As we know all too well, home prices increased dramatically starting in 2001 and reached a new high in 2006. The median home price increased by 42 to 65 percent between 1995 and 2001 and then jumped dramatically by 75 to 122 percent between 2001 and 2006. Since 2006 the market has declined by 27 to 53 percent, giving back most of the gains of the proceeding eight years. If you purchased your home over this period, your are likely to have lost all of your equity. Not a pretty picture, when can we expect some relief? The news for the real estate market in Southern California is mixed.  The Coastal Counties of Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego are showing clear signs of a recovering market, not so in the Inland Empire counties of Riverside and San Bernardino. Median prices among the Coast... 11/09/2010

Fashion Island Tree Lighting Ceremony in Newport Beach 2010 The annual Fashion Island Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held on November 19 and 20th, 2010 at 6:00 pm. The Fashion Island Christmas Tree is in the process of  being put up, and it is beautiful. The holiday tree is located in the Neiman Marcus – Bloomingdale’s Courtyard. At the tree lighting ceremony, there will be a musical performance. This annual Tree Lighting Ceremony in Newport Beach event is a great way to kick off the holidays. People come from all over to see the Fashion Island Holiday Tree. It was an impressive site to watch them putting this beautiful tree up. Come on out and get your photo taken with Santa - from November 19, 2010 to December 24, 2010. Photos will be taken at Santa’s Village located on the atrium law... 11/08/2010

Things to do in Newport Beach – Visit the Back Bay Are you looking to get out and hike and look at some beautiful scenery? Then consider either taking a walk or hike or bike ride along the back bay. There is a biking trail, and during our visit we saw many who were taking advantage of the beautiful day.  The photograph below is looking towards Jamboree and the community of Eastbluff in Newport Beach. There is beautiful foliage and it is all so varied. My daughter is working on a high school science project on decidious trees, and part of that project was to identify a tree, and to come back and visit it several times to see how it changes. During our visit to the Back Bay in Newport Beach, we saw people horse back riding, a hawk, many different kinds of birds. It is a really beautiful ... 11/07/2010

Just Sold in Newport Shores! The single family home located at 332 Lugonia Street in Newport Beach was just sold. This three bedroom, two bathroom home is charming and features vaulted ceiling in the living room, and a brick covered patio. This home just sold for $690,000. This Newport Shores home is located in sought after Newport Shores in Newport Beach. Newport Shores is a community of approximately 440 homes located on the west side of Newport Beach. The Newport Shores community features a community clubhouse, swimming pool, tennis court, sand volley ball court, basketball court and two playgrounds.  For more information about the property, please view the property website at YourNewportShoresHome.com. Buyer and seller were represented by Sharon Paxson. If I can answer any question... 11/07/2010

Newport Beach Crossings - Friday Fotos     This is a sign likely not seen in most places though even as a Newport Beach local it amuses me to see this crossings sign advising that people might be crossing the boardwalk with their surfboard though considering the number of surfers coming through it's good advice to watch for them. 11/05/2010

Newport Beach Open House1325.5 West Bay AvenueNewport Beach, CA You are invited to view this this Tommy Bahama inspired condo this weekend located on highly sought after West Bay Avenue on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach.  This beautiful two bedroom, two bathroom condo has a roof top deck with ocean and Newport Harbor views. The interior features upgraded baseboard, and crown molding, and pre-wired for surround sound. Additionally, enjoy the cooler evenings with a fireplace, and there is also a fireplace on the roof top deck. There is also an interior office area with built in desk and cabinets. This property is being offered for consideration at $837,500. Open Saturday, November 6, 2010 1-4 pm Open Sunday, November 7, 2010 1-4 pm For more information, view the property website at... 11/05/2010

