The West Ranch Beacon

The following is the agenda for the Wednesday, September 6th, 2006 West Ranch Town Council meeting. The regular council meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month at the Southern Oaks Community center. Any reprint of this information should be done with written permission of the West Ranch Beacon.

5:45- Council discussion regarding:
1) Possible Meeting day change
2) Potential candidates for vacant positions

6:30- General Meeting
A. Call To Order/Roll Call

B. Approval of August Minutes

C. Treasurers Report and Banking Update

D. County Updates

1. Doug Newell Parks and Rec
2. Sheriff’s Liaison
3. CHP Liaison
4. Bob Haueter LA County- Good Guys Update, La Quinta Update

E.a) Regional Planning/ Newhall School District- Marc Winger to discuss New Elementary School/ Southern Oaks gate issues

b) Council/County Thank you to Paul Ash for his Service

c) Discuss Castaic Vision Committee position

d) Discuss potential appointment to vacant council seat

e) Proposal for possible guest speakers- October- Carl Boyer, November Attorney Scott
Campell on the Brown Act, December Larry Mankin/Chris Fall SCV Chamber of
Commerce.

f) Proposal to organize a Town Hall meeting with Castaic TC, Aqua Dulce TC, and
Supervisor Antonovich. Date, time, location TBD

F. Committee Reports

1. Election 2008
2. Security/Public Safety
3. Governmental Relations
a. Homeless Shelter Task Force
b. Westridge HOA and TPC issues Update
4. Westridge and Southern Oaks Liaisons
5. Sunset Point Liaison

G. Old Business

H. Public Comment

I. Adjournment

Several complaints have been made from Sunset Pointe residents about the lighting at the new La Quinta Hotel on The Old Road. There have also been other issues raised that have warranted conversations about the possible delay in issuing the Certificate of Occupancy on the property.

An inspection conducted last week disclosed that the lights for the hotel are creating a nuisance to the adjacent residential property owners. The County enforcement staff has initiate enforcement action on this site to seek voluntary compliance with the property owners.

North Los Angeles County south of the “Grapevine” — The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) advises motorists traveling over the Labor Day weekend to be aware of a lane closure remaining in effect on the northbound Golden State Freeway (I-5) north of Castaic at Templin Highway, as follows.

Due to a previous mudslide and ongoing repairs, only three lanes (out of four) will be open on northbound I-5 at Templin Highway. Heavy holiday traffic and possible delays are expected over the upcoming Labor Day weekend.

While this is an ongoing closure, all planned construction, maintenance and encroachment permit activities that could create delay for motorists are to be suspended over the upcoming Labor Day weekend. This would include the following period:

Beginning Friday, September 1 from 6 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. — and Sunday, September 3 at 11:59 p.m. through Tuesday, September 5 at 6 a.m.

Motorists are advised to plan ahead and leave early or take alternate routes if possible.

The toll-free, 24-hour Caltrans road information number for planned lane closures is 800-427-7623.

Motorists are reminded to please SLOW FOR THE CONE ZONE.

Since our last report that the County Building and Safety Department had opened up a case on the now closed Good Guys store at The Old Road and Pico Canyon there has been a lot of action. The abandoned car with broken windows was towed from the property on Tuesday morning and other steps are being taken to secure the property.

The owners are now in regular contact with the County and want to cooperate with the various County Departments to clear up any violations and to protect their investment. The County and property owners are now looking at possibly installing a fence to close off the parking lot and to address the now dead landscaping.

Apparently, there are some large banners covering the old Good Guys sign indicating that the property may be used temporally as a Halloween Costume Store. This is currently being looked into by community leaders.

A special thank you goes out to the entire County “crew” including Tim Grover’s Building and Safety group and Mark Caddick’s Road Department crews who got the graffiti painted out and kept that under control. Also, a thank you must go to Chuck O’Connell, Sunset Point Liaison to the West Ranch Town Council, for all of his efforts in monitoring the situation and working with the County on this matter.

