We're getting our town back!! Summer is over, the Art Festivals are closed, vacationers have packed their bags, school has started and our little beach town is quiet once again. You may think of Laguna Beach as a laid back artist community but in the summer you can't swing a beach towel without hitting someone.Don't get me wrong, I love the Festival of Art, the Sawdust Festival and the Pageant of the Masters. Our art scene supports many artists and craftsman (my sister-in-law included - an outstanding jeweler) who work year round to build up their inventories of pottery, paintings, jewelry and sculpture and many of these artists make their living from these art festivals. But the sheer number of people that visit Laguna Beach in the summer can be overwhelming. It's like hosting a dinner... 09/06/2007

Announcing the Ocean Institute's 3rd Annual Laguna Beach Million Dollar Home Raffle!  This annual event is designed to increase awareness and protect the environment.Imagine, you could win a million dollar home in Laguna Beach for the price of a $150 raffle ticket!  The home is located just two blocks from the beach or you can choose to take the million dollars in cash.The odds are pretty good, too:18,000 $150 tickets will be soldThere'll be 100 additional cash prizes totaling over $150,000 will be given awayBonus for multiple ticket buyers - prizes include a 2008 Lexus, Hawaiian luxury getaway, a 50" Plasma TV and a Grand Cayman Island first class adventure.future of the ocean Find out more click here                                                                          Sponsored by... 08/21/2007

Once again our little town of Laguna Beach grabbed the media spotlight after the "Today Show" presented a new federal report that ranked Laguna Beach as a top beach in a nationwide study.                                                                                                                                           "We issued the 17th annual best and worst beaches in the country and this year Laguna Beach got the top of the list," said Natural Resources Defense Council spokesperson Hamlet Paoletti.Now that MTV has moved up the coast to Newport Beach to shine the spotlight on their spoiled high school kids, Laguna can get back to what it does best - present an extremely charming and livable small town. And now it's official that we also have the cleanest beaches. Take that Hunti... 08/20/2007

It's a tough real estate market out there. So what do I do? I play golf.I play golf with a group of Realtors. Misery loves company? Not really, we're just avid golfers and since our work days extend to the weekends we try to set aside one day during the week to play golf. Our informal group is comprised of Realtors, mortgage brokers, title rep's, etc. Of course, anyone is welcome to play but this group tends to be affiliated with real estate. We call ourselves the Laguna Hackers which always gets a chuckle at the pro shop when you pay your green fees and say "Hi, I'm a Hacker."I bring this up because there are some wonderful golf courses in our area of Orange County, Ca. Golfers moving to this area will be treated to courses ranging from exclusive member only courses to above average pu... 08/07/2007

THE BEACHES OF LAGUNA BEACH, CAThis summer is the perfect time to experience the lifestyle and thus the beaches of Laguna Beach. The gorgeous views along the coastline are truly amazing. The entire coastline of Laguna Beach has been declared a "Marine Life Refuge" to protect and preserve the rich variety of marine life forms for all to observe and enjoy. Tide pools are not to be disturbed in any way. People may fish (except in Heisler Park Ecological Reserve where fishing is prohibited), but take nothing else. Here are some excellent beaches to discover on your next trip.MAIN BEACHIn the heart of downtown with excellent swimming, volleyball, and sunbathing. This is the center of all the action. main beach lifeguard stationCRESENT BAYBig Hollow waves offer some of the best body surfing.S... 07/26/2007

One of the most breathtaking beaches in South Orange County is located at  Aliso Beach Park.  The park is owned and Operated by the County of Orange.  The beach is a short, wide sandy beach that is bordered on both sides by outcroppings of rock.  The rocky shoreline on this part of the coast is home to a marine life refuge of tide pools teeming with small, interesting marine life such as anemones, sea urchins and hermit crabs.  This rocky reef where the waves crash against the rocky shoreline and cliffs makes it a spectacular and popular spot for wedding and family photos.  The marine life attracts many visitors each year to explore the wonders of the sea without getting their feet too wet.  It is also a popular place for people to gather in the evenings with their supper to grill in on... 07/22/2007

Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach, CALaguna Beach has long been known as an artist colony, and the event of the summer celebrating the arts is the Pageant of the Masters. The Pageant of the Masters is truly one of Southern California's most unforgettable attractions. Every year, the two-month long event, July 7-August 31, 2007, attracts hundreds of thousand of people to the beautiful Irvine Bowl in Laguna Beach for one of the world's most unique events. If you have never been to Laguna Beach, this is your perfect excuse to go. Once you go, you'll want to go back every year, as each year has a new theme. The 2007 Pageant of the Masters Theme is: Young at HeartFind out more about this year's Pageant Program Find out more about this year's GalaWatch as artists magically transform live... 07/16/2007

This isn't specifically a San Diego thing to do, but an art walk in Laguna Beach is close enough to the area that it's easily managed. And Laguna Beach is such a beautiful town on the coast, with a terrific reputation for the arts, so a visit anytime is worth the 45 minutes drive up the freeway from Carlsbad. Laguna Beach, in addition to beautiful homes on the hills with fabulous ocean views, a great beach, and numerous shopping opportunities, has a very active arts program and has garnered a reputation nationally and internationally for the art galleries and art-related events throughout the year for which it is known. During the spring Laguna Beach has 1st Thursday art walks, from 6 - 9 PM, in April, May and June. All the area galleries are open, and this is a great opportunity to exp... 06/12/2007

