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Tesla is creating San Francisco in a simulation to assist practice Autopilot/FSD

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 19:58:43 +0000

September 21, 2022

By Kevin Armstrong

Tesla may be ramping up how it uses simulation to train its Autopilot system. A report by Electrek asserts that it has sources claiming that the company is concentrating on a reproduction of San Francisco. The article includes an image of the recreation and states that Tesla is working with Real Engine on its simulation.

According to Electrek, the image below is part of Tesla’s simulation of San Francisco.

Tesla gave the world a look at how it uses simulation to advance the Autopilot program during the first AI Day in August of 2021 (recap).

AI Day

At the first AI Day Tesla talked about the use of using simulations to help train Autopilot. The video below is cued up to where they discuss a simulation.

Ashok Elluswamy, the Director of the Autopilot Program, showed a video that, at first glance, looked real other than an appearance by a Cybertruck. “I may say so myself. It looks very pretty,” said Elluswamy. He explained that the company is investing heavily in using simulation. “It helps when data is difficult to source. As large as our fleet is (FSD Beta users), it can still be hard to get some crazy scenes,” the director explained while showing a rendering of two people and a dog running in the middle of a busy highway. “This is a rare scene, but it can happen, and Autopilot still needs to handle it when it happens,” said Elluswamy.

It appears that Tesla has jumped on Fortnite’s Battle Bus by teaming up with Epic Games and its development platform — Unreal Engine. Fortnite is one of the most popular games of all time, with 80 million subscribers and 4 million daily users, and it was created with Unreal Engine. Epic flexed its creative muscles when it gathered experts to create The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience. The goal was to “blur the boundaries between cinematic and game, inviting us to ask — what is real?” The project spotlight on Unreal Engine shows just how incredibly realistic a simulation can be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU0gvPcc3

After Elluswamy explained that the company is investing in simulation, it makes sense that Tesla would be hiring several positions with simulation in the job description. Electrek pointed out one posting for Autopilot Rendering Engineer. The posting states the successful candidate “will contribute to the development of Autopilot simulation by enabling and supporting the creation of photo-realistic 3D scenes that can accurately model the driving experience in a wide range of locales and conditions.” Tesla prefers the candidates to have experience working with Unreal Engine.

While not new, this does show that Tesla is doubling down on efforts to improve Autopilot. It has recently rolled out Full Self Driving to 60,000 more users, bringing the FSD Beta program to 160,000 in North America.

We can only guess how many thousands of simulations the Autopilot team is conducting to add to the data the Beta testers are collecting. It seems unlikely that Tesla has only created the City by the Bay in its simulations. Perhaps Elluswamy will show more renderings at the second AI Day on September 30th.

November 3, 2022

By Kevin Armstrong

Shiny new Model 3s started appearing last month, missing the small, round polka dots on their bumpers. The circles were gone after the company announced it was removing the ultrasonic sensors (USS) to move to strictly Vision. However, after a few weeks in the wild, evidence suggests the company will mimic what USS used to perform and display.

Twitter user @EZebroni tweeted a helpful video demonstrating the difference between a Tesla with and without USS. It’s noticeably different then what Tesla drivers are used to seeing. The distance lines are gone, and even the images of what is beside the non-USS Tesla are not there, just a lot of white screen.

As seen in the video, a vehicle without USS will not display any information to the driver regarding nearby objects. The distance to nearby objects is not displayed on the screen nor are the colored arcs that usually display when an object is nearby.

However, update 2022.40.4 appears to reintroduce some functionality to owners of these vehicles, at least in shadow mode.

Twitter user @greentheonly, a well-known Tesla hacker, tweeted: 2022.40.4 merges no-ultrasonics code into “mainline,” now receives parking distances from Autopilot (where not equipped with proper ultrasonics).

From Green’s findings, it looks like Tesla is preparing to mimic ultrasonic sensors with Tesla Vision, which essentially means that the vehicle is likely to display not only the arcs when an object is nearby, but also the distance to the given object.

Greentheonly was asked several questions after tweeting this information. Someone wanted to know if the Tesla no-ultrasonics code was working in shadow mode, a blend or pure AutoPilot. Green said that it is not a blend, but he needed to figure out what is displayed on USS-less cars, encourage someone with a new Model 3 or Model Y to try 2022.40.4.

