Huntington Beach Real Estate News

Huntington Beach Listings and Sales for August 2011

In August 2011 there were 642 New Listings in Huntington Beach, 18.3% of which were Short Sales and 7.7% were REOs.

There were 128 closed sales reported in August in Huntington Beach of which 16.4% were Short Sales and 11.7% were REOs.

Of the sales reported for August, the average number of days on the market was 96.

Only 15 OC zips had both sales gains and price gains in the period, 92646 was one…

Orange County Listings and Sales for August 2011

According to the MLS, there were 2130 closed sales during the month of August in Orange County. That compares to 2202 closed sales in July 2011 and 2233 closed sales in August of 2010.

Of the closed sales in Aug, about 21% were reported to be Short Sales and about 15% were reported to be REOs.

Current Inventory

The MLS shows a current inventory of 10,836 homes for sale in Orange County. Of these, about 27% are listed as Short Sales and about 6.4% are listed as REOs.

Sales Statistics for ORANGE County CA

Realist's most recent recording date for this county is 08/24/2011

Single Family Residence
Time Period	Number of Sales	Median Sale Price
Jul 2011	1,575	$500,000
Jul 2010	1,618	$520,000
Jun 2011	1,845	$500,000
Jun 2010	2,224	$520,000
2011 YTD	11,456	$495,000
2010	19,273	$510,000

Did you know…?

Foreclosure-related sales accounted for 65 percent of all residential sales in Nevada during the second quarter, the highest percentage of any state. In Arizona distressed property sales accounted for 57 percent of sales at a discount of 27 percent. In California the market share jumped to 57 percent, a 12 percent increase over in Q1, returning the state to the same level as one year earlier.

Priciest ZIP? Newport Beach 92662 with a $3,057,500 median selling price.

Cheapest ZIP? Santa Ana 92701 with a $141,000 median selling price.

Overall, countywide sales were up 1.7 vs. a year ago

Thank you,

Alan Adamo
Westline Real Estate
(714) 726-5429
www.westlinerealestate.com

Here is an interesting blog I never thought I would post since it touches lightly on religion. I have always felt safe to tread lightly with religion and politics, but let’s make an exception to that rule here, after all this is a blog. I am a Christian and although maybe not a devout role model to some, I am a believer none the less. I read a fantastic bible from time to time called the New Believer’s Bible, the first step for new Christians. It was written by pastor, author, and evangelist Greg Laurie and is perfect for both reading and in depth study. As I opened it today and read the first open page, I felt touched to share its contents with you.

Purpose, meaning, a reason for living-these are all things we desire and search for in life. Despite steps each one of us takes to find purpose and meaning in life, we still feel empty, unfulfilled. That is because there is a spiritual emptiness in each of our lives. We each have a hole in our heart, a spiritual vacuum deep within our soul-a “God-shaped blank.” Possessions won’t fill this hole, nor will success. Relationships alone can not satisfy this emptiness, and morality, in and of itself, falls miserably short of occupying this space. In fact, even religion cannot fill the void in our heart.

There is only one way to effectively fill that void. This way will not only help us to have a life that is full and rich on this earth, but-more important-will give us the absolute hope of spending eternity in the presence of God. Before we can truly appreciate this good news, though, we need to understand the bad news, whish is a serious problem we all have. You may guess what this problem is or you may clearly read more...

I highly recommend this book and know you will appreciate it as much as I do. Here is my proposition. For the next deal I close (closing soon), I will purchase 10 of these fantastic books and share them with people searching for meaning in their lives. If you would like a copy sign up fast so I can add you to the list. I am even paying for shipping with no obligation whatsoever. I just ask that you return the favor and share this information with someone else who could use it, and provide feedback if this information has enriched the quality of your life. Of course, if you can’t wait to find meaning in your life, you can always buy one yourself on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/New-Believers-Bible. Feel free to email me, text, FB, Twitter or anything else you can think of to get your copy.

Thank you,

Alan Adamo
Westline Real Estate
(714) 726-5429
www.westlinerealestate.com

TO PEOPLE…

1. Home owners are happier and healthier and enjoy a greater feeling of control over their lives.

2. Owning a home is one of the best ways to build long-term wealth. Historically, a home owner’s net worth has ranged from 31 to 46 times that of a renter.

3. Home owners are free to redecorate, renovate, and modify their homes as they wish.

4. Most home owners enjoy stable housing costs—a fixed-rate mortgage payment might not change for 15 to 30 years while rent typically increases 3% a year.

5. Home owners can typically deduct mortgage interest and property taxes on their federal individual income tax return.

TO COMMUNITIES…

1. People who own homes vote more, volunteer more and contribute more to their neighborhoods.

2. Home owners do not move as frequently as renters, providing more neighborhood stability. In turn, this stability helps reduce crime and supports neighborhood upkeep.

3. Children of home owners do better in school, stay in school longer, are more likely to participate in organized activities and spend less time in front of the television.

TO AMERICA...

1. 67% of American households are owner-occupied. America is a nation of home owners.

2. Home owners pay 80 to 90% of federal individual income taxes, contributing to federal programs that benefit all Americans.

3. Every home purchased pumps more than $60,000 into the economy for furniture, home improvements and related items.

4. Housing accounts for more than 15% of the national Gross Domestic Product, a key driver of our national economy.

For these reasons and more, home ownership is the American Dream!

· In the past 12 years, the net worth of the typical home owner has ranged between 31 and 46 times that of the net worth of the typical renter.

