Memorial Day Weekend in Long Beach California

Memorial Day 2008 - in and around Long Beach California

Start Your Engines?

Not!

With the high cost of Gasoline many are planning the holiday weekend closer to home this year.  If you are planning a trip you may find the AAA fuel cost calculator to be a handy tool. 

Long Beach provides many wonderful forms of entertainment making it easier to play close to home. 

Things to do in Rainbow Harbor:

• Rent a speedboat
• Rent a jet ski
• Bicycle Boats
• Rent a Kayak
• Go Sailing
• Fishing
• Whale Watching
• Scuba Dive Charters
• Private Charters
• Yacht Charters
• Harbor Tours
• Harbor Cruises
• Private Charters
• Tall Ship American Pride Educational & Charter Tours
• Romance Charters
• Aqua Link
• Aqua Bus
• Dream Cruises
• Educational Expeditions to Catalina & Channel Islands
• Rainbow Rocket-Ride
• Guest Day Mooring Area
• Dockside Boat & Bed - Spend the night on a Yacht

Things To Do in Long Beach:

• Shoreline Village / Rainbow Harbor
• RMS Queen Mary
• Aquarium of the Pacific
• Harbor Breeze Cruises
• Scorpion submarine
• Comedy Murder Mystery Dinner Cruises
• The Tallship American Pride
• Long Beach Sport Fishing and Whale Watching
• Catalina Express
• The Pike
• Gameworks
• East Village Arts District
• Museum of Latin American Art
• Pine Avenue
• Romantic Gondola
• Luxury Yacht Rental
• Party Cruises
• Romantic Gondola Ride - Naples Island
• Earl Burns Japanese Gardens at UCLB
• Long Beach Museum of Art
• Cohiba Club on Pine
• El Dorado Nature Center
• Long Beach Parks
• Long Beach Fire Department Museum
• Rancho Los Alamitos -Historic Ranch and Gardens
• Rancho Los Cerritos
• Wayfarers Chapel

Local Beaches of Long Beach California:

Alamitos Beach from Alamitos to 15th Place. You can glide, ride or stride along the waters edge on the main beach from Alamitos Avenue on the west to 54th Place on the east on the 3.1-mile, 17-foot-wide Shoreline Pedestrian Bike Path. Two six foot lanes are for bicycle traffic and one five foot lane is for pedestrians. You can rent skates, bikes, umbrellas and beach chairs at Alfredos.

Bayshore Beach at 5415 E. Ocean Blvd. offers access to Alamitos Bay and other diversions such as:

• basketball,
• volleyball
• handball courts
• play equipment for the kids

Belmont Plaza Beach at 4000 Olympic Plaza is close to the bike path and Belmont Pier. Be sure to get a front row seat (bring your own chair!) for exciting California Beach Volleyball Association events.

Belmont Shore Beach from 39th Place to 54th Place, and Peninsula Beach from 54th to 72nd Place offer long stretches of white sand, volleyball courts and beautiful scenery.

Colorado Lagoon at 5119 E. Colorado St. offers calm waters, picnic areas and a nautical themed playground.

Junipero Beach from 15th to 39th Place can be conveniently accessed from Ocean Blvd. on Junipero Avenue which ends at a beach parking lot.

Marine Park at 5839 Appian Way is known as 'Mothers Beach because of its popularity among families with small children. All ages can relax and enjoy the day with shallow, calm waters, a lifeguard station, restrooms and play equipment.

The next chance you have to spend a day at the beach, remember that some of the best ones are right here in Long Beach.

History of Memorial Day

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states...Read More>>>

Memorial Day Events in Long Beach California:

May 26...Memorial Day Picnic on the Lawn of the Aquarium of the Pacific in Downtown Long Beach 

Times: 11a.m. - 1:30p.m.

Join us for a Memorial Day Picnic on the Front lawn of the Aquarium.  Menu:  Grilled Rosemary Tri-tip, Honey BBQ Chicken, Chipotle BBQ Ribs, Hot Dogs, and much more.  Cost:  Members- Adults - $16, Kids 3-11  $9,  Non-Members-Adult $26, Kids 3-11 $19.  For your reservations and more info call 562/590-3100.

Fly the flag at half-staff from dawn until noon in observance of the holiday. 

Memorial Day Ceremonies, Forest Lawn - Long Beach, Paradise Mosaic Forecourt, Long Beach, CA.