Our weekly columnist Jack Murphy and his wife Lia welcomed their 3rd child to the world Miss Bennett J. Murphy was born on Monday, August 28th, at 1:30 am. She weighed in at 7 lbs, 1 ounce, sporting a beautiful head of curly black hair. The entire family is doing well and we wish them hearty congratulations!

Paul Ash, the former West Ranch Town Council President, has submitted his letter of resignation to the members of the council. Apparently, Paul has been thinking about resigning for the past two years.

In a note to Council members he said, “My various commitments, professional, family and charitable have been pulling me in too many directions the last two years. I will remain active in the community in both the political and charitable arenas, but I want to spend more time with my family and with my charities. I leave the council after ten years, knowing that it is in good hands. You are all very able and committed and will always have my respect for the hard work you put in.”

Ash had started with the town council, then known as the Stevenson Ranch Town Council, when Dr. Richard Rioux was President. Paul leaves after serving the community for more than 10 years. He had tirelessly volunteered numerous hours over the years on a variety of fronts for the betterment of the West Ranch Communities.

Many of those in the community expressed sadness in the news of Paul’s resignation. Those that volunteer certainly can appreciate his decision since many feel that serving the community has become a thankless job!

Paul has been asked to attend the Wednesday September 6th council meeting so that the West Ranch Town Council and the community can give him a proper public thank you.

Waste Management’s new report details company’s commitment to social responsibility.
Saving 41 million trees and producing enough green energy to power nearly one million homes. That’s part of the real business of Waste Management. The company collects and disposes of garbage from across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, but making a difference to the environment and the communities it serves are the company’s commitment.

To highlight its many environmental projects and community partnerships, Waste Management has published a social responsibility report, “It Starts with Commitment,” to share its progress towards its environmental stewardship goals.

“We ask ourselves, where does our responsibility as a company end and our responsibility as members of the community and custodians of the earth begin,” said David Steiner, Waste Management CEO. “Ultimately, we should do everything we can to benefit our own neighborhoods, families, cities and quality of life. We are stewards of the earth’s resources. This report lets stakeholders know about our efforts - both internally and externally - to Think Green!”

For example, Waste Management’s renewable energy projects generate enough green energy to power more than 800,000 homes and save the equivalent of more than eight million barrels of oil annually. Additionally, the company’s landfills provide roughly 17,000 acres of protected land for wildlife habitat, and 15 landfills are certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council.

Relying upon their experience, opportunity and resources, Waste Management provides leadership that makes recycling a sustainable solution for all customers: residential, commercial, municipal and industrial. The social responsibility report also details the company’s strong recycling statistics over the past few years along with real-world examples of recycling in communities across both the U.S. and Canada.

The report itself is a green success story. The book was printed on 30 percent post-consumer recyclable paper, which was manufactured at a paper mill that is powered by methane gas from a Waste Management landfill. The Cascades Fine Papers Group mill in Saint-Jerome, Quebec, is powered by gas from Waste Management’s Sainte-Sophie landfill near Montreal. The methane gas, which is produced naturally as waste decomposes, is recovered and transported through an eight-mile (13 kilometer) pipeline. This circle of environmental stewardship reflects our commitment to preserve the environment and all of its natural resources, from forest and earth to sky and water. Water use, residue management, greenhouse gas reduction, energy and raw material savings are among the factors that are positively impacted by the manufacture of this paper in this manner.

To learn more about Waste Management’s green energy practices and to view a PDF of the social responsibility report, visit their Website at: http://www.wm.com/WM/ThinkGreen/wm_srr_2006.pdf

If you are a real estate investor and missed the housing boom, you may get another chance. Overheated in the eastern and western markets are cooling off, but there are new opportunities out there. Some of the cities that sat out the boom of the last few years are now showing stronger appreciation gains. Cities such as Dallas, Houston and Atlanta are showing signs of a strengthening real estate market.

