Saturday I went down to the monthly Rotary meeting held for our district. On the way back I joined fellow Rotarians Ed Bolden, Wayne Archie, Phil Delavan, Chris Ball, Ken Petersen, Connie Ragen Green, and Santa Clarita Rotary President David Goldberg at the Val Verde offices of the Samuel Dixon Family Health Centers. The place needed some sprucing up so we planted flowers and cleaned up the grounds. Ed Bolden is the president of this organization so when he asked us for help we were happy to say yes. Rotary is all about fellowship and Saturday morning was fellowship at its best. We were 8 people joined together for the good of others who will never even know we were there. 07/15/2007

I spent this weekend volunteering for some organizations here in Santa Clarita. It felt good to help others who need it so badly. I started out by volunteering at the Hunger Defense Fund in Santa Clarita. They feed more than 2,000 children in this city who come from low income families. The people who work there are amazing in their never ending quest for more donations from grocery stores, businesses and individuals. I enjoy helping out in any way that they can use me.Later on I went over to the Samuel Dixon Family Health Centers, Inc. medical building in Val Verde. I met up with several other Rotarians and we planted flowers, cleaned up the grounds and just made the building look nicer for the people that are treated there on a daily basis.I felt so good about the work I had done that... 07/15/2007

Tis' the season for builder specials. Looking for a new home in Valencia? Lennar, which is building out the West Creek and West Hills of Valencia new home communities, has just announced a special at their West Hills location. The single family homes named "Castillo Series" now have two home sites that are poised to sell fast with this great special incentive outlined below:1) HOMESITE 292PRICED AT $585,000NO CLOSING COSTS*NO HOA fees for the first 2 years*Interest rates as low as 5.5% when receiving a loan through UAMC 2) HOMESITE 348PRICED AT $615,000NO CLOSING COSTS*NO HOA fees for the first 2 years*Interest rates as low as 5.5% when receiving a loan through UAMCDONT GO AT IT ALONE! This Valencia new home community allows you to be represented by a Realtor, no charge or fee to you! Y... 07/12/2007

Farmer's Insurance was started by two men with connections to the rural community. These men were John C. Tyler and Thomas E. Leavey. They believed that farmers should receive preferred rates on their auto insurance because they were less likely to be involved in an accident.The same might be said of residents of Santa Clarita. We are in a safer area in this section of Los Angeles county, and even though our population is growing we are still less likely to be involved in an accident. Do you think that insurance companies should give preferred rates to people who live in smaller cities, or should it depend on individual driving habits? 07/11/2007

I will never forget that August morning 2001 in Stevenson Ranch California as I drove to work I noticed a number of patrol cars on Brooks Cir as I turned on to Poe Parkway.  I was thinking to myself,  should I turn back and stay with my family?, but it appeared all was under control and I thought they (law enforcement) were serving a warrant on one of the houses on Brooks possibly for some minor offense. I had no idea of the tragedy that was about to unfold in the next few minutes as I drove down the street towards my office. I was now turning on to Stevenson Ranch Parkway when I saw a few patrol cars all in a row with sirens blaring heading up to the scene at full speed!  I was unaware that Deputy Jake Kuredjian had just been killed, responding to a "shots fired" call as he came to the... 07/10/2007

Several times a day, my phone rings and the caller on the other end is a seller with their home currently on the market. Why do these people choose to call me? Well, I have a unique view on the real estate market. You see, my primary occupation is residential real estate management, but I still practice listings and sales. I have a sister company that strictly practices residential listings and sales. My primary occupation as a real estate manager is what provides me with a unique view. Yes, many real estate agents talk about renting a home versus selling it, but many of them also find themselves in a quandary. "Do I sabotage my listing and encourage my seller to rent? Do I try to manage it for them so I can get the listing down the road? Do I simply push for another price reduction?" D... 07/09/2007

WHAT IS A MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT? A Management Agreement is the term used fairly widely referring to the contract used between a Management Company and an Owner of a property. What is included in these agreements varies widely. Not just geographically. You can see quite a disparity in contracts used by companies in the same town. Some companies will charge a monthly fee for vacant properties, others may not. Some companies will make a profit on repairs, others may not. Some companies will hold the security deposit, others may not. Some companies may negotiate fees, others may not. DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU SIGNED? Sounds like a pretty simple question, but most people will sign 1000s of papers in their lifetime without reading them. Now, don't get me wrong, I am guilty of this, too. However, si... 07/07/2007

