Carolina Chacon and Seth T. J. Miller

West Covina, CA- There are many good reasons why you should take your reusable bags to the store. The hard part is remembering to bring them.

Remember to take your reusable bags when you shop

• Place your Reusable Bags by the door, near your car keys, or with your store coupons.
• Jot a reminder down on your shopping list.
  
• Keep some Reusable Bags in the car, or near your bicycle.
• Put a note on the refrigerator.
• Have some Reusable Bags at the office.
• Take Reusable Bags to the grocery stores, the mall, and on all other shopping excursions.

REMEMBER: If soiled Reusable Bags are washable.

Single Use Bag Reduction Tips

Refuse- Don't accept any unnecessary plastic or paper bags for large items, such as jugs of milk or juice, or small items that can be easily carried or placed in another bag.

Reuse- Plastic bags can be reused for lining trash cans, disposing of pet waste, and in other practical ways.

Responsibility- When using plastic bags to dispose of trash, remember to tie the handles shut before placing them into the trash bin. This will keep contents from spilling out, and prevent bags from becoming air born and ending up on the streets, in waterways, open spaces, or the ocean.

Recycle- Return any extra plastic bags to the grocery store and place them in the plastic bag recycling bin.

Whether you're looking to buy or sell, Residential or Commercial; Don't just hire anyone... Hire a Pro. Licensed REALTOR(s)® California: to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Alhambra, Anaheim, Arcadia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Brea, Chino, Chino Hills, Claremont, Corona, Covina, Diamond Bar, Duarte, Glendora, Hacienda Heights, La Habra, La Verne, Monrovia, Montclair, Monterey Park, Ontario, Pasadena, Placentia, Pomona, Rosemead, Rowland Heights, San Dimas, South Pasadena, Upland, Walnut, West Covina, Whittier.

Is your client relocating to one of our professionally served areas?

We Are Always Accepting Referrals

West Covina, CA- The City of West Covina is teaming up with our local Albertsons Supermarket to host a reusable bag giveaway. Where 1,000 reusable bags will be given out to West Covina Residents. All you have to do is bring in 5 single-use plastic bags for recycling and exchange them for a free stylish "Brag About Your Bag(R)" reusable shopping bag.

Visit Albertsons Suppermarket
Located at 2630 E. Workman Ave.
Thursday, December 17th
from 10:00a.m.-2:00p.m.

Help Recycle for a cleaner West Covina. For more information call 626-939-8458 or visit, www.bragaboutyourbag.com or www.westcovina.org

Bag Facts

• Each year, about six billion plastic carryout bags are consumed in Los Angeles County ALONE. Only about 5% of these bags are recycled.
• When plastic bags are littered they could enter the oceans and harm marine life.
• Each year, the County spends over $18 million on cleanup, enforcement, and litter prevention.
• Paper carryout bags are not the most environmentally preferred alternative because of the amount of energy and water used to manufacture them.
  
• By taking your reusable Bags to stores, you can conserve natural resources and reduce the potential for litter.

Click here for more hints tips and solutions for reducing your carbon footprint.

Whether you're looking to buy or sell, Residential or Commercial; Don't just hire anyone... Hire a Pro. Licensed REALTOR(s)® California: to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Alhambra, Anaheim, Arcadia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Brea, Chino, Chino Hills, Claremont, Corona, Covina, Diamond Bar, Duarte, Glendora, Hacienda Heights, La Habra, La Verne, Monrovia, Montclair, Monterey Park, Ontario, Pasadena, Placentia, Pomona, Rosemead, Rowland Heights, San Dimas, South Pasadena, Upland, Walnut, West Covina, Whittier.

Is your client relocating to one of our professionally served areas?

We Are Always Accepting Referrals

There are two divergent philosophies about where the market is heading in the coming months. The figures and trends for the Residential Housing Market. Prices have leveled off, and have actually been steadily rising (by 1-2% growth from year-to-year comparisons). The amount of inventory turning over has been over 500,000 for the past 12 months leading to inventory being low in many markets, and buyer demand is still very high (but is it artificially high).

However, professionals and pundits are reluctant to admit that the worst is over due to the artificial real estate parameters that have been in play. Some have used the stats of the new construction coming to a halt after the California new construction initiative ran out of money after only three months. Many are expecting this to be the case for the residential market, and although I can certain agree with this on a National level I am hard pressed to believe this to be true at the local level.

