Archive for April, 2010

We never grow tired of great ideas to customize a home in order to make it your own at Gables End. Moving can be difficult for little ones. With the new release of our 4 Bedroom floor plan, we thought growing families may appreciate a resource to customize a nursery or help make a child’s new room become more fun in a snap.

Muralettes:

Simple, yet effective!  Wouldn’t our busy lives all be better if more companies embraced this philosophy?  How many times have we tried our hand at something only to find it too hard to get an effective and pleasing result.  Those days of struggling are over when it comes to decorating your child’s room.   Introducing  Muralette : the latest in wall decals for kids.

Installation and pleasing creative results are a snap.  Artists Anna Conklin and Genevieve Smith make decorating your little one’s room fast and effective.  According to their site, Muralette Wall Decals are “No fuss, no muss… Just peel and stick!  There is no “right” way to design your Muralette – it’s fool-proof and fun, so just relax and play!”

The company offers four sets of striking wall decals: Fishies, Garden of Posies, Branch and Birds and Polka.  The artists also take the environment and your child’s health seriously by using all water-based paints and varnishes that lack toxic fumes, and use low VOC paints whenever possible.

For all the details, please visit their website or become a Muralette Fan on Facebook

Image: BRUTE LABS

For those of you who have been following along since March, when we first made run! at Red Rock a “favorite” on the Gables End Facebook page – closing ceremonies will commence on May 8th from 7 -9 pm by celebrating the end of the run! at Red Rock campaign with music, food, and of course prizes (link to the event) ! Together, the run! at Red Rock community has completed 7,761.5 miles.

What was run! at Red Rock, exactly?

BRUTE LABS paired up with Red Rock coffee to get people moving… and now they are expanding run! programs to 15 Bay Area Schools to help promote physical fitness and health awareness! Kudos to  BRUTE LABS (an all-volunteer not-for-profit organization run by young professionals. We aim to change the world by using design and technology to address global challenges). The Gables End team in Mountain View applauds your efforts!

In their words -
“Mission: run! at Red Rock is a 3-month collaboration between Red Rock Coffee and BRUTE LABS to promote health, fitness and community building in the Mountain View, California area. We hope that we can inspire and empower each person who participates to build healthy habits, achieve their fitness goals, meet others along the way, and above all, have fun doing it!

So whether its running, cycling, swimming, rock climbing, going out for a walk, or something else, we want to celebrate and encourage everyone to get outside or to the gym to get their hearts beating and blood flowing.”

Silicon Valley Open Studios 2010 is here!

Every year, during the first three weekends in May, more than 320 Silicon Valley artists open their studios up to the public. This free event lets you discover some exciting new artistic talent, or get up close and personal with some of your favorite artists.

You can visit the studios of your choice between the hours of 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday on following weekends:

Weekend One, May 1st & 2nd
Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, San Jose, Saratoga

Weekend Two, May 8th & 9th
Atherton, Belmont, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Mateo, Woodside

Weekend Three, May 15th & 16th
East Palo Alto, Ladera, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Loyola, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale

For more information regarding this event, visit their website or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

You asked, we listened! Gables End is releasing its latest phase of newly designed 4 bedroom homes to fit your lifestyle in Mountain View.  Home office? Telecommuting? Room for guests? Growing family? Not a problem! Our newest E2 plan accommodates your needs. But hurry…inventory is limited and there is high demand for our new 4 bedroom plan! Reserve yours today and take advantage of homebuyer tax credits (Federal, State or both for qualifying homebuyers!)

If you have considered purchasing a home, but are waiting for that “perfect time to buy” take note…
YOU MUST BE IN CONTRACT BY APRIL 30th to qualify for the Federal Housing tax credit (up to $8,000)!

The provision that puts up to $8,000 in first-time buyers’ pockets and up to $6,500 in move-up buyers’ pockets will soon come to an end.

It is official. Mountain View home buyers this is an amazing opportunity!
Homebuyer tax credits will be continuing, adding a powerful incentive for those considering purchasing a new home. If you’re interested in purchasing a new home at Gables End, be in contract by April 30th to qualify for both California and Federal Housing Tax Credits!

The legislation, signed by the Governor Schwarzenegger today, allows qualified buyers in California  to begin claiming up to $10,000 tax credits starting May 1. Details regarding the legislation were posted in this recent Sacbee.com article (link)

In order to take advantage of this credit, Buyers needs to abide by certain criteria including:

• Must purchase the home between May 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010 and purchase date is the date escrow closes.
• This credit will be equal to 5% of the purchase price or $10,000, the lesser of the two.
• The tax credit must be taken in equal installments over three consecutive years.
• Purchasers will be required to live in the home as their principal residence for at least two years or forfeit the credit.

*California Association of Realtors Article about the Homebuyer Tax Credit (link)

The legislation allocates $200 million for more state tax credits – twice what was offered last year to 10,659 buyers of new, unoccupied homes. The state’s newest housing stimulus will grant $100 million in tax credits to first-time buyers of existing homes and $100 million to anyone who buys a new, unoccupied home. *

The state Franchise Tax Board is estimating that nearly 32,000 homeowners statewide might take advantage of  the tax breaks.

