HOMES SALES ARE UP

Once again numbers show home sales are on the rise. Buyers who were on the fence feel they can now afford to buy a home. Last week there were over 2,500 homes and condos in escrow in Orange County. That number is close to the same number we saw in April 2006.

Inventory is down. Currently there is about a 6 month supply of properties with those under $500,000 account for almost of the homes currently for sale.

NORTH BEACH REVITALIZATION UPDATE

The Lab Holding, LLC will be holding a meeting at the San Clemente Community Center, Ole Hanson Room, today Thursday, May 8 at 7:00pm to discuss their North Beach Project.

The Community Center is located at 100 Calle Seville

TIRED OF STREET SWEEPING TICKETS?

Do you continuously get the street sweeping day wrong? Or simply forget? The city of San Clemente has a reminder service.

Called San Clemente Alerts, this free subscription service sends reminders by telephone, fax or email once you sign up. To subscribe Click Here!

FREE NIGHT AT THE MOVIES

Saddleback Memorial Medical Center is hosting a FREE Ladies Night Out at the Krikorian Movie Theater this Thursday May 29th from 6-8:30pm.

Enjoy the fun chick flick "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day", starring Frances McDormand and Amy Adams, complimentary refreshments and raffle prizes.

Call the Saddleback Health Information center for tickets at 949.452.7255

MOTHERS DAY FLOWERS

Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 11th.

If you plan to stop by Aloha Flowers on your way to mom's house, you should know Aloha Flowers has moved. On May 1st, they moved to 915A Calle Amanacer. The phone numer (949) 429-3900 is the same.

Call ahead to order your flowers.

JUST LISTED - PANORAMIC VIEW HOME

Panoramic, unobstructed ocean views adorn this beautiful hill top home in San Clemente. Bask in the sun during the day while watching the ocean glisten, entertain on the patio in the evenings with the city lights view. Windowed doors and full length windows offer ample natural lighting and sit-down views.

Relax in the steam shower after a long day at the beach. Cool winter days are warmed by the custom flagstone fireplace in the living room. Natural stone enhances the remodeled bathrooms and kitchen. The crown molding throughout is prominent against the warm colors and custom paint.

This striking home has just become available today. To be one of the first to view this scenic home, please contact Bob Hesse at 949.276.8000. Offers around $1,195,000 will be entertained. Property owner has a CA RE license.

CINCO DE MAYO FIESTA

San Clemente residents will once again celebrate Cinco de Mayo at Max Berg Park; located between Avenida Aragon and Avenida Del Poniente at Calle Puente.

This will be fun for the entire family with childrens games, live bands, Mariachis and authentic Mexican food.

The event will be on Sábado el Tres de Mayo (Saturday, May 3)

31 CENT ICE CREAM

Tonight from 5-10pm, Baskin Robbins is selling a single scoop of ice cream for 31 cents to help honor America's firefighters.

There are 2 locations in San Clemente.

104 N El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA (949) 492-2440
979 Avenida Pico, San Clemente, CA (949) 361-9099

TOLL ROAD APPEAL COMMENTS

Beginning yesterday April 28th, the public will have 30 days to tell the federal government whether it should overrule the state Coastal Commission and allow the long proposed Foothill South toll road to be built.

The appeal to the Commerce Department is the last chance toll road supporters have to resurrect the project that the Commission rejected in February.

"Pursuant to regulation, the public and interested Federal agencies may submit any comments on this appeal from April 28, 2008 to May 28, 2008. All comments should be directed in writing to the NOAA Office of General Counsel for Ocean Services, 1305 East-West Highway, Room 6111, Silver Spring, MD 20910 or via e-mail to gcos.comments@noaa.gov. "

For more information about this project, visit Fastrak, Surfrider or the Ca Coastal Commission websites.

San Juan Capistrano Historic Building Tour

Tickets go on sale today for the City of San Juan Capistrano's annual Historic Building Tour. These buildings are along California's oldest continually occupied residential street and the City's library.

May 12th begins National Historic Preservation Week. Events and the tour will focus on the 25th anniversary of the Los Rios Historic District being listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the 25th anniversary of the opening of the renowned Michael Graves-designed Regional Library and the 50th anniversary of the Swallow's Day Parade.

For more information, visit the city website.

A PIECE OF COMMERCIAL HISTORY

Originally built for City Hall in 1928 this commercial space has been may things over the years including San Clemente's Firestation and a bank.

Located in downtown San Clemente, this Ole Hanson has 2 retail spaces available. Make your business a piece of San Clemente's history. Call Bob Hesse for more information on these commercial lease spaces at 949.276.8000.

Park Semper Fi Get’s Stairs

The City is making improvements to Park Semper Fi’s slope, making it easier to climb up the hill and enjoy the marine monument. A landscaping company will install rustic timber steps along the slope and will lay a decomposed granite surface. These improvements will make it safer and easier to walk from the Pier Bowl parking lot up to the marine monument and back. Just in time for summer!

