TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST 2010 5:30 – 9:00P

Visit any participating restaurant and sample a taste of their fare. All proceeds go to  local community based charities.

The Pasadena Association of Realtors® Charitable Foundation

Tickets $25 per person
Participating restaurants in Old Pasadena
http://www.pfarcf.org/tasteofoldpasadena
(626) 795-2455

A Taste of Old Pasadena, Pasadena Homes for Sale, pasadena real estate

Happy Labor Day

labor day, Pasadena Homes for Sale, pasadena real estate

Roughly 2000 animal lovers will be joining together with their dogs at the Rose Bowl on Sunday, September 26, 2010 for the 12th Annual Wiggle Waggle Walk. Proceeds from the Walk will help provide nourishing food, shelter and veterinary care to the thousands of animals that come to the Pasadena Humane Society, as well as help these animals find loving forever homes. Registration is free. The Humane Society asks that registrants fundraise on behalf of the animals in their care. Every $25 raised helps care for a domestic animal at the shelter for one day. Great prizes are available for fundraising efforts. You can register at www.wigglewagglewalk.org

Sunday, September 26th 9:00 am
Pasadena Rose Bowl
www.pasadenahumane.org

626-792-7151

pasadena humane society, wiggle waggle walk

Congratulations to Spain for winning the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa over opponent the Netherlands. 

Final score:

Netherlands 0:1 Spain 

Spain wins 2010 World Cup over the Netherlands.

For Buying and/or Selling Real Estate, contact me:
Ramiro Rivas – Pasadena Realtor
626-497-4606
Ramiro@RivasEstates.com

2010 Fifa World Cup

REALTORS® Help Send Local Students to College

Pfar Scholarship Recepients

High School Scholarships, PFAR

How to Prevent Pasadena Home Burglaries during Spring Break

Millions of Americans kick off spring the same way–with a family vacation. While spring break gives families a great chance to spend time together, it also gives burglars the perfect opportunity to strike. Security Choice, a leader in home security and safety, offers the following burglary prevention tips for families heading out of town for spring break. 

Rely on a neighbor – Let a trusted neighbor or friend know about family travel plans. They can collect the mail, newspapers and other items that pile up, as these can be clear signs that no one is home. Criminals recently started placing flyers in front doors of houses and returning the following day to see who hasn’t collected them – it’s an easy way for them to find out when families are out of town. A trusted neighbor can also keep an eye out for suspicious activity.

Don’t advertise vacation plans – People update their every move on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, but one of the biggest home security mistakes someone can make is posting information about travel plans. It’s especially important to communicate this message to children and teens who don’t think twice about the information they broadcast. Criminals have started scouring the Internet to find their next target and posting travel plans makes it easier than ever for them to know when families are out of town.

Fake out burglars – It’s essential to make a home look “lived in” while on vacation and leaving one light on doesn’t cut it. For some burglars, it’s a dead giveaway that no one is around. Leaving two or three lights on throughout the house is a safe bet. Many companies offer timers for lamps, TVs and radios, making it easy to save energy and improve security.

Utilize a home security system – Houses with monitored home alarm systems are three times less likely to be burglarized than those without them. Activating the home alarm before taking off is one of the best ways to prevent a burglary. Plus, many home security providers give customers window decals and yard signs so potential intruders know which homes to avoid.

Pasadena Home

Toward the northern end of Los Angeles County is a cozy little town called Castaic.   To get there, head north on I5 past Magic Mountain and the 126.  It’s the final stop before heading up the hill toward the Grapevine.  

Castaic Lake, View of the Upper Lake

Castaic is mostly recognized for its lake, Castaic Lake, frequented in large numbers by tourists and Southern California natives during the warmer months of the year.  Castaic Lake has upper and lower portions separated by a dam, each known for the different recreational activities it offers.  If you want to have a nice relaxing picnic with your family and a refreshing dip in the water, visit the lower lake.  For boating, skiing, and other watercraft sports, visit the upper lake.  Some other attractions at the lake include the popular 4^th of July Fireworks show, Bass Tournaments, Walks and Runs, fishing, kayaking, swimming, and biker events.  

If you’ve never visited Castaic before, another great way to see this town is simply to take a hike.   Right now is a perfect time to hike the hills surrounding the lake.  The weather is cool, the grasses are green, and the sky is clear!   This time of the year is perfect for seeing beautiful wild grasses and flowers on the rolling hills and sprawling California Pepper Trees.  Once you reach the summit, you’ll have a spectacular view of both the lower and upper lake. 

Castaic Lake Recreational Activities

To visit, enter the main entrance to the lower lake on Ridge Route Road and look for the signs indicating where the trails are.  If you pass the entrance, you’ll end up in the gorgeous North Lake neighborhood with homes overlooking the lake.  You’ll probably like what you see, so after touring the neighborhood, Contact Us and let us find your new home in Castaic!

Castaic Lake

Cafe Columbia located in Downtown Burbank, CA

Downtown Burbank has many great eateries, but if you are willing to venture outside of the norm and off the strip, you will become acquainted with some delicious treasures.  Don’t limit yourself to San Fernando Blvd. because if you head two blocks east to Glenoaks Blvd., you will discover a great spot called Café Colombia. 

