Palo Alto, CA (PRWEB) June 22, 2012

Watercourse Way Bathhouse Spa, the premier San Francisco Bay Area’s day spa for relaxation and spa treatments, is reminding the community that Dad also enjoys downtime and pampering. In honor of Father’s Day, Watercourse Way is featuring a special spa package for the month of June.

“The best way to say Happy Father’s Day is a gift card from Watercourse Way,” said Susan Nightingale of Watercourse Way Bathhouse Spa.

The June spa treatment special includes a signature salt glow scrub, with custom-blended organic salt in one of three scents: lavender chamomile, rosemary mint or lemon ginger. The scrub lasts a luxurious 75 minutes, cleansing the skin of dead weight. Normally costing $120, the spa package is offered for only $102 during June.

“At Watercourse Way, you can treat yourself to a deep tissue massage, a romantic couples massage, an Ayurvedic purification, a rejuvenating facial treatment or a relaxing spa treatment like the Jurlique facial massage combination,” Nightingale said. “We have some of the most luxurious spa treatments in the San Francisco Bay Area and special pre-natal massages, as well.”

For more information about the June promotion or any of Watercourse Way Bathhouse Spa’s products or services, call 650-319-8052, view the day spa on the Web at http://www.watercourseway.com or visit 165 Channing Ave. in Palo Alto.

About Watercourse Way Bathhouse Spa

Opened in 1980, Watercourse Way Bathhouse Spa was inspired by the natural hot springs of Tassajara, a tranquil Zen retreat in Carmel Valley. Located in the southern part of downtown Palo Alto, at 165 Channing Ave., Watercourse Way is best known for its private hot tub rooms. The day spa offers other services and spa packages, such as hot-stone massages, Ayurvedic purifications, deep-tissue massages, pre-natal massages, couples massages, and spa and facial treatments like the Jurlique facial-massage combination.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prwebday-spa/bay-area/prweb9630586.htm

Article source: http://www.sfgate.com/business/prweb/article/San-Francisco-Bay-Area-s-Day-Spa-Watercourse-3654413.php

Rebecca McDonald of Linwood Real Estate and Property Management has good news for those who thought they could never afford a home in the Bay Area. The San Francisco Peninsula real estate agent has just listed a 1,100 square foot 3 bedroom, 2 bath home in East Palo Alto for the unbelievably low price of $325,000.

The East Palo Alto property, conveniently located near the new Facebook campus, has been beautifully remodeled. Cooks will love cooking in the newly renovated kitchen, rich with natural materials and shiny stainless steel appliances. In addition to the granite slab countertops and all new cherry wood cabinets, the kitchen features travertine floors.

Hardwood floors refinished and polished to perfection, fresh paint in every room, recessed lighting, and double-paned windows throughout the entire house make this ready-to-live-in home comfortable. The home, situated on a 5,000 square foot lot, also features a 2-car garage, a new roof and a fireplace in the living room / dining room area.

“Everything is new, new, new-and the neighbors are wonderful,” said Rebecca McDonald, the Linwood Realty real estate agent who has listed the home. “This is a great opportunity for a family or investor.”

For more information about the 2589 Emmett Way home in East Palo Alto or any of Linwood Real Estate and Property Management’s property management services, call them at (650) 549-4801 or visit their website at www.paloaltopropertymanagement.com.

About Linwood Real Estate and Property Management

Linwood Real Estate and Property Management is a Palo Alto property manager and Palo Alto real estate agency located in Portola Valley, just west of Palo Alto. Linwood serves the San Francisco Peninsula communities of Atherton, Burlingame, Cupertino, Hillsborough, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Jose, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Woodside.

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For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prwebpalo_alto/property_management/prweb8749329.htm

Article source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/08/25/prweb8749329.DTL

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PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Opes Advisors, a premier wealth management and residential mortgage banking firm, is pleased to announce that Mortgage Advisor Steve Papapietro has joined Opes Advisors in our Palo Alto office. A Bay Area native, Steve has more than 17 years in the mortgage industry and has assisted thousands of families to become successful homeowners. Steve has consistently achieved President Club designation year-after-year and in 2005 was ranked number one nationally in purchase and total volume for First Horizon Home Loans.