Knowing what is taking place in the Newport Beach Market will help you make informed choices. If you are interested in Foreclosure Prevention, this is knowledge that will serve you well. NEWPORT BEACH  MARKET TRENDS IN FORECLOSURES Newport Beach has not been sheltered from the downturn in the real estate market. While the real estate market is in far better conditions than many others, there are still 437 home in the foreclosure process. Of this total, the majoring are in the first stage of the foreclosure process, Notice of Default (NOD); 47 percent of the homes in foreclosure are at the NOD stage. Homes that are scheduled for Trustee Sales (foreclosed by the bank and up for sale), is the second largest category. A total of 158 homes went to trustee sale in September. Trustee sales ha... 11/04/2010

Newport Island in Newport Beach, CA Newport Island is an island in Newport Beach located off Balboa Boulevard and 38th Street in Newport Beach. Newport Island is a charming community of homes of approximately 109 homes. Some of which some are bay front, and there are interior homes as well.  Newport Island is across Balboa Boulevard from one of the finest beaches in Newport Beach. You are close proximity to everything at Newport Island. It is an easy walk or bike ride to the grocery store, and dining and shopping. There is a bridge to enter onto Newport Island. Many of the bay front homes have slips to accomodate boats. However, due to the masts on sail boats, they are not able to get under the bridge at Newport Boulevard. Newport Island  is walking distance to the 38th Street Park. Th... 11/04/2010

While Newport Heights is a very desirable community, prices have dropped considerably. Even from earlier in the year prices have slipped. We are now entering the slower time of the year so if you are considering buying anywhere but particularly in Newport Heights this is a great time!. Currently there are 28 active listings in the Newport Heights area. 13  is escrow and in the past 90 days 7 homes have sold. What's interesting is that the average list price is at $706.00 a square foot, yet the properties that have sold were at $419.00 a foot. Goes to show that some homes may still be over priced. Be sure to have a local Realtor that understand the Newport Heightsmarket assist you in your purchase. There are so  many variables that we only know about a house, and location. It's not just... 11/04/2010

The Paw Spa in Newport Beach, CA The Paw Spa is an awesome dog grooming facility located on the Peninsula in Newport Beach. The Paw spa is owned by Debbie Pratto. The Paw Spa was previously known as the Newport Dog Groomery. Debbie purchased the business in 2002 after she relocated from San Diego to Newport Beach. Debbie then changed the name to the Paw Spa as it more accurately reflects the services that are provided. I personally take Patrick, my Irish Setter, to the Paw Spa and have taken him here for years. Debbie and her staff are very personable, and they obviously love the animals. Debbie and her staff does a fantastic job of grooming, and is very knowlewdgable of show cuts. The dogs always look beautiful when they are cleaned up! My dog Patrick was just groomed yesterday and he... 11/03/2010

102nd Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade - A Celebration of Light   The 2010 Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade will take place from December 15th through December 19th.  The parade will begin at 6:30 pm at Bay Island and finishes in the same place around 9:00 pm. The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade features everything from kayaks with lights to multimillion dollar yachts with extravagant light displays and music and people enjoying the entire spectacle from the deck of their boats.     This event has been called "one of the top ten holiday happenings in the nation" by the New York Times. You can see the route of the parade at Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade route.     This event is so much a part of my family's holiday that I can't remember a year that we didn't attend the Ne... 10/31/2010

Fashion Island Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Newport Beach, California In Orange County, California one of the most highly anticipated events of the holiday season has to be the tree lighting ceremony at the Fashion Island Mall in Newport Beach.For many Orange County residents, this evening marks the official beginning of the holiday season as the tree lighting kicks off on "black Friday", the day after Thanksgiving.This year's tree lighting will include all of the usual fanfare including a visit from Santa and a stage show complete with singing and dancing, which is usually performed by the students from the local Orange County Performing Arts High School. The main event of the Fashion Island extravaganza is, of course, the tree lighting itself. Onlookers are completely mesmerize... 10/25/2010

The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade in Orange County, California In Orange County, California there is no other holiday event that has the reputation or history of the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade. This long standing tradition began over 100 years ago, and today it is the most anticipated holiday extravaganza in the Southern California area. It is estimated that over 1 million people view this parade and the decorated Newport Harbor homes each year! Homeowners decorate not only their houses, but their docks and boats sitting in the docks as well. The Newport Beach Boat Parade is comprised of over 200 boats, yachts and other forms of watercraft, each decorated to wow and shock onlookers. Some entrants are reported to have spent over $50,000.00 on their boats decor, all in an a... 10/24/2010

