Should Starr Ranch Feed Baby Owls?

By: Lori Einhorn

Since the first egg was laid on December 6, 2011, Internet users were able to watch a minute-by-minute live feed of the lives of baby barn owls. These five owls are currently living in a 100 foot eucalyptus tree located on Starr Ranch in Bell Canyon. Recently, viewers of the owls noted that their father stopped coming to the nest. This alarmed not only the viewers, but manager of Starr Ranch, Pete DeSimone.
Without the help of an outside source, the mother of the babies would be unable to feed her children so DeDimone has been forced to step in. He describes the situation as impossible however, due to the harm that intervention can cause. Currently, one of the primary options to help this family of owls is to find a new nest. This is only plausible if a nest has a minimal amount of babies near the same age as these baby owls. Viewers of the owl video footage have also asked DeSimone to personally take care of the owls but he states that this is not a possible option. By doing this, the owls will be imprinted by a human. This will ultimately lead to a loss in identity and they will no longer realize that they are owls, instead they will relate to humans. We are not giving hope on these owls and hope that the father shows up soon.

Lori Einhorn

Organized, focused, excellent communicator, motivated, persistent: are only a few of the positive words used by clients and other real estate professionals to describe Lori's business style.

Americans to Reap the Benefit of $26 Billion

By: Lori Einhorn

Great news for Americans across the nation. Five of the largest US banks have negotiated a $26 billion dollar payment that as many as 2 million Americans may receive. This is the largest settlement of its kind in history against the housing industry. In 2010, all 50 state attorneys began working on this case during revelations of banks evicting people with false documentation.  Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Ally Financial have all been targeted as being primarily responsible.  

Now nearly 1 in 5 Americans owe more than the worth of their house because their mortgage is underwater. Although this settlement may come as a relief to many homeowners, it will not rule out any criminal prosecution for the banks. Along with this, California’s attorney general, Kamala Harris wants to utilize the False Claim’s Act to receive more money from the banks for improperly packaged mortgages. This is another good sign for victims of the housing crisis.

Lori Einhorn

Organized, focused, excellent communicator, motivated, persistent: are only a few of the positive words used by clients and other real estate professionals to describe Lori's business style.

Search Homes at Your Finger Tips

By: Lori Einhorn

In January of this year, Ewing and Associates began utilizing a mobile platform to aid customers in their search for a home. This new application, “ewingsir” is compatible with smart-phones such as the iPhone, Blackberry, Android or Windows Phone. The application’s innovative software allows consumers to easily search for homes near them but also internationally. The sleek design makes navigation easy so even the least tech-savvy consumer won’t feel daunted by all of the app’s features.

Consumers aren’t the only ones benefiting from this. Real estate agents are also able to connect with their clients by giving them a custom code for the agent’s specific application. With this, agents will receive all of the leads from a client’s search regardless of who has the listing. This technology will relieve the burden of planning around busy schedules and instead clients will be able to search for a home at their leisure. Agents and clients alike can take comfort in the newfound ease that this app will bring to the home buying process.

Lori Einhorn

Organized, focused, excellent communicator, motivated, persistent: are only a few of the positive words used by clients and other real estate professionals to describe Lori's business style.

Search Homes at Your Finger Tips

By: Lori Einhorn

In January of this year, Ewing and Associates began utilizing a mobile platform to aid customers in their search for a home. This new application, “ewingsir” is compatible with smart-phones such as the iPhone, Blackberry, Android or Windows Phone. The application’s innovative software allows consumers to easily search for homes near them but also internationally. The sleek design makes navigation easy so even the least tech-savvy consumer won’t feel daunted by all of the app’s features.

Consumers aren’t the only ones benefiting from this. Real estate agents are also able to connect with their clients by giving them a custom code for the agent’s specific application. With this, agents will receive all of the leads from a client’s search regardless of who has the listing. This technology will relieve the burden of planning around busy schedules and instead clients will be able to search for a home at their leisure. Agents and clients alike can take comfort in the newfound ease that this app will bring to the home buying process.

Lori Einhorn

Organized, focused, excellent communicator, motivated, persistent: are only a few of the positive words used by clients and other real estate professionals to describe Lori's business style.

Should Starr Ranch Feed Baby Owls?

By: Lori Einhorn

Since the first egg was laid on December 6, 2011, Internet users were able to watch a minute-by-minute live feed of the lives of baby barn owls. These five owls are currently living in a 100 foot eucalyptus tree located on Starr Ranch in Bell Canyon. Recently, viewers of the owls noted that their father stopped coming to the nest. This alarmed not only the viewers, but manager of Starr Ranch, Pete DeSimone.
Without the help of an outside source, the mother of the babies would be unable to feed her children so DeDimone has been forced to step in. He describes the situation as impossible however, due to the harm that intervention can cause. Currently, one of the primary options to help this family of owls is to find a new nest. This is only plausible if a nest has a minimal amount of babies near the same age as these baby owls. Viewers of the owl video footage have also asked DeSimone to personally take care of the owls but he states that this is not a possible option. By doing this, the owls will be imprinted by a human. This will ultimately lead to a loss in identity and they will no longer realize that they are owls, instead they will relate to humans. We are not giving hope on these owls and hope that the father shows up soon.

Lori Einhorn

Organized, focused, excellent communicator, motivated, persistent: are only a few of the positive words used by clients and other real estate professionals to describe Lori's business style.