Real Estate in hot markets like the San Francisco Bay area market is showing signs of s a slowdown. Prices are rising slowly, however inventory is up. Another sign of slowdown in this hot market is the time it takes to sell a property. Last year, some homeowners were getting nervous because there were only three multiple offers on a property instead of the usual nine. In one year we have seen quite a change. Now homes that would have sold in one or two weekends are sitting on the market longer. It is not uncommon to see homes sitting on the market thirty to sixty days. This is more like a normal market.

Meanwhile in Texas the demand for housing is increasing. With the new boom in the oil market aiding the job market, workers are coming to Texas from the US and abroad. This is putting upward pressure on the housing market. There are no signs of this slowing down anytime soon. While home prices in Dallas and Texas may not appreciate at the high rates of 20% + seen in some areas in the last few years, the appreciation rates should still be healthy. Real Estate Investors have been aware of this and are investing in these markets that have previously been very slow.

The Atlanta market is benefiting from a healthy job market. Unlike the Texas markets, the Atlanta market is also seeing a rise in inventory. This rise in inventory should restrain the appreciation in Atlanta.

A number of cities in the southwest which have seen high appreciation rates are seeing a strong increase in inventory. Cities such a Phoenix and Las Vegas are also showing a strong job market. Inventories of homes in these cities will need to be watched. If inventories continue to rise sharply, prices will tend to stay flat or fall slightly.

Meanwhile the California market is looking vastly different from a year ago. In Sacramento and San Diego the market is cooling rapidly. In California it now takes an average of six months to sell a home. I was not that long ago that in some California markets, homes were selling in one weekend.
In California the average home now costs over $500000. This is out of reach for many families. The pressure is now on housing prices to come down in some areas. Higher interest rates, slower sales, home prices beyond the reach of the average family all point to falling prices in some areas.

Another scenario is that home prices will remain flat until wages catch up.

As the market changes, more and more homeowners are getting caught in foreclosure. As prices appreciated quickly, homeowners who could not meet their mortgage obligations benefited from an increase in equity. That will not be the case in the coming years. There are a number of sites dedicated to homeowners wanting to sell their homes without a Realtor, investors looking for deals, and agents looking for new business. RealtyTrac is one such site. Here you can find home bargains, sell a home without an agent, and discover your homes value.

Andrew Goldman is president of Metal Rabbit media services, the operator of www.Exchangetradedfundinvesting.com and carealestateinvest.com He has written a number of articles on finance and investment over the last ten years. Article source: Articlecube.com

Ultimately in order to obtain the highest selling price what can you look for to increase your selling and asking prices as well as sell your property sooner during peak real estate sales periods. (Spring and summer for both possessions before and after the school year)

With homeowner priorities shifting to their outdoor living spaces, it is more important than ever that your landscaping and backyard areas look their best when it comes time to sell. And with more outdoor living spaces come more elaborate and beautiful landscaping.

Studies have shown that attractive landscaping can increase the value of a home. “ The Contribution of Landscaping to the Price of a Single Family Dwelling , South Carolina” pointed out not only homes with excellent landscaping sell 4 to 5 % higher , but homes with poor landscaping in neighborhoods with excellent landscaping sold for 8 to 10 % less.

The right landscape design can make all the difference to a prospective buyer, especially when it is beautifully and carefully executed. “First impressions are not only important for buyers but for appraisers and real estate agents as well.” home assessment quantifier Shinderpal Jandu says.

So how much time, effort and money should you put into “sprucing “up your landscape if you are selling?

If you put in a small amount of money, time and effort into your backyard, you will sell your home and probably get enough boosts in price to warrant the work. However, if you do extensive landscaping, you can consider it money spent for personal enjoyment not as a payback investment. It will certainly help you to sell your home faster, it may allow you to sell your house without needing a real estate agent but it will not impress buyers enough to increase the asking or selling price significantly.

Some good suggestions to improve your landscape:

1. If you backyard is nothing but weeds, get a weed eater and cut the weeds.

2. Remove unsightly trees – too tall, large or inappropriate. Ensure though that you can dispose of the remains both easily, with little cost and legally.