· Home owner equity is a substantial component of home owner wealth. The Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances, conducted once every three years, provides a snapshot of family income and net worth along with basic demographic details and more detailed information on where families keep the wealth they have accumulated.

· The most recent survey, concluded in 2007, offers a picture of the situation before home price declines and the tumbling equities market hit household balance sheets. At that time, median home owners had well over $200,000 in net worth or 46 times that of the median renter who had just over $5,000. Furthermore, $200,000 was the median value of owners’ homes.

· Looking at aggregate data, the National Association of Realtors® estimated the impact for renter and home owner households through mid-2010 taking home price and stock market performance into account. The result suggests that despite declines in equity and housing markets, homeowners have a net worth orders of magnitude greater than renters.

· How has the recovery of the stock market and a sluggish housing market affected owners and renters? For the first time ever, the Federal Reserve resurveyed the 2007 participants in 2009 to directly measure how the crisis and recession affected their finances. These results are expected later this year.

Thank you,

Alan Adamo
Westline Real Estate
(714) 726-5429
www.westlinerealestate.com

Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the southwest, by Seal Beach on the northwest, by Costa Mesa on the east, by Newport Beach on the southeast, by Westminster on the north, and by Fountain Valley on the northeast.

It is known for its long 8.5-mile (13.7 km) beach, mild climate, and excellent surfing. The waves are a unique natural effect caused by edge-diffraction of ocean swells by the island of Catalina, and waves from distant hurricanes.

History

Huntington Beach, pre-incorporation, 1904.

The area was originally occupied by the Tongva people. European settlement can be traced to a Spanish soldier, Manuel Nieto, who in 1784 received a Spanish land grant of 300,000 acres (1,200 km²), Rancho Los Nietos, as a reward for his military service and to encourage settlement in Alta California. Nieto's western area was reduced in 1790 because of a dispute with the Mission San Gabriel, but he retained thousands of acres stretching from the hills north of Whittier, Fullerton and Brea, south to the Pacific Ocean, and from today's Los Angeles River on the west, to the Santa Ana River on the east.

The main thoroughfare of Huntington Beach, Beach Boulevard, was originally a cattle route for the main industry of the Rancho. Since its time as a parcel of the enormous Spanish land grant, Huntington Beach has undergone many incarnations. One time it was known Shell Beach, the town of Smeltzer, and then Gospel Swamp for the revival meetings that were held in the marshland where the community college Golden West College can currently be found. Later it became known as Fairview and then Pacific City as it developed into a tourist destination. In order to secure access to the Red Car lines that used to criss-cross Los Angeles and ended in Long Beach, Pacific City ceded enormous power to railroad magnate Henry Huntington, and thus became a city whose name has been written into corporate sponsorship, and like much of the history of Southern California, boosterism.

Huntington Beach incorporated on February 17, 1909 under its first mayor, Ed Manning. Its original developer was the Huntington Beach Company (formerly the West Coast Land and Water Company), a real-estate development firm owned by Henry Huntington. The Huntington Beach Company is still a major land-owner in the city, and still owns most of the local mineral rights.

An interesting hiccup in the settlement of the district occurred when an encyclopedia company gave away free parcels of land, with the purchase of a whole set for $126, in the Huntington Beach area that it had acquired cheaply.^[3] The lucky buyers got more than they had bargained for when oil was discovered in the area, and enormous development of the oil reserves followed. Though many of the old wells are empty, and the price of land for housing has pushed many of the rigs off the landscape, oil pumps can still be found to dot the city.

Huntington Beach was primarily agricultural in its early years with crops such as celery and sugar beets. Holly Sugar was a major employer with a large processing plant in the city that was later converted to an oil refinery.

The city's first high school, Huntington Beach High School was built in 1906. The school's team, the Oilers, is named after the city's original natural resource.

Meadowlark Airport, a small general aviation airport, existed in Huntington Beach from the 1940s until 1989.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.9 square miles (82.6 km²). 26.7 sq mi (69 km²) of it is land and 5.1 sq mi (13 km²) of it (16.10%) is water.

The entire city of Huntington Beach lies in area codes 657 and 714, except for small parts of Huntington Harbour (along with Sunset Beach, the unincorporated community adjacent to Huntington Harbour), which is in the 562 Area Code.

Climate

Huntington Beach has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csb). The climate is generally sunny, dry and cool, although evenings can be excessively damp. In the morning and evening, there are often strong breezes, 15 mph (24 km/h). Ocean water temperatures average 55 °F (13 °C) to 65 °F (18 °C). In the summer, temperatures rarely exceed 85 °F (29 °C). In the winter, temperatures rarely fall below 40 °F (4 °C), even on clear nights.^[4] There are about 14 inches (360 mm) of rain, almost all in mid-winter. Frost occurs only rarely on the coldest winter nights. The area is annually affected by a marine layer caused by the cool air of the Pacific Ocean meeting the warm air over the land. This results in overcast and foggy conditions in May and June.

Natural resources

Construction of any kind on the beach is prohibited without a vote of the people, allowing Huntington Beach to retain its natural tie to the ocean rather than having the view obscured by residential and commercial developments.

Between Downtown Huntington Beach and Huntington Harbour lies a large marshy wetland, much of which is protected within the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. A $110 million restoration of the wetlands was completed in 2006.^[6] The Reserve is popular with bird watchers and photographers.

