Without getting into too many of the statistics, it is a known fact that California is Earthquake country. The state is home to two-thirds of the nations earthquake risk with over 500+ active faults. Scientist predict based on seismic activity both past and current that a 6.7+M Earthquake is 99% likely within the next 30-years. While the numbers are not meant to cause an uproar of concern, as a Californian, your duty is to be prepared.
Read below for important information on staying prepared before, during and after an Earthquake. Additional government information can be found at the links listed at the bottom of this article.
If an earthquake happens, protect yourself right away. Drop, Cover, then Hold On!
If in a vehicle, pull over and stop.
If in bed, stay there.
If outdoors, stay outdoors.
Do not get in a doorway.
Do not run outside.
HOW TO STAY SAFE WHEN AN EARTHQUAKE THREATENS
Prepare NOW
Secure items, such as televisions, and objects that hang on walls. Store heavy and breakable objects on low shelves.
Practice Drop, Cover, then Hold On with family and coworkers. Drop to your hands and knees. Cover your head and neck with your arms. Crawl only as far as needed to reach cover from falling materials. Hold on to any sturdy furniture until the shaking stops.
Create a family emergency communications plan that has an out-of-state contact. Plan where to meet if you get separated.
Click the Image to view Rodeo Realty’s Emergency Kit Guide
Make a supply kit that includes enough food and water for at least three days, a flashlight, a fire extinguisher, and a whistle. Consider each person’s specific needs, including medication. Do not forget the needs of pets. Have extra batteries and charging devices for phones and other critical equipment.
Consider obtaining an earthquake insurance policy. Standard homeowner’s insurance does not cover earthquake damage.
Consider a retrofit of your building to correct structural issues that make it vulnerable to collapse during an earthquake.
Survive DURING
Drop, Cover, then Hold On like you practiced. Drop to your hands and knees. Cover your head and neck with your arms. Hold on to any sturdy furniture until the shaking stops. Crawl only if you can reach better cover without going through an area with more debris.
If in bed, stay there and cover your head and neck with a pillow.
If inside, stay there until the shaking stops. DO NOT run outside.
If in a vehicle, stop in a clear area that is away from buildings, trees, overpasses, underpasses, or utility wires.
If you are in a high-rise building, expect fire alarms and sprinklers to go off. Do not use elevators.
If near slopes, cliffs, or mountains, be alert for falling rocks and landslides.
Be Safe AFTER
Expect aftershocks to follow the largest shock of an earthquake.
Check yourself for injury and provide assistance to others if you have training.
If in a damaged building, go outside and quickly move away from the building.
Do not enter damaged buildings.
If you are trapped, cover your mouth. Send a text, bang on a pipe or wall, or use a whistle instead of shouting so that rescuers can locate you.
If you are in an area that may experience tsunamis, go inland or to higher ground immediately after the shaking stops.
Save phone calls for emergencies.
Once safe, monitor local news reports via battery operated radio, TV, social media, and cell phone text alerts for emergency information and instructions.
Use extreme caution during post-disaster clean-up of buildings and around debris. Do not attempt to remove heavy debris by yourself. Wear protective clothing, including a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, work gloves, and sturdy, thick-soled shoes during clean-up.
With the Lunar New Year quickly approaching, Los Angeles and it’s surrounding areas have already started on the celebrations. Mark the Year of the Golden Pig with these festive events happening in and around the city. Kicking off this weekend through February!
Lunar New Year Festival
Date: Saturday, January 26-Sunday, January 27, 2019
Location: Downtown Monterey Park
Event producer World Journal and a bounty of food vendors, entertainers and merchants invite you to celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Pig in Monterey Park. The Festival will offer unique gifts and speciality items along with food booths. amusement rides and lots of live entertainment. Arrive early Saturday morning to view the arrival of the traditional New year lion and dragon dancers with firecrackers to kick-off the festival. Various types of entertainment will be featured on both days with crowds of 50,000-100,000 expected to attend. Be sure to plan ahead, click here for more information.
Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau (BHCVB) will host “Happy Chinese New Year, Charming Jing-Jin-Ji” in Beverly Hills on January 26, 2019. This is the eighth consecutive year of Beverly Hills hosting a Chinese New Year celebratory event. The 2019 Chinese New Year event will be divided into three parts: a variety show, a “Jing-Jin-Ji” photo exhibition and a cultural heritage crafts display and demonstration. The variety show will feature performance groups from Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei with Chinese acrobatics, martial arts, folk dance, Peking opera and more. The cultural heritage crafts display and demonstration will include Peking Opera costumes, ceremonial tea service, traditional folk music and more.