Although the code is available in 2022.40.4, it’s not clear yet whether Tesla is running this code in shadow mode, meaning that the code is run in the background without notifying the user, or if distances are now being shown on vehicles without USS.

Blind spot

One of the biggest questions that remains is how Tesla will solve the roughly 3 foot blind spot in front of the vehicle where cameras can’t see.

Some speculate that Tesla will fill in this gap by taking the information the cameras saw before the vehicle got closer to the object, but this may not work in all circumstances.

Others think that Tesla may be able to have the car back up in the rare situations where objects in front of the vehicle may have changed, such as when summong a parked vehicle. As these USS-less vehicles make it into more hands and update to 2022.40.4 we should have answers to some of these questions, however Autopark, Summon and Smart Summon remain unavailable on these vehicles, even with the latest update.

Will Tesla stop utilizing ultrasonic sensors like they did radar?

Another Twitter user asked if this would make the USS on the existing vehicles “ornaments?” This has been a widespread concern since the non-USS cars started showing up. Tesla addressed this matter when it announced it was removing USS. It states on the company website: At this time, we do not plan to remove the functionality of ultrasonic sensors in our existing fleet.

At this time USS have only been removed from the Model 3 and Model Y, but they will also be removed from the Model S and Model X in 2023. Green also believes the existing USS will remain operational, tweeting: not any time soon, I imagine. Also, the front ones still cover an area where the cameras don’t see.

Another user questioned, does it only take information from the moving/static object networks, or is it able to use the occupancy, and road edge networks as well? To which Green responded that he had not looked into that kind of detail yet.

The new world of non-USS is upon us, and there will be many questions. This revelation is likely the first of a long line of updates to assist vision in making up what was lost with ultrasonic sensors.

November 2, 2022

By Gabe Rodriguez Morrison

Since the Cybertruck unveiling in 2019, Tesla has pushed production dates back numerous times: from late 2021 to late 2022, to early 2023, and most recently to the mid-2023 target for initial low-volume production.

Tesla is reportedly planning to begin Cybertruck high-volume production at the end of next year. The company is preparing to set production dates according to a report from Reuters, indicating mass manufacturing of the Cybertruck to begin at the end of 2023.

It still seems that Tesla is on track to start low-volume production in mid-2023, with mass production beginning at the end of the year.

During the Q3 2022 earnings call, Tesla stated that it was working on preparing the Austin, Texas plan to build the Cybertruck, with “early production” set to begin mid-2023. During the call, Elon Musk said that Tesla is “in the final lap for Cybertruck.” The Q3 2022 Shareholder Deck also listed Cybertruck’s production status as in the “tooling” phase which means it’s preparing for production.

This aligns with timelines from IDRA Group, the die-casting company making the 9,000-ton Giga Press that will be used for the Cybertruck. The Giga Press has reportedly arrived in Houston, Texas and can be expected to reach the Gigafactory in Austin, Texas soon.

Reuters points out that gradually ramping up Cybertruck production starting mid-2023, reaching high volume production by late 2023 would mean that some of the roughly 1 million reservation holders may have to wait more than a year before their truck is delivered.

Elon stated that the company had more orders “than we could possibly fulfill for three years after the start of production.” For these reasons, Tesla stopped taking orders for the Cybertruck outside North America in May 2022.

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Tesla is creating San Francisco in a simulation to assist practice Autopilot/FSD

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 21:34:34 +0000

September 21, 2022

By Kevin Armstrong

According to Electrek, the image below is part of Tesla’s simulation of San Francisco.

Tesla gave the world a look at how it uses simulation to advance the Autopilot program during the first AI Day in August of 2021 (recap).

AI Day

At the first AI Day Tesla talked about the use of using simulations to help train Autopilot. The video below is cued up to where they discuss a simulation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU0gvPcc3

October 3, 2022

By Kevin Armstrong

Elon Musk started Tesla’s AI Day 2022 by saying, “I want to set some expectations with respect to our Optimus Robot,” just before the doors opened behind him. A robot walked out, waved at the audience, and did a little dance. Admittedly a humble beginning, he explained, “the Robot can actually do a lot more than what we just showed you. We just didn’t want it to fall on its face.” Musk’s vision for the Tesla Robot, “Optimus is going to be incredible in five years, ten years mind-blowing.” The CEO said other technologies that have changed the world have plateaued; the Robot is just starting.

