My New Blog

Great goings-on in Costa Mesa!!
October 6th, 2008 11:08 AM

Costa Mesa showcases the ultimate Southern California lifestyle that is personally enriching, casually sophisticated and yet playful. Explore our internationally acclaimed South Coast Plaza, the ultimate shopping experience, world-class performing and visual arts and award-winning culinary experiences. As a vibrant and centrally located Orange County commerce and cultural community, Costa Mesa is conveniently accessible to major Southern California attractions and beaches.

Hotel Promotions & Packages

Take a break with an entertaining stay in Costa Mesa. Enjoy shopping, fine dining and performances in the Theater & Arts District. When you book the Standing Ovation Package at any of our 10 participating Costa Mesa hotels, you’ll receive a $25 travel reimbursement and $25 theater reimbursement per reservation. Plus, for each night of your stay, you will receive a $25 dining certificate, accepted at over 20 select Costa Mesa restaurants. Some restrictions may apply. 714.435.8530 or http://www.travelcostamesa.com/

Wyndham Orange County in Costa Mesa is offering to put you up and get you putting. The Monarch Beach Golf Links Package includes lake-view accommodations, 18 holes of golf, rentals of Callaway clubs and a cart, a 5:00 p.m. checkout and coupons redeemable at restaurants and shops in the area (valued at $250). 714.751.5100

Learn More


Come to The Westin South Coast Plaza and discover something new with the Ultimate Shopping Package. The package includes a welcome amenity, $100 gift certificate to South Coast Plaza and late check-out. 714.540.2500

Learn More


Satisfy your hunger with Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa's exclusive new Food Network Travel Package. You'll be welcomed with Hilton’s locally-inspired culinary creation to whet your appetite for your visit. Then, you'll receive a Food Network Travel tote filled with: a multi-city travel guide as seen on Food Network, a compilation DVD of Food Network's show highlights and a Food Network Kitchen’s Cookbook. 714.540.7000

Learn More


Fall into October at the Ayres Hotel and Suites Costa Mesa with the Meeting Rewards Program. Guests will receive a comfortable, luxurious environment along with professional staff to service your needs. Sign your contract by October 31st and choose the rewards that best suit your group’s needs. Meetings with 10-30 room nights select one reward, meetings with 20-40 room nights select two rewards and for meetings with 40 or more room nights select three rewards. Available rewards include one complimentary one-night stay for on-site meeting planner, three welcome gifts to your group VIP’s, complimentary meeting space or three complimentary upgrades at the discounted group rate. The program is subject to availability; please contact Ali Ganahl in the sales department to learn more at 714.429.9372 ext 448

Learn More


Ramada Limited and Suites Costa Mesa/Newport Beach is offering a Catalina Island Package, perfect for the young and old alike. This package includes two adult Catalina Flyer tickets, complimentary shuttle service to/from the boat dock and one night for two at the Ramada with complimentary breakfast. To make reservations, call the hotel directly at 800.345.8025

Learn More


Shop and stay for the weekend at the Holiday Inn Costa Mesa This package includes a two-night stay, $50 South Coast Plaza gift certificate, $50 food and beverage credit and a South Coast Plaza VIP shopping passport. 800.221.7220

Learn More


The Residence Inn Costa Mesa/Newport Beach
is currently renovating their guestrooms. Stainless-steel appliances and new cabinets have been added to each guestroom, and bath and vanity areas have been updated as well. Specializing in extended-stay visitors, all hotel suites have a spacious work area with free high-speed internet connectivity, a living area and a sleeping area. Leave your grocery list in the morning and come back to a fully-stocked kitchen at night. Additional hotel amenities include complimentary breakfast daily and a complimentary Hospitality Hour Mondays through Wednesdays offering a meal, beer, wine and soft drinks. 714.241.8800

