(1) Train Depot.  The massive bricks used to make the San Carlos Train Depot are the same bricks that were used to construct Stanford University. In the late 1800′s, Timothy Guy Phelps, an original landowner in San Carlos, called on his good friend Leland Stanford for help in building a train depot in San Carlos.  Excess bricks arrived shortly thereafter.

(2) Nathaniel Brittan.  The last name is very familiar to those in San Carlos, but did you know that Nathaniel Brittan had three daughters….Elizabeth, Belle and Carmelita….Three streets in Howard Park currently hold those names at the request of Brittan.

(3) Old Bertini.  Old Bertini, as he was known to residents in San Carlos in the earlier 1900s, owned a rather large parcel of land that is now occupied by Burton Park. That parcel was to be sold for a housing development.  It wasn’t until Pop Burton refused to back down and insist that part of that parcel be used for a city park, that the development plans were halted and Burton worked in conjunction with Bertini to salvage part of the parcel from development and Recreation Park was created, later named Burton Park.

(4) Olympics.  In the summer of 1984, the City of San Carlos came to a standstill as the Olympic torch was carried down El Camino Real.

(5) The Church Lady. A famous Saturday Night Live character made popular by San Carlos native, Dana Carvey, is supposedly based on a woman Carvey encountered at the Church of the Epiphany on Arroyo and Cedar.

(6) First Charter.  San Carlos Charter Learning Center was the first charter school established in California.

(7) Water Under Your House?.  There can be a wide variety of reasons for this in San Carlos, but also keep in mind that there was a reason Black Mountain Water decided to establish their distribution center here.  The springs in the San Carlos hills are filled with water.  The property once used by Black Mountain water still remains vacant today, on Alameda de las Pulgas, between Melendy and Madera.

(8) 1961 National Champions.  In 1961, a group of San Carlos boys, ages 13-15, won the Babe Ruth World Series.  The team was coached by Bob Flanagan.  The large baseball diamond at Burton Park is named in his honor.

(9) Hills vs. Flats.  With a few pocket exceptions, San Carlos is the only town on the peninsula where it is more expensive to live in the flats, than in the hills.

(10) From Knight to Giant.  San Carlos native, Barry Bonds, attended Arundel School.

SCTH partners with SCEF

In what has been a long time coming, myself and Dr. Young of Young Orthodontics are proud to announce that San Carlos Treasure Hunters has partnered with the San Carlos Educational Foundation for the benefit of San Carlos schools.  This very unique and special version of San Carlos Treasure Hunters is for parents, only. We completed our sixth year of San Carlos Treasure Hunters on October 29th. A record 72 teams, totaling 230 kids and 120 parents competed for the ultimate prize.  After hearing the requests for several years, we were finally able to put together San Carlos Treasure Hunters….for Parents.  While the normal San Carlos Treasure Hunters (for kids) is always free, the parents’ version will have team spots that can be purchased through Spring Fling.  There will also be two very special Platinum Teams which can be purchased during the live auction segment of Spring Fling (see more on the Platinum Teams further down in the post).

How It Works

The parents’ version works in a similar fashion to the regular San Carlos Treasure Hunters.  Teams of four will study the San Carlos History Book, which will be provided to each team. Teams will also study San Carlos parks and any other materials associated with this year’s story, The Legendary J.P Harlow And The Treasure of 1929.

The event is scheduled for the evening of Saturday, May 19th.  This also happens to be the Saturday of Hometown Days.  The event will kick-off at 5:30 at Burton Park.  The first team to find all ten hidden clues around the city and solve the mystery of J.P Harlow, will find the treasure chest keys and receive a fabulous prize.

The Pre & Post Parties

We want everyone to have fun.  If you choose to have some adult beverages at the Pre & Post Parties, please make sure that one of your team members is the designated driver for the entire night.  This is the one rule that will be strictly enforced.  The hunt will end with the post party at The Office Bar and Grill. The winning team will be revealed and we will go over all clues and put the whole thing together for you.

Purchasing a Team

Purchasing a team is a fantastic way to support San Carlos schools.  Teams can be bought out for $500.  Teams are allowed four players.  Get together three friends and the cost is only $125, each…..or two couples can each pay $250 and form a team. Teams can be purchased at Spring Fling.  There will also be an option forthcoming through the Spring Fling site, which will allow you to purchase a team in advance.  Please note that we are only accepting the first 25 teams.

