OCTA Grants Costa Mesa $2.8 Million to Help Reduce Westside Flooding The Orange County Transportation (OCTA) has given Costa Mesa $2.8 million to reduce flooding during the rains. Costa Mesa will match the funds provided by the OCTA, and the plan is to build a catch basin under Lions Park that will reduce potential flooding. This project will also help to keep pollution from the streets from entering the ocean via the storm drains with the addition of filters to the storm drainage system. Construction should begin in late 2014.   Originally posted at: OCTA Grant to Reduce Westside Costa Mesa Flooding. 03/07/2013

It’s pretty common to hear from previously contented tenants who suddenly experience the Eureka! moment – one where they realize they should have bought a home a while back. Eureka! moments happen most frequently around April 15 -- but they can strike anytime. To minimize the lapse between Eureka! and the moment when home ownership became the smart choice, here are some indicators current tenants should watch for: Stability Shift When your long-term job stability changes, your ability to predict future finances changes with it. Current renters should start surveying Costa Mesa homes for sale when the breadwinner becomes newly established in a long-term position. Credit Profile Shift  To qualify for one of the homes for sale in Costa Mesa may not require perfect credit; but a better cre... 02/28/2013

We all know the feeling – the one where guests are due and you haven’t had time to clean the house.  You shove all the…well… stuff into the back bedroom and shut the door (you’d lock it if you could). Now imagine that feeling times 10.  If you are trying to sell your home this spring, and you have rooms full of that…well…stuff -- you’re in for exactly that.  You can prevent it all with just a touch of the staging approach for your Costa Mesahome.  Not everyone has $5,000 or more to spend on professional staging, but then again, you can’t offer your home in “lived in” condition and expect to have buyers racing to write you their high-priced offers. Real estate is in large part an emotional selling proposition – beyond their basic housing requirements, buyers want to see themselves livin... 02/24/2013

Tewinkle Park - Costa Mesa - Speechless Sundays     Tewinkle Park is a wonderful park located in the heart of Costa Mesa, CA across the street from the Orange County Fairgrounds and also across the street from the Volcom Skate Park and the Costa Mesa Bark Park.  In addition to the ponds and hills for walking and climbing, there is also the Angel's Playground for the kids. Plus, it has amazing sunsets! 02/24/2013

Mesa Verde Inner Loop Home for Sale - 3 Bd         This Mesa Verde Inner Loop home is perfectly located on a cul-de-sac with a large living area and a large lot.  This home is in original condition and is ready for a new owner to come in and make it their new home.   This home features two separate living areas and lots of space along with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.   Please contact Christine Donovan at 714-319-9751 for a private showing.     02/17/2013

Mesa Verde Inner Loop Home for Sale - 3 Bd         This Mesa Verde Inner Loop home is perfectly located on a cul-de-sac with a large living area and a large lot.  This home is in original condition and is ready for a new owner to come in and make it their new home.   This home features two separate living areas and lots of space along with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.   Please contact Christine Donovan at 714-319-9751 for a private showing.     02/10/2013

Eastside Costa Mesa 2012 Real Estate Market Report         Perhaps the biggest story in Eastside Costa Mesa homes currently is the lack of homes for sale.  As you will see above, the number of homes for sale in Eastside Costa Mesa has fallen almost 78% over the past year.  This is resulting in more competition for the homes that are currently for sale.    Buyers need to be sure to put their best foot forward in their first offer, and sellers need to price their home accurately to take advantage of the current dearth of homes for sale.   If you would like more information about selling or buying an Eastside Costa  Mesa home in today's market, please contact Christine Donovan at 714-319-9751. 01/31/2013

The truism has it that real estate is the most local of assets. If you exclude California-style earthquakes, the land a home is built upon tends to stay pretty much in one place. That being the case, Costa Mesa home prices tend to reflect our localCosta Mesa conditions: when business is popping and everyone feels confident about the future, Costa Mesa  home prices tend to move upward. Even so, as the complete numbers roll in from last year’s national real estate market, anyone with a rooting interest in Costa Mesa home prices has to be cheered. The fact is, American home prices climbed 5.9% last year – the greatest yearly gain since 2006. Calling that only a ‘sharp’ rise is like calling the Super Bowl an ‘interesting’ football game. So, even though Costa Mesa home prices reflect local ... 01/28/2013