What about the Federal Housing Tax Credit?

Even better news for well-timed first-time purchasers! It may be possible to combine this credit with the Federal Tax credit (up to $8,000), enabling a home buyer to potentially capitalize on up to $18,000 in tax credits!  The catch is that you would need to be in contract by April 30, 2010, and close escrow between May 1, 2010 and June 30, 2010.

Federal Housing Tax Credit Summary (link)

Alas, all good things must eventually come to an end, and so it seems that the significant tax credit for purchasing a home in today’s market will soon run its course.

So if you have been considering making a purchase at Gables End, now is the perfect time to buy in order to take advantage of this great opportunity! Model Homes are open 10-5, daily at 1925 Plymouth Street in Mountain View.  Want to take a tour in photos? Visit Gables End on Flickr,  tour our new townhomes in photos or watch a slideshow. While you are there, have a look at our very popular 4 Bedroom plan – just released for sale!

Join our Gables End Fanpage to get weekly updates about our new home community and our greater community in Mountain View.

*Restrictions apply, please contact a preferred lender and your tax advisor for additional details.

We have been following the progress of Savvy Cellar II in Mountain View with much anticipation.  We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful addition to our Mountain View community.

Update from week 13, courtesy of their Facebook Fan Page : Signage and outdoor patio enclosure complete. Next up minor interior finishing, retail racks, stereo and POS.

If you haven’t had a chance to see what all the excitement is about, have a look at their Flickr Slideshow.

We can’t wait for the grand opening which should be announced within a few days. Tentative plans are for a grand opening to take place within a few weeks after final building approval.

Stay tuned!!

Mark your calendar and attend the April Yipee Big Wig Luncheon this Tuesday,  April 13 to learn all about green living and exciting environmental advances being made. This is a panel discussion on how you can get involved in making your community a greener place, the office a more cost efficient environment, and the future of green technology.

Aileen LaBouff: Co-Chair of Green Mountain View. Green Mountain View: provides education and enticement for Mountain View community members to take actions toward a sustainable future.

Rob McCarthy: Sr. Director of Operations & Facilities at Conceptus: What becoming a Bay Area Certified Green Business has done for their bottom line. Why going green doesn’t just make environmental sense, but fiscal sense too.

NASA scientist Jonathan Trent is developing a smarter way to turn algae into oil. He’s created plastic osmotic containers that will float below the surface of the ocean, grow algae, and then help it bloom into oil. He says the new method is more beneficial because algae can grow in a larger area and doesn’t compete with agricultural land. Take a look at the video below regarding this exciting innovation:

Learn more about Green living from the experts.  This panel discussion should have something for everyone interested in green living.

It's Spring Festival at Sakoon

It’s Springtime and that means we begin to emerge from our nests and look forward to mingling, meeting and mixing it up. Gables End offers homeowners the chance to live near work at companies like Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, PAMF, Blogger, UStream, Actel, Siemens, Symantec, Intuit and Nokia. And while heading home for a quick cup of soup may seem dreamy in the wintertime, meeting up for lunch downtown or mingling with co-workers after hours is what makes our work-week go by faster during Spring and Summer.  Downtown Mountain View has an amazing selection of great restaurants and offers the kind of ethnic selection that is usually only found in large cities.  What’s new nearby Gables End?

Sakoon on Castro Street Begins Spring Bread Festival Lunch and Happy Hour!
April 4th thru June 20th Enjoy Regional Breads of India and Daily Specials.
Happy Hour 5 to 7 pm, daily!

We stumbled on this special “Spring Festival” deal posted on Yelp for Sakoon:

Glass of complimentary wine with dinner! (5-7 pm daily)
Your choice of complimentary dessert with dinner! (5-10 pm Sun-Th)

On Saturday, April 3, 2010, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.,  Bike Party will ride LONGER and FARTHER than ever before, visiting places where Bike Party tires have yet to tread.

This special event will take you along the city limits of the great City of San Jose with 30, 60, and 100 mile versions of the ride.

The 30 and 60 mile rides are designed like Bike Party routes: relatively flat rides that explore unique areas of town while staying visible to the community at large. Both routes are fun and have easy access to service around the city. These two groups will stay together the way a test ride or pre-ride does, keeping the party and community vibe alive.

The 100 mile ride offers experienced riders the chance to complete a century ride in some truly wonderful areas of San Jose. It also gives anyone who has wanted to ride 100 miles but has never been able to – either because of lack of time, registration fees, a good route, etc. – the opportunity to push themselves to the limit and complete a ride around the city limits. This version of the ride will take bicyclists into some beautiful areas of the East Foothills, Coyote Valley, and Almaden. Riders may decide to stick together on this route or go it alone or in smaller groups.

All three versions share the first 20 or so miles and begin riding at the same time, giving us a large group to ride with. Rest points/regroups will be located in city parks with restrooms and drinking water.

For route changes/updates or for more information visit their site.

event text courtesy of YELP