I was reading the official water quality report for the city of Huntington Beach, California and found some eye-opening statistics.  They showed that outdoor watering of lawns and gardens in Orange County uses  approximately 60% of home water use.  HOLY COW! 

I’m really trying to help my clients live a “greener” life .  THIS information is SO important!  So how can we ALL help??? 

Here’s a few suggestions.

1. You can cut back your outdoor watering by one or two days a week.  this could dramatically reduce your overall water use. 
2. Shorten the amount of time you water.
3. Water in the morning or evening hours where the water will not evaporate as quickly.
4. Install a “smart” irrigation controller.
5. Look at low water landscaping!  I’ve talked about it in a few blogs (look in my archives under GREEN IDEAS).  Even if you just start small…..change the landscaping and flowers in your pots or planter boxes. 

Of course, if you are a buyer or seller in the Orange County and Coastal communities of Southern California, I’d be thrilled to talk with you.  Call me at 800-845-8588, email me at reynolds@socal.rr.com or view my website at www.lindareynolds.com

Do you live anywhere near Long Beach, California?  Are you in the mood for a little Mardi Gras fun?  June 26th and 27th, 2010 Long Beach hosts their annual Louisiana themed festival.  You can dance to the lively music of Cajun and zydeco bands, groove to the blues and see daily Mardi Gras parades. 

For me….I’m very interested in the authentic creole cuisine and even a dance workshop!  Sounds fun..doesn’t it?  They even have a French Quarter, arts and crafts vendors and kids activities. 

Check out their website at www.longbeachfestival.com for more information and to purchase advance tickets ($5 less I believe).  Of course if you are a buyer or seller in the Long Beach or surrounding communities of Southern California, I’d love the opportunity to chat with you.  Contact me at 800-845-8588, email me at reynolds@socal.rr.com or view my website at www.lindareynolds.com. 

Thanks for reading!!!

Linda

Looking for a gorgeous move in condition home in Huntington Beach, California?  I’ve got a great new listing that I just have to brag about.  Don’t miss my open house this weekend!  Sunday June 27th from 1-4 pm!

Here’s a highly upgraded 4 bedroom, 1.75 bath single family home in the coveted Seabury neighborhood. Approx. 1730 sq. ft. of living space.  Great curb appeal with lovely landscaping & vinyl siding & trim. It also features a newer roof, a brand new driveway & walkway plus an upgraded entry door with side glass panels.

Inside, large porcelain tile floors are laid at an appealing angle. Living rm, dining rm & bedrooms have newer very plush neutral carpeting. Crown molding & new 4 1/2 inch baseboards thru/out. Newer vinyl windows & slider. New furnace & Hepa system. Kitchen is remodeled with custom tile, a Viking stove & range hood, Kitchen-aid oven & microwave & a convenient breakfast bar area. Adjacent family room with vaulted ceilings. Living room features an amazing custom stone fireplace & an adjoining formal dining room. Raised panel doors & scraped ceilings throughout home.

The two bathrooms have been tastefully upgraded and remodeled. Both have newer very sleek European fixtures.  The master bath has a large walk-in shower and a dazzling beveled glass bathroom door. The hall bath boasts a newer large soaking tub and custom paint.

The spacious backyard is nicely landscaped with lots of green grass, a large bubbling fountain and many colorful planters.  The large covered patio creates a perfect entertaining area and is located right off the kitchen & family room. The backyard also has a sprinkler system on a timer and is enclosed with all block wall fencing.

This is a gorgeous property to call home!  It’s located at 21171 Shepherd Ln, Huntington Beach.  Please call me if you would like a private showing of this lovely home!  800-845-8588, reynolds@socal.rr.com or website at www.lindareynolds.com. 

See the virtual tour on this home at http://tours.tourfactory.com/tours/tour.asp?t=625663&idx=1.   Thanks for reading!

