property Owners, Residents, Visitors, Home Buyers, Home Sellers, Realtors® and Others, Interested in Mountain Homes and Lifestyles in the Southern Yosemite Communities of Oakhurst, Bass Lake, Ahwahnee, Coarsegold, Mariposa, Midpines, Bootjack, North Fork, Spring Valley, Raymond, Yosemite Lakes Park, and Other Nearby Places

November 2006

Features

•  Ed Note
• Some Sound Home Advice
• Property Listings Wanted
• A Mountain Treasure
• A Mountain Hospitality Spot
• The Mountain Real Estate Market
• Our Business of the Month
• Home for Sale of the Month
• A Place of Worship
• Art in the Mountains
• Did You Know?
• What’s Happening
• Share with Us
• Gateway Links

Ed Note

It was due to downsizing that we had an oak dining table and chairs for sale.  We tried selling the set ourselves by advertising locally.  We got two inquiries, but not serious ones.  Then we placed it with Oakhurst Furniture on consignment.  In a few weeks it was sold and we had our original asking price of $300.00, after Oakhurst Furniture had received a fair commission.  We were happy, the buyer was happy, and Oakhurst Furniture was happy.  The buyers, from San Diego, were here enjoying our great mountain scenery, and had the table and chairs not been where they could see them, we probably would still have them in storage.

Why is selling a home like selling a table and chairs?  It’s exposure to prospective buyers that makes the difference, and most of our home buyers don’t live in our area – they just want to live here.  That’s why a home seller needs to reach prospective buyers from both near and far.  Listing with a local realtor®, a member of the Multiple Listing Service, is the best way to do that.  Perhaps that is why homes sold through a realtor® close at a significantly higher average selling price than comparable homes sold by owners.  In fact, According to the California Association of Realtors® research, the average difference in selling price is about twice the customary real estate commission.  A local Realtor® can help you sell your property faster with a better net result for you.

Some Sound Home Advice

By Diana Leksell

The Principles of Design

Interior Design and decorating is a talent and a skill.  Some individuals seem to put together all the objects that make up a room with little or no effort.  Other people work hard to get everything right, but upon completion often find there still is something missing or wrong.

Knowing and using the principals of design, however, can make success of the completed project almost impossible to avoid.  Comparing a design plan against those guidelines will reveal why everything works together, or why it doesn’t.  And new ideas may come to mind to contribute even more to a design’s style and personality.

Proportion and Scale

              Proportion defines the relationship of one part of an object to another, while scale defines the relationship of one object to another object.  The Greeks mastered the look and feel of things more than 2,000 years ago.  They formalized the concept into a ratio often called the Golden Measure.  The ratio of three to five seems to be most pleasing visually and subconsciously to the human brain.  A secondary ratio the Greeks found useful was one of three.  By using these two ratios the proportion and scale can be controlled in a decorating plan.

              Draperies are one of the first places to review the Golden Measure ratio.  One example is the placement of tiebacks.  It is never visually pleasing to tie back the drapery in the middle.  Preferred options would be three fifths of the way up from the bottom or down from the top.  One third from the top or bottom also would be acceptable but may not seem as perfect.

              A second example is the proportioning of a café curtain.  In this instance, three-fifths of the window should be covered while two-fifths would let in the light directly. 

              The placement of art work is yet another simple example of using the ratios to advantage.  If a sofa is 84 inches wide, one-fifth is just about 17 inches.  A single piece of art or a grouping would take up three fifths or about 51 inches in the center of the sofa with approximately 17 inches on each side.  You can take up more space, but taking us less would make the art seem too small for the size of the sofa. 

              This same principal can be used in determining the amount of furniture placed along a wall, the minimum size of an area rug in a room, etc.

Balance

              All of our lives we have been surrounded by balance.  Nature presents it to us naturally.  The first and most obvious is symmetrical balance.  From the time we first look at our mothers’ faces or into mirrors we see symmetrical balance.  We have two eyes, two eyebrows, two ears, two nostrils and our mouths are placed in the center of our faces.  Our faces and our external bodies are pretty much a mirror of one side to the other. 

              Such balance works in design too, and it is the easiest way to guarantee success.  A drapery treatment frequently is symmetrical with the left side reflecting the right, or the window on one side of the fireplace a mirror image of the window on the other side.

              Symmetrical balance is considered more formal and conservative than the two other options.  Using symmetrical balance is almost foolproof. 

              For more energy and character, asymmetrical balance can be your choice.   Look at the stem of a rose.  The thorns seem to alternate from one side to the other and the leaves sometimes do the same.  They are balanced yet asymmetrical. 

