May 2021

Florence's...

Service For Life !

Insider Tips for Healthy, Wealthy and Happy Living

If you're not already a subscriber to my free e–newsletter e - mail me at Florence@bchrealestate.com to sign up

Florence Gadbois, Realtor CA BRE#01040021 (805) 701 - 8410 E - mail: Florence@BchRealEstate.com

Would You Like To Be A Better Cook?

Even if you don’t have a white linen tablecloth in your dining room, you can learn to cook like you’re a professional chef. In today’s Service For Life ! ® Free consumer newsletter, you’ll learn six easy ways to take your home cooking to the next level with techniques and ingredients the pros use. You’ll also learn about suggestions for earning passive income, flooring materials that are durable and safe for kids, and why you might inadvertently be pushing friends away–plus fun facts, a trivia challenge, and lots more. Here are the Sales Statistics for the Beach/Marina area , which includes Mandalay shores, Hollywood Beach, Silverstrand Beach, Mandalay Bay, Seabridge, Westport, The Colony, HarborWalk, HarbourWest, CI Waterfront Homes and Harbour Island . Note: Inventory less than 6 months is considered a seller’s market; more than 6 months, a buyer’s.

Closed Escrows

Active Listings

Inventory (months)

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 21 21 14 23 20 18 12 15 11 13 34 28 14 17 20

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 75 70 67 80 22 4.02 2.13 4.49 4.14 1.19 84 53 91 92 23 3.95 2.59 3.37 4.68 1.55 84 63 69 89 17 3.9 2.51 4.5 4.68 0.53

January February

March

April May June

18 19 20 17

88 60 87 90 107 54 108 93 112 70 128 78 102 97 122 80 103 92 125 62 95 95 126 51 96 81 115 34 61 87 100 41 63 79 93 32

4.72 2.42 5.46 4.9 4.99 2.82 6.98 4.29 4.19 4.2 7.04 4.38 4.26 4.1 6.88 4.05 3.82 4.21 7.04 4.78 3.83 3.67 6.3 1.5 2.4 4.13 5.74 1.8 2.45 3.81 4.71 1.23 2.54 3.32 4.3 0.89

10 thru 4/19

20 31 18

8

44 22 11 22 22 15 24 46 30 32 29 32 29 23 27 45 28 16 15 49 23 19 14 19 11 12 22 29

July

August

September

October

November December

Last month (March) I closed 2 escrows in The Colony and the beginning of April closed one at HarborWalk. All received multiple offers and most of those buyers are waiting for the right condo to come up. So, if you are thinking of selling, now may be the time. Call me today to see how I market your home in today’s world. I have buyers looking specifically for a Madeira unit with attached garage in The Colony and Buyers for HarborWalk seeking a second home and another looking to retire in the area.

Finally, I want you to know, that you may call me for any reason. And please let me know if a friend, family member or neighbor needs a caring, experienced real estate professional to help in buying or selling.

Warmest regards, Florence

Florence Gadbois CA DRE#01040021 RE/MAX Gold Coast

Get Free money-saving home tips at my web site: BchRealEstate.com

Florence’s…

Service For Life ! “Insider Tips For Healthy, Wealthy & Happy Living…” 6 Tips to Instantly Enhance Your Cooking Game Fine dining doesn’t have to be limited to fancy restaurants. Home cooks can achieve the same results with the right tools, ingredients, and cooking techniques that professional chefs use. Here are just a couple of each. Keep your knives sharp. Invest in high-quality knives (a chef’s knife and a paring knife are must-haves) and then take care of them . Sharpen them regularly and never put them in the dishwasher. • Get a kitchen scale. If you like to bake, you need a kitchen scale. Cooking can be wonderfully imprecise, and you can often fix a dish later in the process. Baking, on the other hand, is more like a chemistry experiment that can be impossible to save if there’s too much or too little of an ingredient added. Tools • Add salt throughout the cooking process. When salt is only added at the end, you end up tasting salt. When it’s added at several points along the way, the salt brings out food’s natural flavors instead. • Make your own stock. Homemade stock is infinitely better than store- bought, and it’s a breeze to make. Keep veggie scraps in a gallon-sized zip-top bag in the freezer until the bag is full, then cover the scraps with water in a stock pot and let it simmer. Rest meat before you carve. When meat comes out of the oven or off the grill, it’s not ready to cut into yet. It needs time to reabsorb all the juices that would spill on the cutting board if you sliced it immediately. Put an aluminum foil tent over the meat for at least five minutes (15–20 is even better) and you’ll be rewarded with a meal that’s moist and delicious. • Don’t overcrowd food in the pan. If you don’t leave enough space in the pan between ingredients, the frying or roasting you’re attempting to do ends up being more like steaming. Thinking Of Selling Your Home Soon? Don’t attempt to sell your home without my Free Consumer Guide, “ 6 Steps For Selling Your Home For Top Dollar .” My exclusive report will give you all the facts for a fast, top dollar sale. Get your free copy by calling me at… 805-701-8410 Techniques • Ingredients •