Highlights include color guards, bagpiper, a wreath placement ceremony, roll call of deceased veterans, Presidential Proclamation, a parade of flags by local veterans, and patriotic music.  For more information, call: (800) 204-3131 ext. 4743.  

Going out to Celebrate? 

Celebrate too much?   You can get a free ride home from the Scooter Patrol. To make reservations call 577-7365.

Long Beach, Belmont Shores

Scooter Patrol, Inc.

Long Beach, CA  

(562) 577-7365

Sunset Beach, Newport, Huntington, Seal Beach

Scooter Patrol, Inc. 

(714) 240-3534

Call a Taxi:

Taxi Services

275 Redondo Ave, Long Beach
(310) 374-8440

Long Beach Yellow Cab
(562) 435-6111

LA Yellow Cab TOLL-FREE:

1-800 TAXICAB
(800) 829-4222

Some of us will be working through the weekend.  Prices on homes for sale in Long Beach have become very desirable, many buyers are out shopping now.  There are currently many out of towners here in Long Beach looking for investment properties and finding great buys. 

I wish you all a safe and enjoyable weekend. 

Posted on May 22, 2008 19:02:36 by Laurie.Manny

Long Beach Mortgage Rates Report: May 14, 2008

Posted on May 13, 2008 21:25:51 by Brian.Brady

Long Beach Own Your Owns-OYO-OYOs-Condo Conversions-Income Properties in Long Beach

Long Beach Own Your Owns - OYOs

What the Heck is an OYO?

Why would I want to own one?

Long Beach has been home to many Own Your Owns over the years. They can be found throughout Downtown Long Beach, Alamitos Beach, Bluff Park and into Belmont Heights; older, usually 2 or 3 story buildings tucked between newer and sometimes taller buildings.   Recent Condo Conversions have trimmed the numbers of available OYOs considerably. OYOs used to be a really good investment, selling for considerably less than Long Beach Condos, they proved to be a very desirable purchase. When they successfully converted to condominiums owners realized large profits.  Often condo conversion was the motivation for purchasing an Own Your Own. 

Many buyers ask about OYOs.  They want to know if they are the same as a condo, or more like a stock cooperative. 

OYOs are similar in ownership to condos in that they are both fee simple ownership with individual tax bills and deeds. OYOs are a pre-condominium form of ownership, mostly built in the 50s. They generally sell for less than condos and are occasionally candidates for condo conversion, if they qualify, at which time they increase in value dramatically. Often OYOs will not have sufficient parking to qualify for condo conversion. 

Read more »

Posted on May 05, 2008 18:18:26 by Laurie.Manny

Can We Get Long Beach Homeowners To Pay Back Their Mortgages?

HR 5830: The FHA Housing Stabilization and Homeowership Retention Act of 2008,  is designed to provide relief for homeowners in trouble by refinancing their loan to reflect lower housing valuations.  If the current lender ˜forgives 10% of the loan balance, it allows a homeowner to enter into an equity sharing type of arrangement for a refinanced loan.

I offered my analysis of and support for this bill, on BloodhoundBlog.  A discussion arose about a change on social mores, most often associated with younger, first time home buyers.  It seems that the compunction that comes with a mortgage default has disappeared.

My questions for discussion are:

1- If your property value has dropped below the amount owed on the home, are you inclined to walk away from the loan (s) ?

2- Does the prospect of not being able to obtain real estate financing for 4-7 years dissuade you from walking away from the loan.

3- Do you feel a moral obligation to pay back the full amount of the loan regardless of the value of the property?

4- What do you think will happen to loan guidelines if compunction towards loan default disappears?

Posted on May 04, 2008 14:54:07 by Brian.Brady

Long Beach California Real Estate Sales

Long Beach California Real Estate Sales Update

January - April 2008

The real estate market in Long Beach has begun to shift.  We have witnessed a steady rise in homes and condos for sale in Long Beach since the beginning of the year, as is witnessed by the chart provided.  Buyers who have been waiting out the real estate market hoping to get that incredible deal are now buying those Long Beach homes and condos they have been wanting. 

Interest rates are still great, although lenders are tightening up on lending standards.  It is getting more difficult to procure a home loan unless your income and credit scores are high, your credit history is good and your debt ratio is low.  As we progress into the summer months lending standards will become even more stringent.   

