By: Ron Viola
Chisholm Estates is a group of approximately 200 homes…
By: Tim McLaughlin
In Van Nuys situated in the heart of the San Fernando valley. It’s located north of Van Owen, south of Sherman Way, and west of Sepulveda to the 405 freeway. A large number of the homes in the neighborhood were built between 1948-1950, by James Chisholm who originally named his development Chisholm Woods. Chisholm homes have been known for their oversized lots, good craftsmanship and are perfect examples of California ranch homes. The neighborhood was a walnut grove during the turn of the 20th century and some of the walnut trees are still there today. When they were originally built the homes sold for between $22,000-$25,000 and today they sell for between $500,000 and $600,000.
The average annual tax bill for affected homeowners will fall between $1,500 and $1,800
By: Tim McLaughlin
After reviewing, 405,000 homes, LA County Assessor Rober Quon said the average tax bill should drop this year.
For single-family homes, the average value reduction was $162,000, amounting to an average property tax savings of $1,800, Quon said. For condos, the average reduction was $133,000, or an average savings of $1,500. The lower assessed values will be reflected on the property tax bills sent out in October.
William Roberts, director of the San Fernando Valley Economic Research Center at California State University, Northridge, said the reduction in property taxes is going to help many homeowners.
“It’s been a real struggle and a lot of people have lost their homes,” Roberts said. “This may give some people the ability to stay in homes where they have had difficulty making the payments.”
But in this case, what’s good for homeowners is definitely not good for a county government struggling for new revenue.The assessed value of properties in the county is expected to drop 2.3 percent this year – compared to just a .05 percent dip last year, Quon said. The drop, the largest in recent history, will further reduce the county’s property tax revenues, which have already fallen by $132 million in the last two years.
The reason for cloudy tap water…
By: Tim Maclaughlin
Ok, we’ve all had that bashful, unsure moment before we take the first sip of super cloudy water. Is the water dirty? Should I really be drinking this? Well, I recently learned that cloudy tap water, which I’ve been experiencing in Studio City as of late, is actually a natural phenomenon. Turns out, the cold water within DWP’s underground pipe holds undissolved air. Usually, the colder the water, the more air within the water. And, when the water is under pressure, it holds even more air.
Due to the recent run off from the Sierra’s, the water this time of year is all snow melt, making the water exceedingly cold. When that water finally makes it into your warm home, the air begins to escape in the form of those bubbles, which causes the cloudiness in the liquid.
You may see the cloudiness fluctuate depending on weather – unusually warm days may increase the bubbles. I always see this phenomenon in places like Mammoth during the summer.
The main thing to remember is that the bubbles are natural and are not an indicator of unhealthy drinking water.
Stay thirsty my friends.
By: Tim McLauhglin
The Valley Fair will return this year to the San Fernando Valley. For 6 years, the Valley Fair was annual tradition until 2003 when NIMBYism and political infighting drove the fair to the valley of Santa Clarita. Because the celebration was being held outside of the Valley, organizers brought the event back to Hansen Dam Recreation Area in Lake View Terrace the following year. Just two years later, however, it was forced back into exile after a fight over where it should be located in its original Valley. After moving the fair back and forth many more times, it seems we’ve finally come to a stable location. Let’s keep it here in Birmingham Community Charter School in Lake Balboa.
Go here to check out the event.
For Immediate Release:
Contact:
Stephen Roesler
Director of Social Media
Ewing and Associates Sotheby’s International Realty
818.657.4523
Stephen.roesler@sothebysrealty.com
By: Roger Ewing
May 26, 2011
Sherman Oaks, CA
In an attempt to unite local eco advocates, Ewing and Associates Sotheby’s International Realty hosted an eco-workshop with the help of actor and visionary Ed Begley Jr. Showing up by way of bicycle, Begley stopped by the Sherman Oaks real estate office to share a few enlightening words regarding the ease and necessity of harnessing green energy in today’s economy.
