I get this question a lot and it can be a real issue with so many families having to work. There is also the boredom factor - even if you do stay home, it is hard to keep your kids entertained 24/7! And we all know that there are only so many days we can go to the beach! What can you do to entertain your kids for free or a low cost alternative? I would love to have some ideas posted and to share with other families as well!  Gardens of the World! Open Tues - Sun 9-5; groups and docent tours available by reservation. There is a childrens's guide available as well. You can visit the website for more information: http://www.gardensoftheworld.info/ Civic Arts Plaza: There are also various events and shows at the Civic Arts Plaza. For schedules you can visit: http://www.ci.thousand-oaks.ca.u... 06/21/2007

Every link below will take you to a page that explains in detail the benefit of using Dan Allred as your agent for your next and every real estate transaction in Thousand Oaks, Conejo Valley, Simi Valley, Moorpark and all of Ventura County. http://www.danallred.com/list_with_dan.htm for sellershttp://www.danallred.com/free_reports.htm  for buyers and sellershttp://www.danallred.com/concierge_service.htm for buyershttp://www.danallred.com/buy_with_dan.htm for buyersI have an exclusive charity program that benefits the charity of your choice every time you purchase, sell, or refer a client to me. For the details of my exclusive Charity program call me direct or send me an email and I will contact you Dan@exitfamily.com 05/28/2007

 10. Home of the United States 2004 Little league World Series Champions.9.   Only 30 minutes from downtown Los Angeles8.   Only 30 Minutes from Pacific Ocean7.   Some of the best restaurants in the state.6.   Economically sound anchored by companies like Amgen and County Wide5.   Some of the best churches in the world4.   One of the best School Districts in the state!3.   One of the safest cities in America2.   Some of the best weather in the world1.   Family Centered Community ...some of the close runner up answers...People are extremely friendlyGreat neighborhoods for kids to play inClose to lakes and mountains for outdoor activity and exercisePart of a great countyGreat place for retirement I live here 05/27/2007

 The city of Thousand Oaks has so much to offer people of every generation. For the young there are youth sports that are world recognized, there are museums such as the Chumash heritage museum, there is one of the best school districts in the nation but all this is only perks to living in one of the safest cities in the country! If you are a teenager you have an excellent public High School, a nationally ranked private school and never have to leave the city except to go to the beach! If you are a young adult you have CLU and so much activity it is hard to sometimes choose what you really want to do. For young families there are all of those things just listed and then great community groups and great churches in the community. For the middle aged there are several groups as well as ac... 05/16/2007

What makes living in Thousand Oaks, Ca. so enjoyable and relaxing? After living here for over 10 years I have learned to enjoy several things about the community. In Thousand Oaks there is something to do for everyone in the family, from MOMS group all the way to assisted living for the elderly. Some of the things that makes Thousand Oaks so special is the fact that we have two malls and just about every type of restaurant that exists within a 20 minute drive from the heart of Thousand Oaks. Being located just a short 35 minute drive from downtown L.A. and about 25 minutes from the sandy beaches of both Malibu and Ventura you have all the entertainment you could ask for a short distance away. In Thousand Oaks we have a Civic Arts Center which hosts some of the best Broadway shows in the... 05/07/2007

 WendysHomes.com Thousand Oaks Real Estate  You may find this information useful and possibly even timely.  Above all, take it as an example and a possible inspiration to contact a professional accountant, CPA or attorney.  To determine your gain, you should go through a series of calculations.  An example:  You purchased you home for $250,000                      You sell it for $700,000                      You spent $20,000 in eligible purchases and upgrade expenses (taxes and major improvements and $49,000 in selling expenses (which includes real estate commission, exise taxes, title, escrow, etc. Be sure and check with your accountant for allowable expenses). Subtract the selling costs, approximately $49,000, from the closed sales price $700,000, giving you a total of $651,000. Ad... 05/02/2007

