Calabasas, CA

"I'm looking for a steal in The Oaks of Calabasas". At least once a week I get a call or email from a buyer hoping they can steal one of these McMansions for a song. Yes, yes, there are great deals, but no you're not going to get one of these houses for under a million dollars. So here are the foreclosure facts for The Oaks of Calabasas.

More than 10% of the distressed properties in Calabasas are located in the The Oaks. According to Dataquick there are 205 properties in Calabasas, CA that have a Notice of Default filed, Notice of Trustee Sale, or are Bank Owned as of today. Of these properties, a whopping 28 (13%) are located in The Oaks. Not surprisingly most of these homes were built in 2006 and 2007. Chase seems to be the big loser here holding 10 (36%) of these super jumbo mortgages.

In reviewing the histories of these homes it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that there was trouble in paradise long before real estate prices started to decline. All of these homes but two have a first and second mortgage and some even a third. Most of them have been refinanced several times in their three short years increasing the balance each time. Some of them have mortgages totaling 178% of their estimated current value according to Dataquick.

Not all of these distressed properties are listed for sale...yet. In fact of these 28 in The Oaks of Calabasas, only 8 are are currently listed on MLS. Many of these homeowners manage to refinance yet again or liquidate other assets to hang on yet another few months. But deals exist for savvy buyers if you're willing to wait long enough for a short sale to be approved or be aggressive enough to have your REO offer accepted.

If you'd like more information on Short Sale and Bank Owned properties in The Oaks of Calabasas call of email me for a list that is updated daily.

How many times you were trying to find something in a hurry, only to realize that there is too much stuff inside of your closet, in the kitchen cupboard, or on your desk? The clutter we keep prevents us from being on time, makes us procrastinate and requires extra time and money for cleaning. It keeps us in the past, makes us depressed and sometimes ashamed of ourselves. We feel disorganized and tired just by looking at the excess stuff we've accommodated during the years and can not part with.

We keep too much stuff because it makes us feel more secure, or because we believe the more we have, the better. In today's world, where we have instant access to practically every item's high and low price alternative, we buy to our heart's content. This causes our homes to be filled with stuff, some of which is rarely or even never used. Our rooms and garages are filled up to the ceiling, and it's still not enough. Want proof? Just look at the numerous storage rental businesses around you.

Are you one of the many who are paying mortgage for a very expensive storage space for their stuff? Is your home full of rarely (if ever) used items? Maybe you already have tried to get rid of some of this mess, but without success?

Here are some ideas on how to start:

Define "clutter zones" in your home and attack them one-by-one.
You can approach the clutter clearing in two ways: either schedule the whole day (weekends work best) for a given space (the fast way), or assign a certain amount of time daily, for example 30 minutes, to work on this task (slower results, but often the only way if you're busy on weekends).
Use the "empty and add" method: remove everything from the cleaned room (cabinet or drawer in case you're using the "slower method"), and clean it thoroughly. Then bring in only the essential items like the bed in the bedroom, the sofa and chairs in the living room, etc. Concentrate on the activities you perform in that space and items supporting those. Try to live with it for a day or two, and then bring in a few (and I mean a few) personal objects that will help to make the room your own. That's it!
Sort the remaining stuff into 3 piles: the 'Throw Away' (you know what to do with it), the 'Get Rid Of' (sell, give away, donate), and the 'Consider' pile (you can't or won't decide what to do with it right now - return to it in a month or so).
If you are a collector, try to rotate your collection so there are always some fresh and interesting objects on display, and the rest (pared down to the minimum, of course) is stored safely so it won't gather dust and block the energy flow inside of your home.
And the most important advice (this made a huge difference for me personally): do not buy any more new items if you don't get rid of something beforehand. And before you buy anything, always ask yourself: Do I absolutely love it? Do I really need it? Is the quality good enough to withstand years of use, so I don't have to throw it away soon, in order to buy a new one?

Getting rid of unnecessary stuff in your live will help you become more energetic, gain a new perspective and make a fresh start. It also will improve your overall health by minimizing the use of household cleaners for everyday cleaning of your innumerable possessions, as well as the health of the planet through frugal use of resources, and shrinking the mountain of trash produced by you every year.

Happy De-cluttering!

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I thought I ended last week off on a great note, but what an honor and surprise to start this week off by being notified that I am one of this week's Featured Designers at AvaLiving.com I am humbled to be selected out of such a dynamic and talented group of Designers, THANK YOU AvaLiving!

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Serving Ventura County and Greater Los Angeles Areas: Los Angeles, Los Feliz, Hollywood, Hancock Park, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Canoga Park, Van Nuys, West Hills, Northridge, Simi Valley, Moorpark, Wood Ranch, Thousand Oaks, Calabasas, Oak Park, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village, Newbury Park, Camarillo, Oxnard, Ventura, Santa Barbara

Compared to the surrounding areas, Calabasas Real Estate has survived quite well. Although there have been some monthly variances, overall the median home price has decreased only 10% from January 2007 to January 2009. Our neighbors right next door in Agoura haven't been so lucky. They have experienced a 22% drop in the median price while Woodland Hills (South of the boulevard, 91364) home prices dropped 37% since January 2007.

The excellent Las Virgenes School district plus the low percentage of foreclosures in Calabasas has helped Calabasas homeowners to hold on to their equity.

To get monthly Calabasas Real Estate reports sent to you please call me at (818) 652-2937 or email me at tracey@traceyrealtor.com.