Devin McNichol and Aaron Bernbach (of the McNichol Bernbach Group of Rodeo Realty), hosted their first annual McNichol Bernbach Group Thanksgiving Food Drive. They hosted the event on Saturday November 23rd, 2019 in front of the Rodeo Realty office based in Pacific Palisades.
For those who brought more than two cans or packages of non-perishable food items to the drive, they qualified for a token. This token was good for a complimentary lunch, catered by Ortiz Kitchen (a Los Angeles based gourmet food truck). Along with a complimentary lunch, those who donated received a raffle ticket to enter into a drawing for gift cards to local businesses in the Pacific Palisades area.
The first two people who showed up to donate ended up having their complimentary lunch together, realized they were neighbors, and made coffee plans for the following week. Both McNichol and Bernbach were “thrilled to hear about this” as their mission for the event was “all about bringing the community together and giving back” as stated by Bernbach.
The McNichol Bernbach group shared they “had over 100 people donate and collected over 800 pounds of food” – talk about making a difference! All donations were sent to the Westside Food Bank. The Westside Food Bank provides more than five million pounds of food each year for those in need.
On top of hosting a Thanksgiving Food Drive, the McNichol Bernbach group recently delivered 500 pumpkins throughout Pacific Palisades in October. These two are not shy about giving back to the community.
A positive GDP report showing that the economy grew at 3.5% in the third quarter, inflation was tame, and consumer spending was up, could not keep the markets from continuing to slide. This week. third quarter profits were reported that were below expectations. Those were mostly in the technology sector. Even Amazon did not hit their numbers. On the other hand, some companies like Ford and Tesla exceeded expectations. All in all, fears in the technology sector hit the NASDAQ hard. It lost 3.8% for the week and is now up just 3.8% for the year after being up 20% for the year just one month ago. The Dow and S&P also got hit hard down 3% and 3.9% respectively for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed the week at 24,688.31, down from 25,444.34 last week. It is down 0.1% year-to-date. The S&P 500 closed the week at 2,658.69, down from 2,767.78 last week. It’s down 0.6% year-to-date. The NASDAQ closed the week at 7,167.21, down from 7,449.03 last week. It’s up 3.8% year-to-date.
Treasury Bond Yields lower this week:
The 10-year Treasury bond closed the week yielding 3.08%, down from 3.20% last week. The 30-year Treasury bond yield ended the week at 3.32%, down from 3.38% last week. We watch treasury bond yields because mortgage rates follow bond yields.
Mortgage rates almost unchanged this week:
The October 25, 2018 Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Survey reported that the 30-year fixed mortgage rate average was 4.86%, almost unchanged from 4.85% last week. The 15-year fixed was 4.29%, slightly up from 4.26% last week. The 5-year ARM was 4.14%, up from 4.10% last week.
GDP up 3.5% in third quarter:
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced that the first reading of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 3.5% in the third quarter of 2018. That beat expectations of a 3.4% rise, but was well below the 4.2% increase registered in the second quarter of 2018. The report also said that The PCE price index, a key indicator of inflation, rose at a 1.6% annual rate in the quarter. That was well below the 2.2% annual increase analysts forecasted. Consumer spending, which accounts for about two thirds of the U.S. economy, grew by 4% in the third quarter. That marked the largest increase since the fourth quarter of 2014.
September Nationwide Existing Home Sales:
Data released this week from The National Association of Realtors showed that total existing home sales fell again in September. The number of existing homes sold in September fell 3.4% from August, and are down 4.1% from one year ago. The median price paid for a home in the U.S. was up 4.2% from last September. That marked the 79th straight month of year over increases. The unsold inventory index is at a 4.4 month supply, up slightly from a 4.2 month supply one year ago.
