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Sunday, December 18, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Tuesday's at the Gamble House
Facebook
Did you all know that on Tuesday's from 11:30 - 1:30pm the Gamble House is open for tours? I can't think of a better place to bring a special picnic lunch to enjoy! The back patio is open for seating and the tours are only $5.00 - that's hard to beat! I am going to calendar Tuesday's - and invite a friend or three to bring along.
http://hometown-pasadena.com/resident-tourist/brown-bag-tuesdays-at-the-gamble-house/
Thursday, April 14, 2011
"Secret Agent Thursday" 4.14.11
Today was a fantastic day to see magnificent homes and homes waiting for someone to make them all that they can be!
1043 Atchison St., Pasadena is listing that is just that kind of property! It is the largest lot at just under an acre - the Highlands, and is situated on a wonderful street. You always want to look for the worst house on the street that you can upgrade - and this one when finished would be the jewel of the neighborhood.
I chose 1451 El Molino Ave., Pasadena to be included in todays Blog - because it is such a unique home and so beautifully executed on this lot in the beautiful neighborhood of "Oak Knoll." It is reminiscent of Palm Springs - fresh and open to nature...
Lastly, the "Crown Jewel" of the day is 255 Hillside Rd., South Pasadena. This is one of the more remarkable homes I have seen. The lay-out is comfortable and accommodating to a large and extended family. It is a home where you can enjoy your time together as a family, entertain the special people in your life and live a life of rewarding peacefulness. It could be in Italy or Argentina and is evocative of a rich and well-lived lifestyle.
Enjoy! As always, if you have any questions please feel free to contact me by email or commentary on this Blog.
"Secret Agent Thursday" Homes for 4/14/11
View Listings
Provided by:
Natalia Budilo (Lic: 00909543)
Lj Properties (Lic:)
1719 Pepper Drive
Altadena, CA 91001
Primary: 626-703-7736 Secondary: 626-660-1104 Other:
NVBHomes@gmail.com
View Listings link will be available for 30 days. If you do not see a link, copy this text to the address line in your browser:
http://itech.rapmls.com/
1043 Atchison St., Pasadena is listing that is just that kind of property! It is the largest lot at just under an acre - the Highlands, and is situated on a wonderful street. You always want to look for the worst house on the street that you can upgrade - and this one when finished would be the jewel of the neighborhood.
I chose 1451 El Molino Ave., Pasadena to be included in todays Blog - because it is such a unique home and so beautifully executed on this lot in the beautiful neighborhood of "Oak Knoll." It is reminiscent of Palm Springs - fresh and open to nature...
Lastly, the "Crown Jewel" of the day is 255 Hillside Rd., South Pasadena. This is one of the more remarkable homes I have seen. The lay-out is comfortable and accommodating to a large and extended family. It is a home where you can enjoy your time together as a family, entertain the special people in your life and live a life of rewarding peacefulness. It could be in Italy or Argentina and is evocative of a rich and well-lived lifestyle.
Enjoy! As always, if you have any questions please feel free to contact me by email or commentary on this Blog.
"Secret Agent Thursday" Homes for 4/14/11
View Listings
Provided by:
Natalia Budilo (Lic: 00909543)
Lj Properties (Lic:)
1719 Pepper Drive
Altadena, CA 91001
Primary: 626-703-7736 Secondary: 626-660-1104 Other:
NVBHomes@gmail.com
View Listings link will be available for 30 days. If you do not see a link, copy this text to the address line in your browser:
http://itech.rapmls.com/
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Chocolates & Chocolate Gifts | See's Candies
Even though this isn't a chocolate recipe - it does come from my favorite candy company," See's!" I am going to make this myself and give it to someone as a gift...someone very special! I hope that you enjoy it! I will post a great recipe from a favorite 'Pasadena' place each week, so be on the look out! Subscribe to this Blog!
Cooking with See's® |
 (click image to enlarge) | Lemon Cake
|
Friday, April 1, 2011
Laila's thoughts to share: Folks, please SHARE, SHARE, SHARE this with your l...