You can read why I think the local Southern California Real Estate Market will not be affected as much as the National Average.

Don't just hire anyone... Hire a Pro. Licensed REALTOR(s)® California: to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Alhambra, Anaheim, Arcadia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Brea, Chino, Chino Hills, Claremont, Corona, Covina, Diamond Bar, Duarte, Glendora, Hacienda Heights, La Habra, La Verne, Monrovia, Montclair, Monterey Park, Ontario, Pasadena, Placentia, Pomona, Rosemead, Rowland Heights, San Dimas, South Pasadena, Upland, Walnut, West Covina, Whittier.

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Many conversations about where the market will go after the First-Time Home Buyers Tax Credit wears off is escalating, and although the National trend is pointing towards decline in prices and transactions I believe the Southern California Real Estate Market is in a unique situation that will save it from decline.

In West Covina, CA as of 11:02am on 10/27/2009 there are 115 Single-Family Residences available for sale (*Figure pulled from MRMLS and CAROTS data). The average rate that homes have been entering into contracts in West Covina has steadily been 55-60 homes a month. This past month 57 properties entered into escrow. This leaves the West Covina Real Estate Market with just over 2 months inventory on hand. Anything under 4.5 months inventory on hand is considered to be a shortage in inventory. A balanced market would have 5-7 months of housing inventory on hand. With this said we'd have to have almost double our inventory on hand to tip the scale back into the favor of a buyer's market.

This is a lot of homes, and it may make one wonder: Is the projected slow down is enough to drastically shift the West Covina Real Estate markets?

Don't just hire anyone... Hire a Pro. Licensed REALTOR(s)® California: to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Alhambra, Anaheim, Arcadia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Brea, Chino, Chino Hills, Claremont, Corona, Covina, Diamond Bar, Duarte, Glendora, Hacienda Heights, La Habra, La Verne, Monrovia, Montclair, Monterey Park, Ontario, Pasadena, Placentia, Pomona, Rosemead, Rowland Heights, San Dimas, South Pasadena, Upland, Walnut, West Covina, Whittier.

Don't see your city? Ask us about our National Referral Network.

West Covina, CA- According to the C.A.R. “2009 First-time Home Buyers Tax Credit Survey”, four out of ten (39 percent) first-time home buyers said they would not have purchased a home if the federal tax credit for first-time home buyers was not offered. I know most media reporters say this as a BAD thing, and a sign that the buyers will go back into hiding after they disappear. However, 60% of the first time home buyers are still planning to purchase a home EVEN IF they don't get the First-Time Home Buyers Tax Credit.

Since most homes listed in West Covina under $400,000 are receiving multiple bids, and ALL homes listed under $251,000 are in bidding wars; I feel it is safe to presume that we will not really feel the full effect of a 40% reduction in competition. For fun though, we will suppose that we didn't have multiple offers, and that the 40% reduction in demand will actually have a direct correlation into the West Covina Housing Market Sales(highly unlikely). So our rate of sales would drop by 40% from 57units/month to 34units/month which would raise the West Covina Residential inventory from just over 2 months on-hand inventory to 3.4 months on-hand inventory. This means West Covina would STILL be in a seller's market (due to inventory being low, resulting in competing bids).

So even if the slow down has a direct translation into sales, which I believe to be highly unlikely as we have so many competing offers as it is, the West Covina Housing Market would still be in a Seller's Market. If you're looking to transition from your current home, either to upgrade or down-size, this could prove to be a great time to make the transition. Call us for a free  no obligation consultation on how this process could work for you.

Don't just hire anyone... Hire a Pro. Licensed REALTOR(s)® California: to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Alhambra, Anaheim, Arcadia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Brea, Chino, Chino Hills, Claremont, Corona, Covina, Diamond Bar, Duarte, Glendora, Hacienda Heights, La Habra, La Verne, Monrovia, Montclair, Monterey Park, Ontario, Pasadena, Placentia, Pomona, Rosemead, Rowland Heights, San Dimas, South Pasadena, Upland, Walnut, West Covina, Whittier.

Don't see your city? Ask us about our National Referral Network.