Southern California Homes For Sale, Real Estate, Condos, Foreclosures

Solid Patio Covers are One of Many Options to Create a Year-Long Outdoor Living Space

CAPropertyFinder.com — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:00:27 +0000

Photo Credit to Rick’s Fencing

Wish you had more space to hang out and entertain at home? Instead of building an expensive addition to a new or existing home, consider migrating outside. Outdoor living spaces are among the hottest home design trends, and the addition of solid patio covers and pergolas will easily complete the look of the area you choose to designate as your outdoor living room. This investment in your home will let you and your family enjoy your yard throughout the whole year – a return not many items offer.

Solid Patio Covers

A solid patio is an extension of your roofline over your outdoor living area, designed to complement the architecture of your dwelling and give it a natural look. Because a contractor can use a variety of materials – such as asphalt, wood shingles or polycarbonate covers – the cover blends seamlessly with the look of your home.

Pros: The materials used for solid patio covers are aesthetically pleasing, durable and offer protection from precipitation and UV rays, so you can enjoy your yard all day and during any time of the year. The roofing materials also conform to complex roof shapes, offering you more versatility in design.

Cons: Depending on the materials used, solid patio covers can be more expensive than other types of covers and may take longer to build.

Pergolas

A pergola is a structure made of vertical posts that support crossbeams. The top of a pergola is open, but the beams help offset the harsh glare of direct sunlight. The structure on its own adds a dramatic look to an outdoor living space, but you can extra dimension by training climbing vines to grow up the posts and over the crossbeams. Popular vines for pergolas include grapes (for a Sonoma feel at home), Japanese wisteria, ivy, black-eyed Susan, morning glory and sweet pea vines, which look like miniature orchids.

Pros: Depending on the material used, pergolas can be more affordable than solid patio covers. This
type of cover allows you to enjoy the warmth and light of the sun but still remain partially shaded. Over time, if you decide you want more shelter, it’s simple to add a polycarbonate panel system to the top of a pergola.

Cons: Pergolas don’t offer as much protection from the elements (like the hot sun or occasional rain)
as solid patio covers. They also may not offer the overhead privacy you seek, especially if they’re not covered with vines.

Aluminum Patio Covers

Using polycarbonate panel systems with aluminum framing, aluminum patio covers are an affordable way to cover your outdoor living space. The glazes used on these covers block up to 98 percent of UV rays, but you can also choose panels that offer 50 or 75 percent shade.

Pros: In addition to being strong, aluminum patio covers are durable, block the rain, are virtually
shatterproof and can withstand strong winds. The panels also allow you to enjoy the sunlight during the day (similar to a skylight) and the stars at night.

Cons: Aluminum patio covers don’t give an outdoor living space the same natural feel you’ll find with a solid patio cover or pergola. If you choose a panel system that only partially blocks the sun, you’ll need to use sunscreen to protect against UV rays. Also, since the panels are semi-transparent, they may not offer the overhead privacy you seek.

This guest post is contributed by www.RicksFencing.com, which provides design, service and installation of solid patio covers, cedar decks & fences in the Pacific North West.

Pasadena Real Estate Report – Dec 2012

CAPropertyFinder.com — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 05:13:24 +0000

December capped a strong year in 2012 for Pasadena. There were 85 single family home sales in Pasadena during Dec 2012, an 8% increase from last month and a 12% increase from Dec 2011. Condo sales were big for Pasadena with 26 condos sold, up 30% from last month’s 20 condos and equal to last year’s Dec 2011 sales.

Please contact us at 1-800-287-1808 if you’re in the market for real estate in Pasadena California.

Newport Beach Real Estate Report – Dec 2012

CAPropertyFinder.com — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 05:13:22 +0000

Slow month for Newport Beach compared to November 2012 with 51 single family home sales, down 9%, and 13 condo sales, down 24%. The average price of a single family home sold in Dec 2012 increased 33% from last year’s numbers from $1.46 mil to $1.95 mil. Single family homes and condos both had a 10% increase in average sale price compared to last month. So long as inventory levels remain low, expect prices to continue upward.