Americans to Reap the Benefit of $26 Billion

By: Lori Einhorn

Great news for Americans across the nation. Five of the largest US banks have negotiated a $26 billion dollar payment that as many as 2 million Americans may receive. This is the largest settlement of its kind in history against the housing industry. In 2010, all 50 state attorneys began working on this case during revelations of banks evicting people with false documentation.  Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Ally Financial have all been targeted as being primarily responsible.  

Now nearly 1 in 5 Americans owe more than the worth of their house because their mortgage is underwater. Although this settlement may come as a relief to many homeowners, it will not rule out any criminal prosecution for the banks. Along with this, California’s attorney general, Kamala Harris wants to utilize the False Claim’s Act to receive more money from the banks for improperly packaged mortgages. This is another good sign for victims of the housing crisis.

Lori Einhorn

Organized, focused, excellent communicator, motivated, persistent: are only a few of the positive words used by clients and other real estate professionals to describe Lori's business style.

2012 housing market predictions by Bloomberg

By: Lori Einhorn

When BusinessWeek set out to determine what housing prices would be in the year 2012, we knew that there was no way to know for sure. But in working with the Brookfield, Wis.-based research firm Fiserv, we weighed historical data against current trends to get a bead on which way the markets might jump at one-year increments. By combining data, we were able to get a pretty good idea of what home prices would be in three years’ time.

Across the board, real-estate prices will continue to drop before rising slightly by the fourth quarter of 2011. Why is that important? Given the wretched state of the real-estate market today, both homeowners and potential buyers might be better able to make an informed decision about when, and whether, they should move. Obviously, we can’t guarantee that our data will hold up — although we think it will — but what becomes clear is that even the worst-hit markets will begin to see improvement by 2012.

Lori Einhorn

Organized, focused, excellent communicator, motivated, persistent: are only a few of the positive words used by clients and other real estate professionals to describe Lori's business style.

By: Lori Einhorn

Snow Day in Bell Canyon

On Sunday, February 12th, 2012, there will be snow in Bell Canyon. Make sure to save the date for a fun day filled with snow, hot chocolate and games. This event is geared toward the kids of Bell Canyon and promises to be a fun filled day for our lovely families.

Stay tuned for more details.

Lori Einhorn

Organized, focused, excellent communicator, motivated, persistent: are only a few of the positive words used by clients and other real estate professionals to describe Lori's business style.

A prediction for the 2012 housing market

By: Lori Einhorn

California real estate sales and median price are predicted to improve only slightly in 2012, as the continuation of the tepid economic recovery, uncertainty about the future, and funding challenges for residential mortgages are expected to keep the market moving sideways, with little foreseeable momentum in either direction, according to the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ (C.A.R.) “2012 California Housing Market Forecast” released today.

The forecast for California real estate sales next year is for a slight 1 percent increase to 496,200 units, following essentially flat sales of 491,100 homes this year compared to the 491,500 homes sold in 2010.

“Despite the run of unforeseen global events in the first half of this year that slowed the overall economy, 2011 home sales are projected to essentially remain unchanged from last year,” said C.A.R. President Beth L. Peerce.  “Looking ahead, the fundamentals of the housing market – such as low mortgage rates, high housing affordability, and favorable home prices – are expected to continue, but at this point, a strong housing recovery will depend on consumer confidence, job creation, and the availability and cost of home loans.
“Discretionary sellers will play a larger role in next year’s housing market,” said Peerce.  “Those who held off selling in 2011 may list their homes in 2012, thereby improving the mix of homes for sale compared with the last few years.  Additionally, distressed sales will remain an important segment of the overall market as lenders continue to work through the foreclosure process.”

The California median home price will increase 1.7 percent in 2012 to $296,000 in 2012, according to the forecast.  Following a double-digit increase in the median price in 2010, the median home price will decrease a projected 4 percent in 2011 to $291,000.

“2012 will be another transition year for the California housing market, as the continued uncertainty about the U.S. financial system, job growth, and the stability of the overall economy remain in the forefront for all market participants,” said C.A.R. Vice President and Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young.  “An improvement in job growth, consumer spending, and corresponding gains in housing are essential to a broader recovery in the economy, but would-be buyers will remain cautious as they weigh these myriad uncertainties against the clear opportunities presented by today’s very affordable housing market.

“The most likely scenario is for the modest recovery to continue, and this should push sales up slightly next year by 1 percent and maintain levels that are significantly higher than those recorded during the depths of the housing downturn.

“The wild cards for 2012 are many, including federal, fiscal, monetary, and housing policies; the contentious political climate during an election year; and the strength of the U.S. economic recovery,” said Appleton-Young.

Compliments of the Hartanov Team

Lori Einhorn

Organized, focused, excellent communicator, motivated, persistent: are only a few of the positive words used by clients and other real estate professionals to describe Lori's business style.

Thanksgiving Recipes

By: Lori Einhorn

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (200g) flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (240 ml) pumpkin purée*
1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup (120 ml) chopped walnuts
* To make pumpkin purée, cut a pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff, lie face down on a foil or Silpat lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F until soft, about 45 min to an hour. Cool, scoop out the flesh. Freeze whatever you don’t use for future use. Or, if you are working with pumpkin pieces, roast or boil them until tender, then remove and discard the skin.

Method
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda.
2. Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, 1/4 cup of water, and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly. Stir in the nuts.
3. Pour into a well-buttered 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a thin skewer poked in the very center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn out of the pan and let cool on a rack.
Can easily double the recipe.

Lori Einhorn

Organized, focused, excellent communicator, motivated, persistent: are only a few of the positive words used by clients and other real estate professionals to describe Lori's business style.