Colorado Lagoon Park - Long Beach California

I remember when I first moved into Long Beach and drove past Colorado Lagoon.  In my own New York way I asked my friend 'Whats with the swamp?.  It was looking pretty raggy way back then, but as they say, its come a long way baby! Yesterday I was driving by, it was such a pretty day and the park was so peaceful, I pulled over and took a few pictures. 

Colorado Lagoon is comprised of 41.63 acres of wetland and Marine Education Science Center and is located at 5119 E Colorado St.; they can be reached at (562) 570-1720. Colorado Lagoon Park is bounded on the West by Park Ave; on the South by E Appian Way and E Colorado St; on the North by E 6th St. and Recreation Park 9 Hole Golf Course; and on the East by Monrovia Ave, E 4th St, Haines Ave, E Vermont St., and Orlena Ave. 

Read more »

Posted on April 25, 2008 22:13:16 by Laurie.Manny

Buying Your Long Beach Home - Getting Started

Are You thinking about Buying a Home in Long Beach?

When beginning the home buying process the best place to start is by getting pre-approved by a great lender.  Being pre-approved for your home loan not only assures you that you are shopping within your price range, it also equips you with the ability to make an offer immediately when you locate the home of your choice. 

When you speak with the lender of your choice, ask them if they will be able to provide you with a lock-in letter and a written loan commitment.  These items assure you that the loan is actually in place and that both the interest rate and the terms of the loan will be intact when you are ready to close escrow. 

There are currently less Long Beach homes on the market than prior months.  Over the winter months we had more, but less desirable inventory.  Todays Long Beach Real Estate Market is providing better and more desirable choices for home buyers causing many Long Beach properties to receive multiple offers.  It has been rare for offers to go much above asking price, however sellers are making choices based on the terms offered and the strength of the offer and the loan. 

Read more »

Posted on April 25, 2008 12:33:52 by Laurie.Manny

Long Beach Mortgage Rates Report: April 21, 2008

Posted on April 21, 2008 08:19:20 by Brian.Brady

Selling Your Home in a Slow Market

Luke Mullins a staff writer with US News & World Report contacted me pointing out an article he wrote that he thought my readers may be interested in 5 Tips for Selling a House in a Slow Market.  While I don’t necessarily agree with all of his points, as they pertain to the Long Beach Real Estate market, it is a relatively acccurate depiction of some of the items sellers need to pay attention to when placing their homes for sale. 

His article covers 5 tips: 

1. Making repairs
2. Pricing
3. Hire an experienced Realtor
4. Make showings easy
5. Counter “All” offers

While these are all very valid points just bringing your price down below what it would have “fetched” a couple of years ago is not enough.  Determining today’s market value and offering a price that a buyer will want to pay is more the order of the day.  Setting an asking price above market value will not just drive potential buyers away, it will set the stage for the seller for 'chasing the market down, which is the kiss of death in todays real estate market.  Agents who accept overpriced listings do so for the residual traffic the listing will provide; the buyer phone calls generated by the sign, open houses, advertising, etc¦  If they dont know that overpriced listings wont sell then they are just not experienced enough to price or sell your homes. 

Read more »

Posted on April 19, 2008 02:54:57 by Laurie.Manny

Long Beach Elementary Schools Win California Distinguished School Awards in 2008

Long Beach Elementary Schools Win California Distinguished School Awards in 2008.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack OConnell today announced that 343 exemplary California public elementary schools from 189 districts in 39 counties have been selected as 2008 California Distinguished Schools.

The entire list may be viewed at:  California School Recognition Program.

Congratulations to the 5 repeat Long Beach winners for their success!

Special Congratulations to First Time Long Beach Winners of this prestigious award:

Emerson Parkside Academy

Patrick Henry Elementary

Robert E. Lee Elementary

This year, the selection criteria for the Distinguished School program were more stringent than ever. Schools wrote a substantive narrative application and then were subject to an extensive site validation.

Read more »

Posted on April 15, 2008 13:00:00 by Laurie.Manny