South of Downtown, the Talbert, Brookhurst and Magnolia Marshes, which lie across the street from Huntington State Beach, had restoration completed in 2010.^[7]

The northern and southern beaches (Bolsa Chica State Beach and Huntington State Beach, respectively) are state parks. Only the central beach (Huntington City Beach) is maintained by the city. Camping and RVs are permitted here, and popular campsites for the Fourth of July and the Surfing Championships must be reserved many months in advance. Bolsa Chica State Beach is actually a sand bar fronting the Bolsa Bay and Bolsa Chica State Ecological Reserve.

The Orange County run Sunset Marina Park next to Huntington Harbour is part of Anaheim Bay.^[8] It is suitable for light craft, and includes a marina, launching ramp, basic services, a picnic area and a few restaurants. The park is in Seal Beach, but is only reachable from Huntington Harbour. The Sunset/Huntington Harbour area is patrolled by the Orange County Sheriff's Harbor Patrol.^[9]

The harbor entrance for Anaheim Bay is sometimes restricted by the United States Navy, which loads ships with munitions at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station to the north of the main channel.

Demographics

2010

The 2010 United States Census^[10] reported that Huntington Beach had a population of 189,992. The population density was 5,959.1 people per square mile (2,300.8/km²). The racial makeup of Huntington Beach was 145,661 (76.7%) White, 1,813 (1.0%) African American, 992 (0.5%) Native American, 21,070 (11.1%) Asian, 635 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 11,193 (5.9%) from other races, and 8,628 (4.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 32,411 persons (17.1%).

The Census reported that 189,102 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 487 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 403 (0.2%) were institutionalized.

There were 74,285 households, out of which 21,922 (29.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 36,729 (49.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 7,685 (10.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 3,804 (5.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 4,386 (5.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 504 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 18,489 households (24.9%) were made up of individuals and 6,527 (8.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55. There were 48,218 families (64.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.07.

The population was spread out with 39,128 people (20.6%) under the age of 18, 15,906 people (8.4%) aged 18 to 24, 54,024 people (28.4%) aged 25 to 44, 53,978 people (28.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 26,956 people (14.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.2 years. For every 100 females there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males.

There were 78,003 housing units at an average density of 2,446.5 per square mile (944.6/km²), of which 44,914 (60.5%) were owner-occupied, and 29,371 (39.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.4%. 115,470 people (60.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 73,632 people (38.8%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

At the 2000 census The population density was 7,183.6 inhabitants per square mile (2,773.9/km²). There were 75,662 housing units at an average density of 2,866.8 per square mile (1,107.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.2% White, 0.8% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 9.3% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 5.8% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. 14.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 73,657 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 34.9% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $76,527, and the median income for a family was $94,597.^[11] Adult males had a median income of $50,021 versus $33,041 for adult females. The per capita income for the city was $40,183. About 5.1% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Huntington Beach sits above a large natural fault structure containing oil. Although the oil is mostly depleted, extraction continues at a slow rate, and still provides significant local income. There are only two off-shore extraction facilities left, however, and the day is not far off when oil production in the city will cease and tourism will replace it as the primary revenue source for resident industry.

The city is discussing closing off Main Street to cars from PCH through the retail shopping and restaurant areas, making it a pedestrian zone only. Other shopping centers include Bella Terra, built on the former Huntington Center site, and Old World Village, a German-themed center.^[12]

Huntington Beach has an off-shore oil terminus for the tankers that support the Alaska Pipeline. The terminus pipes run inland to a refinery in Santa Fe Springs. Huntington Beach also has the Gothard-Talbert terminus for the Orange County portion of the pipeline running from the Chevron El Segundo refinery.

Several hotels have been constructed on the inland side of Pacific Coast Highway (State Route 1) within view of the beach, just southeast of the pier.

Huntington Beach contains a major installation of Boeing, formerly McDonnell-Douglas. A number of installations on the Boeing campus were originally constructed to service the Apollo Program, most notably the production of the S-IVB upper stage for the Saturn IB and Saturn V rockets, and some nearby telephone poles are still marked "Apollo Dedicated Mission Control Line."

Huntington Beach contains a small industrial district in its northwest corner, near the borders with Westminster and Seal Beach.

Surf City USA trademarks

While Huntington Beach retains its 15-year trademark of Surf City Huntington Beach, the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau filed four applications to register the "Surf City USA" trademark in November 2004. The idea was to market the city by creating an authentic brand based on Southern California's beach culture and active outdoor lifestyle while at the same time creating a family of product licensees who operate like a franchise family producing a revenue stream that could also be dedicated to promoting the brand and city. A ruling by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office released on May 12, 2006 awarded three trademark registrations to the Bureau; nine additional trademark registrations have been granted since this time and ten other Surf City USA trademarks are now under consideration.^[13] One of the first products the Bureau developed to promote its brand was the Surf City USA Beach Cruiser by Felt Bicycles in 2006. The product has sold out every year in markets worldwide and created demand for a second rental bicycle model that will be marketed to resort locations across the globe starting in 2009.^[14] The Bureau now has dozens of other licensed products on the market from Surf City USA soft drinks to clothing to glassware. As of April 2008, the Bureau had more than 20 licensing partners with over 50 different products being prepared to enter the market over the next 18 months.^[15] Four of the Bureau's registrations of the trademark are now on the principal register and the remaining ten trademark applications are expected to follow. The Bureau is actively considering registration of the Surf City USA trademark in several different countries and anticipates a growing market for its branded products overseas in coming years.

