Modern Mom on the Run

Visit Debbi's Blog

Find us on Facebook and Twitter

The Real Estate Show

CONTACT VALERIE POLLOCK 925-639-7839 for advertising opportunities.
Produced By Johnathan Brooks and Karen Humphrey

The Real Estate Show
About Real Estate in the Bay Area
Description “THE REAL ESTATE SHOW”
featuring the Bay Area’s Finest Properties including Interior Design, Fashion, Food, Community and Philanthropic Events and so much more with your host, Debbi DiMaggio.

Learn from our Industry Experts and don't miss the 'Design Tip of The Day'.

Join Debbi DiMaggio our host each Sunday @ 1:30 on KOFY-TV, Channel 13 Cable and 20 on Broadcast for a half hour of pure excitement, fabulous properties, great friends
and much, much more!!!!!

6529 Ascot Drive, Oakland

2011-04-16T14:32:00.001-07:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Rockridge Bungalow offered at $699,000

2011-04-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

Thought You'd be Interested

Montclair Jewel - 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths - Offered at $589,000

2011-04-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

Thought You'd be Interested

2011-04-12T21:56:00.000-07:00

Thought You'd be Interested

Stately English Tudor designed by Albert Farr / Home to TOP-RATED Schools ( US News and World Report )

2011-01-16T10:59:00.000-08:00

Stately English Tudor

Highland Partners is Proud to Support the Cancer League - 2010 Holly Ball

2010-12-09T16:10:00.001-08:00

Elegant Lace Snowflakes Christmas Card

Turn your pictures into personalized Christmas cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

highland partners // proud to support the skyline lacrosse scholarship program

2010-12-07T21:43:00.000-08:00

highland partners // proud to support the skyline lacrosse scholarship program

1530 Grizzly Peak, Berkeley ~ Spectacular!

2010-08-03T12:31:00.000-07:00

Host Your OWN Show - My Oprah Audition that MISSED the Deadline

2010-07-08T09:09:00.000-07:00

HIGHLAND PARTNERS PRESENTS

2010-06-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

HIGHLAND PARTNERS PRESENTS

Piedmont Avenue Lifestyle

2010-06-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

Piedmont Avenue Lifestyle

Elegant Sectional - OpulentItems.com

2010-05-30T09:43:00.000-07:00

Elegant Sectional - OpulentItems.com

Apartment Spanish Steps

2010-05-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

Apartment Spanish Steps

Check out the Community Snapshot in your Area

2010-04-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

Socialize 4 a Cause ~ San Francisco East Bay Event Calendar

2010-04-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

2010-04-04T14:30:00.001-07:00

share

Posted using ShareThis

2010-04-04T14:24:00.003-07:00

share

Posted using ShareThis

2010-04-04T14:24:00.001-07:00

share

Posted using ShareThis

Pink

2010-04-04T09:42:00.000-07:00

Image Detail

Behind the Scenes with Debbi and Frankie

2010-04-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

Behind the Scenes with Debbi and Frankie

Montclair Retreat

2010-03-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

Montclair Retreat

On the Run

2010-03-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

Clean entire house for new buyers to inspect home.
Make beds, finish laundry, fold laundry, stuff laundry in a hiding place.
Load Dishwasher, Go through 3000 sq feet and make sure all is in order. Wipe table, organize magazines, throw garbage away.

Relocate daughter to grandma's house. Grab everything for the day.

Weed through emails, text messages, phone calls. Never done.

Talk to clients, set up appts, mitigate emotional drama with clients ~ it's stressful to sell and buy a home, so believe me you, there is a lot of drama and emotional mayhem during the process.

Call Chase's agency to confirm audtion time for 3 PM.
Call Middle School to get Chase out early.

Check on Bianca ~ feeling sick today.

It's a sunny day! Will it be sunny on Sunday, if it's not we need to cancel the open house because the sellers don't want to have it open if it is raining outside.

Workshop Wednesday today. Short Sales and Foreclosures with Ben Hamburg, Lunch provided by Ruth Stoup, Farmer's Insurance. 11 - 1pm.

Get Chase at 2 ~ head to the City for his audtion through FORD Models with Lenscrafters.

From the City dash to Orinda for his basketball tournament playoffs.

And whatever comes up in between....!

xoxo Modern Mom on the Run ~

2146 Magellan ~ Montclair, Oakland

2010-03-05T16:12:00.000-08:00

http://photoplan.planomatic.com/pack.php?propertyTourID=4716

Join Us at the Ellington ~ Jack London Square

2010-03-02T15:56:00.001-08:00

via archive.constantcontact.com

March 4th from 6-8PM.

