A great new cafe in Westlake Village

By: Sher Hann

To be sure, the Conejo Valley has its share of excellent French and Italian cuisine. But now, as the anemic economy nibbles into the everyday budget, comes some lighter fare with European flair: Europa.

Located in the North Ranch Shopping Center, in Westlake Village, Europa is owned by Jorge Gruener, a professional chef and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, in Hyde Park, NY. “Good coffee is my passion,” he explains. “I wanted a European-style coffee house where you could get a great cup of coffee with light, healthy food.”

Indeed, the coffee and teas (all loose leaf) are organic and certified fair trade. Gruener orders the coffee on one day, and the next morning it is roasted and delivered in the afternoon. Each cup of espresso is made with a Rancilio espresso machine – Italian and the best in the world, Gruener says – and served in a biodegradable cup. The panini is made on the premises with La Brea bread, and the pastries come from a boutique bakery.

Outdoor seating and soon-to-come wireless Internet service complete the café. Europa is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and perhaps later on weekends.

Europa Cafe, 3945 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd, Suite A, Westlake Village 805.494.1089

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

sherhann1

Federal First Time Buyer Tax Credit Expires

By: Rob Jordan

California Tax Credit Kicks In for Agoura, Oak Park, Westlake Village Buyers

Many California homebuyers took advantage of the Federal Tax Credit of up to $8,000. But that credit expired on April 30, 2010.
But the State of California just announced a similar program, worth up to $10,000 to a buyer.

Assembly Bill 183 established a tax credit of $10,000 or 5 percent of the purchase price of a newly built home and a $10,000 tax credit for first-time purchasers of existing homes.

The credit is good through Dec. 31, or until funding is exhausted, whichever comes first.

The $200 million allocated for the program is split evenly, with $100 million going to purchasers of new homes and $100 million to first-time buyers of existing homes.

More information on the state tax credits credits can be viewed here

Rob Jordan is a successful realtor with Sotheby’s International Realty/Ewing and Associates in Agoura Hills, California. He can explain the details of the California tax credit. He can be reached at
818 237 4425. Article reprinted from a California Association of Realtors email.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Rob Jordan

A pleasant surprise at the Canyon Club

By: Stephen Roesler

The Canyon Club, at least the way I know it, remains infamous for burn out bands, crapped out voices, and sometimes repugnant personalities. Occasionally, however, the most unsuspecting groups prove they deserve infinite praise. This was the case with John Mayall.

Walking in a few minutes late, I observed the thinly spread crowd calmly reclined in their chairs, imbibing the sounds as if they were spraying through the room. I grabbed a drink and casually strolled to the center of the venue, noticing the notably older crowd. John Mayall, known more for his blues days in the late 60′s and 70′s, certainly attracted a well seasoned bunch. Scattered about, however, remained a healthy crew of up and comers, as Jeff Biebyuck, former singer of Bad Blood commented. It became clear that these young artists were around to receive an education.

I immediately noticed Tom Canning on keyboard. Standing as if he was straddling a horse, the slender artist known for his productive relationship with Al Jarreau captured me with his violent solos. Canning handed his solo off to guitarist Rocky Athas who spontaneously stole the show. Acclaimed as the guitar lead for Black Oak Arkansas, Athas slowly faded into a rhythm as he lost his inhibitions; for moments he seemed to be existing in an entirely different reality than the stage of the canyon club.

Mayall, known for a multi-instrumental music career of over 50 years, is most praised for the founding of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. Mayall was influential in shaping artists such as Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Peter Green of Fleetwood and Mac. Mayall’s long history was no mystery during the show as he and bass player Greg Rzab passed solo’s back and forth. Mayall, who is a sensation on harmonica, controlled the movement of the crowd as they vibed to the inherently pleasant blues rhythm. Long bass riffs followed by Mayall’s freestyle harmonica/beat box pseudo singing overtook the audience. There were people playing air guitar, women dancing, and one dude playing the drums with one hand and the bass with the other.

Despite my past Canyon Club failures, this event certainly revived my interest. Here is a taste of John Mayall:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwGL5LDb4u8[/youtube]

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

stephenroesler1

Who are “they” you ask? They are the buyers. The #1 upgrades that “they”
want.

By: Sheri Karp

If you are living in a home that still has cottage cheese ceilings then get
rid of it! Yes, it is messy. Yes, you might have to leave the house for
a few days. Yes, I know that you have lived with it for all these years and
you are okay with it. And Yes, the buyer could do it when you move out.
BUT they won’t buy your home….not unless the price reflects it 10 times
over! The cottage cheese ceilings age your home. Buyer’s don’t comment
when you don’t have it but when you do, they have a lot to say.

And PINK.  I hear buyer’s saying, “all these Morrison Ranch homes are pink,
what’s that about?”  So if you have an opportunity to take your home out of
the 80′s then that’s the next step.  What are the “newest” neutrals, you
ask. The experts are saying, taupe’s and grays and golds.