An ongoing dispute between Huntington Beach and Santa Cruz, California over the trademark garnered positive national publicity in 2007 when a law firm representing Huntington Beach sent a cease-and-desist letter to a Santa Cruz t-shirt vendor.^[16] A settlement was reached in January, 2008, which allows the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau to retain the trademark.^[17]

Tourism

The downtown district includes an active art center, a colorful shopping district, and the International Surfing Museum. This district was also the home of The Golden Bear from 1929–1986. Originally a fine dining restaurant opened by Harry Bakre in 1929, the Golden Bear became a nightclub in 1963 and hosted famous-name entertainment until it was demolished in 1986. The list of artists who performed there includes BB King, Janis Joplin, Steve Martin, Charles Bukowski, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. The Huntington Beach Pier stretches from Main Street into the Pacific Ocean. At the end of the pier is a Ruby's Diner. The Surf Theatre, which was located one block north of the pier, gained fame in the 1960s and 1970s for showing independent surf films such as The Endless Summer and Five Summer Stories. The Surf Theatre was owned and operated by Hugh Larry Thomas from 1961 until it was demolished in 1989. A newer version of The Surf Theatre is now closed, but the International Surf Museum has preserved its memory with a permanent exhibit featuring vintage seats and screening of surfing movies once shown at a Huntington Beach theater.

Top employers

According to Huntington Beach's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,^[18] the top employers in the city are:

BJ's Restaurant & Brewery is also based in Huntington Beach.

Arts and culture

Special events

Many of the events at Huntington Beach are focused around the beach during the summer. The U.S. Open of Surfing is featured on the south side of the pier. Huntington Beach was a stop on the AVP beach volleyball tour. A biathlon (swim/run) hosted by the Bolsa Chica & Huntington State Beach Lifeguards takes place in July, early at dawn. The race begins at the Santa Ana River Jetties and ends at Warner Avenue, Bolsa Chica State Beach. Huntington Beach Junior Lifeguard day camps are held which teaches pre-adolescents and adolescents ocean swimming, running, and first-aid medical knowledge.

In addition to the beach-focused events, the Fourth of July parade has been held since 1904. The SoCal Independent Film Festival takes place every September.

During the winter the annual Cruise of Lights Boat Tour is held in the Huntington Harbour neighborhood. This is a parade of colorful lighted boats as well as boat tours to view the decorated homes. The annual Kite Festival is held just north of the pier in late February.

Huntington Beach hosts car shows such as the Beachcruiser Meet and a Concours d'Elegance. The Beachcruiser Meet is held in March, attracting over 250 classic cars displayed along Main Street and the Pier parking lot.^[19] A Concours d'Elegance is held at Central Park in June and benefits the public library. An informal "Donut Derelicts" car show occurs every Saturday morning at the intersection of Adams and Magnolia Street.

Surf City Nights is held every Tuesday night during the entire year. The Tuesday Surf City Nights is a community-spirited event that features a farmer's market, unique entertainment, food, kiddie rides and a carnival atmosphere. Surf City Nights and the Downtown Huntington Beach Art Walk are presented by the Huntington Beach Downtown Business Improvement District (HBDBID) and the City of Huntington Beach. The Tuesday night Surf City Nights event takes place in the first three blocks of Main Street from Pacific Coast Highway to Orange Avenue.

Sports

Huntington Beach is the site of the world surfing championships, held in the summer every year. The city is often referred to as "Surf City" because of this high profile event, its history and culture of surfing. It is often called the "Surfing Capital of the World", not for the height of the waves, but rather for the consistent quality of surf. Gordon Duane established the city's first surf shop, Gordie's Surfboards, in 1955.

Surf and beaches

Apart from sponsored surf events, Huntington Beach has some of the best surf breaks in the State of California and that of the United States. Huntington Beach has four different facing beaches: Northwest, West, Southwest, and South. Northwest consists of Bolsa Chica State Beach with a length of 3.3 miles (5.3 km), the West consist of "The Cliffs" or "Dog Beach", Southwest is considered everything north of the pier which is operated by the City of Huntington Beach. South consists in everything south of the pier which primarily focuses on Huntington State Beach (2.2 Miles), which almost faces true South.

Bolsa Chica State Beach is operated by the State of California, Dept. Parks & Recreation, and the Bolsa Chica State Beach Lifeguards. The beach is very narrow and the sand is very coarse. Bolsa Chica tends to have better surf with NW/W swells during the winter season. During the summer months the beach picks up south/southwest swells at a very steep angle. Due to the bottom of the beach, surf at Bolsa Chica tends to be slowed down and refined to soft shoulders. Longboards are the best option for surfing in the Bolsa Chica area.

"The Cliffs" or "Dog Beach" is also another popular surf spot. This segment of Huntington Beach obtains these names because dogs are allowed around the cliff area. Beach is very restricted and often is submerged with high tides. Surf at this location tends to be even bigger than Bolsa Chica during the winter and often better. During the summer most of the South/Southwest swells slide right by and often break poorly. The best option is to take out a longboard, but shortboards will do at times. Dolphins have also been sighted in this area.^[20]

Just north and south of the Huntington Beach Pier are some well defined sandbars that shift throughout the year with the different swells. Southside of the Pier is often a popular destination during the summer for good surf, but the Northside can be just as well during the winter. Around the Pier it all depends on the swell and the sandbars. Shortboard is your best option for surfing around the Pier.

South Huntington Beach, also known as Huntington State Beach, is where all the south swells impact the coastline. Huntington State Beach is operated by the State of California, Department of Parks & Recreation, and Huntington State Beach Lifeguards.^[21] This beach is very wide with plenty of sand. Sandbars dramatically shift during the spring, summer and fall seasons, thus creating excellent surf conditions with a combination South/West/Northwest swell. Due to the Santa Ana River jetties located at the southern most end of the beach, large sandbars extend across and upcoast, forcing swells to break extremely fast and hollow. Best seasons for surfing at this beach is the summer and fall. The best option for surfing in this area is a shortboard.

