Posts Tagged ‘Thousand Oaks’
Market Spin – Febraury 2012
March 1st, 2012
Reason to cheer? Perhaps! For the Conejo Valley, the February 2012 supply of homes and the number of homes entering escrow set encouraging benchmarks. At day’s end on February 29, there were only 580 active listings, fewer than at the end of 2011 (see last month’s spin). In fact, we’ve not seen such low inventory since the first half of 2005 and then again in the last quarter of 2009 and early 2010.
Meanwhile the number of opened escrows – a leading indicator – hit 300, a number not repeated since 2005. For the past year we’ve dealt with a low supply of homes throughout the Conejo Valley, but demand has been light.
Tune in to next month’s “Spin” to see if this good news bodes a positive trend!
Posted in how's the market, Market Update | 
Tags: Agoura Hills homes, Agoura Hills real estate, Conejo Valley real estate, Dos Vientos, Lake Sherwood, Market Update, North Ranch, North Ranch homes, Oak Park CA real estate, Oak Park homes, Thousand Oaks, Thousand Oaks homes, Thousand Oaks homes for sale, Thousand Oaks real estate, Westlake Village, Westlake Village CA homes, Westlake Village homes | 
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3088 Saffron Circle – New Listing
December 7th, 2011
A rare one-story find! Sharp town home with two private bedrooms, each with its own bath. There is also a large bedroom/office with custom built-ins. The home was remodeled/updated in 2005 with newer kitchen cabinets, appliances and charming tile counter-tops, plus smooth ceilings and newer flooring (tile and carpet). The living room has a vaulted ceiling and a fireplace. There is an inside laundry room leading to the two-car attached garage. An enclosed patio off the living room and a courtyard off the office and bedrooms offer additional space and light. The home is situated in a private location amidst trees, greenbelts, community pool and tennis courts.
Listed at $449,000.
To see this lovely home, please contact me (805.906.1001, text or call).
Joel McCrea Ranch
November 4th, 2011
Joel McCrea
Historic McCrea Ranch, located at the base of the Norwegian Grade, was home to legendary film actor and western movie hero Joel McCrea. Originally purchased in 1933, the ranch has a long tradition of dry land farming. Joel and his wife of 57 years, movie star Frances Dee, raised their three sons here, living a simple lifestyle and actively participating in the community. The family, along with hired hands, farmed and ranched the land, raised feed crops for animals, and ran an average 150 head of cattle. In 1995, the McCree: family donated 225 acres of the ranch, including the family home, to the Conejo Recreation and Park District (CRPD).
The new 1,400-square-foot Visitor Center, which includes an exhibit/display area, meeting room, restrooms, and an expansive deck, will offer a variety of interpretive, educational and programming opportunities. The Visitor Center vividly portrays family ranch life during the 1930s -1950s.
The Joel and Frances McCrea Ranch Foundation exists to honor and preserve the legacy of Joel and Frances McCrea by raising and managing funds to support the restoration and preservation of McCrea Ranch.
Public access to the McCrea Ranch Visitor Center will initially be managed through scheduled programs with CRPD. As the trained docent and volunteer base expands, and funds are available, hours of operation will be established allowing the Visitor Center, as well as other parts of the ranch, to be open to the general public.
For the visitors center, call 805.495.2163.
“Stylin’” in Westlake’s First Neighborhood
July 27th, 2011
4438 Guildhall Ct., Westlake Village – Now on My YouTube Channel: Reduced $48,000, to $650,000! Kitchen Alone Cost Almost $100K!
Stylish pool home in First Neighborhood! $100K kitchen: Zambian Blue King slab granite counter tops, Thermador cook top and over + a second oven, built-in frig, huge center island with eating area, SieMatic cabinets with pull-outs, garden window too. The adjacent family room has a wall of built-in cabinets. Wood flooring in both the kitchen and family room gives an expansive look. Originally a 4 bedroom, this home now offers a super-master with sitting area and walk-in closet, plus a large master bath with spa tub. The secondary bedrooms are spacious and airy. Ceiling fans, 2 skylights, smooth ceilings, newer heating and AC units, security system too. Very private backyard sports a pool with diving board, while the front entry features a gated garden courtyard. Cul-de-sac location and no streets to cross to get to top-rated elementary school, greenbelt, community center and community park. Move-in ready just in time for school in the highly ranked Las Virgenes District.
Reduced $48,000! Now $650,000!
Farmers Market Coming to The Lakes July 22
July 14th, 2011
The Conejo Valley will soon have another farmers market, this one at The Lakes, near the Civic Arts Plaza.
Every Friday from 8:30am-12:30pm
Fresh. Fun. Organic
Come purchase organic fruits and vegetables from California growers. Stay for lunch at Nate ‘n’ Al’s and they will store your purchases in their refrigerator to keep them fresh.
