One of my favorite times of the year, besides all of my favorite holidays, is in September! Every year the Boys and Girls Club Organization hosts its “Free Day for Kids Carnival” in September at the local park here in the Santa Clarita Valley.  This year the “Free Day for Kids Carnival” will be held on September 17, 2011 at the Newhall Park in the Santa Clarita Valley.  There will be free food, snow cones, cotton candy, fun games for everyone, carnival rides, raffles and so much more!  This awesome event has become one our favorite traditions in my family!  I just love and adore the Boys & Girls Club because of all the wonderful work that this amazing organization does for all of the local families here in the community!  When my oldest boy was younger, the Boys and Girls Club became h... 08/26/2011

A real estate market recovery is much like traveling to a destination.  You wouldn't drive from your home to a destination you don't know without a GPS or MapQuest or AAA TripTic. Attempting to pull the real estate market out of despair is also like taking a journey to an unknown destination.  There has been on roadmap drawn in fact the process seems to be "throw it against the wall and hope something sticks!"  The real estate market recovery has been by "The Carrot & The Stick" The Carrots: Interest Rates at low never seen before. Halting Foreclosures. Aiding Home Owners to modify their loans. Instituting Short Sale procedures that give certainty to sellers, buyers and their representatives. First Time Buyer & Move Up Buyer Incentive Programs. Home Prices Falling more than 50% in many ... 08/25/2011

 With all the earthquakes shaking things up, it is important to always be prepared and have the essentials you will need after an earthquake!   Living in California, where earthquakes are quite a common occurrence, they can still be pretty scary!   Even though, we cannot predict earthquakes and when one will strike next, as we have heard or felt in the last couple of days, we can do our best to have a plan in the event of an earthquake.   Here is a quick checklist for the essentials that everyone should have:   Fire extinguisher Adequate supplies of medications that you or your family are taking Crescent and pipe wrenches to turn off gas and water supplies First aid kit and handbook Flashlights with extra bulbs and batteries Portable radio with extra batteries Water for each family memb... 08/24/2011

I got someone 30% off of their bill - Pay It Forward This week, while I was in line at the checkout at Kohl's there was a mother and her daughter buying back to school clothes in line in front of me. I noticed that they were buying quite a few items. I had one of the best discount coupons that Kohls offers - 30% off, and it was the last day of the sale. The daughter seemed so excited about her new school clothes, and I know clothes are expensive for young girls. So I politelly stepped in and told the checkout clerk to let her use my 30% off card. They were thrilled, because after the discount, they ended up saving over $100 off their bill!     08/24/2011

What Homes are Available for sale in Castaic, Ca? Castaic, Ca. is a wonderful place to live just outside Santa Clarita about 10 minutes North near Castaic Lake. It's very quiet and you can definitely get more for your money there being just a few minutes outside of town. Below is a link to all the homes currently available in Castaic, Ca. Please call me to make an appoinment for your private showings. Avialable Homes for Sale in Castaic, Ca.       08/22/2011

This week, I've decided to start a neighborhood safety program for our block - Pay It Forward Not only is it for safety reasons, but after we thought about it, we do have some residents on our block that are older and may need help in an emergency, and we have many residents who have pets. If there is a fire or earthquake, we all need to be prepared to be able to not only help each other, but to help each other's pets if our neighbors become incapacitated for whatever reason. Some residents may want to give keys to those they feel close to, in case of an emergency, and we may all want to share each others contact info for the same reasons.  I think I'm going to create something web-based so that we can all have the capability to bulk email each other. So I will be mailing out invitation... 08/21/2011

Banks & Lenders represent over 50% of active listings and over 50% of closed sales. The types of sales include those know as REO, Bank Owned & Foreclosures as well as Short Sales. There are many facts and factors that these Banks and lenders would prefer that the buyers, Realtors and even the Federal Government were not told. Unfortunately for them their dirty little secrets are now being revealed! Banks need to sell their inventory quickly so iif the home is priced right get out and see it right away. A buyer of a well priced home should make a strong legitimate offer and give the best offer right away. Banks will usually counter offer anything below full price probing but don't want to lose a good buyer. Banks and their representative have no emotional ties to the home or property so ... 08/20/2011