Steve commented, “As a native of the Bay Area and my many years in mortgage banking, I have a deep understanding of the unique attributes of real estate and the housing market. I’m passionate about helping home buyers with their mortgages and I couldn’t be happier to be with Opes. Their commitment to excellent service and financial integrity is a perfect fit for me.” Susan McHan, Opes Advisors CEO, commented, “Steve has an exceptional track record in the Bay Area. He guides clients with his knowledge and resourcefulness, and has proven time and again that building strong relationships is essential to helping clients make big financial decisions with confidence. We’re thrilled that Steve has joined Opes.”  

Steve Papapietro Contact Info

Steve Papapietro is a licensed Mortgage Advisor (CA DRE 00993899 and NMLS 633683). He can be reached in the Opes Palo Alto office at 650-319-1642 or spapapietro@opesadvisors.com.

Opes Advisors Palo Alto

Opes Advisors Palo Alto office is located at 555 College Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94306. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Phone 650-931-1600. Appointments and walk-ins are welcome.

About Opes Advisors

Opes Advisors is a premier financial advisory services firm that enables clients to make effective financial decisions for today and for their retirement. Through direct offers of wealth management, residential mortgages and real estate investment advisory services, Opes Advisors considers each client’s complete personal balance sheet to improve the outcomes of the financial choices of life. Opes Advisors has offices in Palo Alto, Lost Gatos, San Mateo, Larkspur, San Francisco, Sonoma and Santa Cruz, and Eugene, Oregon. Opes Advisors is licensed by the CA Dept. of Real Estate #01458652 and NMLS identifier 235584. Equal Opportunity Lender. Opes Advisors is a registered investment advisor with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

www.opesadvisors.com.

SOURCE Opes Advisors, Inc.

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Article source: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mortgage-advisor-steve-papapietro-joins-opes-advisors-palo-alto-office-127318283.html

Silicon Valley estate planning attorney Janet L. Brewer has released a “Guide to Choosing Your California Estate Planning Attorney“. Designed especially for San Francisco Bay Area families and individuals of high net worth, the guide includes a checklist that can help narrow down the choices when faced with dozens of attorneys.

Brewer has focused exclusively on California probate law, estate planning, and gift-planning law since 1991. She summarizes the process required for a custom-designed estate plan, and the qualities that distinguish the most capable attorneys.

Readers may be surprised to learn that any attorney can call himself an estate planner, even if he has no qualifications or experience in estate planning.

“No one wants to see his or her financial legacy come undone,” says Brewer. “If you have an estate worth several million dollars — and you likely do if you own property in the Bay Area — then you need to think about how you will protect it from being ravaged by taxes, creditors, and predators. You need to protect your assets during your lifetime, and you need to make sure that they remain available to your heirs.”

Brewer answers fifteen frequently asked questions related to estate planning, covering such topics as:

• The difference between a living trust and a will
• The impact of foreign citizenship, and
• How often an estate plan should be updated

REAL WORLD SCENARIOS

The guide also lays out a handful of scenarios, and the kinds of issues that should be dealt with in the various cases. For example:

• Barry is an entrepreneur in his 50s. He holds a green card and owns real estate, stock, cars and antiques in the U.S. He also has assets in South America and Europe. The guide tells how a good estate planning attorney can help Barry minimize estate, capital gains, and property taxes.
• Sanjay and Ling are foreign nationals whose children were born in the U.S. They want to make sure their two young children are cared for if anything bad happened. See how an experienced estate planning attorney can help them update their plan as their family — and finances — grow.
• Edna wants all four of her children to share equally in her estate. But she wants her son to have the $7 million family home. An experienced estate planning attorney will recognize some of the pitfalls in that scenario, such as the financial burden of taking over the mortgage and property taxes.
• Bill is a successful Palo Alto business owner ready to retire but lacking an exit strategy. He needs an attorney experienced in formulating personalized business exit plans and estate plans for Bay Area business owners.