It may be a fundamental element in nearly two-thirds of every residential real estate transaction, yet when you think about buying or selling a Costa Mesa home, it’s not likely to be your major focus. Important though it may be, for most people, the appraisal process seems like a mere formality. After all, haven’t the seller and buyer already agreed to the deal? What’s left to do, other than dot the I’s and cross the T’s?   Of course, if you are a cash buyer, you can choose to skip the appraisal altogether. If so, congrats - you are ready to buy as soon as you find the right property! But for the rest of us, if a loan is involved, so too is the lender’s appraisal – or appraisals.  Yet many real estate agents are not a part of this element.   The entire transaction hinges upon its succe... 01/12/2013

Our Thanks to the many folks we were able to help achieve their real estate dreams and goals in 2012! Larry Weichman is President and Broker of Costa Mesa-based real estate powerhouse Weichman Realtors,”the most trusted name in Costa Mesa Real Estate”. Larry and his highly-trained team of professionals have proudly served Costa Mesa since 1976. For questions about an upcoming sale or purchase, call him directly at 714-241-4532 or email your questions to Larry@TeamWeichman.com. Be sure to visit Larry Weichman in Costa Mesa CA for the latest news and information on the Costa Mesa real estate market.  Search all available listings  Search golf course homes  View all available foreclosures instantly  Search short sale homes in your area  Search recent home sales See community information N... 12/28/2012

104th Newport Beach Boat Parade - 12-19-12 to 12-23-12   The 2012 Newport Beach Boat Parade will run from 12/19/12 to 12/23/12. This amazingly colorful, holiday spectacle has been part of my family's holiday traditions for as long as I can remember. This year's theme is "Surf, Sand and Santa." The parade starts at 6:30 each night just off Bay Island and ends in the same spot at about 9:00 pm. The parade is about 14 miles long. Click the link to see the Newport Beach Boat Parade Route. Every year, boats are decorated with lights and other decorations. Some participants have been known to spend as much as $50,000 to decorate their boats for the Newport Beach Boat Parade. So, come enjoy the lights, the music and the beautiful boats in this incredible setting. In addition to the boats thems... 12/23/2012

Snoopy House at Costa Mesa City Hall Last Day for Santa     For the second year, the City of Costa Mesa City Hall hosts Snoopy House.   This year, Peanuts' creator Charles Schulz's daughter, Jill Schulz, was the grand marshal for this year's grand opening of the Snoopy House. The grand opening was December 14, 2012 at 5pm and featured a visit from Santa and from Snoopy. There were also food trucks. The display has all of the old favorites that were part of the Peanuts' House at Jim Jordan's home for 40 years as well as a new light show on the City Hall building. As usual, Santa will visit the Snoopy House from 7pm to 9pm from December 18-23 to take pictures and hear the wishes of children. Though Snoopy House may have a new location, Jim is still there visiting with the guests and enjoy... 12/23/2012

  What Christmas season is complete without watching this classic? This year, do better than the Charlie Brown version on TV and attend the South Coast Repertory production in Costa Mesa. The South Coast Repertory has created a lovely adaptation of this Charles Dickens story. Running nightly until December 24, 2012, the perfect evening. If you must, the Rep is located near South Coast Plaza, so get your shopping in, have an early dinner and finish off your holiday day...with the ghosts and Tiny Tim. Venue: South Coast Repertory Visit Website  November 24, 2012 - December 23, 2012 Address: 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92628 Times: Sun - Wed eve at 7:30pm; Thurs - Sat eve at 8pm; Sat and Sun mat at 2:30pm Admission: $20-70 Contact: South Coast Repertory Box Office Phone: 714-708... 12/17/2012

Goat Hill Junction Model Trains and Santa - 12/15/12 and 12/16/12   Santa will be at Goat Hill Junction on December 15th and 16th, 2012 between 10:30am and 2:30pm.     There will be unlimited, free train rides and a donation of $5 for a picture of Santa. You may also use your own camera for a donation. Don't forget to ask them to take a picture if you would like to be in the picture with the rest of your party. Santa has a great back drop with one of the miniature engines all decorated for Christmas at North Pole Station. Goat Hill Junction is located at 2500 Placentia Avenue and is across the street from Estancia High School and Fairview Park.   Originally posted at: Santa at Goat Hill Junction Miniature Trains. 12/15/2012

