What are you doing on Friday & Saturday? Swing by the Irvine Holiday Faire!

Swing by the 29th annual Holiday Faire, hosted by the Irvine Fine Arts Center.
It's on Friday, November 4, from 5-9 p.m, and also on Saturday, November 5, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Over 150 talented artisans will showcase a variety of unique holiday arts and decorations. Yes, they're for sale!

Join us for family fun, and see hand-blown glass, ceramics, jewelry, folk crafts, porcelain, dolls, clothing, holiday decorations and much more!

The Faire also features live music and a selection of food and dessert, including the ever-popular handmade ceramic collector bowls filled with piping hot chili or baked potatoes with all the fixings. Hmmmm, yummy.



The Irvine Fine Arts Center is located at 14321 Yale Avenue (in Heritage Park).

Admission is a whopping $2 (OMG), and kids aged 12 and under are free.
Parking is free.

Proceeds from the Faire are put back into the arts community.

Are you over 50? See you tomorrow at S.H.A.R.E.

Are you over 50? Well come to the Senior Health and Resource Expo tomorrow, (Saturday, Oct. 22nd), from 9 a.m. to noon!

Information on a variety of services will be offered, including alternative medicine, financial management, assisted living options, mobility products, safety and personal protection, employment and volunteer opportunities, medical screenings, and more.

There'll be a lot of exhibitors including:
Greater Newport Physicians
Hoag Hospital
City of Irvine
Costco, and many more. See a list of exhibitors at THIS LINK.

There'll also be:
Hearing tests
Massage and Foot Screening
Blood Pressure tests
BMI tests
Cholesterol tests
Muscle scans, and
Balance tests.

Hoag will be providing free flu shots for participants age 50 and older. Appointments and walkup registration is available too. ............. I hope to see you there.

The Lakeview Senior Center is at 20 Lake Rd, Woodbridge, Irvine, CA 92604.

Wall Street Journal & Forbes: It’s Time to Buy A Home

Today I bring you some nudging by financial institutions that have for years, been on the forefront of industry trends. As always, thanks to my friends at Keeping Current Matters for bringing this information to us.

I believe very strongly that now is the time to buy a home. Some will say I'm just saying this to create real estate transactions and commissions. Because of that, today I'll quote what those outside the real estate profession are saying to the people who look to them for financial advice.

The Wall Street Journal

Last week, in an article entitled It’sTime to Buy That House, the WSJ told their subscribers:

“It’s an excellent time to buy a house, either to live in for the long term or for investment income…Houses aren’t the magic wealth creators they were made out to be during the bubble. But when prices are low, loans are cheap and plump investment yields are scarce, buyers should jump.” In an article two weeks ago, MarketWatch.com (the on-line blog for WSJ) told their readers: “Now could be the best time in history to buy a home.”

Forbes.com

In a report to their subscribers, Capital Economics reported that:

“The previous declines in house prices and the more recent drop in mortgage rates to record lows have created an unusual situation in which the median monthly mortgage payment is more or less the same as the median rental payment.”

Why is this important? Last week, Forbes explained to their readers:

“If rents simply kept up with inflation at a 3.2% annual increase, a $1,500 rent payment would cost that renter nearly $900,000 over the next 30 years. The same $1,500 payment made to their mortgage would be only $540,000 (because the payments don’t increase with inflation).”

They went on to explain the advantages of homeownership during retirement:

“Even with a dismal 1% growth rate over 30 years, a $300,000 property would appreciate well over $100,000 giving the homeowner an additional nest egg for retirement…

At a time when retirement is becoming much more challenging, an extra $400,000 (or likely more) can make a major difference not to mention the impact of NOT having to pay a mortgage. How much less would you have to save for retirement if you didn’t pay the mortgage?”

Bottom Line

When the iconic financial newspaper and the iconic financial magazine say that it now makes financial sense to purchase a house, perhaps it’s time to buy a home.

City of Irvine's 40th Anniversary Bike Ride

If you're a cyclist, you're invited to enjoy an hour-long mountain bike ride along a portion of the City's more than 40 miles of bike trails.

The free 40th Anniversary Bike Ride, put on by the City of Irvine, starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 15 at the Quail Hill Trail Head, located at 34 Shady Canyon Drive, Irvine.

This is a 5 mile ride.

The route will take riders along the Shady Canyon Trail to Bommer Canyon and
back. This moderate, (with hills), bike ride will provide community members with a sense of the bike trail system as well as the City’s diverse open space.

Helmets are required and geared bikes are preferred.

No children under the age of 9, and all minors must be accompanied by an adult.

The event will be cancelled if it rains.

To register, just click here.