TIPS ON COMPARING ATTORNEYS

Professional services can’t be judged in the same way someone might compare two models of TV sets or the various options available on a new car, Brewer says. Clients need to understand what an estate planning attorney must do, and the kind of expertise needed to do it well. When the client and attorney are a good match, the family members can feel confident that their wishes will be carried out even when they are no longer there to personally supervise.

GUIDANCE FROM A TRUSTED SPECIALIST

Serving Palo Alto and the surrounding region, Brewer is certified as a Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law by the CA State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. She writes the California Probate, Trusts, and Estate Law Blog and has authored several guides on estate planning, including:

•      U.S. Gift Tax and Estate Tax Planning for Non-Residents and Non-Citizens
•      Year-End 2010 Tax Law Update for Bay Area Families
•      Tax Law Update for San Francisco CPAs Serving High Net Worth Clients and
•      Picking Your Trustee in California

About the Law Offices of Janet L. Brewer

Janet Brewer is a certified specialist in estate planning by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, and has an advanced degree in tax law. She has practiced California estate, gift-planning, and probate law exclusively since 1991. Brewer offers comprehensive estate planning probate services including:

•      Providing professional advice on living trusts wills, irrevocable life insurance trusts, charitable planning, and international estate planning
•      Probate estate administration
•      Establishing family limited partnerships and limited liability companies
•      Minimizing estate taxes preparing estate tax returns
•      Minimizing gift taxes preparing gift tax returns
•      Preparing a full range of estate planning documents, including Wills, Revocable Living Trusts, Life Insurance Trusts, Children’s Trusts, Generation-Skipping Trusts, Qualified Personal Residence Trusts, Charitable Trusts, Medical Powers of Attorney Living Wills
•      Preparing financial powers of attorney other financial arrangement, and more

To retain Brewer, please visit www.calprobate.com/get-started.

To stay up to date on Brewer’s posted tips and guides, subscribe to receive her emails or follow @calprobatenews.

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For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prwebestate-planning-attorney/guide/prweb8524545.htm

Article source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/06/06/prweb8524545.DTL

Elevating Agent Value –

May 23, 2011 (Business Wire) — Producers Forum, Inc., Palo Alto, CA, today announced the launch of a B-B web portal, www.producersforum.org, that takes the residential property market full circle. Producers Forum provides an efficient and proprietary means to successfully connect real estate sales professionals serving motivated buyers and anxious sellers. The national service, which launches first in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, is a professional forum that organizes and aggregates all buyers and off-market sellers through their respective real estate sales professional.

In announcing the new startup, Co-Founder and CEO Eric Trailer said, “Producers’ Forum seeks to complete the real estate market by creating an exchange of information never before aggregated and organized. This information, in combination with the real estate sales professional’s knowledge, analytical skills and negotiating skills, yields an optimum experience for buyers and off-market sellers of real property. Having reached initial critical mass in Silicon Valley with nearly 500 members, we look forward to continued growth as we roll out market by market across the nation. In addition to founders’ capital, Producers’ Forum has successfully raised funding from several outside investors.”

The ProducersForum.org portal is a membership based venue that is open to all licensed real estate sales professionals and will provide tiered services based on the membership level. Among the benefits to members are automated records matching, validated buyers database, off-market properties available for sale, preferred vendor lists, customer service assistance, monitoring of off-market transactions, messaging, simple navigation and an intuitive dashboard, among other features.

About Producers Forum

Producers Forum, Inc. provides a multiple patent-pending matchmaking venue for buyers of real property and sellers of off-market real property through licensed real estate sales professionals. For more information, please visit http://www.producersforum.org, or find us on:

• YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI8s-O8ADyssns=em
• Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Producers-Forum-LLC/202710229743256, or
• Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/producers_forum.