Looking for the 2010 summer schedule for the Concerts in the Park???  These are ALWAYS wonderful events to take your loved ones to.  Bring a picnic and enjoy eleven FREE concerts in Huntington Beach, California’s Central Park.  They are on Sundays at 5 p.m. running from June 27th through September 5th. 

• June 27th – Huntington Beach Concert Band
• July 4th – Swing Cats
• July 11th – Orange County Concert Band
• July 18th – Los Angeles Police Swing Band
• July 25th – Laguna Beach Community Concert Band
• August 1st – Huntington Beach Concert Band
• August 8th – Bones West
• August 15th – Night Blooming Jazzmen
• August 22nd – Henebry’s 1920′s Crazy Rhythm Hot Society Orchestra
• August 29th – Orquesta Charangoa
• September 5th – Mike Henebry Orchestra

If you are a buyer or seller in the Huntington Beach area….I’d love to go to work for you.  Contact me at 800-845-8588, email me at reynolds@socal.rr.com or view my website at www.lindareynolds.com.

I recently learned about a very interesting camp in Irvine, California.  It’s located at Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center.  This is a VERY outdoor oriented camp (ages 8 to 14) with activities ranging from harvesting fruit to make marmalade, operating a high-powered telescope, practicing archery, digging for geodes in a fabricated mine shaft, and even kayaking through upper Newport Bay.  Sounds very unique!  Doesn’t it.  It’s located on 210 acres….just on the outskirts of Irvine Regional Park. 

I love that a local program is out there to expose our more “suburban” children to appreciate more of the natural environment.  For more information, their website is www.outdooreducationcenter.org  and their phone number is 714-923-3191. 

Of course if you are a buyer or seller of real estate in the Irvine, California or surrounding communities, I’d welcome the opportunity to work with you!  Contact me at 800-845-8588, email me at reynolds@socal.rr.com or view my website at www.lindareynolds.com.

Linda

By Linda Reynolds, Altera Real Estate

No more plastic bags????   California could be on its way to becoming the first state to ban plastic shopping bags. In a 41-27 vote, (June 2nd, 2010) the Assembly passed a bill that would prohibit grocery stores from offering plastic bags starting January 2012. Instead, consumers would either have to carry their groceries in reusable bags or pay 5 cents or more for a paper bag made of partially recycled content. Convenience stores and drugstores, as well as mom-and-pop shops, would have to ditch the plastic bags as of July 2013.

Here are some interesting numbers about plastic bags!

• 19 billion:  Plastic bags used each year by Californians
• 552:  Plastic bags each Californian uses every year, approximately
• 147,000: Tons of waste created by plastic bags
• 5 percent to 6 percent:  Portion of plastic materials recycled in the state each year
• 500 to 1,000: Years it takes for a plastic bag to degrade, some scientists say; the exact figure hasn’t been determined.

For more information, view the complete article I accessed for this information at http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jun/03/state-ban-on-plastic-bags-clears-assembly/.

Linda

I’ve been in the real estate business for over 25 years and the business is ALWAYS changing and throwing surprises at you!  I always prepare my sellers…warning them that surprises or small curve balls are almost ALWAYS  going to occur in any transaction.  It’s how we all deal with them as a TEAM that makes a difference.

A recent transaction threw a surprise glitch in the mix.  Traditionally, the termite clearance is given to the buyers and lenders PRIOR to FUNDING the loan.  Doing it is this fashion makes sure the sellers are not committing to some of the large costs of termite work and tenting costs before the buyer signs their loan documents.  The lender asked for this  PRIOR to DRAWING the loan documents. (MUCH earlier than we anticipated needing it).

 So everyone has to quickly scramble to make it happen.  Lenders are busy these days protecting themselves and the investments they are making.  It’s not the day of the loosey-goosey loans.  They mean business and we have to perform to make them happy!  So it’s adapting to the new changes and working together that makes these transactions happen!