    Well it’s me again, here to give you some tips on how to create your own at home day spa with the ingredients right in your own kitchen!  I was feeling kind of blah this last week and decided to give myself a day at the spa or in my case, a spa day at home. It has been a crazy but good week that called for a little rejuvenation for my skin and soul. Oh yeah!  I wanted to use natural ingredients that I could mix up and use from my own kitchen, so I started Googling for websites that provided me with such valuable information to help me accomplish my at home day spa and yes, I said Googling!  I came across this great website that had every recipe for creating your own ingredients from homemade exfoliant scrubs to anti-aging natural serum.  Here are a few recipes that I really loved an... 08/19/2011

Remodeled Pool Home Overview Maps Photos Market Stats $350,000 Single Family Home Main Features 3 Bedrooms2 BathroomsInterior: 1600 sqftLot: 9,000 sqft Location 20863 CanterwoodSaugus, CA 91350USA To get updates on open home dates and other property events, please click the "Like" button below: Laura of Santa Clarita - Laura Coffey ReMax of Santa Clarita(661) 284-5004Laura@Laura4Homes.comhttp://www.Laura4Homes.com        Listed by: Re/Max of Santa Clarita Our recent listings Remodeled Pool HomeBeautiful Stevenson Ranch Home Subscribe to our listing feed Nearby properties for sale 08/18/2011

Getting Out from Under Credit Card Debt August 2011 While Americans are borrowing less and saving more in this difficult economy, there are still many U.S. households that are wrestling with the nagging financial problem of credit card debt. Overall U.S. credit card debt is smaller, but Americans still consumed $793 billion in revolving debt (i.e, credit cards) in May of this year alone.  Relying too heavily on credit cards can be an alarmingly easy habit to build. When your income is flowing, using a card as a simple catch-all payment method becomes a habit. This is especially true if the card carries incentives such as airline miles or other benefits that keep you using the card.  But if cash flow narrows or doesn't keep pace with the spending on the credit card, then carrying over a... 08/18/2011

I am a Realtor in Santa Clarita, California.  Our community has been established from the 1960's with home owner associations at it's core.  Our community continues to grow due to our location, safety record, cleanliness and incredible school system.  Six Flags Magic Mountain was built in Valencia, California a part of the Santa Clarita Valley in order to promote new homes being built in the 1970's. These new homes had low cost, high amenity Home Owner Associations.  The Valencia area is one of only 3 preplanned communities in Southern California.  The idea was to bring the community together and also set a standard in which all homes would be maintained and all neighbors to have rules that would prevent hostilities. This has worked out well as our community has continued to grow and ad... 08/17/2011

Open House 20863 Canterwood Dr. in Saugus, Ca. Sunday August 21, 2011 from 1 - 4 PM 3 Bedroom + 2 full baths, 1600 sqft, 9K sqft lot, $350,000Beautifully remodeled single story pool home in the wonderful Mountain View tract. This home offers open floor plan, vaulted ceilings, recessed lighting, remodeled baths with marble counter tops and floors, indoor laundry, and large master with private bath. The family kitchen has lots of maple cabinetry with stainless steel appliances and a garden window to look out at your gorgeous backyard. Entertainers yard offering salt water pool & spa, waterfall with koi pond, and lush landscaping with fruit trees. This is a must see! Click 20863 Canterwood for virtual tour  08/17/2011

Newsletter sent to clients and Friends August 14, 2011 Dear Clients & Friends, It would be grand if our representatives in Washington and the State of California would start putting jobs and the real estate market recovery ahead of winning the 2012 election.  The way it's going, it doesn't matter who wins, we will all lose.  The local real estate market seemed to be on track to a banner year until politics took down the stock market, reversed the trend upward of consumer confidence and left homes sitting on the market once again! The flow of Bank Owned Homes, also called REO or Foreclosures, has been slowed down.  Banks seem to be opting to allow more loan modifications or short sale selling of late.  My opinion is that the Federal Government is hoping to slow down t... 08/14/2011

