I love the holidays as there are always places to go and family and friends we get to reconnect with.  It is also a time of traditions.  My kids go with their Dad every year to see A Christmas Carol and as I thought about that, I thought I'd put together a list of Christmas Plays in the area.  Perhaps you can start your own tradition with your family by attending one of the following:A Christmas CarolSouth Coast RepertoryNov.24th-Dec.24th714-708-5555www.scr.orgThe Glory of ChristmasThe Crystal Cathedral Nov.23rd-Jan.5th714-54 Glorywww.CrystalCathedral.org Radio City Christmas SpectacularOrange County Performing Arts CenterDec.13th-30th714-556-2787www.Ocpac.org La Posada MagicaSouth County Repetory Segerstrom StageDec.7th-23rd714-708-5555www.scr.orgThe NutcrackerIrvine Barclay TheaterDec... 11/12/2007

As we enter the Holiday season, many of us will be entertaining family and friends from out of town.  I've put together a list of things going on around South Orange County for the Month of November.Holiday Ice Rink at Irvine SpectrumNov.2-Jan. 14949-753-5180 or www.skatespectrum.comChristmas Tree Lighting at Fashion IslandNov.16th-17th949-721-2000www.shopfashionisland.comThanksgiving Community DinnerNov.21st San Clemente Community CenterHelp feed and serve the less fortunate6p.m.-9p.m.Family Assistance Ministries949-492-8477 Dana Point Turkey TrotNov.22 949-496-1555 or www.turkeytrot.comNov.24Mission Viejo Childrens Holiday Tree  Trimming PartyLa Paz Rd. at Chrisanta Drive949-830-7066Santa Clause-San ClementeNov.24th Avenida Del Mar5p.m.-9p.m. Holiday in the Harbor Dana PointNov. 30th ... 11/11/2007

The Laguna Niguel Holiday Parade is quickly approaching!  This year the city has added celebrity Grand Marshall's that include Kate Flannery, "Meridith" from The Office, Tommy Lasorda of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Spencer Martin from Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader.  Be sure to mark your calendar, December 18 on Crown Valley between Golden Lantern and La Plata. 11/05/2007

Remembering back to the first time I saw the term "short sale", I thought what most of you do...This transaction will be fast!  To my surprise, there is nothing "short" about a short sale.  A short sale is best explained as a home that is in the foreclosure or pre-foreclosure process.  Most likely the adjustable rate mortgage the owner has is adjusting upward and the payment is more than they can handle.  Unfortunatly, they are unabel to refinance out of the loan beacuse the home is not worth what is owed on the loan.  At this point, the owner contacts the bank and asks if they will accept a lessor amount to satisfy the loan.  The home is listed for sale and then noted as a "short sale".  That is the short version.Short sales can be good opportunities to purchase a home under market val... 10/31/2007

The period of 9/23/07-10/23/07 saw an overall decline in home sales compared to the same time period from August to September.  Once again the most movement was in the $1,000,000-$1,999,999 and in homes with 4 or more bedrooms.  Even though the numbers are down the market is not dead.  I have held several open house in the last several weeks and people still are looking to buy.  Good news for sellers!  I do have one buyer who is particularly interested in an ocean view condo within walking distance to the ocean in Laguna Niguel, Dana Point or Laguna Beach.  If you own such a property and are contemplating on putting it on the market, please contact me.  If you have any other questions, please contact me as well.        Single Family Sales Report  9/23/07-10/23/07                        ... 10/25/2007

For those of you following the Southern California Wildfires, this map gives you a much more comprehensive view of how many fires are still burning.  The green flames represent fires that have been contained while the red represent ones that are still burning.  Click on any flame and it will tell you about the damage caused, estimated cost, loss of live, injuries, etc.  This was created by the LA Times and the State has made a similiar one but it isn't as comprehensive.  A great testament to the Reporters in our area who are covering these fires and unfortunately another testament in how unprepared and ill-equipped our State Government was in handling this situation.  As a side note, both Temecula and Murrieta school districts are closed today due to bad air quality.    www.latimes.com/... 10/25/2007