Of course there are 100+ things that can happen in a real estate transaction.  It’s dealing with an experienced agent that knows how to problem solve that can make the difference.  If you are a buyer or seller in the Coastal communities of Southern California, I’d love the opportunity to earn your business.  Please call me at 800-845-8588, email me at reynolds@socal.rr.com or view my website at www.lindareynolds.com. 

THANKS FOR READING!

Linda

 Looking for something FREE and fun to do with your family?  Do you live near Newport Beach, California?  The Orange County Museum of Art holds a “2^nd Sunday” Admission FREE every month with fun activities for the family.  Here’s the details:  

Target Free Second Sundays is one of the best ways for Orange County families to spend time together enjoying art. Thanks to the generous support of  Target, admission is free on the second Sunday of every month. Join them for all day family fun on these special days! Activities from 11 am-4 pm.   Visit their website at http://www.ocma.net/ for more details. 

The next upcoming event is Sunday, June 13, 2010 and is entitled “Sizzling Summer Fun” School is out and it’s time for fun at OCMA! Kick off the summer with fun outdoor art projects inspired by the season. Harness the power of the sun with light-sensitive prints and join the beach party with dance performances by local community partners.  Sounds really interesting, doesn’t it???

Of course if you are a buyer or seller of real estate in the Orange County, California area, I’d love the opportunity to chat with you.  Call me at 800-845-8588, email me at reynolds@socal.rr.com or view my website at www.lindareynolds.com.

Need help in learning how to care for your drought tolerant plants? In my last blog I described a friends new landscaping and showed you some pictures of the beautiful plants they chose (native Californian plants). Here’s some tips their landscape architects gave them to care properly for them. The most interesting part to me is that by Fall, they will only need to water them ONE to TWO times a MONTH! WOW! 

Watering

The plants used in your yard are used to a semi-dry Mediterranean climate, and most are drought tolerant. In order to get them established, however, they will need regular deep watering for the first several months. As a rule, you will need to water them 1-2 times a week for the first 3 months depending on climate conditions. After three months, you can water them once every week to 2 weeks. Then your plants will only need watering once every week to two weeks through summer. If conditions become hot and/or dry and windy, make sure to water every other day. By the fall, you can cut back watering to 1-2 times a month.

The key to watering your natives is to water them deeply and infrequently. You will want to apply approximately 1 inch of water each time you water. You can gauge the amount of water used by placing empty cans in the sprinkler/hose path and then timing how long it takes for 1 inch of water to collect in the cans. Then leave the sprinklers/hose on for that number of minutes each time. The best time to water is in the early morning to minimize evaporation. Avoid watering in the hottest part of the day.

Thanks for reading! Hope this helps inspire you to make some changes to your landscaping….even if it’s just a plant or two!

Linda

I’m always curious how the more drought resistant plants can be grouped to completely landscape  a yard.  Some friends of mine recently (February 2010) re-landscaped and designed their yard to be a “water wise” plan. 

All of the plants are drought tolerant and require very little care and maintenance.  The are really beautiful colors (see the close up shots) and very interesting textures.  There is NO need for fertilizers or chemical pesticides. 

Note the RAIN BARREL in the top left of the picture.  It’s designed to catch rain and dew from the gutters.  The owners tell that the water they collect waters all these plants PLUS their plants inside.  How cool is that?  They bought there’s at Home Depot online, but I’ve also seen them in local gardening centers. 

The owners tell me they invested a little over $2,000 for all the plants, plus consulted a landscape designer for $600.  It’s only a few months into the changes and I’d have to say it’s looking great.  I’m anxious to see how it looks in another three months. I’m guessing the summer will bring a lot of growth to this lovely new garden!

In my next blog I’ll share some of the watering and planting tips that the owners were given by the landscape designer.  It’s great information.   Thanks for reading!  

Of course, if you are interested in buying or selling real estate in the coastal communities of Southern California, I’d love the opportunity to talk to you.  Contact me via email at reynolds@socal.rr.com, call me at 800-845-8588 or view my website at www.lindareynolds.com

Linda