Eco company Blu Homes, REAS, Cyber Rain and Environmental Solar Design were also in attendance for an evening complete with light fair and wine. Each vendor spoke for roughly 20 minutes and held an insightful session of Q and A. Led by Ewing and Associates’ manger Jeff Biebuyck, also affiliated with Blu Homes, the event hosted approximately 40 environmentally minded guests. From local business owners, former musicians and select real estate agents, all attendees received the opportunity to speak directly with educated representatives of the green movement.
Mr. Begley, a self-proclaimed fiscal conservative, briefly spoke about his journey towards embrace a green lifestyle. A native to the San Fernando Valley, he mentioned his young adult days of putting money aside to make more sustainable choices. Taking public transportation, bike riding, recycling and investing in key initiatives to update his first residence with the latest eco options were just some of his insightful tips. Additionally, he spoke in length about REAS (Residential Energy Assessment Services), as they worked closely with Begley on his latest residential green upgrade.
The event was followed by an informative period of casual networking and further details regarding the scope of each company’s service.
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By: Roger Ewing
Calabasas residents know the overwhelming amount of wildlife that live just outside our homes. We live in a city replete with coyotes, rattlesnakes, hawks, owls, rabbits and deer. However, our native friends are often sick, injured, and orphaned, especially now during baby season.
This year, join the WOWS program on a 5K walk along Zuma Beach. All proceeds go directly towards helping our native wildlife recover from sickness, injuries or abandonment.
Last year, more than 300 Walkers registered online; there were 29 “wild” teams and 226 people donated online in support of participants. The event features a 5K (approximately three miles) beach walk that begins and ends at Zuma Beach.
All particpants will get a FREE Walk t-shirt if registered online by Friday, May 6. Online registrations will be accepted through Friday, May 13; after that, you may register at the Zuma Beach site on Walk Day for $40/adults and $25/youth (12 and under).
Event details and registration information can also be found on the WOWS website.
Event information:
When: Sunday, May 15, 2011
Where: Zuma Beach, Malibu
All particpants will get a FREE Walk t-shirt if registered online by Friday, May 6. Online registrations will be accepted through Friday, May 13; after that, you may register at the Zuma Beach site on Walk Day for $40/adults and $25/youth (12 and under).
Walk Day Program:
10 a.m. – Online Registrant Check-in and T-shirt pick-up*, Walk Day registrations; warm-up with MC Dan Cortese; applaud as hosts Catherine Oxenberg and Casper Van Dien award the top fundraising prizes; cheer as CWC releases a rehabilitated animal right on the beach. Enjoy our wild DJ, refreshments and snacks!
11 a.m. – 5K Walk Start – Walk with animal lovers of all ages and receive a Certificate of Completion; reward your efforts with an all-vegan hot dog from the Franken Stand or refreshing ice cream and yogurt from King Kone.
*Note to registrants: pick up the t-shirt size you ordered online at check-in to avoid confusion; you may be able to trade for another size later on.
For more information, Email CWC
By: Roger Ewing
Wonderful Custom home located in the gated exclusive private community of West Kelly Estates. The grand foyer with soaring ceilings opens to the main living area featuring gourmet cooks kitchen with granite counters, custom cabinetry w/glass doors, stainless steel appliances, travertine flooring and a cozy breakfast area with views. Entertaining made easy in the large Living room w/custom fireplace opening to a large formal dining room with peaceful mountain and city light views. Den/office also with fireplace. Enjoy the splendor of high ceilings, plantation shutters and travertine flooring. Tranquility exudes in the master bedroom, opening to a deck with views and a large master bathroom with spa tub, custom shower and walk-in closet. Three additional spacious bedrooms on the lower level lead to a central bonus room which opens to a rear yard with oversized spa and nearly ½ acre with mature landscaping, oak trees and creek w/bridge. 4 car garage with work shop or possible RV parking.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrp7WYFRh3k[/youtube]
By: Roger Ewing
On the surface, the difference between a step and a stumble seems obvious.
But in business, plotting long and hard to climb into a leadership role often is indistinguishable from inadvertently falling into one. The fact is, whether you take a deliberate step toward an objective or immediately trip on a shoelace, you may end up in the same spot. Put another way, many people who have a laser focus on getting to the top make it there no faster than those who have a leadership opportunity thrust upon them.