 Here are some great links to help you navigate Thousand Oaks!Try the Civic Arts Plaza for your entertainment pleasure.  "Community links" has so much valuable information about the community, restaurants, schools, shopping, movie theaters, newspapers, the post office and on and on.The youth center is particularly valuable for parents with teenagers.  It is a great place to keep your teens occupied and out of harms way.Like shopping?  The Oaks Mall and the Camarillo Outlet are for you.  And for you golfing enthusiasts, take a look at the golf link.Enyoy!Civic Arts PlazaCommunity LinksYouth CenterOaks MallCamarillo OutletGolf For additional information about Thousand Oaks, visit WendysHomes.com (805) 558-6624Thanks for visiting! Wendy Pickard   04/26/2007

It has been some time since I have posted and it is not because I do not like to blog or have forgotten it is all about the time - and the lack of it! Our Ventura County market has picked up speed and is in full blown crazy mode! I read an article today on MSN or some "news" site about how bad the market is, how March saw the lowest sales ever, yada yada yada and I have to say I have had my BEST March sales ever, nearly my best YEAR ever - now how is that possible? It's not according to the media who continues to grind our business into the dust! Very frustrating as a Real Estate Professional who makes home buying and selling my business. But I can tell you this: If you are watching the market you will see more homes are selling than coming on - in fact, for the past 45 days - if not mo... 04/25/2007

Have you recently thought about buying or selling a home in Thousand Oaks? As a broker/owner, a resident of Thousand Oaks for over 10 years, and a life long resident of Ventura County I am an expert in Thousand Oaks Real Estate. For information on what to look for to be prepared to sale your home or buy a new home I will send you out the free reports of your choice simply for asking. What makes me different than every other Realtor out their? If you are looking to buya home I have averaged finding my clients the home of their dreams on an average of the first 6-8 homes we look at. This is only accomplished by my research to eliminate homes that do not fit your criteria before we waste time looking at things that are not right for you. If you are looking to sellcall me for a free Compara... 04/24/2007

Raising a family is hard enough without outside pressure. Adding violence, gangs, drug sales and the other stuff that comes with certain communities I am so thankful for living in Thousand Oaks. Thousand Oaks, consistently on of the safest cities in America with over 100,000 people in it, is a great place to raise a family.  With activities for every age group in the family and a newer youth facility, YMCA, and so many other things to keep young people active and off the streets Thousand Oaks has something to offer to everyone! Being located just West of Los Angeles County; Thousand Oaks is close to the big city but far enough away to have a small town atmosphere. With two shopping centers and several smaller shopping areas, great churches, nationally recognized youth sports, and top 10... 04/23/2007

Thousand Oaks is one of those cities that you will never find anywhere else. I have never been to another city that resembles the charachter, the people, or even the lifestyle. In Thousand Oaks we have some neighborhoods that you cant touch for less than several million and others that start just under five hundred thoughsand.                                                                                     So what makes Thousand Oaks so unique? It offers something for just about every walk of life, every age group and it is consistantly one of the safest cities in America! It is not just a great place to live but a great place to visit so the next time you are in Southern California take a drive up the 101 and visit this great city! 04/05/2007

Now before I go to far I know that most agents are good however there are several things that seperate agents in todays market. I have noticed that there are several agents that claim they are the best, are they? Are they really the best? If they say that who's standards are they measuring by? We have all (hopefully) had clients tell us how good we are. My dad used to tell me, and now I tell my kids, if you are good you don't have to talk about it because others will do the talking for you. I completely believe that but my question is what sets one realtor apart from the next? We are not all the same ( at least not in my communities). I have had transactions that have gone smooth and I have had them that were far from smooth. sometimes it is just the situations but sometimes it is the a... 03/30/2007

As a life long resident of Ventura County I have chosen to call Thousand Oaks home, why? You could say it is the friendly people, you could say it is the absolutely great school district, you could even say it is the perfect weather of Southern Ca. The truth is you could say it was for several reasons, however to me it goes well beyond the things mentioned earlier. As I drive the neighborhoods, talk with residents and discuss the housing market I constantly remind myself of the stregnth in our communities. The housing market stays consistant, people are friendly and it is a great place to raise a family. As a father of five, a coach of multiple youth sports and top producer in my office I enjoy doing business in this great community. Ventura County and more specific the Conejo Valley is... 03/28/2007

