Looking For MY Home!

Name: Enzo Cage #: A0895563 Breed: flame point, domestic short hair Age: 5 yrs Sex: Male This week’s featured Pet of the Week for the City of Fullerton is “Enzo” a five year old, neutered male, flame point, domestic short hair, ID# A0895563. “Enzo” is a big boy who is full of love. He is hoping to find a home with a nice window seat where he can nap in the sun. Come visit “Enzo” today in person or online at ocpetinfo.com and he will be the Purrfect companion!

Sure... All it takes is the same license from the California Department of Real Estate - then all agents are created equal - right?

Definitely Not. 

The Commercial Real Estate industry is a separate world from Residential Real Estate.  Unlike the Residential world where there is 1 Multiple Listing Service per area, Commercial Real Estate has a few different networks you must belong to as well as the 'Old Boys Network'.

Let's take Fullerton, CA for example.

On the Socal MLS there are 14 Commercial Listings.  On Loopnet there are 96 active listings.  A bit of a difference.

Then there is C-REX, CATALYST, and a host of other listing services which must be searched.

In summation...

If you want to procure the right business, office, building, or commercial property in general - please work with a Commercial Real Estate Agent.

I have extensive expertise in procuring the entity which exactly fits my clients needs and am here to help you.

Spring Field Banquet Center

Located at 501 N. Harbor Blvd.

This building was the second Masonic Temple in Fullerton, taking the place of the much smaller facility at the northwest corner of Harbor Boulevard and Amerige Avenue. Rectangular in shape and three story (though multi-leveled) in height, it was constructed of hollow clay tile on a poured concrete foundation. Its Spanish Colonial Revival style is not ornate but is rather clean-lined and eclectic. For example, parts of the building have a flat roof with Mission Style parapets at the north and south sides. At the same time the front portico, with its elevated entrance, has a Neo-Classical treatment.

The east fagade is the primary elevation; it is symmetrical except for an extension at the south end. At the center is a pedimented portico that is supported by two columns with unadorned capitals, arrived at by a double set of stairs. Marble cornerstones are under each column, with the Masonic emblem and date of the building's construction etched in the north one.

There are other distinguishing architectural features: the uniform placement windows, the treatment of the upper balcony on the north side and the decorative roof rafters on all building elevations. The interior spaces, especially the main meeting room on the second level with its wood paneling and detailing, are equally important features. Frank Benchley, the son of Edward Benchley and a prominent local architect, designed the building.

The Masonic Temple was the first of the major buildings to be constructed in the prosperous decade following WWI. Construction lasted nearly a year, and the final cost totaled $115,000 for the structure and its fixtures. The groups that were associated with the Masons grew in the years following the building's completion, and for a time Fullerton had more lodges and chapters than any other community in Orange County.

As a social institution, Masonic membership was predominantly made up of high-status individuals and entrepreneurs - almost always men -- until the 1940s. The lodges were social groups that had ritualistic meetings, social events like dances and picnics, and game room activities. Other functions that attracted members included moral guidance, support groups, and charitable care for orphaned children and the elderly. The Fullerton Masonic Temple had all of these functions.

The Masonic Temple was the center of social activities and charitable events in Fullerton, particularly during the years before the advent of television. Many of the City's prominent men belonged to this organization, with membership remaining well over 400 until its decline starting in the 1950s. In 1993, with membership dropping below 200 and no money available for needed improvements to the building, the Masons sold the property. The current owner completely rehabilitated the building in 1995 - and in the process restored it exterior -- as part of a conversion for its use as a banquet hall and reception center.

The phone number for the Spring Field Banquet Center is (714) 447-0579.

Santa Fe Depot

Located at 120 E. Santa Fe Avenue

The present Santa Fe Depot replaced the original Victorian depot that was constructed in 1888, a year after the arrival of the railroad in Fullerton. Built slightly east of the old depot, this poured-in-place concrete structure is about 256 feet long (plus a 150-long covered platform), designed in a Spanish Colonial style. The building's long, low-profile shape appears as a composite of forms, each with distinct features, which are assembled in a linear fashion. Arches of varying profiles appear throughout the building, while the use of a staggered gable and shed roofs with Mission tile adds to the visual complexity of the whole. This style of architecture is fully developed, with a fanciful use of detailing, such as quatrefoil windows, wooden shutters, concrete grillwork and a Monterey style balcony.

