Last night in a 4 – 1 decision by the Manhattan Beach City Council approval was granted to the Parks and Recreation Department to allow dogs on leash at Bruce’s Beach park in Manhattan Beach. In addition, the Council voted unanimously to expand on-leash walk-through areas at Sand Dune Park and Polliwog Park. The meeting included community involvement by people on both sides of the issue. Most people came out to speak out about Bruce’s Beach Park. Residents with dogs around the park spoke in favor of being able to have equal access to the park and residents without dogs spoke against. The big issue? Waste. Stepping in, running around or laying a blanket on a place where there is or once was dog waste was the argument against opening the park to dogs. Dog owners argued that there was no evidence that NOT opening the park to dogs legally (as people are illegally using it now) would prevent the dog waste issue. By allowing dogs legally in the park, it would create a community of owners who valued the benefit so much they would be extra vigilant in cleaning up after their pets and other’s pets who were less responsible.

At the end of the night, after about 3 hours of community speakers, the City Council gave approval for access to dogs on leash for a trial period of 3 months. During this 3 month “test”, residents would be asked to make reports of any problems and the Community Dog Advisory Committee would be asked to report all complaints and responses to the access to City Council at the end of the trial period. In addition, the Council advised the committee to go back and do homework on a location within Polliwog park that could be used for the same purpose.

This is a huge success for those of us who have fought for equal access in the parks here in Manhattan Beach! We are a unique city, in that we are the only city within miles who do NOT allow dogs on leash in parks. It seems that no one knows where this ban began or why. We’re working an uphill battle for equal access in all parks. As we move forward, we will be working on community requests for more dog parks, access to parks with our dogs and on leash access to walkways connecting our city areas. Hard to believe it’s this challenging to share our city with our furry friends. Enjoy your sunsets here and clean up after your pets!

Whole Foods Market CommUnity 5% Day Benefiting Chrysalis!

Wednesday, September 19, 7am-10pm
2201 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica

Shop at Whole Foods Santa Monica on September 19 and your grocery dollars will help LA’s poor and homeless become self-sufficient through jobs. As part of their incredible Community Giving program, Whole Foods has selected Chrysalis to receive 5% of the Santa Monica store’s net sales on the day of the event!

For information, contact Brad Rowe at 213.500.8170 or brad.rowe@sbcglobal.net.

Go to www.changelives.org for more information on how you can volunteer and make a difference in the community to some very deserving folks.

When you’re touring open houses without an agent, you are really looking at just the shell of the property without any knowledge of the unique features of the property and its history. What an open house does for the buyer is give them a chance to look at the inside of a house they would otherwise never see. If this were all that mattered, every house would sell during open houses. Let’s face it, most buyers want more than just the feeling they get when looking at someone else’s property for 10 minutes before deciding to make an offer.

For example, in Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach where I work, I may meet 20-25 people a day during weekend open houses. Some may be neighbors, some may be looky-loos and some come with agents, but some are real buyers searching for their next home.

Almost none of them ask me specific questions about the property I am working.

Does that surprise you? It surprises me! Unless you’re working with a sharp agent who is traveling you to each house and giving you specific explanation of its features, time on market, sales history, market value and neighborhood particulars, you need to be asking some specific questions to educate yourself about the property. It may be a better value than you think, or it may be a great value that someone has decorated poorly making you underestimate its worth.

Questions and tips for viewing open houses:

1) Wear comfortable clothing and shoes that you can slip in and out of. Many open houses these days require you to remove your shoes or wear booties over your shoes. This can be a real pain if you’re in cowboy boots for the day.

2) Make a map for the day. Make a map of each location and even a driving map from location to location. This will really save you time. Get onto the net and figure out a good driving route for your day. Many times you will be out with a list of properties and zig zag all over town trying to get to them all. This is a huge waste of time. Make it easy on yourself and plan ahead for those properties you’re really interested in and go only to those properties.

3)Don’t be afraid to ask the agent in charge of the open house questions about the property’s value. What do they think of the price? What are the comps for the property? How long has it been on the market? Do they have a list of the comps? Have they received any offers? What do they think is the best time to buy and why? (By the way, they may want to sign you up with them as a prospective client and if you feel that they are forthcoming with information, honest, good listeners, think seriously about allowing them to put you on an email list — but only allow ONE agent to do this and choose carefully! If you are already working with an agent, let the agent in charge know their name right off the bat. Thanks, but we’re working with so and so.)

4) Does the house have any upgrades or special features that you should look for while you are walking through the house? Sometimes, people walk right by some really fantastic upgrades and special features that the house has without ever noticing or realizing their value. Upgraded brand name tiling, special hardwood flooring, upgraded windows, plumbing fixtures, sound systems and other extras you won’t want to just walk by. This may raise your interest in the property and help to justify pricing.

