In order to promote awareness about our limited landfill capacity City of Burbank is promoting a "Second Chance Weekend" on October 13 & 14, 2007! This is a statewide recycling event and it is our chance to keep household items out of our landfills!   On this weekend you will not need a garage sale permit and it won't count against the annual number of permitted garage sales!For any further questions about this event, please call City of Burbank License and Code Services Division, 818-238-5280, or check them out at www.burbankca.org/license. For your Burbank real estate needs, please contact me or visit me at www.anaconnell.com.      10/04/2007

 We all use flyers.... So here are some helpful tips!  Things to keep in mind when designing a flyer!Highlight benefits not features. No one is interested in knowing about the long history of the company. They want to know what the product is and how that product will help to make their life easier. So try to give information about the product not about the company.· Use colored or textured paper: Select the paper that will be noticeable among other flyers but have a professional look. Bright colors should not be used try to use such colors that make flyer delicate and attractive.Make the flyer easy and attractive for potential customers so that they keep on reading. · Eye-catching photo of your property lisitngInclude a large, colorful photo in the top one third of the flyer. If compan... 10/02/2007

 There are items from last week worth mentioning:City Council approved the carry over of funds toward the construction around the Magnolia Power Project.  The Council denied the permit parking request on Evergreen Street. new and revised energy efficiency programs for businesses and homes.  What it means to you is that the city will be offering more rewards for energy efficient homes.  Cm. Golonski dissented as he objected to the program's inclusion of non-profit centers. Items of note for  this week:Don't forget that tonight is the General Plan Update meeting!   The Burbank City Council meets at City Council Chambers in City Hall, 275 E. Olive Ave.  Tuesday at 6:00pm.  Please visit me at anaconnell.com!  10/02/2007

Welcome to Fall 2007 in Burbank! Burbank Real Estate market is stable and a good opportunity to invest & prosper. There is only (1) bank owned listing, 11 short sales (4) lease with option to buy.  Burbank is a great community to call home.   Active listings:  355 single family houses & 40 condos/townhouses are available for sale as of 10/01/07 from sales price $399,000 to $3'900,000. Sold listings:  44 listings were sold in September 2007, (29 houses & 15 condos/townhouses) Average market time:  61.8 days (1-30 days 11 units, 31-60 days 11 units, 61-90 days 10 units, 91-120 days 5 units, 121-180 days 5 units, total 44 units sold) Tips for Sellers:  A home that is priced right and staged properly typically will sell for more and in half the time it takes to move others.  Think about thi... 10/01/2007

The City of Burbank has the best resources, training and consulting services available to all who is interested in prosper.  We are proud to live, learn and work in Burbank CA.  Below is just one of the reasons why Burbank is a great community to call home!   Burbank Team BusinessBurbank Chamber of Commerce https://burbankchamber.org/https://www.burbankca.gov/businesshttps://dtnbur.com At Burbank Team Business, we link the best resources for training, consulting and access to capital with those Burbank residents who want to start a business, and business owners who are poised for growth or are seeking stability in today's promising economy. Together, we'll help you start, grow and develop your business to its fullest potential! The City of Burbank has partnered with CHARO Community Deve... 09/30/2007

 OCTOBER 2007 - Please find below a list of events sponsored by educational, municipal, non-for-profit and community organizations in Burbank & nearby areas. Please call to confirm these events.  thank you.10/26/07 UpdatedCommunity Calendar - OctoberSaturday, Oct. 27, at 9:30am. Village Christian Schools (Burbank-adjacent) will have its Community Open House for Elementary School, Middle School, and High School. Meet principals, faculty, and parents; tour the campus; pick up an informational DVD; stay for the complimentary BBQ lunch. For more information or to reserve a space at the Open House, please call Admissions at (818) 767-8382. For general school information please visit:http://www.villagechristian.org/Saturday, October 27, 7 pm. Piano Students of Jongeun Oh.  Brand Library Recit... 09/30/2007

                                                                                                         Monday  1ISM Manufacturirng Index Consensus-52.9 Survey of manufacturing firms that measure their sentiments on a variety of areas including employment, production, new orders and inventories. 3 & 6 Month Bill Auction Tuesday  2Pending Homes Sales Index-Release from NAR Gauges demand and momentum of housing market ICSC-USB Store Sales  Tracks comparable weekly sales from major retail chains and represents 10% of total retail sales.  Is considered to be one of the most timely indicators of consumer spending.  Redbook a timely indicator of consumer spending and also represents about 10% of total retail sales.  This measure tracks weekly sales from discounters, chain and department stor... 09/30/2007

