Camarillo Life & Real Estate

Are you ready for this?

The Google phone, gphone, is not an actual cell phone like the iphone, but rather an operating system that could run on different cell phone models.

Can you imagine that!!! No network restrictions. Google's only obstacle now is the wireless carriers who have total control over the software and services consumers can access on cell phones.

Here is the full story on the gphone as reported on foxnews.com.

After tossing her books on the sofa, she decided to grab a snack and get on-line. She logged on under her screen name ByAngel213. She checked her Buddy List and saw GoTo123 was on. She sent him an instant message:

ByAngel213:
Hi. I'm glad you are on! I thought someone was following me home today. It was really weird!

GoTo123:
LOL You watch too much TV. Why would someone be following you?
Don't you live in a safe neighborhood?

ByAngel213:
Of course I do. LOL I guess it was my imagination cuz' I didn't see anybody when I looked out.

GoTo123:
Unless you gave your name out on-line. You haven't done that have you?

ByAngel213:
Of course not. I'm not stupid you know.

GoTo123:
Did you have a softball game after school today?

ByAngel213:
Yes and we won!!

GoTo123:
That's great! Who did you play?

ByAngel213:
We played the Hornets. LOL. Their uniforms are so gross! They look like bees. LOL

GoTo123:
What is your team called?

ByAngel213:
We are the Canton Cats. We have tiger paws on our uniforms. They are really cool.

GoTo1 23:
Did you pitch?

ByAngel213:
No I play second base. I got to go. My homework has to be done before my parents get home. I don't want them mad at me. Bye!

GoTo123:
Catch you later. Bye

Meanwhile.......GoTo123 went to the member menu and began to search for her profile. When it came up, he highlighted it and printed it out. He took out a pen and began to write down what he knew about Angel so far.

Her name: Shannon
Birthday: Jan. 3, 1985
Age: 13
State where she lived: North Carolina

Hobbies: softball, chorus, skating and going to the mall. Besides this information, he knew she lived in Canton because she had just told him. He knew she stayed by herself until 6:30 p.m. every afternoon until her parents came home from work. He knew she played softball on Thursday afternoons on the school team, and the team was named the Canton Cats. Her favorite number 7 was printed on her jersey. He knew she was in the eighth grade at the Canton Junior High School . She had told him all this in the conversations they had on- line. He had enough information to find her now.

Shannon didn't tell her parents about the incident on the way home from the ballpark that day. She didn't want them to make a scene and stop her from walking home from the softball games. Parents were always overreacting and hers were the worst. It made her wish she was not an only child. Maybe if she had brothers and sisters, her parents wouldn't be so overprotective.

By Thursday, Shannon had forgotten about the footsteps following her.

Her game was in full swing when suddenly she felt someone staring at her. It was then that the memory came back. She glanced up from her second base position to see a man watching her closely.

He was leaning against the fence behind first base and he smiled when she looked at him. He didn't look scary and she quickly dismissed the sudden fear she had felt.

After the game, he sat on a bleacher while she talked to the coach. She noticed his smile once again as she walked past him. He nodded and she smiled back. He noticed her name on the back of her shirt. He knew he had found her.

Quietly, he walked a safe distance behind her. It was only a few blocks to Shannon 's home, and once he saw where she lived he quickly returned to the park to get his car.

Now he had to wait. He decided to get a bite to eat until the time came to go to Shannon 's house. He drove to a fast food restaurant and sat there until time to make his move.

Shannon was in her room later that evening when she heard voices in the living room.

"Shannon, come here," her father called. He sounded upset and she couldn't imagine why. She went into the room to see the man from the ballpark sitting on the sofa.

"Sit down," her father began, "this man has just told us a most interesting story about you."

Shannon sat back. How could he tell her parents anything? She had never seen him before today!

"Do you know who I am, Shannon ?" the man asked.

"No," Shannon answered.

"I am a police officer and your online friend, GoTo123."

Shannon was stunned. "That's impossible! GoTo is a kid my age! He's 14. And he lives in Michigan !"

The man smiled. "I know I told you all that, but it wasn't true. You see, Shannon , there are people on-line who pretend to be kids; I was one of them. But while others do it to injure kids and hurt them, I belong to a group of parents who do it to protect kids from predators. I came here to find you to teach you how dangerous it is to talk to people on-line. You told me enough about yourself to make it easy for me to find you. You named the school you went to, the name of your ball team and the position you played. The number and name on your jersey just made finding you a breeze."

Shannon was stunned. "You mean you don't live in Michigan ?"

He laughed. "No, I live in Raleigh It made you feel safe to think I was so far away, didn't it?"

She nodded.

"I had a friend whose daughter was like you. Only she wasn't as lucky. The guy found her and murdered her while she was home alone. Kids are taught not to tell anyone when they are alone, yet they do it all the time on-line. The wrong people trick you into giving out information a little here and there on-line.. Before you know it, you have told them enough for them to find you without even realizing you have done it. I hope you've learned a lesson from this and won't do it again. Tell others about this so they will be safe too?"

"It's a promise!"

