I received a call today from someone I had done work for in the city I used to live in. He wanted me to come and make some small repairs for him, but I explained that I am too busy in my new location, Santa Clarita. He said that he can't find anyone who will show up on time and do the work in a timely and professional manner. This is not the first time I have heard this. I know that I receive many referrals from people I have worked for here in Santa Clarita because of the same thing. I do not understand why people do not show up, come to appointments late, never call to cancel and do not finish work they have started. I have lived in Sweden and Finland for the first 50 years of my life and now I am a United States citizen and will live here for the remainder of my life. Over there, peo... 09/16/2007

City of Santa Clarita Mayor Marsha McCleon was on hand at the Second Annual Boys and Girls Club Carnival presented by the City of Santa Clarita and the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Clarita.For those of you who were not aware, Mayor McClean proclaimed on September 11th 2007 that the third Saturday in September would be "Boys and Girls Clubs of America "Day for kids."This is a National Event that promotes meaningful time between parents and their children.  For more info click hereMayor McCleon took the stage this afternoon asking all kids to make a pledge for "Kids Day" and shared with the audience  click here to view her on stage between concerts.  She also raffled off great prizes to the kids in attendanceThere was a lot of local talent featured in the many live outdoor concerts throug... 09/16/2007

Greetings everyone!Just wanted to share some cool news with you!Today an article in the Los Angeles Times business section was published, and I was one of the quoted sources that contributed to the story. Aside from being online, the story will also be published on the front page of the business section of the Sunday paper, two days from now. As my business has grown tremndously over the last few years, this year especially, despite all of the negative news about the Real Estate market, things have been great. When the LA Times starts coming to you for information about the industry you are a professional in, you must be doing something right! So I'll just keep doing what I'm doing, and add a few twists here and there. Here is a link to the Los Angeles Times article, where you will see ... 09/14/2007

For those of you interested in learning some of the fundamentals about the home-buying process, Pardee Homes, builder of the Fairmont homes tract in the Fair Oaks Ranch area of Santa Clarita, has announced today that they will be holding a free seminar on September 15th from 1:00 to 3:00pm. The seminar will be held at their Fairmont sales gallery which is located at 27231 Rose Mallow Lane, Fair Oaks Ranch, Ca 91387. If Interested, RSVP by calling 1-800-278-1797 xt 24. Some of the items you will learn at this seminar specifically, include the basics of:- 30 year fixed rate mortgages- Protecting your credit scores (FICOS)- Renting vs. Buying- The Title and Escrow process- The benefits of buying "new"- Homebuying opportunities availablePlus, the team at Pardee Homes of Fair Oaks Ranch will... 09/11/2007

Josh Abramson of A.Allbright Painting is looking for a home to paint for FREE!.  I met Josh recently as a result of my sister Pam who knows Josh's wife, and he's a nice guy.  I recently learned that his company has been "giving back" to the community for the last five years by donating a  $7,500 dollar home paint job for a needy family or person here in Santa Clarita California.  This is the 5th annual $7,500 painting charity give away from his company A.Allbright Painting.  Josh is a great example of a local business person "giving back" to his community.  I have not used his painting services personally, however I have heard of his reputation as a great home painter. I like the fact that the winner of this charity event is chosen the day before Thanksgiving.  With a paint stroke of lu... 09/10/2007

Santa Clarita Real Estate Market Report Santa Clarita Home Sales Down! But I think you already knew that, right?Here are the figures:In July 2007, the Santa Clarita Real Estate market saw 277 homes change hands. Of that amount, 193 were single family homes, and 83 were condos. With respect to the single family homes, the amount of 193 homes sold, is down 18.1 percent from a year ago, and down 5.8 percent from June 2007. The change in condo sales is both good and really bad. In July 83 condos sold in Santa Clarita, that represents a nice increase by 16.9 percent from June 2007! "But wait, there's more"...it is also down an ugly 32 percent from a year ago! Ouch!Next, we take a look at inventory! By the end of July 2007, Santa Clarita real estate market had 2,358 homes for sale. That amoun... 09/06/2007