And gold. The buyer’s do not like gold (yes, they liked it in paint but not
on the metals). They want all the fixtures and fittings in our homes to be
silver or black or nickel. You can have all the gold dipped, I hear.

Now saying all this, I worry that next year I will be putting out a
newsletter saying that PINK is the new neutral and gold fixtures are
back! I can bet on it though that cottage cheese ceilings are not coming
back!

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Sheri Karp

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Phase I Completed

By: Sheri Karp

Lindero Canyon Middle School

Lindero Canyon Middle School is completing phase I of a $30million capital construction project. Phase I is schedule to be completed by June 2010. The New Media Center and Science Building is underway as well as a new administration building. There’s a disproportionate investment into the science classrooms and the media centers, intentionally. The classrooms are a bit bigger than before but they are fairly vanilla. The 2 story building housing the state of the art science classrooms along with dozens of new classrooms and an exceptional library media center.

The construction project is scheduled to be completed in 2011. The Lindero Canyon Middle School campus was the last school in Las Virgenes that hasn’t been renovated.  It is a 40 year old campus and was in dire need of expansions and renovation. They have been an award winning school before these renovations now there will be a new sense of pride from parents, teachers and students.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Sheri Karp

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Taken from Snopes, this is very scary!

By: Irma Haldane

“Sunday afternoon around 5 PM I headed into the Target in Philadelphia, Pa. where crime is VERY RARE and mostly it is with bikes being stolen!!  It was still light outside and I parked fairly close to the entrance. As I got out of my car and began walking towards Target, an older lady shouted to me from the passenger seat of a car about 30 feet away from me.
“Ma’am you must help me, help me please, help me Ma’am!”

I looked at her in the eyes and started to walk towards her when all of a sudden I remembered an email my Mom had sent me a week or two ago about rapists and abductions using 2 elderly people to lure women in. I paused, memorized the license plate and immediately headed into Target to get a manager to come help this lady, just in case something was up.

While the woman manager headed out there, I kept a close watch just because I was curious what was wrong with the lady and wanted to be sure nothing happened. As the Target lady walked up towards the car and got very close to the old woman in order to help her, the back door of the car flies open and a large man with stocking cap on, jumps out and sticks a gun to the lady’s stomach as he shoves her into the back of the car.

I yelled out “call 911″ several times and just as I was saying that, a policeman who happened to be on the other side of the parking lot! And who, luckily had seen the entire thing happen, raced over to the car.   He was able to stop the car and arrest the male as well as the old lady, who was involved in the scheme.

By God’s grace everyone was all right, including my self, although I think we were both shaken up.   Like many of you, I would not in a million years have left an elderly person who was yelling for help if it weren’t for the e-mail I had read last week. So, I wanted to pass this along so you all can be aware and remember that you really can’t trust anyone these days. You just never know when something like this could happen.

I would have never dreamed it to happen to me especially on a Sunday afternoon at a Target in a safe area! It definitely was not a coincidence that my Mom sent that Email just a few days before this all happened.

Please, be careful and always be aware of your surroundings. Just because you individually don’t go over to help someone doesn’t mean you have to leave them in trouble, but don’t go ALONE, you really don’t know what might be going on.

This was checked with 20Snopes.com Snopes
This is true – and they also use children to lure the victim

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Irma Haldane

Irma Haldane, estate agent at Ewing & Associates Sotheby's International Realty, represents buyers and sellers throughout the West San Fernando, Conejo and Simi Valleys with specialization in Agoura, Thousand Oaks, Woodland Hills, West Hills, Camarillo and Westlake Village.

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This is Brought to you by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

By: Irma Haldane

Renovations that disturb lead-based paint in older residential dwellings and child-occupied facilities must generally comply with the Lead-Based Paint Renovation Rule of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Realtors who act as listing agents or property managers who advise their clients to perform renovations, repairs, or painting projects for such properties may, as a matter of prudence, also want to inform them about these lead renovation requirements.  One common example is when a listing agent recommends that a seller has a home painted to improve its marketability.

Under the newly implemented rule, renovators of target housing built before 1978 must now be trained and EPA-certified to perform safe work practices to prevent lead contamination. Additionally, renovators must deliver EPA’s lead renovation pamphlet to an occupant within 60 days before a project begins (and, if mailed, at least seven days before a project begins).  Renovators must also obtain the occupant’s signed acknowledgment of receipt or substitute documentation as specified.

The EPA issued this rule in 2008, but delayed implementation until now. The rule generally applies to building contractors, handymen, residential landlords, property managers, and anyone else who is paid to perform renovations or to direct workers to perform renovations as specified. The lead renovation rule does not apply to homeowners renovating the homes they live in.  However, sellers of target housing must, among other things, disclose to their buyers any known lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards (C.A.R. Form FLD).

