Southern California Living - Long Beach and Pasadena

The Long Beach Real Estate Home Blog is pleased to welcome guest author, Pasadena California Realtor, Irina Netchaev.

Southern California Living - Long Beach and Pasadena

Many home buyers are looking to relocate and move to Southern California to enjoy our beautiful year-round sunny weather and be close to both snow and ocean. 

The hardest question of all is whether to buy a home in a beach community like Long Beach or to find a home in a foothills city like Pasadena.

Both, Long Beach and Pasadena are excellent places to live.  Long Beach, California has a beautiful selection of homes for sale in wonderful neighborhoods like Belmont Heights where you can buy a home for around $800,000 and be a few short blocks away from the beach.

For city living at its best, but still close to the beach, then a Downtown Long Beach Condo is waiting for you.  Downtown Long Beach has gone through extensive revitalization and there are many high and low-rise condos and lofts with spectacular views which can be purchased for as little as $69,990, or for as much as $2,699,999; many of which are high rise luxury condos on the waterfront (prices based on 2 and 2+ bedroom units).  Downtown neighborhoods vary greatly in price.    

Of course, Long Beach wouldn't be Long Beach without the Queen Mary, the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific, East Village Arts District, Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach Museum of Art, and you're just a ferry away from Catalina Island and the Port of Long Beach where all the wonderful cruise ships are waiting to take you to romantic destinations.

Long Beach is also 35^th largest city in the nation and the 5^th largest city in California.

Pasadena California is about 35 miles away from the beach, but is nestled in the San Gabriel Foothills.  If you decide to buy a home in Pasadena, you'll be minutes from hiking trails and a short drive to the mountains where you can enjoy winter skiing.

Old Town Pasadena has also undergone an extensive revitalization over the last 10 years.  Beautiful live-work lofts are being built, as well as a nice selection of condos and townhomes are available for sale ranging anywhere between $600,000 to over $1,000,000.  Pasadena's business center is located in the South Lake District where you can buy a 1 bedroom condo for as little as $400,000 and be steps away from great restaurants and boutiques.

Pasadena is full of historic neighborhoods and has many historically designated landmark districts like; Historic Highlands , Bungalow Heaven and Madison Heights.  Homes for sale in Pasadena are available starting at $500,000, but average closer to $955,000. 

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Posted on July 11, 2008 19:49:56 by Laurie.Manny

Home and Garden Tours from Long Beach California to Buffalo New York

Home and Garden Tours from Long Beach California to Buffalo New York

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Posted on July 10, 2008 22:06:42 by Laurie.Manny

Selling YOUR Long Beach California Homes and Condos

The Long Beach Real Estate Home Blog is pleased to welcome guest author, Portsmouth New Hampshire Realtor, Ann Cummings.

Are you a Long Beach homeowner thinking of selling your home or condo?   

Just as correctly pricing homes in the Portsmouth NH area is super important in this market, proper pricing from the start for Long Beach condos and homes is vital as well. 

The asking price you and your professional REALTOR set on your home or condo is the single most important component of getting your home or condo sold.  We all know the  condition and the location are both key components, however the price you put on your property is the critical factor as that takes into account both location and condition. 

To help you determine the correct price for today's market, you need the advice from a full-time experienced REALTOR.  Your Long Beach REALTOR® will use their experience, knowledge of the market place and market conditions, and their professional track record to provide you with a market proposal which will help you to both come up with a competitive position for your property.


The factors that go into determining the best competitive pricing position for your property are:

• Condition of your home or condo
• Location of your property
• Market conditions at that time
• Any repairs and/or improvements that might be needed
• Your motivation level and your time frame for selling

Your initial market position - asking price - will determine your success in getting your home or condo sold. 


If your price is too high, all the best marketing efforts in the world won't get that property sold.  Buyers aren't dumb, and neither are their agents - both will recognize that the price is just wrong. 


Here are some big areas of concern if your Long Beach condo or home comes on the market in the wrong pricing position:

• Those buyers who are already in the market will know right away the price is wrong - they've been looking and know the market.
• Area REALTORS will be reluctant to show your property because there are too many other properties to choose from that may be priced better.
• You'll end up staying on the market longer than you would have had you priced it correctly to start with - and this will cause buyers to wonder what's wrong with your property because it hasn't sold yet.
• Longer stays on the market need repositioning - price adjustments - just to get showings. And extended stays on the market usually end up costing you more money in carrying costs, lost opportunities, and more. We refer to that as "Chasing the Market Down".
• Even if you did find a buyer who, for whatever reason, chose to pay the too-high price, the bank or mortgage company's appraiser will likely cause the sale to be re-negotiated. Lenders today are not interested at all in lending money on properties that are not priced properly for the market conditions. And this could lead to financing falling apart for that buyer who wants to buy your home.

Long Beach California REALTOR, Laurie Manny, wrote an excellent article for consumers in her Downtown Long Beach Market that applies to real estate sellers everywhere. Her article is entitled, "The 7 Dangers of Overpricing Your Long Beach Homes and Condos", and is a great for anyone thinking of selling their home or condo.


