Brock Hills is a community of Single Family Homes.   All the Brock Hills home are 2 story conventional homes. This enclave of homes in nestled on the hillside in the west end of Ventura. Many of the Brock Hills homes enjoy ocean or mountain views. All enjoy the serene landscape of the hillside and fruit trees!       These Brock Hills homes were built circa 1986 and the builder offered four models.     Brock Hills homes range in size from 1458 sq. ft. to the largest model at 1776 sq. ft, when built.  Some homes have 3 bedrooms, others are 4 bedrooms.   All the homes have 2 car attached garages. Brock Hills does have a small HOA fee in place that covers the maintenance of the common area, there is no community pool.   Lot sizes for this Brock Hills development range from 4115 sq. ft. to 1... 06/03/2013

The City of Ventura turns 100 years young this year.  And isn't she beautiful?  Ventura City Hall plans on an all-out celebration, including several fun activities planned through the summer.  The City wants to invite all residents and visitors to come celebrate 100 years of Ventura by partaking in any or all of the following scheduled events: May and June - The City of Ventura is putting together a time capsule that will be opened up by future members of the Ventura community at its 200th birthday in 2113.  They need your help to fill the capsule.  The City is asking residents to send memorabilia that reflect what everyday life is like here in 2013.  Also, they are searching for 1913-era items to temporarily use in display cases for the centennial celebration.  If you have either, plea... 05/30/2013

Summer Fun at the Ventura Ocean Front   There are many activities to partake in on several miles of Ventura Ocean Front.   The obvious ...swimming. This beach is one of the safest spots for a swim because the sand slopes very gradually into the ocean.   The design of the San Buenaventura State beach with its low sand dunes between the trail and the ocean, gives the beach area in front of the state park a feeling of isolation from freeway traffic and sounds from the city.   Volleyball.....several nets are available, bring your friends and volleyball and call it “game on”.   Hike along the trail path....Very popular location to get a good walk in. This path can start at Marine park and will hook up with the Ventura River Trail which goes all the way up to Ojai.   Serious cyclists can use ... 05/28/2013

Explore The Channel Islands this Summer         Channel Islands National Park headquarters (Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center) is located in Ventura at the Ventura harbor. A visit to the headquarters  is a great place to learn about the five islands just offshore.         The Channel Islands National Park (Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center) features a bookstore, exhibits, native plant garden, and park movie.   If you can’t actually take a trip out to one of the islands, the Center through advanced technology, “Channel Islands Live” brings the park to you.     I have been out to the islands several times, but it has been years, however it was educational, fun and relaxing. I strongly recommend taking a trip out to any one of the Channel Islands.     From Ventura we can see the Chan... 05/24/2013

Beat the heat this summer at the Ventura Aquatic Center   Looking for a way to beat the heat this summer, then head on over to the Aquatic Center in Ventura. This incredible pool facility is located in the Ventura Community Park at the corner of Kimball and Telephone Roads.   This location is in the eastern portion of Ventura, which is a great place to have a pool because it is not affected by the marine layer of the ocean. This is just not another pool,no this is a beautiful state of the art aquatics facility. The Ventura Aquatic Center has two areas of pools, one is  a 50 meter competition pool with two 1-meter and two 3-meter diving stands.   Then, there is the area which is designed with kids in mind. There is a water playground pool (with a zero-depth entry), 2 water slides and a r... 05/21/2013

  What’s going on with Ventura Condos?   Currently, as of this post, there are 15 Ventura Condos for sale.  The available condos range in price from $139,900 to $1,300,000. A variety of types of Ventura Condos are available, from one story, two story, and several tri level models. Inventory is low, which is creating multiple offers and this often pushes prices higher than list price, especially in the lower price ranges. Generally speaking, buyers must be prepared to make their highest and best offer initially, one can see from the April statistics, that sold prices were higher than list prices on average.   If we look what happened in April, we can see that the absorption rate of Ventura Condos, 18 sold, puts it in the category of a seller’s market with less than a month of inventory. ... 05/17/2013

  Three Great Events on Mother’s Day Sunday, May 12, 2013     FREE CONCERT AT PETER STRAUSS RANCH AGOURA HILLS Map   3:00pm to 5:00pm     Admission Free – featuring The Wellkey Show with Alan Boivin and Jubilee, Jerry DeJong and the Sloan Canyon Rangers, and Kevin Rhue … with music from Dylan, Creedence Clearwater, the Eagles and much more. For further information, call 805-370-2301.     MOM’S DAY RUN 5K/10K VENTURA STATE BEACH Map   8:00am to 10:00am     This 3rd Annual Mom’s Day Run is to raise money for the Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). The run is a very worthy cause in the effort to find a cure for these two deadly cancer diseases. Join up to honor Mothers everywhere and do the walk/run along the peaceful, calming beach. Visit www.momsdayrun.blogspot... 05/11/2013

