November 11th is the official Veteran’s Day. That is a day of pride for me, as my dad served in the US Navy for twenty-two years beginning with World War II. He is a recipient of the Purple Heart due to several injuries he suffered when his ship was torpedoed twice by a Japanese submarine on October 24, 1944. I appreciate all that my dad endured during those years, and all that our servicemen and women have and continue to bear since then to secure my safety, my rights and my freedom. This day in history started out as Armistice (peace) Day in November 1919 in commemoration of the ceased fighting that occurred on the ‘eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month’ in 1918 (November 11, 1918) and was also meant to honor the heroism of all who died in that war and to show grati... 11/09/2012

Did you forget to turn your clocks back to ‘Standard Time’? Don’t feel alone; although an exact number is not known, it is estimated that thousands of Americans each year forget to set their clocks back before retiring on the last Saturday night of Daylight Savings Time.   Daylight Savings Times (DST) is an idea that was first thought of by Benjamin Franklin in 1784, which very few people are aware of. However, his purpose was for one thing only, to save on the consumption of candles. More than a hundred years later, a New Zealand entomologist and astronomer, George Vernon Hudson, came up with the concept of daylight savings time to actually extend daylight later in the day. The first real use of this came about during WWI, when Germany took advantage of the theory to give them the adva... 11/04/2012

What's Happening in NOVEMBER 2012     Agoura Hills   Date Event Oct 25th thru Nov 1st Haunted Mansion (Charity) Event at The Canyon Club         Camarillo Date Event Nov 4th 1st Annual CI Rotaract 5K Turkey Trot Nov 9th 4th Annual Bags, Bling and Bubbly Party Nov 22nd Thanksgiving Day 5-n-10K Trot         Moorpark Date Event Nov 4th 8th Annual Run Through the Orchards 5K/10K Nov 10th & Nov 11th 12th Annual Civil War Reenactment Nov 11th Veterans Day Observance         Newbury Park Date Event Nov 3rd 4th Annual Mike Nosco Memorial Bike Ride thru Nov 11th Murder Mystery Dinner Theater at Palm Garden Hotel – Sundays         Simi Valley Date Event Nov 4th Annual SnowFest Arts & Crafts Fair Nov 12th Annual Veterans Day Event at Reagan Library Nov 17th "An American Christmas" Tree Display at... 11/02/2012

This even was a successful book signing event at the Reagan Library. The great Regis Philbin, television personality, TV talk-show host, game-show host, actor, singer and author, will be appearing   Lecture and Book Signing   With   Regis Philbin   On   Monday, October 29, 2012   4:30pm   The witty Regis Philbin began his career in the 1950’s as a page at the The Tonight Show, where he later became the announcer for the show in 1962. Prior to that, he wrote for the Los Angeles talk-show host, Tom Duggan, and got his first appearance on TV when he nervously had to fill in for Duggan, who was unable to appear one evening. However, Regis’ first real national exposure was in 1967 as Joey Bishop’s sidekick on the The Joey Bishop Show (1967 – 1969).   As a talk-show host, Regis’ did a short ... 11/01/2012

  Be sure to check out the Haunted Mansion Charity Event at the The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills (map)   ... thru Thursday, November 1, 2012   6:00pm to 10:00pm every night   Adult event …             Admission fee of $21 is to benefit three local charities       Stagecoach Inn Museum Pumpkin Festival (map)   Saturday, October 27, 2012   10:00am to 4:00pm   Come dressed in a costume.   Bring your already carved pumpkin for fun, contest judging and prizes.   Face painting, trick-or-treating, crafts for kids, cupcake walks, storytelling, doughnut grab, gold-panning, games and more.   Fee is $5-Adults, $4-Seniors and Students, $2-children 5 to 12 years old, children under 5-free. Although Halloween is over, these events display the activity in Simi Valley and surrounding areas to be a great... 11/01/2012

Next Tuesday, November 6, 2012 is Election Day. A day that thanks to living in a country like America, we have the freedom to vote for the candidate of our individual choice; for the one that we feel will serve us and our country best.   As history has showed us, it was not always this way. There was a time back in history when only a select few were allowed to vote; originally in the 1790s, only white male adult property-owners had the right to vote. Our constitutional right to vote only came to us all over many, many years of efforts and struggles by scores of individuals to give us what we have today.   Birth - "All persons born or naturalized" "are citizens" of the U.S. and the U.S. State where they reside (14th Amendment, 1868) "Race, color, or previous condition of servitude" - (1... 11/01/2012

