National Clam Chowder Day takes place this Friday, February 25th. But, really, clam chowder offers the perfect antidote to a chilly winter evening. As a bonus, share your thoughts and photos about this seafood elixir in the Ventura Harbor Village and you might just win a prize.What: National Clam Chowder Day 2022Where: Ventura Harbor VillageWhen: Friday, February 25thCelebrate Clam Chowder Day and Win a PrizeIn a bowl, in a cup, or in some sourdough bread. Clam chowder is divine. And if you eat some in the Harbor Village this month, you could be entered to win a $25 gift card to use at one of the harbor's restaurants later. Ten winners will be chosen at random from all entries received by the end of the month.How to EnterThere are two ways to enter the Harbor Village's Chowder Giveaway ... 02/21/2022

Valentine's Day falls on a Monday this year. So, you might want to celebrate your love a little early. How? By showing our local artists some love at the Ventura Art Market (aka VC Art Market) this Saturday, February 12th. Then, go on a quest for painted rocks with a decidedly "love"-ly theme throughout the Ventura Harbor Village.What: VC Art Market 2022Where: California St & Santa Clara in Downtown Ventura When: Saturday, February 12th, 10 am to 4 pmAdmission: FREEContact: VC Art Market emailVentura Art Market 2022We love our art and artists here in Ventura County. The annual Art and Street Festival takes place every September. And Ventura itself is home to over a dozen fantastic art galleries. So, if you and your love fancy yourself a connoisseur (or just a simple fan) or all things a... 02/07/2022

When you’re getting ready to list your home, it’s of the utmost importance to ensure you are showing it in the best light. Taking time to highlight its strengths and repair some of its possible weaknesses can make a big difference in how fast it sells. Here are our top four recommended repairs to make before selling your Ventura home.What to Repair Before You List Your Ventura HomeRepaint WallsGiving your Ventura home a fresh coat of paint is one of the most cost-effective ways to spruce it up, and generally, it can be a do-it-yourself project. Make sure to cover any walls with scratches and chips and consider updating any accent walls with a more neutral coat.Repair FloorsHardwood floors are a very desirable feature in a Ventura home, so you want to ensure they look their best by fixin... 01/17/2022

If buying a new Ventura area home sits atop your 2022 "to do" list, you need to make sure you get your credit in order first. The higher your credit score, the better your interest rate. It might take some time to get your credit in good shape. Here are a few simple steps you can take to improve your credit score before you start looking for your next Ventura home.Improve Your Credit Score#1 - Pull Your Credit ReportThere are three primary credit reporting agencies: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Not all creditors report your info to all three agencies. Each agency may receive different information to determine your score. Therefore, you may see vast differences in your score between the three. Lenders tend to use the middle score for mortgage loans. Since they vary, you need to mak... 01/03/2022

Real estate in Ventura County tends to slow down a little during the holidays. People tend to focus their efforts on Christmas shopping, spending time with family, and holiday parties. We hit our hottest time in spring. But that does not mean that buyers refuse to look for homes during the winter. In fact, the ones looking for properties right now are very serious home buyers. Follow these simple winter home selling tips if you want to sell your home soon.Winter Home Selling TipsKeep Holiday Decorations to a MinimumMany people enjoy decorating for the holidays. Even though you put your Ventura home on the market during the winter time, you can still decorate. Just keep things simple and minimal. Instead of looking like Santa's North Pole toy shop, add a few natural elements here and the... 12/20/2021

Thanksgiving may be over, but the spirit of giving should never end. We only have 19 days until we celebrate Christmas Day. While you run around conducting your errands for Christmas dinner, add a few extra items to your grocery cart. Then, consider donating them to one of the Ventura food pantries. Your heart fills with joy when helping others. A couple of other ways to get you into the Christmas spirit could be going to see the Ventura Tree Lighting or watching the Parade of Lights.Ventura Tree LightingThis Friday, December 10th, Downtown Ventura lights up the Christmas tree located right outside of the Mission. Starting at 6 pm, gather 'round the tree. At dusk, they flip the switch on the lights. I hear that Santa promises to make an appearance around 7 pm. But he can only stay for a... 12/06/2021

Next week, we celebrate Thanksgiving. For many, this means gathering with our families, sharing a meal, and counting the blessings bestowed upon us over the past year. Unfortunately, not everyone has the luxury of either family or food on the table. According to Food Share Ventura, one in six people in Ventura County experiences food insecurity. That means, more likely than not, you know of someone in this situation. One way to show how grateful you are this holiday season is to donate to local Ventura food pantries.Ventura Food Pantries Welcome Holiday DonationsThe holidays can be a particularly rough time for some people. When you go shopping, consider adding a few extra items to your cart. Then, donate them to a local food pantry. In turn, these pantries make sure that the goods are ... 11/15/2021