 Downtown Ventura Celebrates Mother’s Day Holy Smokes... Downtown Ventura Restaurants  are putting on a whole lot of specials for Moms for Mother’s Day.   Let’s look at a few...   Peirano's Restaurant, 204 E. Main St. has a special Menu just for Mother’s day, click to see the menu.   71 Palm, 71 N. Palm St.....Chef Didier will be preparing an array of delicious specials for Sunday brunch from 10:30 am-2:30 pm and dinner from 4:30 pm-8:30 pm   Cafe Fiore, 66 California St. enjoy the Mother's Day Brunch Buffet on Sunday from 11am-3pm.They will have several stations--Carving, Pasta, Salad, Omelette, Seafood & Dessert!   Chicago’s Ribs and More, 692 E. Main St. can host your large party for Mother's Day. Call them at  805-641-0812 to make reservations.   Crowne Plaza, 450 E. Harbor Blvd Tre... 05/09/2013

  FAMILY FESTIVAL and KIDS SWAP MEET put on by the City of Ventura     Saturday, May 11, 2013 9:00am to 5:00pm     This is actually a ‘family day’ at Barranca Vista Park (map) in its 10th year, featuring events for all ages of the family.   Starting at 9:00am to 1:00pm will be the 8th Annual Kids Swap Meet featuring shopping for slightly used books, games, toys, clothing and much more. For further information on this portion of the event, contact Kathryn at 805-654-7552 or visit the website at www.cityofventura.net.   Next segment of the day is the ‘fun for the entire family’ – 12:00noon to 4:00pm with food, family entertainment, hands-on activities and workshops … and so much more.   The final part of the day beginning at 4:00pm is the ‘Gypsies in the Trunk” performing their ‘Fairy Tal... 05/07/2013

  Single Family Home Prices in Ventura CA for April 2013 Real Estate data for Single Family Homes in Ventura provided by Kathy Stoltman, Rockwood Realty.   Low inventory of Single Family Homes in Ventura is still the driving force of price appreciation. We are seeing multiple offers on most homes, especially those priced below $650K.   Bank owned properties have really tapered off from their high levels and while we do expect to still see some bank owned properties come on the market, we do not expect to be inundated with them. Short sales and equity sales make up the rest of the market. Ventura Real Estate Report Summary The average list price in April, 2013 for Single Family Homes was $482,036, up 10% from a year ago. The median sales price in April, 2013 was $459,000, up 12% from a y... 05/05/2013

Second Annual Garden Festival   Mark your calendars so you don’t miss the 2nd annual Garden Festival put on by The Ventura Botanical Gardens.   This event will be held at Grant Park, where The Ventura Botanical Gardens has put in an amazing walking trail which officially opened in October, 2012.   This trail is the first step in the development of the Gardens. The trail begins behind City Hall and climbs gently for nearly a mile. It passes along an historic stonewall and will have additional hand-built stone wall enhancements.   The trail is six feet wide, with a decomposed, compacted granite surface. The first majestic viewpoint is wheelchair accessible.         The trail offers remarkable views of downtown Ventura and 180° vistas of the Pacific Coastline, the Marina, Oxnard and Mandal... 05/04/2013

Sunny weather makes you want to head outside, especially here in Southern California.  The kids are probably getting antsy waiting for school to end and summer break to begin.  Take them to the 10th Annual Ventura Family Festival in the Park on Saturday, May 11, 2013. Barranca Vista Park in Ventura is going to be full to the brim with tons of family-friendly fun.  From 9am to 1pm is the Kids Swap Meet, where kids bring their old toys, books, video games, etc. to sell to other kids.  From 12pm to 4pm is the official Ventura Family Festival in the Park, with local organizations introducing themselves to the community by showing off their entertainment skills.  Some of these include performances from the Ventura USD and Ojai Raptor Center as well as other musical, dance and theatrical perf... 05/02/2013

  Eating your way through Ventura   There are some exciting happenings in Ventura that have to do with food...and who doesn’t like to eat!    Let’s begin with the Downtown Ventura Tasting Tour........   During the Downtown Ventura Tasting Tour, guests will stop at six shops and restaurants for tastings and conversations with the chefs, owners, and entrepreneurs behind some of the county's best eats. The tours are informal and intimate, giving a behind the scenes look into the local food scene and insight into the history and architecture of Ventura.   Partnering businesses include Spencer Makenzie's, Paradise Pantry, Trufflehounds, Watermark on Main, Palermo Coffee, We Olive, Marie Shannon Confections, and Spice-Topia.   Private tours are available upon request for groups of 8 or more. ... 04/24/2013

