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DRE # 01434286 We are excited at the opportunity to help you and your family find the home of your dreams.....

11/05/2026

A warm spring hides in Encino.

Los Encinos State Historic Park is a roughly 4.7-acre California state park near Ventura and Balboa Boulevards, per Wikipedia. Los Encinos is Spanish for "the oaks," and Wikipedia says the Tongva name for the place, syútkanga, means "place of the oak."

The spring is the star. Wikipedia lists the water at about 83 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, cites about 24,000 gallons a day in 1969 and still flowing in 1978, and notes two springs about 30 feet apart recorded in 1915. Those are old measurements, so check the pond yourself.

The de la Osa Adobe was built in 1849, per the landmark marker, and has nine rooms. Eugene Garnier built a two-story limestone house in 1872, and Domingo Amestoy acquired the property in December 1891. It's California Historical Landmark No. 689, and Wikipedia lists a blacksmith shop, a pond and a fountain too.

Hours and tours change, so check California State Parks before you go.

First visit or regular? Tell me below, and send this to the person who has driven past it a thousand times.

Source: Wikipedia (Los Encinos State Historic Park). General history, no market figures.

Brian Cooper, REALTOR® · eXp Realty · DRE # 01434286

11/05/2026

ENCINO — neighborhood spotlight.

Here's what's published on my Encino page (Chicago Title Market Trend Report, June 2026 full-value sales, single-family):

ZIP 91436: median $2,726,000, $1,650 per sq ft, 15 sales, -2.5% year over year.
ZIP 91316: median $2,163,000, $855 per sq ft, 18 sales, +3.9% year over year.
Condos: $499,000 median across 17 sales.

The takeaway: the median is about 26% higher in 91436, but the price per square foot is nearly double. Those two numbers are measuring different homes, so compare the same ZIP and home type. Samples of 15 and 18 sales are small, and year-over-year moves shift with which homes close. I don't quote a single citywide number because it would blend the two ZIPs.

Figures are approximate; verify current numbers before relying on them.

Full Encino guide: https://cooperfamilyrealestate.com/encino-real-estate

📲 Comment GUIDE and I'll DM you my San Fernando Valley guide.

Brian Cooper, REALTOR® · eXp Realty · DRE # 01434286

11/04/2026

Rates fell again: 7.24%. Two new names hit my list. No open dates yet. Here's what I can and can't tell you this week.

📉 30-yr fixed: 7.24%, after 7.32% and 7.40%. First back-to-back decline after six straight rises. On a $600,000 loan that's about $65 a month less in principal and interest (about $4,154 to about $4,089).

🏠 Lumin at Valencia (Richmond American) is new to my list, from $677,990 to $788,490. About $3,696/mo P&I at $677,990 with 20% down at 7.24%. Pavona (Glendora) and Cadence (Covina) are new to my list too. The feed doesn't give open dates, so I'm asking the builders.

📊 Census, September: 676,000 annual new-home sales pace (down 0.6%), $400,400 median new-home price, 476,000 new homes for sale (down from 483,000), 8.4 months of supply (down from 8.5).

🔑 Four new quick move-in homes, from $869,737 to $1,599,990. The feed doesn't list cities, so I verify each address before sending anything to a client.

One rule before your first visit: the sales agent in a new-home community works for the builder, not for you. Your own agent costs nothing extra. Register with your agent before your first visit, because most builders won't add representation afterward.

What's the first thing you'd ask a builder about a community with no published open date?

Brian Cooper, REALTOR® · eXp Realty · DRE # 01434286
(805) 723-2498 · cooperfamilyrealestate.com

Payment figures are illustrative P&I only; excludes taxes, HOA, assessments. Prices and rates subject to change; verify with the builder.

11/04/2026

297 rentals at Ventura's south entrance. Here's what the city says got approved.

Per the City of Ventura's project page, Victoria Flats (Arrive Ventura) is at the northeast corner of Victoria Avenue and Olivas Park Drive, at the south entrance to the city and adjacent to open space. The plan lists 297 rental units, including 104 affordable units, plus 12 live-work townhomes and 15,900 square feet of commercial space with a second-story open-air deck.

The Planning Commission approved it on March 24, 2025 (project PROJ-22-0156). The page doesn't mention an appeal.

Approved isn't built. Proposed, approved and built are three different stages. The city page says approved. It doesn't say whether construction has started, and it doesn't list a story count or a parking total, so check the city's project page before you quote it.

This post takes no side. What would you ask first? Tell me below, and send this to the neighbor who reads the planning agenda.