That night Shannon and her Dad and Mom all knelt down together and thanked God for protecting Shannon from what could have been a tragic situation.

This was emailed to me by a friend. Author is unknown.

It's a beautiful day outside and you just want to get out and go to the nearest coffee shop or restaurant to sit outside so you can enjoy a cup of coffee and the fresh air at the same time. But, you have a huge project due and the deadline is just around the corner. You are stuck behind that cumputer until you are done and by the time you are finished the beautiful sun has set and it's time for bed.

No worries my friend, there are a few Wi-Fi HOTSPOTS IN CAMARILLO where you can sit down, get your work done, have your lunch/coffee, and enjoy our beautiful Southern California weather.

Below is a list of the current Wi-Fi Hotspot locations in Camarillo:

 Source: JIWire.com

As you know here in California we are going through some tragic events caused by wildfires. Many California residents have lost their homes in these fires that were/are scattered in 7 counties, Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, and San Diego counties. So far the California wildfires have burnt 356,000 plus acres and continue to burn. More than 68,500 homes and 2,200 businesses are threatened by fires, and 321,000 residents have fled their homes. (Source: Bloomberg.com)

It is at times like these that we all come together and give our helping hands to those in needs. Many children this year won't be celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Hanukah in their homes.

Los Angeles Times, KTLA (local TV channel), and the McCormick Tribune Foundation have teamed up together to help the families who have lost their homes in California's recent wildfires. The administrative costs have all been provided by these entities therefore, 100% of your donations will go to help these families. Also, the foundation will match at least the first $500,000 raised at fifty cents on the dollar.

And remember your donations are tax deductible.

The link below takes you directly to the donation site where you can find more infotmation on how your donations will help the disaster victims:

Images courtesy of CNN.com

Did you know that by purchasing localized food you can actually help reduce Carbon Emission? Localizing food cuts traffic and therefore fuel consumption. According to estimates such as the one found at the Center for the New American Dream the food we consume daily has traveled between 1200-2500 miles. A vast amount of energy is consumed for this transport in the freezing, refrigerating, and trucking.

In Ventura County, eating locally grown products can support area farms and agriculture. Locally grown food not only taste better, but also do not have the added wax, preservatives, or chemical ripening agents.

Other advantages of locally grown food:

• Local growers often use fewer pesticides than large commercial farms. This avoids polluting water supplies, is healthier for the environment, and reduces human health risks.

• A healthy local food system, including small family farms, helps create a thriving local economy. Buying produce locally helps these farms survive.

• Small local farms preserve precious open space and connect urbanites with the real sources of our food.

• Large commercial farming systems depend heavily on the use of synthetic chemicals, which often expose farm workers and their families to high levels of pesticides.

Source: Center for the New American Dream

The farmers in Ventura County have formed a committee within the Ag Futures Alliance of Ventura County to set standards for a local label. This committee is concentrating on developing a label that you will find on all products grown in Ventura County as you shop in local supermarkets. We could see these labels in early 2008 in our local grocery stores. (Ventura County integrated waste management)

So, residents of Ventura County it's time we supported our farmers and farm lands. It is time we ate County grown products and took care of what we put inside our bodies. It is time we took care of our environment.

If you are not sure of the location of your local Farmers Market well, check out Buy Fresh Buy Local to find the nearest farmers market in your area.

As a Home Seller you are probably familiar with the primary measures you need to take before you put your home on the market for sale. Every Realtor would tell you that prior to listing your home you would need to:

• Study the market so you can price your home right.
• Redecorate or make necessary upgrades.
• Offer a higher commission to the other side of the transaction. This will attract the attention of the rest of the realtors and they tend to be more motivated to show your home to their clients.

However, in today's market even those home sellers who are following their realtors' recommendations are finding the home selling process extensive and exasperating. Today in Ventura County there are approximately 5203 homes for sale. Homebuyers have a variety of choices, sometimes homes in the same track and even homes with the same floor plan.   

So what is left for a home seller to do?

In this market you need to know who you are competing with:

New Constructions: Some homebuyers are drawn to the attractiveness and options a new home and a new community have to offer. In Ventura County and other parts of the country developers of newer constructed communities offer homebuyers incentives.  

If your budget allows, you need to be prepared to compete with the big developers' unique marketing or wait to sell until the pendulum swings once again in the seller's favor.

Foreclosures: Homebuyers look for a bargain, even if it means fighting for it on the steps of the Ventura County Court House at a foreclosure sale. As the number of foreclosure sales increase so do the number of buyers who flock to buy these foreclosed homes.

You can easily get access to the list of foreclosure homes in your area. In Ventura County the majority of the foreclosed homes are priced based on the Comparable Homes for Sale in the area. Try to price your home close or less than the asking price of the foreclosed homes in your neighborhood. When sale prices are comparable, serious homebuyers would rather buy a home from a homeowner, where various aspects of the sale such as what must be fixed, history of repairs, etc. are available and negotiable, rather than the more rigid selling conditions imposed by bank sales.