This year we had the greatest 4th of July ever. It started out at 6 am as we set up the tables and chairs for the Santa Clarita Rotary Club's blueberry pancake breakfast. Yes, that's right, they brought back those delicious bluberry pancakes that haven't been served since the last millenium. Some brilliant Rotarian in Santa Clarita had the idea to make them again and the blueberry compost and fresh blueberry pancakes were served up to over 600 hungry visitors.The parade got started around 9:45 and it had the theme of "20 Years of Cityhood for Santa Clarita". Watching this parade for only the second time made me realize just how fortunate I am to be living in this town. The people are genuine and the atmosphere is one of goodness and fairness to others. The boy scouts rode their scooters... 07/06/2007

One of my clients asked me why her homeowner's insurance cost so much less in Santa Clarita than it did previously when she lived in the San Fernando valley. Her home there was similar in square footage, but had been built in 1965. The home she purchased last year in Saugus is new. She thought that the price of homeowner's insurance was based solely on location.I explained to her that insurance companies take many things into account when rating an area and a home. A brand new home will always receive a discount. Other factors, such as roofing material, crime rate and grafitti are also taken into consideration. It is best to check with your insurance agent if you have questions or concerns about your homeowner's insurance.                                                            07/06/2007

Well the first thing you notice when you walk into Wahoo's is the beachlike atmosphere.  You really expect to find the beach as you walk out to the outdoor patio.  Wahoo's is located on the corner of Valencia Blvd and McBean Parkway in the Kohl's shopping Mall across the street from the Valencia Town Center. I found myself at Wahoo's today thanks to a mailer I received the other day about their joint promotion with the American Red Cross.  The Red Cross had their mobile bus at the Wahoo's Valencia, California location today, and I had not donated blood this year!!.  I was looking forward to donating blood and later rewarding myself with a couple of Wahoo's fish tacos, I have heard so much about.  It is such a great feeling knowing that someone's life could be saved as a result of my blo... 07/06/2007

 The new July 2007 issue is here! Check out my full page Santa Clarita real estate Homes and Land magazine ad. It features my homes for sale, and audio tour information for my Santa Clarita homes for sale. You can pick up a copy at most local stores and stands in Santa Clarita. Enjoy!CLICK HERE TO VIEW and even download a copy.  Remember...when buying or selling Santa Clarita real estate, call me 1st. Robert Mickalson, RealtorVintage Sotheby's International Realty661.219.2260 or 661.373.2374Search the Santa Clarita MLS like a pro @ www.TheScvAgent.comSearch the UP-To-Date Santa Clarita Tract Directory! Go to www.TractDirectory.com  07/06/2007

The annual 4th of July parade, held in the Newhall section of Santa Clarita, was even more elaborate this year than in year's past. It started out with the Rotary Club's pancake breakfast. This year the Rotarian's had a great idea: go back to offering bluberry pancakes as well as the traditional buttermilk. I'm not sure whose idea this was but it was brilliant. People were given a choice of having the bluberries cooked inside of the pancakes, bluberry compost on top of the pancakes, or both.The theme of the parade was "20 Years of Cityhood for Santa Clarita". You can read more about it by going to The Signal's article. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca was there, as well as Mayor Marsha McLean, past mayors Carl Boyer and Clyde Smith, and many others who work hard for our community. 07/06/2007

Teri and Rick Garcia are past clients of mine when I worked for a local national lender here in Santa Clarita, California.  The Garcia's are the type of people you want not only as a client but more importantly as "friends".  The Garcia's are fun to be around with and Rick has a great sense of humor.  I hear Rick is a great basketball player I'll have to take him on one of these days!. (NOT!)  The Garcia's are full of life traveling here and everywhere, I live vicariously through their adventures when they tell  stories of their latest exploits. Teri, amongst her many talents, has taught special needs children and similar pursuits throughout her life.  I wanted to share with you today, a talent that Teri has, and that is the gift of Art.   Teri is an accomplished local artist as you wil... 07/03/2007

