Southern California Real Estate » Featured

Real Estate Market Heating up!

Andrew Orth — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:44:13 +0000

Southern California, or SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Southern California’s population centers on the cities of Los Angeles, San Diego and as well as San Bernardino and Riverside.

Thaw!

$898-million Gold Line Extension

Andrew Orth — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:19:01 +0000

Nearly 50 years is a long time to wait for a train, but East Los Angeles residents can rest at ease, their train’s finally come in. An $898-million Gold Line extension opened in November, marking the first time in a half century a train has served that area.

The entire 20-mile Gold Line route from Pasadena to East L.A.’s Atlantic station cost a mere $1.25. One reason for rail line extension was to make it easier and cheaper for residents to reach jobs throughout SoCal, however some believe the importance of the extension goes beyond that: it could spark a much-needed renaissance in the area, drawing in businesses and creating jobs.

The expanding Metro Rail system now offers access to several places in SoCal, from Pasadena to Redondo to downtown Los Angeles to Long Beach to the South East Cities.

Congress Votes to Extend FHA and GSE Loan Limits through 2010

Andrew Orth — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:44:12 +0000

Accoriding to NAR:

Last week, the House and Senate passed legislation to extend the current loan limits for FHA and Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae (the government sponsored enterprises, or GSEs) through December 31, 2010. These loan limits, set at 125% of local area median home price and capped at $729,750, would have expired on December 31, 2009 in which case loan limits would have been reduced in many markets. The extension is included in the Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government for the remainder of 2009. The CR is part of the Department of Interior FY2010 Appropriations bill. As of the deadline for filing this report, the President was expected to sign the bill into law over the weekend.

PV’s Botanic Garden Acts as Water-Saving Inspiration to Homeowners

Andrew Orth — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:05:56 +0000

It’s warm in Southern California, and we all know what that means: water-rationing. Whether mandated by the government or by the household bill-payer, hotter temperatures mean we all have to do what we can to conserve our resources and save money.

Puya mirabilis - Succulent

That’s why Pedra Furmall, an expert gardener at the peninsula’s South Coast Botanic Garden, recently shared the strategies and techniques she uses to keep the grounds healthy and the water rationed with the National Fuchsia Society’s local branch. This advice-driven tour was chronicled by the Long Beach Press-Telegram’s Meredith Grenier, who ran an Aug. 31 story on the meeting titled “Local gardens can thrive with little water.”

Some of the drought-tolerant plants that Furnall utilized in the botanic garden include succulents, cactus, sedum Angelina, Sedum spurium, echeveria afterglow, aoniums, formiums and Cymbidiums.

Southern California’s – Best new website for Buyers and Sellers

Mark Sleeper — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:17:56 +0000

www.searchonsocal.com provides the most up to date information available for buyers and sellers of residential and commercial real estate in Southern California.