Some Good News Releases Put Out By C.A.R. This Week

With all of the frustration many realtors and consumers are feeling over the low inventory levels this year it is important to remember we still have a lot of good news happening in the real estate world. The California Association of Realtors sent out a news release Monday that showed renewed confidence in the housing industry among consumers, which began on a lower note at the start of the year. Citing a Fannie Mae survey, C.A.R. noted that 68% of those surveyed believe now is a good time to buy, and over half believe things will continue to improve in the housing markets this year. Interestingly, around a quarter of respondents said their household income has increased "significantly" this year.

In California, the news about distressed homes was especially good. In January 2009, 69.5% of all homes sold in California were established as distressed, which includes short sales and real estate-owned (REOs) properties. This January, the number had shrunk to 15.6%. The main reason for this is vastly improved home prices lifting the market value of many underwater homes and, as a result, many homeowners have gained significant equity in their homes (thus resulting in fewer short sales and foreclosures). Even more remarkable, California’s median home price has soared more than 64 percent from $249,960 in January 2009 to $410,990 in January 2014.

I was also glad to read that on Tuesday leaders of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee outlined clearly the bi-partisan plans for legislation to wind down government-owned mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that have long been promised. Lawmakers from both parties want to revamp the $10 trillion mortgage market to make it less likely taxpayers will ever be put on the hook again like they were after the housing crash. Under the proposal, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would be wound down and replaced with a new government "re-insurer" called the Federal Mortgage Insurance Corp., which would only provide assistance after private creditors had taken a hit. The entity would be financed by fees on lenders who want the government backstop and be modeled after the FDIC, so...we'll see how that goes. But it is a positive step in the right direction.

Is Backyard Beekeeping The Next Big Thing In SoCal?

Most people, I think, are somewhat aware of the massive bee die-off over the last decade and how it is affecting crops around the globe. Starting in the Fall of 2006, beekeepers in the United States began reporting losses of 30% to 90% of their hives. While colony losses are not unexpected, especially over the winter, the magnitude of recent losses has been unusually high. Honey bees pollinate $30 billion worth of crops in the U.S., including the nearly $4 billion California almond crop now blooming in the Central Valley that depends on 1.4 million of the rented hives to grow the nuts. Honey bees pollinate roughly 1/3 of the food Americans consume, and we also eat over 400 million pounds of honey in America each year.

Colony Collapse Disorder is the name given to the mysterious condition decimating the honey bee population that is being blamed on everything from using a combination of certain pesticides to global warming to trucking hives of stressed out bees all over the place to pollinate. CCD isn't going to be solved by backyard beekeepers, but I thought it was pretty interesting to see that the City of Torrance and the City of Los Angeles might be joining other towns across the country like New York, Santa Monica and our own Redondo Beach in allowing residents to raise honey bees for their own use, as well as to help with commercial growing.

Redondo Beach has actually allowed backyard beekeeping since 2012, but it has been just a few local hobbyists who have applied for permits. This new movement is designed to get an urban crusade moving fast after an especially brutal, unexplained die-off of the bees after Winter of last year. Another goal of increased petitioning for urban backyard beekeeping is just simply to get people educated. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, produce values would plummet by $15 billion in our country alone if we can't find a way pretty quickly to provide the bees with a healthy ecosystem. It's a scary problem...but we are a nation of problem solvers so I would love to hear what some of your thoughts about this are.

Theme For Redesign Of Hermosa's South Park To Be 'Imagination'

Looks like they are finally getting close to breaking ground on the almost decade long plans to redesign what locals call South Park at Valley Drive and 4th Street in Hermosa Beach. South Bay media has been reporting that the meeting held in City Council chambers at the end of last month to discuss forward progress of the long gestating park plans had community members and residents buzzing when they left. A couple of conceptual ideas were discussed but almost all of the attendees chose the "imagination" theme over a beach theme that was deemed too kitschy.

MIG, the landscape firm that presented the designs, is known for its 'green' projects. The design that was favored includes winding dry creek beds, designed to catch run-off in the rains, and a children’s garden that will give young gardeners a safe way to experience the natural flora of California. A play area for young tots filled with natural elements such as logs, sand and water trimmed by winding edges was envisioned, as well as an area for older children that will have more traditional type swings and playground equipment. At the top of the park's hill there will be a series of bird-cage shaped metal frames with artwork encouraging children to cover the cages with blankets or sheets to turn them into forts or igloos or African huts.