By 1990, many minor alterations to the Depot had taken place. After the Fullerton Redevelopment Agency gained ownership of the property in 1991, the Depot was fully rehabilitated and major improvements to the station were undertaken. The restoration of the Depot included the removal of the exterior paint to reveal the original varicolored stucco finish for the walls, which have been repaired and preserved. Also, many of the original interior features of the main lobby, including the ticket counter, have been replicated or restored.

The Santa Fe Depot, along with the railroad, is directly linked to the city's historical development. The Amerige Brothers founded the city only after they were assured that the Santa Fe Railroad Company would build its new line through the land they wanted to buy. The first depot was constructed in 1888, as the town was being laid out, and the railroad tracts reached Fullerton the following year. The Amerige Brothers named their 490-acre platted townsite after George Fullerton, the manager of the the real estate subsidiary of the railroad, the Santa Fe Land Company.

Much larger than the original Victorian station, the 1930-vintage depot was symbolic of the growth of Fullerton during the first 30 years of the 20th century. Upon its completion in July 1930, the Fullerton Daily New Tribune wrote, "Modern in keeping with the aspect of the city which it serves, the new depot marks another milestone in the progress of the fastest growing city in Orange County. Its construction marks the recognition of Santa Fe officials of the size to which Fullerton has attained."

Since 1930, and particularly during the 1940s, the depot has been the first building people see when they arrive in Fullerton by train. The unique character of the building carries a lasting impression -- now a very favorable one for the city -- given its recent rehabilitation.

The Fullerton Station continues to function both as a freight and passenger depot, retaining a legacy of the city's historic beginnings as well as serving as a reminder that it was the basis for the city's growth in the early part of the twentieth century.

Plummer Auditorium

Located at 201 E. Chapman Ave.

Designed by architect Carlton M. Winslow and constructed for $295,500 in 1930, the Plummer Auditorium is an outstanding example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture with Italian Renaissance design elements. The walls are poured-in-place concrete and the gable roof features red clay tiles. The imposing front fagade is symmetrical in design and richly decorated with Neo-classical motifs. A wide variety of cast concrete emblems embellish the classically shaped parapet, windows, and rectangular portico. The four story high tower is crowned with an octagonal dome clad in mosaic tile in rich shades of blue, gold, and green.

Just as outstanding is the interior workmanship and detailing. The large auditorium, which seats over 1,300 people, features an elaborate ceiling of painted and decorated rough-hewn beams, the original wrought iron chandeliers, arched side isles with composite capitals, and other classical ornamentation. In 1995, the building was fully rehabilitated and improved to meet seismic safety requirements. Additionally, the grand Wurlitzer Organ, original to the building, was restored and is in use today.

A 75-foot long, 15-foot high mural entitled "Pastoral California", painted by W.P.A. artist Charles Kassler in 1934, is found on the west side of the building under the arched arcade. A landmark in its own right, the mural is a true "fresco" - a medium rarely used for this type of artwork - that was totally restored through a community effort in 1997, after it had been covered by paint for 56 years.

The building is named for Louis E. Plummer, superintendent of Fullerton High School and Fullerton Junior College from 1919 to 1941. Mr. Plummer was highly involved in public educational activities, not only in in Fullerton but with organizations at the state and national level as well.

Plummer Auditorium was built in 1930, after several years of planning by the city's leading citizens. Since its construction the facility has been a center of entertainment for the community. Music organizations from both the high school and junior college have performed for social and civic groups. Not only do students gain their first experiences in drama, dance, and music there, the auditorium is used to stage important theatrical productions and community-oriented cultural programs. Throughout its 70-year history the auditorium has served the community well, giving Fullerton its fine reputation as a cultural and educational center for north Orange County.

Plummer Auditorium is owned by the Fullerton Joint Union High School District. Information about renting the facility may be obtained by calling the District office at (714) 870-2813.

Pierotti House and Gardens

Located at 1731 Bradford Ave.

The two-story, 4,000-sq.-ft. Pierotti House is the finest example of Neo-Classical residential architecture in the Fullerton area. Designed by Charles Shattuck of Los Angeles, the redwood-sided house features a diversity of architectural elements. Prominent among these are two pairs of fluted Ionic columns made from redwood, which support a richly detailed pedimented portico. The front balcony extends to the north to form the top of the porte-cochere. Palladian-style fans accent some of the windows, and the variety of bays and window arrangements contributes to the appearance of intricate detailing. The interior features rosewood paneling, ceiling beams and cabinetwork. The house was built with a cellar that still contains a coal-fired furnace to heat the rooms above.

