FREE Pumpkin Patch at Prudential San Bruno!
Karin Cunningham’s San Bruno FREE Event Calendar
Do You Live in Pacifica?
“Do you live in Pacifica?” a dad from my kid’s baseball asked me today! “No”, I said, “I live in San Bruno!” I can understand why he asked that though!
I was going on and on at today’s little BBQ at Lion’s Field about my newest discovery, Fresh and Easy, a great supermarket, a cross between Safeway and Tradr Joe’s. It was recommended to me the other day by a friend in my office who knows I like to budget myself and still eat good food! She stumbled upon it by showing property in Pacifica to a client!
Fresh and Easy has a few shelves of 50% off items. Today, I bought a bag of 5 oranges for .98 cents there along with a bag of 5 onions .98 cents, and 4 kiwis $1.09! I bought boxes of mac n cheese for .49 cents, Top Ramen for .19 cents, 12 pk of Salvadorean beer $6.29, Australian Cab $1.99, crackers, chips, pickles, cream cheese, sour cream, and some other stuff cheaper than I have ever bought before! The fun part for Jasmine, my 7 yr old, was that we have to check out and scan our own stuff!
When we left, we had to check ou the rest of this adorable outdoor strip of businesses which are made up of 4 restaurants, a surf shop, a smoke shop and a dog groomer/boutique, complete with a beach garden for doggies!
Next door to all of this, my favorite piece of beach around, Linda Mar! This summer, I have taken my kids here at least once a week to walk, collect sea glass, dig, wade, and play. It’s all just 20 minutes away from San Bruno and well worth the scenic drive over Sharp Park Blvd.
Recently, Jasmine went crabbing and fishing on the Paloma Pier with her best friend’s family. They actually caught stuff and had a lot of fun!
Home prices are affordable now. Starter homes are listed at $350,000, two bedroom townhouses in Terra Nova start at $200,000, a cute 2 bedroom house on a large lot, just steps from the beach is currently listed for $375,000!
Do I live in Pacifica? Well, no I don’t but if I ever decide to leave San Bruno, I know where I might go!
San Bruno Music in the Park 2011
It’s that time of year again! Hooray for San Bruno Music in the Park! This is a FREE event sponsored this year by Artichoke Joe’s, San Bruno Cable, San Bruno Rotary Club, the Shops at Tanforan, La Petite Baleen, Inc, and Lunardi’s Supermarket! The City of San Bruno Community Services Department is the one who put it together as well as some help from the San Bruno Chamber of Commerce. It should be a great experience this year with some new twists, I hear! Are there going to be food trucks?? I don’t know but it sounds like a great idea!
I enjoy this event every August with my family and friends! My kids usually walk around with a bucket of home made popcorn for sale! I’m trying to teach 
them to be entrepreneurs!
Anyways, here is the 2011 schedule for Friday evenings 6:00 pm, Music in the Park!
July 29 Just For Kicks & West Bay Rhythm (Classic Rock & Soul)
August 5 Houserockers (Rock & Roll and R & B)
August 12 The Plastic Onion Band (Beatles Cover Band)
August 19 Tin Man (Classic Rock)
August 26 Groove Kings (Rock & Soul)
By the way, if you have been thinking of buying a house lately, you are on the right track! Two bedroom condos on the San Mateo peninsula are starting in the $200,000′s and single family homes are starting at $350,000! I am a full time real estate agent, if you didn’t know, and I would love to help you find a deal! It costs more to rent these days than to own your own place! We have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. Call or email me! I’d love to help! Thanks!
Karin Cunningham 650-438-3504 karinc@prucal.com
San Bruno Park Swimming Pool 2011
“The San Bruno City Park Pool is located at Crystal Springs and Oak Avenues in San Bruno City Park, adjacent to the Veterans Memorial Building. The pool is a seasonal pool open from June-September. The pool is an “L” shape, 25×20 yards, 3 to 10 feet deep, and heated to approximately 83 degrees. The facility also has a toddler pool approximately 1 foot deep. Only coastguard approved flotation jackets are allowed. Parent must be in the water with the child if they are wearing a lifejacket. Before June 1st the contact number is (650) 616-7184, after June 1st the pool office number is (650) 616-7191. ”
http://sanbruno.ca.gov/parks_sbpool.html
Rec Swim is Mon-Fri 1-3:30 and Sat. and Sun. 1-4:00 It’s only three bucks! You can’t beat that!
