Archive for July, 2008
Monday Morning Coffee Break: Ventura County Real Estate Doing’s for Week Ending July 5, 2008
July 6th, 2008 Categories: Weekly Real Estate Activity In Ventura County
Watching grass grow is much more exciting than the real estate market.
However there are signs that the bottom has been set.
The past week showed listing decreasing, sales increasing, the days on the market for sold homes decreased but the variance between list price of sold homes and the sales price showed an increase.
Inventory appears to be approximately a 7 month supply which is significantly down from the 15 month supply of January, 2008.
Where are we going from here?
First there will be a continuation as we have had over the last several months. Shortly we will start seeing home prices edging upward. Over the next 12 months Ventura County will witness a 5.5% growth. Over a span of 36 months the appreciation of property in Ventura County will approximate 24.4% or more.
Meaning? If a property has a value of $ 500,000 today, in 36 months that same property will be worth $ 622,000 or more.
Ventura County should continue this upward move unless the overall economics of the area deteriorates significantly. Base on financial data available such deterioration probably will not occur.
There are simmering problems that are mentioned below but these should not impact the overall growth of the County. So for the County at this time all is well and good.
As previously mentioned Fillmore (Santa Paula and Oxnard) have to address the flood plain issue and there are community questions that have been simmering in regard to low price housing.
The flood plain discussion centers around a review of build-able areas in all of the Ventura County communities.
The question of low cost housing has been simmering for at least 7 to 10 years and will continue until it is decided by the citizens as to what type of community they want to see in the future.
Today agriculture is still strong in Ventura County but it is dwindling and attempting to project what the communities will look like in 15 to 25 years from now is not an easy task. Agriculture and the jobs it supplies will not be with us for much longer.
Foreign competition will become more aggressive and prices for food items and other essentials will become more readily available and cheaper. Wal-Mart has the blue print which others are or will soon follow.
Neither of the above mentioned problems will impact Ventura County as a whole. It will have an impact on the individual communities standard of living, life styles, tax dollars and a variety of people “wants” and needs and the type of jobs created in the County.
The advocates for less low cost housing consider these homes as not necessarily contributing significantly to the funds needed to operate the community essential items. They probably feel that such housing lessens the value of current homes in the respective communities.
Money is the base line of discussions but it also has to do with community values and life styles. What type of community do we want to live in?
Add to the equation that there are those who feel that various State and Local agencies are dictating what the values and life style should be and they are beginning to object. So politics is at play but this can be corrected by voting in different people.
The bottom line again is money. It is believed that construction of higher price homes not only attract the well to do but these people will be inclined to spend money within the community in lieu of going elsewhere to make food, clothing and entertainment purchases.
A number of areas have focused on low cost housing only to find that the residents do go elsewhere to buy not only food but other essential living items.
Poor and rich…..everyone wants the good life and a better life for themselves and children. Decisions must be made to make it feasible for both. Not an easy task and one that will not please all.
Your comments are welcomed.
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Beach Fun and Beach Perils…..
July 4th, 2008 Categories: Neighbor Helping Neighbor
This summer (or any day for that matter) we will go to the beach for a fun time in the water and sun.
But one has to be vigilant, especially if you have young children accompanying you to the beach.
Rip currents; sting rays and hitting the bottom after a wave hit can be trying moments.
Rip Currents. These are powerful channels of water that can pull swimmers (even strong swimmers) from shore.
These currents look like choppy brown rivers flowing out to sea. Swimmers should not panic or exhaust themselves by swimming against these currents. Rather they should escape the current by moving parallel to the shore as illustrated in the picture below.
And of course Mother Nature can introduce some other surprises.
The Sting Ray.
Sting rays will at times bury themselves in the sand, close to the shore line. When walking the shore line shuffle your feet to scare them off. If you do get stung get medical attention quickly.
Fire Rings (not Mother Nature but a Man Made surprise).
Fire rings are coals that have been smoldering over a period of time (usually 24 hours) and are the result of a campfire. Often what happens is that the individuals do take precautions to make sure the coals have been extinguished. But what appears to be out and dead may in fact still have some spark left. If not covered completely by sand or doused with water these coals can ignite again and harm a walker or child playing in the sand. So kids in particular have to be careful of where they step or play in the sand.
Body surfing.
We all enjoy body surfing, or simply walk the surf. But there can be safety issues involved if one is not aware of what the ocean is doing.
Small waves pack tremendous power. These waves can drive a person down into the ocean floor. Serious neck and spinal cord injuries can be a result of being hit with a wave. So swimmers have to be careful when diving head first in the shallows of the ocean. And walkers have to be careful not to be swept up in a wave. Be aware and prepared.
For more details of safety tips, visit the Project Wipeout website sponsored by a Newport Beach hospital at: www.hoaghospital.org/projectwipeout.html. A great portion of this article was premised on this source.
Your comments are welcomed.
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Ventura County Reverse 911-Emergency Public Notification System
July 2nd, 2008 Categories: Neighbor Helping Neighbor
The County of Ventura has announced the official launch of the REVERSE 911® Interactive Community Notification System. The system may be used to deliver alerts when there is a threat to the health or safety of residents in the cities of Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, and the unincorporated areas of Ventura CountyREVERSE 911® is an outbound notification system used for time-sensitive, mass distribution of emergency messages. The system is particularly effective in times of crisis when rapid communication to a targeted group of citizens or emergency responders is critical. Citizens may be given information regarding evacuation notices, hazardous material releases, community-policing activities or alerts to boil water if necessary. Therefore, when residents receive a REVERSE 911® message, it is important to listen carefully and follow all instructions provided in the alert.
It is also important for residents not to rely on REVERSE 911® notifications as their only means of emergency information. The system may be used in conjunction with information provided to the media, directions given by emergency responders, and information posted on official city, county and government websites.
The REVERSE 911® system is able to send notifications to landline telephones, TTY phones, cellular phones, Voice Over Internet Protocol phones, and e-mail / text addresses. Currently, the Ventura County REVERSE 911® database includes both listed and unlisted landline phone numbers for AT&T and Verizon customers. Residents who want to receive notifications on their cellular, TTY or VoIP phones will need to register online or call the Ventura County Sheriffs Office of Emergency Services at (805) 648-9283.
For more information on REVERSE 911® in Ventura County or to register phone numbers online, residents can click on the Disaster Information link on the County of Ventura homepage (www.countyofventura.org) and select the REVERSE 911® icon. Ventura County REVERSE 911®
(805) 648-9283
reverse911@ventura.org
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