Living90045.com

The Credit Crisis De-Mystified

WP Admin — Sun, 17 May 2009 15:29:33 +0000

Got 11 minutes? This video does a terrific job of simplifying the credit mess that we currently find ourselves in.

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

Westchester 90045 Open House Information

The Living90045.com Team — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 14:13:04 +0000

Ninety-three homes are on the market in Westchester 90045 this week and 24 of them are being held open on Sunday afternoon (10 05 08) according TheMLS.com. If you have questions about any of these properties, email us.

As always, we are happy to share our thoughts and opinions about living in Westchester and buying, selling and/or investing in Westchester properties. We can also introduce you to excellent Westchester real estate agents.

$639,000, 8519 BELFORD AVE (3/2) (1:30 pm – 4:30 pm) (price dropped $57,000 in recent weeks)

$645,000, 8113 REGIS WAY (3/2) (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm)

$649,000, 7728 DENROCK AVE (2/1.75) (1:30 pm – 4:00 pm)

$653,900, 7631 GODDARD AVE (4/2) (1:30 pm – 4:30 pm) (price dropped $10,200 in recent weeks)

$688,000, 6906 W 84TH PL (3/1) (1:30 pm – 4:00 pm)

$695,000, 7932 FLIGHT AVE (3/1.75) (2:00 pm – 4:00 pm)

$698,000, 8123 McCONNELL AVE (3/1.75) (1:30 pm – 4:00 pm)

$725,000, 8846 RAYFORD DR (3/1) (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm)

$729,000, 6446 W 85TH PL (3/1.5) (1:30 pm – 4:00 pm)

$735,000, 7201 W 90TH ST (3/2) (1:00 pm – 4:30 pm) (price dropped $100,000 in recent weeks)

$739,000, 7830 MCCONNELL AVE (2/2) (1:00 pm – 4:00 pm) (price dropped $20,000 in recent weeks)

$755,000, 8100 BLERIOT AVE (3/2) (1:00 pm – 4:00 pm)

$769,000, 7807 AIRLANE AVE (3/1.75) (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm)

$799,995, 6013 W 76TH ST (3/2) (1:00 pm – 4:00 pm) (price dropped $14,955 in recent weeks)

$815,000, 7623 ALVERSTONE AVE (3/2) (1:30 pm – 4:00 pm)

$829,000, 5907 W 75TH ST (4/2) (1:30 pm – 4:00 pm)

$829,000, 5836 W 77TH PL (4/3) (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm) (price dropped $30,000 in recent weeks)

$839,000, 6406 FIREBRAND ST (3/1.75) (1:00 pm – 4:00 pm) (price dropped $30,000 in recent weeks)

$945,000, 7230 W 90TH ST (3/3) (1:30 pm – 4:00 pm)

$1,079,000, 8008 AGNEW AVE (3/3.5) (1:00 pm – 5:00 pm)

$1,090,000, 6358 W 78TH ST (3/3) (1:00 pm – 4:00 pm)

$1,189,000, 8128 REGIS WAY (5/2.75) (1:30 pm – 4:00 pm) (price dropped $36,000 in recent weeks)

$1,499,000, 7511 WESTLAWN AVE (3/3) (1:30 pm – 4:30 pm)

We make every effort to provide accurate data in this report. Please contact us or refer to TheMLS.com for additional details on these and other properties available for sale in Westchester.

Do you have a buyer’s agent yet? Don’t let the seller’s agent tell you that he or she can represent both of you. Dual representation by a realtor is usually not in your best interest.

Let us introduce you to competent, skilled, knowlegeable Westchester realtors who can keep your best interests front and center without having to keep his or her seller happy at the same time. Contact us for more information and an introduction.

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Did you know that we offer a Westchester Events Calendar and that you can set up email reminders for favorite events? Check it out!

See you around the neighborhood!

Your Neighbors Are In Foreclosure

Westchester Tracy — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:43:08 +0000

Think that foreclosure activity is only happening out in Riverside?

According to RealtyTrac.com, a highly respected authority on the topic of real estate foreclosure data, Westchester currently has 399 pre-foreclosure properties, 103 trustee sale properties and 243 bank-owned or “REO” properties.

Hello, we only have something like 7,000 or 9,000 lots in our fair city. That’s a lot of distressed properties.

Think that you’re sitting pretty because your mortgage is paid every month?