If you’re thinking about selling your home soon, request my Free Consumer Guide, “7 Insider Tips To Net More Money Selling Your Own Home.” Call me right now at 805-701-8410 for details…

May 2021 Oxnard, California

Inside This Issue…

Kitchen Tips Professional Chefs Swear By…Page 1

3 Ways To Make Passive Income…Page 2

6 Kid-Friendly Flooring Options…Page 2

Stop Pushing Friends Away…Page 3

Answer This Trivia Question and You Could Win $75 Gift Card for Lure Restaurant...Page 4 I’m Thinking Of Selling My Home. What Can I Do To Net The Highest Return?…Page 4

Get Free money-saving home tips at my web site: BchRealEstate.com

Make $$$ While You Sleep Selling handmade crafts on Etsy or becoming a rideshare driver on nights and weekends are great side hustles, but they take time. Passive income, on the other hand, can keep the virtual cash register active—even when you’re not. Here are some ideas to help you dream in dollar signs: • Monetize your expertise. What’s the thing your friends and family always ask you about, the thing you can discuss at greater length than anyone else you know? Turn that expertise into what’s known as an “information product” like an e-book, a YouTube channel, or even a mobile app. Yes, there’s a large time investment up front, but when you’re done you can earn money from it anytime—even when you sleep. • Rent out a room, amenity or an entire property. If you have a second home, renting it out either as vacation property or on a long-term basis can be lucrative. Renting out a room in your home with a site like Airbnb can bring in quite a bit of money—or, have a pool? You can even rent that by the hour with Swimply ( swimply.com ). • Get into money lending. With peer-to-peer (P2P) lending services like Prosper ( prosper.com ) and Peerform ( peerform.com ), you can offer partial loans and then earn interest on them. It’s not entirely passive income, as it requires ongoing monitoring and research (these are unsecured loans, after all), but for the financially savvy, P2P lending can be an excellent source of almost-passive income. Here’s A Free, Valuable Resource… Now You Can Search The Home Market, Get Helpful Community Information, AND Receive Important Resources For Saving Time And Money When Buying Or Selling At BchRealEstate.com Kid-Friendly Floor Ideas Kids can be hard on floors. The flooring you choose needs to be safe as well as durable when there are little ones crawling around. Parents should only consider vinyl, for instance, if it’s certified to have low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions—and some health experts still don’t advise families with small kids to use vinyl. Here are a few kid-friendly floor ideas: 1. Carpeting is soft and absorbs sound, but it also hangs onto dust and other allergens. Make sure to clean regularly if you choose carpet. 2. Carpet squares make stains or other damage easy to fix—you just replace a single square. Keep it clean like regular carpet! 3. Oak flooring with an antique finish can help hide any new scrapes. Just fill with wood filler and a dab of stain. 4. Bamboo flooring is durable and beautiful, plus, it’s a sustainable crop. It’s stain-resistant and a good choice for a home with children. 5. Cork is softer than hardwood and easier to clean than carpet, and it’s antimicrobial which makes it great for kids. It might be best for bedrooms as high wear areas mean more dings and scrapes. 6. Machine-washable area rugs help save expensive flooring from wear and tear. Check out ruggable.com for lots of beautiful options.

Word of the Month… Studies have shown your income and wealth are directly related to the size and depth of your vocabulary. Here is this month’s word, so you can impress your friends (and maybe even fatten your wallet!)…

panacea (pan-uh-SEE-uh) noun

Meaning : a fix for every problem or ailment; a cure-all

Sample Sentence: My grandmother’s panacea was chicken soup, whether we were actually sick or just feeling low.

B Common Shower Habits That Damage Your Skin Clean skin is healthy skin, but some of the things we do to cleanse it can be harmful. Here are a few things you should not be doing. Using very hot water. Filling the bathroom with steam is very spa- like, but water that is too hot can remove the skin’s natural • moisturizers. Stick to lukewarm showers and try to take shorter showers if you can. Using a loofah. Not only can these popular exfoliators be abrasive and damaging to skin, they are also breeding grounds for bacteria and yeast. Instead, use a washcloth that is laundered after each use. Skipping the moisturizing. Even if your showers aren’t steamy, some of the skin’s natural moisturizers will still be washed away. It’s important to moisturize immediately after your shower to help prevent dry and flaky skin. • •

Quotes To Live By… “There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.”