Tesla’s CEO envisions Optimus eventually being like Commander Data, the android from Star Trek the Next Generation, except it “would be programmed to be less robot-like and more friendly.” Undoubtedly there is a long way to go to achieve what Doctor Noonien Soong created in Star Trek TNG. What was demonstrated onstage wasn’t at that level, but several videos throughout the presentation highlighted what the Robot is capable of at its very early stage in development. The audience watched the robot pick up boxes, deliver packages, water plants and work at a station at the Tesla factory in Fremont.

Development over 8 months

The first Robot to take the stage at AI Day was not Optimus, but Bumble C, another acknowledgment to The Transformers, as Bumble Bee played a significant role in that franchise. However, Bumble C is far less advanced than Optimus, who did appear later but was on a cart.

Several Tesla engineers took turns on the microphone describing some of the most complex elements of the project that was first announced one year ago. Perhaps the best description of the project was the company moving from building a robot on wheels to a robot on legs. However, that may be oversimplifying. For example, the car has two motors, and the robot has 28 actuators.

Overall design and battery life

Tesla’s brightest demonstrated how the production has come to life over the past eight months. It seems this group of computer masterminds had to become anatomist experts as Tesla took hints from the human body to create a humanoid robot. That is an essential factor in creating Optimus. Everything people interact with is made usable by a human, with two legs, two arms, ten fingers etc. If the robot differed from what the world is already designed for, everything would have to change. However, recreating the human body and its countless movements would take far too long, so Tesla has stripped it down to less than 30 core movements, not including the hand.

Like the human torso contains the heart, the robot’s chest holds the battery. It’s projected that a single charge would provide enough for a full day’s work with a 2.3-kilowatt-hour battery. All the battery electronics are integrated into a single printed circuit board within the pack. That technology keeps charge management and power distribution all in one place. Tesla used lessons learned from vehicle and energy production to create the battery allowing for streamlined manufacturing and simple and effective cooling methods.

Autopilot technology

Tesla showed what the Robot sees, and it looked very familiar. That’s because the neural networks are pulling directly from Autopilot. Training data had to be collected to show indoor settings and other products not used with the car. Engineers have trained neural networks to identify high-frequency features and key points within the robot’s camera streams, such as a charging station. Tesla has also been using the Autopilot simulator but has integrated it for use with the Robot programming.

The torso also contains the centralized computer that Tesla says will do everything a human brain does, such as processing vision data, making split-second decisions based on multi-sensory inputs and supporting communications. In addition, the robot is equipped with wireless connectivity and audio support. Yes, the robot is going to have conversations, “we really want to have fun, be utilitarian and also be a friend and hang out with you,” said Musk.

Motors Mimic Joints

The 28 actuators throughout the Robot’s frame are placed where many joints are in the human body. Just one of those actuators was shown lifting a half-tonne nine-foot concert grand piano. There have been thousands of test models run to show how each motor works with the other and how to effectively operate the most relevant actuators for a task. Even the act of walking takes several calculations that the robot must make in real-time, not only to perform but also appear natural. The robots will be programmed with a locomotion code; the desired path goes to the locomotion planner, which uses trajectories to state estimations, very similar to the human vestibular system.

Human hands can move 300 degrees per second and have tens of thousands of tactile sensors. Hands can manipulate anything in our daily lives, from bulky, heavy items to something delicate. Now Tesla is recreating that with Optimus. Six actuators and 11 degrees of freedom are incorporated into the robot hand. It has an in-hand controller that drives the fingers and receives sensory feedback. The fingers have metallic tendons to allow for flexibility and strength. The hands are being created to allow for a precision grip of small parts and tools.

Responsible Robot Safety

Musk wanted to start AI day with the epic opening scene from Terminator when a robot crushed a skull. He has heard the fears and people warning, “don’t go down the terminator path,” but the CEO said safety is a top priority. There are safeguards in place, including designs for a localized control ROM that would not be connected to the internet that can turn the robot off. He sees this as a stop button or remote control.

