Looking for fun things to do with your kids? Here’s a list of our top 5 places in the East Bay.

1. Crescent Park Carousel
2. Butterfly Farm
3. Green Animals Topiary Garden
4. The Bike Path:
(including Del’s Lemonade and Colt State Park)
5. Blithewold Mansion and Gardens

For more ideas, click here to visit the East Bay Tourism Council!

Did we forget something? Feel free to add to our list in the comments section!

As a company, Residential Properties is dedicated to providing insight and expertise in all aspects of real estate and relocation. As a relocation division, our goal is to provide one-stop shopping – offering a wide range and variety of relocation services to individuals, families and corporations in the local, national and international real estate markets. As partners with our trained relocation agents, we continually strive to be recognized as the premier relocation company in our state with a service goal of consistently meeting and exceeding the expectations of our customers. As director of relocation, my function is to serve as the point of contact and facilitator of services for our corporate clients and to oversee my team of relocation counselors and relocation agent specialists in the delivery of our services.

Corporations looking to attract and hire candidates and individuals moving to our state are better served by utilizing the services of a relocation department. We look at the whole picture, focusing on “lifestyle” first – finding the right community that delivers the experience the client is looking for and then helping them find just the right home. Our relocation counselors work together with the client to coordinate all aspects of their move, both at the departure and destination locations. No detail is too small – we are here to assist before, during and after the move. And best of all, when working with a Residential Properties relocation agent, the services of our relocation counselors are free.

Published: April 9, 2009 in Providence Business News

We hold a seasonal photo contest where our agents and staff grab their cameras and unleash their creativity! The winning photos are displayed on the home page slide show. Typically, we have three winning photos and two honorable mentions. Here are the winning photographs that will be uploaded to the slide show shortly:

CC Wall – Providence Office

Dawne Nordstrom – Barrington Office

Holly B. Applegate – Sales Manager, Cumberland

Julia L. McCann – Corporate Office

Chris Whirlow – Corporate Office

Freddie Mac released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.8 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending April 2, 2009, down from last week when it averaged 4.85 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year averaged 5.88 percent. The 30-year has not been lower in the life of Freddie Mac’s weekly survey, which dates back to 1971 for the 30-year fixed rate mortgage.

The 15-year fixed rate this week averaged 4.52 percent with an average 0.7 point, down from last week when it averaged 4.58 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year averaged 5.42 percent. The 15-year has never been lower in the life of Freddie Mac’s weekly survey, which dates back to 1991 for the 15-year fixed rate mortgage

Visit Rhody Juice to read more of my articles.

Yesterday Holly and I had the honor of being host to 2 ambitious students from Central High School in Providence for VIPS Job Shadow Day in conjunction with the Providence Rotary.  VIPS (Volunteers in Providence Schools), is a non-profit program that provides Providence Public School students with opportunities to grow academically and socially.

I spent the day with Charleny Acevedo, a Junior at Central High School who is a straight-A student and is currently learning English as a second language.  She moved here 2 years ago from the Dominican Republic and is interested in becoming a doctor.  Because of her interest in medicine, we got to talking about our MD Preferred Program, which allows Residential Properties to offer discounted moving services, special financing programs and free home warranties to practicing and graduating physicians.

Holly and I met the girls in Providence, and then Holly brought her job shadow, Ada de La Cruz, to Cumberland to tour her sales office.  Ada is also in her Junior year at Central High School and interested in medicine.

Both young women have been a part of the VIPS program for a few years.  The after-school program gives the students an opportunity not only to accomplish the day’s homework assignments, but to meet members from the community from a variety of professions.

Prior to meeting our job shadows, Holly and I were given a series of tasks to perform with them during our day together.  This included introducing the students to members of the office and explaining their roles, reviewing the company mission and values, and identifying the method of dress, greetings and introductions used in the workplace.

At noon, the four of us met back up for a lovely lunch at the Providence Marriott with other job shadow pairs.  Each student received a certificate for their participation in the program and several students shared something they learned during the day in front of our assembled group.

We’d like to thank Charleny and Ada for taking a day from their school vacations to visit with us for Shadow Day!