House You Can Afford ▸ Community News

Long Beach Mortgage Rates Make Aloha Friday Even Better!

Sep 20 2013 Comments

Long Beach mortgage rates and glidersLong Beach mortgage rates dropped this week setting the groundwork for the PERFECT Aloha Friday, especially if you are searching for a home in Long Beach. There are also plenty of community events to keep you busy this weekend, too! If you ARE looking for a Long Beach home, and want to lock in an amazing mortgage rate, or need to refinance, please take a few minutes this weekend to ask me about how I can help secure the best mortgage rates for you.

As you consider Long Beach real estate, you may find a walking tour to be helpful. See a few of the city’s most beautiful buildings, from 9-11:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 21. Meet at  the WPA Mural on the Promenade (205 East 3rd Street) for the tour offered by Long Beach Heritage. Some of the sites include the WPA Mural-Recreation in Long Beach Insurance Exchange Building, The Breakers, The Wilmore Building, and the First National Bank Security Bank Building. Register for the walk in advance online by clicking here.

However, if you are after some old fashioned excitement, venture to Rainbow Harbor for the free National Red Bull Flugtag Long Beach event occurring that same day at 10 a.m. Crazy to watch, you’ll see insanity in action as daring pilots launch team-powered gliders and flying machines into the Harbor from a 30-foot ramp. Lots of competition and some success will be seen – making it a one-of-a-kind day. Think the Wright Brothers meet Red Bull… and bring any boys and men near your Long Beach home to witness the first gliding/splashing event of this magnitude. Read more here.

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Pirates, a Murder Mystery, and Irish Music Near Your Long Beach Home

Sep 13 2013 Comments

Aloha at sunset near your Long Beach homeAnother work week is coming to an end, and that means it’s time for Aloha Friday!  There are some fun events happening near your Long Beach home this weekend and the weather is still warm, making it a great weekend to visit the beach, too!

If you have pirate fans in your Long Beach home, bring them to the Pirate Festival at Shoreline Village.  The free festival will start on Saturday, September 14th at 1 p.m. and go until 7 p.m.  Enjoy sword fighting demonstrations, a treasure hunt, and for a small fee, a pirate cruise around the harbor.  Click here for more information, matey!

For a great date night or outing with friends, try the Dinner Detective on Saturday, September 14th.  It’s a fun and fast-paced evening of great food and an exciting murder mystery to solve.  Actors blend right in with guests, so you’ll have to be on your toes to win Top Sleuth of the night.  It all takes place on the ship Grand Romance at 200 Aquarium Way.  Click here to reserve your ticket.

Anyone living in a Long Beach home who loves all things Irish should come out for the Long Beach Fleadh, Irish Music and Oyster Festival.  It’s at the Lawn at the Pike on Saturday, September 14th and Sunday, September 15th from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.  There will be local Irish bands, cold Irish beer, and fresh oysters.  Kids under 12 are free, and there’s plenty for them to do in the kids’ area.  For more information, click here.

If you would like to know about living in Long Beach or need a Long Beach home loan, let’s connect!

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Aloha Friday Brings Lobsters, Art & A Race to Your Long Beach Home

Sep 6 2013 Comments

Long Beach home to Aloha Friday lobster funAfter a long working week, it’s time for Aloha Friday! Take a good look at all the fun things to do near your Long Beach home this weekend and have a great time in the Aloha spirit with family and friends.

Who knew that the largest lobster festival outside of Maine was so close to your Long Beach home? Enjoy a great weekend of fresh lobster and live music. The lobsters will be steaming at Rainbow Lagoon in Long Beach on Friday, September 6th, from 5 to 11 p.m., on Saturday, September 7th from noon to 11 p.m., and on Sunday, September 8th from noon to 10 p.m. Click here for more information and to buy tickets.

The Arts Council for Long Beach presents A LOT, a collaboration between artists and the community. A LOT begins on Saturday, September 7th. Art, music, and performances will be presented throughout Long Beach in vacant lots. There’s probably one near your Long Beach home. This is a great way to bring the community together to celebrate the creativity that makes Long Beach such a fun place to live. Click here to read about participating artists and to find A LOT near you!

The Aquarium of the Pacific is hosting its second 5K Run/Walk on Sunday, September 8th. Jog or stroll on the beautiful course, which will take you along the beach. Your registration fee even includes admission to the aquarium!  This will be a fun day with friends near your Long Beach home.  Click here for more information and to register.  Registration is also available on the day of the race.

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Great Festivals Bring Aloha Friday Closer To Your Long Beach Home

Aug 29 2013 Comments

Say Aloha Friday with a Long Beach home loanWelcome to Aloha Friday where we keep tabs on the good stuff along with finding you the perfect home loan!  Several great festivals are happening near your Long Beach home this weekend, just in time to enjoy some fun this Labor Day weekend.