 Schools closed in Capistrano Unified due to poor air quality from fires.Superintendent Carter has sent out a message to all parents who have children attending school in the Capistrano Unified School district.  All schools will be closed tomorrow due to deteriorating air quality conditions.  Specific schools that are threatened by the fires are in the cities of Rancho Santa Margarita, which is being affected by the Santiago Canyon fire and San Clemente, which is being affected by the fires on Camp Pendleton.I can personally tell you that today here in Laguna Niguel the air quality has indeed deteriorated with visible ash continuing to fall.  So this closure comes as no surprise.  Furthermore, Superintendent Carter also indicated that they may extend the closure through Friday.  For mor... 10/24/2007

Below you will find the statistics for Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente, and Aliso Viejo for the time frame from the 25th of Sept to the 23rd of Oct..  San Clemente saw the most closed escrows and drop of active listings.  If you have any questions about this report, please feel free to contact me.       25 Sep2 Oct9 Oct16 Oct23 Oct Laguna Beach In Escrow2015121116   Actives291291291291292   COE-30day1718161714          Laguna Niguel In Escrow5043434354   Actives585586561555550   Coe-30 day4937312826          Dana Point In Escrow4034282725   Actives377361360361361   Coe-30day2327262526          San Juan In Escrow4028262129   Actives313314342357361   Coe-30day1617161414          San Clemente In Escrow6370676177   Actives634614610607595   Coe-3036... 10/23/2007

Here is the Home Inventory for Laguna Niguel. Each week we take a snapshot of the market. This Altos Research Real-time Market Profile(TM) is the most up-to date market information available. The Profile shows you not only pricing and market numbers, but also trends in those numbers. THIS WEEKThe median single family home price in LAGUNA NIGUEL this week is $959500.The Market Action index has been trending down lately, while days-on -market is climbing, providing mostly bearish signs for the market.PRICEAgain this week we see a downward notch for prices. Prices continue to pull back from the market's highs.The Market Action Index is a good leading indicator for the durability of this trend.SUPPLY AND DEMANDLocal conditions are currently quite strongly in the Buyer's Market zone (below 3... 10/17/2007

                              Are you wondering what to do with your family and friends for Halloween?  Here are a couple of options:Sat. Oct. 20th-10a.m.29th Annual Boo Blast Carnival Moulton Elementary School-29858 Highlands, Laguna Niguel Sun. Oct. 21st-12p.mHaunted Skate ContestLaguna Niguel Skate Park-27745 Alicia Pkwy$20 entry fee, Registration begins at 9a.m. Oct. 25th-Oct. 27thHaunted TrailsCrown Valley Park-29751 Crown Valley Parkway$10  Tickets can be purchased at the Parks and Recreation office during the event only.Please be safe and have fun!!! 10/11/2007

From time to time I will publish relevant statistics pertaining to the Orange County Real Estate market.  I hope this helps you in the home buying process and that you will choose me to represent you once you decide to buy or sell a home. The statistics below represent Single Family Home Sales for Laguna Niguel, California from 8/25/07- 9/25/07.    Single Family Sales-Residential from 8/25/07-9/25/07     Other stats   Bedrooms   Condos Sold Price Class  2 or less34 or more  $0- $99,999  0000 $100,000-$149,999  0000 $200,000-$249,999  0000 $250,000-$299,999  0001 $300,000-$324,999  0001 $325,000-$349,999  0000 $350,000-$374,999  0001 $375000-$399,999  0001 $400,000-$424,999  0003 $425,000-$449,999  0003 $450,000-$474,999  0002 $475,000-$499,999  0002 $500,000-$549,999  1003 $550,000-$599... 09/25/2007

   Apparently there are a couple of scam artists in our area that operate under the following:Two people approach you in a parking lot and tell you they have found a wallet but that the local store owners don't want to be involved in getting back to the owner and don't know what to do.  After much discussion, it is agreed to open the wallet which contains several $100 bills and note saying that this is a cash payoff.  You suggest calling the local authorities but the scammers offer to contact their attorney which is located at bank. You accompany them to the bank and wait in the car while they go inside.  When they come out, they tell you their attorney says do what you like with the money which is supposed to be over $100,000 in cash.  So you agree to split the money but here is the ca... 09/20/2007

