Paularino was another small town that was established within the limits of what is now Costa Mesa.  If the town still existed, it would be bordered by Newport Boulevard, Fairview, the 405 Freeway and the final boundary would be just south of Baker.  The town was established in 1886 by Elizabeth Berry. In 1912, there was enough of a population in Paularino to warrant opening a school The town never became more than a few farms, a railroad siding and a school  However, it never faded to obscurity; it simply became part of Costa Mesa as Costa Mesa spread to encompass many small towns. For more information about  relocating to Costa Mesa, California and what a great place it is to live, please see Costa Mesa Real Estate. For more information on Costa Mesa history, see the following articles... 07/08/2008

The Costa Mesa Real Estate report for July 8, 2008 is as follows: There are 368 homes currently for sale in Costa Mesa.  269 of these are single family (SFR) homes.  99 are condos. 87 homes are in escrow, conditionally sold. 68 are SFRs. 19 are condos. 0 homes have closed escrow since our last report.  5 homes were listed today. 4 homes were put into escrow today.   2 listings were cancelled, 1 listing expired (did not sell during the listing period) and 2 homes were put on hold today.  Median Sold Price in July is $585,000. Average Sold Price in July is $639,425. For more information on relocating to Costa Mesa, please visit Costa Mesa Real Estate.  For information on the value of a particular home please visit Costa Mesa Home Values.     Information deemed accurate and reliable but no... 07/08/2008

Market Update for the Costa Mesa Area Single Family Homes The following are the statistics for the first half of the year: January 1, 2008 to June 30, 2008 Active Listings:  738 Closed Sales:    188 Average Price: $564,927.00 Days on Market:   93 Days Compared to first half 2007:  -17.8% For more information about property in Costa Mesa, Costa Mesa Real Estate, and to begin your Costa Mesa Property Search, please view my website at www.sharonintheoc.com. 07/08/2008

There are so many great things to do in Costa Mesa in the summertime. FREE SUMMER CONCERTS One thing that my family and I enjoy are the free summer concerts at Fairview Park almost every Tuesday in July and August. The concerts are from 6:15 pm to 7:45 pm.  July 8, 2008 - The Answer (classic rock) July 15 - Incendio (classic guitar band) July 22 - The Skinny Little Twits (oldies rock) July 29 - Steel Parade (steel drum/Caribbean) August 5 - Swing Cats Band (10-piece big band) August 12 - The HoDads (surf band) Be sure to bring blankets and a picnic for dinner.  It is a great time to spend some time outdoors in our beautiful, beachy weather with your family and friends. You will also find free face painting and free crafts for the kids provided by the City of Costa Mesa.  And, if you pre... 07/07/2008

The Costa Mesa Real Estate report for July 7, 2008 is as follows: There are 368 homes currently for sale in Costa Mesa.  269 of these are single family (SFR) homes.  99 are condos. 85 homes are in escrow, conditionally sold. 66 are SFRs. 19 are condos. 1 home closed escrow since our last report.  6 homes were listed today. 2 homes were put into escrow today.   1 listing was cancelled and 4 homes were put on hold today.  Median Sold Price in July is $585,000. Average Sold Price in July is $639,425. For more information on relocating to Costa Mesa, please visit Costa Mesa Real Estate.  For information on the value of a particular home please visit Costa Mesa Home Values.     Information deemed accurate and reliable but not guaranteed. Information from So Cal MLS.   07/07/2008

The Costa Mesa Real Estate report for July 6, 2008 is as follows: There are 368 homes currently for sale in Costa Mesa.  269 of these are single family (SFR) homes.  99 are condos. 88 homes are in escrow, conditionally sold. 68 are SFRs. 20 are condos. No homes have closed escrow since our last report.  1 homes was listed today. No homes were put into escrow today.    Median Sold Price in July is $585,000. Average Sold Price in July is $664,343. For more information on relocating to Costa Mesa, please visit Costa Mesa Real Estate.  For information on the value of a particular home please visit Costa Mesa Home Values.     Information deemed accurate and reliable but not guaranteed. Information from So Cal MLS.   07/06/2008