–R. Buckminster Fuller, Architect

“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” –Meister Eckhart, Theologian “Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.” –Carl Sagan, Astronomer

Get Free money-saving home tips at my web site: BchRealEstate.com

Why You Might Push People Away (And How To Fix It) Even the friendliest and most extroverted people can sometimes behave in ways that push people away, whether or not they realize they’re doing it. If you’ve noticed friends seem more distant than they used to, it may be time to evaluate your own behavior.These are just a few of the ways you might inadvertently be pushing friends away—and ways to remedy them. Do you only engage when it’s about you? Do you only initiate with a phone call or text when you have news to share? Are you chatty when they ask about your day, but you don’t reciprocate? • It can be disheartening when a friend only seems interested in talking about themselves and rarely seems interested in how you’re feeling. • Next time: Call or text to ask how they are. Ask follow-up questions. Be attentive to spending as much time listening as you do talking. Clear your mind of other issues and focus on their words. Do you complain every time you talk to friends? Do you vent about a bad work or relationship situation during every conversation? Are the complaints similar each time? • Everyone needs to vent now and then, but if you repeat the same complaints and never attempt to change the situation, that’s an unpleasant (and monotonous) monologue to hear. • Next time: Consider solutions to the problem so you can discuss how it changes. If possible, try to reframe it to see any positives. Also, focus on something not about you! Do you try to solve all problems by yourself? Do you think things won’t be done properly if you don’t do them? Do you ignore advice from others? • Working together on a project may mean doing something differently than you would have done it if you were solo, but different doesn’t mean worse—and cooperation builds personal bonds. • Next time: Ask for help, and then listen carefully to others’ suggestions. Make implementing the solution collaborative. California homeowners age 55+, severely disabled OR victims of wildfire or natural disaster will be able to move … • Anywhere in California • To any home, regardless of price • Up to three times …WITHOUT incurring a property tax hike For more info visit prop19.car.org Did You Know? (as of April 1, 2021)

1 Did You Know? A common cleaning “hack” you’ve probably read before is that toothpaste is a good stand-in for silver polish. In reality, it may work a little too well. Toothpaste is significantly rougher than actual silver polish—scrubbing it into your heirloom silver on a regular basis can cause lasting damage. Poppa Funny When does a joke become a dad joke? When it becomes ap-parent. Recipe Websites Having a variety of recipes ready to go makes it much easier to answer the daily query of, “What’s for dinner?” Brain Teaser… A person who turned 15 in 1990 also turned 10 in 1995. How is this possible? (See page 4 for the answer.) Real Estate Question? Maybe you want to know how much your home is worth. Or maybe you just need a recommendation for a handyman, carpet cleaner or plumber… Either way, I love hearing from all of my good friends and clients. And I’m happy to help answer questions you might have about anything relating to real estate or home-ownership. If you have a question, tip or idea, call me at 805-701-8410 . I’m here to help! cooking.nytimes.com – The New York Times’ cooking section is a longtime foodie favorite. The “Weeknight” section is particularly popular with quick and delicious meals. seriouseats.com – Part cookbook and part cooking school, with a vast collection of recipes as well as tutorials on cooking techniques. There’s also a section all about how food and culture intersect around the world. epicurious.com – The 330,000-plus recipes in the Epicurious catalog cover all the culinary bases and then some. The “Ingredients” section includes deep dives into kitchen staples.

Get Free money-saving home tips at my web site: BchRealEstate.com

Thanks For Thinking of Me! Did you know I can help you or any of your friends or family save time and money when buying or selling a home? Thanks for keeping me in mind with your referrals…and spreading the word about my services.

“Who Else Wants To Win $75 Goft Card for Lure Restaurant?”

Guess who won last month’s Trivia Question? I’m pleased to announce the lucky winner of last month’s quiz. And the winner is …drum roll please: Carl Ludwig of LaQuinta. The first game of American football played in the UK was in 1910 between Navy sailors on what two ships? a) USS Idaho and USS Michigan b) USS Vermont and USS Wisconsin c) USS Arizona and USS Michigan d) USS Idaho and USS Vermont The answer is d) USS Idaho and USS Vermont. The US Navy brought football to the UK when two battleships played a Thanksgiving Day game on November 23rd, 1910.

Brain Teaser Answer:

They were born in 2005 B.C.E.!