I just attended the SCV Realtor Town Hall Meeting titled "Mortgage Market Meltdown" presented by Wachovia at the Santa Clarita Chamber of Commerce today.Laura Tombline Mortgage Banker Leader with Wachovia was on hand with a number of her local SCV Loan Representatives which serve our valley.  Michael Loulias Vice President and Division loan Manager with Wachovia was the featured speaker for the day.This meeting was well attended as you can see.  Paul De La Cerda MBA and Director of the Small Business Development Center Network introduced himself prior to the meeting and shared a brief overview of his function and what he does for small businesses.  For more information click here.  Wachovia's Michael Loulias began the meeting by asking the attendees to share with him some of the issues ... 09/05/2007

As we shared in Part 1 of this series, there is really not one sole entity/contributor to the challenges we face in today's market but a series of events, trends, etc... which leads us into the second in the A column of  factors in today's market and that's Appreciation.When I talk about Appreciation in this segment it is not the definition of showing someone you care, rather the increase in value of Real Estate as a result of the basic Supply and demand model.  Where there is a high demand and few homes on the market the values increase.  When there is low demand and a lot of inventory values will soften.Here are the statistics for the state of California.  Source: California Association RealtorsAugust 2007 Sales activity has decreased 24% from the same period last year.The average day... 09/02/2007

I was made aware of the "Fight for Victory" Pro Troop Rally this afternoon.  The caravan route will be traveling through our city in Santa Clarita on Tuesday Sept 4th on their way to Dallas Texas.  The caravan will be stopping in Griffith Park for a rally and News Conference Tuesday Sept 4th at 3:15 PM - Los Angeles, CA After the rally here, the caravan will proceed to San Diego and other stops along the way to Texas. Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Dr [Pad D] Bring letters, cards, notes of support & appreciation for our wounded warriors to this event, they will collect them and bring them to our recovering troops at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C. at the conclusion of the national caravan. Driving Route of Caravan Below is the planned route that the caravan of vehic... 09/01/2007

  Donna Nuzzi is the City of Santa Clarita Emergency Services Supervisor.  Here is her tip for September.  This is a monthly series by Donna which provides important Emergency Preparedness information to the general public and  subscribers to the Real Estate News, Views and Insights with Pablo.   This is vital information we need to know.   September - Terrorism Earthquakes, floods and wildfires are frightening experiences for most of us. Fear is a natural human reaction to natural disasters and other events that hit suddenly and seem to threaten our safety, our loved ones, and our daily lives. Terrorists use this natural reaction to multiply the effect of their actions in order to advance their political or social goals. Like bullies in the schoolyard, terrorists want to intimidate and... 08/31/2007

If you live in Santa Clarita Valley, chances are you've heard of Joshua and Annie-and for good reason.With stellar home listings, impressive marketing and, of course, meticulous attention to detail, it's nowonder Joshua "Dr." Suess and Annie Mai Thai are in the top 1 percent of Realtors® in the nation, andare ranked as the No. 53 Re/Max team in all of California. More importantly, Suess and hisqualified team of specialists are dedicated to helping people find the right home and driven to accommodateany family's lifestyle. "Dealing with families is the most-important part of being a Realtor®. It's not justabout the house; it's about listening and taking into account exactly what a certain family needs," says Suess.The Focused on Your Family Group knows that buying a home is one of the bi... 08/26/2007

I have been away for about a month and I see that lots of posting has gone on without me. I was in Monterey, California at the end of July, at a leadership and marketing seminar.Then I went to Finland to visit family and friends. I was able to finish work on many of my real estate marketing programs while I relaxed in the countryside.I have some great photos to share, but I am having trouble uploading them right now. I promise to include them in my next post.One thing I realized while I was away; I enjoy teaching others how to successfully market their small businesses more than anything I have ever done before. I make your phone ring - and that makes me smile. 08/25/2007

I as well as many local Santa Clarita residents attended the hearing this morning in Superior Court in Chatsworth for Jack McClellan.  The courtroom was standing room only and I witnessed first hand the proceedings.  The end result of this hearing is Jack McClellan is now barred from any place where children congregate in the state of California as well as stay 10 yards away from any place where children congregate.  This restraining order will be in effect for the next three years.This is a major victory for the local Santa Clarita prosecution team at the Owen Patterson and Owen firm. I applaud the efforts of Rick Patterson and Anthony D. Zinnanti. I spoke with Rick briefly after the hearing congratulating both him and Anthony for their efforts.  He was grateful for the support of the ... 08/24/2007