Posted via web from debbi's posterous

Join Us at the Ellington ~ Jack London Square

2010-03-02T15:47:00.000-08:00

'Join Us at the Ellington ~ Jack London Square'

16 Lorita Avenue, Piedmont

2010-03-02T08:41:00.001-08:00

Check out this website I found at photoplan.planomatic.com

Posted via web from debbi's posterous

16 Lorita Avenue, Piedmont 94611

2010-03-02T08:39:00.000-08:00

http://photoplan.planomatic.com/viewer.php?propertyTourID=4673

Montclair ~ Oakland Hills Jewel by Debbi DiMaggio and Adam Betta

2010-01-27T21:14:00.000-08:00

http://photoplan.planomatic.com/viewer.php?propertyTourID=4489

Piedmont ~ CSL Kitchen and Home Tour ~ Volunteers Needed April 23rd and 24th ~ 2010

2010-01-12T17:25:00.001-08:00

Looking for docents to staff the CSL Kitchen and Home Tour

Please contact me if you would like to volunteer for the upcoming Children's Support League Kitchen and Home Tour located in Piedmont and Upper Rockridge. Shift times are from 9:30 to 1 and 12:30 to 4 PM. We also have an early shift time available from 8:30 - 10:30 AM ~ Our premier ticket holders will have access to one of the larger homes on the tour as well as access to tour more of the rooms. Premier Ticket holders are able to start their tour earlier with less congestion. Lastly, our Clean Up shift is from 3 - 5 PM on both days. This is a great way for teens to gain volunteer hours.

As a volunteer you will receive a complimentary ticket in exchange for your time. Each docent can pick up your ticket at the Piedmont Community Center on either Friday or Saturday at the Ticket Desk. Not to be missed is the BOUTIQUE which features fun, fabulous and stylish items and gifts.

Each volunteer will get an email and a phone call reminder in April along with their placement.

Please feel free to email me with your information ~ name, address and phone numbers. It's always fun to volunteer with a friend and then go on the tour together before or after your shift.

I thank you in advance!

MODERN MOM ON THE RUN ~ Debbi DiMaggio

debbi@debbidimaggio.com ~ 510.414.6777

To learn more or to become a member go to We Help Kids.org ~ Thank you!

JD LUXE SKINCARE has been LAUNCHED ~ January 1, 2010 ~

2010-01-05T07:36:00.000-08:00

JD LUXE SKINCARE has been launched! You can find it on my website ~ ModernMomontheRun or
JD LUXE.com website. A product brought to you by Debbi DiMaggio and Frank Joseph of the Real Housewives of Orange County.

~ Moms Like Me ~

2010-01-04T21:49:00.000-08:00

Here's a new site i found for moms. Check it out ~ MOMS LIKE ME ~

Realtors Don't Just Sell Homes

2009-11-03T18:13:00.000-08:00

Real Real Estate Stories No. 2

Being a Realtor in today's market is not as easy as it once was. Now more than ever we wear multiple hats. Sometimes we wear our concierge cap and other times we are juggling our various hats as psychologists, confidants, babysitters, detectives/investigators, managers, resource specialists, HR Directors and service providers. We do this not only for our clients but for their significant others as well.

Buying and selling a home is one of the most stressful times in a person's life not to mention, all the while, managing their family, their day to day life, busy careers and unexpected events. Realtors do understand and embrace this. We understand the frustration and expect the tears.

Today's REAL ~ REAL ESTATE STORY stems from a recent experience to which I find myself knee deep in. Today, the buyer's agent and I pulled our detective hats off the shelf. Today we had to figure out ~ why the home we have in contract did not appraise for the selling price despite the fact recent comps would have suggested. Without dragging you through the entire last two days of this drama, the point is, the appraiser did not do their homework. He did not make calls to learn about pending sales, but more importantly we discovered that the appraiser had INACCURATELY measured the subject property. This is simply unacceptable, not to mention devastating to both the buyers and the sellers. Today we, the agents, not the appraiser whose job this was, but the buyer's agent and I, did a little detective work and uncovered the problem ~ we solved the crime. It is apparent that the appraiser did not take into account NOR QUESTION 1. the public records, 2. his measurements and 3. the square footage on the website ~ which clearly displayed a detailed floor plan ~ were all 3 different.

The question arises, WHY didn't the appraiser notice the RED FLAG waiving in wind and wonder, WHY? Why were there 3 various recordings of the homes square footage? Somehow he came up short without asking WHY and looking into it further. It was clearly evident that the home had been upgraded and space added since the 1900's. Wouldn't that be a tell tale sign in itself that the home may, perhaps, have a varied square footage since the remodel? And, yes, I know you are asking ~ the many improvements were done with permits. Needless to say, this reduction in square footage as measured by the appraiser negatively affected the outcome and the home's appraised value. The worst of it ~ the appraiser never came back to re-measure.

