Get Off the Fence and Buy this Lake Tulloch Waterfront Condo!!

Posted on August 11, 2016 by Aaron Stafford

 

Waterfront Condo on the Shores of Lake Tulloch!

Waterfront Condo on the Shores of Lake Tulloch!

Here are the top reasons why you should purchase a Connor Estates Waterfront Condo if you have been waiting for the “perfect home” at Tulloch. If you have never heard of Lake Tulloch, please visit Why Lake Tulloch? for more information.
Reason #1 A condo is easy.
You can come here and enjoy it. You can leave at a moments notice and stay until the last possible moment. I have had many clients over the years complain about the “set up” and “take down” times of some of the larger homes. Cleaning up decks/patios,opening blinds, putting out chair cushions, opening windows, can literally take hours upon arrival on some of the larger multi-level waterfront homes, only to have to repeat the process to “lock up” after the crowd leaves before you can head home.

Reason #2 Location, Location, Location!!!
The Connor Estates Condos are located across from currently undeveloped property on the north channel of the lake. The views are spectacular.

Beautiful Lake View from Connor Estates Condo #10

Beautiful Lake View from Connor Estates Condo #10

Although, it is a condo, you have a sense of privacy because there are not 15 other homes across the cove from you. The upper unit condo is actually level from the parking area so there are no stairs to get into the unit. The lower units are just a flight down and almost at water level. The units are located just inside the 5 MPH zone so there is not a long boat ride to get to fast water. It is also a great and safe area to stand up paddleboard, swim and kayak without a ton of waves that you may experience on the open water. The units are also adjacent to the HOA launch ramp and boat storage yard so launching your boat and docking at your private slip is quick and easy (if you choose to take it out of the water). It is also a quick paddle or walk away from Drifters Marina which serves the best food on the lake.

Most homes under a million are located in congested coves with minimal privacy, seasonal water (no water at dock during winter due to flood control), long rides to fast water and generally a lot of stairs. The condo has none of those issues.

Reason #3 A condo is currently a great value.
Unit #10 that I currently have listed is priced at $499,000. The two most recent sales that I participated in were sold at prices of $505,000 and $550,000, so this condo is ripe to sell. Compare the location, views and ease of this condo at $500k against any waterfront under $900,000 and you can’t touch it!

Reason #4 A condo is available right now.
This gets you off of the fence waiting for that “perfect home” that meets all of your dreams and into something where you can start enjoying the lake life NOW!!!

So here is probably what you are thinking……..

Complaint #1 It’s too small!
The condos are 3 bedroom, 2 bath and 1500 square feet. Sure, its not huge but it is a great size to entertain and enjoy with your guests. The kitchen, great room and lakeside deck are contiguous so it provides a large space for social gathering. It keeps everyone together which is generally the main goal of having a lake home.

Large Lakeside Great Room for Entertaining

Large Lakeside Great Room for Entertaining

The size is probably comparable to an average Bay Area home. You may be concerned about it not being big enough for your guests. First of all, this should be about your enjoyment first. I have been a guest. The home is at THE LAKE !!!! If I had to sleep on a blowup bed from Costco, I would be content……I am at the Lake!!!!
Complaint #2 The Condo Dues are too much!
So lets think about this realistically. The dues are currently $400 a month. Right off the top, about $100 of that goes to the master association which is what you would have to pay regardless in most of the subdivisions (Connor, Peninsula, Lake Tulloch Shore, Calypso). So that leaves about $300 per month or $3600 a year that are specific to the condo. The condo dues include fire insurance so I think its safe to estimate that the insurance on a standard waterfront home will run at least $1200 or more. So that leaves you paying about $2400 a year or $200 a month now for maintenance. This maintenance includes all exterior maintenance including roof, paint, siding decks, docks, pathways, driveways, carports, security gates, etc. The maintenance also includes landscaping, which I have many clients that spend over $200 a month just for landscaping. In comparison, you will hopefully see that in the long run, compared to a normal waterfront home, the dues are cheap and best yet, YOU DONT HAVE TO LIFT A FINGER!! PURE ENJOYMENT AND RELAXATION!!!

Complaint #3 It’s a condo.
Sure, there seems to be a social stigma about condos regarding privacy and neighbor noise but, in most cases, this would not be your full time home. A majority of the 12 condo owners do not live there full time. I would say that on average, most Lake Tulloch second home owners use their homes 1-2 weekends per month during the summer. Other than the major holiday weekends such at Memorial, July 4th, and Labor Day, the odds are that your nearest neighbor may not be there.

