Westlake Village CA Homes for Sale, California October 2009 Home Sales Report The highlights of this latest report from the California Association of Realtors is as follows: Homes Sales have increased 1% from this time last year. The median price of existing homes has decreased by 3.2% from this time last year. Closed California escrow sales as of October 2009 totaled 562,400. Homes Sales from September 2009 to October 2009 increased 5.9%. Median California home price as of October 2009 was $297,500. While the median home price in California is still lower than last year at this time, we must remember that October 2009 price of $297,500 reflects an 8-month consecutive increase in the median home price. For the first time since July 2007 home sales $1mil+ rose since last year. This is a ... 12/08/2009

Westlake Village CA Homes for Sale, Troop Real Estate in Westlake Village has prepared areas in the lobby to accommodate a box for Toys for Tots and for Manna Food. During this holiday season let's remember those less fortunate than us and who are in need of the basics of life. This has been a challenging year for many people in our community. California's unemployment rate has skyrocketed to over 12% and the pressure doesn't appear to be lifting for many Conejo Valley families who have been hit hard by this economic recession. Aside from feeding thousand of families turkey dinners for Thanksgiving in the Conejo Valley, Troop Real Estate, Westlake Village Ca Homes for Sale is a strong supporter of the Manna Food Bank established in the Conejo Valley in 1971 to help needy families. If yo... 12/01/2009

Westlake Village, Ca Real Estate - Tiger Woods will not be attending the Annual Chevron Golf Tournament to be held this week at Sherwood Country Club, Westlake Village, Ca. As we have heard, Tiger was in a car accident a few days ago on his property and he has chosen to be very discreet about it. Whatever the reason, my personal opinion is, give him some space. He didn't hurt anyone and he is proven to be a pretty classy guy, choosing not to participate in media frenzy. Afterall, he named is yacht "Privacy." I think it should be illegal for the public to have access to 911 recordings. What do you think? The annual Chevron World Challenge Golf Tournament is held here in Westlake Village, Ca. each year and helps raise money for programs of the Tiger Woods Foundation including the Tiger Wo... 11/30/2009

Recently I stumbled upon a book in my library that I bought a while ago with an intention to read immediately, but never accomplished until now. The title says it all: "Good Green Homes: Creating Better Homes For a Healthier Planet" by Jennifer Roberts, with beautiful photography by Linda Svendsen. This book is a great read for everyone wanting to find out what makes a home green. It explains the principles of green building in a way which I find easily understandable, and from now on I will use them to explain the concept to my design clients. I would also like to share them here on my blog. So how do you approach the green building process in your own backyard? Here are the 7 paths to a good green home, according to the book's author: "Know where you are" - your surroundings play a v... 11/24/2009

Westlake Village, Ca, Real Estate - Cesar Milan and the producers of National Geographic Channel's Dog Whisperer are looking for dogs in Westlake Village who need rehabilitation help! When I heard this my hand went up. I have two dogs my daughter rescued from the dog pound. Yes, my daughter rescued them and now I get to take care of them. What's wrong with this picture? If you live in Westlake Village, Ca and have a dog in need of rehabilitation (like me), you must first get that video camera out, or if you have a Blackberry, use your video feature and shoot a 5-7 minute video of your dog behaving badly. The video needs to contain a short clip of you introducing yourself and a little about yourself. There also must be at least three instances in the video of your dog's quirky, phobic, o... 11/23/2009

Westlake Village, Ca Real Estate - Find a Black Friday Bargain in Real Estate! While thousands of people will be out shopping the retail stores this coming Friday, BLACK FRIDAY, scavengering for bargains, sales, reduced prices, FREE STUFF and killer deals,I know some home buyers who will be out looking for a Black Friday bargain in Real Estate! In the Conejo Valley (Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills, Oak Park and Newbury Park) alone there are 69 active Short Sales listed. Short Sales do take longer to close, but they aren't nearly as difficult as they were last year. Loss mitigation representatives employed by the bank to handle the properties are more experienced now and real estate agents understand the process and the pitfalls now. This makes the process move faster and s... 11/23/2009

Westlake Village, Ca Real Estate - Will it be a Glove or a House? Which would you buy for a whopping $350,000? Michael Jackson's shimmering white rhinestone studded glove he wore when he premiered his very first moonwalk dance in 1983 was auctioned off yesterday .... and the final bid? SOLD for $350,000 plus tax and auction house fees. The final sale? $420,000! Who was the bidder? 36 year-old Hoffman Ma from Hong Kong. It is certainly interesting to see what can be bought for the price of a fixer-upper in the Conejo Valley, Westlake Village, Ca. I have first-time buyer's in escrow at present for a 1500 sq. ft. Camarillo townhome they are buying close to this price. This townhome will need the ceilings scraped and finished, a new dishwasher, some updating and cleaning, but my clients wer... 11/22/2009