 Well it is officially that time of year again for our kids to go back to school!  I don’t know about you guys but I have mixed emotions. I am both happy and sad because the summer season is slowly coming to an end and the homework and schedule blues will creep up on us soon enough!  Lucky for me, I have a young man who will be a senior in high school this year and a little one who will start preschool as well. So that is not so bad because my youngest will not be starting Kindergarten until the following year. This is cool because I will be having one going out into the world and another one just starting out in school.  Over the years I have picked up a few tips for those first week “Back to School” morning Blues:   1.     Get back into your school routine: Another words, summer vacat... 08/12/2011

Tackling Termites August 2011   Do you have some wood that appears dried out or rotten? That could be a sign of termite trouble. Before you go to repair or replace any wood that appears rotten, you want to make sure you don't have termites, and if you do, you want to get rid of the pests before you do repairs.  For starters, don't dismiss the possibility of termites out of hand. While the classic drywood termite typically lives in warm areas that do not get below freezing in winter, subterranean termites inhabit every state of the Union, and formosan termites enjoy the Southeast. So, make sure to look for these signs of termite infestation: The damaged wood. If some wood appears to be dried out, rotted or hollow, and you can pick at it or puncture it with a tool such as a screwdriver, ... 08/11/2011

There will be no recovery for our real estate market and the reason is because there is no need for a recovery.  This is the modern version of the real estate market.  Home prices have stabilized and those of us that have lost value in our homes need to accept the fact that it will take many years before prices rise.  The average rise in prices has traditionally been between five percent and seven percent annually.   At this rate it will take another about seven years before we get back to where prices were prior to the real estate market collapse. This is the new normal real estate market and the sooner we all accept the fact that home prices won't be bouncing back as quickly as we all wish buyers and sellers will begin buying and selling with the knowledge that home prices are what th... 08/09/2011

Santa Clarita Home Values from Zillow Below is a chart that I pulled from Zillow to show their value system for the areas located in Santa Clarita. The Chart is interactive. You can also search for homes if you click on the link Homes in Santa Clarita. Santa Clarita Zillow Home Value Index Santa Clarita Home Values - Interactive chart Homes in Santa Clarita 08/04/2011

  I really love this store called Children’s Orchard in my beautiful town of Santa Clarita, California! The Children’s Orchard is located at 26576 Bouquet Canyon Road in Santa Clarita. Children’s Orchard is a fantastic consignment store with locations all over the country, where you can get gently used clothes, furniture and toys for little ones of all ages at very fantastic prices. They even have “Fill a bag for $5.00 days” at this cool store that caters to kids. The best part of the Children’s Orchard is that you can bring in your gently used items that your little ones have outgrown and get paid for them. I am so excited because the Children’s Orchard is having their “Back to school” event this weekend. LOL, you can bet your bottom dollar that my clan and I will be there bright and e... 08/04/2011

Homes in Santa Clarita communities such as Valencia, Stevenson Ranch, Saugus, Castaic, Newhall & Canyon Country are being sold at a price that is undervalued.  This community offers safety, cleanliness, great schools and a home you look forward to coming home to! The fear of a worsening economy and unstable job situation has slowed the local real estate market.  Short Sale listings dominate the current inventory and many buyers avoid them due to their experience or stories told to them from others. Buyers want the best home at the best price in the best location that will be the best financial investment for their financial future.  There are 2 types of sales that offer the best opportunity to take advantage of all of these concerns at this time.  These sales are a Bank Owned Home also ... 08/04/2011

Maximizing a Networking Opportunity August 2011 While you might think of Facebook and Twitter when it comes to social networking, the real venue for forging solid relationships is at face-to-face networking events. And chances are, if you are a success-oriented sales professional, you try to slate as many networking opportunities as you can.  The question is, are you making the most of the networking events that are filling up your calendar? Here are some ways you can make sure that you master the fine art of working a room: Walk into the room with an agenda in mind. That agenda could be to meet certain people at the meeting, develop leads, meet new people, meet with a specific prospect, or it could be a combination of different objectives. Whatever your gameplan is, stick to it. Your ... 08/04/2011