The ranch is extremely relaxing and peaceful   This park has so much to offer, including horseback riding lessons, ranch house tours, guided trail rides and an amazing moderate 3-mile hike to Inspiration Point where you can enjoy a full view of the ocean.

Take a quick look at the video bellow and feel free to leave any comments.

Philippe Rodrigue is a community expert for Pacific Palisades, and can be followed on http://twitter.com/philrodrigue

Guest how many listings are currently active on the market? If we look at the Market Analysis report from the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), there are currently 22 homes actively for sale on the market, one in escrow and 8 homes that have been sold in the last 3 months. 

From those 8 homes sold, the average days on the market are 116 and the median price is $3,375,000.  The average price in the Riviera is currently $4,504,000 with an average price per square foot of $935. If we comparing those numbers to 3 years ago, there is a decline of 20%. That was in 2007, at the peak of the market. The average homes used to go for $1,159 per square foot. 

So, do you think now might be a great time to buy?I’d love to know your thoughts.

Meet the director of high-performance training Erik Kortland.  He oversees the Junior Excellence Program, which takes youth tennis training to the next level – Kortland’s students consistently rank at international levels.  Would you expect anything less from a golf and tennis club that has been world-famous for nearly 80 years?

Kortland is currently training on the clay courts for the National Clay Courts in Florida. In Southern California, they are preparing for the Quicksilver Tournament in Palm Springs, and the US Open Qualifier in Clairemont.

Many notable tennis stars have passed through the doors at the Riviera Country Club.  To name a few:  Maria Sharapova, Mardy Fish, John McEnroe, and the Williams Sisters.

What you have is a glass that contains 50 percent of its maximum volume in water, right? That’s an easy mathematical model.

Now, let’s see what people think. Some of them will say it is “half full,” while others will say it is “half empty.” The amount of water in the glass did not change, but those people have different takes of what it means. The information remained the same, but their perceptions varied.

Got it? Good. Please keep reading.

Fannie Mae recently (late 2009) did a survey of 3,000 Americans. They did a very similar survey in 2003. In 2003 83-percent of those surveyed thought that buying a home was a good investment, while the most recent survey showed that 70-percent felt the same way now.

So, on one hand it looks like people in 2003 were far more optimistic about home ownership, right? Ok. But 70-percent of Americans are still optimistic. That’s still a lot of optimistic people, especially considering the worldwide economic meltdown of the last 18 months.

And here is the kicker:

In 2003, people were enjoying the sixth or seventh year of recovery after a huge housing market crash that started in the late ‘80s and continued through about 1996. So, of course they were super optimistic! Over six years of continued growth is a great trend. But to have an overwhelming majority of the people surveyed still optimistic in early 2010 after the worst financial and housing crisis of a generation? This is amazing!

Do you see where I’m going with this whole “perception” thing?

Everything has its pros and cons. Living in Pacific Palisades, one enjoys the comforts of living in Southern California: the amazing weather, the proximity to both beaches and mountains, the quality of the schools. One also has to deal with constantly clogged traffic, soaring gas prices, and cough-inducing smog. If you focus only on that negative 30-percent, you could be missing the bigger picture.

Comparing people’s real estate feeling from late 2009 to early 2003 may not be fair. Perhaps we should instead look at late 2009 to early 2009: in early 2009 most people were reeling from huge financial hits. But just a few months later they were feeling optimistic again. I think this says great things about the spirit of the American people.

But back to Fannie.

The most recent survey also shows that 65-percent of Americans prefer owning their own home; they see home ownership as much more than a financial investment. They also strongly feel that homeowners should uphold the financial commitment made when buying a home, even if home values have dropped and when they themselves are behind in their payments.

Eight out of 10 respondents think owning a home is important to the economy. While only 31-percent felt the economy was on the right track, 44-percent expected their personal finances to improve in the next year. Americans are optimistic. Americans rock.

And while home values have dropped (by huge percentages in some areas), 70-percent of respondents still believe that buying a home is one of the safest financial investments.

I must agree.

So what do you think: is the glass half full or half empty?

The best way to gauge any real estate market is to hone in on a specific price point in the area you’re interested in.  While homes in a certain price range may not be moving quickly, homes in another could be quite different — all within the same neighborhood, even.

If we look at the market in the Palisades right now above $2,000,000, there are currently 65 homes on the market, 14 are in escrow, and 26 homes have sold in the last three months.  That averages out to roughly $691 per square foot based on what’s been sold.  The statistic I found most telling is that close to 40 percent of the inventory in the $2-million-and-up range is either in escrow or has sold.  That means that homes are moving and if you keep your eyes open, you definitely can find some good deals.