Musk said the development of Optimus may broaden Tesla’s mission statement to include “making the future awesome.” He believes the potential is not recognized by most, and it “really boggles the mind.” Musk said, “This means a future of abundance. There is no poverty. You can have whatever you want in terms of products and services. It really is a fundamental transformation of civilization as we know it.” All of this at a price predicted to be less than $20,000 USD.

Tesla Shows Off its First Robot at AI Day 2

September 30, 2022

By Nuno Christovao

Tesla is hosting its recruiting event, AI Day 2 tonight in Palo Alto, California.

Elon Musk said to expect a lot of technical detail and “cool” hardware demos. We don’t know which demos exactly, although Elon did say the event will be focused on AI and robotics.

Elon also talked about how these events are specifically aimed at showing off the exciting things Tesla is working on to attract more talent.

We can expect Tesla to show off its new Tesla bot, Optimus, talk about FSD and AI and possibly share some details on FSD hardware 4.0 and its upcoming Steam integration.

Pretty much. AI/robotics engineers who understand what problems need to be solved will like what they see.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 29, 2022

start time

The event took place in Palo Alto, CA on September 30th at 6:15 pm PT.

Watch on Demand

You can watch the event on demand below:

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Distant Employees are Transferring, Creating New Actual Property Alternatives

Sun, 15 May 2022 21:04:09 +0000

Remote workers no longer tethered to an office are settling in mid-sized cities across the nation, creating new opportunities and headaches for real estate developers and the cities themselves. More than 12 percent of moves between April 2020 and December 2021 were caused by COVID-19, as remote workers have flocked to smaller cities with lower costs of living, lower taxes, and fewer pandemic health restrictions, according to a recent study by professors at Vanderbilt University and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

The study analyzed 360,000 residential interstate moves from the last five years, finding that 70 percent of people citing remote work as the reason for their move earn more than $100,000 annually. Superstar cities in huge coastal metro areas like New York and San Francisco aren’t going away, but they’re losing enough people to impact their tax base.

Much of this migration is caused by highly paid tech workers, as the tech sector grew by 47 percent and added 1.2 million jobs between 2010 and 2019. About half the job creation occurred in eight areas, including San Francisco; San Jose, California; Austin, Texas; Boston; andSeattle. But some mid-size cities are also adding tech jobs at a clip of 3 percent or more annually, including Atlanta, Dallas, and Kansas City, Missouri.

All of these migration trends are undoubtedly in the minds of real estate investors. It’s no secret that mid-sized and smaller cities have seen population booms as more people have flocked to the suburbs and the Sun Belt, especially over the past two decades. The pandemic and remote work have added fuel to the fire. The investment outlook for the Sun Belt, suburbs, and smaller and mid-sized cities is increasingly attractive. Company office re-locations and satellite offices in these areas will likely keep growing.

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SF Residents Shifting Round The Larger Bay Space Is Creating A ‘Megaregion’

Sun, 06 Feb 2022 08:48:59 +0000

SF movers have been very busy as most San Francisco residents have relocated to nearby counties. With more residents leaving the Bay Area in recent years, city planners have designated the area around the Bay as a mega-region. As the region begins to include cities like Fresno and Sacramento, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) is making plans accordingly.

SFist has previously reported on the fabled “Cal Exodus” and whether or not the research supports the claims. According to a UC San Diego survey, the number of people leaving California has been relatively flat for the past two years.

“Despite the popular notion that unhappy Californians are leaving the state en masse, our solid research shows that there is in fact no exodus,” said Thad Kousser, chair of the Department of Political Science at UC San Diego and lead researcher on the survey. “Most residents say they still believe in the ‘California Dream.'”

Regardless of the statistics, there is evidence that people are leaving the Bay Area for cheaper housing and the cost of living. Researchers like Dr. Seva Rodnyansky, professor of urban and environmental policy at Occidental College, saw a connection between people’s income and where they live by tracking state tax returns.

“In places like Roseville and Folsom, nearly 35 percent of movers had household incomes of $100,000,” Rodnyansky said in his interview with ABC7 News. “In contrast, 30 percent or more of those willing to move to Stockton, Los Banos and Patterson had household incomes of less than $25,000. So that’s a pretty big difference.”