Think again. Banks are literally dumping these properties at any price they can get and these cheap sales are a drag on local valuations. Just look at the valuation comments on our weekly Open House Report. Sellers are being forced to drop their prices tens of thousands of dollars.

And you’ve heard that the LMU Party House problem is growing? People who can’t pay their mortgage or sell their home find a lifeline in renting three bedroom houses to six or nine college students.

And guess what? Diminishing home values can cause your Home Equity Line Of Credit to disappear, too.

Maybe we’ll see relief with the recently announced Wall Street Rescue Plan, but it’s going to take some time to clear out the existing glut of inventory even if the politicos can get their bipartisan act together and pass the proposed legislation.

Meanwhile, try smiling at your cranky neighbor. Maybe he’s having a really bad day….

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Did you know that we offer a Westchester Events Calendar and that you can set up email reminders for favorite events? Check it out!

See you around the neighborhood!

Home Composting — Everything Including The Dog Poop

Westchester Tracy — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 22:26:38 +0000

Composting is good for the environment and great for your garden. According to the EPA, yard trimmings and food residuals combine to constitute 24% of municipal solid waste in the U.S.

What is the problem with sending these clean and biodegradable materials to our landfills? They take space and they are completely wasted there.

For you, the most direct benefit hits you in the wallet. Compost for your yard and garden is a low-cost alternative for fertilizing your soil and remediating contaminated soil.

Composting has gotten a bad rap as stinky, dirty and time-consuming, but a Bay-area company named NatureMill has introduced a reasonably-priced home composting system that uses a system of fans, heating elements and carbon filtering to odorlessly convert your scraps into natural fertilizer.

This machine takes up to 120 lbs. of food each month and accepts a lot of items normally on the “do not compost” list, such as dairy, meat and fish, courtesy of the machine’s sealed reactor and “hot composting” temperatures.

They even have a modified version that heats to a safe level and adds other mods which allow you to add animal feces and shredded bedding to the mix. I’m guessing that that mixture might really give my husband’s roses a boost.

Start composting now and by this time next year you can be growing those 500 pound pumpkins we read about around Halloween. And they’ll be chemical-free, too.

Here’s a link to a video from the History Channel to see how NatureMill’s machine works: Composting Made Easy.

Oh, and after you order your home composter, call LADWP and order yourself smaller waste cans. I heard a rumor that they make it a practice to start you with the largest cans and hope that you aren’t smart enough to ask if smaller cans available.

Happy composting!

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Did you know that we offer a Westchester Events Calendar and that you can set up email reminders for favorite events? Check it out!

See you around the neighborhood!

Westchester 90045 Open House Information

The Living90045.com Team — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 03:31:22 +0000

Ninety-six homes are on the market in Westchester 90045 this week and 25 of them are being held open on Sunday afternoon (09 21 08) according TheMLS.com. If you have questions about any of these properties, email us.

$589,900, 7431 MIDFIELD AVE (2 bedrooms/1 bathroom) (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm) (price dropped $50,000 in recent weeks)

$639,000, 6500 W 87TH PL (3/1.75) (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm) (price dropped $36,000 in recent weeks)

$649,000, 7612 FLIGHT AVE (3/1) (1:00 pm – 4:00 pm)

$659,000, 7631 GODDARD AVE (4/2) (1:30 pm – 4:30 pm) (price dropped $5,100 in recent weeks)

$669,500, 7513 MIDFIELD AVE (4/1.75) (1:50 pm – 4:30 pm) (price dropped $15,900 in recent weeks)

$669,000, 8519 BELFORD AVE (3/2) (1:30 pm – 4:30 pm) (price dropped $27,000 in recent weeks)

$679,000, 7501 NAYLOR AVE (3/2) (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm) (price dropped $20,000 in recent weeks)

$689,000, 6641 W 88TH ST (3/2) (1:00 pm – 4:00 pm)

$725,000, 8846 RAYFORD DR (3/1) (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm)

$735,000, 7201 W 90TH ST (3/2) (1:00 pm – 4:30 pm) (price dropped $100,000 in recent weeks)

$739,000, 7830 MCCONNELL AVE (2/2) (1:00 pm – 4:00 pm) (price dropped $20,000 in recent weeks)

$759,000, 7928 CHASE AVE (3/2) (1:30 pm – 4:00 pm)