Huntington Beach is also a popular destination for kite surfing, and this sport can be viewed on the beach northwest of the pier.

Huntington Beach is the host city of the National Professional Paintball League Super 7 Paintball Championships. The NPPL holds its first event of the year traditionally between the dates of March 23 through March 26.

Huntington Beach also hosts the annual Surf City USA Marathon and Half-Marathon, which is usually held on the first Sunday of February.

Parks and recreation

Huntington Beach has a very large Central Park, located between Gothard and Edwards Streets to the east and west, and Slater and Ellis Avenues to the north and south. The park is vegetated with xeric (low water use) plants, and inhabited by native wildlife. Thick forests encircling the park are supplemented with Australian trees, particularly Blue Gum Eucalyptus, a high water use plant.

The Huntington Beach Public Library is located in Central Park in a notable building designed by Richard Neutra and Dion Neutra. It houses almost a half-million volumes, as well as a theater, gift shop and fountains. The library was founded as a Carnegie library in 1914, and has been continuously supported by the city and local activists, with new buildings and active branches at Banning, Oak View, Main Street, and Graham. The library has significant local historical materials and has a special genealogical reference collection. It is independent of the state and county library systems.

The park is also home of Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center, a top class boarding facility that also offers horse rentals to the public, with guided trail rides through the park. There is also a "mud park" available for kids. The world's second oldest disc golf course is available in the park, as are two small dining areas, a sports complex for adult use, and the Shipley Nature Center.

The Bolsa Chica Wetlands, which are diminishing rapidly due to development, contains numerous trails and scenic routes. The wetlands themselves have recently been connected with the ocean again, in effort to maintain its previous, unaltered conditions.

Government

Local government

According to the city’s most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city’s various funds had $295.6 million in revenues, $287.7 million in expenditures, $1,046.6 million in total assets, $202.8 million in total liabilities, and $87.1 million in cash and investments.^[22]

The structure of the management and coordination of city services is:^[22]

Politics

In the state legislature Huntington Beach is located in the 35th Senate District, represented by Republican Tom Harman, and in the 67th Assembly District, represented by Republican Jim Silva. Federally, Huntington Beach is located in California's 46th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +6^[23] and is represented by Republican Dana Rohrabacher.

As of June 1, 2010, the city has 127,660 registered voters. 45.8% are registered Republicans, 28.5% are registered Democrats, 20.7% are decline to state, and the balance are registered with third parties.^[24] Like much of Orange County, Huntington Beach politics are dominated by Republicans.

Education

Huntington Beach is the home of Golden West College, which offers two-year associates of arts degrees and transfer programs to four year universities.

Huntington Beach is in the Huntington Beach Union High School District, which includes Edison High School, Huntington Beach High School, Marina High School, and Ocean View High School in the city of Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley High School in the city of Fountain Valley, and Westminster High School in the city of Westminster.

The district also has an alternative school, Valley Vista High School, and an independent study school, Coast High School.

Huntington Beach High School, which is the district's flagship school, celebrated its 100 year anniversary in 2006.

The city has two elementary school districts: Huntington Beach City with 9 schools and Ocean View with 15. A small part of the city is served by the Fountain Valley School District.

Huntington Beach is also home to The Pegasus School, a nationally recognized blue ribbon school.

Brethren Christian Junior/Senior High School is a private independent school with about 400 students living within 25 miles (40 km) of the school.

Media

The city was featured in the TruTV series Ocean Force: Huntington Beach. Also, the city is mentioned in the Beach Boys song Surfin' Safari and in Surfer Joe by The Surfaris.

Live cameras are set up at the Huntington Beach Pier and shown on screens at the California-themed Hollister apparel stores. The store pays the city for the cameras, with the money used to fund marine safety equipment. The cameras are also used by lifeguards.^[25]

The public television station KOCE-TV operates from the Golden West College campus, in conjunction with the Golden West College Media Arts program.

Two weekly newspapers cover Huntington Beach: The Huntington Beach Independent and The Wave Section of The Orange County Register.^[26]

Ashlee Simpson's music video for "La La" was filmed in Huntington Beach.

Notable natives and residents

Actors

· Willie Aames attended Edison High School.^[27]

· Nicole Eggert spent her elementary school years living in Huntington Beach and attended Sowers Middle School.^{[citation needed]}

· Amy Grabow grew up in Huntington Beach and attended the Academy for the Performing Arts.^[28]

· Jenna Jameson, famed pornographic actress, resides in Huntington Harbour with Tito Ortiz.^[29]

· Jack Kelly, most noted for the role of Bart Maverick on the Maverick (TV series), During the 1980s and early 1990s he served as city councilman and mayor in Huntington Beach.^[30]

· Jason Lee, who plays the lead character Earl in the television show My Name is Earl, grew up in Huntington Beach and graduated from Ocean View High School.^[31]

Athletes

· Huntington Beach is the home to pro skateboarders Christian Hosoi, Geoff Rowley,^[32] Arto Saari,^[33] Tosh Townend,^[34] Mark Appleyard,^[35] Brian Sumner,^[36] and Ed Templeton.^[37]

· Former NHL hockey player John Blue is from Huntington Beach,^[38] as is professional soccer player Sasha Kljestan.

