John Duffner

What room in the home provokes more analysis, expert opinion, design and re-design, lots of thought, hesitation and which people gravitate to as if by instinctive.....the kitchen.

Since its evolutionary linkage to the cooking range and the capability of getting water, the kitchen has had more technical advances than any room in one's home.

What makes a kitchen? It comes down to taste, style, material preferences and the money one can afford.

There is an array of categories which include Contemporary, Country, Old World, Traditional and Transitional kitchen styles. Many articles have been written about each and many hours spent in trying to explain the differences between each of these types.

•· When talking of a Contemporary kitchens generally one is talks of a modern, minimalist geometric type room with horizontal lines with no molding. Materials used are stainless steel, laminate, frosted glass, concrete, linoleum, chrome, and lacquer. The main stylists of these kitchens are Italy, Germany and Scandinavians countries.

•· The Country kitchen is one that is very cheery with bright colors and lights; the cabinetry painted and glazed with decorative shelving and the room has quite a bit of molding. The Country most popular styles are French, English, Tuscan, Cottage, Farmhouse, and Garden.

•· An Old World kitchen is one of large hearths or cooking grottos and heavily stressed. It has the look of pre-17^th century Europe. Themes of this style kitchen include Tuscan, Mediterranean, Medieval, Castle, French Chateau, Italian Villa, Normandy or Cottage. Materials are usually stone floors, mosaic tiles, brick, plaster walls, pewter or copper.

•· The Traditional kitchen typically reflects the elegance of the 18^th, 19^th and 20^th century. Design styles include Victorian, Edwardian, Georgian, Federal, Regency, Italianate, Early American and Neoclassical. Generally these type kitchens have more ornate molding, cabinets and materials are often cherry, walnut, mahogany woods consisting of antique fixtures and appliances.

•· The Transitional kitchen is mixture of traditional and contemporary. Eclectic in nature there is a mixture of natural and man-made materials, finishes and textures. Bamboo flooring is often the choice for transitional kitchens and appliances are showed cased rather than hidden behind panels.

So for a room equipped with a stove, sink, refrigerator, oven, dishwasher and other appliances it is a place that takes on the taste and shape that meets your needs and monies. Not an absolute but generally monies spent in the kitchen enhance the overall value of the home.

If you dislike reading and looking at statistical charts you may want to pass on this article present in www.venturacountyretalk.com. However if charts are not disturbing then you will get an enlightning picture of Ventura County real estate for the immediate period (2009) as well as for the last 16 years (1994 through 2009).

Charts are used extensively because more information can be presented in a limited space.

The Ventura County real estate market has been choppy over the last year due in large part to foreclosures and the reverse of that.....new buyer credit.

Words however do not tell the story. The chart below is a monthly summary or prices by month for Ventura County. From this chart one can see the ups and downs that has been experienced throughout the year. Despite the ups and downs prices for Ventura County real estate rose approximately 6% from a year ago (December 31, 2008).

For the complete article go to: http://www.venturacountyretalk.com

It is too early to say that the trend in real estate is up. Since March, 2009 it has been basically sideways. The October uptick may suggest that despite the local and national economic woes real estate may do its own thing.

The September, 2009 down tick may have been a hic-cup in the overall trend but it does suggest that one be cautious before reading anything into the market. It may have been a warning.

Even with the warning one would expect that with high unemployment; lack of new job creation; new taxes on the horizon both Federal and State; the increase in State tax as a loan for the next several months; lack of consumer confidence...all of these singularly and collectively will temper the real estate uptrend.

BUT as of now it looks like the market wants to get LEGS!

For complete article and tables go to www.venturacountyretalk.com

Today when this term is used it is hoped that something will be created out of nothing. This ancient Aramaic roots (Avrah KaDabra) means "I create as I speak".

Well over the last week the real estate market in Ventura County did an "Abracadabra" and the down trend that had been in place for two months reversed itself and start upward with some conviction I might add.

As can be noted in the table below the market had been laboring over the last two months showing significant downside build up.

For complete article go to: www.venturacountyretalk.com

Listings continue to decrease (1932 last week; 1859 this week); sales however climbed and it is probably due to the paper work being delayed in recording sales therefore the prices which had been going down now appears to have stabilized over the last week.

The chart below summarizes the last weeks statistical numbers. However events that truly move the market are headed in the opposite direction.

The County's high unemployment of 11+% certainly is a driving force impacting the real estate market. Lack of new jobs creation is another impact source. Consumer confidence is at a low point.

The media is attempting to make things look good but individual common sense tells the general population something else.

Attempts to detract from the economy are going full bore but when push comes to shove it's the economy that most people dwell on. It's their personal economy that takes priority.

Expected is the hammer to fall.....tax increases. This has to come about and most are dreading the outcome. To be sure most middle and upper level pay scales are going to be hit hard. This in and of itself will not impact the real estate market but it most certainly will take longer for the market to start its upward acceleration.

For complete article go to: www.venturacountyretalk.com