Relief From Costly Repair Bills for Calabasas Homeowners

By: Jeff Biebuyck

At the City Council meeting this past Wednesday, February 9, Calabasas Council members announced the repeal of the current septic-tank inspection process in the city. The current ordinance will be replaced with the inspection protocol used at the state level. Owners of homes in Calabasas have been inspected for faulty septic-systems and charged thousands of dollars in repairs to fix leaks. The state law though, only requires owners of failed septic-systems to make repairs if they are 600 feet from bodies of water impaired of nutrients or 100 feet from bodies of water that contain pathogens.

Because of this, if a leaky system is only found to be polluting someone’s backyard then there will be no order for repairs. This change will prevent many Calabasas homeowners from paying high fees to repair their systems. In the City Council meeting, Mayor James Bozajian apologized for any difficulties since the beginning of the ordinace in 2009. Now that the ordinance has been repealed, there will be no inspections until the law has been officially changed. As of now there are 31 homeowners who have citations but City Manager Tony Coroalles stated “We do not expect many properties to fit into this category”. Calabasas residents can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Jeff Biebuyck

Jeffery Biebuyck, Branch Manager of the Sherman Oaks Ewing & Associates Sotheby's International Realty Office, oversees all office operations, expansions, and new agent recruitment. Jeff thrives on using his talented and creative mind to help agents focus on their business and achieve success.

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Victory for Calabasas Coyotes

By: Jeff Biebuyck

The Calabasas Coyotes’ men’s basketball won the Marmonte Championship last night, February 9, in overtime (65-61) against Westlake. Key players included Jeremy Lieberman who scored 26 points and Josh Cohan who scored 15 points and had 10 rebounds. The team has been the clear frontrunner in the league this season but these victories have meaning both on and off the court. On August 25, 2011 a car crashed into assistant varsity coach, Joseph Frazier in a hit-and-run accident. Since then, he has been in a coma in the Northridge hospital.

The team decided to dedicate their season in honor of his fight stay alive. This season also marked head coach, Jon Palarz’s 300th career win in double overtime against Simi Valley Royal. Having a strong season and ending the season on such a high note could not be a more perfect way for the team to show their appreciation for Frazier.

Jeff Biebuyck

Jeffery Biebuyck, Branch Manager of the Sherman Oaks Ewing & Associates Sotheby's International Realty Office, oversees all office operations, expansions, and new agent recruitment. Jeff thrives on using his talented and creative mind to help agents focus on their business and achieve success.

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Buying Real Estate Now

By: Cindy Libonati

Shared by the KCM blog

John R. Talbott, previously a Goldman Sachs investment banker, is a bestselling author and economic consultant. When it comes to the housing market he is also a prophet. When housing prices started to skyrocket in 2003, he published The Coming Crash in the Housing Market correctly warning us that a real estate bubble was forming. Then in January 2006, he called the absolute peak of home prices in the US by releasing a new book, Sell Now! The End of the Housing Bubble.

Mr. Talbott, the person who accurately predicted the housing bubble and its bust, now has a new prediction – IT IS THE TIME TO BUY A HOME! In a recent article, Homes – Buy Now!, Talbott simply explains:

“I have been waiting for more than five years to offer this advice. It is now time in most cities across the country to buy a new home or refinance your existing home with thirty-year fixed rate mortgage debt.”
He goes on to explain that his conclusion is based on four different metrics, all of which favor buying today:

• Home Prices Relative to Peak Prices During the Bubble
• Home Prices Relative to Construction Costs or Replacement Costs
• Home Prices Relative to Incomes and Rents
• Home Prices in Real Terms, Not US Dollar Terms

Bottom Line
If the person who called the real estate bubble and its bust says now is the time to buy, we believe it is time to buy.

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Important Event for all Calabasas Residents

By: Dana Olmes

Mayor James Bozajian will present the 14th annual State of the City Speech on February 9, 2012 at 7pm at the Founder’s Hall in the Calabasas Library. The speech will review the city’s accomplishments of the past year as well as goals for the future. Mayor Bozajian plans on placing an emphasis on city finances, public safety, environmental responsibilities, and community services. All resident’s are encouraged to come and reflect upon the achievements of Calabasas during 2011. After the speech, there will be a reception hosted by the Calabasas Chamber of Commerce where residents can meet with Chamber Business Members and City officials. For anyone unable to attend the State of the Speech Address it will be taped and replayed February 12, 2012 on CTV as well as on-demand at cityofcalabasas.com.

Dana Olmes

Dana Olmes, estate agent at Ewing & Associates Sotheby's International Realty, specializes in representing residential real estate properties throughout the West San Fernando Valley and Conejo Valley areas. She has significant expertise working with various gated and equestrian communities in the area such as Hidden Hills, Calabasas, Bell Canyon, Agoura and Westlake Village.

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A relationship workshop for couples and singles

By: Serena Scott Thomas

Sometimes, just a little communication can go a long way. Facilitator Joi Andreoli is conducting a 2 hour relationship workshop that will discuss some of the hot topics in relationships like:

• The fundamentals of masculine and feminine energy
• How to be the male energy or how to be the female energy…
• Tools for communicating that invite respect or cherishing

Share your dating and relationship experiences in a fun and supportive environment this Saturday, December 17th from 1:30pm-3:30pm. The cost is $25.

Location: 22020 Clarendon St., Ste. 200, Woodland Hills 818-314-8598

RSVP by: Thurs. Dec. 15^th to Joi Andreoli

Facilitator: Joi Andreoli, MA, MFTI, WANT® Educator and Transactional Analysis Practitioner

Serena Scott Thomas

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.