Location: Richard and Karen Carpenter Center, Long Beach
Don’t miss an afternoon of award-winning acrobatics and artistic form from world renowned troupe-Golden Dragon Acrobats. Hailing from Cangzhou in the People’s Republic of China, they represent a time-honored tradition that begun over twenty-five centuries ago. The troupe’s athleticism combined with ancient and modern dance and music present a show of breathtaking skill and spellbinding beauty.
Similar to the celebrations taking place at the Caruso’s The Grove, The Americana at Brand will celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Pig with a day of family fun. Enjoy complimentary entertainment and activities that focus on the rich history and traditions of the new year on The Green.
Taking places just a few days prior to the new year is the Groves Lunar celebration. Focused on the festive nature of the holidays, The Grove will highlight the storied meaning, tradition and symbolism through a dazzling display of decor and fun-filled entertainment. Enjoy lively performances and cultural activities on Gilmore Lane and The Plaza of The Original Farmers Market.
Location: The Huntington Library, 1151 Oxford Rd.s Pasadena
Celebrate the Lunar New Year at The Huntington as the Year of the Pig begins. The festivities include lion dancers, mask-changing performances, martial arts, music and more. Enjoy the days entertainment amongst the Huntington’s stunning botanical gardens.
Santa Monica Place will be commerating the Year of the Pig with its annual Lunar New Year celebration. Hosted by comedian Paul “PK” Kim, festivities will include authentic cultural performances and activities. Enjoy an afternoon of traditional Chinese lion dance, stilt walkers, traditional dough artists, and classical Chinese folk music.
Celebrate the Chinese New Year aboard the majestic Queen Mary with Shanghai Nights. The evening soiree will be a night of Chinese culture, cuisine and dragon dancing, along with Wushu Warriors Shaolin acrobatics, a guezheng ensemble and more! It is a limited seating event that will be a feast of the senes surrounded by stunning decor.
Don’t miss out on Chinatowns biggest party of the year! Celebrate the Year of the Boar with a parade and festival in Chinatown. Featuring Marching Bands, Floats, The Miss Chinatown Queen and Court as well as delicious food, music and fun.
You can now do your grocery shopping and renew your vehicle registration in one location.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles has installed self-service kiosks at several grocery chains around Los Angeles.
The “DMV Now” kiosks helps you avoid trips to the DMV and allows you to renew your vehicle registration in less than two minutes.
The touch-screens are located at 12 selected Albertsons, Superior Grocers, and Vons supermarkets, and are accessible in Spanish and English.
The California DMV plans to add 40 more kiosks by the end of 2017. For now, they also have “DMV Now” kiosks in Tarzana, Lancaster, Palmdale, Simi Valley, and Canoga Park, among others.
Below is a map of the existing “DMV Now” kiosks in Southern California:
Featured this week in the California edition of Top Agent Magazine is Rodeo Realty’s Woodland Hills agent, Shane Nichols.
Nichols is covering the front of the magazine and is also highlighted throughout the publication.
In a 6-page spread, the premier real estate magazine gives an in-depth look at Nichols career and his success.
“With a natural ability to sell and a strong drive to achieve goals, Shane Nichols has set himself apart in the southern California Real Estate market,” said Top Agent Magazine.
The magazine mentions Nichols previous career in sales and how that led him to become a Realtor®.
“The year 2015 was his first full-time year in the business, and he was recognized at Rodeo’s yearly awards ceremony as one of the Top Producers of a company with 11 locations and over 1,200 agents,” said Top Agent. “That’s impressive.”
To demonstrate how the real estate agent goes above and beyond his client’s expectations the magazine also published two of Nichols’ Zillow reviews.
“…We interviewed 4 different agents, Shane was first,” said one recent seller. “After we had interviewed everyone, we came to the conclusion we definitely wanted Shane to sell our home.”
The review ended by saying, “When all is said and done, we couldn’t be happier with everything he did for us. We gained a great Realtor® and lifetime friend.”
The article closes off by stating that Nichols passion for the real estate industry stems from the people he gets to help.
“I’m in a service profession for a reason: I enjoy helping people,” said Nichols. “And finding them that home of their dreams is a pivotal part of what I do and why I enjoy it.”
To read the entire feature on Shane Nichols, click HERE.
Rodeo Realty agent Maggie Oreck has a listing that is featured in The Hollywood Reporter this week. The Studio City agent is representing Salsa King Marc Anthony, who has put his Tarzana home back on the market.
The seven- time Grammy and Latin Grammy winner has listed the 6,500 sq ft property for slightly more than he paid — $4,150,000.
The Hollywood Reporter graphic
Anthony and his wife, Venezuelan model Shannon de Lima, purchased the newly constructed home in 2014. The New England Traditional style comes with five bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms and an oversized four-car garage. Wide panel mahogany wood floors run throughout the entire two-story home. Detailed wainscoting and coffered ceilings are just a few samples of the finest materials used in the exquisite craftsmanship.