· It is home of MMA fighters Tito "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Ortiz,^[39] Kimo Leopoldo, David "Tank" Abbott and James Irvin.^[40]

· Collin Balester – professional baseball player for the Washington Nationals, attended Huntington Beach High School^[41]

· Ric Drasin – artist, actor, stuntman, writer, personal trainer, bodybuilder, and professional wrestler^{[citation needed]}

· Jessie Godderz – professional bodybuilder with the World Natural Body Building Federation that was also a contestant on Big Brother 10 and Big Brother 11^[42]

· Tony Gonzalez of the Atlanta Falcons grew up in Huntington Beach and attended Huntington Beach High School.^[43]

· Ian Kennedy – Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher, was born in Huntington Beach.^[44]

· Jeff Kent – retired baseball player and recipient of the 2000 MVP Baseball award was raised in Huntington Beach and attended Edison High School.^[45]

· Jürgen Klinsmann – former international professional soccer player, former soccer team coach, former coach of the German national soccer team and current coach of the United States men's national soccer team. He did move with his family in 2008 to Munich, Germany to become the coach of FC Bayern Munich^[46] and has since returned.

· Scott Lipsky – professional tennis player, lives in Huntington Beach.

· David Martin – professional tennis player, lives in Huntington Beach.

· Cherokee Parks – retired professional basketball player, was born in Huntington Beach and attended Marina High School.^{[citation needed]}

· Joan Weston – Roller Derby Blonde Amazon.^[47]

· Bob Wolcott – former Seattle Mariners pitcher, was born in Huntington Beach.^[48]

Military

· Violet Cowden – Aviator and member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II.^[49]

Musicians

· The rock/metal band Avenged Sevenfold grew up and currently reside here. Lead guitarist Synyster Gates has said he enjoys nothing more than cruising Huntington Beach on his chopper.^[50]

· The punk rock band The Offspring was formed here in 1984.^[51]

· The ska punk rock band Reel Big Fish formed here in 1992.

· Dean Torrence, from the 1960s Pop group Jan and Dean, who co-authored the famous song "Surf City" (#1 in 1963), said that Huntington Beach embodies the song's spirit of freedom and California fun.^[52]

· Christian Jacobs, The MC Bat Commander of The Aquabats, resides in Huntington Beach.^[53]

· Matt Costa, the folk pop singer, was born in Huntington Beach.^[54]

· The Vandals, a punk rock band formed in Huntington Beach^[55]

· All members of the band Millionaires are from Huntington Beach.

· David Silveria formerly from the rock band Korn resides in Huntington Beach^[56]

· Scott Weiland, of the Stone Temple Pilots and formerly of Velvet Revolver, attended Edison High School.^[57]

· Joe and Luke McGarry of the indie band Pop Noir were born in Manchester, England, but grew up and still reside in Huntington Beach.^[58]

· The reggae band, The Dirty Heads was formed in Huntington Beach.^[59]

· hellogoodbye was formed in Huntington Beach in 2001.^[60]

· Patrice Wilson, rapper, entrepreneur, and founder of Ark Music Factory, resides in Huntington Beach.

Safety

Huntington Beach Police Department MD520N helicopter

Fire protection in Huntington Beach is provided by the Huntington Beach Fire Department. Law enforcement is provided by the Huntington Beach Police Department. Huntington Beach Marine Safety Officers and its seasonal lifeguards are recognized as some of the best in the world with a top notch safety record. It has an active Community Emergency Response Team training program, that trains citizens as Disaster Service Workers certified by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a part of a free program run by the fire department's Office of Emergency Services.

Emergency services are also provided at State Beach locations. Peace Officers and lifeguards can be found at Bolsa Chica and Huntington State Beach. Such services consist of: aquatic rescues, boat rescues, first aid and law enforcement. All services are provided by the State of California, Dept. Parks & Recreation.

In 1926, the Santa Ana River dam failed, and flash-flooded its entire delta. The southern oceanic terminus of this delta is now a settled area of Huntington Beach. The distant dam is still functional, but silting up, which is expected to reduce its storage volume, and therefore its effectiveness at flood-prevention. The flood and dam-endangered areas are protected by a levee, but lenders require expensive flood insurance in the delta. There have been serious discussions to eliminate the need for flood insurance and this requirement has already been waived in some areas and may one day no longer be considered a credible threat.

Since it is a seaside city, Huntington Beach has had tsunami warnings, storm surge (its pier has been rebuilt three times), sewage spills, tornadoes and waterspouts. The cold offshore current prevents hurricanes. The Pier that was rebuilt in the 1990s was engineered to withstand severe storms or earthquakes.

Large fractions of the settled delta are in earthquake liquefaction zones above known active faults. Most of the local faults are named after city streets.

Many residents (and even city hall) live within sight and sound of active oil extraction and drilling operations. These occasionally spew oil, causing expensive clean-ups. Large parts of the developed land have been contaminated by heavy metals from the water separated from oil.

The local oil has such extreme mercury contamination that metallic mercury is regularly drained from oil pipelines and equipment. Oil operations increase when the price of oil rises. Some oil fields have been approved for development. The worst-polluted areas have been reclaimed as parks. At least one Superfund site, too contaminated to be a park, is at the junction of Magnolia and Hamilton streets, near Edison High School.^[61]

Sister cities

Huntington Beach has the following sister city relationships, according to the Huntington Beach Sister City Association:^[62]

· Anjo, Aichi, Japan

· Waitakere, New Zealand

Huntington Beach also has youth exchange programs with both cities, sending four teenagers on an exchange student basis for two weeks in order to gather different cultural experiences.