I just listed this Valencia home for sale and it is THE most upgraded Summer Grove tract home yet to hit the market. Featuring 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, and a downstairs office/den...this home was built recently in 2005, and spans just over 1700 sq ft. on a much larger than average lot that has no rear neighbors. Some of the upgrades include hardwood flooring in much of the home, granite counters in kitchen, complete stainless steel appliances, convection gas oven, incredible hardwood maple cabinets with upgraded hardware, , ceiling fans throughout the home in every room, cast stone gas and wood burning fireplace, upgraded cabinets, sinks, counters, light fixtures and plumbing fixtures in bathrooms, recessed lighting, upgraded Whirlpool duet washer and dryer included, laundry area larg... 08/23/2007

The newest edition of Broker Agent Magazine for September 2007 is out! I am one of the three featured Realtors in it. It showcases my servcies to the Santa Clarita real estate market, and my success in it so far. I have plenty of copies, if you want one mailed to you, just let me know and I'll take care of it. It is 10x better than a business card. Next time you have someone you care about in your home, and they ask you which Realtor you refer business to, you can just hand them my magazine article! Your friends and family will instantly have confidence in your referral, as only a handful of Santa Clarita real estate agents are featured in it each year.  Have a look at the article! Just click the picture below and it will open up in a PDF format. 08/22/2007

I know I made a projection of the amount of short sale listings last week or so, and said that by the end of the year, we should have about 300 short sale listings in the Santa Clarita Valley. Well, if the last 8 days is any indication of times to come, then my estimation may be blown out of the water by about 200+! Yikes!Over the last 8 days, the Santa Clarita Valley saw an increase in the Short Sale inventory by 22 new short sale listings. That is huge. Now there are about 177 short sale listings for sale in Santa Clarita as of today. With that said, if we keep having weeks like the last 7/8 days, then that makes a projection of Short Sale Inventory by December 07 closer to 500, and not 300. But, something tells me last week was something of an anomoly, and we will see more average in... 08/22/2007

One of my clients recently returned from Finland, where homes are built to last for several hundred years. In the United States we base our average life of a structure on approximately sixty years. Would homeowner's insurance rates be different here if our homes were intended to last for centuries instead of decades?I do not believe that it makes a difference when it comes to insuring your home against fire, theft and the full range of perils. But what about maintenance of a home that was built two or even three hundred years ago?Of course, things like plumbing, electrical wiring and roofing would have to be updated, but the structure itself should be sound. If the home has not sufferred structural damage from an earthquake or other source it would be able to withstand the test of time.  08/22/2007

Another day, another spotlight shines on a deserving Valencia, Ca community of homes. Today, the featured BEST OF tract is located in Valencia, and named Stratford Collection. The Stratford Collection, is a luxury townhome community situated within the Summit community in Valencia. These aren't the newest townhomes...but trust me, they are some of the nicest, and most expensive, however its a great time to buy one, because prices have pulled back from their high that they reached in 2005 and 2006. Within the community of Stratford Collection in Valencia, one can find a variety of sized floor plans in this gated community. One can choose from a 2 bedroom with sq ft ranging from 1581 sq ft to 2118 sq ft, and 3 bedrooms that range from 1850 sq ft up to 2036 sq ft. A lot of these units are ... 08/15/2007

  Donna Nuzzi is the City of Santa Clarita Emergency Services Supervisor.  She asked me today if I could share with my readers monthly tips the city provides for emergency preparedness.  This is vital information we all need to know.This is the first of a monthly series she will provide to the general public and to subscribers to the Real Estate News, Views and Insights with Pablo.      August - Back to School PreparednessThere is a lot that can be done by school officials to plan for disasters, to limit the risk, to protect the safety of students and teachers, and to ensure that schools recover quickly.  All schools should have an emergency response plan that addresses the following:•·        Identification of hazards and steps to reduce the risk.•·        Evacuation plans and routes.•... 08/15/2007

Donna Nuzzi works for the City of Santa Clarita and is in charge of the CERT Program.  Tony Arnold is a former traffic accident investigator and now a recently promoted Sergeant who is presently stationed at Wayside Prison in L.A.  He is also an Instructor for the "Community Traffic Safety Course.What is Cert? (No, it is not a mint)  it stands for Community Emergency Response Training.  It is designed to prepare for disaster/emergency response and pre-planning.  The training covers basic skills when emergency services are not immediately available thus saving lives.I recommend taking these courses.  Donna Nuzzi does all kinds of activities throughout the year relating to public safety and emergency preparedness here in the city of Santa Clarita give her a call or fill out the form here ... 08/14/2007