Historically, these condo units rarely came up for sale. Now is the time to get off of the fence and start enjoying Lake Tulloch at its best!! Please contact me at (209) 840-1432 or visit www.LakeTullochWaterfronts.com if you have any questions!

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The Nest Thermostat…..an amazing upgrade to Lake Tulloch Homes.

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Aaron Stafford

I have decided to add a home improvement section to my blog based on my experience living in the Lake Tulloch area and also based on the feedback of my clients that are making improvements to their homes.

Obviously something fairly amazing would lead me to make my first “home improvement” post to a real estate website. Amazing it is……

Specializing in selling waterfront second homes at Lake Tulloch definitely has its quirks. This year specifically, is the “5 Year Low” where the lake is lowered approximately 30 feet to maintain the dam and so people can do shoreline improvements if needed. This lowering is scheduled and has historically happened on schedule for a long time. Predictable, and fairly easy to remember, although I do send out a reminder to the waterfront owners, it isn’t generally a huge concern.

The weather is.

I obviously cannot predict the weather and neither can my clients. It seems that every few years, we have a deep freeze that has the potential to break pipes, and I find myself frantically calling my clients making sure that they left their heaters on to a minimum heat. Often, I find myself turning on the heaters myself to make sure that the homes are safe from the cold. I have also found myself either fixing broken irrigation for my clients or helping contract out for repairs due to broken pipes. (That’s why I call now).
I have found an easy solution.

The Nest Thermostat. A lifesaver for homeowners at Lake Tulloch.

The Nest thermostat was created by one of the main people behind the iPod. If you have an Apple product, I am sure that you are aware of how easy the user experience is. This thermostat feels and looks the same way. The design is amazing and is actually slightly beveled and reflective to help it blend into the wall that it is on.

The Nest Thermostat blends into its surroundings.

It looks like art and adds to your decoration. Away with the faded browish beige batteries need to be replaced outdated thermostat. You are probably wondering how someone could be so excited about a thermostat? Just wait until you have one.
In short, the Nest Thermostat is an amazing device. It is super easy to install. It is super easy to get it up and running. It saves you money. It saves you (and possibly me) a big headache. It will make your time at the lake a lot more amazing.

As long as you have a fairly standard gas or electric HVAC system the installation is really as easy as hooking up speaker wires to a speaker. (The themostat will work with other systems, but I have no personal experience with those.)

Installation is so easy, if not, call me and I will help out!

The Nest base has 8 spring loaded wire grabbers that are named for each color of the potential wires that are connected to your current thermostat. Plug in Red to R. Green to G and so on depending on how many wires that you currently have. Easy. Screw the base into the wall (there is also a backing plate if your old thermostat was painted around or damaged your sheetrock). Press the main Nest device onto the base and you are ready to configure.

Configuring the Nest is easy. It will ask you questions, you answer, and it will configure itself. You may have to put in your network password if your network is encrypted (it should be). Download the app on your iDevice or smartphone and upon launch of the Nest App, the app will see the thermostat on the network and connect. Done.
Now the cool part. The Nest will actually learn your habits for the first week or two and program itself based on your usage. With a second home, you may not be there enough to really take advantage of this, but it is really easy to set the times that you want it to run.
Why it works great on a second home?
1) In the summer, you can turn on the A/C from your phone when you leave for the lake, and the home will be cool when you get here. Much better than sweating to death for the first hour or two of your stay.

Changing the Temperature on your Nest from an iPhone.

2) If you leave to go back home, you can turn off the A/C remotely without the stress on whether or not you had actually turned it off.

Turn off your HVAC remotely. Have the peace of mind knowing the A/C is off FOR SURE!!

3) You can set a base minimum temperature, so you never have to worry about freezing pipes.

Nest Thermostat Minimum Temperature setting will keep your home at a minimum temperature in the event of an unexpected freeze.

4) There is also an “Auto Away” feature that turns off the system if it does not detect any movement, so if you leave on a day trip to Yosemite, your A/C won’t be running up your bill.
5) You can control multiple Nest units from your Nest App, so if your home has multiple A/C units, or if you love it enough to add another to your primary home, you can do it.

Nest iPhone App will control multiple Nest Thermostats.

6) Nest will email you a monthly usage report to show how long the A/C was running on each day. If you have always suspected that your mother-in-law blasts the A/C at ice cold temperatures while she is using your home, now you will have proof.

Nest Monthly Usage Report

The Nest is available for $249 at Apple, Amazon, Lowes, Best Buy and at Nest. If you have any questions, feel free to ask below, or give me a call to discuss.