On the first floor you’ll find a combined living and dining area, a den/office and two family rooms. One of the family rooms opens to an all-white gourmet kitchen which includes double Wolf ranges, Subzero fridge/freezer, two center islands, Calacatta marble, honed granite counters and an exquisite herringbone design stone back splash.
Upstairs there’s four en suite bedrooms joined by a magnificent master bedroom with a private terrace and an expansive closet featuring delicate glass vitrines.
A sun-drenched back yard provides a great environment for relaxing and entertaining with a swimmers pool, spa, fire pit and bar with a built-in grill and outdoor fridge.
To read The Hollywood Reporter article, click HERE
Stocks slightly lower this week – Stocks pulled back after five members of The Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee suggested that the next rate hike could come as early as the April meeting. This was a change to the statements made just a month ago when the economy seemed like it was faltering. Over the last six weeks stocks have rebounded. The 2015 4th quarter U.S GDP has been revised upward twice, auto sales were a record high, and consumer spending was higher than expected. Job gains were especially strong in February after a disappointing January. The general mood of economists has shifted from the economy possibly slowing to the economy is still expanding over the past month, as has The Fed’s outlook, apparently. Speculation of a rate hike coming strengthened the dollar, which has dropped from multi year highs in recent weeks. This is not especially good for manufacturing as a strong dollar makes U.S. goods more expensive. Oil prices retreated a little this week after rising 40% from a 13 year low on February 11 when U.S crude oil hit $26 a barrel. Oil was over $40 a barrel early in the week before dropping back to end the week at $39.46. Low oil prices have hurt energy companies, and energy producing areas where companies have cutback on production and laid off workers. After six weeks of gains stocks retreated a little this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed the week at 17,515.33, down from 17,602.30 last week. The S&P 500 closed the week at 2,035.94, down from 2,049.58 last week. The NASDAQ closed Friday at 4,773.50, down from 4,795.65 last week.
Bond yields almost unchanged for the week – The 10 year U.S. Treasury bond closed Friday yielding 1.91%, slightly higher than 1.88% last week. The 30 year U.S. Treasury bond closed Friday yielding 2.67%, almost unchanged from 2.68% last week. Mortgage rates follow bond yields so we watch bonds carefully.
Mortgage rates -The Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Survey released on March 24, 2016 showed that average mortgage rates from lenders surveyed for the most popular products were as follows: The 30 year fixed average rate was 3.71%. The 15 year fixed average rate was 2.96% The 5/1 ARM average was was 2.89%.
California existing home sales show mixed results in February – The California Association of Realtors reported that the number of California home sales in February was up 2.6% from January, and 6.4% above last February’s levels. The Los Angeles region showed almost identical increases as the state as a whole. Tempering the report was home prices. The statewide median price fell 4.7% in February from January and year over year the median price was up just 3.8% from last February. Inventory levels which hit record lows of a 3 month supply just a few months ago have increased. The unsold inventory index rose to a 4.6 month supply in February as more homes have hit the market. The unsold inventory index was at a 4.9 month supply last February before edging down as sales increased in the spring.
U.S. Existing home sales fall sharply in February – The National Association of Realtors reported that month over month total existing home sales dropped 7.1% in February. On a positive, home sales were 2.2% higher than last February’s levels. The drop was most significant in the Northeast and Midwest which weighed down the national numbers. Weather was thought to have played a part as a massive snow storm in the east may have slowed sales. Low inventory levels, were also to blame according to the report.
New home sales jump in February – The Commerce Department reported that the number of sales of new homes surged 38.5% in the Western United States. All other regions declined and the country as a whole showed new home sales up 2% in February. Obviously, strong sales here in the west pulled that number positive.
Stocks have another strong week – Stocks gained ground for a fifth straight week. Stock markets have now gained back all the losses suffered in the first 6 weeks of 2016. Earlier in the year stocks were pounded by falling energy stocks due to low oil prices. Those stocks have made back their losses as oil prices have rebounded. Benchmark U.S. Crude oil was $39.44 a barrel Friday, up from a 13 year low of $26 on February 11. Higher oil prices help economies in oil producing regions. Better economic conditions lead to higher spending which helps all sectors of the economy. The price of the dollar has also settled and has dropped about 10% after reaching the strongest levels in decades. This helps the outlook of U.S. exports, as a weaker dollar makes U.S. goods cheaper overseas. Other developments have been that reports on manufacturing, hiring, and construction spending have shown that the U.S. economy is still expanding. The Federal Reserve announced at its meeting this week that there will be fewer interest rate hikes this year than they previously expected. This also helped stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed the week at 17,602.30, up from 17,213.31 last week. The S&P 500 closed the week at 2,049.58, up from 2,022.19 last week. The NASDAQ closed Friday at 4,795.65, up from 4,748.47 last week.
