Orange Co. Real Estate~Lynda Eisenmann, Broker-Owner, CRS,CRB,GRI,SRES, Brea, CA

La Mirada, CA ~ Online Home Sales Report ~ Market update, for December 2008, activity of single family homes and condominiums re-sales. Sales and closings were up for the month!

La Mirada, CA is located in the "burbs" of Eastern Los Angeles County, with nearby Orange County bordering on the east side of the city. If you lived in La Mirada you would be one of approximately 50,000 residents.

Single Family Home Activity for December:

• 109 re-sale homes currently for sale in the city, the same as 30 and 60 days ago and approximately 30% fewer in the last few months, and far fewer than the beginning of the year.
• Average asking price is $430,000 ($45,0000 lower than 60-90 days ago) for a 3 bedroom/2 bath home, 1,618 square feet.
• 22 pending sales up from 16 and 19, thirty and sixty days ago and only about 1/3 of the sales of prior month.
• 36 homes closed escrow, compared to 26 and 20 thirty and sixty days ago and the same as previous months late summer and early fall.

Condominium activity for December: Condo prices for the month ranged from $85,000 to $415,000.

• 23 condos are currently for sale, almost idential to 22 last month.
• 5 pending sales, (in escrow) compared to 4 for thirty and sixty days days ago, and a little higher than prior months.
• 4 properties closed escrow, compared to 5 last month 3 sixty days ago.

***The City of La Mirada has a 3.8 month supply of homes for sale, down from last month a 4.8 and down also from prior months. That's the length of time it would take to sell the existing inventory of homes for sale, provided sales continue at the same pace this year as in 2007, and providing no new listings enter the market place.

If you lived in La Mirada, California you would be approximately:

• 27 miles east of LAX ~ Los Angeles International Airport ~ Los Angeles, CA
• 23 miles north/west of John Wayne Airport ~ Santa Ana, CA
• 36 miles west of Ontario International Airport ~ Ontario, CA
• 10.5 miles north/west of the "Happiest Place on Earth" Disneyland ~ Anaheim, CA

The city has been a favorite since very early in my early days in real estate. The city is also home to Biola College and the famous La Mirada Theater, home to outstanding theatrical productions.

Photo to the left is the spectacula La Mirada Regional Park.

To learn more about real estate if the great City of La Mirada, contact me, Lynda@PreferredHomeBrokers.com or visit my Living In La Mirada and see why La Mirada was also named 'One of the best places to live in 2007" by Money Magazine.

Preferred Home Brokers, successfully serving home buyers and sellers for more than thirty years. ~ CA DRE License #00402040.

• -Data source, SoCal Multiple Listing Service ~ 2008

Alert OC

As most of us know (witnessed by the recent fires in So Cal) a disaster can happen with or without any notice and situations can change in a blink of an eye. Orange County has set up a system AlertOC.com by which participating cities can notify local residents in the event of an emergency.

Folks living in these participating cities are advised to register their personal contact information into into the data base to be notified when emergency situations arise and/or changes quickly. The current system is pre-set with land line telephone numbers, yet many of us like myself are in and out of the home all day long. For me personally, I'd prefer hearing about an emergency via my cell phone. By registering yourself you can also provide additional contact points including email addresses widening the layer of notification for one physical address. In addition as a business owner you can also register your place of business.

Although we know it's not always possible to have advance warning in the event of a disaster, the warning system can also provide detailed information like notices of shelters locations, assistance centers and/or public safety/health advisories.

This photo was taken of the flag in my front yard of my Brea home the day of the Freeway Complex fire through Corona, Chino Hills, Anaheim Hills, Yorba Linda and Brea. It was a scary situation for many. So take the time to register today, it's FREE! Visit OC Alert now!

Being prepared for an emergency: Stock up on needed supplies that will add to your survival, comfort and safety during an earthquake or any type of emergency. As we all know, you/we can't depend on others, have enough supplies (including fresh water) for your family for a minimum of 72 hours!

~Lynda Eisenmann, Broker ~ PreferredHomeBrokers.com serving Southern California cities for more than 30 years working with home buyers and home sellers. Text or direct 714 595-1494. CA Department of Real Estate License #00492040.

Brea, CA Residential Real Estate Sales Report ~ Brea Home Sales for December 2008 proved to be an active market. Single family in addition to condo home sales and closings were up from prior month.

Single family sales activity for December, prices range from $199,000 to $1,180,000. All but five were priced under $1,000,000.

• Average asking price was $655,000 for a home with 2,383 square feet.
• 95 re-sale homes currently for sale, down about 10% from last month.
• 20 pending sales, currently in escrow, up from last month, compared to 16/36/30/27/27/24/17/23/12/16 in prior months.
• 21 homes closed escrow in December, almost double for Nov. and compared to /11/28/30/24/20/14/21/13/8/8/13/13/23, respectively in prior months.
• Average selling price for December was $537,000 for a home with 2,000 square feet.

Condominium sales activity for December ~ Condos/town-homes range from $328,400 to $528,000.

• 13 condo/town-homes were for sale, compared to 9 in November.
• 4 pending sales went into escrow in December compared to 3/1/5/7/2/1/1/5/2/2/0 since the beginning of 2008.
• 5 condos closed escrow for December, up from 2 last two months and compared to 3/4/2/5/4/2/2/0/3/3/2/4/6 respectively in preceding months.