It’s a beginning of another work week – don’t dread what lies ahead for the week. After a day’s work, come on out and join in the fun and relaxation that Simi Valley’s Night Out is offering.       Monday, October 1st –   Martini Movie Mondays   7:00pm to 10:00pm   Every Monday night at Chuy’s West – Martini Specials and classic movies       Bike Night   4:00pm to 8:00pm   Monday night is bike night at the Old Susana Cafe. Grab your friends and take a ride over for some great food and drinks.       Tuesday, October 2nd –   Quartermania   9:00pm to 12 Midnight   For a $6.00 cover charge at Harley’s Simi Bowl, you can get your shoes, play games, have a hot dog and a soda for $.25 each.       Cheap Skate Night   7:00pm to 8:45pm   $7.00 admission includes skate rental at Iceoplex Ice Arena.... 10/01/2012

Well, fall is here again. It means cooler temperatures and the hotter degrees of summer are quickly fading away. Have you got out those jackets, heavy sweaters, the scarves/mufflers, caps and knitted hats, and shaken the moth balls free? Okay, now to find somewhere to go and wear them. A good place to go would be one of the many local parks that have wonderful hiking trails, and one that would offer the beautiful sights of fall. One such park is Eagle View Park  with its bicycle path, hiking trail, beautiful lagoon and magnificent stream.The trail through the thick forest of trees puts you in a world all of your own. This park has other year-round amenities for the whole family as well. If hiking is not your wish, a perfect park for just sitting and watching the numerous trees change in... 09/25/2012

The Holidays are slowly approaching. Don’t we want to be in shape both physically and health-wise to be able to celebrate and enjoy them? Maybe we have a pound or two we want to lose to make room for the turkey and gravy; or maybe we notice something pouching out here … or there, and want to flatten it down/tuck it in. WELL … let’s do something about it. Let’s get to the gym or an exercise facility and ‘git ‘er done’! There are many Gyms in Simi Valleyto choose from. Curves for Women WEST Simi Valley and Curves for Women Simi Valley are outstanding women’s fitness clubs geared to keep women in shape with exercise, yoga, kick boxing, swimming, weights and personal training. In addition they have a calming, relaxing sauna for after those exerting workouts. If you want a gym that is not ov... 09/25/2012

Look what’s coming to town! Check out these dates: September 19th through September 23rd. It’s the 2012 Simi Valley Fair & Music Festival at Rancho Simi Community Park, 1765 Royal Avenue (corner of Erringer and Royal). Five days of outstanding entertainment. Pick which day and time is best for you or better yet, come out all five days! Wednesday, Sept 19th – 5pm to 10pm Thursday, Sept 20th – 5pm to 10pm Friday, Sept 21st – 5pm to 11pm Saturday, Sept 22nd – 12noon to 11pm Sunday, Sept 23 – 12noonto 9pm It will be full of fun and everything you could want at a fair: rides, carnival games, arts and crafts, car show, contests and prizes, 5K/10K run, great food, and not to forget a music festival … and much more! Here are some musical highlight features for each day of the event: Wednesday, ... 09/18/2012

Below, is a graph illustrating the Real Estate Activity for Thousand Oaks Single Family Homes. The sold numbers represent Thousand Oaks Single Family Homes that sold in June, 2012.As you can see, the inventory levels are very low.  This low inventory often creates multiple offers.  Buyers should be prepared to bring their highest and best offer price when looking at purchasing homes in the lower price ranges.In Thousand Oaks, we are seeing less bank owned properties coming on the market and this trend should continue for the foreseeable future.The good news, is most of the lenders and or servicers of short sales have streamlined their short sale process, however it still does take upward of several months, which is why the “under contract” numbers are high in the graph below.Changes to ... 07/23/2012

The 16th season of the Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival will feature performances of “Romeo and Juliet” and “Much Ado About Nothing” at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. “Much Ado About Nothing” will be performed June 29 through July 1, July 6 through 8, and July 13 through 15. “Romeo and Juliet” will be staged July 20 through 22, July 27 through July 29, and Aug. 3 through 5. All shows begin at 8 p.m. in scenic Kingsmen Park.Company veterans Kevin P. Kern, artistic director of the Pensacola Shakespeare Festival, and Brett Elliott, associate artistic director of the Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival, will return to direct “Much Ado About Nothing” and “Romeo and Juliet,” respectively. Both men have been involved in the festival since its beginning and have directed productions in... 06/30/2012

720,000 ladybugs were let loose in Thousand Oaks to dine on the pests that threaten the trees in Thousand Oaks (which you can tell by the name has a whole lot of trees to preserve).Yes, these little spotted insects have voracious appetites, so the City of Thousand Oaks have put them to work into the Modesto ash trees near Triunfo Community Park in Thousand Oaks.Modesto ash trees are plagued by white flies and aphids.  And it just so happens, that these pests are some of the ladybugs favorite foods, how cool is that?Ladybugs can consume up to 5,000 pests during their typical 2 year lifespan, that is a whole lot of eating!A few facts about ladybugs Females lay more than 1,000 eggs in their lifespan Instead of getting age spots, ladybugs’ spots fade as they get older A ladybug chews its fo... 06/10/2012