RECORD BROKEN FOR OC

You would think this to be a good topic, but we are talking about foreclosures and notice of default. Banks file a notice of default after a home owner has missed 3 consecutive payments. This is the first step in the foreclosure process. According to DataQuick, banks recorded 7,082 notices of default in the first quarter of 2008; just in Orange County.

March alone had 2,476 notices of default which is up from the record breaking 2,352 in January 2008. These records were last set in 1996 when March was also the peak month at 2,320 with the first quarter at 6,422.

SAN CLEMENTE BEACH VACATION HOME

Have you been considering a vacation home but are not sure what the market is doing? Offered at $265,000, this charming 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo may be just what you are looking for. The community boasts babbling brooks and streams with lush landscape.

The condo is on the lower level with no stairs. The bedrooms are both master suites situated at opposite ends of the unit. The patio is perfect for BBQ's or simply relax while listening to the stream after a long day at the beach.

Additional amenities include RV and boat parking, community clubhouse and pool. For more information on this condo, please contact Cecilia McDermott or Bob Hesse at 949.276.8000

A Picture or Vision of the Highest Worth

The perfect description for this Bluff Front income property on Buena Vista. Prestine renovations inside and out accompanied by the unobstructed panoramic views, make this 2 building, 4 unit property a hidden treasure.

The up and coming North Beach location affords tenants dining, entertianment and beach access within walking distance. Fully furnished, the two front units could be listed as vacation rentals (one unit was booked solid last summer at $5200 per month).

These units easily bring income of over $100,000 annually. More information and photos can be found at http://www.blufffront.com/


Please contact Brooke Mackenzie or Elly Harris with questions. 949.276.8000

LAGUNA BEACH CLOSURE

If you plan to head to the beach this weekend, avoid Laguna Beach. Due to a broken sewer pipe, PCH has been closed since 3pm yesterday. They hope to have PCH open any time now but beaches from Cress Street to Rockledge Road may be closed for the weekend so inspectors can check for contamination.

PRICES AND FORECLOSURES

Homes in or facing foreclosure currently account for more than one-third of sales. Activity in Southern California increased in March while the median price falls. According to DataQuick, nearly 38% of Southern California homes sold in March had been foreclosed at some point in the prior year, up from 8% in March 2007.

The traditional spring home-buying season is off to its worst start in 20 years, with sales so weak that foreclosures now account for more than one-third of all market activity. Home sales typically pick up in spring, when parents with school-aged children look to buy and move before the new school year starts.

This year was no exception: March sales in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego counties were up 18.8% from February. But that increase pales in comparison to previous seasons. For the last 20 years, March home sales have on average been 38% higher than February sales, DataQuick said.

Information taken from April 16th LA Times

HOME PRICES IN ORANGE COUNTY

Home prices in Orange County fell in March to 2004 levels – down almost 20% from a year ago. March was the 30th consecutive month where total sales failed to beat last years level and last month’s buying was 59% below average March sales since 1988. March typically marks the start of “spring fever” house buying but this year it only produced 13% more sales than February. In San Clemente prices are down 2.5% in 92672 and 11% in 92673 compared to last year and sales volume is off roughly 50% compared to last year.

CONCRETE JUNGLES IN CALIFORNIA?

Even though we are currently in a housing slump, reports say that California needs over 200,000 new homes every year. In a year or two when the housing market picks up again, the debate will become what type of housing to build.

In an effort to keep our greenspaces, builders are petitioning the state to allow vertical communities. Skyscrapers, like in New York, would keep our greenspaces but what would it do to our skyline? Is California going to have the next Concrete Jungle?

According to The Sacramento Bee, "The major venue for the debate, however, is a bill carried by Sen. Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, the incoming Senate president pro tem. His measure, Senate Bill 375, is being backed by a coalition of environmental advocates and, in simplest terms, would strongly push local governments into adopting anti-sprawl, high-density, greenhouse gas-reducing policies. State funds, most importantly transportation funds, would be the stick to enforce the dictum."

CREATING AN ARTIFICIAL REEF

In June Edison will begin building an artificial reef one half mile off the coast of San Clemente between the Pier and San Mateo Point. Required by the Coastal Commission, this project is designed to offset the said impact on fish habitats that is created by the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant.

Southern California Edison is currently working on Catalina Island to collect quarry rocks for this project. The reef will cover approximately 128 acres of ocean floor about 30 to 45 feet deep. The kelp that will grow in these reefs should be visible in 2-3 years. Edison will watch the San Clemente shore line to make sure the amount of kelp is not increased and will support any clean up efforts necessary.

According to their EIR, there will be no impact on the surf.

Read the Final Report on the Findings and Recommendations of the Experimental Phase of the SONGS Artificial Reef Mitigation Project.