I love bringing my kids to the pool because they always run into other kids from school. It’s also right in the park so we can hang around afterwards and picnic. The staff is also very nice and friendly!
Being a Realtor in San bruno is a pleasure when you get to talk about all of the city’s ammeneties, the pool being in the top 10!
Summertime is almost here and that means school’s out! Yay! I have the opportunity this year to spend a good portion of the summer with my 11 and 7 year old kids. I am really looking forward to it! First, I looked into local summer day camps and they charge around $140. per week! Are you kidding me? The Junior Giants program filled up in an hour. Even the waiting list is full! So, I am in the process of creating a list of fun FREE, or super cheap things to do nearby for us to enjoy. Once I get the list compiled, I am going to put them on the calendar just like I do in my real estate business, otherwise they may not get done! Ha! I don’t want to end up in front of the tv or lounging around ALL summer now! SO, here is what I have so far and I can’t wait!
- Drive the coast! We don’t HAVE to go as far as Santa Cruz! There are lots of cool beaches for us to stop off at. Just need to pack homemade sandwhiches, plenty of apples and bannanas and water. Am I right? Am I right?!
- Drive Golden Gate Park from the windmills at the beach to the Children’s Playgroud off 7th. We can hit up various picnic grounds, playgrounds, ponds, climb trees, Stow Lake, etc…
- Fort Point: http://www.nps.gov/fopo/index.htm It’s FREE and only open on Fri., Sat., and Sun. I used to like going on filed trips there as a kid. We’ll see what it’s like now! Ha!
- Japan Town: Anime, Pokemon, Yugio, and Dragon Ball Z….and they have GOT to have a ramen house and what kid doesn’t like Top Ramen? I can’t imagine it being very expensive.
- China Town: Lot’s of walking and wandering to do! “Fortune Cookie” alley, Trans America Pyramid, some of the cheapest trinkets in the world can be found here.
- Cliff House Caves: The walk down to the old Sutro Baths brings back my fondest memories of exploring as a kid. It’s a pretty quick hike so a picnic at Kelly’s Cove where I used to hang out as a teenager is a must!
- Russian River: With an early start, it could be a great day trip! Johnson’s Beach is still there and waiting for us to jump in the river! There has GOT some inexpensive hotels, just in case we get tired!
- Kids Bowl Free!: I have never taken advantage of these coupons that get sent home from school but we will this year!
- Rinconada Pool in Palo Alto: This place looks like so much fun! The weather is usually nice there during the summer, too! http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/depts/csd/activities_and_recreation/aquatics/default.asp
So, budgeting for GAS, food and sometimes bridge toll, I think we could manage a great summer vacation and make some awesome childhood memories. If you have any economical ways to spend a vacation in the Bay Area or Northern California, feel free to add to the list. I’m sure a lot of people could benefit besides me! Talk soon!
Karin Cunningham
This Friday, May 13th, 5:00-8:00pm, at St. Robert’s Church in San Bruno, the Friends Helping Friends committee is facilitating a pasta dinner fundraiser for my son’s teacher’s 6 year old son. The charge is $10. per adult, $5. children, and $25. per family of 4. There will also be a silent auction and raffle prizes. Cole Baker has stage 4 cancer and is undergoing chemo treatments. Mrs. Baker (Elisa) is a wonderful 4th grade teacher at Allen School in San Bruno. Her husband, Jim, has been writing an emotional, entertaining at times, blog/journal about the experience that he and his son are having. www.aboutcole.blogspot.com .
It’s always sad, frustrating, and heartbreaking when someone has cancer, especially a child. People in every community know the wrath of cancer and how devastating it is to loose someone or be with someone who has to endure this disease. I lost my father, David Cunningham, to cancer when he was only 58 and my dear friend and mentor, Michael Monozon, from my office who was 62. Having someone from my kid’s school have to deal with this hits so close to home again. I am so grateful for this committee for reaching out to help. The Friends Helping Friends committee has facilitated a good number of fundraisers in San Bruno who were/are battling an illness.
Please come and support your community, especially Cole. Help us spread the word and enjoy a pasta dinner with friends. Jackie Speier is planning to attend and we are pretty excited about that! -Karin Cunningham
Cole Baker Age 6
10 Reasons To Buy Bay Area Real Estate in 2011
With the worst behind us, the real estate industry is already picking up steam in 2011. Bay Area real estate inventory is already growing, prices are lower, and the interest rates couldn’t be better!