Since the pandemic, remote work has increased more than ever. In 2020, nearly 70% of full-time employees were working from home. As more people seemed to realize that remote work might have been a longer-term situation for both employees and companies, city dwellers took it as a sign to move somewhere cheaper when commuting was no longer a factor.

While commuter traffic declined overall, residents moving to outlying counties (such as Merced, San Joaquin, and Yolo) caused a surge in traffic. One of the reasons for this is an increase in “super commuters” from these areas who commute 50 miles or more to work. As of August 2021, San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles account for about a third of the super-commuters in the country. Most super commuters live in Stockton, about 80 miles east of San Francisco. Also following Stockton are Modesto, Santa Rosa and San Jose in the top ten metro areas with the highest rates of super commuters, most of whom commute to San Francisco.

As a result, the MTC is planning a list of twelve transportation projects in the mega-region. They examine migration patterns and prioritize the order in which they complete projects. The MTC is also working to obtain state and federal assistance to fund these projects. No cost projections are available at this time, but it’s certainly going to be expensive.

“They will develop a strategy and create a work plan to jointly track funding and work together on these grant applications,” said Diane Nguyen of the San Joaquin Government Council.

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Neighbors Creating Vacation Magic On Sweet Cane Lane In Pleasanton Since 1953 – CBS San Francisco

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 11:06:59 +0000

PLEASANTON (KPIX) – Neighbors on East Bay Street have been bringing the Christmas cheer every year since 1953. They call it Candy Cane Lane, but according to the town of Pleasanton, it’s actually Walnut Drive – a cul-de-sac not far from downtown.

The street has its own radio station that plays Christmas music to get everyone in the spirit of the season.

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“This is great. This is my first time coming here. A friend of mine posted about it on Instagram and wow. I didn’t know there was such a thing,” says Bobby Simcock from Dublin. He brought his wife and his two and a half year old daughter Adeline to see the lights.

“How does it feel, Adeline? Impressive! It’s so magical! ”Exclaimed Adeline’s mother.

“To see your face, it’s just amazing to see your face light up and so energetic and hug the whole Christmas experience, it really is a real gift,” said Simcock.

“We like to sit on the porch, wave and say hello to people and show them some snow from our snowman because it’s snowing here on Candy Cane Lane,” said Renee and Shareef Mahdavi.

They both came to visit Candy Cane Lane with their children when they were little. When their children left home for college, they eventually moved to Walnut Drive, understanding that with homeownership on that street, there is an obligation to decorate.

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“We cannot confirm or deny the money that has been spent and allocated on decoration, but let’s just say we are happy to do it,” says Shareef.

“Everyone is really coordinated. Really can be said that they went out of their way so it is very much appreciated. That’s incredible, ”said Rahim Shakoor. It was his first visit to his wife and son, who will be two years old in January.

“It’s really crazy. I live near here and it’s really fun walking here every year, and we do that several times,” said Casey Bailey, who was out with his daughter Chloe.

“The last year has been crazy. So far this year we’re seeing pretty much the same thing. People want out. They want to bond and it’s these little decorations in our garden that seem to do that, ”said Shareef.

“No matter what, there is always joy to be found and we can share it in different ways,” says Renee.

The only time houses on Candy Cane Lane were not adorned with lights was during the energy crisis in the 1970s.

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Candy Cane Lane is open to cars and pedestrians daily from 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM

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Wildfire smoke chokes Bay Space, creating worst air high quality on the earth

Mon, 21 Jun 2021 13:48:53 +0000

Wildfire smoke cast a hazy red sky over the Bay Area on Wednesday, creating a seriously unhealthy atmosphere and adding to pandemic fear in the area. Ash fell over many counties. Children who were excluded from school were locked inside. Families evacuated homes.

Atmospheric tests showed that the air quality in Northern California is the worst in the world.

Smoke from multiple fires polluted the air, again causing concern among residents with respiratory illnesses, including those suffering from COVID-19.

“Someone who is already coughing or struggling with shortness of breath is the worst they can do when exposed to the particulate matter from the smoke,” said Tom Dailey, chief of pulmonary medicine at Kaiser’s Santa Clara Medical Center.

