Ojai is the place to be this Saturday because it is Ojai Day! Sat, October 20, 10am – 5pmWhere Downtown OjaiOjai Day is an annual downtown street fair from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 20th. Ojai Day is hosted by the Recreation Department but it’s not your ordinary street fair – it’s a cultural explosion bursting with art, food, spiritual incantations, multi-ethnic celebrations and good old fashion fun and games. Ojai Day offers a little something for everyone and tops it off with Ojai’s unique character: Beautiful local original art and jewelry as well as interactive art events such as Belly dancing, hoop dancing, historic Chumash and Mexican folk dancing.Finger licking good food and treats from homemade tamales to sumptuous strawberry dessertsSome other activities that one c... 10/19/2012

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Chances are you or someone you know has had to deal with this disease at one time or another.  The good news is that advances in treatment through years of research means a diagnosis is not always a death sentence.  Early detection is key for both women and men.  To support and promote breast cancer awareness, the Ventura Fire Department is in the pink and wants you to be, too. Since October 6th, members of the Ventura Fire Department have switched from their regular gear to pink uniform shirts to show their support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  After tomorrow (October 19th), they switch back to their regular uniforms.  But you can show your support for breast cancer awareness by buying a special pink T-shirt at one of the many participati... 10/18/2012

The correct answer to the question has Ventura Real Estate hit the bottom of the Roller Coaster will depend on the price range one is speaking about.  I do not believe one can give a one size fits all answer that fits all the price ranges.So, for the sake of this article, lets talk about the lower price range of homes $350,000 and below.  This price range has hit bottom and will see some price appreciation in the future fueled by inventory.  It is a supply and demand situation.The inventory of Ventura homes in the $350,000 and below are at all time lows.  There are 11 Ventura single family homes priced under $350,000 currently available at the time of this writing and 19 Ventura condos or townhomes priced at or below $350,000.  Why is inventory levels so low, well the bank owned propert... 10/08/2012

Below is the illustration of the Ventura Real Estate Market Absorption Trend for the month of September, 2012. This illustration shows that the average list to sales price was consistently in the high 90% range from 2010 to present.The average sales price did depreciate by approximately .06% in the last 3 months.  The average days on the market has been fairly low throughout the year. The most startling fact presented by the data is the amount of Ventura Single Family Homes for sale, excluding the beach area homes. Currently, there are only 82 Single Family Homes for sale in  Ventura , and that translates to approximately 1.2 months of inventory which by definition of the Market Absorption Analysis model would put  Ventura  Single Family Homes in a sellers market.This lower inventory of... 10/07/2012

Cats in the Canyon and Hounds in the Hollow, the Humane Society of Ventura County sixth annual fundraiser will be held on Sunday, October 7th from 2pm to 6pm at the beautiful Arroyo Verde Park in Ventura.  The park is located at the intersection of Foothill and Day Road. This year the Humane Society of Ventura County will be celebrating their 80th year of service providing homes for homeless pets as well as many other services for families throughout Ventura County.The tickets will include live music, entertaining animal exhibitions, shopping at their silent auction and a delicious Italian dinner served by Ottavios Ristorante Italiano. The dinner will be served throughout the event, so you can enjoy dinner anytime you like.Call 805-646-6505 to reserve your tickets!If you cannot attend,... 10/06/2012

The City of Ventura believes that a happy resident is a well-rounded resident.  Outdoor activities keep our bodies healthy.  But how do we keep our minds healthy as well?  The Ventura Public Arts Program that began over two decades ago was initially set up to incorporate art into public spaces.  That includes sculptures, murals, frescoes and more.  This Saturday, October 6th, the City of Ventura celebrates the latest offerings to the Public Works Project. There are 14 new works of art that will be added to Ventura's bus stops and bike racks, bringing the grand total of transit art to 19 bus shelters (murals) and 7 bike racks (sculptures) throughout the city.  Not only is this a way to enhance what residents and visitors see everyday, but it is meant to encourage everyone to utilize publ... 10/04/2012

Shop local and think global!  A great way to reduce your carbon footprint, get the freshest in meats, produce and other goods as well as giving a boost to the local economy is by shopping at one of the Ventura County Farmer's Markets.  We have three great markets right here in Ventura County to choose from every weekend. Fishermen's Market - Located at 1449 Spinnaker Dr in the Ventura Harbor, local fishermen offer the catch-of-the-day fresh off the boat every Saturday from 8am to 11am.  They will even fillet the fish for you so you can serve it up for dinner that evening.  Situated right next to Andrea's Seafood Restaurant, the fish market will also give you great cooking tips and recipes. Downtown Farmers' Market - Located on the corner of Santa Clara and Palm Streets, the Downtown Ven... 09/27/2012

