Westlake Village Real Estate Blog

Please stop by between 2:00 and 5:00 today to see this exquisitely upgraded home. Refreshments will be served. I hope to see you there! Listed at $1,099,000.

Welcome to my blog: Westlake Village Real Estate Blog: Real Estate, Life and Times in Westlake Village and Beyond! Here you will find snippets and tidbits about everything from the local real estate market and home loans to happenings and openings around our town.

If you know of anyone you could benefit from what’s here, please share it, become a follower on Facebook and/or subscribe to my RSS feed. If you have friends or employees who are relocating or thinking about a move, please pass on the information.

Now, enjoy this short YouTube video about Westlake Village and beyond!

From Trulia today comes this excellent piece on short-sales.

5 New Short Sale Myths – Busted!

There’s still a chance! The California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) has received first-time homebuyer applications for the CA tax credit totaling more than the $100 million allocated. Since many applications were found to be duplicates, revisions or invalid applications, the FTB has announced that it will accept at least 28,000 applications to insure the allocation is exhausted. New applications will be processed subject to the availability of remaining tax credits, as the allocation still cannot exceed $100 million. As of July 6 applications totaled 23,680 and were averaging 3,000 per week. FTB will update website FTB.CA.gov daily.

Sprouts, now in Thousand Oaks

The second specialty market brand developed by the Henry Boney family, who sold their Henry’s Farmers Markets in 1999, Sprouts has sprouted onto the scene as an alternative food store of healthy, organic, local, fair-trade options (did I miss any buzz words?). Located at the site of the old Circuit City, in Thousand Oaks near The Oaks Mall, Sprouts is definitely a destination store – and it’s worth the trip. There are gluten free products, local produce at, believe it or not, local prices, fresh (really fresh) meats and fish. Oh, yes, there’s a selection of low-carb food too, as well as “bin” coffee and grains.

Prices are surprisingly modest. Some would say (although lately the charge is not entirely fair) that Sprouts is Whole Foods without the whole paycheck.

Take a check, check it out, and enjoy a fresh Sprouts meal tonight.

Congress has passed a bill extending the Homebuyer Tax Credit closing deadline to September 30, 2010. The extension applies only to transactions that had ratified contracts in place as of April 30, 2010, and have not yet closed. There will be no gap between June 30 and the date the President signs the bill into law.

Additionally, Congress has extended the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) through September 30th. The bill is retroactive and will cover the lapse period from June 1, 2010, to the date the law is enacted.

Thousands of REALTORS® wrote letters and e-mails to Congress in support of both bills, heeding a Call to Action from the National Association of REALTORS®.

• Federal Homebuyer Tax Credit extension is not final. he Senate’s amendment to extend the closing deadline from June 30 to Sept 30 has not been approved by the House. No discussion in the House has taken place and no vote is currently scheduled.

• CA State FTHB Tax Credit will be fully allocated by next week. As of June 22 applications totaled $91,404,000. The state will stop accepting applications at $100,000,000.

• CA Housing Finance Agency allocated $699.6 million from federal TARP “Hardest Hit Fund” to implement a plan that includes earned principal forgiveness, funds to address loan arrearages, mortgage payment subsidies to unemployed families and funds to help families find housing after short-sales. CalHFA expects programs to be fully implemented by fall.

This information was provided by Brownie Stanisch, of Prospect Mortgage (bronwyn.stanisch@prospectmtg.com.)

Or how a walk in the dog park turned into a walk on the wild side.

The new Oak Canyon Dog Park, in Oak Park, has been the bark of the town, at least in canine circles. Friends have commented on how lovely it is, waxing so eloquently it would seem John Muir himself had scripted the comments.

Alas, a recent Sunday trip had to be aborted. The walk to the park is about 200 yards, uphill and down. Our aging Aussie, Murphy, couldn’t even get to the park! His back legs collapsed, and he lay immobile – his Ghandi routine. There is handicapped access parking, but is it for disable dogs?

For a second outing to the park, I arranged to have my son stay with Murphy so his feelings wouldn’t be hurt while I took Walter to meet his friend Prada. The scenery there as we emerged from the wooded path is truly spectacular – a great bowl of green lawn set against a backdrop of dark hills.

Little “Waltman” was very excited by the time we reached the entrance. So, it seemed, was a small black lab just inside the park. The two immediately set upon each other, attracting other dogs to the fray.

When we were finally able to extract our respective pooches, I carried my shaken 29-pound “Schnauchshund,” a rescue dog in more ways than one, out of the park and sat on a bench while he regained his composure. He looks defeated, said one passer-by as we ambled back to the car. That was an understatement! In fact, he is ok, just one small puncture wound.

Perhaps this weekend I’ll go to the park on my own, sans dogs, and enjoy the scenery.

From the pages of “Traditional Home,” this Dos Vientos property at 482 Via Merlaexudes warm, charm and exceptional quality. Situated on a large flat lot on a cul-de-sac, it has been upgraded in every detail. Among its many amenities: crown molding and plantation shutter s throughout, walnut flooring on the first floor, custom built-ins in the library, family room, and two bedrooms, upgraded mantles on both fireplaces, organizers in the master closet, pantry and garages, and a high-gloss custom paint job throughout.

The kitchen features a large solid granite island, countertops and backsplash, and stainless-steel appliances. The master bath and upstairs laundry room have beveled Travertine flooring. Outside is a fully covered patio with a cedar-lined ceiling and custom lighting, a speaker/sound system, custom flagstone and painted concrete, and a state-of-the art outdoor low-voltage lighting system. Completing this picture of tranquil living at its best is a 4-car garage. Nearby is the top-rated Sycamore Canyon School.

Just move in and enjoy the comfortable life-style of scenic Dos Vientos in this gracious home!

$1,099,000. Listed with Sher Hann, Ewing & Associates Sotheby’s

If green is the new black, then wild is the “au courant” look in gardens. So goes the ecological wisdom.

In fact, the concept of “wild gardens” is not new, dating back to the 1860′s when it was pioneered in England by William Robinson. It has evolved to what we commonly call today the English Cottage Garden. Robinson, taking his cue from the Arts and Crafts movement, strove for the practical, more natural, less formal garden that harmonized with the surrounding landscape. Wild gardens were to contain a large variety of plants, including edibles and natives all mixed together in a free design.

In eco-conscious Southern California, wild gardens showcase those plants that thrive in our dry environment. Some wild gardens also seek to attract wildlife. In the wild garden in the photo, surrounding a home in Wood Ranch, owner Agnes Faughnan says, “We focused on the abundance of birds in the area, putting in not only plants but also a water feature that would attract them. Definitely, this has been a success story.”

To maintain the pastoral environment, Faughnan’s garden uses natural stone for the patio, walkways and small retaining walls. The resulting setting, says Faughnan, is eco-friendly, with low-water-using plants irrigated by micro irrigation sprinklers. It offers variety, with an abundance of native plants, perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees, including lemon, lime, tangerines, blood orange, pear, Asian pears, persimmons, pomegranate, fig and black walnut, as well as many herbs and, of course, lavender.

“Our wild garden is also practical,” says Faughnan, “because of its low requirements for both water and maintenance. Like nature,” she says, “our garden is a work in progress.”

For more images of this tranquil paradise, see Starbright Gardens.