Please come and join the Residents of Laguna Niguel for a September 11th Remembrance Concert to pay tribute to those who lost their lives, were injured or suffered losses of family and friends. Live music will be played by musician/guitarist Kim Olson. There will be various speakers, including Mayor Gary Capata and a candlelit vigil. It will be held at 6:30pm at the Crown Valley Park Amphitheater, 29751 Crown Valley Parkway.For more information please call the Parks & Recreation office at (949) 425-5100.For an Orange County Market Update click "My Newsletter" to read the latest.  Please contact me for more info about rents, purchasing you own personal residence or investment properties.  888-877-6062.    09/10/2007

Calling all Riders in Southern California!  So we know you love to ride so how about putting that riding to a good cause? The Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs has put together Cruisin for the Good Life which benefits fallen Peace Officers and their families.   This ride will specifically benefit Camp Pendleton's Charity for Marines and their families.  The ride will take place on September 23rd and start at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, go through Camp Pendleton and then end up at Brio Tuscany Grill in Dana Point.  It's a win-win.  You get to ride and the families get help.  For more information go to WWW.Cruisin4goodlife.com.  08/30/2007

Would you like the opportunity to win a years lease on a 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-class sedan?  The Laguna Niguel Chamber of Commerce and Mercedes-Benz of Laguna Niguel are hosts for Taste of Laguna Niguel.  A fun filled evening with food from The Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel, Savannah Chop House, Maestro's Ocean Club, Ruth Chris Steakhouse and many more.  The tickets just for the car drawing are $10.00 and tickets for the event are $65.00.  100% of the proceeds are for the Beta Foster Care organization that serves children who are unable to live with their parents due to abuse or neglect.  For further information go to WWW.TasteofLagunaNiguel.comPlease think about giving to such a worthy cause.  Tell them I sent you their way!  08/10/2007

Let’s face it, we all need some more time in our day. I personally could use another 4 hours! Here are a few tips and a guideline as to how you can apply some time management techniques to your everyday routines. These are great tips to share with your clients! :: Evaluate your organizing strengths and weaknesses. :: Can you find things when you need them? :: Do you spend 45 minutes looking for your keys? :: Take a minute and assess your home, office and lifestyle. Make a goal of what you would like to achieve. :: Be realistic with your goals. Think small at first. Start with a goal of better managing your time. When you become more efficient with your time then you feel less overwhelmed. Imagine more time with your spouse or kids and having your home, office organized and clean. By fol... 07/09/2007

Ted's Place is practically an institution in Laguna Niguel, CA.  I started eating at Ted's about 13 years ago.  It was one of the places we frequently visited during the construction of our home in Laguna Niguel.  Ted's Place is many things to many people.  In addition to being known for giving great food at value prices (Ted's slogan, "Ted's Place for Gourmet Fast Food"), it's just a comfortable place to be.  You'll bump into neighbors and friends from all the surrounding cities.  It's also popular with families, students,  car collectors, sports teams, and the horse set of Nellie Gail.  One constant in this happy mix of satisfied diners is the place's namesake---Ted.  Ted is a big, tall Greek man with a quick smile and a twinkle in his eyes.  When Ted smiles, he smiles with his whole ... 04/28/2007

Single Family Sales - Residential Other StatisticsPrice ClassBedrooms  2 OR Less34 Or More Condo SoldResidential ActiveCondo Active$0 - $99,9990 0 0  0 53 0 $100,000 - $149,9990 0 0  0 3 2 $150,000 - $199,9990 0 0  0 0 0 $200,000 - $249,9990 0 0  0 1 3 $250,000 - $299,9990 0 0  1 4 2 $300,000 - $324,9990 0 0  0 4 6 $325,000 - $349,9990 0 0  1 3 9 $350,000 - $374,9990 0 0  3 3 15 $375,000 - $399,9990 0 0  1 20 45 $400,000 - $424,9990 0 0  6 7 15 $425,000 - $449,9990 0 0  1 18 25 $450,000 - $474,9990 0 0  4 3 18 $475,000 - $499,9990 0 0  1 9 22 $500,000 - $549,9990 0 0  3 11 43 $550,000 - $599,9990 0 0  3 23 29 $600,000 - $649,9991 1 0  4 19 27 $650,000 - $699,9990 3 2  0 40 16 $700,000 - $749,9991 2 2  0 47 2 $750,000 - $799,9991 0 0  1 48 3 $800,000 - $999,9990 8 3  0 165 12 $1,000,000 ... 04/10/2007