Rancho Ventura is a very desirable gated community for those in the 55+ age range.  Rancho Ventura is centrally located within the city of Ventura.  It is close to grocery stores, various restaurants, (one of my favorite restaurants is Hill Street Cafe, very popular with the 55+ community), the new sports park, the government center, shopping centers, banks and hospitals and doctors, dentists, etc.Freeway access to either the 101 or the 126 is very near as well.The residents at Rancho Ventura manage the association, the HOA fees are low and include water, trash, sewer, pool and spa, basic cable, landscape maintenance, RV parking is available and guest parking.Residents at Rancho Ventura do have activities that all the residents are welcome to attend, so one can be as active as one wants... 09/27/2012

This week September 24-30th, enjoy the laughter by the sea at the 2nd Annual Ventura Comedy Club Festival and who couldn’t use a reason to laugh in these tough economical times.         Over 27 comedy shows and 100 comedians (that’s a lot of comedians!) will perform at various venues in the Ventura Harbor Village. Some of the venues are The Ventura Harbor Comedy Club, Andres Wine & Tapas, Blackbeard’s Seaside BBQ, The Greek at the Harbor and The Village Main Lawn area.  This will take place for 7 hilarious days, September 24-30th. The Ventura Comedy Festival held in the beautiful Ventura Harbor Village is produced by Randy Lubas. There will be a “Ventura’s Funniest Person” contest with celebrity judges, prizes, live broadcasts and worldwide comedians. Will you be the winner of the Vent... 09/22/2012

The Ventura Water Department has partnered with Limoneira's Limco Del Mar, Patagonia and iThentic to create a contest for films that focus on the importance of water in our everyday lives.  This is a topic especially close to those of us who live in Southern California.  Water Take 1 put out a call for aspiring filmmakers to create a short online video (five minutes or less) discussing water's influence, including the effects of water shortage and an aging infrastructure.  It has narrowed down the 35 films that were submitted into 10 top finalists.  Now, it's your turn to vote for the Ventura short film winner. The ultimate grand prize winner of the Water Take 1 will receive $1500 for their efforts at a dinner to be held on November 6th at the Ventura campus of the Brooks Institute.  Th... 09/20/2012

There are so many historical sites in Ventura. The ones listed below are just a few in Ventura. China AlleyIn the early 1880’s, a flourishing Chinese settlement made up of merchants, laborers, and families settled in an area along Figueroa Street between Main and Santa Clara Streets. The largest concentration of activity was in an area known as China Alley, which ran perpendicular to Figueroa Street. The Chinese immigrants built housing, grew and sold food, and provided a place of worship for the immigrants. Artisans, vegetable gardeners and fishermen plied their trade. Merchants exported marine products and imported Chinese goods. Other contributions of the Chinese immigrants to the community included a water flume above the San Buenaventura Aqueduct along Ventura Avenue and the Chines... 09/13/2012

It's almost here.  The time we celebrate working by NOT working...Labor Day!  This weekend, September 1st & 2nd, spend Labor Day at Ventura Harbor Village in Ventura, CA.  That's two days of family-friendly fun at the beach. Besides whale watching, which is available at Ventura Harbor through mid-September, there will be plenty of sales going on throughout the weekend with special Labor Day discounts, live music from the Justin Claveria Jazz Trio on Saturday from 1pm to 4pm and indie Rock from Fearmia on Sunday from 1pm to 4pm at the Village Carousel Stage.  Enjoy fine dining at any of the local Ventura restaurants.  The Andres Wine & Tapas Bar, in particular, will be offering live music on their patio overlooking the harbor all day and evening Saturday and Sunday.  Labor Day also marks... 08/30/2012

The Ventura Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the Arts in the Park this weekend at Ventura Harbor Village.   The weather forecast for this weekend event looks fabulous.  Oh how we love Ventura weather! What a lovely place to come and see artists display amazing glass work, jewelry, sculpture, hand created crafts and much more outdoors at Ventura Harbor Village Main Lawn during a fun-filled summer weekend. Can you believe that summer is almost over?  This summer just flew by me!Street chalk artists will create "Chalk for Charity" pieces along the village promenade to support Kids Art, plus live music, and junior art competitions throughout the weekend. Admission and parking are free, so why not make plans to visit the Arts in the Park this Weekend at Ventura Harbor Village. In addition t... 08/16/2012

It's hard to believe, but summer is almost over.  To celebrate, Spencer Makenzie's Fish Co will be hosting their annual End of Summer Block Party in Ventura August 25th and 26th.  That's two whole days of live music, games, beer, wine, food and so much more. Southern Californians know how to throw a party!  From 12pm to 10pm on Saturday and 12pm to 7pm on Sunday, Ventura visitors and residents will be able to enjoy great food from Spencer Makenzie's Fish Co restaurant, as well as beer and wine (for those people 21 and older with a valid ID).  There will be a corn hole tournament, sandcastle building contest, kids' activities and plenty of vendors on hand.  Live music sets the backdrop throughout the entire two day event, including the classic Southern California sounds of the legendary ... 08/16/2012

