When the Pacific Ocean sits right in your own backyard, you tend to focus on maintaining its health and beauty. But we all should focus on keeping our oceans clean every day. After all, water covers more than 70% of
World Oceans Day Ventura 2023
Ojai Art in the Park 2023
We hope all of you mamas out there had a wonderful Mother’s Day. We really should celebrate our hardworking, loving mothers every day, though, right? Artists need our love and support as well. Therefore, we hope you make time in
California Strawberry Festival 2023
April showers bring May flowers. But they also bring strawberries…lots of strawberries. Whether you enjoy them in a jam, on a biscuit, in a pie, or by themselves, you might want to make plans to visit the California Strawberry Festival
Ventura Earth Day Community Clean Up 2023
We hope everyone enjoyed their Easter holiday. Now that Easter is over, it’s time to focus on our planet. April 22nd is officially Earth Day. But Ventura Harbor Village wants to celebrate early. After all, every day should be Earth
Pre-List Checklist: What to Do Before You List
In February 2023, home sales in Ventura County fell by 52% from the previous February. The median days a home spent on the market before going under contract increased by 66%. That may sound a bit harsh if you are
Ventura County Easter Egg Hunts 2023
Easter Sunday falls on April 9th this year. As you can imagine, the Easter Bunny gets very busy this time of year. But he promised to make as many extra visits as necessary to ensure every little boy and girl
Mermaid Month 2023 at Ventura Harbor Village
March is Mermaid Month 2023 at Ventura Harbor Village. As always, several fun events are planned throughout the month to honor these lovely ladies of the sea. Which one do you look forward to? What: Mermaid Month 2023Where: Ventura Harbor
What is Considered Qualifying Income When Buying a Home?
Buying a Ventura home involves many components. You need to save up for your down payment and closing costs. Then, do you choose a fixed-rate or adjustable-rate mortgage? As of the writing of this post, 30-year fixed-rate mortgage sit at
Ventura Seaside Marathon 2023
Are you an ultramarathoner or someone just starting out? The Ventura Seaside Marathon 2023 offers something for all levels of experience and more. Running provides an outlet for exercise with a reasonable cost to perform. No gym membership needed. Just
Why DIY is Not the Best Way to Go When Selling Your Home
The rising costs of basic living expenses has everyone looking to save a buck wherever they can. When it comes to selling your home, you can save money by staging it yourself, repairing some things yourself before you list, or
Winter Whale Watching at Ventura Harbor
We hope everyone had a great time celebrating the holidays. We certainly did. Our gray skies seem rather appropriate for this time of year. Why? Well, they match the gray whales migrating through our Pacific Ocean waters right now. In
Fixed-Rate Mortgage vs Adjustable-Rate Mortgage
If you plan on financing your Ventura County home purchase, you have a few different choices to make in regards to financing. Conventional? FHA? VA (for the veterans and current military)? Then, there’s fixed-rate mortgage vs adjustable. Each one offers
Ventura Parade of Lights 2022
The holidays are a magical time of year. Thank you to everyone who participated in the Ventura Can-Tree Food Drive last weekend, too. This can be felt particularly in the decorations we see around town and in our homes. Living
Ventura Can-Tree Food Drive 2022
In just three days, many of us will be sitting down to a sumptuous meal with our loved ones. And in just five weeks from now, we celebrate Christmas. That usually entails another huge meal with our friends and family.
Small Business Saturday Ventura 2022
Our local pumpkin patches stand empty. Halloween is over. Thanksgiving takes place in just over two weeks. Many stores decided to go back to closing their doors on Thanksgiving to allow their employees the chance to celebrate with their families.