Yet knowing the difference between thoughtful business leadership and the kind that happens seemingly by accident is critical — not only in your ability to grow and develop as a leader, but to establish a pattern of success that’s deliberate, not miraculous.
Here, then, are eight attributes that separate genuine leadership from leadership that’s more a matter of chance:
1. Real leadership means leading yourself
Passing out orders is as easy as passing out business cards. But a prudent leader also knows how to lead himself or herself — not merely to provide a genuine example to others, but to become a working element of the overall machinery of your business. “It’s important that leaders have the ability to focus and motivate themselves as they motivate others,” says Larraine Segil, an author and consultant who teaches executive education at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
2. Don’t be a monarch
Thoughtful leadership likely means you already have a talented work force in place. That’s terrific. But be careful not to set up a throne room in the process. Accidental leaders often inadvertently establish a system of guidance that’s unnecessarily restrictive. Guide employees, but don’t implement more parameters than are absolutely necessary. “It’s important to influence the people with whom you work,” says Segil. “Don’t see your business as a hierarchy.”
3. Be open to new ways of doing things
One potential land mine of a prosperous operation is to repeat anything that proves successful. It’s hard to argue against that, but an inadvertent leader will put far too much stock in sticking with what always works. By contrast, thoughtful leadership acknowledges success but also recognizes there are always ways to do things better.
4. Remember that white males are fast becoming a minority
Statistics show that white males now make up only a small fraction of the workplace population. Couple that with growing partnerships across borders, and it becomes obvious that blending a variety of cultures and backgrounds in a work environment is an essential leadership skill. A thoughtless leader will try to cope with this as best as he can. One with more vision will work to take advantage of differences. “Competition — the constant push for faster, better, cheaper — mandates that we learn to effectively deal with differences in the workplace,” says career consultant Susan Eckert of Advance Career and Professional Development in Brightwaters, New York. A company that weaves an appreciation of diversity into its cultural fabric will make itself “unbeatable,” Eckert says.
5. Establish a genuine sense of commitment
I must admit this is a personal sore point with me. I’ve seen too many company slogans and catch phrases whose import is no deeper than the paper they’re written on. Want to be “committed to superior service”? More power to you, but a genuine leader will see that as words and little else. Instead, put some meat on those bones — establish how to quantify excellence, design a cogent plan to achieve it and set a reasonable but real timetable for its completion.
6. Finish the job
Many business leaders yak about their complete game, but how many actually finish what they say they’re going to start? A thoughtless leader who never genuinely finishes anything loses the confidence of clients and customers. That lack of follow-through isn’t going to be lost on his or her employees, either. Instead, set goals and establish pragmatic, accountable measures to actually finish what you start. “The ability to complete things is critical,” Segil says. “Nothing’s useful unless you actually complete it.”
7. Show genuine appreciation
Thoughtless leaders must have forearms like Popeye’s, what with all the back-slapping they do. That’s fine, but good performance requires a more substantive response. Leaders with an eye to the future hand out praise but augment it with real rewards: promotions, raises, bonuses and other tangible tokens of appreciation. That motivates your people, not only to apply themselves with enthusiasm but to stick around your company longer than they might otherwise.
8. Know that leadership skills come from learning, too
Far too may business executives believe leadership skills stem from some sort of wondrous epiphany or other such flash of insight. Sure, great ideas can come to any of us, but being a bona fide leader also means study. Read books on effective leadership, attend seminars and pick the brains of colleagues to see what works for them. It can be a long education, but one with rewards that multiply with the more knowledge you have under your belt.
Announcing the Most Exclusive Real Estate Brokerage in Calabasas
By: Roger Ewing
Welcoming all residents of Calabasas, Hidden Hills and the West San Fernando Valley, Ewing and Associates Sotheby’s International Realty is hosting a wine and cheese party Saturday, December 11th from 2pm – 5pm. We are excited about the recent opening of our corporate headquarters located in the Calabasas Court Yard at 23647 Calabasas Road. Please stop by for live music and plenty of wine.
Warm wishes and Happy Holidays!