              In design, consider the same option.  Instead of two sofas across from each other, a sofa across from two chairs and a table is more interesting.  Instead of one large mirror over a mantel or sofa place one medium size mirror vertically and stack two smaller mirrors next to it.

              Using asymmetrical balance can generate a more relaxed informal look.  If your design looks too stiff and restrained consider rearranging some elements in an asymmetrical way.

              The petals of a daisy, the spokes of a wheel, the legs of an octopus all have radial balance.  This final option used to create design balance adds a softness and fluidity that neither symmetrical nor asymmetrical balance can achieve. 

              If the dining room is square, consider a round table with six chairs around it.  This setting will allow easy conversation and soften the square-ness of the room.  Have a large room with a great fireplace?  The radial balance provides focus yet presents a casual, cozy feeling.  Plus, each guest has his or her own welcoming space.

              In each and every room it would be wise to add something with radial balance even if it is only a round pleated lamp shade or a floral arrangement in a round bowl.

Rhythm

              We are all familiar with a beat of music.  We will tap our feet to a catchy tune at the drop of a hat.  Design also has rhythm, but is visual.  Your eyes search for and subconsciously acknowledge the different kinds of rhythm within a room.

              Repetition is the first rhythm category.  Whenever a pattern, design, line or form is repeated the rhythm of repetition is being used.  If you have triangles printed on your fabric and you create triangular throw pillows or a triangular wall grouping you are using repetition.  When you repeat the circular feeling of Palladian windows by using a round coffee table or round-back chairs you are employing repetition.

              Graduation is the second form of rhythm.  It is the use of the same object in different sizes.  Candlesticks, pillows, framed pictures or mirrors or varying sizes are examples.

              Part of the function of rhythm is to lead the eye.  Few things can do this better than transition.  Curves are wonderful use to create transition.  Just imagine the difference between a squared-top window and Palladian or other arch-type windows.  Angled lines also can be used to lead the eye and create transition.

              Radiation was discussed earlier under kinds of balance, but it fits here as well because lines radiating from a central point create their own form of rhythm.  With all of the wonderful celestial accessories out today you can easily find a mirror with rays radiating out from its frame.  Or, use a round accent table with radiating legs or a specially designed table cloth.

              Finally, there is the rhythm of opposition.  Lines meeting at right angles are a very strong design image.  In architecture you can see it in Arts & Crafts-styled homes.  In interiors, consider using a beautiful plaid fabric to cover a four poster bed.  If you have windows with strong right angles such as multiple lights (panes of glass), consider a straight side panels as a simple and elegant approach.

Emphasis

              In any design plan, it is important to catch one’s attention and create a focal point.  This is done through emphasis.  Color or contrast can be useful in creating such an effect.  For example, maybe your color scheme is one using complementary colors that have the highest contrast, or your accent color is a bright one such as red.  These color choices allow selected items to pop out into your plan.

              Furniture can generate emphasis by its very presence.  Use an heirloom armoire or an attractive entertainment unit.  By virtue of its size, style, quality or design, one’s attention will be drawn to it automatically.

              Furniture placement creates emphasis.  Whether a room’s focal point is a fireplace, a window with a view or a fabulous wall grouping, furniture placed to view any one of these objects creates emphasis.

              Most homes are under lighted.  This means many design plans are lacking the important design principle of emphasis through lighting.  Lighting is needed to make a conversation area inviting.  Without proper lighting, no one will notice the sculpture you love or the artwork over the fireplace.  Lighting helps to create emphasis by having brighter areas where one’s eye should go and softer areas for sitting, relaxing and conversing.

              Lastly, the use of accessories will add the dimension of emphasis to your plan.  A window may have a beautiful view, but it is the window treatment that frames it and focuses attention on that view.

              If there is no focal point to enhance, accessories such as art can fill the void and complete the design plan.  Without some emphasis a room has no energy or life no matter what other principles you have used.

Harmony or Unity

              How does your plan work as a whole?  Are there architectural features that you are highlighting by the use of fabric designs, furniture designs or other elements?  The principle of harmony or unity is the overall appearance and coordination of the final plan.  Once all of the other principles of design have been incorporated, the likelihood of success in this area is greatly increased.

Property Listings Wanted

HAS YOUR HOME FOR SALE BEEN ON THE MARKET TOO LONG?