September California Existing Home Sales:
The California Association of Realtors reported that existing single family home sales totaled 382,550 in September on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate. That was down 4.3% from August and down a staggering 12.4% from last September, when sales totaled 436,920 on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate. The median price paid for a home in California was $587,850, up 4.2% from September 2017. On a more regional level, the median price increased 4.7% in Los Angeles County, 10.6% in Ventura County, and 3.3% in Orange County from one year ago. Inventory levels continued to rise after hitting historic lows in 2017. The unsold inventory index in California stood at a 4.2 month supply in September, up from a 3.3 month supply in September 2017. Inventory levels have now increased for 6 straight months and are up 20.4% from one year ago. Listings are at the highest level in 31 months. Los Angeles County has a 4.4 month supply, up from a 3.1 month supply last September. Orange County has a 4.3 month supply, up from 3.1 months last September. Ventura County had a 6.3 month supply of homes, up from a 4.7 month supply one year ago.
“The Real Estate Guys” step out to show support for client and friend Jeff Apoloff at gala benefiting Autism Research and Awareness.
(from left) Rodeo Realty agents Ken Marker, Corey Brown, and Ed Dolce at the 2018 Autism Speaks “Into the Blue” Gala-The Beverly Hills Hotel
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (October 10, 2018)-The Real Estate Guys are taking time to give back. This was showcased last week when Rodeo Realty’s Ken Marker, Corey Brown and Ed Dolce attended Autism Speaks Into the Blue Gala in support of client and friend Jeff Apoloff.
Apoloff, an Executive Producer for Apoloff Entertainment, Inc. and creator of Fox’s “Beat Shazam” was this years Honoree of the annual philanthropic gala.
Held on October 4, 2018 at the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel, Jeff received the distinguished Honoree of the Year Award, for his dedication and service to the incredible cause that helps those affected by Autism.
Hosted by Corinne Foxx, attendees of the “Into The Blue” gala helped to raise thousands of dollars for Autism Speaks. Pink, Carey Hart, and Anna Lynn McCord were among some of the special guest in attendance along with a slew of other celebrities and philanthropists.
Past celebrity participants have been Freddie Highmore, Sarah McLachlan, Conan O’Brien, Diane Kruger, Molly Sims, Raphael Saadiq, JK Simmons, Rick Springfield, Kevin Frazier, Nikki Reed, Maria Menounos and Cirque de Soleil, among others.
One of the event highlights included a special performance by the Foo Fighter’s David Grohl. The Grammy Winning artist stepped in as the featured performer for the evening when it’s original musical guest Jaime Foxx had to bow out due to scheduling conflicts. This was not the first time that Grohl lended his musical talents to Autism Speaks. In 2013 he headlined the non-profit groups Blue Jean Ball and has been a longtime supporter of the organization.
The evening also featured music by DJ Irie, a live performance by the glow-in-the-dark dance sensation iLuminate, an exciting dinner program and an exclusive celebrity fashion experience.
The event received sponsorship from NBC, WME, Netflix and Variety among other known brands and industry leaders.
“Into the Blue” raises funds to support the mission of Autism Speaks. The event draws in over 250-300 attendees each year from across the entertainment, corporate and legal industries.
Into the Blue Gala is one of the many ways in which Autism Speaks raises awareness. Throughout the year the non-profit organization host and participate in events that shed a blue light on their important cause.
“Together, there’s no limit to what we can do. With every step you take and every dollar you raise, you help enhance lives today and accelerate a spectrum of solutions for tomorrow.”
About Autism:
Autism affects an estimated 1 in 59 children. Autism spectrum disorder (“ASD”) refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. We now know that there is not one autism but many subtypes, and each person with autism can have unique strengths and challenges. A combination of genetic and environmental factors influence the development of autism, and autism often is accompanied by medical issues such as GI disorders, seizures and sleep disturbances.
About Autism Speaks:
Autism Speaks was founded in February 2005 by Bob and Suzanne Wright, grandparents of a child with autism. Recognizing the need for a powerful voice Bernie Marcus donated $25 million to help financially launch the organization. Autism Speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. They do this through advocacy and support; increasing understanding and acceptance of people with autism spectrum disorder; and advancing research into causes and better interventions for autism spectrum disorder and related conditions. Since 2012, Autism Speaks has provided more than 18 million people with programs and resources such as the Autism Treatment Network, which includes Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and the Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment Disorders at UC Irvine. Autism Speaks also provides free tool kits to help manage a wide range of challenges, at every stage of life.