One of the things I loved hearing about was that the various ideas local children have had over the years for improving the park were incorporated into the plans. In a nod to disabled children in the community, there are also activities planned for all abilities such as the pavilion in the center of the park that leads to a play platform accessible by bridge, rope course or 'easy access' ground pathway. There are also plans for a meditative labyrinth maze, an activity that has been shown to be soothing for autistic children. A sensory garden, suggested by one resident's vision impaired child who lives near the park, will also be incorporated.

MIG is going to tweak the plans ahead of the April 1st presentation before the Parks and Recreation Commission and, if all goes well, things could get moving pretty quickly. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that this is finally the light at the end of the tunnel after such a long wait for all of you Hermosa kids, parents and grandparents!

Pier To Pier Run/Walk, Arbor Day Celebration And Crazy Kite Festival Provide Outdoor Variety This Weekend

After last weekend's rainy mess, this weekend looks like a perfect time to enjoy some outdoor activities. The Spring Pier to Pier Run/Walk from the Hermosa Beach Pier to the Manhattan Beach Pier is a good way to start the day off right on Saturday. Presented by GI Joe Bootcamp, the annual event challenges runners to see how fast they can move in the sand from pier to pier and back while providing participants with a great workout. 1st and 2nd place winners will get gift certificates to Village Runner and, for extra incentive, anybody who beats the men's or women's current speed record wins $100. There will also be a party afterward at Cantina Real in Hermosa where T-shirts, goodie bags and raffle prizes will be handed out.

Also on Saturday, El Segundo celebrates Arbor Day with hundreds of volunteers planting and caring for trees along the stretch of Grand Avenue that leads to the beach. Organized by Tree Musketeers, a youth-led organization dedicated to empowering young people to become environmental leaders, the event is free and open to all. The neat thing about Tree Musketeers is that, unlike most youth programs created and dictated by adults, this group was started by a group of third graders wondering how they could help the Earth. All activities and decisions are made by the kids, with adults serving as a support system only. Arbor Day is their largest annual gathering and lunch and prizes will be offered at the end of the event. Learn more about how you can get involved here.

Sunday offers up what is sure to be some crazy fun and games at the Redondo Beach Pier as it holds the 40th Annual Festival of the Kite. And the 8th Annual Hot Dog on a Stick Eating Contest. And the 11th Annual Redondo Throw Down Yo-Yo Competition. There will also be folk rap (!) by Tucker Booth, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu demonstrations by the famous Gracie Family, and various entertainers performing throughout the day. Prizes will be awarded for the best hand-made kite, best ground display, highest flying kite, and the youngest and "youngest at heart" kite flyers. The public is invited to help launch a massive 25’ by 14’ foot kite created by festival sponsor, Sunshine Kite Company, and the the festival will culminate with a mass group kite ascension flight on the beach south of the pier.

Home Building At Historic Lows In Southern California Amid Low Inventory

It wasn't all that long ago that buyers controlled the ebb and flow of real estate negotiations in our area. With the L.A. Times and C.A.R. reporting that Southern California home building is stuck at historic lows and inventory scarce, the tide has quickly changed and it is definitely sellers who now rule the roost. In Los Angeles County, January saw the lowest housing inventory numbers in a decade with 15,311 single family homes and condos available. That is over two-thirds less than the October 2007 peak of 53,302. There has been a slight uptick as of March 1st, but the lack of inventory, both county-wide and in the South Bay, is leaving many prospective buyers on the sidelines.

The slow construction is by far the biggest hurdle facing home buyers. Southern California's supply of new homes had dwindled to about 2,200 at the end of last year, compared with a peak of about 19,000 in 2006. Many smaller builders were wiped out by the crash and those that remain can't get financial backing from institutional investors. In the South Bay, especially, there is also the major problem of few ready-to-build lots with the necessary approvals in place. The good news is that many projects that were abandoned in the housing crash are being revived as larger, publicly traded builders revisit stalled projects.