The good news is that the market is recovering and if your property is priced right and marketed effectively, it will sell

List your Property with me for Better, Faster Results - I Will:

• Feature it in this Newsletter (See "Home for Sale of the Month" below)
• Post it immediately for more than 100 Century 21 Ditton Sierra Realtors Agents and Broker Associates in our twelve locations.
• Post it with Valley and local Multiple Listing Services and Century 21 international listings
• Send letters to all nearby property owners inviting them to help choose their new neighbors
• Arrange a "caravan" viewing and price evaluation by Yosemite Gateway Association of Realtors
• Expose your property to my prospective buyers list and incoming transferees referred through Century 21 international referral system
• Hold open house showings
• Help your buyer arrange financing
• Provide you with regular progress reports and be available to you on your schedule
• And more

My targeted marketing strategies are designed to reach identified prospective buyers. Call 559-313-1081 or 888-683-5193

Disclaimer:  If your property is listed with another company, please do not consider this a solicitation.

A Mountain Treasure

Welcome to Coolwater Ranch!

Welcome | Concerts | Gallery | Links | Coolwater Entertainment Management

Thanks to the generosity of Robin Ralston, we are invited to a unique and wonderful experience several times each year.

What began as a whim is now a blip on the cultural oscilloscope of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Couched in 80 acres of heavily forested land near Yosemite National Park in California, Coolwater Ranch has launched into an endeavor to provide an intimate, comfortable environment in which to hear the absolute finest in acoustic music. The atmosphere is one of fun, relaxation and upbeat humor.

Robin has hosted many great musicians at the ranch, Grammy winners, Emmy nominees, and musicians who have played a vital role in the history of acoustic music.  These concerts are not for profit, and the donations that are collected go to the artists in order to ensure the high level of talent that keeps coming to Coolwater.

The Mountain Real Estate Market

We all know that we are now in a buyers’ market.

We also know:

• Our inventory of homes is the best ever!
• Interest rates are excellent!
• Prices are good, and stabilizing!

Is it a good time to buy?  What do you think?

Here are monthly home selling prices for 2006 compared to 2005.

These are median selling prices and rounded to nearest $1,000.

All 3 bedroom, 2 bath, single family homes, with

1,600 – 2,000 sq. ft. living space that sold (closed) in each month are used in this study.

Although median selling prices are slightly lower than last year, we are seeing a month to month increase in 2006, ranging from $308,000 in May to $360,000 in October, for a 16.9 percent increase over the past 6 months.  Price increases for the same period last year averaged 35.2 percent.  The market is getting back to normal.  It appears that prices are stabilizing and, if current trends hold, we may soon start seeing price increases over the banner year of 2005.  We definitely have a Buyers’ Market, and now may be a very good time to buy.

Our Business of the Month

Me & Magee

Psst! wanna know where a fun place is in Oakhurst?  We have one!  Its right out Highway 41 going towards Yosemite and it’s on the right hand side, across from the 41 Trading Post.  Dora Moore is the owner and she has lots of neat and fun things for sale.  I found the cutest stocking stuffers for Christmas.  They are little fat belly bears and she personalizes them with a name on the belly and the year on the feet.  They are so cute!  I just had to ask her how she started the store; this is a neat story in itself! 

Dora met her husband in Fresno.  He was born and raised here.  After they married she talked him into moving to Washington state, where she was born.  They were there for almost 20 years.  He got tired of the rain and was longing for the California sun.  They moved here about 6 years ago.  Dora is a people person and she was getting lonely and missing her family.  She started volunteering, meeting people but everyone was working, so she decided she wanted to work but also wanted it to be fun.   It was her idea for people to enjoy coming in to her store. 

Me & Magee’s is definitely a fun place to go and just talking with Dora is enjoyable.  Dora started a love affair with her store and our community!  Stop in and have a visit, you’ll be glad you did!

Home for Sale of the Month

We have 10 homes for sale in Oakhurst, North Fork, Raymond, and Yosemite Lakes Park that are priced below $250,000.  You can find pictures and more detailed information on them by going to http://www.edbaileyrealtor.com/search.asp  and entering the following MLS numbers:  51535, 51524, 51266, 50676, 50263, 50219, 51024, 49698, 50288, 50924.  I will be happy to represent you exclusively in negotiating for the purchase any of these properties.

A Place of Worship

For more information:  www.oakhurstsdachurch.org

For additional information on mountain area places of worship, go to: http://www.emccc.net/resultsMemberCat.php?catName=Churches&Submit2=Find+by+Category

Art in the Mountains

Art Mecca in the Mountains

The Southern Yosemite area has become a Mecca for the arts. Someone has said that the Oakhurst area has more artists per square mile than any other community in the United States.  Painters, writers, musicians, actors, sculptors, poets and photographers find inspiration in the magnificent beauty of this region.  Listen to the haunting sounds of Native American flutes and drums. Step back in time as you watch tribal dancing at the pow-wows held throughout the year in North Fork.  Move to the beat of jazz at Bass Lake.