Current list of vendors:
Ace Ranch, Escondido, Avocados
ANJIN II, Camarillo, Fish
Etheridge Farm, Visalia, Stone fruit and citrus
Finley Farms, Los Olivos, vegetables and strawberries
Hayground Organic Gardening, Los Angeles, organic seedlings, fruit and vegetables plants
Liquid Landscapes, Chatsworth, Orchids and tropical plants
McGrath Farm, Camarillo,vegetables, fruit, field flowers
Munak Ranch, Paso Robles, Melons, and vegetables
Santa Barbara Pistachios, Santa Barbara
Shepherd Farm, Fillmore, Eggs and citrus
Tom Shepherd-Shepherd Salad, Carpinteria, vegetables, strawberries, dry beans Spring Hill Cheese, Petuluma
How to Survive When the 405 Is Closed
July 1st, 2011
:
By now, most people know the 405 will be closed for 53hours beginning the evening of July 15 and ending early the morning of July 18. The northbound 405 will be closed for 10 miles between the 10 and 101 freeways, and the southbound 405 will be closed for four miles between the 101 Freeway and the Getty Center Drive exit. The work is part of a larger $$1-billion freeway improvement project that includes constructing a 10-mile northbound carpool lane to complete what officials say is a network between Orange County and the San Fernando Valley.
La Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa suggests people go on vacation. Here are five better ideas – all cheaper and do-able from home:
1. Read a good book.
2. Write a note (not an e-mail!) to a family member or friend
3. Make a summer recipe (suggestion below).
4. Work in the garden.
5. Attack that honey-never-does list.
Pesto for anything you want to put it on
1. 16 leaves of fresh basil
2. 3-6 cloves of garlic
3. 6 T parmesan cheese
4. 1/3 cup walnuts or pine nuts
5. ½ c extra virgin olive oil
Put ingredients 1 – 4 in a blender or food processor and blend. Add olive oil slowly and blend again. Enjoy!
Posted in Happenings, Local Information |
Tags: 405, 405 closure, 405 traffic, Agoura, pesto, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village |
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Open Sunday, 2 – 5: 1642 Larkfield Ave., Westlake Village
June 18th, 2011
1642 Larkfield Ave., Westlake Village
Listed at $1,495,000 by Dana Olmes, Ewing & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty.
Map: 1642 Larkfield Ave., Westlake Village, CA
New Listing: Charming North Ranch Townhome
May 25th, 2011
811 Sunstone St., Westlake Village
Charming Braemar North Ranch C plan, with 2 bedrooms, 2½ baths, plus a downstairs den that could be made into a third bedroom. French doors in the living room lead to a large yard, covered patio, lush landscaping, and even a private spa. This light and bright home boasts a laundry room with built-ins, ample closets, and built-in storage in the garage. Located close to shopping, hiking trails and park with tennis courts and playfields.
Stop by the open house on Sunday, May 29, 2:00 – 5:00 PM.
Listed at $499,900.
Pain du Jour
April 10th, 2011
My first misshapen loaf of knead-less bread - neither boule nor baguette
I know this is supposed to be a real estate and community blog, not a cooking blog. But once in awhile a recipe that is too good to be true comes along, and I must share it. The last time I got carried away like this was with a scone recipe. If you missed it, click here.
Now comes a recipe for French bread that is so amazing it must be tried and enjoyed by many. When we first moved to Thousand Oaks from Los Angeles, in the Dark Ages of 1987, I couldn’t find a loaf of good bread in this community. That has now changed, with the likes of Stoneground Bakery and the presence of loaves from La Brea Bakery and various farmers’ markets. Still, for the best French bread – the kind that is lighter than air and so crusty it cuts the top of your mouth, I ‘ve found myself buying warm loaves from The Grill on the Alley (yes, for $5 The Grill will hand over a toasty boule).
Then, without warning, my friend Kym, another “foodie,” posted a recipe first published in the New York Times several years ago. The credit goes to writer Mark Bittner and baker Jim Lahey, of the Sullivan Street Bakery. What is really amazing, however, is that this bread – yes, it’s lighter than air and the crust cuts the roof of your mouth – requires no kneading! It’ so simple a child could make it.
What it does require is timing, about 23 hours of it, as I learned with my first batch, when I had to work at home to attend to my bread’s need for flipping, flopping and baking – and, of course, savoring just out of the oven. While its shape defied geometry, its taste was divine!
Welcome, staff of life, goodbye, low-carb diet! Mange, mange – and enjoy!
Stella & Dot for Your Valentine
February 2nd, 2011
Gentlemen, it’s February and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. What to do? Remember the old adage, Diamonds are a girl’s best friend? Or, in the current economy, let’s say, Jewelry is a girl’s best friend. So here’s an idea for you: Stella & Dot.
Enter Jessica Dreyfus, Stella & Dot stylist in Thousand Oaks. Stella & Dot is sold primarily through in-home parties – groups of friends enjoying a glass of wine, munchies and, of course, jewelry. You can also purtchase it directly from Dreyfus (see contact info below). According to Dreyfus, more than half the line sells for less than $50 – a great price point for the quality. For the little Valentine princess in your life, a little girls’ line debuted last year.
Says Dreyfus, “I love the versatility of Stella & Dot. I can find one piece that works at the park with my son, out with the girls, and at a spring wedding .”
So, gentlemen, perhaps you can get by this Valentine’s Day with only one purchase for less than $50! Contact Jessica Dreyfus (310.351.9652) to make your selection!
Posted in Business Spotlight, Happenings, Local Information |
Tags: Agoura Hills, Stella & Dot, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village |
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