A Special Performance by Ventura County Ballet Company This Thursday at the Century 10 Theater in  the Downtown Ventura Partners, Ventura Film Society & Ventura County Ballet will present a special screening of the award-winning dance documentary,First Position. Previewed with an exclusive live performance byVentura County Ballet Company’s elite dance troupe   Thursday, April 256:30pm, $5-$10 Century 10 Downtown Theater555 East Main Street Advance tickets only. Tickets must be purchased online at VenturaFilmSociety.com Members of the Ventura County Ballet Company, along with dancers from VCB’s official school, Ballet Academy Ventura, will present a live performance prepared especially for this event.     Every year thousands of aspiring dancers enter one of the world’s most prestigious... 04/23/2013

Celebrate Earth Day Did you know.............................   In the future, we may get much of our energy from spaced-based solar power. It is the largest potential energy source available, dwarfing all others combined. The advantage of going to space is that sunlight is constant and 30% more intense than on the Earth's surface.   Besides providing shade, trees create a cool microclimate that can reduce the home temperature by as much as 9° F (attic temperatures are reduced by 40° F) for a savings of up to $300 per year in air conditioning costs.   Approximately 46 million existing single-family homes are without adequate insulation. Upgrading these homes would save $5.9 billion per year in reduced energy costs.   If you want to participate in Earth Day activities, visit here to lear... 04/19/2013

Although Earth Day is officially Monday, April 22nd, Ventura will be celebrating it on Saturday, April 20th.  And they are inviting you to join in on the fun.  For it's sixth year, the Ventura Earth Day Eco-Fest brings environmental awareness to the masses in a fun, creative way.  One visit and you'll see why they've won awards for this celebration. From 10am to 6pm, Promenade Park in downtown Ventura will be host a party for 6000+ people.  As part of the festivities, there will be live music, face painting, low waste food choices, green project exhibits, arts and crafts, games and scavenger hunts.  A free bike valet is available for those who arrive via pedal-power.  For just $1 per ticket, you can enter into the Eco-Fest raffle, with more than $6000 worth of goods and services up for ... 04/18/2013

Condos for Sale in Ventura as of April 10, 2013  Below, is a graph, illustrating the current Condo or Townhomes available in Ventura. Currently, with respect to Ventura Condos for sale in the 93001, 93003 & 93004 ZIP code areas, there are only 16 active listings, and they range in price from $149,000 to $1,300,000. With only 16 Condos for sale in Ventura, and with the QTR 1, 2013 data telling us that on average 16 Condos sold in a month, this puts the Ventura Condo Market squarely in a Seller’s Market.  Want to find out what your Ventura Condo or Townhome is really worth? Contact me we can discuss your home’s value. Interested in checking out some of these Ventura Condos or Townhomes for Sale?  My website is allows up to date, and, if you see anything that interests you, please do not h... 04/14/2013

Ventura Condos, how did they perform in Q1 of 2013? The Ventura Condo Market was really HOT in Q  of 2013. Inventory was almost 48% from last years Q1 figures. This lack of inventory is pushing prices higher fueled by multiple offers coming in on many of these Ventura Condos. The average sales price is up 11%, from Q1, 2012. We expect to see prices increase for 2013, unless inventory increases giving buyers more choices. Historically low interest rates are also fueling buyers to get in the market. Want to find out what your Ventura Condo or Townhome is really worth? Contact me we can discuss your home’s value. Interested in checking out some of these Ventura Condos or Townhomes for Sale? My website is allows up to date, and, if you see anything that interests you, please do not hesitate... 04/11/2013

  How did Qtr 1 2013 for Ventura Single Family Homes compare to Qtr 1 2012? We can see by the data, that inventory of Ventura Single Family Homes has decreased in Qtr 1, 2013 from Qtr 1, 2012. This lack of supply and pent up demand, fueled in part, by the really low attractive interest rates has pushed sold prices higher.   The data shows us that Single Family Homes in Ventura on average sold for 10% higher in Qtr 1, 2013 vs Qtr 1, 2012.   Also, be sure to note that the Average List to Sales price has also increased by 10.8%. What this means to those thinking of buying a Ventura Single Family Home is that, generally speaking, there is not much room in negotiating the price down.  This will really depend on the desired price range one is looking in.   In the lower price range, the low ba... 04/09/2013

Residents of Ventura County know how lucky they are to be living in such an incredibly beautiful place as we do.  Our beaches are part of what makes Southern California the destination of choice for vacationers around the world.  We want to keep this natural beauty going for generations to come.  Volunteer Ventura! is asking for your help in joining them on Earth Day this year to clean up our beaches. Join fellow Ventura citizens at Surfer's Knoll on Spinaker Dr Saturday, April 20, 2013 from 9am to 11am.  All ages are welcome to participate.  However, any youngster under 12 years old must have their parent or legal guardian with them.  Social groups, church groups, community volunteers and individuals are welcome to join in.  While cleaning supplies will be provided by Volunteer Ventura... 04/04/2013