Two Platinum Teams

The live auction at Spring Fling will allow you the opportunity to purchase one of two Platinum Teams.  If you have already purchased a regular team, you can upgrade your team to a Platinum Team by having your $500 purchase apply to any live auction bid for one of the Platinum Teams.

There are two Platinum teams that will be up for bid during the live auction. No need to worry about a designated driver, as I will be your designated driver for one of the teams, and Mayor Andy Klein will be the other. Team Bredel or Team Klein….the choice is yours. We both know San Carlos very well and will get you to your destinations in record time (while abiding by all posted speed limits, of course).  We will take care of your every need during the hunt so that you can focus on winning.  Additionally, both teams will receive a personal crash course study session prior to the hunt and VIP apparel.

Please watch the San Carlos Blog for more details as we get closer to Spring Fling on March 3rd.

* To be taken directly to the San Carlos Treasure Hunters site, please click here.

Consider this a post in humility. I was looking back at all of the posts written since 2007, and I discovered that few, if any, detailed mistakes that I have made.  I decided that if I was expecting folks in San Carlos to rely on what I write on this site, I needed to give a balanced assessment of things done correct and incorrectly as it relates to my involvement in San Carlos real estate.

So, that being said, here are the four mistakes I have made in my career as a realtor:

(1) Predicting the Market.  I was as guilty as anyone in else in 2005. Our market was on fire and for every obstacle that was put up, banks seemed to have a loan program as a legitimate way around the issue.  Ten percent down, five percent down, nothing down, negative amortization….it was truly unending. The one thing I have learned with the market as it relates to San Carlos is that our market is tied to the local economy and the Dow Jones. Predicting the economy is beyond my pay grade and it is probably that way for most realtors as well. The only thing myself and other realtors should be doing is giving you an assessment of the current market.

(2) First Impressions Matter More Than You May Think.  Luckily, I discovered this early on. Many buyers wholeheartedly believe they can see through clutter, homes that have not been staged, slight remodel adjustments, etc.  The truth is that most cannot.  It’s not because they do not know what they want or cannot visualize the finished product, it’s because of the emotion involved.  Many buyers will tell you that they can be 100% objective and will not be emotionally involved in the house. This is absolutely false.  Whether buyers want to admit it or not, a home is an emotional decision on some level.  It is where your family will live.  Making the home as comfortable as possible on that first impression and showing off the best parts of the home through staging is absolutely crucial. A home simply cannot be rushed to market.  You get one chance to make it look its very best.

(3) Realtor Stereotypes.  Prior to leaving my firm and going to work in real estate, I was very much aware of the realtor stereotypes.  I still am. My experience has been that many of those stereotypes are true and more.  Real Estate is a cutthroat business where ethical behavior and client advocacy is a moving target for some.  I fell victim to believing that this was the norm and it altered my view on the industry. However, what I learned over time is that there are a handful of realtors who are some of the brightest, hardest-working and selfless individuals that I have ever met.  Many of them go unnoticed, except by the clients they represent. When your realtor tells you that the agent on the other side of your deal is important, it is probably the largest understatement they will make during the process.

(4) Real Estate Life vs Personal Life.  If there was one part to being a realtor that I completely underestimated, it was the time involved.  I’ve billed 2,500 hours in law firms.  I’ve pulled all-nighters more times than I care to remember.  The one thing I can tell you is that for agents who are top producers, the workload is heavier and there is no down time.  In order to produce at high levels and give your clients the service they deserve, you are pretty much on-call 24/7. The amount of family dinners, birthdays and holidays that you end up working through is incredible.  You are never really off the clock.  Odds are, at any given time you have a few clients in contract with the biggest transaction of their life and you are their lifeline. It’s an anxious time for them and you want to make sure all of their questions and concerns are handled immediately. What makes this difficult is when those calls come right as you are reading a book to your kids, at a school open house or just having dinner as a family. I have always taken a great deal of pride in actually answering my phone and responding immediately.  The most difficult thing for me as a realtor has nothing to do with real estate itself.  It has everything to do with finding the appropriate line between being on-call and being a dad. This is one mistake I am still working on. So if you see me on the soccer field or softball field looking at my iPhone…feel free to grab it and throw it away : )

Really?