Experienced professional REALTORS are in the know about the current market conditions - and this is the perfect reason why you should have a professional work with you to get your Long Beach CA home or condo SOLD!

Contributed by:  Ann Cummings - Portsmouth NH REALTOR of RE/MAX Coast to Coast Properties - specializing in Portsmouth New Hampshire Real Estate Homes Condos.

Thank you Ann!

Posted on July 09, 2008 06:50:16 by Laurie.Manny

Its Time to Purchase Your Own Home - Long Beach California Real Estate

The Long Beach Real Estate Home Blog is proud to welcome guest author Bruce Mulhearn.

Bruce T. Mulhearn is viewed as one of the most profound thinkers and analysts in the real estate profession.  He obtained his real estate license in 1960.  In addition, he is a recipient of numerous professional designations from the National Association of Realtors including Graduate Realtors Institute (GRI), Certified Residential Broker (CRB), and Certified Residential Salesman (CRS).

A native of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England, he has been a U.S. citizen since 1964.  He is recognized nationally for his contributions as one of the foremost instructors in the industry.  He is president and founder of Prudential California Realty, Mulhearn Group, which opened in 1967 and has grown to 21 offices with some 800 sales associates and is ranked as one of the top 100 real estate firms in the U.S.

"It's Now Time to Purchase Your Own Home!"

Crystal balls are in short supply.  Depending on which periodical, newspaper clipping, or sound bite you receive, speculation on the future runs rampant.  Nobody can provide an exact picture of the future with any degree of accuracy.  One thing that's for sure-the housing crisis varies dramatically depending on what part of the country you live.

On a national basis, California, Arizona, Nevada, and Florida have been hit the hardest with value reductions; however, in retrospect, these are the four states that had by far the most appreciation within a five-year period from 2000 to 2005.

When a headline screams out, "Median Price in California Drops 30% in One Year," that in itself is startling.  The median price in California has fallen to $339,000.  That's the steepest monthly decline in two decades.  But in return, it draws in a tremendous amount of first-time buyers who now see the homes as affordable.   They are no longer priced out of the market.  What we're seeing are prices in 2008 that reflect the same price in 2004.  At the height of the market in May 2007, the median price was at $484,000.

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Posted on July 08, 2008 21:46:06 by Laurie.Manny

Staging Your Long Beach California Lofts

STAGING YOUR LONG BEACH CALIFORNIA LOFTS

Living "loft style" is a total change of lifestyle. Loft living in Long Beach is for those who love to entertain more and enjoy life,  rather than spend time taking care of their Long Beach homes and gardens. Lofts are located within walking distance of Downtown Long Beach restaurants, nightlife and public transportation.  I tend to think that original, creative, entrepreneurial types are drawn to the lifestyle of loft living.

My visualization of a loft is having a brick wall interior, a view of the city lights, concrete or wood flooring and an open floor plan with high ceilings, large windows and lots of square footage.  The home stager's job is to define the space and style by separating areas with dual-functionality furniture, "portable walls" and accessories taking into consideration the views and special features of your loft by the placement of accessories and furniture.

Staging or setting up your loft is a bit different than a home staging for a traditional 3-bedroom 2-bath home.  The loft's one large room image needs created room definition. There's a lot of versatility in designing a loft. Repositioning the "walls" creates a new place, almost as if you've moved.  

The challenge is changing the virtual kitchen, dining room, living room and office into reality, well worth the time spent! Just as we know creating the illusion of openness with paint color in a traditional home works, the illusion of separation in a loft can be accomplished in a different way using floor rugs, two-sided bookcases, hanging panels, floor screens and portable walls. The high ceilings create and keep the openness of the floor plan - the reason why so many love lofts. The use of mirrors positioned to reflect the sunlight will brighten up entire space. For pet owners, it's also possible to incorporate an awesome area for your pet in an end table or nightstand.

Furniture, such as benches for storage, beds with hidden floor drawers, tables with wheels to move from place to place and stackable chairs for entertaining are ways to incorporate dual usage. In addition, placing throw pillows around a coffee table or ottoman cubes that slide under the table can add extra seating. Metal racks and open shelving for kitchens will allow storage and clear counters.

Everyone has a vision on how a loft should look and be designed.  Whether it's modern, futuristic, retro, European or eclectic, when it comes to design, it's always a matter of your own taste.

Diane Concialdi
DC Redesign  
(714) 815-3506

Read the rest of the series: 

• Preparing Your Long Beach Homes for Sale - Home Staging Tips

• Long Beach Home Staging-Define Your Long Beach Homes with Color!
• Redesign Home Staging for your Long Beach Homes
• Staging Your Long Beach Homes

Staging and Home Improvement related articles:

• Remodeling Your Long Beach Home?
• Curb Appeal On A Budget
• Summer in Long Beach California - Reduce Your Energy Costs and Stay Cool
• Self-Healing Homes
• Why Stage Your Long Beach Home or Condo?
• Long Beach Backyards-Ponds and Nasty Swimming Pools
• Long Beach Home Kitchen Remodels
• Long Beach Home Bathroom Remodels
• Stage YOUR Long Beach Home to Sell

Posted on July 08, 2008 02:45:49 by Laurie.Manny