Sierra Art Trails, each October, gives art lovers a chance to see more than a hundred artists and their work in the places where they create.  The catalog, complete with maps, is sold for $12.00 and is admission for two to all or part of the two day tour.  Helpful signing makes finding these, mountain treasures easy.

Tap your foot to the music at the California Old Times Fiddlers Association competition in Madera.  Join the Fall Art, Wine, and Chocolate festival in Oakhurst.  View the works of more than a hundred artists each October at the Sierra Art Trails presentation.  Feast your eyes on beauty displayed at the myriad of galleries throughout the area featuring local and nationally known artists.

Boo the villain, cheer the hero and sigh with the heroine at classic melodrama presented by the Golden Chain Theater in Oakhurst. Now in its 38th season, the shows include can-can dancing by the Grub Gulch Garter Girls and the hilarious antics of the Grub Gulch Grannies.

A rich variety of professional plays is presented by the Front Row Theater at the Enterprise Center in Oakhurst. Immerse yourself in the characters portrayed by actors performing classic and contemporary theater works.

Did You Know? 

You can read the Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce directory on line.  Just go to: http://www.edbaileyrealtor.com/buyers.html and scroll to the bottom of the page and click.

Century 21 Ditton Sierra Realtors, once a local company, until recently two local companies, has gone regional with the recent acquisition of four offices in the Santa Cruz area.  That brings the operation to 12 offices with about 130 full time Agents and Broker Associates. 

One advantage of the expansion is a full time Information Services expert (computer guru).  An important part of his job is to make sure that when prospective buyers do an internet search for available homes in the area, Century 21 Ditton Sierra Realtors® will appear high on the first page, increasing the odds of being the company the buyer will contact.

An ambitious new relocation referral program is also designed to bring a larger share of property shoppers to the company.

If you are an employer, you may be able to get a portion of a new employee’s wages paid during an “On the Job Training” program.  For more information call Madera County Social Services in Oakhurst at 559-683-6263, and ask for Shirley Bailey.

Two well known restaurants, in the heart of Oakhurst are for sale. 

Castillo’s Mexican Restaurant on Golden Oak Loop is for sale with an asking price is $398,000.  The lease contains a purchase option for the property.

The Ol’ Kettle Restaurant on Highway 41 is for sale with, the property included, for $1,750,000.

Call 559-313-1081 or 888-683-5193 for information.

We have a FREE clothing store for working women!  If you are a working mother, and have trouble affording proper clothing for the workplace, or if you need something appropriate to wear to a job interview, the Kliewer Closet, invites you to come by and shop.  There is never a means test or any kind.  Generous people in our community donate clothes that they no longer need, and they are made available free of charge to those who need them. The Kliewer closet was so named because the late Vic and Esther Kliewer provided the space for it, rent free.  The building is now owned and managed by their daughter Sheila Kliewer who continues this generous gift to the community.   The Kliewer Closet is located in the County Social Services and Visitors Bureau building on Highway 41, just past El Cid Restaurant in the north end of Oakhurst. For more information call 559-683-6263 and ask for Shirley Bailey.

You can get the California Homeowners Guide Newsletter sent to you each month free. It has lots of helpful information for homeowners.  Just send me your e-mail address and you're in.  It will arrive in your in-box on the first Monday of each month.  You can view it now at: http://www.realtydirect.net/news/?PUB=13067  

Moving? If a move is in your future let me make it a little less stressful for you.  I will be happy to send you a free 39 item checklist of smart things to do; (1) before the move, (2) on moving day, and (3) after the move.  Just give me a telephone call at 559-313-1081 or send an e-mail request to: edb@EdBaileyRealtor.com.

It’s FREE! – Find out how much your mountain area home is worth on the current market.  Get a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) with no obligation or commitment on your part.

Just go to:  http://www.edbaileyrealtor.com/sellers.html and fill in information.

Are you or Your Friends Looking for a “Home for Sale” in the Oakhurst, Bass Lake, Ahwahnee, Coarsegold, North Fork, Raymond, or Mariposa?  Refer them to listings of all real estate, land and homes, for sale in our mountain area.  Just go to: http://www.edbaileyrealtor.com/search.asp

Dining out in the Mountains

You can read customers’ Reviews and Ratings of Oakhurst area restaurants at: http://oakhurstrestaurants.com/

You can get free help with your “For Sale by Owner” (FSBO).  I’ll mail you a copy of the “For Sale by Owner Manual,”   It will give you helpful pointers on how to go about preparing and selling your home.  I will also be happy to provide you with comparable sales information and help you arrive at the right asking price. 