If you looking for a Professional Real Estate Consultant to help you in Camarillo, or any where in Ventura County please do not hesitate to contact Mana Tulberg, your Ventura County Real Estate Expert for a one-of-a-kind experience.

We are two months away from the flu season; however flu prevention measures have already started in Ventura County. In general, anyone who wants to reduce their chances of getting the flu can get vaccinated. However, it is recommended by The Centers for Disease Control that certain people should get vaccinated each year.

People who should get vaccinated each year are:

People at high risk for complications from the flu, including:

• Children aged 6 months until their 5th birthday,
• Pregnant women,
• People 50 years of age and older, and
• People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions;
• People who live in nursing homes and other long term care facilities.

People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:

• Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
• Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)
• Healthcare workers.

There are two types of flu vaccines:

The "flu shot"- This vaccine contains killed virus that is given with a needle. The flu shot is standard for use in people older than 6 months, including healthy people and people with chronic medical conditions.

The nasal-spray flu vaccine-This vaccine is made with live, weakened flu virus.  This type of vaccine is approved for use in healthy people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant.

The flu vaccine takes about two weeks to become effective. In Ventura County flu season can begin as early as October and end as late as May.

Beginning October 19-mid December, Hospitals and Health Agencies in Ventura County will be offering the residents of the county flu shots. Some Doctor offices will also be offering flu vaccines. Also look for clinics in your local Long's and Costco locations. (Ventura County Star)

For Personal Flu Shot Appointments: Call one of these Public Health Centers.

Scheduled seasonal flu clinics will be held on the following dates and locations, subject to availability of vaccine.

Source: Ventura County Public Health Department

Just look at that cute face!!!

Did you know that Ventura County Sheriff's Department's Canine Unit is funded by private donations from the loving and caring citizens of Ventura County? These loving creatures have dedicated their lives to saving us in the event of an emergency.  So it's time we all supported our brave Canine Unite.

On Saturday, October 13, 2007 the Ventura Sheriff's K9 Foundation is hosting a 9K Walk/Run & Safety Fair. This event is to take place in Camarillo's Continuation Park. If you wish to walk/run you can register at the park (8:00 am) or pre-register here. Registration is $30 and all money raised will benefit the Ventura County Sheriff's Department K9 Unit.
 The event and walk/run begins at 9:00 am. The course is set to take the walkers/runners through the beautiful City of Camarillo. At the Park the Sheriff Department has arranged entertainment, safety fair, food, and raffles for the public.

Event Location:

Camarillo Continuation Park

Paseo Camarillo and Carmen Drive

 Entertainment:

• Jolly Jump for Kids
• K9 Demonstrations
• Pictures With K9 Team
• Bomb Robot Demo

Safety Fair:

Fire Tucks                                           Ambulances

Search & Rescue                                Bomb Squad

Swat Team                                          Mounted Unit

Police Motorcycle                                  DARE

Police Cars                                          Animal Adoption

Crime Scene Investigation Unit           And Much, Much More.......

Smilley's Supper Hot Dogs

Silent Auction Prizes

Raffle Items

Grand Prizes For Top Fundraiser

Enjoy What Ventura County Has To Offer:

Ventura County Real Estate, Events for Month of October

Ventura County Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes, and Hay Rides

Ventura County Real Estate, Underwood Family Farm

Camarillo Real Estate, Community and Neighborhood Parks in Camarillo

Ventura County State and National Parks

Ventura County Real Estate, Golf Courses in Ventura County

Ventura County Real Estate, Ventura County Beaches

Pictures courtesy of: Simi Valley Emergency Preparedness Expo.

Month of September was the first month in 2007 where Ventura County's recorded Average Selling Price of homes were actually lower than the Average Asking Price of homes. This means that on average in all cities in Ventura County Sellers were prepared to sell their homes for lower than their asking price!!!!

Source: Ventura County Regional Data Share.

So what does this mean to the Prospective Homebuyer?

The ball is in your court. Home sellers are tired of having their homes on the market for days; they either have found their home of choice or have to move out of the area. This is the time for you to take advantage of the still low interest rates and negotiate.

Lately I have been reading a lot more on the problems and steady decline in our country's Economy and Housing Market. There are many economists and experts who have made presumptions on how and why our housing market is in such a slump.  Many have blamed the fall due to the rise in interest rates and the inability of the homeowners to pay their sub-prime loan, or for that matter, any loan that has an adjustable rate. Keith Gumbinger, vice president for HSH Associates, a mortgage industry publisher, has an observation on this issue which I found interesting.

According to Gumbinger the real problem in the housing market is not interest rates. It is that there is not enough money available for making loans. Now the primary issue is trust between buyers and holders of debt. Investors who were left holding worthless notes are no longer interested in doing business. (CNN Money)

Trust? How far are the buyers from gaining the investors' trust?

Sellers are suffering as their homes sit on the market for months after months. And once there is a buyer, the seller has to pray during escrow hoping that their buyer's loan is approved!!  Many buyers thinking they are almost there, packed, ready to move into their dream home, get a call from their lender to find out that the loan they had applied for is no longer offered by the lending institutions, so they have to start all over.

Trust? How much longer?