Menopause The Musical will be performed at the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach from July 10th - September 2nd.  .If you are a women over forty or know a woman over forty, do yourself and her a great big favor and buy tickets for a performance of this hilarious play.  It's the story of four over forty gals who are strangers and meet in Bloomingdale's during an afternoon of shopping.  Even if you don't like musicals, you'll be rolling in the aisles with some of the parodies they come up with for some very familiar pop chart hits.   Here's how to contact the theatre:  Laguna Playhouse - 606 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach, CA  92651  949 497-2787 ext. 1 For a really fun evening - get a whole group of gals together.  It won't just be a play, it'll be a party!  Here's info on group ticket s... 05/31/2007

Sellsius Real Estate (at 8:35 pm PST) is currently lounging around in Laguna Beach, CA sipping margaritas and Coronas with SoCal Rainers-and left me here in San Diego to break the news. (Can't blame them-I was in a class strugging to convert from PC-mentality to MAC). ((Ouch!!))All drama aside, Rudy and Joe have unveiled a new site that  so caters to the real estate agent and the buyers who wants more precision in their property search results. BMW and Mercedes engineers couldn't have done a better job. Want a niche search for that ski cabin in the mountains, or that duplex by the sea? Buyers will have to look no further-especially if we Rainers post our precise listings not only on Active Rain, but on Sellsius Real Estate as well. Their new site allows agents to upload listings with de... 04/27/2007

HOME SALES REPORTBeginning Date: 03/01/07Board Number: AllEnding Date: 3/31/07City: lbArea: AllPrice Range: $0 - ALLSingle Family Sales - ResidentialOther StatisticsPrice ClassBedrooms2 OR Less34 Or MoreCondo SoldResidential ActiveCondo Active$0 - $99,999000 0400$100,000 - $149,999000 000$150,000 - $199,999000 000$200,000 - $249,999000 010$250,000 - $299,999000 000$300,000 - $324,999000 000$325,000 - $349,999000 000$350,000 - $374,999000 000$375,000 - $399,999000 000$400,000 - $424,999000 010$425,000 - $449,999000 020$450,000 - $474,999000 000$475,000 - $499,999000 000$500,000 - $549,999000 033$550,000 - $599,999000 138$600,000 - $649,999000 023$650,000 - $699,999000 042$700,000 - $749,999000 005$750,000 - $799,999000 041$800,000 - $999,999200 1236$1,000,000 - $1,999,9994112 117115$2,00... 04/10/2007

As a foreword to this article, being 22 years of age I do not have much, if any, experience in property investments. However, as a recent college graduate, I do have an opinion on how best to maximize your investment in college housing so that it is mutually beneficial for you and your sophomoric tenants.College enrollment has been on the rise at double digit percent increases each year, and there are no signs of this trend slowing (if only the economy would follow suit).  This flood of new students to Colleges and Universities accross the Nation has put a strain on the institutions to provide on campus housing.  This gives private investors a great opportunity to capitalize on leasing of off campus rooms to students.  In the old days, an investor would buy a house in a college town and... 04/10/2007

The scene was the amphitheatre constructed for the world famous Pageant of the Masters.  I've been fortunate to have attended the pageant a number of times and often wondered if they ever used this lovely outdoor setting for anything besides the pageant.  While talking with my friend (and client) Dr. Mark Brisley,   an excellent Laguna Beach dentist, Dr. B mentioned  what he was planning to do on Easter morning.  He told me he'd be attending a Sunrise Service at the Pageant of the Masters Amphitheatre.  The idea was intriguing enough to cause me to get up a couple hours earlier than normal to make the brief  10 minute drive through Laguna Canyon down to Laguna Beach.  I arrived early for the 6:30 a.m. service and was able to settle in quietly to enjoy the morning.  As I entered the fami... 04/09/2007

   Foreclosure has steadily been going up here, courtesy of the tightening of the credit by the mortgage industry,courtesy of the FED's.  This years MARCH MADNESS has brought bad luck to all the sub prime lenders, all most all of them falling like a deck of cards.  Orange County the mecca of the mortgage industry has been ambushedby the speculators, big hedge fund managers by shorting their stock, and bringing them out of business.  With this has brought foreclosure in rise in Orange County.  We have a large number of middle class family in Orange County who have lost their home, or in the process.  The fault mainly goes to the home owners because of the lack knowledge of the product they have been, and their non-saving mentality.  They had been living on the equity which was growing ov... 04/01/2007

  It seems like only yesterday I caught my first glimpse of Laguna Beach.  It was my 16th birthday and mom had assigned my handsome cousin, Richard, the job of getting me out of the house.  She was getting everything ready for my sweet 16 party.  As we drove up the coast, I marveled at the eclectic style of the homes perched atop cliffs and scattered up the hillside.  When we made the turn on Cliff Drive we marvelled at the sight of one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world. One year later, on Prom Night, my date took me his favorite place on earth.  It was the gazebo next to the old Victor Hugo Inn (now Las Brisas) that overlooks the rocks and has a breathtaking view of the crescent shaped beachfront.  I remember thinking...if only there was some way this incredible place could... 01/29/2007