TOO MUCH HURRY FOR SLURRY!

The City of Lomita (and taxpayers) finally got around to repairing our streets! Our neighborhood was quite pleased to see the work trucks arrive, the streets being patched and the final chapter ... fresh Slurry Seal!! The workmen were diligent, organized and efficient. They were careful not to destroy anyone's lawns, drip slurry on the curbs or completely destroy the traffic patterns...great job! The roads were only closed for one day (actually about 8 hours.) They alternated streets to cause the least disturbance possible. They directed traffic. They did an excellent job! They performed their duties, put up barriers and left the slurry seal to set.

Then, as unbelievable as this may sound, some folks disregarded the posted signs, the mailed notices, the hand delivered notices and the obvious presence of workmen with their equipment, so noticeable in the neighborhood and drove through the fresh slurry seal. These people opened up barriers and actually drove down the fresh slurried streets before they were set. Too much of an inconvenience for some...a real irritation for those of us who actually appreciate living in a neighborhood where the streets are tended. I don't understand how people could be so inconsiderate. Maybe it's because I'm blonde, but many of my neighbors are equally annoyed. I hope Lomita follows up on these folks and slaps a big fine on them!

There are days when you're the bug and days when you're the windshield...
I'm sure these workmen who had to come back and see the MESS that was made of their highly efficient work were equally dismayed. I watched them try to repair the damage made from tires digging ruts through the fresh slurry. Unfortunately, hours after the damage occurred, the ruts became a permanent fixture. It was pretty obvious who the culprits were. In some cases, the tire tracks came right from their driveway. Of course, they were supposed to have their cars off the street for the work to be performed but no one told them they couldn't drive out of their driveway into the fresh slurry or open up the barricades to drive their cars home. Amazing!

The good news ... it will take these folks a lot of elbow grease to remove the "kicked up" slurry seal from their undersides and bumpers and hopefully, paint jobs. I'll enjoy watching them. I'm sure they will be the first to complain about the mess that the streets made of their car. That will not surprise me. These are the same folks that gripe about everything anyway. It's always ALL about them. Next time we should spend a little more money and hire "slurry police." Maybe a few fines will cause people to be a little more considerate and conscious.

In the meantime, thanks Lomita for helping us keep our neighborhoods safe and clean!! Some of us really do appreciate your effort!!

Gary Chan's Fireside Chat for Team South Bay Clients in the Pines

April 1st this year was not a day for "fools." Gary Chan who is an expert in the fields of Family Trusts, 1031 Exchanges and tax law held a fireside chat for Team South Bay clients and neighbors of Lomita Pines. His energy was incredible as he addressed multiple issues faced by all of our families, homeowners and investors in today's market. Charlie's Team South Bay client base has a large number of investors and huge following in the Lomita Pines area as well as other South Bay cities such as Torrance, Redondo Beach, Harbor City, Rancho Palos Verdes and San Pedro. There were clients present from all cities and walks of life at our April 1st event.

Gary, who recently joined McDowell, Dillon and Hunter as a Senior Tax Manager working out of the Redondo Beach office, also has offices in Long Beach and Northridge. Gary works with business and high net worth clients in the areas of estate & wealth planning, business, real estate, trust administration, probate, U.S. taxation and 1031 exchanges.

Gary K. Chan is both an Attorney and Certified Public Accountant. He also received the designation as Personal Financial Specialist from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants in 2001.

Gary was fabulous as he lead an open forum discussion entirely focused on questions from the audience. The clients were very happy to have the opportunity to get their questions answered by an expert without paying hundreds of dollars per hour. Gary's time was expensed by Charlie's Team to provide added benefits for our Customer Appreciation Program. We hold 4 seminars each year addressing real estate issues experienced by the client base and/or topics requested by our clients or area residents.

Our next seminar will be October 21st. We will have a member of the Los Angeles County Police Department addressing Holiday Safety and Neighborhood Watch Programs. Anyone interested in attending, contact us to RSVP your seat.

All In A Day's Fun!

My neighborhood is a popular place to walk...people with kids, people with dogs, early in the morning, late in the afternoon ... in a hurry getting the necessary exercise or slowly, gazing at the tall pines. My dogs and I are early risers and usually walk around 6:00 a.m. The air is cool and crisp and the streets are empty. You can hear alarm clocks waking up and smell coffee pots bursting with fragrant aromas. Even the dogs are quiet. They sense the "zen" of the moment and respect the tranquility. We walk like soldiers sometimes, single file down the streets caressed with heavy bows, soon to be laden with big brown cones - just in time for Holiday decorating. Lomita Pines is a special place. You can own a wedge of peacefulness here. The price is a smile and an appreciation for the heavenly energy. Oh, you can own a home too, at a really good price right now; but peacefulness is priceless; peacefulness is free. Come and share a morning with us, we'll show you around Lomita Pines, but quietly...