Ernest Hemingway once said, "there is no friend as loyal as a book." Books open the world up to everyone, no matter what their financial or geographical situation happens to be at the moment. Libraries help make these adventures available to everyone. To help clear out old inventory and raise money for programs provided by all of Ventura's libraries, come to the Ventura Bag o' Books Sale this Saturday, November 6th.What: Ventura Bag o' Books Sale 2021Where: EP Foster Library (651 E Main St)When: Saturday, November 6th, 10 am to 3 pmContact: Ventura Friends of the Library via emailVentura Bag o'Books Sale 2021The Ventura Friends of the Library organized this special book sale as a fun way to help out the libraries as well as the public. Pick up some books to fill your home library up at ... 11/01/2021

Halloween is less than two weeks away. Ventura Harbor Village hosts their Seaside Skeleton Hunt over Halloween weekend. That sounds like a ton of fun. But have you picked up your pumpkin yet? No better time than the present! Any one of these Ventura County pumpkin patches can help you find the perfect pumpkin to make your jack-o-lantern dreams come true this year.Ventura County Pumpkin PatchesCamarillo Pumpkin PatchPeace Lutheran (71 Loma Dr) - Open 1 pm to 7 pm October 24th to 31st. Includes tractor-pulled hayrides and a haunted house. Join them on the 24th for their special Peace Pumpkin Fest.Fillmore Pumpkin PatchesEMIS Pumpkin Patch (2600 Old Telegraph Rd) - Open 8 am to 7 pm Monday through Friday, and 7 am to 7 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Freshly picked pumpkins for sale at their sh... 10/18/2021

In Ventura, you never worry about finding fun things to see and do. Of course, we saw fireworks shows all over Ventura County on July 4th. In August, we experienced a sort of revised Ventura County Fair with SummerFest 2021. Last month, the Ventura Art and Street Fair filled Ventura Harbor Village with beautiful artwork. This month, we celebrate all things "spooookkky" with the Seaside Skeleton Hunt.What: Seaside Skeleton HuntWhere: Ventura Harbor VillageWhen: October 30th & 31st, 2021Contact: Ventura Harbor Village (805) 477-0470Seaside Skeleton HuntVentura Harbor Village hosts many family-friendly events throughout the year. October proves no exception. As part of the Halloween fun, they scheduled a skeleton hunt this month for all good little boils and ghouls. But these skeletons are... 10/04/2021

Why wait until spring to clear out your home of unwanted junk? Not sure where to dispose of big things like furniture, appliances, and old mattresses? Sign up for the Ventura Community Clean Up & Recycling Day event. They dispose or recycle these things absolutely free of charge for all Ventura residents.What: Ventura Community Clean Up & Recycling Day 2021Where: 765 S Seward Ave, VenturaWhen: Saturday, October 2nd, 2021 from 8:30 am to 11:30 amAdmission: Free for Ventura ResidentsContact: Rick Guzman, City of Ventura (805) 652-4525 or via emailVentura Community Clean Up & Recycling Day 2021Curbside trash pick-up only accepts certain household trash. Larger items must be taken to the dump. And that entails a fee as well as your time and a bit of elbow grease. Instead, take them to the C... 09/20/2021

Artists of all sorts thrive in our Ventura community. Steel Drum Saturdays and Live Music Sundays highlight the talents of local musicians. All March long, we celebrate Mermaid Month with artistic offerings in various mediums. Artistic craftsmen even showcase their wares at events like SummerFest 2021. Another fun way to support our local artisans is by coming to the Ventura Art and Street Festival 2021 on September 11th and 12th.What: Ventura Art and Street Festival 2021Where: Ventura HarborWhen: September 11th & 12th, 10 am to 5 pmAdmission: FREEContact: Ventura Art Festival (805) 650-9858 or via emailVentura Art and Street Festival 2021Painters. Sculptors. Ceramicists. Photographers. Glassmiths. Metal artists. Leatherworkers. Jewelers. All mediums of artwork can be found at the art a... 09/14/2021

Firework shows on the 4th of July. Tequila and Tacos the weekend before last. We seem to have enjoyed a bit of a return to normal here in California lately. Unfortunately, the Delta variant of COVID-19 put mask mandates back in place for everyone when indoors. Sadly, officials canceled the annual Ventura County Fair this year. But, visitors may satisfy their "fair tooth" with the Ventura SummerFest 2021 Carnival instead.What: Ventura SummerFest 2021Where: Ventura Fairgrounds (10 W Harbor Blvd)When: Aug 4th to Aug 15th, 3 pm to 10 pm Mon through Fri, 12 pm to 10 pm Sat & SunAdmission: Free (tickets required for carnival rides)Ventura SummerFest 2021If we cannot enjoy the Ventura County Fair this year, at least we get the next best thing...SummerFest! Sure, the size of the fair we are use... 08/02/2021