Make Charging Fly By Your phone’s battery recharges much faster when it’s not trying to do a dozen things. • Switch to airplane mode to speed the charging process. • If you can take some time without your phone, charging goes even faster if you can turn your phone completely off. Keep it cool. Hotter temperatures make phones harder to charge, and taking off the case can help keep your phone cooler while it’s plugged in. From Roses To… In India, Valentine’s Day, February 14, falls precisely nine months before Children’s Day on November 14. THANK YOU for reading my Service For Life ! ® personal newsletter. I wanted to produce a newsletter that has great content and is fun and valuable to you. Your constructive feedback is always welcome. AND… whether you’re thinking of buying, selling or financing real estate, or just want to stop by and say “Hi,” I’d love to hear from you… Florence Gadbois CA DRE#01040021 RE/MAX Gold Coast 805-701-8410 florence@BchRealEstate.com BchRealEstae.com Disclaimer: The information contained in this letter is intended for informational purposes. It should not substitute as legal, accounting, investment, medical or other professional services advice. Always seek a competent professional for answers to your specific questions. This letter is not intended to solicit real estate properties currently for sale. •

So let’s move on to this month’s trivia question.

In what popular 90s TV series was there a character with the last name of “Bing?” a) Seinfeld b) Friends c) Frasier d) Cheers

Call Me At 805-701-8410 OR Email Me At BchRealEstate.com And You Could Be One Of My Next Winners!

Real Estate Corner…

Q. I am thinking of selling my home later this year. What can I do to fix it up and net more from the sale? A. Remember when you put your home up for sale it becomes a product on display. Getting rid of clutter makes it easier for potential buyers to walk through the property and see themselves living there. You may also need to tackle a few home improvement projects to get a good price for your property. • Start with the walls. Freshly painted walls in a neutral color invites a potential buyer to imagine the home with their things in it. You want enough wall decoration to make your home attractive, but it is easy to overdo it. When removing wall décor to paint, leave most of it packed away. • Freshen up the kitchen. Kitchens often sell a home. You will want to make sure it is bright, clean and reasonably updated. Consider replacing the hardware or adding a new backsplash between the countertops and hanging cabinets. If you have to replace appliances, stainless steel is an option that offers clean lines and is popular. • Enhance the curb appeal with neat, trim landscaping. Your home will likely be viewed online before a buyer visits the property. A clean exterior makes better-looking photos and helps your home look more valuable. To get more information about how to prepare your home for the market, ask about my Free Consumer Report “ Home Seller’s Guide To Moneymaking Fix-Ups ,” a guide to help you realize the most profit from your home. I’ll send a copy right to you. Do you have a real estate question you want answered? Feel free to call me at 805-701-8410. Perhaps I’ll feature your question in my next issue!

Get Free money-saving home tips at my web site: BchRealEstate.com

Florence’s…. Colony MarketWatch ™

Homes Currently Active …

Address

Bdrms

Baths

Sq. Ft.

Floor Plan

Asking Price

Martinique

2 3 2

2 3 2

1522 2409 1766

Antigua

$798,888 $1,257,888 $1,550,888 $1,196,221

Vina del Mar San Sebastian

San Tropez

Capri (Ambassador)

Market Average

Pending…

Address

Bdrms

Baths

Sq. Ft.

Floor Plan

Asking Price

Vina del Mar

2

2

1627

Capri

$789,888 $789,888

Market Average

Accepting Back Up Offers…

Address

Bdrms

Baths

Sq. Ft.

Floor Plan

Asking Price

San Sebastian

2

2

1550

Antigua (Ambassador)

$1,299,000 $1,299,000

Market Average

Sold Properties… (07/01/20 Thru 04/20/21) Address List $ Sale $

Sq.Ft.

$/sq.ft

Floor Plan

Date Sold

2206 Martinique

$595,000

$595,000

1368

$434.94

Madeira (upper level)

07/10/20 11/20/20 07/29/20

4442 Antigua Way 1936 San Tropez 2242 Martinique 1947 San Tropez 2375 Martinique 2007 San Tropez 4492 Antigua Way

$624,888 $619,888 $619,000 $624,888 $639,888 $639,888 $650,000 $648,888 $679,888 $655,000

$620,000 $605,000 $605,000 $624,888 $625,500 $635,000 $635,000 $650,000 $650,000 $655,000

1217 1368 1113 1218 1113 1218 1368 1368 1217 1368

$509.45 $441.93 $556.15 $513.04 $561.99 $521.35 $464.18 $475.15 $558.20 $478.80 $472.93 $506.94 $511.70 $515.35 $515.35 $529.97 $467.74 $502.46 $639.15 $529.48 $509.96 $558.95 $444.92 $677.92 $498.30 $493.22 $414.87 $465.68 $421.02