“It’s not just the smoke, we’re in the middle of a heatwave,” said Dailey. “It’s like closing a pot of boiling water. It keeps the pollutants close to the ground. “

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District authorities issued a spare the air alert by Sunday, advising Bay Area residents to stay indoors with the windows and doors closed, if possible, until the smoke subsides.

“Air quality will be very poor for the foreseeable future due to the rapid spread of fires and stagnant air mass,” tweeted the Bay Area branch of the National Weather Service.

Cal Fire fought a series of angry, complex fires that defied even partial containment, Governor Gavin Newsom said at a news conference.

By far the largest fires were the LNU Lightning Complex fires in Napa, Lake, Sonoma, and Solano counties – which exploded from 46,000 acres to 124,000 acres at dusk, burning down homes in Berryessa and Vacaville, and skipping Interstate 80 and homes in Fairfield threatened. It was 0% included.

The SCU Lightning Complex burned 85,000 acres in Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus counties and was 5% contained.

The fires of the CZU complex, which burned in the districts of San Mateo and Santa Cruz, consumed 10,000 hectares by Wednesday evening. They were included at 0%.

And there were many more.

“We thought we saw it all, and then 2020 is our meeting,” said Senator Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg. “You have always said that Mother Nature can really make a difference. She hits back pretty hard at the moment. “

A house on Pleasant Valley Road in Vacaville, California is on fire when the fire breaks out at the LNU Lightning Complex on Wednesday, August 19, 2020. Video: Scott Strazzante The Chronicle

Of particular concern was the SCU Lightning Complex.

“The fire at the SCU Lightning Complex is still not remotely contained,” said Kristina Chu, acting communications manager for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. “That’s what causes the greatest amount of smoke in the Bay Area.”

The worst Bay Area air quality readings for particulate matter as of 1 p.m. were in Pleasanton, Livermore, Redwood City, Gilroy, San Jose, East Oakland, and downtown San Francisco, where air quality was classified as unhealthy.

The notice means that anyone with pre-existing respiratory problems should limit all outdoor activities. If you smell smoke, “go in, close the windows and doors, and make sure they’re sealed,” Chu said.

Although there is still no clear link to the effects of forest fire smoke on COVID-19 patients, experts can use research on smoking and air pollution to draw preliminary conclusions.

“Wildfire smoke is like tobacco smoke without nicotine,” said Dr. John Balmes, professor of medicine at UCSF and environmental health science at UC Berkeley. “It is a plant material that, when burned, produces carbon particles with unpleasant hydrocarbons that are toxic.”

As an example, he took the 2018 Camp Fire. This fire caused particulate matter known as PM2.5 particles to migrate from the northern part of the Central Valley to the Bay Area. A thick haze covered the region for weeks and closed schools and shops.

A chimney, chair, and charred trees are all that’s left of a house on English Hills Road during the LNU Lightning Complex Fire in Vacaville, Calif. On Wednesday, August 19, 2020.Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

Dailey encouraged anyone who had health problems related to the smoke to go to a hospital.

“The COVID epidemic has really prepared hospitals across the state for people with respiratory problems,” he said. “We don’t want that, but these hospitals are ready and prepared. People who have problems shouldn’t hesitate to come over and seek help. “

Experts say fabric coverings and surgical masks used to slow the spread of the coronavirus do not protect against forest fire smoke.

“Right now everyone is under a mask order for COVID,” said Chu. “However, any mask that is not N95 or higher will not protect you from PM2.5 particles from forest fire smoke.”

Even those with N95 masks should make an effort to avoid the smoke.

“I see people jogging in an N95 mask and they just don’t get it,” said Dailey. “That means 95% of the particles are kept out, but you are still inhaling 5% of them. We want people to stay inside. Don’t exercise. The masks are for those who cannot avoid being outside. “

San Francisco Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax said there were no immediate plans to close the city’s outdoor testing facilities due to the current air quality, which fluctuated between “orange” and “red” throughout the day. A “red” label is considered unhealthy.

“Unless someone has a particular need to be tested, this may not be the week to do so,” said Dailey.

The Chronicle’s authors, Kate Galbraith, Kellie Hwang, and Dominic Fracassa, contributed to this report.