Foreclosures, Westlake Village, Ca - New Wave of Foreclosures looms ahead per the latest news in USA Today's November 19th article by Stephanie Armour. She states there are about seven million properties that are destined to go into foreclosure, according to a September study by Amherst Securities Group compared to 1.27 million properties in 2005. If this is true, we are going to have a huge onslaught of short sales and bank owned properties on our hands. The foreclosure process is a very slow process. It can takes months to get to the foreclosure sale from the initial default on the loan. Why? Foreclosures, Westlake Village, Ca There have been MORATORIUMS... state laws that have been set in place to try to encourage lenders to work with homeowners. Lenders are Overwhelmed... loss mitig... 11/21/2009

A recent survey taken by the National Association of Realtors gives some terrific insight into how home buyers are finding homes in this market. After surveying 9,138 home buyers, the results came in as follows: On the average, home buyers searched for approximately 12 weeks before buying and viewed approximately 12 homes before finding the one they bought. 36% said they found their home through their agent and 36% found their home via the Internet. 12% found their home via a yard sign and 6% found their home via a friend, neighbor or relative. 5% found their home via a builder. 3% found their home via a print or newspaper ad. 2% found their home directly from a seller. And less than 1% found their home via a real estate book or magazine. About 90 percent of home buyers responding to th... 11/13/2009

The First-Time Buyer's Tax Credit has been extended out to April 2010. Aside from extending the deadline, the new extension includes existing home owners who want to move up or down. Since there is much more involved in the newly passed bill, I suggest that anyone who is interested visit: http://www.realtor.org/home_buyers_and_sellers/2009_first_time_home_buyer_tax_credit We all have heard by now how important this First-Time Buyer's Tax Credit has been to the revival of the housing market. While we are not out of the woods yet, with the newly extended bill moving out to April 2010 I predict we will see the housing market continue to improve and pricing will continue to stabilize. When I work with buyers, I suggest they buy with the thought process they will be staying in their new home... 11/12/2009

HouseLogic, a new website sponsored by the National Association of Realtors, and now in the Beta version, is a website full of information about home maintenance, home improvement and beyond. The page titles are as follows: Improve, Maintain, Engage, Taxes and Incentives, Finances and Insurance, News and Activity. If you need information regarding a certain subject about your house, you can use the search tool to search for information on the subject. If you are "green" conscious, you can search for ideas to make your home a more "green" home. You can visit the new website at http://www.HouseLogic.com. Take the tour today! 11/12/2009

Recently, hubby and I took a sunset cruise on Westlake Island with some Realtor friends.  Besides the wonderful weather, good wine and snacks and the company of good friends, one of the joys of cruising Westlake is the view of some interesting homes. My favorite is the pirate house, which I'm told is owned by some retired Disney executive.  Hope you enjoy the pix and have a wonderful Sunday afternoon everyone.               09/27/2009

Sometimes Home Staging can be simple mathematics: addition and subtraction.  In this case, Platinum Home Staging, Inc. was called by the Home Owners to Stage their beautiful newly constructed Tuscan Villa located on the Westlake Village Island.  They needed additional space for their additional grandchildren to come visit (seems they hadn't thought about their children multiplying so quickly).  So to maximize the results of the equation, we stuck to simple mathematics: By subtracting the negative spaces and clutter, and adding drama and focal points. To get more information and pitcures of this amazing property in Westlake village, click here,   to see a complete before and after transformation of our Home Staging, click here. ************************************************************... 08/23/2009

SAY ALOHA TO THE THIRD ANNUAL LABOR DAY WEEKEND HAWAIIAN FESTIVAL AT FOUR SEASONS HOTEL WESTLAKE VILLAGE! September 2-6 Travelers unable to travel to the Aloha State this summer can still enjoy a Hawaiian experience closer to home in Southern California at Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village. The third annual Labor Day weekend inspired by the private island of Lana'i is planned September 2-6, 2009. The scents, sounds and tastes of the islands are infused throughout the hotel including specialty menus, Hawaiian music and lomilomi massage in The Spa. Hawaiian Festival Families enjoy luau-inspired cuisine of traditional Hawaiian and island foods with recipes provided by the chefs of Four Seasons Resorts Lana'i. Hula performances and music provide entertainment set against the backdrop of t... 08/21/2009

