Long Beach Mortgage Rates Report: May 29, 2008

Posted on May 29, 2008 15:28:47 by Brian.Brady

Things to do in Long Beach California - June 2008

Things to do in Long Beach California - June 2008

March 2-October 5...Rancho Los Cerritos Tours

Times: 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Free - Every 1st Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

June 1; July 6; Aug 3; Sept 7; Oct 5; Nov 2

Celebrate the seasons with a guided tour of the Rancho's lush grounds. Learn the history of the gardens as you stroll past vibrant flowers in bloom & delight in refreshing citrus fragrances.

Phone:  (562) 570-1755
Admission:  Free
Location:  Rancho Los Cerritos Historic Site

June 1-4...PTCUser World Event 2008 at the Long Beach Convention Center. 

June 6 & June 13...Shark Lagoon Nights at the Aquarium of the Pacific

June 6, 7, 8... Sesame Street Live!  When Elmo Grows Up at the Terrace Theater

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Posted on May 26, 2008 22:31:45 by Laurie.Manny

Selling Your Long Beach Homes-Long Beach Real Estate

Yay!  The Down Market is OVER!

No it's not, but now that I have your attention, the market has changed a bit and there are a few things you really need to know if you are thinking about selling your Long Beach homes. 

Back in the hot sellers market one of the sales strategies used was to price a home a little low, take multiple offers, and play them off of each other to drive the price up.  It worked!  That strategy, applied to today's Long Beach real estate market is working as well. 

Pricing your home low will inspire the interest of buyers and agents and create a quick, steady flow of traffic and multiple offers to your home. 

For instance, if your home, in great condition, comps out at $500,000 and you listed it at $299,000 you would have the attention of the entire real estate market.  You would have to prepare yourself for a major onslaught of showings, perhaps as many as 30 to 50 a day.  The offers would pour in and bid up.  At $500,000, you would sit on the market for months, probably price reduce a couple of times to about $450k and likely sell around $440k, if at all.  If you choose this road, you will probably sell at around the same price, without the time delay.  It's clean and fast. 

An added benefit to creating multiple offers is that you have a choice.  You will not be forced to accept an offer with weak financing because it is the only offer you have.  There will be an assortment of offers for you to choose from thereby placing you in a stronger position to close escrow successfully. 

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Posted on May 24, 2008 19:51:57 by Laurie.Manny

Former Long Beach City Council Members Home-Sold in Foreclosure Auction

The Wall Street Journal reports:  The Sacramento home of Rep. Laura Richardson was sold in a public auction two weeks ago for $388,000. The Southern California Democrat bought the house for $535,000 with no money down in January 2007 and owed nearly $575,000 to Washington Mutual when the mortgage was sold earlier this month at a significant loss to Red Rock Mortgage Inc.

Rep. Richardson, a former Long Beach city council member, bought the home after winning a seat in California's state assembly. She maintains her primary residence, a four-bedroom home, in her Long Beach district. Months later, Rep. Richardson ran in a hard-fought election for the congressional seat, which was vacated when the late Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald died from cancer. To fund that campaign, Rep. Richardson lent herself more than $75,000 and stopped making payments on the Sacramento home around the same time. 

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Posted on May 23, 2008 04:05:05 by Laurie.Manny

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? 

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Posted on May 22, 2008 23:02:36 by Laurie.Manny