Producers Forum, Inc.
Gerard F. Corbett, 650-866-5005
gcorbett@producersforum.org

Article source: http://www.istockanalyst.com/business/news/5172747/producers-forum-tm-launches-matchmaking-service-for-real-estate-pros

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- Customers Can Charge EVs While Shopping and Dining -

INDIANAPOLIS, April 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE: SPG), the country’s largest owner, developer and manager of high quality retail real estate and long a leader among developers in integrating energy conservation strategies into mall operations, announces another important initiative as it becomes one of the first retail developers to offer electric vehicle charging stations at its properties.

The initial installation has been completed at Simon’s Florida Mall in Orlando and will be complete at Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, CA later this month. One ‘Level 2′ charger, which has the capability to “top off” or partially charge a customer’s electric vehicle in a 60 to 120 minute time frame, is now operational near the food court entrance at Florida Mall. One dual unit, with two ‘Level 2′ chargers, will be installed in the parking deck between Macy‘s and Bloomingdale‘s at Stanford Shopping Center.

These EV charging stations will be self-service and easy to operate. Shoppers will be able to just “pull up and plug in” and leave their vehicles at the charging station while they are enjoying time at the mall. Charging will be free during an introductory time period and then a nominal fee will be assessed.

Production numbers from EV automakers project approximately a million EVs on U.S. roads by 2015, and possibly 27 million (or 10 percent of all vehicles in the U.S.) by 2020.

“We believe that a well-developed EV charging infrastructure is going to be key to the success of EVs,” said George Caraghiaur, Simon Property Group’s senior vice president of energy and procurement. “Meeting the needs of the first-to-market drivers of electric vehicles in the communities we serve is yet another example of our commitment to sustainability.”

Simon is working with two companies during this initial rollout. Car Charging, Inc. (OTCBB: CCGI), installed the unit at Florida Mall and 350Green will install the charging units at Stanford Shopping Center. Both companies are dedicated to expanding the EV charging station infrastructure nationally.

Michael D. Farkas, CEO of Car Charging Group, Inc., said “Our collaboration with Simon Property Group is a prime example of our national growth strategy. By partnering with premier national property management companies for installations, we are able to rapidly deploy a nationwide roll out of a robust network of convenient charging stations. We are happy to have brought this amenity to customers at Florida Mall and look forward to bringing it to additional Simon Property Group locations across the nation.”

“We are thrilled to be working with Simon on this project to place the first in what will be a larger network of our charging stations in the Bay Area,” said Mariana Gerzanych, 350Green’s founder and CEO. “The goal is to make EV charging convenient and accessible to anyone who owns an EV – regardless of whether or not they have a charging station at their home or office.”

About Car Charging Group, Inc.

Car Charging Group, Inc. is an owner and provider of EV charging stations with the mission to build-out a nationwide infrastructure, enabling EV and PHEV owners to charge their Electric Cars anytime, anywhere.  As part of its strategy, the Company owns, provides, installs and maintains electric car charging stations and works with its landowner partners to identify appropriate locations for its charging stations.  The Company provides convenient, safe and affordable charging stations away from home in customer-friendly public locations, including municipalities, shopping malls, parking garages, multi-family residential and commercial properties. Car Charging Group, Inc. is based in Miami, Florida.  The Company’s website can be viewed at www.CarCharging.com.

About 350Green

350Green is a project developer that designs, builds and operates scalable networks of plug-in electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the US. The company distributes its stations by partnering with retail hosts at select, high-traffic shopping centers and other places near where EV drivers live and work, to create an expansive and convenient network of EV charging locations. Current projects totaling several hundred chargers are underway in Chicago, the state of Pennsylvania, and the San Francisco Bay area. More information on 350Green and its projects can be found at its website: http://www.350green.com

About Simon Property Group

Simon Property Group, Inc. is an SP 500 company and the largest real estate company in the U.S. The Company currently owns or has an interest in 392 retail real estate properties comprising 263 million square feet of gross leasable area in North America, Europe and Asia. Simon Property Group is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and employs more than 5,000 people worldwide. The Company’s common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol SPG. For further information, visit the Simon Property Group website at www.simon.com.

SOURCE Simon Property Group, Inc.

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http://www.simon.com

Article source: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/simon-launches-installation-of-electric-vehicle-charging-stations-119244349.html