Brea is a City is well known for excellence in education. The schools have been strong attraction for residents in our community. It's often said Brea enjoys some of the bigger city benefits, yet maintains a small town feeling. Many of us who live here feel we have the best of both worlds.

Brea, CA is very well located in Northern Orange County ~ If you lived in Brea, California you would be approximately:

• 30 Miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
• 39 Miles from LAX ~ Los Angeles International Airport,
• 16 Miles from John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, CA
• 10 Miles from the "Happiest Place on Earth" Disneyland ~ Anaheim, CA.

Photo to the left is a winter view of Brea, CA looking towards the beautiful San Bernardino snow capped mountains. A great place for local skiing, about 1 1/2 hour drive from Brea.

To learn more about Brea visit our city at All About Brea~ Brea, CA 92821 & 92823 and view Sunset Magazine, Brea The Best of The West and see why Brea's the Place to Be.

Brea is national headquarters for several major companies also known for a strong financial community, view Brea Means Business to learn more.

Planning on spending a day or two here? Check out, Brea ~ CA as Featured in Westways Magazine for day tripping around town. If you're want more on Brea real estate contract me, Lynda Eisenmann at Preferred Home Brokers for Real Estate Help, we're one of longest established real estate companies in Orange County under the same ownership.

Contact me Lynda@PreferredHomeBrokers.com, text or direct (714) 595-1494.

CA Department of Real Estate License number 402040.

If you're a home buyer in California it's important to have an understanding of our current real estate conditions. For some the "Golden State" may not seem so gold, yet for others CA homes prices in some areas are upper end for coastal communities while others are more affordable inland.

Here's a snapshot of the CA real estate market from CAR, the California Association of Realtors.

The median price of existing homes declined almost 42% from November 2007 to November 2008.

Today the CA median price of a home is $285,600 compared to $350,140 just a few months ago, and compared to $490,511 just one year ago. It's no surprise to anyone this represents a record setting decline in the median price year-to-year.

It's also interesting to know that by mid-year 2008 72% of the total sales statewide were under $500,000, hence the lower median price. It's something we've also noticed in our own brokerage in So Cal. As the broker and owner, I track our numbers on a regular basis and I've watched our median price drop in our own local market in Orange County.

As for the two extremes California here are the facts:

• Highest priced region November is Santa Barbara Coastal at $1,200,000.
• Lowest median price in November for the state was in the "high desert" at $148,000.

As a CA REALTOR this was not surprise. The facts were pretty much the same the past few years for the highest and the lowest priced areas in our state.

Santa Barbara is a jewel of the California Coast, one of the most spectacular places I've every experienced anywhere. It's easy to see why it's so desirable, irrespective of the economy.

The high desert has experienced a lot of growth in the area of affordable housing, therefore it's one of the areas hit hardest in our state. In addition higher fuel costs added a further burden to these area.

With all that said California remains a great place to live for many of us. Is it crowded? In many places, yes. Do we continue to have some of the highest prices nationwide? In many places yes. Do we have year-round outdoor enjoyment? In most places, YES.

Today's affordability factor for home buyers is 53% one of the highest I've seen in decades. If you're a home buyer interested in California real estate, it's important you work with a local REALTOR. You need a professional who understands your local market. If you would like a personal recommendation of a knowledgeable in your neck-of-the-woods, contact me at Lynda@PreferredHomeBrokers.com.

The professionals at Preferred Home Brokers have been serving home buyers for more than 25 years. Preferred Home Brokers CA Department of Real Estate License #401040.

Data source: The California Association of REALTORS, a professional trade organization.

Give your Christmas Tree a second-life, recycle that tree! That's right the tree you've enjoyed for the holidays can provided added value by re-cycling that tree. Did you know that in California over 40,000 tons of trees are disposed of annually.

To recycle in Brea, here's the scoop.

• Pick-up for holiday trees begins December 29 to January 9, 2009.
• Trees 6 feet and larger must be cut in half.
• All decorations, lights ornaments, etc (yes remove the stand too) must be removed from tree.
• Place outside with your nomal trash for pick up in the brown trash can on collection day.
• Remember flocked-trees are not recyclable.

Free Dirt? Free Compost ~ March 7this the day for FREE compost for Brea residents. For the free compost just head down to the Brea Community Center at 695 E. Madison Way (located behind the Brea Post Office) on Saturday the 7th between 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. our until the supply runs out. Be there rain or shine!

• Because of the demand for free compost there is a 60 gallon limit per Brea resident.

To learn more about Brea take a tour around our city at All About Brea~ Brea, CA 92821 & 92823 and view Sunset Magazine, Brea The Best of The West and you will see why Brea's the Place to Be.Brea is national headquarters for several major companies also known for a strong financial community, view Brea Means Business

Want help with Brea real estate contract me, Lynda Eisenmann at Preferred Home Brokers for Real Estate Help, we're one of longest established real estate companies in Orange County under the same ownership. Contact me Lynda@PreferredHomeBrokers.com, or direct text/call (714) 595-1494. CA Department of Real Estate License number 402040