The Queen Mary is the location of this weekend’s Art Deco Festival, which begins today, August 30th  and continues until September 2nd. Take a Captain’s Strolling Tour and learn all about the beautiful Art Deco work on the Queen Mary. Get yourself an Art Deco Day Passport and spend the day learning Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday, September 1st, put on your best frock or nattiest suit and come to the Sunday Tea Dance.  Find out more and purchase tickets, by clicking here.

Come to the 64th Annual Grecian Festival by the Sea, August 31st, September 1st, and 2nd from noon to 9 p.m. each day.  It will be held at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church. There will be fun for everyone in your Long Beach home and plenty of Greek food and dancing, carnival rides, and lots of great vendors.  Click here for more information.

For an authentic Aloha Friday experience near your Long Beach home, come to E Hula Mau. It’s the 19th Annual Hula and Chant Competition! Come to the Terrace Theater, located at 300 E. Ocean Boulevard, anytime between August 30th  and September 1st for a true Aloha experience! Hawaii was never closer to your Long Beach home. You can take several fun workshops, including lei making and slack key guitar or enjoy live performances. Be sure to sample the delicious Hawaiian food, too.  Click here for all the details.

 

Filed Under: Aloha Friday, Community News, Events

Tiki Festival Near Long Beach Homes Celebrates Aloha Friday All Weekend

Aug 23 2013 Comments

Aloha at the Tiki Festival By Long Beach homesNormally I highlight a sampling of events for you to enjoy near Long Beach homes each Aloha Friday. However this weekend highlights a very special festival – the 13th Annual Tiki Beach Festival at Granada Beach – and it’s so much fun it deserves it’s own post!

Starting at sunrise on Saturday and lasting well until the night (9:30 p.m.) locals turn out for this free and exciting community event. Bring the entire family for a day (or two) of Aloha fun near Long Beach homes on both Saturday and Sunday. Sunday’s event concludes at 5:30 p.m. Get your fill of island music and dancing, costumes and Polynesian culture, tiki carving, and canoe rides! There will be a special kids fun zone, too, as well as an island market place and plenty to eat from Hawaiian shaved ice to specialty drinks and SPAM in the Aloha Food Court.

If you, like me, love Hawaii and are happy to welcome such a festival once again to the Mainland, you’ll have a blast watching (and trying to copy) the dancers. If you live in Long Beach, but are considering a Hawaii home, we should talk. I can help you find the home loan to finance your dream of life in the islands. Be sure to read my Hawaii home posts to get familiar with the programs and tips on buying in Hawaii. Aloha!

 

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Good Times Near Your Long Beach Home on Aloha Friday

Aug 16 2013 Comments

Aloha Fiday & Your Long Beach Home MortgageIt’s time for Aloha Friday and that means getting the low down on the best events near your Long Beach home.

If you enjoy firing up the grill the Long Beach BBQ Festival is the place for you!  Friday, August 16th from 5 to 11 p.m., Saturday, August 17th from noon to 11 p.m., and Sunday August 18th from noon to 10 p.m. the barbeques will be smoking!  This is a delicious event for everyone in your Long Beach home.  Click here to read more about this event and get a $2 off coupon.

Summer may be winding down, but you don’t have to give up the Aloha spirit this weekend!  On Saturday the 17th come to First Street and Linden Avenue in downtown Long Beach for the BuskerFest.  Music will be rocking from 5 to 11 p.m.  You can discover great artists who live in Long Beach and then stick around for the after party with DJ Lithuanian Prince.  Click here for more information.

If you’re trying to create an Aloha atmosphere in your Long Beach home and you’re on a budget, come to the Long Beach Antique Market on Sunday the 18th.  Held at Veterans Stadium, there’s plenty to see and parking is free.  For a discount coupon and more information, click here.

Along with these fun events, now is also a great time to lock in a low mortgage rate, call me to find out about your purchasing power.

Filed Under: Aloha Friday, Community News, Events

Aloha Friday Brings Fun Near Your Long Beach Home

Aug 9 2013 Comments

Aloha Friday Fun Starts With a Long Beach homeThis week’s Aloha Friday is here with some super fun events near your Long Beach home!

Any serious cycling race enthusiasts who live in Long Beach should come for the USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships.  Head over to the VELO Sports Center for racing on Friday, August 9th and Saturday August 10th.  Admission is only $10 per day, but you’ll be amazed at the speed you’ll see.  Click here to buy tickets.

The Long Beach Jazz Festival is happening this weekend at Rainbow Lagoon Park near your Long Beach home, too.  On Friday, August 9th, the gates open at 5 p.m., and the show goes from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.  On Saturday, August 10th and Sunday, August 11th,  the gates open at 11 a.m.  Shows run all day,  from noon to 10:30 p.m.  Click here to see the full schedule and buy tickets.