There are many things to consider when purchasing a home. Yes, Sq. ft., lot size, style of home, city, and other criteria will play a significant part in your consideration, but one thing that gets easily overlooked is school district options. Let's take my family's situation for example. During the frenzied real estate market in 2004 it was typical for houses to have multiple offers. In the excitement of our desire to own (being first time homebuyers) and in our haste, our lack of attention to details (such as schools) would ultimately create a problem for us in the future. Also, newly engaged, having children were a part of our future plan, but way in the future. Thinking we would only live in the house for 5-7 years, our interest in the school district didn't seem that important. Fast forward to 2008, with our newborn daughter Rylee now a part of our family, schools have now become a major dominating thought. Our plan of moving in the 5-7 years has been stalled by the downturn in the economy and uncertainty of the future. My wife and I love our house, but our child means everything to us and we want her to have the best public education possible. As school budgets are strained and education in many parts of the country is failing, parents have to be especailly choosy. Our school district isn’t horrible, but for us, middle of the road isn’t good enough. Fortunately, we still have three years for Rylee to enter kindergarten so there is still time to explore some options. My hope is that by sharing this, you and your family will take the time to consider what district your child will attend and avoid the same challenge we are experiencing.

Orange County Schools

School Info

Finding the right home often means finding the right school district for your children. Studies suggest that homes surrounding high-performing schools may enjoy higher values (School Performance Can Increase Home Values and Buyer Interest).

Use the links below the find information about Orange County’s schools.

Orange County Private Schools
Local School Directory

Please note that this link will take you to a third-party website. While Westline Real Estate is providing this site as a resource to help you find additional school information, it is not an endorsement or recommendation of the site or the schools it lists.

Compare Schools, Find Test Results, and Teacher to Pupil Ratios
Visit the State of California's School Finder Website

Department of Education
County of Orange
State of California

Thank you,

Alan Adamo
Westline Real Estate
(714) 726-5429
www.westlinerealestate.com

MORTGAGE INTEREST DEDUCTION AND THE GOVERNMENT

The standoff for lawmakers to reach a deal preventing the US from default has been reached. What does this mean to us? That has yet to be seen, but Moody’s came out to say regardless of congress decisions and plans to cut the deficit they will still lead to a negative outlook on the AAA rating. This will mean borrowing costs will increase (home loans, auto loans, credit cards) as the biggest holders of debt lose faith in the US government and sell Treasuries. The US is 14.3 trillion in debt, much higher if you factor in the unfunded liabilities such as Medicare, Social Security, etc. Looks like the MID (mortgage interest deduction) might be affected here as part of the larger plan. This may be the worst possible time to discuss changing tax laws and affecting an already fragile economy and real estate market in the US. Read on for Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist stance on the future of MID.

It's not like the housing market needs any more headwinds, so here's the government potentially giving us another: The mortgage interest deduction is back in big play in the budget deal. It never exactly came off the table, but the bigger the budget deal, the more likely the mortgage deduction will take a bigger hit. Right now, home loan borrowers can deduct the amount of interest they pay on their mortgages from their taxable income. This goes for principal residences and second homes. The interest deduction is capped at the first million dollars of debt on the home. For
home equity loans it's capped at $100,000 in debt. The deduction costs the US Treasury about an estimated $100 billion a year. There are proposals now to either reduce the cap to $500,000 and/or to eliminate the deduction on second homes. Eliminating the deduction on second homes would save about $15 billion, and reducing the cap to $500,000 would save another $15 billion,
according to economist William Wheaton at MIT. 10.5% of existing home sales in June were of homes over $500,000 according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Then there's the idea from the President's bipartisan commission of turning the interest deduction into a 12 percent credit, limited to $500,000 in mortgage debt, only on primary residences.
That could save the Treasury $65 billion. Obviously all this hits the middle class, urban borrowers the hardest because they're the ones with homes in the $500,000 to $1 million range.
Realtors, home builders, investors, vacation home owners, even politicians hate these proposals, because they take money out of their pockets and because they provide a strong disincentive to
buy a home right now. Then again, others argue that it just fosters over-borrowing, as potential homeowners see the deduction as making the loan less than it really is, which it doesn't.
Interesting, in Canada, they don't have a mortgage interest deduction on personal residences, but they do on investment properties; this makes a lot more sense to me, as it is a business expense. It also fosters investment in housing, which is precisely what the US could use more of right now. Of course if the US government defaults on its debt, the housing/mortgage markets will have a lot bigger issues to deal with than the potential loss of a tax deduction; like, say, mortgage rates
going through the roof.

Homeownership Tax Benefits must be preserved. Any changes to the mortgage interest deduction now or in the future could threaten recent progress toward stabilizing the housing market, critically erode home prices and values, destroy middle-class wealth accumulation and hurt economic growth. That was the message delivered by National Association of Realtors® NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun during today’s Rethinking the Mortgage Interest Deduction forum, where he joined a panel of experts to debate the future of the MID. The event was hosted by the Tax Policy Center, a joint venture of the Urban Institute and Brookings Institute, and the Reason Foundation.

“As the leading advocate for housing and homeownership, NAR firmly believes that the mortgage interest deduction is vital to the stability of the American housing market and economy,” said Yun. “The MID facilitates home ownership by reducing the carrying costs of owning a home, and it makes a real difference to hard-working middle-class families.”

Yun argued that now is the worst possible time to discuss changing the tax laws, which could further impair the housing market’s fragile recovery and a broader job market recovery.

“One thing that is indisputable is that eliminating the MID will lower the homeownership rate in the U.S.,” he said. “While we must ensure that the conditions that led to the artificially inflated home ownership rate of the bubble years do not resurface, we also need to create the conditions for sustainable home ownership, which has been shown to provide myriad social benefits for families and communities.”