3. Plant trees that will not grow to large. Fruit trees are always a good choice for a backyard

4. Plant low growing flowers and shrubs on your lot to add color.

5. Make sure that your back yard as well as the front is clean neat and livable.

If there is a fence make sure that it is a reasonable looking. A fresh coat of paint will always help to improve the value of first impressions as well as hide a multitude of sins.

Remember it is not just your house but your home and biggest lifetime investment. When you prepare to sell your house pay attention to the landscaping it adds “curb appeal. Simple proper steps to landscaping can both enhance the selling price of your home and make it easier and quicker to sell.

Amy Goodman

I am a moderate democrat. I have voted for both republicans and democrats. I look at the candidate and see where he or she stands on the issues that are important to me.

Recently in Connecticut, the democrats selected Ned Lamont as their nominee for the United States Senate. Mr. Lamont defeated three-term incumbent Joe Lieberman. The vote was 52% to 48%. However, not long ago, Mr. Lamont was trailing Senator Lieberman by over 40% in some of the polls. Approximately 50% of the democrat party voted in the primary. Generally speaking, a primary only draws approximately 25% of eligible voters.

Since the primary election, various pundits have talked or written about how either the democrat party has shown a winning strategy or how the party is going to lose. I have read a variety of op-ed pieces, letters to the editor and blogs authored by conservatives, moderates and liberals. Some argued that Lieberman was not in touch with his state, well others stated that it was a referendum on President Bush. Either way Senator Lieberman lost and should step aside. I know that Ned Lamont pledged that if he lost the primary that he would support Joe Lieberman. The democrats of Connecticut have spoken!

On the same day that Lamont defeated Lieberman, a moderate named Hank Johnson defeated liberal Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney for the democrat party nomination in a Georgia house race. Moderate republican Congressman Joe Schwarz lost his bid for his party’s nomination to conservative Tim Walberg.

In the past, when a republican incumbent has lost his party’s nomination, I have always heard that he or she did not represent the values of their party. I guess the same can be said for Senator Lieberman and Representatives McKinney and Schwarz. None of them reflect their party’s values. However, does this mean there are only national party values or can there be regional or even local values for a political party? I believe in the latter and that the aforementioned races reflect that local and regional trumps national party views.

In the different regions of our country, different factors need to be taken into account. Generally speaking, the northeast is more liberal, whether you are a democrat or a republican. In other words, Senator Trent Lott from Mississippi wouldn’t stand a chance in being elected in Rhode Island as Senator Lincoln Chaffe would never win a senatorial race in Mississippi. Both are republicans but have different views that are reflective of their own states.

The same goes for Democrats. California Senator Boxer would be to Liberal for Louisiana, although democrat Senator Mary L. Landrie represents Louisiana in the United States senate. Once again, both are democrats, but have different views that are reflected in the states they each represent.

I have heard that the “net roots” were a liberal conspiracy to take over the democrat party. Let’s set the record straight! Prior to the net roots supporting Ned Lamont, they were supporting democrat nominee Bob Casey in his race against Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. Casey is a conservative democrat. In Virginia, Jim Webb a former republican and Reagan administration official, who is now a democrat is being supported by the net roots in his race against Senator George Allen. If the net roots were only supporting a specific type of candidate, then why would they be working on behalf of all three aforementioned democrats, who are reflective of the entire political spectrum?

In Rhode Island which is a blue state, liberal republican Senator Lincoln Chaffe is in a tough primary race against a conservative opponent. Senator Chaffe voted against going to Iraq and voted against confirming Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. It is well anticipated that if Senator Chaffe is not the republican nomination, then the democrat nominee will win the election and the democrats will take back one more seat in the United States senate.

In the 2004 election, Indiana -a red state- reelected democrat Evan Bayh to another term in the United States senate, while giving all of its electoral votes to President Bush. Indiana sent a democrat to the senate and returned a republican to the white house. n interesting fact is that Bayh received more votes than Bush.

Voters are starting to become less inclined to vote party line. This is evident given the fact that the fastest growing political party is the “declined to states.” The voters do not want to be associated with either major political party. Instead, they want to see who the candidates are before deciding who to vote for.