As a leading resource for visitors to the Conejo Valley for real estate info, Coldwell Banker Residential in Westlake Village also offers visitors with info on community events and activities for many Conejo Valley neighborhoods.    The Conejo Valley, which includes Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks, Lake Sherwood, Agoura Hills, Oak Park, Newbury Park, and surrounding areas, is considered to be one of the most desirable places to live in southern California. Conveniently located just off the 101 freeway, Westlake Village is home to some of the Conejo Valley's best hotels, restaurants, shops as well as some of the highest ranked employers in the county.      With their innovative approach to marketing and real estate technology, Coldwell Banker Westlake Village has strategically positione... 08/02/2009

Westlake Village, First Neighborhood, CA floor plans are many as there are two separate tracts in the community. This neighborhood was established in the beginning of developing the city of Westlake Village in 1966. The homes were built between 1966-1969. The community is designed with cul-de-sac streets featuring an elementary school and park right in the center with walking paths winding throughout the neighborhood. The elementary school is called White Oak Elementary and is part of the highly desired Las Virgenes School District. The park behind While Oak Elementary is called Berniece Bennett Park and offers a playground, massive grassy area, picnic benches and a community center with a pool. Westlake Village, First Neighborhood, CA is designed with two different tracts; Colony Park... 07/27/2009

Westlake Village, First Neighborhood, CA is most definitely a great place to live. This beautiful and quiet community sits in the heart of Westlake Village walking distance to the lake where there are restaurants, shops and walking paths. Dining at the restaurants in our beautiful Southern California weather is like being on vacation in a peaceful, relaxed setting. There are two builders who designed different styles of homes in the First Neighborhood, Westlake Village, CA. Half of the community is called "Colony Park," and the other half is called "Mayfair." The Colony Park homes are located on the northern section of the community. Many of these homes appear to have the front yard walled in and the home is secluded from the street. The outside of the homes are mostly stucco and the r... 07/26/2009

Westlake Village, CA First Neighborhood is one of the first neighborhood communities built in the area around the lake. Archaeologist, Chester King, noted that years ago the area where First Neighborhood sits was a Chumash village called Hipuc(Ypuc). In 1966 the American Hawaiian Steamship Company designed Westlake Village to be a "City in the Country." The community of First Neighborhood in Westlake Village, Ca was built in 1968. All of the street names end in "Court." That is because all of the streets are cul-de-sac streets. The community is built around an elementary school, White Oak Elementary, which belongs to the highly desired Las Virgenes Unified School District. There are greenbelts winding throughout the community and a community center and park at the back of the school. T... 07/26/2009

Real Estate Activity for Westlake Village As of 7/13/09     Breakdown of Active Listings: *does not include properties accepting back-up offers or in escrow   55 attached (condos, townhomes, duplexes) # available Low Price Range High Price Range 0 $100,000 $249,999 5 $250,000 $299,999 4 $300,000 $349,999 5 $350,000 $399,999 13 $400,000 $500,000 8 $500,000 $600,000 7 $600,000 $700,000 7 $700,000 $800,000 3 $800,000 $900,000 1 $900,000 $1,000,000 2 $1,000,000 $1,275,000    174 detached # available Low Price Range High Price Range 0 $100,000 $249,999 0 $250,000 $299,999 3 $300,000 $349,999 2 $350,000 $399,999 1 $400,000 $499,999 3 $500,000 $599,999 4 $600,000 $699,999 12 $700,000 $799,999 10 $800,000 $899,999 5 $900,000 $999,999 134 $1,000,000 $48,000,000   Statistical information used to ... 07/14/2009

The California first-time buyer affordability index is sitting right at 69% right now. (Compared to 47% last year at this time.) This is a fantastic 23% improvement and is prompting first-time buyers to jump into the home buying pool. In the Conejo Valley (Westlake Village, Agoura, Agoura Hills, Oak Park, Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks) there are 44 new listings on the market this week to date. The majority of them are below $600,000. It is important for first-time buyers to follow these steps when deciding to become home buyers: 1) Get pre-approved through one of the five major lenders. (Bank of America, CitiBank, Wells Fargo, Chase, Provident) Why? Because if you decide to offer on a bank owned property you will be required to submit your pre-approval letter from a major, direct lender. ... 07/13/2009