Learn More



























































Halloween Activities

Pumpkins & Pancakes: A Children's Halloween Extravaganza will be held October 26 from 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m in the Crate and Barrel/Macy's Home Store Wing of South Coast Plaza. Children come in costume and enjoy live music and entertainment. Guests will enjoy a gourmet pancake breakfast, cappuccino bar, balloon artists, a live animal show, trick-or-treating, arts and crafts and a special visit with cartoon characters. All proceeds benefit Court Appointed Special Advocates , which works to break the cycle of abuse. 714.619.5140

Halloween Spooktacular October 18 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. A mysterious phantom plays spooky organ tunes on the new William J. Gillespie Concert Organ, showing how music can set the perfect Halloween mood. Don't forget to wear your costume for this thrilling concert. 714.556.ARTS

Knott's Scary Farm, the biggest and most famous theme park Halloween event, will be running through Halloween. This is an original, in-your-face LIVE Halloween experience - a 160-acre living horror movie filled with 13 chilling mazes, 7 hair-raising shows, 4 horrific scare zones and 1,000 roaming monsters looking for their next victim. Knott's Halloween Haunt continues to set new standards in adult scare entertainment!

Discovery Science Center presents: Masters of the Night beginning October 4. Discovery Science Center is bringing the mystery about bats out of the dark with special effects, multisensory interactive displays, a gothic castle and environmentally lifelike settings such as caves and rain forests present bats in mythic and real-life settings. 714.542.2823

Celebrate Halloween at the Santa Ana Zoo's Boo at the Zoo October 18 - 19, 24 - 26. This family-friendly costumed extravaganza will bring fun, safe trick-or-treating in a "merry not scary" Zoo atmosphere, with educational programs throughout the evening, plus a costume parade. For the older kids, there is "Teen Scream," a haunted house filled with thrills and chills. This ghoulish attraction has a separate entrance, but is included with the price of admission. 714.953.8555


















Recreation

Kidsfaire: America's Family Expo will be taking place at the Orange County Fairgrounds October 4 - 5. Kidsfaire features the best in educational resources, clothing and gear, home and garden products and all the best products and services designed to enrich the lives of babies, children and families everywhere.

Celebrating its fifth anniversary on October 5, the Orange County Children's Book Festival is designed for children of all ages. This family-fun festival attracts more than 20,000 visitors who will be entertained and delighted by authors, illustrators, booksellers, animals, storytellers, costumed characters, train rides, crafts, food, entertainment and much more. Located at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Admission and parking are free. Celebrity reading and autograph signing with Jamie Lee Curtis, Barney Saltzberg, Stacia Deutsch and Pat Burns. 714.838.4528

Head to Toe Women's Expo at the Orange County Fairgrounds on October 10 - 12. Attendees will enjoy a stroll in the shopping village and experience more than 250 local and regional vendors and exhibitors, two stages showing off the latest trends in hair-styles and fashion, culinary seminars, complimentary wine tasting and a host of speakers.








Cultural Events

The Kirov Ballet and Orchestra at the Orange County Performing Arts Center October 7 – 12. The legendary company returns with two beloved productions - Giselle and Don Quixote - to open the dance series in classic style. 714.556.ARTS

Dead Man’s Cell Phone at South Coast Repertory through October 12. In this imaginative new comedy, Gordon is dead, but his cell phone keeps ringing. Jean answers, and soon she’s telling the callers what she thinks they need to hear, even though it takes her to hell (yes, that’s where Gordon ends up) and back, as she draws them into the surprises and mysteries of their lives—and her own. 714.708.5555

Reef-A-Palooza (RAP), an annual event promoted by the Southern California Marine Aquarium Society, will take place at the Orange County Fairgrounds October 11 – 12. Now in its fifth year, RAP can best be described as an indoor marketplace where sellers, exhibitors, and hobbyists of all types can buy, sell, trade, showcase their products to the marine-hobbyist community.