5) Take photos. If you’re like most buyers, you are visiting a dozen or so houses in one weekend, it is a challenge to keep them straight. Most agents won’t mind this, however, you might want to ask the agent in charge if it is okay to take photos. Take one of the outside and then features inside that you like and do not like.

6) Look closely. When walking through the house, look for important clues to potential problems. Watermarks on floors can indicate flooding. Moldy shower grout, moisture in the shower air, musty smell and mildew under sinks all have potential for bigger problems down the road. Are windows properly sealing? Are there cracks in any of the walls or flooring? Is the house built on a pad or is there a crawl space? Where is the water heater and can you see it? Is the house forced air heating? Is there air conditioning? Do light switches work? Most items are disclosed during purchase, but finding out whether the house has been well maintained or not from the time you enter an open house can make a huge difference to your bottom line when making an offer.

7) Look at the house features NOT the owner’s decorating style. Not everyone has the taste or ability of an interior designer. This is why staging companies get paid so well for helping sellers stage their houses with rented furniture and pictures. Look beyond the personal items and photographs and get familiar with the “bones” of the house. Can you imagine the house with your furniture, your rugs, your photos and art and maybe even with a new coat of paint and new carpet? Someone else’s funky things can be a turnoff, but don’t let it deter you from seeing a really great property.

Decide in the car what you would pay for the house. Even if you don’t think it’s right for you, start educating yourself on the property values and narrowing your list of “must have” features. The most important thing to realize is that you CANNOT have everything. Realizing that most buyers have a budget, you must figure out which features you are willing to live without and stick to it.

9) After you’ve finished for the day, pat yourselves on the back for a hard days work well done. You can now sit over a glass of wine or coffee and talk about what you liked and didn’t like and how to approach the next day out shopping. Good luck!

In a recent Daily Breeze article “Inventory Glut Pushes Median U.S. Housing Value Down, But in California Prices Actually Increase 3.2 Percent”, Martin Crutsinger of The Associated Press reports on the glut of housing inventory nationwide, while California shows up the rest with an increase of 3.2% over the last 5 months. The article espouses what many real estate professionals in the Southern California region have been saying for years: The housing market is different here. We are a market of local value, local businesses, desirable locations and high paid professionals.

The statistics often reported in the headline news are derived from the National Association of Realtors and can fail to describe what’s really happening in certain states, counties and local cities. These news headlines can hurt our market by creating uncertainty in the buyer’s minds. One article may be all it takes to make a buyer decide to wait for better times. Oftentimes that means they are going to pay higher prices. The housing market is strong and stays strong because we have a highly desirable finite product. Real estate values in certain California cities can stay the black year after year. In fact, according to Dataquick, a third party group, the numbers look like this for local appreciation:

Manhattan Beach (percentage appreciation in median price of single family homes year over year)

2000 14%

2001 2%

2002 17%

2003 24%

2004 24%

2005 13%

2006 5%

Hermosa Beach

2000 8%

2001 1%

2002 20%

2003 23%

2004 19%

2005 19%

2006 1%

Redondo Beach

2000 10%

2001 10%

2002 16%

2003 17%

2004 25%

2005 15%

2006 3%

Not only is the South Bay different from Los Angeles and the rest of the state and country in its real estate values, it’s also a great place to live. Link to the resources in this article for more information and sourcing.

The Parks and Recreation Department led by the sub-committee Pet Owners for Quality of Life is recommending to the City Council of Manhattan Beach that dogs and their owners have some access to local parks. This access would be on a trial basis allowing the community to be fully involved in reporting problems and successes with the access if permitted. Manhattan Beach is one of the only cities in California with no access for pets and thier owners in community parks. This committee, at the request of the community, seeks to address this issue by finding solutions that work for all of the citizens of the city.

Recommendation:

The recommendation is that the Parks and Recreation Commission approve, on a trial basis, the following expansion of dog access in city parks:

1. Expand current on-leash dog access to the upper trails at Sand Dune Park, excluding the north steps. (See city website for diagram)

2. Establish on-leash dog access for the western most path at Polliwog Park.

3. Expand on-leash dog access to include entire Bruce’s Beach park. This would allow walking or sitting on the grass, but no off leash activities.

A meeting with the City Council and residents is set for Tuesday, September 18th 6:30pm to discuss this issue.

Manhattan Beach is beach volleyball! Once again, we will be graced by the presence of greatness with some of the best volleyball players in the California Beach Volleyball Association. Top four teams from each division win complementary berth into the U.S. Open of Beach Volleyball.

Cal Cup Tournament to be played in Manhattan Beach on September 1st and 2nd on the South side of the Manhattan Beach Pier.

Tournament begins at 8am.

For more information see the CBVA website. Or go to the City of Manhattan Beach website for information on parking and local restaurants.