Lloyd Cullen Real Estate is a local Thousand Oaks Short Sale Realtor. As a Thousand Oaks Short Sale Company that specializes in short sales, you are assured the highest standard of professionalism and can always count on our Thousand Oaks Short Sale Realtor to help answer any questions you have in regards to Thousand Oaks Short Sales. Short Sale My Thousand Oaks Home Lloyd Cullen is a local Thousand Oaks Short Sale Expert with experienced Thousand Oaks Short Sale Agents here to assist you.   Short Sale My Thousand Oaks Home We specialize in Short Sales for Thousand Oaks and Surrounding Areas At Lloyd Cullen, our Thousand Oaks Short Sale Realtors have been thoroughly trained on the latest news and moves in the real estate market. You won't have to worry about your Thousand Oaks Short Sal... 06/05/2012

Lloyd Cullen Real Estate is a local Thousand Oaks Short Sale Realtor. As a Thousand Oaks Short Sale Company that specializes in short sales, you are assured the highest standard of professionalism and can always count on our Thousand Oaks Short Sale Realtor to help answer any questions you have in regards to Thousand Oaks Short Sales. Thousand Oaks Short Sale Realtor Lloyd Cullen is a local Thousand Oaks Short Sale Expert with experienced Thousand Oaks Short Sale Agents here to assist you.   Thousand Oaks Short Sale Realtor We specialize in Short Sales for Thousand Oaks and Surrounding Areas Short selling your Thousand Oaks home does not have to be such a scary process. You have come to the right place to talk to a qualified and educated Thousand Oaks Short Sale Expert at Lloyd Cullen R... 05/30/2012

Below is the illustration of the Thousand Oaks Real Estate Market Absorption Trend.  This illustration shows that the average amount of  Single Family Homes sold in Thousand Oaks  on a per month basis has been fairly consistent from 2010 to present. The average sales price did decline by approximately 10% from 2010 to 2011.  The average sales price dropped 1.5% from 2011 compared to those Thousand Oaks Single Family Homes that sold in  the last 3 months of 2012. The most startling fact presented by the data is the amount of  Thousand Oaks Single Family Homes for sale.  Currently, there are only 109 Single Family Homes for sale in Thousand Oaks, and that translates to approximately 2 months of inventory which by definition of the Market Absorption Analysis model would put Thousand Oaks S... 04/24/2012

If you are a Veteran in Ventura County or you know any Veteran, please be aware  there is a very informative Veteran Benefit event being held this Saturday, March 10, 2012 at 2pm at Belmont Village Senior Living 3680 N Moorpark Road Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 The Presenter for this informative event will be : Mike McManus, Senior Master Sergeant USAF (ret) *Naval and Marine DD214 must indicate Expeditionary Medal. All DD214s must specify campaign: Lebanon, Grenada and Panama. Please note that, pursuant to M.G.L. c4, §7, the six months of active duty for training in the Active Reserves and the National Guard does not qualify as active service toward the minimum period listed here. If your only active duty was active duty training, you are not eligible to purchase credit for your military se... 03/09/2012

The Thousand Oaks Real Estate Market Absorption Trend for Thousand Oaks illustrates that the average home price is in the mid-range range of home prices. This mid range home price range does not have the buyer competition that the $50,000 to $350,000 price range does, so property does take a bit longer to sell and generally list prices have some wiggle room to move down. However, the data does show that while there is some wiggle room the average list to sales price stays consistently in the high 90% bracket. See the links below the chart to see homes for sale in different price ranges. Thousand Oaks Single Family Homes ($50,000 to $249,999) Thousand Oaks Single Family Homes ($250,000 to $449,999) Thousand Oaks Single Family Homes ($450,000 to $749,999) Thousand Oaks Single Family Homes... 02/21/2012

The Market Statistics for Thousand Oaks show us that the number of sold homes has dropped rather dramatically by 52.46% from 2010.  The average sold price for Thousand Oaks homes did not fall as drastically, only 4.24% and while that is still shows prices decreasing, it is not an alarming percentage. The average list price compared to sales price for the homes sold in Thousand Oaks was 96.10%! In Thousand Oaks based on the inventory levels and following the standard market absorption analysis criteria, we see that the Thousand Oaks Real Estate Market falls within a Buyer's Market. 01/14/2012

The real estate market in Thousand Oaks, CA as of December 19, 2011: 354 Active Listings 71  current Pending Sales 24 Sold Closed transactions since 12/1/11 Total Dollar Value $10,278,400 Average selling price $463,250 (includes attached and detached homes) Median Days on Market: 69 / 86 days Unlimited Property Searches available. The City of Thousand Oaks, located in beautiful Ventura County, 12 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean, is nestled against the Santa Monica Mountains and surrounded by more than 14,800 acres of natural publicly owned open space. This open space contains 75 miles of trails for hiking, biking, or just leisurely walking. While this natural acreage gives our community the best of nature, another source of pride in our community is the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaz... 12/19/2011