For the most amazing family event (and one that will FILL you with Aloha spirit) come to the 81st Annual Great Sand Sculpture Contest.  It will be at Granada Beach on Saturday, August 10th and Sunday, August 11th, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  There will also be food, live music, arts and crafts, vendor booths, and kids activities.  And, of course, amazing sand sculptures.  It’s a great beach tradition near your Long Beach home.  Click here to read more about it.

Hope you have a fantastic weekend enjoying these one-of-a-kind events that can only be found near your Long Beach home! If you happen to be looking for Long Beach real estate or need to find out how much of a home loan you can qualify for to start your home search, call me or click here. I’d love to help you out!

 

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Living in Hawaii – Ready to Move?

Aug 6 2013 Comments

Living in Hawaii - buy a Hawaii HomeDid you move into your Long Beach home hoping to enjoy a peaceful beach community – would you rather be living in Hawaii? Perhaps it’s Southern California’s infamously bad traffic or maybe it’s just my Aloha Friday posts that have you longing for Hawaii. Maybe you’re thinking it would be nice to have a home in Hawaii, the perfect place to rest your head after an exciting Aloha Friday. I find that most people think that a home in Hawaii will always be just a dream, never a reality. However, that doesn’t have to be true!

Here’s a nice little piece of reality! The state of Hawaii actually has a number of Hawaii home buying programs aimed at low to medium income home buyers, especially for first time buyers. Income-eligible, first-time homebuyers can take advantage of the Hula Mae Mortgage Loan Program, a Hawaii buying program of the Hawaii Housing & Development Corporation. The program offers 30-year mortgage loans with interest rates starting at 2.95% and 30-year mortgage loans with down payment assistance and interest rates starting at 3.45%. To see eligibility rules, contact me directly or click here.

Whether you need assistance from a Hawaii buying program or not, a little education about the process of buying a home in Hawaii will be helpful. So, call me to discuss how we can make your dream of living in Hawaii come true. We will explore many options, including Hawaii buying programs and find a way to get you there!

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Can You See Yourself in A Hawaii Home?

Aug 4 2013 Comments

Hawaii home to beautiful flowersA Hawaii home is the perfect place to rest after a delightful Aloha Friday! At House You Can Afford, we want to help you find your perfect Hawaii home and that takes some thought. Once you’ve decided to take the leap and buy a home in Hawaii, you need to consider how large a house you need and where you’d like to live.

Especially if you’ve never lived in Hawaii, you should seriously consider hiring an agent who knows the area well. A knowledgable real estate agent can help you determine which neighborhoods will best suit your needs. He or she can also help you determine which neighborhoods have homes with good resale value. This is probably most important if you are buying your Hawaii home as an investment property, but it’s worth thinking about even if you plan to live there full-time. A Hawaii home in a neighborhood with high resale values tends to be close to good schools and jobs, have a low crime rate, and have neighbors who take care of their Hawaii homes.

Imagine the life you’d like to lead in your Hawaii home. What’s most important to you? Maybe it’s proximity to a job, good schools, or the beach. Is there a minimum number of bedrooms you need? You might see yourself in a big, beautiful yard, enjoying a big group of family and friends. Once you determine the aspects of your Hawaii home you can’t live without, you can really narrow your search. Be sure to share your list with us so we can help you find the Hawaii home of your dreams.

At House You Can Afford, we’ve assisted many people in finding the right Long Beach home for their needs. The process of determining the right Hawaii home is really quite similar, and we’d be happy to chat with you and help you think through your wants and needs to find your ideal Hawaii home!

Filed Under: Community News, Hawaii Homes Tagged With: , ,

Start Your Aloha Friday with A Splash Near Your Long Beach Home

Jul 26 2013 Comments

Aloha Friday near your Long beach homeIt’s Aloha Friday and that means it’s time to think about how you will be spending the weekend near your Long Beach home!

Have you ever been to the dragon races? You’ll be thrilled by the speed, tradition and competitive spirit found at the Long Beach Dragon Boat Festival! Held this weekend on Saturday and Sunday, July 27-28, the Marine Stadium near your Long Beach home will be filled with dragon boats in one of the largest competitions of this newly recognized international sport.

All weekend long you can visit Long Beach’s Marina Green Park on East Shoreline Village to see the FIVB World Tour. This Beach Volleyball extravaganza sponsored by ASICS World Series is free and you’ll be able  to see a host of volleyball showdowns and pick up some sunglass and frisbee swag. See the website for details.

If you live in Long Beach and would rather spend some time indoors, you may want to visit the Omelette Inn for breakfast and an exhibit of colorful acrylics focused on Long Beach Harbor activities. Located at the corner of Third and Pine Avenues, it’s a perfect way to start off your morning! Read more about this local business and eatery by clicking here.

 

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