There is, however, plenty of positive news for buyers regarding the 2014 housing market. Prices are expected to rise slightly but nothing like the 20% to 30% increases experienced throughout 2013. Mortgage rates are also rising slightly but are still lower than historical averages and, according to Zillow, actually went down yesterday for the first time in 4 weeks for a 30-year fixed. California's unemployment rate has steadily been falling as the state has regained 70% of the more than 1.3 million jobs it lost as a result of the Great Recession. And, even though inventory levels remain frustratingly low, they are still up over this time last year (January's numbers, notwithstanding). Now, if we can just get those builders building!

The Grunion Are Here!

The grunion have come flopping up on our South Bay beaches and that means that generations of folks will be out celebrating their unusual spawning ritual as well as participating in the sport of hand fishing. Grunion leave the water at night to spawn on beaches during the spring and summer months. For roughly two hours on four consecutive nights, beginning on the evenings of the full and new moons, spawning occurs. As waves break on the beach, grunion swim as far up the slope as possible.  After spawning, the males immediately retreat toward the water while the female twists free and returns with the next wave.

One of the best landing spots for the grunion in all of Southern California is near 33rd Street in Hermosa Beach. While spawning may only take 30 seconds, some fish remain stranded on the beach for several minutes. They always spawn late at night and on evenings when the moon is either new or full and the ritual is fascinating to watch. Cabrillo Beach is also an excellent spot to observe spawning and the Cabrillo Aquarium has special evenings scheduled throughout the season where you learn about the sardine-size fish (from the silversides family) from an aquarium fish expert during an auditorium program, followed by guided observation at the beach. You can find schedules and information here.

Hand fishing is also popular during grunion runs but there are some strict rules. During the open season, a fishing license is required for persons 16 years and older to capture grunion. Grunion may be taken by sport fishermen using hands only and no holes may be dug in the beach to entrap them. There is no bag limit, but fishermen may take only what they can use because it is unlawful (and unethical) to waste fish. While the season runs from March through August, you may not fish in April and May. The 2nd and 3rd days of the 4-day run have the most action, with the second hour usually being the best, and obeying the rules has led to the fish maintaining a fairly constant level year after year. Click on this link for the 2014 Hermosa Beach grunion run schedule.

Some Interesting 2014 Academy Awards Fun Facts

Since it is Oscar weekend and, except for the Super Bowl, more Americans watch the Academy Awards each year than any other television program, I thought it would be fun to post some facts I found online that you may not know about regarding this year's ceremony.

• The composer John Williams, who is nominated for his The Book Thief score, has been nominated 49 times (more than any other living person). He already has 5 Oscars to compliment his 21 Grammys. The only other person to ever get more nominations was Walt Disney, which is pretty amazing.

• There are 6,028 voters in the Academy who will decide Oscar winners, a little more than 3,300 people get to attend the event and the red carpet is more than 600 feet long.

• Of the nine Best Picture nominees, six are based on real life: The Wolf of Wall Street, Dallas Buyers Club, Philomena, 12 Years A Slave, American Hustle, and Captain Phillips. After 160 years, the book Twelve Years a Slave is back on the bestseller lists and has sold more than 150,000 copies since the film came out.

• Viewers in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Fresno and Raleigh-Durham, N.C. will get to watch the Oscar show online or on their portable devices because, for the first time ever, ABC will be streaming the ceremony live in those markets.

• Producer Megan Ellison of Her and American Hustle is the first woman and only the third person ever to snag two Best Picture nominations in the same year. Previous achievers include Francis Ford Coppola for The Conversation and The Godfather Part II (the night’s big winner) in 1974, and Scott Rudin for The Social Network and True Grit in 2010. Girl Power!

• Ellen DeGeneres is back for her second time hosting (who doesn't love Ellen?) and many of the show's hosts have emceed the program multiple times over the years, including Johnny Carson, Whoopi Goldberg and, of course, Billy Crystal. The record holder is Bob Hope, however, who hosted the show 19 times between 1939 and 1977.

As I posted in yesterday's blog, the reason there seems to be extra hype involving this year's awards is that, unlike in recent years, there are far fewer front-runners or sure things than usual. The variety of this year's nominees is all over the map, and that makes for more interesting viewing when the winners are announced. Also, years in which there are multiple hits up for nominations tend to be years with increased viewership. This year, American Hustle, Captain Phillips, The Wolf of Wall Street and Gravity all scored big numbers.

I would love to hear your thoughts and predictions regarding any of this year's nominees, and please let me know if you have any fun facts or interesting Academy Awards stories.