Shopping

Numerous promotions and activities will be available at South Coast Plaza:

  • Celebrated designer Karl Lagerfield has created a limited edition t-shirt for $40, to benefit Key to the Cure. It debuts exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue October 1. Over $35 from the sale of each $40 shirt goes to EIF’s Women's Cancer Research Fund. 714.540.3233
  • Godiva Chocolatier's 2008 Halloween collection features Halloween gift boxes filled with classic chocolates as well as an assortment of Halloween novelty items: chocolate cats, "Stash" the plush bear holding a box of chocolate-covered pretzels, an embroidered satchel of chocolate medallions and the famous Pumpkin Spice truffles.
  • On October 15, Food Network star Giada De Laurentis will be at Williams-Sonoma signing her latest book, Giada's Kitcen: New Italian Favorites. Williams-Sonoma also offers free technique classes: knife skills on October 5, cookies and more on October 12, roasting on October 19 and fall soups on October 26. Classes are free. RSVP at 714.751.1166
  • Oliver Peoples' annual sale will be taking place for 3 days only, October 24-26. Enjoy significant savings on prescription eyewear and sunglasses. 714.557.7000









South Coast Plaza


Dining

Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale’s in South Coast Plaza is offering wine tasting on Tuesdays from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. throughout October. Sample Pinot Grigio - October 7, California Pinot Noir - October 14, Riesling - October 21 and Australian Shiraz on October 28. $25 per person, reservation required. 714.352.2525

Check out Karlfest at Karl Strauss Brewery on October 4 from 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Karlfest is a take on Oktoberfest done SoCal style with live music, tons of beer from several OC breweries and great food. Three local bands will be playing: The Union Line, Aushua, and Satisfaction. Proceeds will directly benefit two local chapters of the Surfrider Foundation.







Posted by Colin Delaney on October 6th, 2008 11:08 AMPost a Comment (0)

The Money Tree Found - in Costa Mesa!!
September 25th, 2008 3:32 PM

Well, this is a story that goes to show you that you might not really know your neighbors as well as you think you do.

I joke that someone has finally found the elusive "money tree" and low and behold, it's right here in the Mesa Verde neighborhood of Costa Mesa!!

The way the economy has been, it's not surprising, but two alledged perpretrators were arrested this week for forging $50 and $100 bills and passing them off to retailers. The Secret Service was involved in helping catch the crooks, and they mentioned that the forgers actually did one of the best jobs that they had seen recently.

Too bad they couldn't do it legally, ala President Bush and the government's $700 Billion Money Tree!!

P.S. let me know if you want to buy the home with the money tree in Mesa Verde, I know where it is and they are open to offers :)

©Colin Delaney 2008


Posted by Colin Delaney on September 25th, 2008 3:32 PMPost a Comment (0)

August- Costa Mesa shows improved home sales
September 23rd, 2008 2:01 PM

Costa Mesa's residential resale stats are in for August, and they are slightly contrary to the western states trend of a decrease of 17.7%.

Buyer's took advantage of interest rates that crept well below 6% for 30 year fixed mortgages.

CMAug.pdf will show you there were 67 homes and condos that sold overall in August, certainly a better number than the year previous. September will show an improvement over last year's period when only 39 homes sold; currently, through Sept. 23rd there have been 40 homes and condos sold in Costa Mesa.

Looking for information about the local Costa Mesa market? Call Colin Delaney at 714-743-9882 or colin@verandahomes.com.

©Colin Delaney 2008


Posted by Colin Delaney on September 23rd, 2008 2:01 PMPost a Comment (0)

Huntington Beach Home Values - Still on fire!!
September 22nd, 2008 11:04 AM

 

Perhaps you saw Jonathan Lanser's article in the Orange County Register yesterday about his "Zippy" awards (homes/areas selling well by zip code) for communities that are performing best through the downturn.

Not surprising, but Balboa Island topped the list - it's hard to imagine a time when those lots were selling for less thatn $20,000 and they had a hard time selling.