Last week was quite eventful.  We saw Existing Home Sales in August come slightly lower than expected, they came in at an annualized pace of 5.50M.  The big story, however, was the Home Inventory numbers at an all time high!  New Home Sales were down 8.3% to an annualized level of 795,000, lowest level in 7 years.The Case-Shiller home price index fell by 3.9%, and the 10-city metro index fell 4.5% on a year-over-year basis.  This was the steepest drop in sixteen years according to this index. Other items of note:Rumors that Warren Buffet and a few Chinese banks were considering an "investment" in Bear Stearns......ummm, seems like a bail out to me. GM and UAW strike came to an end.  UAW will now be managing the trust fund that is supposed to take care of the 275,000 retired GM workers.... 09/29/2007

  Thank you taking the time to read this post. I am posting it in ENGLISH/SPANISH (spanish posting is at the bottom).  I am interested in providing information for everyone interested and for the Latino Market in Burbank CA, San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles County.  When your local housing market is down and you have to sell, what do you do? You want top dollar, you may also need to sell in a hurry -- especially if moving day is right around the corner.       In a tight housing market, remember that you are competing with all of the other homes for sale in your neighborhood. The key to success is to make your home and the deal itself more attractive than what the competition is offering without giving away too much.       If you find yourself having to sell into a slow market, here are ... 09/26/2007

                                                                                                                                                             Are you looking for something to do?  If so, don't forget to peruse the Season at the Falcon Theater: Leap   September 5th-October 7th"All poor Bob wants to do is jump out the window, but first, he'll have to go through Heaven and Hell in this metaphysical farce." The Enchanted Nightingale  August 18th-November 4thThis is the classic story of boy gets bird, boy loses bird, boy gets bird back. But there's a twist! The songbird is really the beautiful Princess Jade trapped under an evil spell. With fan dancing, martial arts, and a healthy helping of comedy, this modern adaptation celebrates the wealth in generosity and the magic and ... 09/25/2007

 There are items from last week worth mentioning:City Council approved new and revised energy efficiency programs for businesses and homes.  What it means to you is that the city will be offering more rewards for energy efficient homes.  Cm. Golonski dissented as he objected to the program's inclusion of non-profit centers. Items of note for  this week:Item 7 CONSIDERATION OF RESIDENT-ONLY PARKING PRIVILEGES ON EVERGREEN STREET NORTH OF MAGNOLIA BOULEVARD:Item 8   PARKING CONDITIONS IN THE 300 BLOCK OF LOMITA STREET NEAR JORDAN MIDDLE SCHOOL:Read More... 09/24/2007

  City of Burbank has a General Plan that sets out goals and is essentially a policy guide for growth and development.  Whatever is in this plan will serve as a blueprint for all future development.The Planning and Transportation Devision is in the process of updating this plan and will hold a special City Council and Planning Board joint study session to discuss the housing element update. According to state law this element has to be updated and what's interesting is that Burbank has to show that it can plan for "it's fair share" of housing based on regional needs.  One of the proposals is to increase residential densities, another is to allow residential in commercial areas and/or a blend of these two alternatives.Either way, it's an issue that directly affects our quality of life.  ... 09/24/2007

                                                      There is  legislation that is currently on the floor of the California Legislature called AB258, that will put much more stringent rules in place to prevent nurdles from reaching our oceans. It's about nurdles......so what, you ask, is a nurdle?Nurdles are pre-production plastic pellets and resin materials used in manufacturing.  The problem is that  they are continually discharged during the transport, packaging and processing of plastics.According to Greepeace, nurdles account for 10% of litter on beaches all over the world.  Heal the Bay, says that they account for almost 98% of litter in Orange County beaches!The problem is the toxic nature of nurdles.  They contain micropollutants such as toxic plastic additives, that when inges... 09/24/2007

 Apparently the 818 area code will run out of numbers by 2009 due to the demand for cell phones! The California Public Utilities Commission is proposing splitting the San Fernando Valley into two pieces and have a new area code, 747, for part of the area.The other option on the table , which they are calling the "overlay" option involves just giving new customers the 747 area code.   If you are interested in learning more about this issue, they will be holding public meetings.  The Burbank meeting will be at 7pm, October 22 at the Buena Vista Library. This will be your opportunity to learn the details of the plan and voice any concerns you may have!  My website is under development, but come visit me at anaconnell.com!   09/23/2007