Bond yields drop after inching up over the last few weeks – The 10 year U.S. Treasury bond closed Friday yielding 1.88%, down from 1.98% last week. The 30 year U.S. Treasury bond closed Friday yielding 2.68%, down from 2.75% last week. Mortgage rates follow bond yields so we watch bonds carefully.
Mortgage rates -The Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Survey released on March 17, 2016 showed that average mortgage were as follows: The 30 year fixed average rate was 3.73%. The 15 year fixed average rate was 2.99%. The 5/1 ARM average was was 2.93%.
California’s unemployment rate falls to 5.5% – California employers’ added 39,900 non-farm jobs in February according to the Employment Development Department. The 5.5% unemployment rate was an 8 year low, continuing a downward trend.
Southern California home sales jump in February – Data firm CoreLogic reported that a total of 15,373 existing Southern California homes and condominiums were sold in February, up 9.1% from 14,096 in February 2015. Month over month the number of existing home and condominium sales were up 5.1% from January. The median price in the region consisting of Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties was just 3.7%higher than last February, according to CoreLogic.
U.S. Employers add 242,000 jobs in February – The Labor Department reported that U.S. Employers added 242,000 new jobs in February. This was far better than the 190,000 new jobs economists surveyed had predicted. It was also viewed as a very positive sign after a disappointing 172,000 jobs added in January. It was feared after the low January report that job growth could be stalling, but the February number of 242,0000 net new jobs put the 2016 average job gains numbers back to over 200,000 per month. The national unemployment rate held steady at 4.9%, the lowest level since February 2008. Wage growth was disappointing showing hourly wages up just 2.2% from last February. Wages were looking like they were beginning to rise over the last few months, after being stagnant for years, so this was a disappointing number. The Federal Reserve has a wage growth target of 3.5%.
California Unemployment Rate drops to 5.7% in January – The Employment Development Department reported that California’s unemployment rate slipped in January to 5.7%, down from 5.9% in December. Year over year non farm payrolls increased by 444,900 from last January when the state’s unemployment rate was 6.8%.
Stock markets rise for third straight week – Stocks rose again this week as rising oil prices bolstered energy stocks, and the outlook of economics in oil producing regions. Oil prices have risen 30% from their February lows. A strong jobs report showed that U.S. Employers’s are still confident and expanding, which also helped stocks on Friday after the report was released. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed the week at 17,006.77 up from 16,391.99 last week. The S&P 500 closed the week at 1,999.99 up from 1,948.05 last week. The NASDAQ closed Friday at 4,717.02up from 4,590.47 last week.
Bond yields – Bond yields have risen slightly since hitting historically low levels in mid February. It’s not unusual for bond yields to rise as stocks rise as investors sell bonds to buy stocks. The 10 year U.S. Treasury bond yield closed Friday at 1.88% from 1.76% last week. The 30 year U.S. Treasury bond yield closed Friday at 2.70% from 2.63% last week.
Mortgage rates -The Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Survey showed that average rates on February 25, 2016 were as follows: The 30 year fixed average rate was 3.64%. The 15 year fixed average rate was 2.94%. The 5/1 ARM average was was 2.84%.
Stocks end week higher – Stocks rose noticeably this week, fueled by a surge in oil prices during the week. Oil prices rose by 10% on the announcement of a proposed coordinated production freeze between Saudi Arabia, Russia and Iran. The The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed the week at 16.391.99, up from 15,973.84 last week. The S&P 500 closed the week at 1,917.78, up from 1,864.78 last week. The NASDAQ closed Friday at 4,505.93, up from 4,337.51 last week.
Bond yields – The 10 year U.S. Treasury bond yield closed Friday at 1.76%, unchanged from 1.74% last week. The 30 year U.S. Treasury bond yield closed Friday at 2.61%, unchanged from 2.60% last week.
Mortgage rates at lowest levels in 3 years and near 50 year lows – The Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Survey showed that average rates on February 18 2016 were as follows: The 30 year fixed average rate was 3.65%. The 15 year fixed average rate was 2.95%. The 5/1 ARM average was was 2.85%.
California home sales post best January performance in 3 years – The California Association of Realtors reported that the number of existing single family homes sold in January was down 5.4% from December, yet up 8.8% from last January, a 3 year high. The median price paid for an existing single family home in California was $468,330 in January, down 4.3% from December, but up 9.2% from January 2015. Inventory levels rose from 2.8 months in December to a 4.3 month supply in January as more homes hit the market. It’s not unusual for sales to be lower in January as final sales are homes that went under contract 30 to 60 days earlier. Pending sales slow over the holiday season which makes closings lower in January. The unsold inventory index uses the current month (January) sales figures, which usually has the lowest number of final sales for the year.
