Irvine OC Real Estate Blog

By Mary Burke

HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS

There are many ways to keep your child safe at Halloween, when they are more prone to accidents and injuries. The excitement of children and adults at this time of year sometimes makes them forget to be careful. Simple common sense tips below.

• Help your child pick out or make a costume that will be safe. Make it fire proof, the eye holes should be large enough for good peripheral vision
• If you set jack-o-lanterns on your porch with candles in them, make sure that they are far enough out of the way so that costumes won’t accidentally be set on fire. Better still use a pumpkin light!
• Make sure that if your child is carrying a prop, such as a scythe, butcher knife or a pitchfork, that the tips are smooth and flexible enough to not cause injury if fallen on
• Kids always want to help with the pumpkin carving. Small children shouldn’t be allowed to use a sharp knife to cut the top or the face. There are many kits available that come with tiny saws that work better then knives and are safer, although you can be cut by them as well. It’s best to let the kids clean out the pumpkin and draw a face on it, which you can carve for them.
• Treating your kids to a spooky Halloween dinner will make them less likely to eat the candy they collect before you have a chance to check it for them.
• Teaching your kids basic everyday safety such as not getting into cars or talking to strangers, watching both ways before crossing streets and crossing when the lights tell you to, will help make them safer when they are out Trick or Treating.

Make Halloween a fun, safe and happy time for your kids and they’ll carry on the tradition that you taught them to their own families some day

TheGreat Park Balloon relaunched on July 12, 2008 in celebration of the Great Park’s Third Anniversary, the Festival of Flight, and the Grand Opening of the Preview Park. Below is an updated weekly flight schedule (including evenings):

Preview Park Hours
Thursdays & Fridays: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Weekends: 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Balloon Hours
Thursdays & Fridays: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM; 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Weekends: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM; 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Registration to fly in the evenings begins at 6:00 pm, with limited availability (first-come, first-serve basis). All flights are dependent on winds and weather conditions

How should a buyer approach the current housing market? Currently the lower ranges in many cities are actually experiencing stiff competition.  That holds true for most foreclosures and short sales.  Also foreclosures have an expected market time of 1.22 months, which makes this a major sellers market.  Multiple offers are the norm and most sell at their list price or for even more. 

Short sales are much different since most are on the market as active listings even though they may have an acceptable written offer between a buyer and seller but may be awaiting the lender’s written approval to allow the seller to pay off less than the loan amount.  This process can take anywhere from days to months.  Buyers are quickly realizing that lower prices result in increased competition. Many home buyers are frustrated after competing and losing in their effort to secure a home so are turning to non-distressed sellers with equity in their homes. They usually end up with a home in better condition and typically will not have to compete with other buyers.

This is the perfect time to purchase for buyers that have a long range plan for living in their home. Even if housing values drop in the short term, Orange County housing values have proven to be an excellent long term investment.  With this in mind home buyers should look for the perfect home for their family and realize in time their “investment” will appreciate.

We all needed the weekend to come, to give us some relief from the constant barrage of bad news that was the stock market this week!!  The good news, once again, is that what is all over the news is NOT TRUE!  Lenders still have funds and they are still lending!! There are still investors offering great rates!  It’s time to stay away from the “Direct Lenders” or “banks” as they can be gone tomorrow!! It is still a good time to buy and many homes are now priced at a 2004 price! Great time to find a bargain! August sales were robust and inventory is dropping overall and notably the number of short sales and bank sales-at least in Irvine. With new programs being introduced to help home owners modify their loans stay in their home these numbers will continue to decrease. If you are looking for a home but afraid of financing shortages please give me a call at 949-275-6544. I can refer you to lenders who are still making loans. There are still available!

Investors Tip: Many potential home buyers whether looking to purchase a home to live in or invest for the future are already active in todays hard hit market. Others are still on the fence waiting to the market to bottom out! The concern may be that the prices will go lower and there will be a preceived loss even if temporarily and only on paper. Still, now is the best time to buy for the long term becuase there is a considerable inventory of homes to choose from at great prices. Much of our market is now priced at 2004 prices! Once the market is on the upward swing, there are very few desirable homes on the market that would be for sale at bargain prices! The market can change very quickly and most will not notice the change until it is well underway. Please visit my web site http://www.IrvineVillages.com to browse current homes for sale in the Irvine or Orange County California neighborhoods.