Aidin Vaziri is a contributor to the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: avaziri@sfchronicle.com

Air quality index: www.airnow.gov/aqi

Spare the Air: www.sparethair.org

The Chronicle’s air quality tracker: https://projects.sfchronicle.com/trackers/california-fire-map/air-quality

AirNow: www.airnow.gov

CDC Rauch FAQ: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/smoke-faq.html

The fire map and the chronicle tracker: https://projects.sfchronicle.com/trackers/california-fire-map

See morecollapse

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Specialists say inflow of patrons from San Francisco creating main challenges for Sacramento’s housing market

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 02:46:52 +0000

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KTXL) – As the exodus from the Bay Area to Sacramento continues, local realtors and appraisers scramble to keep up with fluctuating demand from home buyers.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sacramento area is now a seller’s market, which means there are many homebuyers but limited inventory. This has created an unprecedented and challenging real estate market for both realtors and potential homeowners.

For El Dorado Hills real estate agent Melissa Quade, who experienced this 10 years ago in Seattle, seeing a big boom in the real estate market is not an unfamiliar job.

“I saw prices go up exponentially when I was in this market and now I see it here too,” Quade told FOX40.

But COVID-19 has created a unique situation for Quade and other realtors in the Sacramento and Bay areas.

San Francisco residents fled to Sacramento in large numbers during the pandemic: report

A recent CBRE research study showed that migration from densely populated and expensive areas has increased tremendously. Case in point: Moves from San Francisco to Sacramento County increased 70%.

“The buyers are in full force out there,” explained Quade. “Lots of movement from the Bay Area. You don’t have to live there anymore because you can work remotely so come here where you can get a lot more bang for your buck. “

The problem right now, however, is that sellers are in short supply.

“In El Dorado County, where I am, we have 75 percent fewer records than last year,” Quade said.

Quade added that this is frustrating for potential home buyers, “not just because they don’t have the money the Bay Area buyer has, but just because things are being done very, very differently now, and that Buyers have to take a much greater risk. ”

Quade said the median retail price in the Sacramento area, which includes counties of Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, and Yolo, rose over 20% between March 2020 and March 2021. Since January of this year the market has risen 9% and is on the right track to keep rising.

“We haven’t seen a stock shortage like this in recent history, and we haven’t seen that many buyers out here, and that just creates insane,” Quade said.

There is also the gap between the estimated value and the real market value of homes, which is also difficult for appraiser and market analyst Ryan Lundquist.

“Our average price in January was $ 485,000 and just months later it was about $ 530,000,” Lundquist said. “And so we really saw very, very rapid growth.”

Out of the 30 largest subway areas in the US, Sacramento ranks number one in terms of net removals, most of which come from San Francisco.

And while it may seem daunting, the Sacramento real estate market offers plenty of opportunity.

“We actually had high sales volume for 10 months in a row,” Lundquist told FOX40. “Buyers are pulling the trigger for what’s out there. So we actually got numbers that are higher than 2019 and 2020.”

“It’s been a seller’s market here for a long time, but not like that,” Quade said.

Quade’s advice to first-time buyers in Sacramento is simple: be patient, competitive, negotiate terms, and focus on homes that have been in the market for at least a week.

According to Lundquist, there is good news for buyers: offers in the region are on the rise, and mortgage applications at the national level have been falling for three straight weeks. That means less competition.

Real estate boom: why people are paying thousands more than the asking price

It’s not all bad news for local real estate. In fact, Quade said this was the best time to sell. The only thing a seller is best at is finding a new home out of state.

Lundquist also gave advice to sellers: don’t be overzealous and put off potential buyers.

“Although buyers are hungry, they are not so desperate where they are literally paying for anything for any price and for any home,” he said.

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‘Artwork of imperfection’: San Francisco Bay Space man brings life to previous objects by creating musical devices

Sun, 21 Mar 2021 10:59:03 +0000

EL SOBRANTE, Calif. (KGO) – One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and so is an East Bay man who brings old items back to life.

Steve Zwetsch combines improbable objects to create folk musical art. Five years ago Zwetsch came across a YouTube video of a guitar made from cigar boxes that was fascinated by the instrument.

As an autodidact, Zwetsch rose to the challenge and began to build the instrument in his cellar. Before the pandemic, he made five cigar box guitars a year, but after his bakery business was impacted by COVID-19, he made 14 guitars in six months.