Between now and November, you will have to decide which issues are important to themselves ,whether it is the culture of corruption, cut and run, health care, minimum wage or a host of other issues. More importantly, after you have decided you need to vote for the candidate that best represents your views.

Michael Cruz

Keith Pritzker, the former town council and HOA board member, has informed the Stevenson Ranch Community Association (HOA) of his intention to run for a board seat in the November election. He and another resident, David Harvey, have also apparently served the HOA with a recall petition.

Longtime residents may remember, a number of years ago, that Keith got into a legal tangle with several residents which ultimately ended with him having to make a financial settlement to end the matter. Since then Keith has apparently moved out of Stevenson Ranch but is still a property owner.

Residents are already questioning Pritzkers motivation for running since he has not been actively involved in community politics since losing the lawsuit. Several members of the HOA Board are questioning his eligibility to run and whether he will again waste the HOA’s time and money. It will be an interesting run up to the November election.

Several people responded to last months article and all had the same basic message for me – “Why do you have to be so negative with your gloom and doom views of the real estate market?” I thought about the comments and felt it appropriate to give the readers of the West Ranch Beacon an “insiders” look at the not too distant real estate past in the West Ranch area. Keep in mind – the dates, names and events noted in this article are 100% authentic – this is not a parable or anecdote. This article will explain how the sales and marketing of two Southern Oaks Manor homes redefined the values of an entire tract of homes overnight!

My friends and past clients Cody and Marion had a gorgeous Southern Oaks Manor home with a gorgeous view, upscale décor, beautiful furnishings, nice pool and spa that was about to come onto the market Spring 2004. The sales comparables at the time for similar model homes in the same tract were in the high $900,000’s. At the same time there were new construction homes (Westridge/Tesoro) selling in the high nine hundred thousand range to the low million dollar range that had no exterior landscaping, no pool/spa and no designer paint or custom molding. There was an obvious value gap between the new construction homes and the resale homes at that time. As we analyzed the market and factored in the supply and demand effects that were in place we decided to push the market and listed the home for $1,250,000. Some neighbors laughed. Others neighbors were amazed. At the Open House there were two basic groups of people that viewed the home – Santa Clarita Valley residents who had a knowledge of the Manor Homes (they saw them as new construction, knew the original cost, knew the comps, etc.) and those that were new to the Santa Clarita Valley viewing this area as a potential new location for their family.
The “newbies” were blown away with the model home feel, the view, the completed landscaping and fact the home was move-in ready. We had two families interested in purchasing the home at full value within the first 10 days!! The potential buyers of that time had seen all the new construction homes available with comparable square footage priced at around a million, but all those homes needed lots of time and money to be completed. It was a no-brainer – based on what was available this home offered great value.

You must keep in mind that without a satisfactory appraisal you typically have no deal. Without a couple of closed sales justifying the price the underwriter that works on the lenders behalf will not accept an appraisal 25% higher than similar recent sales. This is where fate stepped in. The buyer for Cody and Marion’s home had exceptional credit and was obtaining non-traditional financing which did not require a typical appraisal.
Several weeks after this home entered escrow we listed the neighbor’s home across the street. It was the same model with a less desirable view, less interior upgrades and a magnificent pool/spa. This home closed escrow on July 30, 2004 at a phenomenal $1,230,000 price. This home would not have been able to appraise at value unless we had the closing from several weeks earlier. In a matter of a few weeks we saw the values in the neighborhood change by a quarter of a million dollars!!! This phenomenon was simple – there was a huge gap in the new home versus resale homes that had not been closed. These two sales paved the way for the gigantic price increases of Stevenson Ranch, Sunset Pointe and the Enclave. They also validated the prices of new construction at that time in the marketplace.

What does all this have to do with current home values in West Ranch?
EVERYTHING! This will be addressed in the next article as well as how to make your home stand out as a “Top 10 % Home” (being one of the 10 percent of homes that SELLS rather than SITS.

Patrick Abbott
Realty Executives West Ranch
pat@scvhomes.com