Yes, really. Granted, it’s not downtown Palo Alto, but San Carlos is at least showing some signs of life after 9:00 pm. If there is one thing the Carlos Club and The Office have proven, it’s that San Carlos does have a need for a nightlife scene.

This Shouldn’t Be Surprising

Those that saw this need coming have had an advantage.  There’s a reason that the A Tavola bar came back three times larger after the remodel.  Obviously, A Tavola came back as Town and has taken over the top spot on Laurel Street even since.  San Carlos went through a substantial transformation in the mid to late 1990s.  Droves of younger families migrated to San Carlos.  Many of those families now have kids that are a little older and the parents are looking for local places to gather with friends. The need for some additional options downtown has been building for years.

If you are still not convinced, try going to downtown and finding a parking space during the evening hours, Thursday-Saturday.  You’ll end up parking back on Walnut Street.

Successful Models

Town.  High-end, hip, great food……and entrenched in the San Carlos community and schools.  Town has always been one step ahead in San Carlos.  It was the first and currently the most prominent destination for San Carlans.  Click here to be taken to the Town site.

The Office.  The Office is a hit for several reasons.  None more prominent than the fact that it works for people of all ages. Kids, twenty-somethings, parents, grandparents…all have a great time at The Office. The inside/outside features work very well and in most types of weather. It didn’t hurt that they are a sports bar as well and chose to open right as they Giants were marching toward a World Championship.  It was a great venue for October of 2010, and they haven’t looked back since that time. The Office is packed Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.  Click here to be taken to The Office Bar and Grill site.

The Carlos Club.  The Carlos Club was the first to take the evening scene and turn it into more of a night scene. Most in San Carlos will roll their eyes and smile when asked if they’ve been to the “CC” as it is known around town. Most view it as a fun venue to go with a big group of friends and get a little crazy.  It has been a popular “last stop” for many San Carlans after major events such as Spring Fling and Christmas parties.  Karaoke, dancing, specialty drinks and a “VIP” section are all available at the CC.  Their formula seems to be working. Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights are packed and the CC has plans to expand into the area that is currently the back parking lot.  Open until 2:00 am, it is the liveliest spot in San Carlos into the early morning hours. Click here to be taken to the Carlos Club site.

How San Carlos Could Improve Its Nightlife

San Carlos has been steadily improving its nightlife options. My opinion would be that they could use at least one venue that is a happy medium.  What I mean by that is that it is tough to go directly to the Carlos Club right after dinner in downtown San Carlos.  If there was a club with live music, and had more of an upscale feel to it, I believe it would flourish.  Additionally, more restaurants, especially those with full bars, would do well to bring in live music.  Live music flat out works in San Carlos. Piacere and others have been bringing in live music on the weekend nights and it has worked well.  Others would be wise to follow suit.

This Is Still San Carlos

I don’t believe anyone is advocating turning downtown San Carlos into the French Quarter.  San Carlos should not be stepping outside of what has made it so attractive to all who live here.  However, one or two more options for the after-9:00 pm-crowd couldn’t hurt.

Have you ever wondered how it is possible that we pay such high property taxes in San Carlos, yet our schools face budget shortfalls every year?  You’re not alone.  Here’s how it all breaks down:

The Birth of Prop 13

Passed by California voters in 1978, Proposition 13 gained national attention and was a main player in the “taxpayer revolt” of the early 1980s. Proposition 13 can be traced back to a time period which saw a monumental, but separate event:  the 1976 California Supreme Court Case, Serrano v. Priest. The essence of the court ruling was that the amount of funding going to different districts was inadvertently favoring the more wealthy school districts, and thus other districts were not receiving the same “equal protection” as other school districts in California.

Put more succinctly, districts with higher property valuations were able to fund their schools at a lower percentage of property taxes, than those districts which did not have high property values.

Concurrently, California was experiencing massive growth in all areas, and property values were rising.  Without the cap on property taxes, many retired Californians were subjected to constantly increasing taxes each year.

The combination of the court ruling, a surge in property valuations and palpable public angst over out-of-control taxes, the legislature was forced to come up with a suitable answer to the escalating property tax issue.