Santa Clarita auto insurance rates are fairly reasonable, compared with prices in other sections of Los Angeles county. The trend I am seeing is for people to raise their deductibles on their car insurance policies in order to save some money on the premiums.It is best to discuss this with your insurance agent because there may be other factors to consider. For example, if you keep your car in the garage every night and do not park it on the street or in an area of high crime during the day, you may be safe in raising your deductible on the comprehensive portion of your insurance. On the other hand, if you know that you will be driving your car in an unsavory area on a regular basis, it is probably a good idea to discuss it with your agent. 07/01/2007

My oldest child attends Rancho Pico Jr high in Stevenson Ranch, California.  Sure I attended all of the open houses and other similar activities, but I missed out on all of those after school adventures "traveling with Mr Johnson" which I could have attended had I planned things better.  These are missed opportunities to spend "Quality" time with my child doing something I absolutely love.  That is exploring, and in addition to that, exploring with a teacher who shares the love of the outdoors and it's history.  Something I have all but abandoned in my  "Pursuit of happiness"   As I  browse thru Mr Johnson's website www.mrjohnson.org I see all of the after school "Adventures" he's been on with other parents and students and I cant help but wonder what I may have discovered on one of the... 06/30/2007

I first came to visit the U.S. back in 1992. It had been my childhood dream to come here and when the time finally came I was in awe of the beauty and greatness of this free country. I was born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1945 and moved to Finland in 1968. The idea of being able to live in America was more than I could ever have imagined.This dream of mine came true when I was able to move here in 1994. I thought long and hard about becoming a citizen and decided that I would wait until the right time for me to choose between my Swedish citizenship and becoming a United States citizen.When September 11 happened I saw everything very differently. I finally understood the fierce patriotism of the people I had come to know in this country. I finally felt the pain they were going through when t... 06/30/2007

Today's Santa Clarita real estate inventory report:There are 2,326 homes for sale in Santa Clarita. Compare that to the same period last year in 2006 where we had 3,311 listings for sale. Remember...when buying or selling Santa Clarita real estate, call me 1st. Robert Mickalson, RealtorVintage Sotheby's International Realty661.219.2260 or 661.373.2374Search the Santa Clarita MLS like a pro @ www.TheScvAgent.comSearch the UP-To-Date Santa Clarita Tract Directory! Go to www.TractDirectory.com 06/29/2007

No, it is NOT an iphone! It is a Blackberry curve and it is fabulous. So why did I choose today, June 29, 2007 to purchase a new phone at Cingular/AT & T of all places? Well, that is an interesting story. Earlier in the day I noticed that my Nokia 3530 was sticky on the back. Upon closer examination it turned out that a piece had broken off and the glue from that piece was making a mess on my phone. I turned it off and tried to clean it up with some soap and water. Big mistake!When I turned the phone on again it made some sad little beeps and then turned itself off one last time. My phone had gone to cell phone heaven. So I took a breath and went off to the closest Cingular/At & T on Valencia Boulevard in Santa Clarita and bought my new Blackberry. There were about 25 people waiting in ... 06/29/2007

Fire insurance in Santa Clarita costs less than the national average. One thing that determines the cost of your insurance is the distance of your home from the fire department. It makes sense if you think about it: the closer your home is to the fire station, the faster they will be able to get there if there is a call. With a fire, timing is everything. 06/29/2007

To sum it up, as of May 2007 sales are down in the Santa Clarita real estate market in a big way vs 2006 figures, however up from April 07 numbers, and our prices are actually holding steady with the median price of a home at about $615,000. Its a good thing there are less listings, otherwise we would be in trouble. The inventory hasn't ballooned like it did in 2006, so a drop in sales of single family homes by about 23% vs 2006 numbers isn't as bad as it sounds. Approximatly 179 Santa Clarita single family homes and 90 condos sold in the month of May 2007. We are in a market where there is still a large supply of homes for sale, and still a shortage of buyers. I anticipate prices to remain pretty steady in Santa Clarita overall. Sure some areas, or specific tracts will see price decrea... 06/29/2007