Is There Any Question Why I Love Newport Beach? - Friday Fotos     Can anyone guess why I love to walk along the ocean in Newport Beach after a long, stressful week just listening to the sound of the waves crashing along the shore and the seagulls calling or just because it's a beautiful day?     10/22/2010

Will Newport Beach Really Close the Frog House?     The Frog House is familiar to most anybody who has been through West Newport Beach in the past five decades.  With its mural and its billboard, it's hard to miss.       Yet, the City of Newport Beach is considering closing this Newport Beach icon, the second oldest surf shop in Orange County.  This is the result of a zoning change from the 1970's for which The Frog House was given a waiver on nearly 40 years ago, but now the City wants to enforce the zoning change.   TK Brimer, the owner of The Frog House says that though he can help you with your surfboard, he is "inept" when it comes to dealing with city government and zoning laws.  He only has until this month to apply for another waiver to the zoning law or the City of Newport Beac... 10/17/2010

A Day at the Beach in Newport Beach The summer weather has finally arrived in Newport Beach this weekend. The weather is so nice and clear and no more fog! The air temperature is about 80 degrees, and water temp is approximately 66 degrees (definitely swimmable). The photo below was taken at 42nd Street on the Peninsula looking towards the Newport Beach Pier which is at 28th Street on the Balboa Peninsula. I wanted to share some beach photos with you of the beautiful beaches in Newport Beach. If I can answer any questions about Newport Beach, please contact me. Phone or Text: 949.280.0681 Email Me Originally posted at NewportBeachRealEstateCafe.com 10/10/2010

Newport Beach Skies - Is It Any Wonder I Love It Here? - Friday's Fotos       Sometimes I forget how lucky I was to have grown up here in Newport Beach and Orange County.  Then there are days like this where I am absolutely amazed at the beauty that has been so much a part of my entire life. 10/08/2010

I have been a fan of Altos Research for a few years now. They produce statistics for us that are very accurate. Altos shows us what active listings in the area are doing weekly. The above chart indicates that while the median price in July 2007 was well over $2,000,000 in Newport Beach and has dropped to below $1,500,000 at times, since then it has slowly been creeping up. There are still many homes on the market and the information above also proves that 39% of the homes on the market started too high, therefore having price decreases. If you are thinking of selling your home soon, please take in consideration the state of the economy, the amount of inventory on hand and the longer your home sits unsold, the less someone is going to want to pay for it. It's a great time to buy and sel... 10/06/2010

Jumbo loans are making a comeback in Orange County. A mortgage is considered "Jumbo" in Orange County when the balance is greater than $729,750. The $729,750 limit is the max amount for a Conforming Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac loan. It is also the max limit for a FHA loan, which only requires a 3.5% down payment. While the $729,750 limit covers most properties in Orange County, the higher priced areas have had limited financing options since the mortgage meltdown began in late 2007.More Jumbo Programs AvailableLenders are more willing to fund Jumbo programs in 2010 than over the past few years, as can be seen by the competitive interest rates offered on thee programs. Depending on the loan amount and loan to value, interest rates on 3 and 5 year hybrid adjustable rate mortgages have been in ... 10/03/2010

The Wooden Boat Festival in Newport Beach The Wooden Boat Festival was held yesterday October 2, 2010 at the American Legion in Newport Beach. The American Legion is located on the east (or bay side) of 15th Street on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach. The Cathleen which is the boat which won first place at the festival yesterday. The Cathleen is a 1959 wooden sailboat. She is stunning inside and out. The Wooden Boat Festival was an incredible array of the most beautiful wooden boats that were displayed in Newport Harbor in front of the American Legion in Newport Beach, and on the shore. The sailboat below was a stunning boat and was also featured in the Wooden Boat Festival, and I loved the name!   There were also some amazing wooden boats displayed on the shore as well. Some were... 10/03/2010