1. People who want to sell, including banks, wait until after the holidays to go to market. We are seeing inventory grow everyday in the Bay Area so far since January 1st.
2. If you want to live in a particular city or neighborhood, there is probably something there waiting for you! Go to www.KarinCunningham.com to search for a home anywhere in the Bay Area!
3. Foreclosures are available in most mid to lower price ranges. When purchased, the monthly mortgage could easily be equal or less than what you pay in rent. Estimate: $400,000 home price with $14,000 down=$2,000 monthly payment (not including tax and insurance).
4. A lot of people need tax write-offs. There are a lot of write-offs when you own a home such as interest and improvements. Owning a home can actually save you money!
5. Prop 60 and 90 allows homeowners to sell their homes and transfer their original property taxes to the next home that they buy as long as it’s an equal or lower value. San Mateo and Santa Clara both participate in this. Check out this link for more counties and detailed information http://www.wwlaw.com/prop60.htm
6. Loans are not particularly hard to get, contrary to belief. As long as your income, credit and down payment qualify, you can buy!
7. Interest rates are STILL low! Last I looked they were 4.75%. Paying points allows you to buy down your interest rate as well. We are talking 3.75% now!
8. The home loans that banks are offering to people these days are fairly traditional. Minimum down payment 3.5%, 30 year fixed, build equity, great investment over time. This is what we all wanted, isn’t it?
9. If you went through a foreclosure, you don’t have to wait a decade to buy again. Check this link for some useful ideas on credit repair http://credit.about.com/od/creditrepair/tp/credit-repair-foreclosure.htm
10. If you are creative, you can buy a fixer upper in a great neighborhood! You can get a discount on the price and make it the home of your dreams! If you prefer a brand new house, you can find them all over the Bay Area for prices that equal the amount of rent you are paying.
2011 looks good so far! It looks like a market that should have always been! Comfortable, safe, and secure!
Feel free to contact me, Karin Cunningham anytime at karinc@prucal.com or check my website at www.KarinCunningham.com
Happy New Year! How Bout Some San Bruno Sushi?!
I LOVE sushi! It’s one of my favorite foods! I love Sushi House is San Bruno so much that I might go right after I write this post!
It is a cozy “hole in the wall” which is my favorite type of restaurant. Despite it’s unattractive back entrace, I always park my car back there and walk through the building’s hallway to the dining room.
There is a sushi bar as well as a restaurant. I usually go with friends and family so I have never sat at the bar. One day, when I go alone, I will!
My favorite thing to order is sushi nigiri! Hamachi, maguro, unagi, and sake. For a drink, I usually order a large hot saki. My kids love the teriyaki chicken and miso soup. Gosh! I’m getting hungry! Sushi House is usually very busy but the turnover is pretty quick. The service is good and friendly.
I particularly like going here on cold windy evenings. The coziness makes one feel warm and the miso soup is consistently hot and tasty! Maybe I’ll see you there one night!
Sushi House 576 San Mateo Avenue, San Bruno, CA 94066-4325 (650) 871-6190
Just hoping they can hold it all together…
Picture by Frank Quitarte Photography
Just sitting here at my desk hoping that the people who lost their lives, families can keep their own lives together. I owe it to Facebook and Twitter for the constant updates we received about the devestation and ways to help in our town of San Bruno.
I hope the people who lost their homes can manage to move on somehow, taking the help that is being offered to them through fundraisers and donations. I know those things can’t cure the pain of loosing everything. It must be “something else”.
I talked to one friend, whose parents lost their home, and he said that when they were shuttle bussed back to their block, the people who did not loose their homes were crying for the people on the bus going to check out what was not there anymore. They felt “guilty” for a lack of a better word, that they had been lucky. It must be difficult to be in your home and look across the street and see nothing but ashes and rubble.
The San Bruno Daily Journal has been great at providing up to date info via Facebook. Frank Quirarte Photography took some “wild” and powerful pictures of the scene and posted them on Facebook. The San Bruno Patch, a new on line news source has followed the incident and has given some emotional reports.
Moving ahead, there are quite a few fundraisers taking place in the near future…a music concert at Capuchino High School, various restaraunt donation days including Celia’s 10% of all sales this Friday go to the fire victims fund, St. Robert’s is planning a “Friends Helping Friends” event on Sept. 24th.
There are a lot of places people can still send money, donate blood and volunteer. You can see more about all of these things on my www.Facebook.com/sanbrunolife People are posting there as a community resource page. Bless our town!
