Where is Santa Clarita?  Well if your a fan of the television show "24" then you would have a harder time finding us here in Santa Clarita as we were nuked by terrorist in one of their recent episodes last season.  But let me be the first to tell you we are all just fine and last time I checked there were no elevated levels of radioactivity. Despite all this publicity which no city really wants we are still a question mark in most minds as to where we are located unless you use a GPS navigational device.  The conversation usually takes place like this.  "I'm from Santa Clarita", Where's that? "You know where Six Flags Magic Mountain is? Oh"  I know where you live now.  It is even hard for Magic Mountain to find themselves in the Santa Clarita valley their own web page states they are in... 08/04/2007

One of the nicest communities in ALL of Santa Clarita, The Woodlands, is comprised of four different tracts of homes. These just arent homes. They are the nicest homes Valencia has to offer, in a prestigious gated community where you feel like you have arrived at a vacation getaway. The four tracts of homes range in size and price. To be sure though, the prices aren't for all! Starting with the least expensive community, Carmelita, these homes offer distinct quality for clustered single family homes that look almost like large townhomes. Prices at Carmelita are currently running in the $600k to $700k range. The floor plans ofer square footage ranging from 1640 to 2356 sq ft, 3 and 4 bedroom homes. All have two car garages as well. You will fall in love when you see the little courtyard ... 08/02/2007

If you asked Carl Goldman owner of our hometown radio station he'd say KHTS 1220 A.M. Sorry Carl, there is only one other station that is literally cooler than yours and that's the Ice Station in Valencia California!  Valencia is within the city of Santa Clarita.The Ice Station is our local Ice rink where you will find all kinds of different activities for all age groups.  My daughters all learned how to Ice Skate there, and they have lessons for every age group.  The instructors are great and know how to work with kids.  They also have more advanced figure skating instruction as well as hockey leagues for various age groups. There are other things you can do at the ice station ,the upstairs has a banquet room for  special events. There is a dining area as well that you can sit in and w... 07/30/2007

- VALENCIA, CA- VALENCIA (SOUTH) AREA HOMES- VALENCIA COMMUNITY: "BEST OF" OLD ORCHARD I & II tractsThe very first Valencia master plan tract, in this blogs opinion, is still one of the very best today. No, they were not built in the 1990's, the 1980's, or even the 1970's - they were built in late 1960's and the community looks better than many brand new communities. Tree lined streets, winding paseos, subterranean bridge, cute cottage style one story homes, and two story homes that even look like one stories form the front elevation. The Old Orchard communities are filled with charm, and its no wonder why there are so many long term residents who live there. Valencia, Ca homes for sale are considered among the best in Southern California. Often times people come to Valencia from out of... 07/26/2007

It will be about a year now when I first stepped thru the gym doors at Valencia High that Sunday Morning. I received a postcard invitation in the mail from the church that I had set aside for weeks.  I pulled it from the spot where I had stored it (Which is a miracle in itself I found it) I had a calling to seek and find a deeper meaning/purpose in my life  We had been searching as a family for a church throughout the Santa Clarita Valley.  As we walked towards the gym we were first greeted by Charlie Helms who welcomed us , thanked us for coming, and handed us a program.  It was an outline of the agenda for the day. We continued walking towards the gym and came upon Pastor Mike who walked up and introduced himself and welcomed us in as well.  You may be wondering why I keep referring t... 07/24/2007

As part of my new series of blog posts entitled "BEST OF...", I hope to highlight some of my favorite real estate spots in Santa Clarita, and why I feel they are the "BEST OF" Santa Clarita. I will feature communities (Tracts) that span all price ranges and styles. I want to make sure that home buyers get an in depth look at different communities offered in Santa Clarita, their pros, and to be objective, some of their cons. Enjoy!- VALENCIA, CA- NORTHBRIDGE AREA HOMES- VALENCIA COMMUNITY: "BEST OF" MONTANA tractFor those of you shopping for a townhome in Santa Clarita, but more specifically Valencia, the Montana tract of townhomes has to be on your list! This lushly landscaped community in Valencia has townhomes for sale, and nice variety of different sizes. The floor plans offered rang... 07/23/2007

Well I haven't, and I am glad. I am not a big fast food eater, but occasionally, I like some fries and a burger. Recently I have noticed, the places I have gone to have the worst customer service. Better yet, the employees normally look at you like your inconveniencing them by making them work, or put down the cell phone. Well if your interested, Wendy's on Smyth Drive (near Copper Hill and Newhall Ranch Road)has it....smiling employee, excellent customer service, great food, even Don, who makes sure your experience is top notch, and passes out breath mints to boot. Even though this gem wasn't a secret, the place was packed, the seating was clean, the line went quick, and everyone, including the guests, were smiling. It felt like I was in a time warp, you know, back when it meant someth... 07/11/2007