Prop 13

Proposition 13 was the popular answer.  After being placed on the ballot, the measure passed with 65% of the vote.  All but three counties in California voted in favor of the measure.

The passage of Proposition 13 meant that:

(1)  The annual real estate tax on a parcel of property was limited to 1% of its value.

(2)  The assessed value could only be increased by a maximum of 2% per year, until a change of ownership exists.

How Proposition 13 has affected San Carlos schools:

To say that San Carlos schools have been crushed by the ramifications of Proposition 13 is an understatement.  When Proposition 13 passed, the San Carlos revenue that was once plentiful was cut by over 57%.  As a result, the State of California had to step in and start to take over more of the funding of items such as San Carlos schools.

The irony of this situation is that San Carlos thought it was doing its citizens a favor in the late 1970s by lowering the percentage of its local property taxes that were to be earmarked for public schools.  When San Carlos lowered this amount, the State froze that disbursement percentage and has made San Carlos exist on that low percentage ever since.  In the late 1970s, supporters of Proposition 13 assured everyone that the State of California would make up the difference with any budget shortfalls to the schools.  Obviously, this never happened.  Not only did the State not make up the difference, the State instead started to raid the low levels of funding for other needs.  Throughout the last 12 years San Carlos has been asked to do more with less money.

Our schools switched over to a charter system as a way of attracting out of district students and maximizing its funding.  The schools are essentially on life support and depend on parcel taxes, volunteerism, fundraising and the herculean efforts of the San Carlos Education Foundation, just to keep its head above water and keep the programs that have made it a wonderful educational experience for so many.

Basic Aid vs. Revenue Limit Districts

A key factor to understanding the funding of San Carlos schools is to first understand the difference between the two types of funding models in California, Basic Aid and Revenue Limit.

Basic Aid, also known as “local funding,” essentially occurs when the local property tax revenue disbursement rate in a district exceeds the total general purpose funding that the state would have provided. In other words, there’s no need to factor in any state aid because the property taxes alone surpass the minimum funding level established by the state.  Those cities which decided not to lower their percentage of property taxes going toward schools in the late 1970s before the enactment of Proposition 13 are, for the most part, Basic Aid Districts.  Palo Alto is one such city that falls under Basic Aid. An unpopular choice at the time for Palo Alto residents, has now paid off exponentially.

Key Point:  The upside to Basic Aid is that a district can receive funding in excess of its state-calculated Revenue Limit, and growing property taxes generally translate into more revenue.  Only 10% of the districts in California are Basic Aid.

Revenue Limit Districts.  The San Carlos School District and the other 90% of all districts in California are Revenue Limit districts.  This means that the through the state, and through some limited help from the federal government, Revenue Limit districts are given a set amount per student. Unfortunately, this amount is not nearly enough to realistically cover the cost of education in San Carlos.  In fact, cutting everything down to its most basic level, this amount would only generate 79% of the needed revenue to keep San Carlos schools operating the way they are currently today.  San Carlos depends on parcel tax measures and the San Carlos Educational Foundation to make up the remaining 21%.

Summary

Proposition 13 is not solely to blame for the current crisis in our schools and city, but it is a significant contributor.  Something has to give.  After internal budget cuts are made and tax increases are voted down, we need to find a way to keep more of our local property taxes.

I would like to recognize the San Carlos School District, Ed Source, San Mateo County Assessor’s Office and the Palo Alto Unified School District….all provided the information necessary to complete this post.

Thank you

I want to thank all of you for your continued patronage to the San Carlos Blog.  I do truly appreciate it.  I have taken your feedback and made some meaningful adjustments.  I think you will find the new site has sharper details, is easier to navigate, and now has built-in search capabilities. The San Carlos Blog has almost 500 posts and 1,500 comments on a variety of subjects including San Carlos real estate and the community issues which permeate the City of Good Living.

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Eucalyptus Avenue Has Become A Source of Pride For San Carlos

Eucalyptus Avenue does not disappoint.   It’s also safe to say that the popularity of Eucalyptus Avenue has grown well beyond the borders of San Carlos.  Take a walk down Eucalyptus at any point during December and you will quickly realize that many who are walking along the street with you, are not from San Carlos. You can tell by quickly listening in on their conversations that many have driven to Christmas Tree Lane from outside of San Carlos…and they are glad they did.