The zip code that was not surprising to me? Huntington Beach, 92648. I've had clients looking in South Huntington Beach for some time, and if we don't move quickly on the "good deals" or well priced properties, they sell fast. I've been surprised - right next door in Costa Mesa it is taking 60 days to move the same property, whereas HB properties are moving (when priced right) out the door in about 14 days.

Why? Proximity to the ocean perhaps, but I believe a lot of the forward momentu has to do with how good the school district is and how well the schools are performing.

Thinking of buying a home in Huntington Beach? Give me a call at 714-743-9882 to find the best deals in the best neighborhoods.

©Colin Delaney 2008


Posted by Colin Delaney on September 22nd, 2008 11:04 AMPost a Comment (0)

Taste of Newport-Great happenings Around Town
September 18th, 2008 9:49 AM

Taste of Newport, Fantastic Entertainment Lineup

If you haven't been to the Taste of Newport recently, you're missing quite a fun night! Located along Newport Center Drive, there are many restaurants and winerys that setup low cost tasting booths for those interested in a bite (or a full meal) while strolling through an open air Newport Beach party!!

Definitely worth a night on the town - there is great entertainment this year, from UB40 for Regae fans, alternative rock faves ThirdEyeBlind, and Styx for the older rock set. Great stuff!! Check it out!

 

©Colin Delaney 2008


Posted by Colin Delaney on September 18th, 2008 9:49 AMPost a Comment (0)

AIG, WaMu Crisis and Why it's Good For You!
September 17th, 2008 12:45 PM

Have you seen the recent crisis with the insurance giant AIG and maybe heard rumors about WaMu's demise? Or perhaps yo heard recently that Bank of America bought out Merril Lynch??

Obviously these financial giants have been rock solid for a long time- look at the 150+ year history of Lehman brothers.  Ultimately, these companies were brought down by the ARMs and other silly mortgages that they collaterized and backed as secure financial instruments.

OK, OK, you can get that stuff on CNBC, I know. What's in it for me you ask? As of yesterday, mortgage rates on traditional 30 year fixed rate products were 5.5% with no points!!!

Now couple that with this fact- if you bought the average 3 bedroom house in Costa Mesa you would roughly spend about $500,000, giving you a mortgage of $2838 with no money down! Guess what? It is still hard to rent a nice home in Costa Mesa for that same payment.......I'm trying to lead you to the conclusion that now is the right time to buy. Sometimes it's important to look past the turbulence and look at the fundamentals.

Sometimes you have to look past the chaos of the world around and really look to see "what's in it for me"......it's a great time to buy.

Give me a call at 714-743-9882 or e-mail me at colin@verandahomes.com to discuss the best mortgage products that would allow you to buy a home with as little as 3% or even no money out of pocket.

©Colin Delaney 2008


Posted by Colin Delaney on September 17th, 2008 12:45 PMPost a Comment (0)

Costa Mesa Home Sale Stats
September 16th, 2008 8:00 AM

The Costa Mesa Real Estate resale statistics were just released through the end of July 2008, and they were not pretty, although homes sold in Costa Mesa in August will show an improvement.

Total sales were 321 of residential homes and townhomes, off by nearly 29% for the same sixmonth period last year in 2007.

Most of the activity now is happening on the lower end of the price scale, around $350,000 to $525,000 where the majority of the bank owned homes and foreclosure activity is happening.

August, however, looked a lot better than last year. Official numbers are not in yet, but it looks like a little over 60 homes and condos sold in Costa Mesa, which would be a 10% jump from the same month last year.

Curious about the best deals, or the best time to buy or sell a home in Costa Mesa? Call Colin Delaney at 714-743-9882 or feel free to e-mail me for info at Colin@Verandahomes.com.