The Costa Mesa Real Estate report for July 5, 2008 is as follows: There are 367 homes currently for sale in Costa Mesa.  269 of these are single family (SFR) homes.  98 are condos. 88 homes are in escrow, conditionally sold. 70 are SFRs. 20 are condos. 1 home, a condo, has closed escrow since our last report.  3 homes were listed today. No homes were put into escrow today. 1 home was taken off the market.   Median Sold Price in July is $585,000. Average Sold Price in July is $664,343. For more information on relocating to Costa Mesa, please visit Costa Mesa Real Estate.  For information on the value of a particular home please visit Costa Mesa Home Values.     Information deemed accurate and reliable but not guaranteed. Information from So Cal MLS.   07/05/2008

The Costa Mesa Real Estate report for The Fourth of July, 2008 is as follows: There are 365 homes currently for sale in Costa Mesa.  266 of these are single family (SFR) homes.  99 are condos. 90 homes are in escrow, conditionally sold. 70 are SFRs. 20 are condos. 0 homes closed escrow today.  3 homes were listed today. No homes were put into escrow on this national holiday. 1 home was taken off the market.   Median Sold Price in July is $585,000. Average Sold Price in June is $728,980. For more information on relocating to Costa Mesa, please visit Costa Mesa Real Estate.  Happy Fourth of July!   Information deemed accurate and reliable but not guaranteed. Information from So Cal MLS. 07/04/2008

The Costa Mesa Real Estate report for July 3, 2008 is as follows: There are 360 homes currently for sale in Costa Mesa.  263 of these are single family (SFR) homes.  97 are condos. 90 homes are in escrow, conditionally sold. 70 are single family residences. 20 are condos. 0 homes closed escrow today.  7 homes were listed today. 2 homes were put into escrow - conditionally sold; 4 were put on hold.   Median Sold Price in July is $585,000. Average Sold Price in June is $728,980. For more information on relocating to Costa Mesa, please visit Costa Mesa Real Estate.     Information deemed accurate and reliable but not guaranteed. Information from So Cal MLS. 07/03/2008

The Costa Mesa Real Estate report for July 2, 2008 is as follows: There are 362 active listings in Costa Mesa.  266 of these are single family (SFR) homes.  96 are condos. 89 homes are in escrow. 67 are single family residences. 22 are condos. 5 homes have closed escrow since yesterday.  4 were single family homes and one was condo. Since our post yesterday, 12 homes were listed. 2 homes were put into escrow - conditionally sold; 2 were put on hold.  3 were taken off the market. Median Sold Price in July was $585,000. Average Sold Price in June was $728,980. For more information on relocating to Costa Mesa, please visit Costa Mesa Real Estate.     Information deemed accurate and reliable but not guaranteed. Information from So Cal MLS. 07/02/2008

The media has been reporting doom and gloom in the real estate market for months. Prices are down and keep falling.  Inventory is up and keeps growing.  It is obvious we're in a buyers' market, isn't it? However, there is definitely something going on, especially in the well-priced properties. I have been out showing homes to a client, who like many people, is looking for a great deal, and we've found a few.  The first one had been on the market for only a few days, and when we went to make an offer, we were told that there were nearly 20 offers, some all cash, some for significantly more than the list price.  Is this a return to the crazy market of a few years ago where a buyer could expect to have to offer more than the listing price in order to be a successful buyer?  In general, I d... 07/02/2008

MID-YEAR FORECAST UPDATEFollowing 13 months of sales below 400,000 homes, sales of existing detached homes in California in the month of May rose to 423,700 units on a seasonally adjusted and annualized basis. This corresponded to a 15.5 percent increase from the April figure of 366,720 homes, and an 18.1 percent year-to-year gain from the May 2007 figure of 358,640 homes. This was the second consecutive year-to-year gain, following a 30-month string of year-to-year percentage decreases that began in October 2005. Home sales now stand 14.6 percent below 2007 sales on a year-to-date basis. Although sales have improved since reaching a low point last October, the median price of a home in California fell by yet another record-setting margin last month. The median price for May was $384,8... 07/02/2008

The Costa Mesa Real Estate report for July 1, 2008 is as follows: There are 356 active listings in Costa Mesa.  260 of these are single family (SFR) homes.  96 are condos. 98 homes are in escrow. 75 are single family residences. 23 are condos. No homes have closed escrow since yesterday.  Though 35 homes closed escrow/sold in June.  Of these, 27 were single family residences and 8 of them were condos. Since our post yesterday, 5 homes were listed. 7 homes were put into escrow - conditionally sold; 2 were put on hold.  8 were taken off the market. Median Sold Price in June was $545,000. Average Sold Price in June was $548,028. For more information on relocating to Costa Mesa, please visit Costa Mesa Real Estate.     Information deemed accurate and reliable but not guaranteed. Information... 07/01/2008