$769,000, 7807 AIRLANE AVE (3/1.75) (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm)

$769,000, 6119 W 83RD ST (3/2) (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm)

$779,000, 7930 DENROCK AVE (3/2) (1:00 pm – 4:30 pm) (price dropped $20,000 in recent weeks)

$795,000, 7887 VICKSBURG AVE (4/2) (1:30 pm – 4:00 pm)

$814,950, 6013 W 76TH ST (3/2) (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm)

$815,000, 7411 STEWART AVE (3/1) (1:30 pm – 4:00 pm)

$829,000, 5907 W 75TH ST (4/2) (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm)

$829,000, 5836 W 77TH PL (4/3) (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm) (price dropped $30,000 in recent weeks)

$869,000, 6406 FIREBRAND ST (3/1.75) (1:00 pm – 4:00 pm)

$1,090,000, 6358 W 78TH ST (3/3) (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm)

$1,189,000, 8128 REGIS WAY (5/2.75) (1:30 pm – 4:00 pm) (price dropped $36,000 in recent weeks)

$1,499,000, 7511 WESTLAWN AVE (3/3) (1:30 pm – 4:30 pm)

$1,795,000, 7425 OGELSBY (5/3) (1:30 pm – 4:00 pm)

We make every effort to provide accurate data in this report. Please contact us or refer to TheMLS.com for additional details on these and other properties available for sale in Westchester.

Do you have a buyer’s agent yet? Don’t let the seller’s agent tell you that he or she can represent both of you. Dual representation by a realtor is usually not in your best interest.

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Did you know that we offer a Westchester Events Calendar and that you can set up email reminders for favorite events? Check it out!

See you around the neighborhood!

LMU Hosts PeaceJam: A Global Call To Action

The Living90045.com Team — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 21:52:56 +0000

LMU is hosting a three day conference called PeaceJam: A Global Call To Action. According to its website, Peace Jam’s mission, is to “create a new generation of young leaders committed to positive change in themselves, their communities and the world through the inspiration of Nobel Peace Laureates.”

This conference brings nearly 3,000 youth, ages 14-25, from around the U.S. and the world to spend the weekend with seven Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, right here in Westchester 90045. At the conference, youth in attendance have an unprecedented opportunity to share with, learn from and be inspired by world leaders for peace.

Conference attendees create their own Global Call To Action Projects, and the goal of the conference is to mobilize the global community to complete one billion Global Call To Action projects in the next ten years addressing issues such as racism and hate, environmental degradation, access to clean water and the spread of global disease.

The LMU event this weekend is part of a bigger curriculum, and the conference is not open to the public. There are, however, volunteer opportunities that can get you into the campus talk on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. when the seven attending Laureates will speak. Call the LMU Center for Service & Action for more information at 310.338.2959.

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Did you know that we offer a Westchester Events Calendar and that you can set up email reminders for favorite events? Check it out!

See you around the neighborhood!

What The Heck Is MicroBlogging?

Westchester Tracy — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 04:27:15 +0000

KNBC did indeed carry the LMU Pary House story on Friday night. You can see a video clip of the story here.

Front and center in the news report is that students communicate with each other about the location of parties through the technology of microblogging. LMU student Chris Lesinski was featured in the KNBC report because he wrote an article in late August for the Loyolan about using microblogging to find parties.

They use what???

Hang on, geezer (I’m talking to most people over 30 here). Start with this idea — you are currently reading a “blog” post, or an article posted to a blog (the new name for websites that focus on offering constantly new content). News websites today all offer blogs.

Microblogging is the same thing, but the posts are super brief — typically between 140-200 characters. That’s about a paragraph.

By definition, “microblogging is the practice of sending brief posts to a personal blog on a microblogging website.” Microposts can be made public on the website and/or distributed to a private group of subscribers by either instant message (for desktop computer delivery) or text message (for cell phone delivery).

This means that anyone with a cell phone can send and receive microblog updates anytime, anywhere. This is what LAPD Senior Lead Officer Tony Ramos was talking about in the KNBC report when he mentioned that he “rolled up” to a party and everybody poured out of the house with their cell phones lighting up. The phones were lighting up with word that police had arrived on scene.