Had it not been for the buyer's agent and I spending a few days calling upon our colleagues for assistance, making multiple calls and looking deeper into the situation, we would not have discovered this awful and careless mistake. In the end I was able to produce a recent appraisal of a comparable pending sale that helped boost our price, however, still short of the sale price. We believe, had the appraiser re-measured the home coupled with the recent sale and the appraisal we provided, the subject property would have appraised.

(Note ~ I was only able to obtain this appraisal because of my relationship with this agent. More often than not others just don't have the time or desire to help one another out.) (Next Real Real Estate Story ~ the IMPORTANCE of Fostering Good Relationships with other Realtors, Colleagues and Service Providers.)

Needless to say we, the agents provided the appraiser with our findings and a recent appraisal which is not typically an easy request to come by. Also interesting but provided no assistance, was that we had 2 Back-Up Offers, one at the same price and one even higher. Certainly there is quite a demand for homes in this price range as well as the quality of home. But in the end, it really doesn't matter as appraisers only look at Closed Sales. ( Pending sales ~ perhaps.) The question still remains, why didn't the appraiser take the time to investigate, come back and re-measure and gather the information we, the agents, were able to?

We are not just Realtors, we do not just sell homes ~ We are managers and investigators and we do not rest until we are satisfied with results that best meet the needs of each of our clients and of course, are accurate. We leave no stone unturned, we work until we have done all that we can. I agree not all Realtors work like this or care as we do, but I certainly hope when it comes time for you to buy or sell, your next Realtor will be like the agent who is representing the buyer or myself. We are team players, not opponents, we are facilitators and we are professionals ~ and we work together for a common and equitable outcome ~ and we strive to make our clients transaction as smooth as humanly possible.

The most important thing to remember from today's experience ~ as a Realtor or a client ~ is to make sure someone is overseeing the ENTIRE REAL ESTATE PROCESS; including each service provider, inspector, appraiser and lender. (As a client, make sure your Realtor is there each step of the way.)

During times like these and the crisis of this current market, one cannot simply leave things to chance. Yes, in recent years prices were completely out of balance and appraisers were appraising beyond the true value of each home and lenders were lending to and on anything, but today is quite different and we must adjust.

We work harder to obtain an offer and have our offer accepted and work even harder to keep the home in contract and the sales price intact.

On another note ~ it is a great market ~ if you can afford to buy ~ you should be buying! If you have any questions or your own REAL ~ REAL ESTATE STORY, I'd enjoy hearing about it.

~ Debbi DiMaggio, Realtor ~ Partner ~ Volunteer ~ Friend ~

Next Post ~ Managing and overseeing your termite inspector / inspection and the Importance of Real Estate Relationships.

50 Sandringham Road ~ Piedmont

2009-11-03T18:12:00.000-08:00

Magnificent Piedmont Tudor ~

Passionate about People and Real Estate

2009-10-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

I love what I do ~ helping clients find and obtain their new home, assisting each client and family member settle into their new community, making connections for each client, spouse, partner as well as for their children, preparing a clients home for sale from ~ completely lived in ~ to fabulously staged, and especially the marketing and advertising of each home. I love the process. But the best part of selling real estate is the opportunity to meet and get to know so many interesting new people. A native of Piedmont and the East Bay it's always fun for me to hear other peoples stories; where they came from, where they grew up, what they do, where they summer, where they've lived in the past, how they discovered our area and, if married, where they met. Everyone has had a different experience and I always enjoy hearing each new and unique story.

TAKE A TOUR ~ from our wonderful new office in Piedmont ~ Highland Partners Prudential to one of our beautiful listings in the East Bay ~ 10 Littlewood Drive.

I invite you to stop by our office in Piedmont or make an appointment to preview one of our lovely homes.

Passionately yours ~

Workshop Wednesdays at Highland Partners ~ Piedmont

2009-10-07T09:42:00.000-07:00

Each Wednesday, HIGHLAND PARTNERS will host Workshop Wednesdays. From left to right, Partners ~ Heidi Marchesotti, Debbi DiMaggio, George Millirons and my darling husband, Adam Betta. Join us today, October 7th with Feng Shui expert, Alexis Summerfield. She will be speaking today on ~ Unlocking your Potential and Setting intentions that manifest success. Discover where the Wealth area in your home and office are and how to activate them for greater prosperity. ~ I am looking forward to it. Hope to see you there. If not check out her site by clicking on the link above.