You can also learn more at about this amazing addition to your home at Nest.

If you are interested in purchasing a home in the Lake Tulloch area in which to install your new Nest Thermostat, please visit Lake Tulloch Waterfronts for more information.

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Which are the Most Iconic Lake Tulloch Waterfront Homes?

Posted on June 4, 2011 by Aaron Stafford

This morning, I was having a conversation with a client about what is, in my opinion, one of the most iconic homes on the lake. I realized after the conversation that the topic would make a great blog post. Since I have essentially lived in the area my whole life, there are many homes over the years that have stood out for one reason or another. Sometimes it is a location, a style, or maybe just a feeling that makes a home jump out at me. Here are some that I feel best represent what Lake Tulloch is about (in random order).

Lake Tulloch Home on Sunrise

This was actually my first sale in real estate after returning home from college and starting my career in real estate. That fact may cause me to be biased, but it will forever be one of my favorite homes. The center lake location is awesome and I love how the main deck cantilevers over the water.

 

 

 

Iconic Main Lake Tulloch below Table Top Mountain

The Bluffs of Table Top Mountain have always made these homes stand out. The homes are all huge but are dwarfed by the enormous mountain behind them. My favorite is the one with the elevator because it looks great from the lake and the street.

 

 

Iconic Home at Black Jack Bluffs

Everyone knows this one. In the middle of summer when the golden grass surrounds the lake, you cannot miss the Mediterranean styling and green landscaping of this home sitting all by itself.

 

 

Lake Tulloch Home near bridge.

This home was once owned by Indy Racer Kevin Cogan. The location makes this home one of the most visible homes on the shores of Lake Tulloch. It was actually one of the first homes built on the lake. How can you beat that slide?

 

 

Foothill Mediterranean Home on Lake Tulloch

What can you say about this home? This home is enormous and sits near the center of Lake Tulloch. I think that the pure size of this home just jumps out at you.

 

 

The "Brick House" on Lake Tulloch.

This home located in Connor Estates is often referred to as the “Brick House”. It almost sounds like that is a bad thing, but brick construction is definitely not the norm at Lake Tulloch so it really stands out for that feature. The brick, slate roof, and location work together to definitely make this an eye catcher.

 

 

The "Coke Machine" home on Lake Tulloch

It is funny how homes pick up nicknames over the most random of things. To anyone that knows Lake Tulloch, I could simply say, “The home with the Coke Machine” and they would instantly know what I am talking about. Never mind the sheer beauty of the design and construction of this home, it is well know for a trivial fact. Regardless of the nickname, this home will always be one of my favorites.

 

 

Iconic Peninsula Estates Home on Lake Tulloch

In 1998, Peninsula Estates Subdivision went on sale. It included 46 waterfront home sites and most of the homes that were built over the past 13 years have been exceptional. This one stands out the most to me because of the beautiful design and finish. Strange enough, the front or street side is as amazing as the lakeside photo that you see here. What more could one dream of?

 

I could go on and on posting all day about my favorite homes on Lake Tulloch, but I will stop with these. Did I get the best? Which are your favorites? Why?

 

 

 

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Azzo’s Restaurant Voted “Best of Mother Lode” by Lodestar!!!

Posted on May 29, 2011 by Aaron Stafford

Azzo's Bar and Restaurant voted "Best of Mother Lode" by Lodestar Entertainment Magazine.

A few months ago, Azzo’s Restaurant and Bar ranked as my #1 Restaurant near Copperopolis. Obviously, I was not the only one in the area that has such a high regard for the restaurant. Lodestar Entertainment Magazine recently awarded Azzo’s “Best of the Mother Lode” for 2011. The contest was voted on by their readers and obviously a lot of the readers agree with me.

Since opening in 2006, Azzo’s Restaurant and Bar has been the preferred “date night” location for my wife and I. Strangely enough, we seem to follow the same process everytime we go there. Let me explain……

The Bar at Azzo's

Whenever we go to Azzo’s, we will either eat in the bar or in the restaurant. If it is more of a formal outing we always call ahead for reservations in the dining room, just to be sure that we can get a table. Regardless, we always show up a bit early to have a drink with Azzo at the bar. I prefer the New Belgian Fat Tire Beer that for some reason is colder than any place that I have had it. My wife prefers the “House Merlot”, and since I am not a wine drinker, I have no idea what the actual name is.