Laila's thoughts to share: Folks, please SHARE, SHARE, SHARE this with your l...: "Folks, please SHARE, SHARE, SHARE this with your loved ones: Where to Go During an Earthquake Remember that stuff about hiding under a table..."
Monday, March 28, 2011
Moorka - Our Kitty, Our Friend...
We first laid eyes on Moorka in May of 1988 - she was being offered in front of the Corti Bros. Market on Freeport Blvd. in Sacramento, California. My husband and children and I were out en masse doing what we loved to do together - grocery shop! As we passed through the front doors of the store, we lost our oldest son Michael - who definitely was a cat lover, to a store-box full of squealing, crying baby kittens. Before long, he was lobbying us inside the store to please, pleeeese, pleeez, let him take a special and particular kitten that he saw!
So why am I writing about a Cat on a Real Estate Blog? It is quite simply, really. No house is quite the same as a home that has at least one beloved and respected pet. The name "Moorka" is a Ukrainian name and it means ' ' the one who purrs.' From the moment we relented and our son took his kitten home, that is what she did for us all... she sang and purred. She smiled.
Moorka was truly one of the world's great animals. She had a decent being and a sense of duty and honor. She lived with us on El Prado Way for 19 years and was very much a member of our family. All of us would go so far as to say - she had a spirit, a soul. Even my son Andrij (Ukr, Pronounced Andree) who has a severe cat allergy, had love and respect for her. How can one respect a cat you ask? Let me explain...
There are cats who lounge in front of a fireplace or curl up in an obscure place somewhere hidden in the house and come out at meal time - or maybe our of sheer boredom. From her maturity, she seemed to have a work ethic. She began many a day with a gift - neatly laid out on our front porch mat. She brought us an occasional lizard or dragonfly, mice or rat. As she became older and more adept, she brought us birds too. We noticed early on that the birds she brought, were never the gentle Robin, sparrows or doves who lived in our trees. Quite typically it was a bird of annoyance - a scrub jay or mockingbird. Their bodies were never torn limb from limb - but neatly laid out for us to see as we stepped out of the front door.
When family member became ill or was sad - she would seek them out and curl up in their space - seemingly to say, " I am here and I care...this too will pass." She was like a 'little mother' to all of my children - her children too, I think. She treated me like I was her peer. She greeted our guests and even chose an honored few - whom she would allow to linger with her. Then there was Gary... she found something in him that brought her to his lap - every time he ever came over. She loved him.
When Moorka was about 18 1/2 years old, a county contractor dumped a mountain of concrete in front of my house. It took about a month for this megalith of concrete to be hauled away! Every day when I came home from work, she was perched at the top of the heap - as if guarding from above. One morning as she left the inside of our home 'to go to work,' I watched her as she stopped suddenly and then very quickly went into crouch position - she had seen something in that pile of rubble; a rat most likely. Out rumbled and stumbled, the biggest, fattest rat I have ever seen! He was bigger than our tiny and petite little cat! He must have been on a suicide mission. He paused when he saw her and then turned around slowly - barely making it back into the pile in time.
This 'Cat and Rat' game continued on for several days until the rat became either too hungry or suicidal...but he chose to 'give up the ghost' at Moorka's paw. She looked at him with a look that seemed to say, 'really, really!? That's all you've got?" Ultimately, we think that the rat took her out with him...but in a prolonged and agonizing way. She succumbed to feline leukemia within a few months - even then desperately trying to 'do her thing.'
One of the hardest days of our family's life was burying our beloved friend, Moorka. She raised a litter of kittens who were the prized pets of our neighborhood, a stray kitten found on a construction site and a tiny black Pomeranian puppy - who to this day loves cats.
Our houses do not really become homes until we make a place in them for a pet sharing them with another of God's creatures. In return, we are blessed with love and devotion from the mighty beating hearts of our companions and friends who make our house into a home.
So why am I writing about a Cat on a Real Estate Blog? It is quite simply, really. No house is quite the same as a home that has at least one beloved and respected pet. The name "Moorka" is a Ukrainian name and it means ' ' the one who purrs.' From the moment we relented and our son took his kitten home, that is what she did for us all... she sang and purred. She smiled.