Microblogging started out as a way for tech savvy people to “chat” with each other, but just as happened with blogging in its infancy, politics is bringing microblogging into the mainstream. Barack Obama and John Edwards (back in the day) both started microblogging from the campaign trail. Traditional media organizations, including The New York Times and the BBC, send headlines in microblog posts.

By far, the most popular of the microblogging platforms is twitter, although there are others.

From twitter’s website:

1.1. FAQ

What is it?

Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

How do I use it?
Tell us what you’re doing in 140 characters or less! Send your thoughts, observations, and goings-on in your day. Whether you’re “eating an apple” or “looking foward to the weekend” or “Heading out of town” it’s twitter-worthy. Join us here.

Do I need anything special to use Twitter?
In order to use Twitter you will need one of these things: an internet connection or a mobile phone.

And just as happened with the uber-popular google, an entire new language has popped up around twitter. Here are a few samples:

mistweet: a micro-blog post someone regrets. You can delete posts from your Twitter profile page but you can’t edit them or take them back.

tweet: a micro-blog post via Twitter.

Twitterer: one who Twitters.

Twittermob: a group of people who organize a spontaneous real-world gathering via Twitter.

Twitterrhea: sending too many Twitter messages.

Twitterverse or Twitosphere: the universe of Twitter users.

So, in college student speak, a party is “news.” Is it any big surprise that students are using the latest news technologies to communicate about the only news they care about?

I personally never could bring myself to jump on the twitter bandwagon, but I have to admit that Lesinski makes a good point in his Loyolan article — it can sometimes be more efficient to figure out if you have anything to talk about before you actually start a substantive conversation. Loosely translated, who has time for social niceties anymore?

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Did you know that we offer a Westchester Events Calendar and that you can set up email reminders for favorite events? Check it out!

See you around the neighborhood!

Spectrum Health Clubs Makes A Heroic Donation

Westchester Tracy — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:37:18 +0000

Recently, when NCWP approved spending $5000 for three of our local fire stations, Public Safety Officer Cyndi Hench started investigating what each station needed. What she learned was that our local firefighters were in serious need of exercise equipment.

Knowing that the cost of the equipment needed was more than what NCWP had allocated to spend, Hench contacted the Spectrum Athletic Club at Howard Hughes, to see if they could help our local heroes.

Her call was very timely, because Spectrum was getting ready to replace a chunk of equipment in two of their local clubs, and they readily agreed to donate machines to our fire stations. I happen to know that the club usually sells this equipment when they replace it, because I’ve been a member for a number of years and I’ve seen this happen several times.

Because I spend so much quality time with the club’s treadmills, I also happen to know that these machines are usually in great shape when they are retired.

As of last Thursday, Spectrum had delivered equipment to Station 5 (Westchester) and Station 95 (LAX), and were in the process of delivering equipment to Station 67 (Playa Vista).

Please join me in a big round of applause for Spectrum’s generosity, and a hat tip to Cyndi Hench for sharing the story of Spectrum’s generosity.

Burglary Prevention Workshop

The Living90045.com Team — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:12:54 +0000

The Public Safety Committee of the Neighborhood Council of Westchester/Playa del Rey has announced a presentation by LAPD Burglary Detective Rich Householder, on how to avoid becoming a burglary victim, and how to support a follow up investigation, if you are. Also scheduled to attend are our local LAPD Senior Lead Officers, Tony Ramos and Ruben Garcia.

The workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, September 23rd at 7:00 pm, at the Westchester Senior’s Center at 8740 Lincoln Blvd.

For more information, or if you have questions you want answered but can’t make the workshop, contact Cyndi Hench at WPDRNW@aol.com.

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Did you know that we offer a Westchester Events Calendar and that you can set up email reminders for favorite events? Check it out!

See you around the neighborhood!

Yikes! LMU Party Houses On The News Tonight?

The Living90045.com Team — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:48:04 +0000

There has been a lot of buzz in the neighborhood in the last several weeks about LMU Party Houses.

Now comes word that reporter Kim Baldonado from KNBC agreed to meet residents this morning affected by the party houses. The meeting place? A known party house at 6981 West 80th Street. Yikes!

Local residents have been getting increasingly vocal on the subject of these rental homes. Between recent dialoguing with the District Attorney’s office and now the press, things could get very interesting in our sleepy little neighborhood. Stay tuned.

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Did you know that we offer a Westchester Events Calendar and that you can set up email reminders for favorite events? Check it out!

See you around the neighborhood!