Summer weekends at Harbor Village fill up with music thanks to Steel Drum Saturdays and Summer Sundays. But if you want something a little more substantial to feed your soul (and your belly), visit the Ventura County Fairgrounds this weekend for the Tequila and Taco Music Festival 2021. There will be music. There will be tacos. And, of course, there will be tequila!What: Tequila and Taco Music Festival 2021Where: Ventura County Fairgrounds (10 E Harbor Blvd)When: July 24th (1 pm to 9:30 pm) & July 25th (12 pm to 6:30 pm)Admission: $20 per person or $35 for twoTequila and Taco Music Festival 2021Guests of the festival enjoy the chance to sample some of the best Top Shelf tequila around. Since you also need something in your belly to keep your spirits high while enjoying the alcohol, pair... 07/19/2021

Who watched the fireworks in Ventura County this weekend? They were glorious! It is nice to see a return to some sort of normalcy here in California. Is homeownership next up on your agenda? Oxnard made Forbes' list of the hottest markets in California. But, really, we have seen prices reach record highs all over Ventura County these past few months. Finding a home is one thing. Avoiding falling out of escrow is another thing entirely.How to Avoid Falling Out of EscrowPossible Inspection SurprisesPart of the home sale process includes a home inspection. This offers buyers a realistic look at the condition of a property, warts and all. Sometimes, the inspector may find minor issues. Other times, an inspector may find major issues. At that point, a buyer can choose to either re-negotiate ... 07/06/2021

Last month, Governor Newsom said that he expected to lift the mandatory mask mandate in California on June 15th (just eight days from today). However, he may require workers to continue to wear masks under certain circumstances. Fortunately, outdoor events appear to be OK. Last month's Open Air Seaside Market showed tremendous success. Starting later this month, Ventura Steel Drum Saturdays should also be a welcome treat for visitors to Ventura Harbor Village.What: Ventura Steel Drum Saturdays 2021Where: Ventura Harbor VillageWhen: 1 pm to 4 pm every Saturday from June 19th to Sept 4thAdmission: FREEContact: Ventura Harbor Village (805) 477-0470Ventura Steel Drum Saturdays 2021They say music calms the savage beast. Well, then, all savage beasts need to visit Ventura Harbor Village. Sip ... 06/07/2021

The CDC recently released their latest mask guidelines for fully vaccinated individuals. However, Governor Newsom has not released an update to California's mask guidelines as of yet. So, some businesses may require you to wear a mask when you enter. Even so, our beautiful sunny weather makes it a great time to be outdoors. And if you missed attending things like an open air market, the fairgrounds hosts the Ventura Open Air Seaside Market on the last two Sundays of May.What: Ventura Open Air Seaside Market 2021Where: Ventura Fairgrounds (10 W Harbor Blvd)When: Sunday, May 23rd & 30th, from 10:30 am to 4 pmAdmission: Free (parking $10)Contact: Ventura Fairgrounds (805) 648-3376Ventura Open Air Seaside Market 2021Graduation. Birthdays. Anniversaries. Father's Day. Just because. Or maybe ... 05/17/2021

Buying your first house may leave you feeling overwhelmed. Before you search for a Ventura home you love, you must find a real estate agent you trust, save for a down payment and closing costs, get approved for a loan, and make sure you are ready for the first year of homeownership. The CalHFA helps homebuyers in California purchase their first home.California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA)Requirements to QualifyTo even be considered for one of California Housing Finance Agency's loans, buyers must meet certain requirements. First, you must be a first-time homebuyer. That means that you either never owned a home before or you have not owned one in the previous three years. Secondly, your credit score below 660 (for conventional low-income rate) or 680 (for conventional standard rate). ... 04/30/2021

It seems like we battle wildfires here in California every single year. Our dry weather makes us vulnerable to these. Now that temperatures have begun to warm up, our chances of wildfires increases. To help protect your Ventura home as well as those of your neighbors, the City created a Ventura Fire Hazard Reduction Plan.Ventura Fire Hazard Reduction Plan (FHRP)Earlier this month, Ventura sent out letters to over 6500 homeowners outlining their Fire Hazard Reduction Plan. The City gives these homeowners until May 18th to clear up their property. The plan breaks down fire hazard reduction into two zones. Zone 1 focuses on the residence and the surrounding area up to 30 feet from it in all directions. Zone 2 extends from 30 feet out to 100 feet (or the property line, whichever falls close... 04/19/2021

Today's Ventura homebuyer looks for a good home office space (among other things) inside a property. But they also appreciate a nice outdoor living area. After all, being stuck inside our homes for most of 2020 really showed us that we need as much space as possible. Thankfully, Southern California weather permits outdoor living pretty much year-round. If you want to appeal to buyers in the future, consider incorporating some of these outdoor living space ideas.Outdoor Living Space IdeasA Cozy FirepitAs the evening cools off, people enjoy spending time around a roaring fire. Roasting marshmallows. Swapping stories. In general, spending time with each other outside of a viewing screen. In fact, people craved this so much last year that firepits sold out well before fall came in. Think ab... 04/05/2021