Check back each week to preview our upcoming workshops. If you can't be there in person, I will be sure to include a link. Please contact this Modern Mom if you would like to join us or you need a referral whether you are near or far. ~ Yours truly, DebbiRealtor ~ Modern Mom ~ Avid Volunteer ~ Resource ~

Magnificent Renovation

2009-10-04T18:27:00.001-07:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

SPA Parties at Home

2009-10-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

My friend Jerusha was asked to do an interview on Channel 7's VIEW BY THE BAY discussing ~ At Home SPA PARTIES. What a great idea! She put together quite a colorful arrangement for us including goody bags ~ check out the fancy fruit skewers and cool drinks. We had mini-manicures, sipped pomegranate vodka drinks and laughed. ( That's me in the yellow dress. ) The segment was filmed in our home in Piedmont, CA. Watch and See ~ it was a fabulous idea and alot of fun! Cheers!

Click Below to see our Clip

Host a Spa Party at Home

Happy Friday!

Luxury Life & Style Connoisseur

2009-09-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

~ Boulmiche ~ Beverly Hills ~

Debbi's Favorite Boutique

Luxury Life & Style Connoisseur
C A L I F O R N I A

~ Fabulous California Lifestyle ~

Recommendations for a
Fabulous Life & Style

~ Fashion ~ Home ~ Real Estate ~ Travel ~

Flirty Fashion

Shop Style
Shop Bop
Fashion LA Guide

Net-A-Porter

HOMES
Fabulous Real Estate

LuxuryRealEstate

Realtor.com

HomesbyDebbi

Sophisticated Mid-Century Modern

Magnificent Mediterranean

Interesting Interiors
http://tinyurl.com/fabuloushomes

Hotels & Resorts
See Debbi’s Favorite Places Below

~~

check back next week, there is always

~ More to Come ~

Piedmont Kids ~ Marie, Leigh and Bianca ~ Fun on the 4th of July at the Piedmont Parade in front of Highland Partners ~ Prudential

2009-09-23T20:40:00.001-07:00

Marie, Leigh and Bianca ~ Fun on the 4th of July
Originally uploaded by debbidimaggio

I just learned how to use Flickr today amongst a few more social networking tools. And i just now noticed you can use Flickr in conjunction with your Blog as well. As i was checking out my pics from summer i came upon my Piedmont Parade 4th of July photos. WOW ~ How fast summer flew by. Just the other day we were celebrating the 4th and now we are on the heels of Halloween. Plus this weekend in Piedmont is the Octoberfest. Right in the middle of town ~ just across the street from Highland Partners/Prudential at the Piedmont Park and Community Center. Join the community for Piedmont's Annual Octoberfest. Each year this event gets bigger and bigger. Listen to LIVE Music, eat GREAT Food, INDULGE in a few Games or JUST Relax ~ September 27th from 11:30-3:30PM.

Hectic Schedules, How Do Moms Manage

2009-09-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

Are you a busy wife, mom, secretary, chaffeur and travel agent for your family? I am sure you are just like me. Busy little bees running around trying to help and manage everyone and everything in your family's busy life. Managing their schedules, coordinating car pools, finding their cleats, making sure they get to school on time. Although the internet and email and the multiple websites may help, it sure is time consuming. I put together a little cheat sheet for Piedmont Moms to make their life a little easier. Here's a list of many of the websites I use frequently. As a Realtor, working with so many families relocating to the area I step into their shoes ~ what resources and information would I need if I were new to a community? I hope my information helps! I know you are all busy moms, but we are still looking for a few more members to join the Children's Support League. Highland Partners is hosting a New Members Mixer on Friday, October 16th from 4 - 6 PM. We hope you can come. Most of our members live in Piedmont and Oakland, but everyone is welcome. Have a great day!! See Debbi's Resources and Helpful Links below.

What is your favorite movie?

2009-09-15T21:39:00.000-07:00

As a high energy multi-tasker it's hard for me to relax and it's just as difficult for me to settle down long enough to watch a movie ~ ~ unless it is really good. Maybe you can help! What is your favorite movie?

Fabulous PRIVATE PIEDMONT Estate

2009-09-03T09:08:00.001-07:00

www.10littlewood.com

Contact Debbi DiMaggio to preview this distinctive home over 5500 square feet - over 1/2 acre.

a private oasis surrounded by lovely vistas and Bay views!

510.414.6777

www.debbidimaggio.com

$3,495,000

Posted via web from debbi's posterous

every MODERN MOM has a BEST male friend

2009-06-23T21:24:00.000-07:00

Whether Gay or Straight, every Modern Mom has a best friend who is gay or straight. Someone who gets them without having to explain. Someone who understands what is going on with you from the tone of your voice, the position of your body, the look in your eyes. From "let's get out of here" or is "she for real" or "this is soooo boring" or whatever it may be.

Every Modern Mom most definitely has a BEST MAN FRIEND...

Who is your MAN FRIEND?

Modern Mom on the Run

2009-06-23T19:46:00.001-07:00

Welcome!

Are you a MODERN MOM?