Vacation time is over and it's time to get back to work. We took the month of August off and went back east to visit and care for our Grandson. Some of you will remember Dane, he lived with us in our Rancho home on Rosebay as a small child, he loved to walk and we spent a lot of time at the park, he even went on listing presentations with me. He is now 18 and will graduate from his special school next year. We look forward to our Son being able to relocate to California soon, and we can be closer to them. Our trip, by car, took us from Long Beach to Pottstown, PA and then down to Key West, Florida. Several days at Disneyworld wore us completely out and we were extremely glad to get back to Pottstown and rest up for the drive home. We finally arrived home just after Labor Day weekend, having put over 9,000 miles on the Mustang, with only one speeding ticket (49 mph in a 40 mph zone, they are really tough in South Carolina!).

All across the country the news was the slowdown in the real estate market, it seemed like every newspaper we picked up repeated the same scenario for their city and state. The home prices had seemed to have grown all across the country, but they are still a lot lower than in our neighborhood. I've said it again and again, we live in the best area possible. The heat and humidity on most of the east coast is not to my liking. Luckily we missed almost all of the stormy weather, but it threatened us all across the country. I'll take California over any other state in the continental USA.

I missed the turmoil over the issue of McMansions and the potential for increased building permit restrictions for the Ranchos. I didn't get an opportunity to speak to the city Council on this issue on September 18th. I went down to the council Chambers earlier that day expecting to speak at the Housing & Neighborhoods Committee, only to find that McMansionization was not on their agenda. I did plan to return later, after another commitment, since the items affecting this issue were well down on the Council Agenda was Item 37 and 44. Before I went back downtown I checked the Internet and saw that the Council had already acted on these items and the public had gone home. I did get to review the coverage on the Internet and was happy to see that several neighbors had gotten a chance to speak. I had wanted to speak on behalf of the more conventionally styled homes, like the majority of our Carson Park and Los Altos Plaza homes. There is concern over the affect of these large homes on their immediate neighbors, but for the most part they have only helped to increase the property values. I agree with the proposals to strongly maintain setbacks and parking considerations, and I look forward to seeing continuing dialog on this subject and the chance for community input. I strongly believe that the rights of property owners must be protected and placing too many restrictions on our ability to improve our homes, must be watched very closely. In case you missed any of this in the news the City Council has taken the following action:

1) Request the City Attorney to prepare an interim ordinance regarding Rancho Estates to be presented on October 16, 2007 to prohibit the construction of second stories, prohibit demolition's and amend the current definition of demolition to limit the amount of existing exterior walls that can be removed; and direct the Planning Commission to study and make recommendations on the development standards for new construction and remodels in the Rancho Estate area, and the creation of design guidelines with community involvement.

I have been told that all homeowners in the Ranchos will be notified, in writing, of intended community meetings designed to gather public input.

2) Request the City Attorney to prepare a Citywide interim ordinance to be presented at the October 16, 2007 meeting to require the use of story poles in all districts when a building height variance is requested; and alter the public noticing standards to; require all property owners and tenants be noticed, require a minimum 500 foot notification radius and a minimum of two blocks in both directions of the property containing project and hearing information, and direct the Planning Commission to make recommendations regarding making the interim standards permanent. My understanding of "Story poles" is that they are some form of structural material demonstrating the intended modified structure. The October 16th City Council Meeting should be very interesting and I encourage as many people as possible to attend, or watch on the Cities Web site or Cable TV. The City Web site is: www.longbeach.gov, look for City Council Meeting, and Video or Agenda.

As I have mentioned before there is also a web site designed encourage group communication within the 5th District. Visit the site to see what some groups are doing and if you are interested get on the list for notification of future meetings. www.5thdistrictgoodneighbornetwork.com

I was able to attend the 5th District Good Neighborhood Picnic on Sunday September 23. The turnout was great and Gerrie Schipski and her whole office are to be commended for the work required to put the affair together. I had a great time talking with representatives of the Surfrider Association, the various schools in the neighborhood, like the Rosie The Riveter Charter High School located at 690 Studebaker Rd. This school was designed for women interested in earning a High School and College credits at the same time. Students can learn Construction Trades and hands on training, developing the job skills to qualify for good paying jobs upon graduation. Neighbor, Peter LaBarba, had a display setup supporting the adoption of greyhounds. He had some beautiful, well mannered dogs at the site and I hope he met some interested families.