Plum is able to resume a beloved hobby with the hope of profit.

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“What made me do it was the kind of music the guy was playing,” Zwetsch said. “He played an old blues song from the 1940s and I’m fascinated by that kind of music. Then I made one (cigar box guitar) and I could actually play it, that was exciting.”

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX: This East Bay man is plucking his way through a pandemic creating guitars with improbable items to create folk art and music. pic.twitter.com/GnUzARu3TD

– ABC7 Melissa Pixcar (@ MelissaABC7) October 3, 2020

Zwetsch was unable to tease a normal size guitar due to a ligament injury on his left wrist. Since cigar box guitars are smaller, he can play the instrument with ease.

“Smaller body guitars are just easier to play, which is why a lot of people start with them,” said Zwetsch. “I can get all grades and don’t have to put as much pressure on my wrist.”

RELATED: The Bay Area band serenades animals from the Oakland Zoo that visitors miss amid a coronavirus pandemic

Despite the coronavirus shutdown, the design of cigar box guitars has given Zwetsch an opportunity to think outside the box.

“I used a lot of different objects to build guitars,” said Zwetsch. “I made one out of a metal biscuit gift box. A pool shelf. I made one out of a bed pan. I used wine boxes. Anything that has a body that resonates with sound.”

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Zwetsch picks for items through flea markets, junkyards and his own garage to build the guitars.

“I like to call that the art of imperfection. It takes things that shouldn’t be together,” said Zwetsch. “A lot of the hardware I use is drawer pulls, knobs, and various things that I can find.”

He enjoys taking things that would otherwise end up in a landfill and “bringing them back to life”.

“These things are fun to do, and I do them more for art value than anything else,” said Zwetsch. “Then the fact that it has created more art with the music you can play with it is just phenomenal.”

Visit the Cigar Box Kitchen website for more information.

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Wrench Group, LLC, a Main Supplier of Dwelling Companies within the U.S., Companions With Service Champions North, Creating Flagship Presence in Northern California

Thu, 18 Mar 2021 05:15:28 +0000

MARIETTA, Ga .– (BUSINESS WIRE) – Wrench Group LLC (“Wrench”), a national leader in repair, replacement, and maintenance services that specialize in heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, plumbing, and electricity services, today announced the acquisition of Service Champions North (“Service”) known as Champions “), the first California location for Wrench.

Service Champions is a leading heating and air conditioning company with locations in Concord, Livermore, Pleasanton, Sacramento and San Jose. Since 2002, Service Champions has been committed to providing repair, maintenance, and replacement services for air conditioners and ovens to customers in the San Francisco Bay Area and metropolitan Sacramento. “The Wrench organization is excited to have a presence in Northern California,” said Ken Haines, CEO of the Wrench Group. “Service Champions has become a household name in their markets with an unmatched customer reputation.”

Haines continued, “Part of Wrench’s strategy is to partner with market leaders. Service Champions has seen impressive growth over many years and prides itself on its positive customer loyalty. We look forward to your joining the Wrench organization and look forward to working together to grow in the California market. ”

“Our culture is unique and special, and has been our competitive advantage for over 17 years,” said Kevin Comerford, owner and president of Service Champions North. “I am delighted to have found a partner whose core values align with ours. We are excited about the tremendous growth we see in our future and the opportunities that growth offers our team members both personally and professionally, ”added Comerford.

Comerford and his seasoned management team will continue to lead the organization during this next phase of growth.

ABOUT THE KEY GROUP

Wrench Group, LLC is a national leader in repair, replacement, and maintenance services specializing in heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, plumbing, and electrical services. The company serves over 550,000 customers annually in the metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Fort Myers, Houston, Jacksonville, Phoenix, Naples, Sacramento, Sarasota, San Francisco Bay Area and Tampa. The locations have built a solid reputation with brands that date back to the 1940s. Further information is available at www.wrenchgroup.com

ABOUT SERVICE CHAMPIONS NORTH

Service Champions North specializes in heating, ventilation and air conditioning services for private households at five locations in Northern California. As part of the transaction, Service Champions was represented by Intrepid Investment Bankers, Greenburg Glusker LLP., Holthouse, Carlin and Van Trigt LLP., Buxbaum HCS.

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