Martinique

Madeira (Ambassador) Martinique (Phase I)

01/14/21

Martinique (Ambassador) 10/06/20

Martinique

02/04/21

Martinique (Ambassador) 09/18/20

Madeira

07/22/20 08/17/20

4415 Antigua

Madeira

2067 San Sebastian 2363 Martinique

Martinique (Ambassador) 07/10/20

Madeira

10/28/20

2241 Martinique

$690,000

$675,000

1627

Capri

12/23/20

2177 Martinique

$679,888

$679,888

1450

Antigua

07/23/20

2317 Martinique

$699,000

$685,000

1627

Capri

01/20/21 10/30/20 12/03/20 12/01/20 12/08/20 03/02/21 01/28/21 03/10/21 01/26/21 07/16/20 04/06/21 01/20/21 03/18/21 09/17/20 03/23/21 08/17/20

2386 Martinique 2121 Martinique

$689,888 $689,000 $699,999 $687,000 $699,000 $725,000 $710,000

$690,000 $694,000 $700,000 $705,000 $705,000 $725,000 $725,000

1459 1368 1368 1368 1368 1368 1550

Antigua Madeira Madeira Madeira Madeira Madeira Antigua

2133 Martinique

4423 Antigua

2171 Martinique

4464 Antigua 4477 Antigua

4480 Antigua

$749,000

$764,000

1550

Antigua

1984 San Tropez

$829,888 $889,000

$818,000 $875,000

1628 1368

Capri (Ambassador)

4742 San Sebastian

Madeira (Ambassador)

2101 Martinique

$925,000

$925,000

1747

Capri

2234 Cannes

$1,060,000 $1,050,000 2059 $1,150,888 $1,100,000 2059 $1,149,888 $1,050,000 2360 $1,599,888 $1,570,000 2360

San Tropez San Tropez Vina del Mar Vina del Mar

2125 Vina del Mar 2323 Vina del Mar 2223 Vina del Mar Market Average

$760,351

$752,792

RE/MAX represented buyer, seller or both . Properties as of April 20, 2021 and may not be listed by RE/MAX. Information herein has not been verified, is not guaranteed, and is subject to change

Florence’s…

MarketWatch ™ “ Here’s Neighborhood Home Information For HarborWalk To Help You Evaluate The Value Of Your Investment. ”

Active Properties…None

Properties Accepting Back Up Offers…None

Sold Properties (01/01/2020 – 04/20/2021 Address List $ Sale $

Sq.Ft. $/sq.ft

Floor Plan

Date Sold

3110 Harbor

$456,800 $465,000

925

$502.70

Plan C (end unit)

08/17/20 07/07/20 03/24/21 05/13/20 04/01/21

2935 Harbor 2939 Harbor 3142 Sunset 3414 Sunset 3644 Sunset

$474,900 $474,900 $495,000 $525,000 $599,000 $580,000 $589,500 $589,500 $639,500 $625,000 $649,000 $630,000 $675,000 $635,000 $649,000 $642,000 $639,900 $650,000 $669,000 $660,000 $749,900 $725,000 $729,000 $729,000 $850,000 $850,000 $642,000 $625,550

925 925

$513.41 $567.57 $448.22 $519.38 $424.02 $525,88 $430.80 $535.89 $572.69 $500.38 $488.22 $490.91 $570.85 $522.16

Plan C Plan C Plan D

1294 1135 1474

T-3 T-2

09/03/20

3120 Sunset

1198

Plan D

11/18/20

3034 Sunset

1198 1474 1198 1135 1319 1485 1485 1489

Plan D

06/16/20

4506 LaBrea

T-2

07/20/20 07/31/20 04/06/21 10/08/20 11/16/20 02/28/20 10/20/20

2967 Harbor 4534 LaBrea 3480 Sunset 3320 Sunset

Plan D (end unit)

T-3

T-2

Villa (end unit)

3340 Sunset

Villa (end unit) Villa (end unit)

3125 Harbor

3241 Harbor

$925,000 $925,000

1517

$609.76

Villa (end unit)

04/16/21

Market Average $513.56 Bold: REMAX Represented Buyers, Sellers or Both $656,260 $649,430

The information referenced has been provided by the Ventura County MLS Corporation’s MLS as of April 20, 2021. The listings and sales are not exclusive to RE/MAX Gold Coast Realtors and may have been represented by others. Display of the MLS data is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed by the MLS and prices are subject to change.

See HarborWalk floor plans at:

HarborWalkCondos.com