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Mario Buntich is a friend and neighbor who owns and manages the auto paint and body repair shop  Star Auto Group Body Shop in Glendale California.Now a little bit of history (Disclosure) I have known Mario for years he grew up in the same town as my wife and I in a suburb outside of L.A. called (Eagle Rock) We all had mutual friends growing up.  So as it goes you grow up and everyone goes their separate ways. Years had gone by I would run into mutual friends from time to time, "What is Mario up to? last I heard Mario was living in Chatsworth?"  Let him know I said Hey when you s... 06/28/2007

 This may not be the cheapest sandwich in Valencia, California, but let me tell you they are worth every penny!  My neighbor across the street invited me to grab a bite at Jersey Mike's in Valencia off of  Copperhill Dr  the other day. I had never been there so I was open to try something new.  Besides my neighbor has never steered me wrong when it comes to eating out so far, as I adjust my belt-loop another notch in the wrong direction.  Once we got there the first thing I noticed was the place was packed, this place must be good, or is this line for the bathroom?  Well as luck would have it, it was the line for sandwiches and after ordering and then sitting down and biting into my #13 sandwich "Mikes' way", I was not disappointed.  "wow this is really good!".   Now Jersey Mike's is a ... 06/26/2007

U.S. Bank, grocery shopping, Starbuck Frappacinos, Doug Brown from Frontier Toyota, Prostate cancer awareness, and a Antaphi concert all inside the Valencia Pavilions!  What will they think of next!!!Yes, this isn't a typo we listened to a great local Santa Clarita Band "Antaphi" inside the Valencia Pavilions today!.  They were there playing for a good cause raising funds for prostate cancer awareness and they were good!!  In fact we bought their CD and donated towards the prostate cancer cause. I plan to see them again, Here is their show schedule  They are a great local homegrown and talented group. Chip, Dan, and Lucas put on a great show.  Their website is found at www.antaphi.com and have a MYSPACE page at www.myspace.com/antaphi It all started with my deposit at U.S. Bank which ha... 06/17/2007

I would like to wish every Father out there and Happy Fathers Day.  I really want to send out a special Thank You to my own Daddy.  I am lucky enough to have the kind of Father that everyone liked and still does.  I am for sure the biggest Daddy's Girl enough now with two kids of my own.  I can stand up and say " Daddy, I Love you and thank you for everything you have done and will do for me.  I am nothing without you". Remember to call your Dad and tell him what a great guy he is or call that special person who has always been like a father to you! 06/16/2007

Here's a simple thing you should recommend to all of your clients even if your aren't the one running their credit report.  Tell your clients to call 888-567-8688 or go online at https://www.optoutprescreen.com and have them sign up for this free service to stop the credit bureaus from selling their personal and private information.  Everyone seems to know the "do not call" list however it appears that very few people have heard of the opt out list for credit reports.  Signing up for this list ensures that your credit profile and personal information is not sold by the credit bureaus to 3rd parties.  With all the identity theft and credit fraud that goes on in this country, we as responsible mortgage brokers (or Realtors) should be protective of our clients private information and shoul... 03/13/2007

Despite consumers dislike for prepayment penalties lenders often make them a requirement of the loan.  Nobody wants one; nobody likes them.  So why can't we just get rid of them altogether?  My rule of thumb is to generally avoid prepayment penalties when possible, but is there ever a time when it's advisable to accept a prepayment penalty?  To answer this, we need to look at the big picture so that we can better understand the role of prepayment penalties in a loan.  Sure, prepayment penalties exist to protect the lenders profit margin on a loan, but a closer look reveals that the driving force behind prepayment penalties is the need to lend in a marketplace that would otherwise not exist. Say for example a lender has $25M to lend.  They can choose to lend that money to borrowers with ... 02/27/2007

   As one of the chapter presidents for BNI, I can testify to the power and effectiveness of network marketing and if you're not already involved in a networking group, I encourage you to check out your local BNI chapter.  The objective of any networking group is to grow your business through network referrals, but BNI's slogan is "Givers Gain" meaning the more you give unto others the better you are for it; and (in time) it will all come back to you.  This can probably be said about any capacity in your life and certainly a good motto to live by. "However there's a valuable and intrinsic component to membership that is often overlooked and has nothing to do with giving or receiving referrals." That's with this post is about. It's about the ability to extend services to your clients 2 o... 02/15/2007

Greetings everyone, I wanted to get all of you two updates coming down the real estate grapevine tonight. 1st Update) Newhall Land & Farm is now putting out an estimated month to start presales for their new village, called River Village which is going to be built mostly if not all by Lennar. The month now being talked about is March 2007. I had mentioned in a previous Blog and email, that there will likely be a Mello Roos tax assessment for this community. The Saugus Union School District will be meeting in Jan 07 to discuss forming the Community Facilities District (CFD) necessary in order to levy such a tax that will in turn bring in revenue to expand Emblem Elementary. When the date gets solidified for sales, and preliminary floor plans are released - you will be the first to know. ... 12/15/2006