A portion of the gardens and orchard that were part of the original 40-acre ranch still surrounds the structure. As an important part of the overall character of the property, the grounds contain mature plantings, special garden areas, a sunken court, and some of the original orange trees planted by Mr. Pierotti.

Mr. Pierotti commissioned Charles Shattuck to design and supervise the construction of the house. Mr. Shattuck was a prominent architect from the Los Angeles area for over fifty years. He is noted for designing several large business structures in Los Angeles, including several country clubs, the city's first produce market, and its first mausoleum. While the Pierotti House was under construction, Mr. Shattuck traveled from Los Angeles at least once a week to the property to monitor personally the progress.

The Pierotti family was one of the earliest to settle in the Fullerton-Placentia area. Attilio Pierotti played a key role in the development of organized packing, shipping, and marketing of the citrus from the area. Born in Lucca, Italy in 1857, he came to the United States in 1874, and settled in Orange County two years later. By 1909, he had acquired 40 acres of land and had enjoyed enough success in the orange-growing business so that he was able to build his two-story house for his wife, Jane, and their four children. Mr. Pierotti was actively involved with the business affairs of the community for many years, and his wife promoted many cultural activities of the era. Their house was used frequently to entertain prominent local persons and friends from Los Angeles, where the family had social connections.

Although now nearly hidden from public view behind fencing and high shrubs, the house and grounds are an excellent example of the beautifully landscaped homes of Orange County's prominent orange ranchers who gained their fortunes from the late 1890s through the 1920s. Today, the remnant .9-acre property is still owned and used as a residence by the Pierotti family.

This is a blatant solicitation for helping my daughter win the cutiest baby contest at the Orange County Register.  I am hoping the ActiveRain Community will click the link and Vote a '10' for my little one.

Submission URL: http://ocregister.upickem.net/engine/Details.aspx?PageType=APPROVED&ContestID=1838&SubmissionID=50721&IncrementNumber=1

Thank you all in advance.

Some of Orange County's biggest apartment complexes' rent is looking to drop 3.1% this year. The last drop came in 2001 after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 when they dropped 2.7% as predicted by Axiometrics Inc. Although rents from the second quarter of 2007 are up 1.5% from the year before, rents have drop the last 2 quarters sequentially at 0.7% and 0.8%.

"You'd really need a big turnaround in the third quarter for it not to go down for the year," says Jay Denton at the Dallas-based apartment analytics firm. Denton believes that a quick turnaround in rent growth is unlikely as a result of Orange County losing jobs. 19,700 jobs over 12 months have been lost as of May. 

 Axiometrics predicts the vacancy rate of the second quarter to be 5.9%, 6% by the end of the year. Denton says, "but that puts us in interesting territory," rising vacancies will put pressure on large apartment complex rents. Orange County has hit a new high for total vacancies in the 12 that Axiometrics Inc. has been collecting data.

The study surveyed 248 complexes that average 281 units. The final numbers for the second quarter are expected in mid-July.

The Orange County Assessor's Office announced that property taxes will go down next year for about 100,000 homes and condos and about 16,000 timeshares due to declining home value. Roughly 570,000 homeowners in orange county will not receive a tax cut, even with a 20% drop in home value over the last year.

Prop. 13 was approved in the 70's as a tax-fighting measure and is now the cause to our housing slump. Assessor Webster Guillory had this to say about it, "A lot of people think that because the market value is going down, they should have their taxes lowered, They don't understand how Prop. 13 works. You're not taxed on your market value unless your market value is less than your taxable value."

Guillory assures that 150,000 homes sold between 2004 and 2007 are in the process of evaluation of home values, which would probably qualify for a tax break. People who purchased their home in or before 2003 are ineligible for a  reduction because their current home value has exceeded the purchased home value. People may qualify for tax reductions if their home had been purchased in 2004 or later because their property has dropped in value.

Tax assessment notices will be mailed out, informing homeowners of the taxable value assigned to their homes as of January 1st. Taxes paid next November and February will be based of of these assessments. If property owners think the assessments are too high, they  can file appeals between July 2 and Sept. 15.

OC's Best High Schools

Orange County's best schools owe their prowess to a combination of magnet programs, motivated students, strong arts and athletics, according to the first-ever Orange County Register ranking of public, comprehensive high schools.
 
Read about the schools, search our interactive databases and join the discussions about what makes a great high school.

Read about the schools:

1. OXFORD

2. TROY

3. UNIVERSITY

4. MIDDLE COLLEGE

5. IRVINE

6. OCHSA

7. LA QUINTA

8. CYPRESS

9. NORTHWOOD

10. WOODBRIDGE

Congratulations Science Olympiad Team

NATIONAL CHAMPS!

http://www.gwu.edu/~newsctr/pressrelease.cfm?...