I’m happy to help because research tells me that most “for sale by owner” efforts end up listing with an agent.  If that happens in your case, I only ask that you consider letting me be your agent.  In the meantime, I wish you well in your selling effort, and I want to help.

What’s Happening?

LIVE MUSIC IN THE MOUNTAINS !!!! Kit 'n Kaboodle will be playing EVERY THURSDAY and FRIDAY night at the Sierra Sky Ranch (Branding Iron and Saloon)starting at 6:00 - 9:00 pm. Historic and unique building built in the 1800's. It is on Hwy 41 in Oakhurst just past the Mountain House Restaurant. Smoked ribs/chicken on Thurs. Prime Rib special on Fridays. Dancing, too! Reservations 658-2644 Kit 'n K are also playing at the MINING COMPANY RESTAURANT in COARSEGOLD on EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT starting from 5:30 until 8:30 pm., on Hwy 41 across from the Shell Station. Reservations 683-5853

Share with Us

Do you have a question about our Oakhurst area?  Do you have a real estate question?

Do you have a suggestion for additional features in this newsletter?  Send me your thoughts and your ideas.

Also tell us, in 50 words or less, what you consider the most interesting of our Mountain Treasures, and why.  Examples of Mountain Treasures:  Timberline Gallery; Sierra Mono Museum; Mariposa County Courthouse; the Wild, Wonderful, King Museum (vintage clothing);  the Children's Museum of the Sierra; Fresno Flats Historical Park; the California State Mining and Minerals Museum in Mariposa; Sierra Scenic Bypass; the Little Church on the Hill; the Talking Bear; Sierra Art Trails; the Elegant Auction; Heritage Days; the Fall Arts and Music Festival; the Loggers Jamboree; the Coarsegold Rodeo; the Christmas Tree Auction; the Honorary Mayor Contest; the Wild, Wonderful Chocolate Festival; Jazz on the Lake; the Bass Lake Fishing Derby; the Mountain Bear "Angels Amongst Us" Annual Awards Dinner; The Wall of Heroes Annual Awards Dinner; or name your own Mountain Treasure.  E-mail it to: edBailey@sti.net. You may call us at 559-683-5193 or toll free at 999-683-5193.

www.EdBaileyRealtor.com   

 Broker Associate - Century 21 Ditton Sierra Realtors

A Higher Level of Professionalism

Gateway Links

Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce:  www.oakhurstchamber.com

Bass Lake Chamber of Commerce: www.basslakechamber.com

Coarsegold Chamber of Commerce: www.coarsegoldchamber.com

North Fork Chamber of Commerce: www.north-fork-chamber.com

Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau: www.yosemitethisyear.com

Mariposa Chamber of Commerce: www.mariposachamber.org

The Pines Resort: www.basslake.com

The Sierra Star:  www.sierrastar.com

Valley Views Magazine: http://www.valleyviews.biz/

Yosemite National Park:  http://www.yosemite.national-park.com/

Beautiful Country Home:  www.comehome2stay.com

Ed’s California Homeowners Guide:  http://www.realtydirect.net/news/?PUB=13067

OAKHURST REAL ESTATE COARSEGOLD MARIPOSA NORTH FORK YOSEMITE AHWAHNEE BASS LAKE REAL ESTATE OAKHURST REAL ESTATE COARSEGOLD MARIPOSA NORTH FORK YOSEMITE AHWAHNEE BASS LAKE REAL ESTATE OAKHURST REAL ESTATE COARSEGOLD MARIPOSA NORTH FORK YOSEMITE AHWAHNEE BASS LAKE REAL ESTATE OAKHURST REAL ESTATE COARSEGOLD MARIPOSA NORTH FORK YOSEMITE AHWAHNEE BASS LAKE REAL ESTATE OAKHURST REAL ESTATE COARSEGOLD MARIPOSA NORTH FORK YOSEMITE AHWAHNEE BASS LAKE REAL ESTATE OAKHURST REAL ESTATE COARSEGOLD MARIPOSA NORTH FORK YOSEMITE AHWAHNEE BASS LAKE REAL ESTATE OAKHURST REAL ESTATE COARSEGOLD MARIPOSA NORTH FORK YOSEMITE AHWAHNEE BASS LAKE REAL ESTATE