The Port of Long Beach was well represented and they have an event coming up on Saturday, October 13 that could be of interest to almost everyone. They are holding a Public Open House, featuring a number of interactive displays and free, hourly boat tours of the Harbor . This event will be at the Port Administrative Building from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with free parking at the Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Highway. Shuttle buses provide transportation to the dock area.

The antique Fire Engine and info on the Fire Department Museum was especially interesting. I brought home a great deal of useful information. I wasn't able to stay for the music, but I did get to woof down a free hot dog. I hope we will see more of these type get-togethers in the future. I got another disturbing call from a neighbor in the 3000 block of Kallin about a number of homeowners having plants stolen or damaged recently. I reported a similar problem up on Killdee and Stevely, some time back, which forced a neighbor to construct a tall fence around her front yard to prevent further loss. This is shameful, and I encourage calling the police about any theft on your property. I can only advise people to get together and form a Neighborhood Watch group on your block in the hope someone will report suspicious activity and neighbors can share experiences. Neighborhood Watch can be a big help with problems like this and other things like neighborhood disturbances or nuisances, graffiti, auto theft, scam operators and probably a lot of other problems. For help in setting up a Neighborhood Watch group, contact:

Neighborhood Watch Coordinator at 570-7229

This in from Millikan High School. The Booster Club is planning a fundraising Baseball Alumni Dinner in November and are looking for past players. Names and addresses should be e-mailed to, ckandco@verizon.net or mailed to,

Rams Baseball Booster PO Box 50102 Long Beach, CA 90815

My Wife spotted this item in the Grunion Gazette and thought it worth including in the newsletter.

Mizuno Long Beach Volleyball Club is holding tryouts and clinics in October and November. They offer clinics and try outs for all ages at the Long Beach City College Women's Gym. For complete details visit their web site at: www.mizunolongbeach.com

It's Flu Shot time

Starting October 23 the City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services will be providing flu shots for seniors, 60 years and older, individuals over 18 with chronic medical conditions and pregnant women at ten clinics throughout the city. Adequate supplies of flu vaccine are expected this year. Seniors with Medicare Part B, should bring their card to the clinic a $2 donation. Pregnant women must bring a note from their doctor approving them to receive a flu shot during pregnancy.

El Dorado Park Senior Center Thursday, October 25 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

It is very simple to make arrangements to receive a flu shot through this program. Beginning October 15 appointments can be made by calling the Health Department's Shot line at 570-4270 Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Walk-in patients will be seen but by making an appointment residents may avoid long lines.

I don't have a great deal to say on real estate, everything seems to be moving in slow motion. The few properties that sell are at prices similar to last year. There are some really sharp homes on the market, but the number of buyers are down significantly and I see very long listing periods. Lending requirements have toughened significantly, with expectations of ten percent or better down payments and very good credit ratings. I expect to see an increase in seller financing to help move homes.

I think we will continue to see a settling in the market through the end of this year and into the first quarter of 2008, this is not a terrible thing, prices went up so fast that a simple settling should be considered good, compared to what might have been a real drop in the market. Some speculate that the year end market might be hot, caused by those buyers wanting to get in at the current level of pricing for tax purposes and expecting the market to recover in 2008. So much for my crystal ball, it is not much help for folks forced to sell now.

Fortunately, for most of us, real estate is more than just an investment, it is our home and I know we would all hope to withstand periods like this without having to sell. Real estate will always show a positive return, if held over a decent period of time, so if you have to move consider renting for a couple of years. This is always good advise for folks planning on relocating out of the area, this way you have a home to come back to if things don't work out.

Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy listing and selling homes, I just want what's right and best for all my clients. Please visit my newly updated web site and search for homes of interest and other fun things.

A message from the Friends of Long Beach Animals, saving lives through Spay /Neuter & Education.

Is your dog a good citizen? Does he have a current license & I.D. tag. Does he wear them? Is he kept in a house or yard? Loose dogs cause problems and aren't safe. Has he been taught not to make excessive noise, like barking when left alone? Do you pick up after him when he goes to the bathroom? Is he kept clean & healthy? Has he been taught to come, sit, stay, lie down and heel? I'm sure females are included in the list.

Ron Beeler
El Dorado Realty Inc.
3810 Orange Ave. & 1790 Bellflower Blvd.
429-0686 or 243-0645