As your local resource for housing and information, I can make the following parking and restaurant recommendations:

Parking: Once you enter Manhattan Beach west of Sepulveda on Manhattan Beach Blvd., pass over Ardmore Drive and Valley Drive. You will immediately see a shopping center on your right called Metlox. You can take the next right at the Pomodoro restaurant. Halfway down the block you can turn right into an underground parking structure. The lowest floor has the longest metered parking for all day beach-goers. Be sure you have quarters! There are no change machines.

Meals: We do have the usual Starbucks and Coffee Bean or Noahs bagels. If you want to venture to some of the best food in town, see Uncle Bills on Highland just North of Manhattan Beach Blvd. Sometimes you’ll wait 15 minutes, but it is well worth it. Lunch: Sandwiches from Becker’s Bakery at Manhattan Avenue around 10th should hit the spot. If you’re still around and ready to celebrate after the tournament, I suggest you go for the coldest beer in town at Shellback’s on the corner of Manhattan Beach Blvd., just above the pier. Have the Chicken Nuggets. They’re made with beer batter and they are awesome!

Have a great time! Be safe!

This great rental is only one block to the beach in beautiful Manhattan Beach. 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom lower level apartment with garage! These are hard to come by.

See the link below for info.

www.geocities.com/tomruffrentals/home.html

The 4th Annual Pet Appreciation Day and Adoption Fair is coming up on September 30th at Live Oak Park in the heart of downtown Manhattan Beach. Festivities will begin with a “Walk and Wag” doggie walk at 10:30am, finishing at the park location. Official festivities begin at 11am and end at 4pm. You can bring the whole family, including your pets. There will be raffle prizes, silent auction, pet related booths, boxer kissing booth, animal rescue groups with pets for adoption, great food, live animal entertainment and demonstrations and live music!

The City of Manhattan Beach will also be offering pet licensing that day. So, if you’ve been putting off the most important tag on your dog’s collar, this is your chance to get that doggie licensed. Some of the local businesses who have generously donated items for raffle and auction are Shade Hotel, Bora Bora, Rock N Fish, Pet Flys, The Pet Food Store, Christie’s, Red Carpet Car Wash, and more…

Check this event out and know you’re having a great time, benefiting a great cause! All proceeds from donated raffle and auction items will go to benefit local rescue organizations in their efforts to place homeless animals in loving homes.

Never been to Manhattan Beach and want to know more about what to do here?

Check out http://www.downtownmanhattanbeach.com/index.cfm

As credit risk fears continue to unfold nationally in the mortgage industry, it is clear that investors have less of an appetite for non-conforming loans. This is no longer just a sub-prime lending issue. Guidelines with most national lenders have changed drastically in the last 48 hours. It is now more critical than ever to work with a mortgage professional that you trust and one that has vast resources and options for borrowers. Lenders have already tightened and in some cases, eliminated stated income loans and at the very least will be very restricted on higher risk jumbo loans. As the credit market tightens, working with a trusted mortgage broker becomes a huge benefit to you. We are all being impacted, but there are still vast resources available to fund loans. Use a lender that prides themselves on being in the know and are making it their business to investigate current lending guidelines for all of their lending resources.
As Realtors and professionals, we need to take this very seriously and protect our client’s transactions. Platinum Capital prides itself on being an industry leader and will protect the borrower and their transaction. This is not a time for borrowers to get greedy and shop for the “best deal”. This is a time to work with professionals with the experience and knowledge to close deals on time. Platinum Capital has moved many loans this week from threatened institutions to ones that will remain strong during turbulent times. This is the benefit of an experienced mortgage broker. One institution does not give you the resources you need to be successful in today’s market.
Platinum Capital welcomes your calls and look forward to continued success for 2007!

Be sure to call my resource for funding:

The Platinum Team

JoAnn Maisch, Vice President
Platinum Capital Group
www.Platinumcapital.com
mrtgbroker@aol.com

(310) 796-5600 x334

For more insider advise on the current mortgage industry situation, see the following top rated websites:

www.blownmortgage.com

www.mortgagefraudblog.com

http://housingpanic.blogspot.com

www.consumermortgagereports.com

If you enjoy these sites, let me know! I’ll make sure and include them in more articles.

You have Internet access, and it may be tempting to go out and view properties on your own. After all, you have access to addresses and listing similar to the information available to a professional Realtor. Realtors are no longer the gatekeepers of the information. What you don’t have is someone to advise you about market trends, necessary knowledge of contracts, property background, listing history and more. It is so important to have someone on your side when looking for a home.

Also, it doesn’t cost you a dime to go out and look at homes with a professional Realtor. A buyer’s agent’s commission is paid by the selling broker’s office through a shared commission agreement. A buyer’s agent has your best interests at heart when representing you to a selling agent. I can usher you through all the ins and outs of looking for your new home. Including saving you time by cutting out those homes that wouldn’t suit your needs.

Don’t waste another minute searching through databases of homes that are most likely already sold and contact me today! Ask how I can be your best adviser in the purchase of your new home.