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Clayton Pioneer • www.claytonpioneer.com
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• INTERIOR: plumbing, drywall, electrical, trim, tile.
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Upgrading can increase home value Q: My husband and I are going to sell our house and retire. We would like to know what the listing price should be if we sold it as is, or had it fixed up. It is well maintained but in original condition. A: One rule of thumb is that you must get back $1.50 for every dollar you spend. That isn’t the only consideration though. What is your tolerance for living in the midst of dust and repairs going on? The other thing to consider is your time constraints. Do you need to sell right away or do you have time to wait for the improvements to be completed? If your decision is purely price driven, you should select a
LYNNE FRENCH
REAL ANSWERS realtor to work with and get them involved. If it is possible, your realtor should pull comparables from the multiple listing service of original-condition
homes, then homes that are similar in style and square footage that are totally upgraded. Compare the sold prices. My team was recently called on to do this comparison. We discovered that a certain single story property in good but original condition would sell for $620,000 to $630,000. After spending about $15,000 to $18,000 for upgrades to the same square foot house would sell for $680,000. Whichever plan you go with, make sure the home is super clean, including windows, and staged so buyers can have a sense of space in each room. Some buyers prefer to buy a home that needs upgrades so they can pick out
the styles and colors that they like. Many buyers want a “turnkey” house that already has the upgrades in so they can just move right in. If you choose to upgrade the house before you sell it, stick to neutral colors that will be enjoyed by the widest group of buyers. If they like color they can achieve the look they want with accessories and accent pieces. Send your question and look for your answer in a future column. Email Lynne@LynneFrench.com. French is the broker/owner of Windermere Lynne French & Associates. Contact her at 672-878 7or stop in at 6200 Center St., Clayton.
Clayton Police Department staffing up
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• EXTERIOR: painting, windows, doors, decks, outdoor structures.
August 15, 2014
Typically my article focuses on an issue such as traffic, crime prevention or some other matter of police work. This month I thought I’d update the community on some goings on here at the Clayton Police Department. STAFFING We are nearly back to full staff, as we have one Sergeant vacancy yet to fill. In the next month or so we will make an appointment to fill the position. When done, we will be at full staff for the first time in many months. We are very excited to get back to full strength! TRAINING Due to some hard work by one of our officers, we received a grant from the NRA foundation to purchase training equip-
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Aurora Refreshments
ment. The equipment consists of airsoft weapons and the associated safety gear. This type of equipment is becoming widely used by law enforcement agencies as we seek to provide effective and realistic training for our staff while controlling costs. The equipment will be used by our staff to better prepare for critical incidents and use of force scenarios. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: I continue to be impressed at the level of involvement our officers have within the community. Most recently, with generous assistance from members of our community, the cops obtained a car for the upcoming soap box derby races. Pictures have not been released yet, but I’m told the car is black and
white, outfitted with decals/lights and looks remarkably like a Clayton Police cruiser. This year, your child may find themselves pursuing, or being pursued, down Main Street. SUMMER COMING TO A CLOSE As we race through August, it occurs to me the beginning of the new school year is just around the corner. There are some changes coming to the traffic pattern surrounding Mt. Diablo Elementary School. The project is being funded by 511.org and has involved stakeholders from the school, the school district, the city engineering department, the police department and Clayton City Council. Our hope is to ease the long-standing problems with
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CHRIS THORSEN
BEHIND
THE
BADGE
traffic surrounding the school. Parents of children at the school will be receiving more information as we get closer to the school year starting. As you can see, it’s been a busy summer. Chris Thorsen is Clayton’s chief of police. For questions and comments, call him at (925) 673-7350.
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Clayton Community Church
Located at 6055 Main St in Clayton (925) 673-9060 www.claytoncc.com