   TIMING ISN'T EVERYTHING! In light of declining sales and tougher loan requirements, many potential buyers are asking if they should buy now, or wait several months before moving forward with a decision.  The thing is, you can't time the real estate market any more than you can time the stock market.  Simply put, the best time to buy is simply when you need to do so. Start searching now, targeting your preferred location in your community and getting a sense of the trends.  Call me to gauge listing times, list-to-sale ratios, and contract terms.  There's no such thing as a "national" market, and every area is going through its own adjustments, up or down. Now isn't a bad time to begin your loan search as well, to determine how much home you can afford, and to start assembling the req... 07/01/2008

In 1887, banking on the continued demand for housing in Southern California, a group of business men bought over 1700 acres and started a town they named Fairview. This town was part of what was once the Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana.  Fairview's main street is now known as Harbor Boulevard, and the town itself was located near the modern day intersection of Harbor and Adams. By the end of 1887, the city had many homes as well as a school, a hotel, a post office, a general store and a drug store. 1888 brought the railroad to town.  This along with a mineral spring, which was discovered in the town, made it appear that the town would flourish.  However, by the end of 1888, less than a year after the town began, fewer people were buying homes.  The death knell for the little town of Fairvi... 06/30/2008

The Costa Mesa Real Estate report for June 30, 2008 is as follows: There are 362 active listings in Costa Mesa - meaning homes that are currently marketed for sale on the multiple listing service (MLS). 264 of these are single family (SFR) homes.  98 are condos. 89 homes are in escrow. 69 are single family residences. 20 are condos. This month, 35 homes closed escrow/sold.  Of these, 27 were single family residences and 8 of them were condos. Median Sold Price in June is $545,000. Average Sold Price in June is $548,028. For more information, please visit Costa Mesa Real Estate.           Information deemed accurate and reliable but not guaranteed. Information from So Cal MLS. 06/30/2008

            LOOK AT WHAT THE PRICES WAS  in 2005 !!!  $ 585,000 !!! NOW IN TODAY'S MARKET THE PRICE IS  $ 375,000 !!!! BANK OWNED...3 bedroom, 1 bath home on great street. Huge lot with lots of room to expand if you want. Great curb appeal with custom hardscaping and brick work. Oversized driveway that could fit an RV. Custom entry door with leaded glass inlay. Needs work, but what an opportunity!! Close to the beach and Canyon Park. Home is being sold in its present condition with all its faults, known and unknown with no warranties expressed or implied.  Located in Costa Mesa near 19th & Placentia.  For more on the history of Costa Mesa go to this site: http://www.ci.costa-mesa.ca.us/about/history.htm    tags COSTA MESA BANK REPO,OC FORECLOSURE,ORANGE COUNTY REO,REO LIST ,PUBLIC AUCTI... 06/26/2008

As I mentioned in my last post, 25 years ago this September, I met a 15-year-old girl on a school bus. Little did I know then what a difference she would make in my life. We saw each other every day at the bus stop.  We were both new to Newport Harbor High School; she was starting her sophomore year, and I my freshman year.  It seemed we had little in common.  Like many teenagers, we were opinionated and knew we were right.  Somehow through our teenage angst and antagonism, we began to spend time together and see the positives in each other. By the end of my freshman year, we were no longer antagonistic, and when Kendra celebrated her Sweet Sixteen, I spent the day with her. I still remember the two of us giving one of our friends a complete makeover that day.  So many memories over the... 06/25/2008

25 years ago this September, I met a 15 year old girl on a school bus. Little did I know then what a difference she would make in my life.   It's amazing the things we learn accidentally.  I had intended to finish this post later, and have discovered what a wonderful tool it is to leave them wanting more.  If you're curious to hear the rest of the story, you can read it at Making Memories over 25 Years - Part Deux.     06/24/2008

IT TAKES MONEY TO SAVE MONEY! Okay, you've found the home of your dreams.  You've determined how much you can afford because you've already been pre-approved by your lender, and your offer has been accepted.  But wait.  If you're financing the purchase, like almost everyone does, you'll actually be paying more than the final sale price of the home. Many buyers don't stop to think about how much they'll really be paying for their home by the time they've reached the final payment.  It's worth considering, and it makes it evident that you should shop around and get the best loan terms possible. Be sure to discuss your options with a trusted local real estate agent, who can provide mortgage information, illustrate different financing options, and even recommend lenders suited to your need... 06/23/2008