• Long Beach Mortgage Rates Reports

If you are one of the consumers who has been sitting on the sidelines waiting for Long Beach real estate prices to drop before you begin your buying process, you might want to speak to a mortgage lender pretty soon.  Run your credit, find out if you qualify for a home loan sufficient to make that purchase.  You may also decide to go ahead and buy now while Long Beach prices are low, some concessions are still being granted and home loans are still available to consumers with less than pristine credit. 

• Long Beach Homes & Condos-7 Steps to Pre-Home Purchase Preparedness 
• Buying Your Long Beach Home - Getting Started 
• Long Beach Home Search-Where do I start? 
• New FHA Loan Limit For Long Beach Homes
  
• Long Beach Homes - To Buy or Not To Buy? 
• Long Beach Homes and Condos - Negotiating Your Offer 
• Long Beach Home Ownership - 1st Time Home Buyers and The American Dream 

 Real Estate Sales in Long Beach California - 2008 - Year to Date

• Long Beach Homes and Condos Market Report-Jan-Dec Home Sales 2007 
• Long Beach Income Property Market Report-January-December 2007-Including Signal Hill 
• Downtown Long Beach Stock Co-operatives 

There are many REO (Real Estate Owned) or bank owned homes and condos on the market in Long Beach.  There is a huge demand for these homes, especially the nicer ones, and many are receiving multiple offers and selling quickly.  When a bank, or a seller, receives multiple offers, they generally are not willing to grant much, if anything, in the way of concessions, which means the buyer is paying a higher NET price. 

Recently many home sales have been at or near full price with minimal contribution, if any, toward closing costs.  Some bank owned properties, which have sat on the market, have been successfully negotiated at considerably lower prices.  Most of these have been purchased by contractors or other professionals who know how to make the necessary repairs and upgrades at minimal cost.  First Time Buyers do not have the after purchase cash to bring these homes up to standard. 

• Who is Negotiating YOUR Long Beach Home Purchase or Sale 

All cash buyers are shopping and closing deals, and thier money is making waves here in Long Beach.  A seller of a Long Beach home or a bank will gladly accept a cash offer.  For them a cash offer means they dont have to worry about a loan program disappearing or a lender closing its doors in the middle of their transaction.  They dont have to worry about a buyers credit position changing during the course of the transaction or the lenders guidlines changing and precluding the buyer from the loan program midstream.  They know that an all cash purchase has an excellent chance of actually closing escrow.  Many escrows have not been successfully closing here in Long Beach, especially those with 100% financing programs involved, which makes the all cash buyer - or the buyer with a large down payment very attractive to a seller.  Sometimes a seller will accept a slightly lesser offer for the assurances an all cash deal can provide.  Money talks¦

Home sales in Long Beach are on the incline, prices are down, interest rates are still great; now is a good time to buy.

• Home Buyer Tips - Dont Make Any Major Purchases
• Home Buyer Tips - Changing Jobs Affects Your Ability to Purchase a Home
• Home Buyer Tips - Things to Avoid Before Purchasing a Home 

Learn About Long Beach California:

• Relocating to Long Beach California-Resource Guide 

Call Laurie today to begin your home buying process.

Long Beach Homes For Sale

• Long Beach Homes For Sale $300000 to $400000
• Long Beach Homes For Sale $400000 to $500000
• Long Beach Homes For Sale $500000 to $700000
• Long Beach Homes For Sale $700000 to $900000
• Long Beach Homes For Sale $900000 to $1200000
• Long Beach Luxury Homes For Sale $1200000 to $2500000
• Luxury Homes For Sale in Long Beach California $2.5 Million and up
  

Long Beach Condos For Sale

• Long Beach Condos For Sale $1,500,000 and higher
• Long Beach Condos For Sale $1,000,000 to $1,500,000
• Long Beach Condos For Sale $900,000 to $1,000,000
• Long Beach Condos For Sale $800,000 to $900,000
• Long Beach Condos For Sale $700,000 to $800,000
• Long Beach Condos For Sale $600,000 to $700,000
• Long Beach Condos For Sale $500,000 to $600,000
• Long Beach Condos For Sale $400,000 to $500,000
• Long Beach Condos For Sale $300,000 to $400,000
• Long Beach Condos For Sale Under $300,000

Long Beach Income Properties For Sale

• Income Property For Sale in Long Beach California-5+ Units
• 2 to 4 Units For Sale in Long Beach California
• Triplexes For Sale in Long Beach California
• Duplexes For Sale in Long Beach California

Posted on May 03, 2008 19:37:51 by Laurie.Manny