Lowe’s Home Improvement is going to be the anchor tenant for Grafton Station and should be completed late 2007. The map below shows that not only will there be commercial developments but also reseduntial as well as an open area park with water features.

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With the latest agreement between Alameda County and the city of Pleasanton some of the only remaining land in Downtown Pleasanton will have a purpose. The 10-acre transportation corridor (former train route) will be used for parking (whoo hoo), pedestrian paths, and building easements. The total cost to acquire has not been disclosed, but it is reported that Pleasanton will pay $6 million for the 10 acres. This stretch of land runs from Old Stanley to Bernal Ave and is expected to add 400 parking spaces to downtown.

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I was surfing some Pleasanton info today and came across this photo. Remember when the Oakland A’s were looking to move to Pleasanton? I think I can speak for most Pleasanton residents when I say, bring on a hockey rink! I would rather that be here than a MLB stadium.

The Staples Ranch open space in Pleasanton has been at the top of city council meeting agendas for some time now, and on Tuesday the council approved to move forward on the 17-acre community park which includes an 8-acre ice rink. Its’s Pleasanton so a move like this cannot happen without opposition, and the 124-acre open space may see an initiative come to vote that would ban all development except for the Hendrix Auto Mall.
The park itseld would include walking trails, a dog park, sports fiels, bocce courts, and tennis courts.

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If you are a first-time home buyer who lacks the upfront money for a down payment, you might want to enter into one of many types of co-ownership arrangements.

For example, an equity-sharing arrangement enables parents or another party to contribute all or part of the down payment for the intended occupants; these investors are listed on the title and are paid rent for their ownership stake, which can be put toward such expenses as insurance, maintenance, and property taxes that can be deducted from their income taxes.

A co-occupier arrangement, meanwhile, means two parties pay an equal portion of the down payment and homeownership costs; both reside in the home and share any profits at the time of resale, although they risk being held liable for the entire mortgage if one leaves and refuses to pay.

First-time buyers can receive downpayment gifts from parents, but parents must pay gift taxes if they contribute more than $12,000 in a single year. Experts discourage parents from obtaining personal loans to help out, as these do not permit tax deductions and could make the borrower appear as a greater risk in the eyes of the lender.

Located off Rose Ave. in Pleasanton behind the existing Nolan Farms neighborhood. This community will have at this point have 10 home sites starting at 1.3 million on about 10,000 sf. lots. Home sizes will be starting in the low 3,000 sf.

Younger home buyers from Generations X and Y, born after 1965, grew up with technology and want high tech built into their homes, says Gopal Ahluwalia, staff vice president for research of the National Association of Home Builders in Washington, D.C.

“In the homes of the future, it’s all going to be about technology,” Ahluwalia says.

Here are some trends in high-tech homes:

Outdoor Theaters. Mount a flat-screen TV by the barbecue. Especially in warm climates where people spend a lot of time outdoors, watching a movie under the stars can be appealing to home buyers.

Whole-house lighting controls. A house can be equipped with four (or more) lighting scenarios: entertaining, everyday living, sleep time, and away-from-home security. Gaining popularity is the ability to control a home’s lighting by touch-screen panels throughout the house, or even via the Internet.

Whole-house automation systems. The home owner can control all systems via the Internet and do everything from feed the cat to run the washer. Indeed, Ahluwalia says the house will be able to run itself: “When food supplies drop, orders will be placed automatically with a grocery via the Internet.”

Solar hot-water systems. A solar water heater that uses energy emitted by the sun has been around for decades. But prices are dropping and in many parts of the country, the systems — which lower water-heating costs — are able to quickly pay for themselves.

Want to live in a better location? Next to BART 580/680 and the soon to be Whole Foods Market? This 2 bedroom 2 bath luxury town home has that plus granite counters, hardwood flooring, upgraded tile bathrooms and covered patio.
Follow the link below for more information.

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