Does one really need a home with a pool in Ventura? Isn’t Ventura located on the Pacific Coast and isn’t there cool ocean breezes which keep the temperatures mild? Well, yes, we certainly do benefit from those cool ocean breezes, especially, if one lives close to the ocean. But the temperatures do pick up just a few miles from the ocean and then what could be better on a hot day, than to walk out your back door to your own glorious Ventura pool. There is a wonderful selection of Ventura pool homes currently on the market.The current inventory of available Ventura pool homes range in price from $380,000 to $1,995,000 and the square feet of the homes range from 1200 sq ft to 4,000 sq ft. The inventory of Ventura pool homes does change frequently and I can let you know of any new pool home... 08/14/2012

Below, is the illustration of the Ventura Real Estate Market Absorption Trend for the month of July, 2012.  This illustration shows that the average list to sales price was consistently in the 98% range from 2010 to present.The average sales price did appreciate by approximately 1.59% in the last 3 months from the prior six months.  And the average list price appreciated 1.45% in the same period.The most startling fact presented by the data is the amount of Ventura Single Family Homes for sale, excluding the beach area homes.  Currently, there are only 99 Single Family Homes for sale in  Ventura , and that translates to approximately 1.8 months of inventory which by definition of the Market Absorption Analysis model would put  Ventura Single Family Homes in a sellers market. This lower ... 08/10/2012

Feeling the heat this summer, then head on over to the beautiful Ventura Aquatic Center. The City of Ventura Aquatic Center at the Ventura Community Park is located at the corner of Kimball and Telephone Roads. The Ventura Aquatic Center officially opened in late fall of 2005 and has been a huge hit.        This complex features a 50-meter competition pool, 25-meter recreation pool, a zero-depth entry water playground and two 20-foot waterslides. So many swim options are available at the Ventura Aquatic Center below are a few: Lap Swim Open Swim Splash Events Water Exercise Open Dive Water Polo Swim lessons Here is the current swim scheduleYou can even throw your own pool party at the Ventura Aquatic Center.If you have not been to the Ventura Aquatic Center, you should visit it soon. 08/07/2012

Are you looking for a larger Single Family Home with 4 or more bedrooms? Ventura has 4 bedrooms Single Family Homes ranging in price from $307,000 to $5,000,000.  These homes range in size from 1284 sq ft to 4849 sq ft. In the last 6 months, 165 Single Family Homes with 4 or more bedrooms have sold in Ventura. The sold price range of these homes is $207,250 to $2,075,000, with the median price coming in at $419,000. Median price is the point where half of the properties sold for more and half sold for less.  The average days on market for these 165 Ventura Single Family Homes was 107. Interesting to note, of the 165 sold Single Family Homes in Ventura, 78 were distressed properties, meaning they were either short sales or bank owned properties. There are 4 bedroom Single Family Ventura ... 08/04/2012

Price just reduced for this unique Property Overview Maps Photos Market Stats $339,900 Single Family Home Main Features 1 Bedroom1 Bathroom2 UnitsLot: 7,500 sqft Location 3973 N Ventura AveVentura, CA 93001USA To get updates on open home dates and other property events, please click the "Like" button below: Kathy Stoltman Joe Kapp Real Estate(805) 746-1793kathyst@kathyst.comhttp://www.kathyst.com Listed by: Joe Kapp Our recent listings Price just reduced for this unique PropertyBig Price Reduction Peaceful Serene Setting with WorkshopsJust Reduced Ondulando StunnerSpectacular LocationNorth Oxnard Beauty Subscribe to our listing feed Nearby properties for sale 08/03/2012

It's here!  The country fair with ocean air is back.  The Ventura County Fair is going on now through August 12th at the Ventura County Fairgrounds (10 W Harbor Blvd).  There are arts, crafts, farm animals, a petting zoo, carnival rides, games and, of course, fair food! The Ventura County Fair Parade takes place on Saturday, August 4th at 10am in downtown Ventura.  Free musical acts will be performing almost every evening of the fair.  Watch cowboys compete at the PRCA Rodeo on August 11th and 12th.  Fireworks end every evening of the fair as well.  All concerts and rodeo events are free with the purchase of your fair admission ticket.  VENTURA COUNTY FAIR CONCERT SCHEDULE Friday, August 3, 7:30pm - Bret Michaels Saturday, August 4, 7:30pm - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Sunday, August ... 08/02/2012