Staging Strategies for Your Ventura County Home
Staging your Ventura home is all about putting its best foot forward for potential buyers. By highlighting its most desirable features, you can draw more interest to your home and leave a lasting impression that is sure to help you
Ventura Harbor Halloween Events 2022
Halloween falls on a Monday this year. But several areas around Ventura County offer fun things to do before the big day. In addition to the various pumpkin patches and corn mazes, you might want to participate in some of
Ventura County Pumpkin Patches 2022
The weather finally appears to be cooling off. Thank goodness. October marks the beginning of the end of the year. With it comes the first of several end-of-year holiday events: Halloween. If you need something fun to do with the
How an Escalation Clause May Help Buyers Get Their Dream Home
We are still experiencing a seller’s market here in Ventura. Low inventory means that buyers sometimes find themselves fighting with other buyers over a Ventura home they love. That is where an escalation clause could come in handy. What is
Ventura Art and Street Painting Festival 2022
There must be something about the ocean air. It seems to inspire the best in artists of all mediums. If you love art, then you might want to make the Ventura Art and Street Painting Festival 2022 your destination of
Easy DIY Landscaping Projects
Ever get the itch to do a DIY project? Whenever we do, our favorites involve getting outdoors and mixing up our landscaping features. Whether it’s as simple as installing some lighting or a little more time-consuming like re-plotting plants, a
Priority Tasks for Your Move In
Moving into a new Ventura County home is an exciting time. You’re probably daydreaming about how to decorate it, what paint schemes to use, and maybe even new furniture. But before you get into the fun stuff, there are some
Your Guide to a Ventura County Home Appraisal
You’ve found your dream Ventura County home. Now it’s time to cross all your T’s and dot all your I’s before it’s all your own. One of the first items on your closing checklist is the home appraisal. This also
The Difference Between Homeowners Insurance and a Home Warranty
When purchasing a new Ventura County home, you must do in-depth research on all facets of the homebuying process. You need to understand how to best protect yourself and your investment if anything were to go wrong. Check out the
What to Negotiate When Buying a Ventura House
Whether you are a first-time homebuyer or a seasoned veteran, the negotiation part of the transaction can be a little daunting and stressful. However, negotiating is necessary to ensure that you are getting the best possible deal for your money.
Which Down Payment Strategy is Right for You?
You’ve most likely heard this rule: “save for a 20% down payment before you buy a home”. The logic behind saving 20% is solid. It shows that you have the financial discipline and stability to save for a long-term goal
Top Tips for Ventura House Hunting Online
Hunting for a new Ventura County home online is a great place to start your search. In fact, the National Association of REALTORS® found that 90% of home buyers used their computers at some point during the home buying process
Hidden Fees to Be Aware of When Purchasing a Ventura Home
Purchasing a home is arguably one of the biggest financial decisions you will make in your lifetime. As you start your hunt, don’t forget there will be costs associated with your purchase other than the price of the Ventura home.
2022 Ventura County Easter Egg Hunts
Easter Sunday takes place on April 17th. But the Easter Bunny plans on making a visit to a few locations around our area to hide eggs beforehand. The fun begins this weekend in Ventura’s Plaza Park and ends the day
Home Buying Tips for Newlywed Couples in Ventura
According to wedding blog Maroo, California couples pay an average of $39,000 for their wedding. If buying a Ventura home falls next on your list, you need to save up even more money. For an $800,000 home, that means saving
What to Repair Before You List Your Ventura Home
When you’re getting ready to list your home, it’s of the utmost importance to ensure you are showing it in the best light. Taking time to highlight its strengths and repair some of its possible weaknesses can make a big
How to Improve Your Credit Score in Five Easy Steps
If buying a new Ventura area home sits atop your 2022 “to do” list, you need to make sure you get your credit in order first. The higher your credit score, the better your interest rate. It might take some
Winter Home Selling Tips
Real estate in Ventura County tends to slow down a little during the holidays. People tend to focus their efforts on Christmas shopping, spending time with family, and holiday parties. We hit our hottest time in spring. But that does
How to Avoid Falling Out of Escrow
Who watched the fireworks in Ventura County this weekend? They were glorious! It is nice to see a return to some sort of normalcy here in California. Is homeownership next up on your agenda? Oxnard made Forbes’ list of the
CalHFA Helps First-Time Homebuyers in California
California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) Requirements to Qualify To even be considered for one of the California Housing Finance Agency’s loans, buyers must meet certain requirements. First, you must be a first-time homebuyer. That means that you either never owned
Outdoor Living Space Ideas That Buyers Like
Today’s Ventura homebuyer looks for a good home office space (among other things) inside a property. But they also appreciate a nice outdoor living area. After all, being stuck inside our homes for most of 2020 really showed us that
Ventura Fire Hazard Reduction Plan
It seems like we battle wildfires here in California every single year. Our dry weather makes us vulnerable to these. Now that temperatures have begun to warm up, our chances of wildfires increase. To help protect your Ventura home as
Tax Deductions for Selling Your Ventura Home
Yes, even during a pandemic, the Ventura County housing market flourished. If you happened to sell your property in 2020, you need to think about how this affects your taxes. Last year, the government delayed our usual tax deadline date
Preparing for Your First Year of Homeownership
Being a first-time homeowner can be exciting…and a little scary. Anytime anything breaks, no more calling the landlord. You must fix it yourself. Plus, the expense comes out of your pocket. In your first year of homeownership, the learning curve
Refinancing Your Home: Calculating Your Costs
Interest rates hit historic lows in 2020. This helped spur on Ventura home buyers to purchase new properties even during these turbulent times. It also brought lenders out of the woodwork, enticing people to refinance their current home loans to