Thank You Carol Quan!

The first Seminar in our 2008 Series was a huge success!

On Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008, Team South Bay was honored to host Ms. Carol Wong Quan, Special Assistant to Mr. Rick Auerbach, Los Angeles County Assessor. In the first seminar of our 2008 Homeowner Seminar Series, Ms. Quan provided our Homeowners with a special presentation about how the propositions affect our property taxes. In an exciting question and answer session with the homeowners, Ms. Quan tackled a number of questions and issues concerning Prop 60/90 (how to transfer your tax base when you’re over 55,) Prop 8 (reassessment in a downtrend market,) Prop 58 (grandparent/grandchild exclusion,) Prop 10 (tax base transfer/reassessment for disabled persons,) along with a host of questions from our local homeowners concerning everything from Prop 13 adjustments and Supplemental Tax assessment to Disaster Relief and Homeowner Exemptions. Ms. Quan also introduced us to the new “user friendly” and now highly evolved assessor website at www.assessor.lacounty.gov. We were amazed at all the information that is available and honored to host her.

Check out their website today or call Charlie Hoffmann at 310-534-3940 …She’ll help you get your questions answered by the experts!

Also, don't miss our next seminar APRIL 1st

Gary Chan on Living Trusts and 1031 Exchanges

Visit Team South Bay @ www.yoursouthbayteam.com or www.lomitahomes.com

* Team South Bay includes RE/MAX Execs (Charlie Hoffmann), North American Title (Gale Kadota), Farmers Insurance (Sam Martelaro), Peninsula Escrow (Jackie McGee), Pacific First Financial (Sheila Martelaro) and Allstate Termite Busters (Travis Gambino).

Charlie's 2008 Homeowner Seminar Series

Tuesday, December 4, 2007


If you live in the South Bay, you won't want to miss our Homeowner Seminar Series in 2008! We have already scheduled our speakers and topics and we're all excited. Here's a peek at our schedule for 2008 ...

January 22, 2008
Carol Quan
Los Angeles County Assessor's Office
Talking about the Propositions and how they affect your tax base! A great time to ask all those questions about your property taxes - Carol has all the answers.

April 1, 2008
Gary Chan
1031 Exchange Expert
Talking about 1031 Exchanges, Living Trusts and how to handle all your title issues and keep those capital gains dollars in YOUR pocket.

July 15th, 2008
CPR Refresher and Pool Safety Presentation
It's time to gear up for summer and prevent problems from ruining your vacation and harming your kids. It's always good to freshen up your CPR techniques and prepare your pool areas for fun and safety.

October 21, 2008
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Presenting information on Neighborhood Watch implementation and Holiday Safety ... from Halloween to Christmas Shopping...how to keep you and your family safe and happy.

Join us for any of these seminars or ALL of them. Please call for location information and to RSVP (seating will be limited.) Call Charlie @ 310-534-3940 or email charlie@yoursouthbayteam.com or charlie@lomitahomes.com and watch our blog for updates to our seminar series.

MAKING IT GREAT FOR 2008!

Pine Trees and Big Yards

Ahh...Lomita Pines
I first stumbled upon my little piece of heaven 11 years ago. It's where I work and play and rest and rejoice! I was cutting through Lomita Pines one day to avoid some traffic snarls and low and behold I was beckoned to this Open House... The rest is history. Lomita is a Spanish name which means "little knoll." We refer to her as the "Little Hill" because we're attached at the hip in several places to "THE HILL" which is the Palos Verdes Peninsula. I guess you could say we're sort of a stepping stone to Palos Verdes. I liken my area to a fancier version of "Big Bear." I love the smell of the Pines and Harbor Breezes. We're actually the same distance from the Ocean (Redondo Beach) on the west as the Harbor on the east. You can bicycle from Lomita to the beach as easily as catching a helicopter to Catalina in the harbor (or a cruise ship - they leave most Friday nights as well as other times for trips to Mexico and most exotic places.) You can even hear the ship whistles blow when the breezes are right. We have our own library, fire station and even police force (actually the workforce portion is provided by Los Angeles County but we house them right here in Lomita.)

We just celebrated our 100th anniversary this year! Some of the residents seem to have been here since the city was established (well, maybe not that long) but demographics are changing and we're welcoming lots of new young families! It's a breath of fresh air, with larger lots, mostly custom homes (we don't have a lot of "tracts" in Lomita) and quaint "Mom and Pop" stores throughout the community. I'd be delighted to give you a personal tour.

Call me anytime and check my websites & BLOGS :

If you're interested in seeing some of my listings and photos of my little town. Hope to see you soon!