Renovation work covered by the lead renovation rule is defined as a modification of an existing structure that disturbs a painted surface, such as surface restoration or surface preparation activity. Excluded are minor repair and maintenance activities that disrupt up to 6 square feet of interior painted surface or 20 square feet of exterior painted surface.  Demolitions and window replacements are not considered minor repairs.

For more information about the lead renovation rule, C.A.R. offers a legal article entitled Federal Lead-Based Paint Renovation Rule.  See also EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting webpage which includes the new requirements, pamphlets, and other resources.  To locate an EPA-certified renovation firm, go here.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Irma Haldane

Irma Haldane, estate agent at Ewing & Associates Sotheby's International Realty, represents buyers and sellers throughout the West San Fernando, Conejo and Simi Valleys with specialization in Agoura, Thousand Oaks, Woodland Hills, West Hills, Camarillo and Westlake Village.

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Bindi Su. Jake. Teddy. Willow. Trevor. Bianca, Buddy. Peaches. Frankie. Lucas.

By: Sher Hann

What do these names have in common?

At one time all were shelter pets. They have since been adopted and are now the poster children for a new series of stamps that will go on sale on 4/30/2010. The new 44-cent was designed by Derry Noyes of Washington, D,C., with photography by Sally Andersen-Bruce. Bindi Su, Jake Teddy and the other models are from the photographer’s home in New Milford, CT. All have found homes. With these 10 stamp designs, the U.S. Postal Service hopes to raise awareness of the need to adopt shelter pets.

During the campaign, Stamps to the Rescue, along with Conejo Valley property owner Ellen DeGeneres and Halo: Purely for Pets, will give shelter pets around the country a “First-Class Meal,” donating a million meals to animal shelters around the country. (DeGeneres is a co-owner of Halo).

To pre-order your stamps, visit your local post office next week, or preorder now. To find adorable pets like the authors, go to your local animal shelter.

About the authors: Walter Landen wa adopted from Life Animal Rescue, Agoura Hills.

Tang-Tang came from the animal shelter in Agoura Hills.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

sherhann1

Traffic tickets are more expensive than you thought

By: Irma Haldane

With California steeped in massive debt, increased traffic tickets are one way our State government is generating a few extra bucks. Many motorists remain unaware that roughly $28 in penalty assessments are added to every $10 of a base traffic fine in Ventura County, according to county records. That’s a 180 percent markup to the original ticket.

As Christina Egan recently experienced, a $100 citation, with mandated penalties, can run as high as $446. Astonishingly, a $20 cell phone ticket adds up to $97 and many times reaches $143. A $35 ticket for driving up to 15 mph over the speed limit will end up costing $217, including traffic school.

According to Automobile Club of Southern California, over the past few years traffic penalties have increased up to seven times the cost of the base fine.

In Ventura County, about 55 percent of the overall ticket revenue goes to the county, 34 percent goes to the state, 6 percent is allocated between the city and county — depending on where a ticket is issued — and 5 percent goes to crime victims.

Hopefully this will serve as motivation to slow down a bit, come to a full stop and obey traffic laws.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Irma Haldane

Irma Haldane, estate agent at Ewing & Associates Sotheby's International Realty, represents buyers and sellers throughout the West San Fernando, Conejo and Simi Valleys with specialization in Agoura, Thousand Oaks, Woodland Hills, West Hills, Camarillo and Westlake Village.

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Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief

By: Rob Jordan

Distressed homeowners no longer have to pay California state income tax on debt forgiven in a short sale, foreclosure, or loan modification.  Enacted into law recently, Senate Bill 401 generally aligns California’s tax treatment of mortgage debt relief income with federal law.  For debt forgiven on a loan secured by a “qualified principal residence,” borrowers will now be exempt from both federal and state income tax consequences.  The existing federal exemption is for indebtedness up to $2 million, whereas the new California exemption is for indebtedness up to $800,000 and forgiven debt up to $500,000.

“Qualified principal residence” indebtedness is defined as debt incurred in acquiring, constructing, or substantially improving a principal residence.  It includes both first and second trust deeds.  It also includes a refinance loan to the extent the funds were used to payoff a previous loan that would have qualified.

The tax breaks apply to debts discharged from 2009 through 2012.  Californians who have already filed their 2009 tax returns may claim the exemption by filing a Form 540X amendment.

Taxpayers who do not qualify for the above exemptions (e.g., second home or rental property) may nevertheless be exempt under other provisions.  Most notably, taxpayers who are bankrupt are exempt from debt relief income tax.  Also, taxpayers who are insolvent are exempt from debt relief income tax to the extent their current liabilities exceed current assets.

For more information about mortgage forgiveness tax consequences, go to California Franchise Tax Board’s Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Extended webpage and the Internal Revenue Service’s Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act and Debt Cancellation webpage.  The full text of Senate Bill 401 is available at www.leginfo.ca.gov.

Rob Jordan is a successful realtor with Sotheby’s International Realty/Ewing and Associates in the Conejo Valley. He can be reached at 818 237 4425, or rob@robjordanhomes.com

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Rob Jordan