Laurie Martinez South Orange County Real Estate

The annual Puttin' On The Glitz event on Avenida del Mar in San Clemente is the perfect way to celebrate Small Business Saturday and get in the holiday spirit at the same time. Christmas lights, shopping, music, and of course, Santa Claus, combine to kick off the Christmas season in the "Spanish Village by the Sea".

The magic begins at 5pm this afternoon and continues until 9 this evening. If you are very early, you might score a parking spot in one of the free lots downtown, but there is plenty of parking at San Clemente High School and a shuttle to take you downtown.

If you are an out-of-town visitor, you just might be inspired to move here permanently! If you are thinking about it, give me a call - I would love to introduce you to my town.

I meet lots of Marines in the course of my work. I always feel a sense of awe that these young men and women, who could be doing any number of things with their lives, would choose to commit themselves to safeguarding their countrymen. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Last week, a potential buyer became offended when I declined to show him one of my south Orange County listings. Now, I want to show my listings. I want everyone in the world to see how wonderful they are – online. I post lots of pictures and good descriptions on every real estate website I can find. I dedicate a website to the property. But when it comes to unlocking the door to someone’s home and allowing a stranger to walk through it, I am much more particular. That privilege is reserved for people who have the ability to purchase that home.

“But why? Why can’t I just see it?” I’m glad you asked! Here’s why:

· I want to use all of our time together looking for your next home. You have a busy life and need to make the most of your free time.

· I know you want to find a home that is a really great deal, and I want to help you do that. The problem is that when a great deal comes on the market, everyone else sees it too. If you want it, you have to be prepared to make an offer right away. In today’s world, an offer has to have a pre-approval attached to it. I don’t want you to lose the house because your offer isn’t complete.

· It is common courtesy (you know, that old Golden Rule.) When you are the seller, I will respect your time and privacy as well.

· That’s what open houses are for. Sellers permit anyone who comes by to view their house for a period of a few hours.

How do you get pre-approved for a loan? Good question – I will post an article on that tomorrow.

If you are interested in buying a home in south Orange County, it would be my pleasure to help you find that perfect house and work with you every step of the way to make it yours.

Even in paradise, we get periodic reminders that the forces of nature are stronger than we are. The power of the ocean has to be respected at all times, even as we revel in its beauty.

A winter storm in New Zealand has brought excitement and danger to south Orange County beaches this week. Swells up to 20 feet and strong rip currents have resulted in the death of a 24-year-old man in Huntington Beach, as well as the shipwreck of a drug cartel boat further north near Malibu.

The high surf warning will expire at 5pm this evening. More normal surf conditions are expected over the Labor Day weekend, along with our trademark perfect weather.

Enjoy the long weekend! I will see you on the beach trail!

If you do, I am sure that you are aware that next Wednesday, September 7, is the big day! Are you ready?

Even if you are not emotionally ready, you still need to stock your little cutie-pie with all of the items on the school supply list for kindergartners.

Just in case you haven't gotten around to this yet, I am attaching the list at the bottom of this post. Be forewarned, the school supplies at your favorite store can empty out fast at this time of year, so try to get there early!

Here is the list of supplies requested for kindergartners at Palisades Elementary in Capo Beach. Everything needs to be clearly labeled with your child's name.

• 1 package of good quality handheld erasers
• Crayola brand colored pencils (12 or 24)
• 10-12 small glue sticks(Scotch brand is recommended)
• 1 dozen #2 Ticonderoga/beginning pencils with eraser
• 2 Boxes of Crayola brand crayons (16 or 24)
• 1 ream colored copy paper
• Standard size backpack (with your child’s name printed on the inside)