The cool thing about the bar is large plasma TV that is always playing a live classic rock concert. Azzo has 100’s of classic rock concerts on DVD and it is makes it so much better when you can see the musicians as well as hear it. My favorite video is The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame where George Harrison and Prince were inducted. The solo at the end is awesome. There is also a lot of concert posters and memorabilia that decorates the walls. My favorite piece is the Counting Crows at the Warfield two piece poster.

Azzo's Concert Posters

Back to the bar, while I am there, I always order a cheese pizza with extra sauce as an appetizer. He has much fancier pizzas, but for some reason, I prefer the simple cheese. The garlic fries are also excellent and 2nd to only those served at AT&T Park.

 

About this time comes the decision to either stay and eat at the bar, or head to the restaurant.

The Dining room at Azzo's Restaurant

The restaurant has a great atmosphere and I really enjoy the local artwork that is featured on the walls. The service can’t be beat. For dinner, I almost always get the homemade pasta with marinara sauce and I add grilled chicken. It is so good that I rarely stray and order something else. My wife normally orders the salmon depending on the menu or she orders the  “Greg’s Salad” which is actually not on the menu and is named after one of the regular patrons. Dessert is always an option and they have won multiple awards for their desserts. Lately, I have been getting the chocolate truffle cake which is awesome.

For Reservations at Azzo’s, call (209) 984-1173.

Azzo's Restaurant and Bar

Azzo's Restaurant and Bar

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Saddle Creek is No. 12 on Golfweek’s 2011 list of “Best Courses You Can Play” in California.

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Aaron Stafford

Copied from (http://www.worldgolf.com/newswire/browse/66618-Saddle-Creek-Resort-Moves-Golfweeks-2011-Best-You-Can-Play-List)

The 4th Green At Saddle Creek

Saddle Creek Resort in Copperopolis, California honored in Golfweek

COPPEROPOLIS, Calif. — Saddle Creek Resort – the award-winning Northern California golf community developed by Castle & Cooke and located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada – has moved up to No. 12 on Golfweek’s 2011 list of “Best Courses You Can Play” in California.

The list is featured in the magazine’s latest issue. Saddle Creek Resort is in elite company alongside several hosts to professional tour events and world famous resorts including Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, and Torrey Pines. In 2010, Saddle was ranked No. 15.

“We are honored to be recognized by one of golf’s most prestigious publications and excited to climb the list again in 2011,” says Bob Higgins, General Manager. “Golf is a challenging sport but the exceptional conditions at Saddle Creek Resort make it enjoyable for players of all abilities.”

Located two and a half hours east of San Francisco, Saddle Creek’s challenging-yet-fair design has made the property a perennial favorite for golfers of all abilities. Not to be missed while at Saddle Creek Lodge is the award-winning Copper Grille — a culinary destination of Calaveras County featuring more than 500 wines including the highly-praised local Petit Syrah.

With the course in prime condition, Saddle Creek Resort is offering the “Great Spring Value,” beginning April 1 and featuring golf on its championship-level layout starting at $75 per person. The package includes cart fees, a sleeve of Saddle Creek logoed golf balls and lunch.

For those looking for overnight accommodations, Saddle Creek Resort offers luxurious, course-side bungalows. Options include a full two-bedroom, two-bath bungalow, or a one-bedroom suite with full kitchen and dining area, and a living room with cozy fireplace. Guests will also receive access to the resort’s Sports Club, which houses a junior Olympic-size lap pool, workout equipment, tennis and bocce ball courts and a horse shoe pit. Saddle Creek Resort’s miles of hiking and biking trails are easily accessible from the bungalows.

For more information, call Saddle Creek Resort at 209.785.7415.

About Saddle Creek Resort
Situated in the rolling foothills of the Central Sierra region just two hours from the Bay Area and 1.5 hours from Sacramento, Saddle Creek Resort is located in the heart of the Copper Valley in Copperopolis. Golfers will discover stunning vistas of the towering Sierra Nevada Mountains to the east, while an ethereal collection of shimmering lakes, native trees, indigenous grasses and 100 bunkers provides a challenging, thought-provoking experience from tee to green. To create an atmosphere of tranquility and isolation, golf course architect Carter Morrish devised a routing in which no two holes run parallel to each other.

In proximity to Saddle Creek Resort is Copperopolis Town Square, a traditionally-designed, Gold Rush era-themed “country town” that is the retail and event hub of the Copper Valley in the Central Sierra region. Featuring charming boutiques, eateries and specialty shops, the pedestrian-friendly Town Square is the perfect place to spend some time after a round of golf.

For information regarding homes and homesites in Saddle Creek, please visit www.SaddleCreekResales.com for more information.

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