Moorka was truly one of the world's great animals. She had a decent being and a sense of duty and honor. She lived with us on El Prado Way for 19 years and was very much a member of our family. All of us would go so far as to say - she had a spirit, a soul. Even my son Andrij (Ukr, Pronounced Andree) who has a severe cat allergy, had love and respect for her. How can one respect a cat you ask? Let me explain...
There are cats who lounge in front of a fireplace or curl up in an obscure place somewhere hidden in the house and come out at meal time - or maybe our of sheer boredom. From her maturity, she seemed to have a work ethic. She began many a day with a gift - neatly laid out on our front porch mat. She brought us an occasional lizard or dragonfly, mice or rat. As she became older and more adept, she brought us birds too. We noticed early on that the birds she brought, were never the gentle Robin, sparrows or doves who lived in our trees. Quite typically it was a bird of annoyance - a scrub jay or mockingbird. Their bodies were never torn limb from limb - but neatly laid out for us to see as we stepped out of the front door.
When family member became ill or was sad - she would seek them out and curl up in their space - seemingly to say, " I am here and I care...this too will pass." She was like a 'little mother' to all of my children - her children too, I think. She treated me like I was her peer. She greeted our guests and even chose an honored few - whom she would allow to linger with her. Then there was Gary... she found something in him that brought her to his lap - every time he ever came over. She loved him.
When Moorka was about 18 1/2 years old, a county contractor dumped a mountain of concrete in front of my house. It took about a month for this megalith of concrete to be hauled away! Every day when I came home from work, she was perched at the top of the heap - as if guarding from above. One morning as she left the inside of our home 'to go to work,' I watched her as she stopped suddenly and then very quickly went into crouch position - she had seen something in that pile of rubble; a rat most likely. Out rumbled and stumbled, the biggest, fattest rat I have ever seen! He was bigger than our tiny and petite little cat! He must have been on a suicide mission. He paused when he saw her and then turned around slowly - barely making it back into the pile in time.
This 'Cat and Rat' game continued on for several days until the rat became either too hungry or suicidal...but he chose to 'give up the ghost' at Moorka's paw. She looked at him with a look that seemed to say, 'really, really!? That's all you've got?" Ultimately, we think that the rat took her out with him...but in a prolonged and agonizing way. She succumbed to feline leukemia within a few months - even then desperately trying to 'do her thing.'
One of the hardest days of our family's life was burying our beloved friend, Moorka. She raised a litter of kittens who were the prized pets of our neighborhood, a stray kitten found on a construction site and a tiny black Pomeranian puppy - who to this day loves cats.
Our houses do not really become homes until we make a place in them for a pet sharing them with another of God's creatures. In return, we are blessed with love and devotion from the mighty beating hearts of our companions and friends who make our house into a home.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Making Sense of the Market
I am borrowing a blog today. The information is pertinent and informative.
You can see the December dip (and you could see it back in December), and you can also see a leveling out and what looks to be a rebound in prices since December (the orange black line is a 7-day moving average, theblack orange line is a smoother 90 moving average). As Altos puts it, "Weekly home prices are starting a seasonal bounce..."
When I turned on my radio this morning, I heard this report (audio player above if you are reading this on our blog.) highlighting the latest Case Shiller numbers.
To the housing market now where things are getting worse. A closely-watched index out this morning says home prices in 11 major U.S. cities have fallen to their lowest levels since the housing bubble popped...
The catch of course is that it is easy to forget that they aren't talking about today. They aren't talking about yesterday either. The story is current but they are talking about historical figures from December of last year (yes, there's that much lag built into the Case Shiller Index)!
That might be fine if you an an economist at the Fed setting policy, but if you're a real estate investor or simply a buyer or seller wanting to understand today's market and make a good desicion, all this hype two-months-after-the-fact doesn't really help you make your decision today. History is nice, but you want to know what's happening today and what's likely to happen tomorrow. You need good forward looking information.