This quaint café was established in 1999 and offers both exotic and authentic Colombian food.  The owners decided to provide both traditional and “Nuevo Latino fusion” foods which include variations of soups and staples such as rice, beans, and plantains adorned with Colombian sauces and spices.  The traditional cuisine offers a home-style flavor, comforting the southern California Colombian community while the later attracts Latin food lovers.  If you find you are having trouble deciding what to eat, ask one of the friendly staff and you’ll get a lovely recommendation.  Don’t forget a side of the green soup!  But take a look at the menu, which describes each meal, and you’ll see you really can’t go wrong!  And if you don’t know what something is, ask and you’ll get a lesson on Latin cuisine. You can also learn about the different types of food on their website under “Colombian Talk” where you’ll find descriptions of food items.  

Café Colombia is a great place to visit any time of day for any occasion.  Start a breakfast tradition, enjoy a nice two course lunch special, or plan a romantic dinner.  Also serving wine, beer and tropical fruit smoothies, and featuring musical talent on Fridays, Café Colombia is located at 222 S. Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, CA 91502.

If you would like to learn more about living in Burbank, Contact Us and allow us to help you utilize the Tax Credit for Home Buyers.  Burbank is a great place  to live!

Burbank restaurant, Cafe Colombia, Colombian food, Latin cuisine, Visiting Burbank

Griffith Observatory

Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles

Now this is a great place to get to know Los Angeles!  When you decide to visit the Los Angeles Griffith Observatory, make sure you bring a comfortable pair of shoes to do a lot of walking in.  Two things can happen which may cause you to be on your feet for a while.  For starters, parking is not always the best at the Griffith Observatory.  It is a hot spot since there are many amazing things to do and admission to the Griffith Observatory and the grounds is free.  Once in a while, you can bypass the beautiful scenic walk from your parking spot when the parking lot entrance isn’t blocked off.  However, consider it a blessing to see the amazing Los Angeles views, including the Hollywood sign, as you make your way to the hill where your destination lies.  The second time you may find yourself on your feet for a while is if you get intrigued by one of various Los Angeles hiking trails just off the Observatory’s grounds.  There are many Los Angeles hiking trails feeding into the surrounding mountains, and from these vantage points, the views are simply breathtaking!  You can admire the neighboring cities, gorgeous homes, horseback riders, bikers, hikers, adventurers, wildlife and the like.  You can also hike your way to the Hollywood sign.  Although access to the sign is restricted, you can get as close as the fence which encloses it.

Telescope Dome

Once you actually arrive at the Griffith Observatory, you will probably find yourself venturing the grounds and taking in the spectacular views of Downtown LA, Hollywood, Santa Monica, and the ocean.  At the right time of the day, you can see the glare of the sunlight reflecting from ocean’s surface.  What’s really fun is looking down over the city and trying to figure out what part of LA you are looking at, and maybe even planning what area to visit next!  There are several archways you can pass through to access small telescopes and to get a better view of the sites as well.  You’ll need some change for the small scopes!  In addition, stairways can get you to the roof where you can feel as if you are on top of the world, as well as catch a glimpse through a powerful telescope which is also free of charge.

Upon entry into the Observatory, you will be amazed by all there is to take in.  This is a wonderful place to learn the science of Astrology and connect with the Universe.  You’ll first come across the Pendulum swinging from the center of the building.  The Pendulum first proved that the Earth rotates on its axis.  You can witness the movement, even though you can’t feel it, as you watch the

Griffith Observatory Telescope Sign

Pendulum in action.  Make your way to some of the other exhibits where you can learn about energy, the sun, different solar systems, stars, and our moon!  You can also learn about the development of time-keeping and calendaring, seasons, eclipses, and other universal wonders.  On the lower level, visit the café and enjoy food and beverages from its indoor or outdoor seating.  For a nominal price, enjoy an educational laser light show and learn about the universe.  Make sure you check for scheduled times and instructions for the shows. 

Right now is a great time to buy with great incentives with the federal home buyer tax credit.  There are thousands of Pasadena area Homes for Sale and Condos.  If you need assistance in finding your next home, please Contact Us.

Griffith Observatory, Pasadena Community blog, pasadena real estate blog

Pasadena Rose Bowl

Held on the second Sunday of every month, the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena is the largest swap meet in California. Such a wide diversity of items can be found at the Rose Bowl swap meet, attracting all walks of life to explore and shop for unique items that over 2,500 venders are selling.

Among over 20,000 buyers, you will observe fashionistas going through endless racks of vintage clothing, interior designers that find value in irreplaceable antiques, and collectors looking for nostalgic objects of the past.

The flea market is sectioned off into three areas. The first section starting from the entrance is vendors selling brand new items, the second is all antique furniture and collector’s items, and the third is an entire parking lot of vendors selling vintage clothing.

Admission: 5am-7am $20. 7am-8am $15. 8am-9am $10. After 9am, $7. Kids free

Parking: Free lot

Hours: Second Sunday of the month 5am-4:30pm
 
Payment Types: Cash

Directions to the Rose Bowl

Pasadena Blog, Rose Bowl Flea Market