Please contact us at 1-800-287-1808 if you’re in the market for real estate in Newport Beach California.

Santa Monica Real Estate Report – Dec 2012

CAPropertyFinder.com — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 05:13:22 +0000

A Big year for Santa Monica just ended. Santa Monica saw a huge increase in condo sales in December 2012, up 125% from Dec 2011 and 50% from last month. There were 36 condo sales with an average sale price of $719k, up 15% from last month and 11% from last year. Only 23 single family homes sold, compared to 31 last month and 19 in Dec 2011.

Please contact us at 1-800-287-1808 if you’re in the market for real estate in Santa Monica California.

Glendale Real Estate Report – Dec 2012

CAPropertyFinder.com — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 05:13:21 +0000

2012 was a great year for Glendale real estate. Glendale saw a 21% increase in single family home sales from 48 in Nov 2012 to 58 in Dec 2012. Condos saw a 43% increase during the same period from 23 in Nov 2012 to 33 in Dec 2012. The average sale price of condos in Glendale rose from $248k in Dec 2011 to $334k in Dec 2012.

Please contact us at 1-800-287-1808 if you’re in the market for real estate in Glendale California.

Woodland Hills Real Estate Report – Dec 2012

CAPropertyFinder.com — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 05:13:19 +0000

Big month for condo sales in Woodland Hills, with 23 condos closed compared to 13 from last month and 15 from December 2011. Single family home sales also saw an almost 10% increase in volume over the previous month and year. The average sale price of single family homes rose 26% from $500k in Dec 2011 to $628k in Dec 2012.

Please contact us at 1-800-287-1808 if you’re in the market for real estate in Woodland Hills California.

Newport Beach Real Estate Report for November 2012

CAPropertyFinder.com — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 20:16:02 +0000

Single family home sales rose 75% over the previous year (56 sales). Condo sales volume also increased, but home values remained about constant compared with last year. There was a significant drop off in the prices compared to October, September and August. This could indicate a slow down in the price appreciation although the volume of sales would indicate otherwise. Look for the average price to be up in December, even knowing that its a slow month for real estate.

Please contact us at 1-800-287-1808 if you’re in the market for real estate in Newport Beach California.

Pasadena Real Estate Report for November 2012

CAPropertyFinder.com — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 20:15:58 +0000

Single family home sales were strong in Pasadena during November 2012, up 46% from the previous year. The average sale price of single family homes rose 21% over last year and 25% over the previous month. The Pasadena market has been on a steady upward trend all year. Eventually this will have to slow down but don’t look for that to happen until at least late 2013.

Please contact us at 1-800-287-1808 if you’re in the market for real estate in Pasadena California.

Santa Monica Real Estate Report for November 2012

CAPropertyFinder.com — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 20:15:51 +0000

Single family home sales in Santa Monica more than doubled in November 2012 compared to the previous month (from 15 to 31 homes), up 63% from the previous year. Condo sales also increased 41% from the previous month. Average sale prices fell across the board in Santa Monica with condos and single family homes. The pricing shift could certainly be related to the high volume, although October was a very slow month. Look for prices in Santa Monica to rebound in December with a nice increase.

Please contact us at 1-800-287-1808 if you’re in the market for real estate in Santa Monica California.

Woodland Hills Real Estate Report for November 2012

CAPropertyFinder.com — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 20:15:42 +0000

There was a decrease in sales volume for single family homes and condos in Woodland Hills compared to last month, but a 10% increase in single family home sales and an 8% increase in condo sales when compared to November 2011. This slowdown in volume is most likely attributed to seasonality so expect it to be similar in December. The average sale price of condos in Woodland Hills rose 21% over last month and 37% over last year, which is similar to what’s being seen in most desirable markets. Inventory shortages have pushed prices more rapidly than ever seen before. Even with the holiday season slowing down the market in December, look for prices to continue upwards.

Please contact us at 1-800-287-1808 if you’re in the market for real estate in Woodland Hills California.