 Welcome Residents !Welcome to our Community! The City of Thousand Oaks, population 127,000, lies within the Conejo Valley, a picturesque, mountain-rimmed plateau, 900 feet above sea level in Ventura County. This family-friendly community continually ranks as one of the safest cities for its size in the nation by FBI reporting standards. Things to DoThousand Oaks is located in beautiful Ventura County, with miles of coastline and the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The City is only 45 miles from downtown Los Angeles and about an hour from Santa Barbara. Fun places like Disneyland, Universal Studios, Knotts Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain, and the Getty Museum are within about an hour to an hour and a half driving distance.  Thousand Oaks Demograhpics Population: 12... 03/21/2007

  Activity in Braemar and Symphony Thousand Oaks Real Estate As of May 26, 2008 Check back periodically to view the most recent activity in the Braemar and Symphony homes in Thousand Oaks. You can ask me about these homes or any other homes that are on the market in the Conejo Valley, Calabasas, Camarillo and most of Ventura County. If you want more details about the homes on this list, please visit my website WendysHomes.com or give me a call (805) 558-5524. You can find a great deal of helpful, relocation information at your finger tips when you visit my site. ACTIVE PROPERTIES ACTIVE Meadowbrook Ct $675,000 Ridgebrook Pl $813,500 Jason Ct $1,450,000 Meadowside $749,900 Rikkard Dr $698,000 Rikkard Dr $665,000 Rikkard Dr $679,000 Rikkard Dr $755,000 PENDING PROPERTIES LIST PRICE Rikkar... 03/21/2007

This is my first blog ever!  I am new to this site, as well as to home staging and I just wanted to share my excitement with all of you.  I received my first call from a realtor after starting Simplicity Home Design and was asked to stage a vacant condo that had been on the market for just about 1 year.  I accepted the challenge but inside was scared to death.  I had told myself that I wasn't even sure I was going to venture into vacant staging until I got a few regular staging jobs under my belt.   This was a 4 level condo over 2000 square feet and the owners were not financially able to spend much on furniture rental.  So I used what I could from home ,along with the rental furniture and it transformed itself into something amazing.  Now my website reads:Vacant home sells in 5 days af... 02/22/2007

I receive a lot of requests from first time buyers looking for an inexpensive way into the housing market and hoping to pick up a home in the Conejo Valley for dirt cheap, hoping for a foreclosure - one they can actually live in, too! I take these requests seriously and try to educate them about how it works, to the best of my knowledge of course. First, there are way too many bogus websites out there telling people that you can pick up a foreclosure for $60,000 - for a 4 bedroom home in Thousand Oaks! I hate this and it makes me mad that these scam sites lure people in, get them to pay thinking they are going to get the deal of the century. Well, it doesn't work that way. Typically that $60,000 is what they are behind in payments. I put it to them like this:Banks are in the business to... 01/28/2007

I think that it is time for some truths to be told to all the buyers and sellers out here in the Ventura and Los Angeles area about our current real estate market. It is not as bad as the media keeps telling us it is - at least not here in Ventura County and LA County (Agoura, Malibu, Westlake Village, and portions of the West Side). We are now experiencing a housing shortage and rising home prices. I would not go so far to say that it is a sellers market again, but we are close to it. If sellers are pricing their homes right - more about that later - the home will sell in the first few days. Of course, there is more to it than that! Those fixers that are selling fast are priced accordingly; the updated homes are selling for close to the same price as those that are not, but the price m... 01/27/2007

Lender/Purchaser Disclosure Statement , State of California Form RE 851A Form RE 851A is provided by the California Department of Real Estate Mortgage Lending. It serves as a Disclosure Statement Summary. It is divided into ten parts: 1) Broker Information - States Brokers name, real estate license id number, business address, and phone number. 2) Broker Capacity In Transaction - Identifies the specific brokers role / capacity in the given transaction. 3)Transaction Information- Explains the terms of the loan including interest rate,type of amoritization,payment frequency, etc. 4)Multi-Lender Transaction- This section contains the anticipated closing date, estimated lender costs, name/address of escrow holder. The servicing and loan-to-value information is defined in legal terms on this... 11/29/2006