In response to concerns about abandoned shopping carts, the Burbank City Council has created a personal shopping cart rebate program. Burbank residents may purchase a personal shopping cart and receive a rebate of 50% of the cost of the cart (up to a maximum of $20).   Carts are not available for purchase from the City of Burbank.   Purchase any type of personal shopping cart from any merchant.  Proof of Burbank residency and the original receipt for the cart (purchased on or after September 23) must be provided at the time of applying for the rebate. The rebate program begins September 23 and ends after one year or when funding runs out, whichever occurs first.  Apply here on-line or at the License and Code Services Division, 333 E. Olive Avenue., 8 a.m. to 5 pm. Monday through Thursda... 09/23/2007

                                                                                            Monday 243 & 6 Month Bill Auction Tuesday 25Existing Home Sales-consensus 5.50M..... Year to year this number has dropped 9% and housing supply for July was at 9.6 months.  Case-Shiller Home Price Index ICSC-USB Store Sales  Tracks comparable weekly sales from major retail chains and represents 10% of total retail sales.  Is considered to be one of the most timely indicators of consumer spending. Redbook a timely indicator of consumer spending and also represents about 10% of total retail sales.  This measure tracks weekly sales from discounters, chain and department stores.Consumer Confidence -Consensus 1044 Week Bill Auction  Wednesday 26MBA Purchase Applications measures applications at mortg... 09/22/2007

Last week was quite eventful as we saw the Fed lower interest rates by 50 basis points to 4.75%!  This is the first easing in four years! They forcefully responded to concerns of economic weakness by lowering both the Discount and the Target rate, which are two key rates.  This is huge and many are now looking for the Fed funds rate to reach 4% next year. Noteworthy are the continued weakness of the dollar and the low consumer confidence levels.  Whether the start of rate decreases will be the shot in the arm that real estate needs remains to be seen, at least in the short term.  Economic data has been mixed, showing moderate growth overall with no compelling case for impending recession.  Hopefully the predictions of another 6-18 months for a rebound on the housing market are wrong!  ... 09/22/2007

 I'm frequently asked if buying makes more sense than renting.  The answer is that there is no one answer as that decision depends on many factors, not the least of which involve your financial situation, job stability etc.It warrants a good look and before I go any further, for the purposes of this discussion I'm going to assume that the person asking me this question meets the following parameters:solid job historyno out of area relocation planned, at least for a few yearsgood credit history and fico scores stable incomeFirst things first, talk to a mortgage agent to see what amount you qualify for, if you don't qualify for a loan the discussion ends here. If you look at rents in the Burbank area, here are the ranges:Studio apartments         $950-11751 Bedroom    " "              $9... 09/17/2007

    Monday 17Empire State Manufacturing Survey-monthly survey of manufacturers in New York State.Consensus20 3 Month & 6 Month Bill Auction Tuesday 18FOMC Monetary Policy Announcement Consensus 4.75%    50 basis point cut Housing Market Index-Produced by the National Association of Home Builders.  This is a survey which is filled out by the members of this organization and it gives their opinion of the general state of the housing market and the economy. Producer Price Index  PPI Consensus Forecast for August 07: -.3% percentState Street Investor Confidence Index Measures actual levels of risk in investor portfolio. Treasury Int'l Capital-measures foreign demand for our debt and assets by tracking flows of financial instruments into and out of the U.S.  ICSC-USB Store Sales  Tracks comp... 09/16/2007

  For a fun night out, come check out Taste of Downtown Burbank this coming Thursday, September 27 from 5:30pm-9:30pm.It promises to be a fun event as over 30 restaurants and local eateries will participate by providing food from each of the establishments.  There will also be a Beer and Wine Walk in front of the AMC Theaters.Entertainment includes Lao Tizer, a contemporary jazz performer and  Stompy Jones, for fun rock and roll! Cost for the event, if you preorder, is $25 per adult, food only, $35 per adult for food and Kids are $10. Add $5 for same day tickets.Proceeds will benefit the Burbank YMCA! It promises to be a fun event! For your Burbank Real Estate needs visit me at anaconnell.com!    09/16/2007