Snoopy House at Costa Mesa City Hall Grand Opening   For the second year, the City of Costa Mesa City Hall hosts Snoopy House. This year, Peanuts' creator Charles Shulz's daughter, Jill Schulz, will be the grand marshal for this year's grand opening of the Snoopy House. The grand opening is set for December 14, 2012 at 5pm and will feature a visit from Santa and from Snoopy. There will also be food trucks. The display has all of the old favorites that were part of the Peanuts' House at Jim Jordan's home for 40 years as well as a new light show on the City Hall building. As usual, Santa will visit the Snoopy House from 7pm to 9pm from December 18-23. To take pictures and hear the wishes of children. Though Snoopy House may have a new location, Jim is still there visiting with the guests ... 12/15/2012

                    Buyers’ agent, sellers’ agent. In every Costa Mesa real estate transaction, the differences are easy to understand, right? Not quite. A potential linguistic trapdoor can lie right around the corner.              For openers, that sellers' agent may also be called the ‘listing agent’ – both mean the same thing. The ‘trapdoor’ is a further complication that comes into play once a contract is in place -- after which the buyer’s agent may also properly be called the ‘selling’ agent!             The potential confusion between seller’s agent and selling agent doesn’t usually have much practical significance: after all, by then, everyone should know the cast of characters and who represents whom. But it can come into play if buyer or seller are not actually present here i... 12/15/2012

Costa Mesa Snow - Speechless Sundays     Some of you may be used to snow for Christmas or at least in December.  However, here, in Costa Mesa, CA, we don't see a lot of snow at any time of year.  Perhaps you noticed the green grass just beyond the snow.  I'm not terribly knowledgeable about snow, having grown up at the beach.  Still, I'm pretty sure green grass and snow don't normally go together. The kids had a great time with the annual Snow Day this year chasing each other with snowballs.   12/09/2012

With the rancorous elections finally behind us and Costa Mesa property prices on the rise, public sentiment is markedly improving.  Last week, Neilson released its Consumer Confidence Survey, now showing the strongest level in more than four and a half years. My guess is that 2012 will likely mark the year that holiday tipping makes a comeback, too. “People are more generous this year because when the economy gets better, people do better.” is what international etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore had to say. The founder of the Protocol School of Palm Beach added, “They tend to be happier around the holiday time.” That’s true outside of Palm Beach, too: many Costa Mesa homeowners who felt forced to become latter day Scrooges during the previous few years may be feeling slightly less a... 12/06/2012

You are a newlywed couple in your late 20’s with decent jobs, respectable income, and reasonable credit.  You’ve started your search to buy a home in Orange County, but when you walk into the bank to pre-qualify for a loan, to your surprise, you find out… NOT!  You’re not alone. The Federal Reserve studied the problem, and found that in the three years between 2009-2011, just 9% of youngsters between the ages of 29-34 were able to qualify for a first-time mortgage. It had been 17% only 10 years earlier. It’s no wonder that many have sought alternative financing routes to buy a home, which is why mortgage co-signing is becoming more and more common. Yet before buying a home in Orange County via this route, it’s important to have the consequences – good and bad – squarely before you. Adv... 12/04/2012

  Costa Mesa Homes For Sale If you are currently looking to purchase a home for sale in Costa Mesa California, but don't know where to begin, SCA Real Estate is here to help! Our friendly Realtors can provide you with instant access which will allow you to view all Costa Mesa Homes For Sale with the simple click of your mouse!   Costa Mesa MLS Home Search  Often times Real Estate websites can be confusing and misleading, and most have outdated data! Our Costa Mesa Homes website is updated daily, which means you will only be shown Homes for sale in Costa Mesa that are actually available!, vs homes that are pending or already sold.    Work with a top Costa Mesa Realtor When you choose to hire an experienced and knowledgeable Costa Mesa Realtor, it can & will make all the difference in the... 11/28/2012