The best forward looking counterpart to Case Shiller that I know of is the Altos 20 City Composite. It covers the same markets as Case Shiller, but with real-time listing data, not historical sales data. This means it is forward looking and leads Case Shiller. Here's what Altos shows in a blog post today:
You can see the December dip (and you could see it back in December), and you can also see a leveling out and what looks to be a rebound in prices since December (the orange black line is a 7-day moving average, theblack orange line is a smoother 90 moving average). As Altos puts it, "Weekly home prices are starting a seasonal bounce..."
The bottom line? Reading the headlines isn't enough. Truly making sense of the market requires an understanding of the right data, combined with local market expertise. The benefits of this insight is one of the most valuable things a competent luxury agent can provide.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Mandatory Carbon Monoxide Detector Law...Comes July 1, 2011
Thursday morning February 10, 2011 was the weekly meeting of the Pasadena Foothills Association of Realtors MLS meeting. We had one person on our agenda, attorney Kelly G. Richardson, Esq. of Richardson & Harman, PC - our Associations legal counsel. Those agents who actually take the time to go to our weekly meetings are able to stay abreast of any changes that take place and can quickly get the information out to the community and most importantly - to our clients. With that, here's the topic!
New Law Re: Carbon Monoxide Detectors
- Carbon monoxide "CO" accounts for approximately 500 non fire related deaths per year averaging 23 deaths in California annually.
- SB 183 Lowenthal - Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2010 is the law to research.
- Deadlines for the Installation of CO Detectors: July 1, 2011 for Single Family Dwelling Units and January 1, 2013 for all other existing dwelling units.
- This law applies to residences with fossil fuel burning heaters or appliances, a fireplace or an attached garage.
- See manufacturer's instructions for how many to install and where.
- Violation Consequences: 30 days to correct after initial notice and a $200 fine thereafter.
- Private remedy for failure to comply - $100.00 exclusive remedy
- List of Approved "CO" detection devices - by State Fire Marshall
- ***Possible 6 month delay in deadline - if the State Dept. of Housing and Community Development and Fire Marshall determine insufficient supply of devices.
and...
State Fire Marshall web site: http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/
Carbon Monoxide detectors range in price form just a few dollars ($6.00) and upwards of $45.00 depending on maker and model, so shop wisely.
For further information on this subject I direct you to the government website http://www.cdc.gov/co/
As always, providing you the latest information to simplify your lives - and protect you!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Preservation Pays!
Preservation Pays
Thursday is the biggest day of the week for Pasadena area Realtors. We meet for our weekly MLS meeting and then we pour out all over the city and adjoining communities to preview homes for our clients! Some of the homes we preview are for our buyers and some are for us to be able to properly price our comparable listings.
In an area with such significant architectural specimen properties - designed by some of the worlds greatest and best known architects, it falls upon me to be able to distinguish the artis/architect and the significance of their creation. In other words, it isn't just about square footage and a pool, it is about the aesthetic, the line, the use of light and nature and placement and materials and much more than this. It means a higher value for the homeowner.
I belong to the Pasadena Foothills Association of Realtors - along with so many other world-class Realtors. I take it upon myself to go the extra mile. I belong to the Cultural Heritage Committee and educate the public as well as my colleagues on the property that they have been blessed to inhabit or are making an effort to market.
We are the elite in our profession and we are the most knowledgeable as to the significance of the region that we live in and the magnificent historical and architectural homes that gave me impetus to name my blog "The Chocolate Box of Real Estate - Pasadena."
For anybody contemplating changing a significant and/or architecturally designed structure in any way, I would like to direct you to an outstanding resource that is FREE to the public. The Cultural Heritage Committee painstakingly created a booklet to give to our clients, customers and affiliate members interested in preservation. Please go to: http://www.pfar.org/members/cultural.asp where you should be directed to the booklet, "Preservation Pays." If you have any problems accessing this site - do not hesitate to contact me and I will mail you the hard copy of the booklet. Open your eyes to your fantastic environment and understand what it is exactly - that makes it so special and worth preserving!
NVB.Homes@gmail.com
NVB.Homes@gmail.com
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