During the debate, Yun challenged recent proposals calling for changes to the tax code, stating that it’s a misplaced argument to say the MID was a cause of the housing market bubble and is suddenly part of the deficit problem, when it’s been part of the federal tax code for more than 100 years.

Reducing or eliminating the MID is a de facto tax increase on homeowners, who already pay 80 to 90 percent of U.S. federal income tax. Yun said the share could rise to 95 percent if the MID is eliminated.

“Doing away with the MID shouldn’t be thought of as removing a tax break for homeowners, but rather increasing taxes on the middle class,” he said. “Furthermore, housing equity has been a major source of funds for small businesses, and any change to the MID will greatly hamper their ability to create jobs.”

Yun also asserted that it’s a misconception that only the wealthy benefit from the MID, when in reality it benefits primarily middle- and lower income families. Almost two-thirds of those who claim the MID are middle-income earners and 91 percent of people who claim the MID earn less than $200,000 per year.

Thank you,

Alan Adamo
Westline Real Estate
(714) 726-5429
www.westlinerealestate.com

 Not only does home ownership matter, it is the most important message of the National Association of Realtors for 2011. According to the most recent data from the Federal Reserve, the median net worth of home-owning families is more than $200k, compared with about $5k for families who rent. Moreover, families that buy a home and begin building equity can, in the long run, be more self-reliant than those who don’t. That alone is a worthy justification for government incentives, such as the *mortgage interest deduction (which policy makers want to eliminate due to what they feel is a loss of tax revenue), and capital gains exemption. Home ownership also has a significant positive impact on educational achievement, civic participation, health, and overall quality of life. Media personality Martha Stewart eloquently said of the American Dream... “Our families and our homes are the center of American life. And everything we do is to make those homes--and the lives in them--more beautiful, more comfortable, more functional, and more full of life and light and joy for those we love. At the end of the day, that is the American Dream. All the rest is window dressing.”

Real Estate is critical to the national economic recovery. Every home sale and commercial real estate transaction generates direct economic activity and jobs. Most of these transactions generate work that stays within the United States.

Here is an interesting poll gathered by The New York Times regarding home ownership June 29^th, 2011.Poll: 9 in 10 Americans Value Home Ownership
While nearly one-quarter of home owners owe more on their home than it’s currently worth, Americans still see the value in home ownership and still consider it part of the American dream.

Nearly nine in 10 Americans say home ownership is an important part of the American dream, according to the latest New York Times and CBS News poll conducted June 24-28 of 979 adults.

Overall, the majority of Americans polled also said the government should do more to help improve the housing market, and they mostly blame financial institutions for the sluggish housing market.

Here are some of the findings from the poll:

54 percent of those polled say the government should be doing more to improve the housing market. Only 16 percent say the government should be doing less. In fact, support for helping people who are facing financial distress from housing is higher than support for helping those who have been unemployed for several months.

53 percent say the government should help in providing financial assistance to those who are having trouble paying their mortgages.

*Nearly no one surveyed was in favor of discontinuing the mortgage interest tax deduction, which government leaders have been eyeing as part of budget cuts.

42 percent of respondents blame lenders and 29 percent blame regulators for the housing crash.

About 66 percent of Americans say strategic default — that is, when underwater home owners stop making payments on their mortgage even though they have the means to keep paying — is not justified. Nearly 30 percent of those surveyed say strategic default is justified.

Source: “Despite Fears, Owning Home Retains Allure, Poll Shows,” The New York Times (June 29, 2011)

Call, email, or text Alan at Westline Real Estate if you would like additional information about home ownership. At your request, I will send you a FREE report on Home Ownership Matters… To People--To Communities--To America. For more than 100 years, REALTORS® have helped people find their piece of the American Dream. Now, with some questioning whether home ownership is still good for America, it’s more important than ever to stand up for home ownership... in your community and in the nation’s capital. Find out more about why Home Ownership Matters, how the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® is standing up for it, and how you can help spread the word, at REALTOR.org/homeownership.

Thank you,

Alan Adamo
Westline Real Estate
(714) 726-5429
www.westlinerealestate.com

Property Tax Appeals

Within the last couple of weeks, you should have received your Property Value Notice from the county assessor's office. This notice indicates the assessed value that the property taxes will be based on for the 2011-2012 tax year.

If the assessed value of your property is greater than the market value, you can appeal the property value assessment.

In many cases, the county assessor's office has already reduced the assessed value of properties that have declined in value. However, many properties may still have assessed values greater than the market value. Even if the assessor has reduced the assessment, if you are not satisfied with the new assessed value, believing that the assessment is still above market value, you still have the option to appeal the assessment.

For the purpose of property taxes, the value is as of January 1, 2011.

Assistance

If you need any information or assistance in filing appeals for your property taxes, I can help. You'll need comps from January 1^st and a few months prior. Who knows, you may have even been thinking about selling your property? I am here to help you save money. Call me if you have any questions.

Appeal Period

For Orange County, the appeal period ends September 15^th. In Los Angeles County the appeal period goes through November 30^th.

Homeowners Exemption

Remember to verify that you have the property tax homeowner’s exemption (for owner occupied properties). Many homeowners don't take advantage of this exemption which will save them at least $70 on their property taxes. Call me if you need more information.

Assessors' Websites

Orange County: Orange County Assessor

Los Angeles County: LA County Assessor

Thank you,

Alan Adamo
Westline Real Estate
(714) 726-5429
www.westlinerealestate.com