So, good ol' RedFin shows they have no idea about Real Estate Once Again.

Here is a clip from their news article:

"Here’s the thing: Sure, there are some agents who are clear-eyed about what’s going on and will tell you how it really is. But a better source of information about the real estate market is someone who crunches numbers and forecasts trends for a living — an economist, for example."

What the heck does an economist know about the day to day real estate trends.  They don't know anything until it closes escrow - and even then they look at too big of a picture.

A full time producing agent knows what is going on, otherwise they would be out of business.  Analysts are just that.  They can't sell anything - just tell you what HAS happened - not what will happen.

Need a passport but don’t know where to go to get the required photo taken for it?  No problem:  The Fullerton Public Library is now a ‘one stop shop’ for all your passport needs!

The library, which has been providing and accepting passport application forms since October, now is able to take passport photos, as well. 

Fees from the passport service are used by the library to make additions to its book, magazine and audio-visual collections.

Persons wishing to apply for a passport must bring a certified copy of their birth certificate (no abstracts accepted) or their original naturalization certificate.  They will also need to bring a current identification card, such as a driver’s license.  Children seeking passports must be accompanied by both parents.

Persons wishing to renew their passport must bring their old U.S. passport with them.

Applicants must bring a check or money order made out to “Passport Services” with them as cash is not accepted. 

Passport applications and documents are mailed on a daily basis by the library to the U.S. State Department’s passport division for processing.

Passport services are available from 3-7 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, and noon-4 p.m. Saturday at the Fullerton Main Library, 353 W. Commonwealth Ave., adjacent to Fullerton City Hall. 

Passport services are also available other hours by appointment.  Appointments and further information may be obtained by calling the Main Library at (714) 738-6334.

Persons requiring special accommodations to complete the application process are asked to notify the staff prior to coming to the Main Library.

Orange County has extablished a few rebate programs to defer the cost of water saving appliances, turf, sprinkler, and toilets.

The link to see each rebate is:

http://www.mwdoc.com/residential_efficiency.htm

The rebates include artifical turf replacement, changing your sprinkler heads to rotating and directional, changing your toilets to low flow or high efficiency, washing machines, and a few others. 

If you are considering purchasing something in the near future - this could save you a few bucks.

Adam Brett
RE/MAX NOC
Fullerton, CA
www.RealtorAdam.com
www.RealEstateWrapup.com

The popular weekly outdoor “Fullerton Market” returned to downtown Fullerton Thursday, April 3, offering farm-fresh produce, arts and crafts, handmade apparel, live entertainment, food booths, and activities for young people

The market, located in the Downtown Plaza on Wilshire Avenue, between Harbor Boulevard and Pomona Avenue, will be open from 4-8:30 p.m. Thursdays through Oct. 16, when it will close for the winter.

Admission is free to the market, which is in its 17th year of operation.

Fullerton Market “creates an atmosphere similar to a European-style open air market, where shoppers meet their neighbors and get to know their community a little better, as well as find lots of bargains,” said Ashley Glass, special events coordinator for the city.

In addition to the produce vendors, the market will feature a live band each Thursday.  The bands, which will range from rock to country, will perform from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Along with the entertainment, the market will feature a beer and wine garden for adults and a Kids’ Korner, which will offer special activities to keep children happy while their parents shop.  During warm weather, the Plaza’s pop jet fountain provides a great cooling-off spot for youngsters who are welcome to wear their swim suits.

Applications are still available for local farmers, artisans, merchants and community organizations wishing to operate booths in the market.

The market is open to certified farmers, artists and crafters, Fullerton businesses, nonprofit organizations and food vendors.  Applications must be completed at least seven days prior to the desired date of participation in the market.

Booth applications and further information may be obtained at the Fullerton Museum Center, 301 N. Pomona Ave.

Applications may also be obtained on market days at the information booth.

Parking for the market may be found in any of the free downtown lots or in the parking structures at Wilshire (enter from Harbor);  Lemon Street and Chapman Avenue;  and in the Transportation Center on Pomona and Santa Fe Avenue.

Further information about Fullerton Market may be obtained by calling Glass at (714) 738-3338 or the Fullerton Museum Center at (714) 738-6545.

Persons requiring special accommodations to attend the market are asked to notify museum staff prior to coming to the market.

Fullerton Market is sponsored by the Fullerton Parks and Recreation Department.