The commitment from those on Eucalyptus Avenue to live one month out of the year in total chaos is remarkable.  Please click on the short two minute video below to get a glimpse at this year’s displays.

Snow in San Carlos?

Believe it or not, it happened.  February 5, 1976. After what can only be described as a truly exhaustive search, I finally uncovered the 8mm film from storage and was able to save some of the footage.  The footage isn’t exactly high-definition, but you will see that San Carlos received more than a brief dusting.  The footage is shot at 1027 Alameda de Las Pulgas, very close to the intersection of Brittan Avenue and Alameda. The one-year-old in the very hip 70′s pants in the video who is trying to steer clear of the crazed family dog, is yours truly.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN-R7RoKSOY[/youtube]

A very happy holiday season from my family to yours.

Best,

Bob Bredel

The San Carlos Dons

No, that’s not a misprint.  San Carlos did have a high school!

“SC Throwback presents the San Carlos High School Dons commemorative T shirt! Featuring the Don mascot (whose political correctness is delightfully lacking), and designed in a Men’s or Women’s  style ( in red, of course!).  Released just in time for the 30 year anniversary of the school’s closure in 1982, the shirts were created by LT & Associates Marketing, run by former SC Don, Laura Teutschel. “There’s so much nostalgia for San Carlos High; we had to do something fun with it”.

To be taken directly to their site, please click here.

SOLA

A few around San Carlos are looking down at their chips and about to go all in for the south end of Laurel.  South Laurel, now named “SOLA” by San Carlos developer, Bob Stafford, is about to get its chance to shine.

North & South

Anchored by heavy hitters such as Town, Piacere, Spasso, Cask and a host of others, the north end of Laurel has become not only a favorite among San Carlans, but a destination for those who do not live in San Carlos. The south end of Laurel, or Laurel south of Brittan Avenue, has a noticeably different feel. Restaurants are far and few between.  The nightlife is almost non-existent. Professional offices, older buildings and vacant lots occupy much of south Laurel.  For years, bringing the south end of Laurel to life has been a focus of the City Council, the Chamber of Commerce and the Planning Commission. It appears that the right spots have finally opened up and there is a movement to transform south Laurel to SOLA.

Key Locations Are Now Under Contract

The vacant lot at 1580 Laurel Street is about to see life. Owned by a family from Atherton, the architectural designs have been undertaken by a high-end, very well respected firm in Burlingame, according to Stafford.  The plans will call for ground floor retail and residential units above. 1580 Laurel Street is currently the largest plot of vacant land on south Laurel. Establishing a new, vibrant building to fill the void can only help blend the overall feel of south Laurel.

Perhaps the most important location on south Laurel is the old White Oaks Hardware building.  I am happy to report this building has been sold and from what I have been told, the new owners have plans to establish some type of eatery. Situated at a busy four-way stop at Laurel and St. Francis, it’s the one intersection on south Laurel that receives a decent amount of traffic.  I would argue that this is the one location that cannot misfire if south Laurel is to move toward SOLA.

Success has been found by some on south Laurel.

Mack’s BBQ has been incredibly successful on the south end of Laurel. Others have found south San Carlos to be profitable as well.  While it is a block in front of Laurel on El Camino, The Office Bar and Grill has been wildly successful and is extremely popular with San Carlos residents. The success of both of these establishments seems to indicate that there is room for more in SOLA.

North Laurel started in a similar fashion

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when you could walk down the north end of Laurel at 7:00 pm on a Friday or Saturday night and feel as though you were one of about 6 people downtown.  However, eventually, someone took a chance.  A Tavola set up shop in the old Tivoli Building and became successful. The transformation kicked into overdrive when A Tavola became Town and the other like-minded entrepreneurs could not set up shop on north Laurel fast enough.

SOLA will never be north Laurel

I don’t think anyone is under the impression that SOLA will one day be north Laurel.  For one, the vast majority of north Laurel is zoned for commercial/retail.  South Laurel has apartments, retail and professional office space.  Even with these differences, there seems to be a strong consensus that it is under performing. The right players and locations seem to finally be in place.  The movement has the backing of the council, the chamber and all commissions. The chips are nearing the center of the table for SOLA.