©Colin Delaney 2008

 


Posted by Colin Delaney on September 16th, 2008 8:00 AMPost a Comment (0)

In Escrow! 2037 Mandarin Costa Mesa, CA 92626
September 15th, 2008 8:59 AM
Header
Header_2
Listings Photo
$845,500.00
2037 Mandarin

Costa Mesa, CA 92626



Beds: 5.0 Rooms: 5
Baths: 2.00 Sq. Ft.: 2990.00
Garage: 0 Built: 1968
 

This is a new listing that
I thought you might be
interested in. Visit this
listing online to see more
photos of the property,
Google Earth satellite
images, and much more.
 

If you have any questions
about this property or
require more information,
please feel free to call.

Colin Delaney
Colin Delaney
714-743-9882
www.colindelaney.com



 
  Visit this listing at Here

Posted by Colin Delaney on September 15th, 2008 8:59 AMPost a Comment (0)

Costa Mesa Bank Owned Homes
September 3rd, 2008 9:14 AM

My how the market has changed- a year ago we were trying to figure out how short sales worked, and now a great majority of the homes coming into our local Costa Mesa market are bank-owned homes.

It is really interesting as you look back 6 months or so....At first, the banks were pricing their homes right in line with where the market was at, and now it seems they are creating the lower end of the Costa Mesa market. Most of the bank owned homes are coming on in the $375k-$525K price range, and most are experiencing incredible demand.

I represented a client in February who bought a bank owned home and it was a pretty interesting negotiation- we did the ping-pong routine for about five counter offers, then finally put our foot down with a best and final offer. We got it- and we actually shaved $80,000 off of their asking price. My client is in a great positioin- he sold his home a couple of years ago for an outrageous sum, and although he needs to put money into fixing the current home he purchased, he is still way ahead.

What is different about earlier this year and today with bank owned homes is that the prices have come down even further and many, many more people have become interested in them. And why not? When you can put 20% or even 10% down and it becomes a cash flow positive investment, it makes great sense. The Costa Mesa home you purchase today will certainly be worth more in time, and frankly I think we will see this market return sooner than expected.

I submitted another offer for a Costa Mesa home recently and there were already 15 offers on the banks desk- only 2 days after this home came on the market!!

If you are looking for a bank owned home in Costa Mesa or anywhere nearby in Orange County, call me at 714-743-9882 and I would love to talk to you about our auction buying program called ClientDirect.

©Colin Delaney 2008


Posted by Colin Delaney on September 3rd, 2008 9:14 AMPost a Comment (0)

29 Offers? Yeah, That's How I want to sell my house!!!
September 2nd, 2008 9:52 AM

29 Offers- Seems like a good way when you are selling to get a decent price for your home, huh?

One of my clients just offered on a Costa Mesa bank-owned home, and in the space of 48 hours, the agent representing the bank had 29 offers in for the bank.

Sounds like the home was priced incorrectly? You're right, but that was probably the strategy the bank was using to draw interest and it worked!

If you are looking for a bank owned home in Costa Mesa, give me a call at 714-743-9882 and I would be happy to tell you approximate values, etc, and what nieghborhoods are selling for.  Costa Mesa real estate will continue (unfortunately) to have quite a few more foreclosed and bank-owned homes come on the market in the near future.

We even have a program that helps you to identify foreclosures and buy directly at the auction, prior to having to compete with 29 offers!!!

Colin Delaney, colin@verandahomes.com

©Colin Delaney 2008


Posted by Colin Delaney on September 2nd, 2008 9:52 AMPost a Comment (0)

Recent Posts:

Archive:

My Favorite Blogs:

Sites That Link to This Blog:


 
State:
County:
City:
Zip:    

Cell:

LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS | Costa Mesa Blog | Costa Mesa Deal E-Mail | Download Adobe Acrobat | Neighborhood Prices | Site Map | Fixed Rate Mtg Calc | ARM vs Fixed Rate Calc | Costa Mesa Real Estate Blog

Copyright © 2008 Colin Delaney
Portions Copyright © 2008 a la mode, inc.
Another XSite by a la mode, inc. | Terms of UseSite Map
All rate, payment, and area information are estimates and approximations only.