Source: City of Ventura, cityofventura.ca.gov/2784/Victoria-Flats-Arrive-Ventura. General planning information, no market figures.

Brian Cooper, REALTOR® · eXp Realty · DRE # 01434286

11/04/2026

Saturday in Old Town Camarillo has a good plan built in. 🧺🎨

📍 Sat Nov 7
🥕 Camarillo Farmers Market, 8 AM to noon, Old Town Camarillo. Every Saturday, year-round, volunteer-run. The market lists produce, eggs, honey, baked goods, tamales, seafood, flowers and handmade goods. Sales support Livingston Memorial VNA & Hospice grief programs.
🖍️ Free Family Art Activities, 11 AM to 2 PM at Studio Channel Islands Art Center, 2222 Ventura Blvd. Seasonal projects for all ages, about 15 to 30 minutes each. Kids need an adult. Arrive by 1:30. No sign-up listed.
🎨 The center also lists Open Studios on first Saturdays, 11 AM to 4 PM, and the Form / Frequency show is on view through Dec 12.

Check before you go: the market does not post vendor prices, and the studio's own page does not name Nov 7 (the Visit Camarillo listing does). Studio contact: [email protected] or 805-383-1368.

Sources: camarillofarmersmarket.com, studiochannelislands.org, visitcamarillo.com, read Wed Nov 4.

What is the first thing you grab at a Saturday market? Tell me below, then send this to the person who always says "next week."

Brian Cooper, REALTOR® · eXp Realty · DRE # 01434286

11/04/2026

Fillmore exists because one landowner said no.

When Southern Pacific chose the Santa Clara River Valley route in 1886, the Fillmore Historical Museum says the railroad's first choice for a stop was Cienega, east of today's Fillmore. Landowner Rush Ealy refused to sell. The Sespe Land and Water Company developed land on both sides of the Sespe River instead, and the railroad named the new stop for an official named Fillmore, first leaving a boxcar on a siding.

The first train crossed the Sespe Bridge on January 4, 1887, and the first 34 miles of line, Newhall to Santa Paula, opened February 8, 1887. The depot became the center of town, with trains twice a day to and from Los Angeles. The last regular passenger train came through on January 13, 1935. In 1974, when Southern Pacific decided to close the depot, teacher and author Edith Jarrett bought it for $1.05 (a nickel of that was tax), moved it across the street, and it became the Fillmore Historical Museum.

Per Wikipedia, La Bamba was partly filmed in Fillmore, and Grand Theft Auto V's Paleto Bay is based on it.

Visit: Fillmore Historical Museum, 350 Main St. Its site lists Wed to Fri 9 to noon and 1 to 4, Sat 10 to 3, closed Sun to Tue. Admission isn't listed, so check first.

Send this to your Fillmore person. What's your favorite spot on Main Street? Tell me below.

Sources: Fillmore Historical Museum (fillmorehistoricalmuseum.org), Wikipedia (Fillmore, California). Hours change, so check before you go.

Brian Cooper, REALTOR® · eXp Realty · DRE # 01434286

11/04/2026

Thinking about a first rental in Ventura County? Run the numbers before you fall for the idea.

From my starter guide:
• The "1% rule" doesn't fit here. Single-family rent-to-price ratios run about 0.45% to 0.51%, so the realistic goals are appreciation and equity over a 7 to 10 year horizon, not big monthly cash flow.
• Investor loans typically need 20% to 25% down, and lenders may count only part of projected rent.
• Budget 8% to 12% of gross rent for maintenance, capital reserves and vacancy, and hold about six months of mortgage payments in cash.
• Buying a 2 to 4 unit property you live in can open owner-occupied financing with less down.

Every deal and every lender is different, so treat these as planning ranges and verify current terms. I'm a REALTOR®, not a financial or tax advisor.

Full guide: https://cooperfamilyrealestate.com/blog/your-first-investment-property-ventura-county

📲 Comment PRICES and I'll DM you my Ventura County price and numbers guide.

Brian Cooper, REALTOR® · eXp Realty · DRE # 01434286

11/04/2026

Earnest money: where does your check go? Save this before your first offer.

It is not paid to the seller. A neutral escrow or title company holds the deposit, and it is released only with both sides' written agreement or a court order. The clock is short: Redfin says it is usually due 1 to 3 business days after the seller accepts, and California agents point to a 3-business-day default in the C.A.R. purchase agreement. Your contract sets the exact deadline, and it is usually wired.

It is part of your down payment, not an extra fee: it is applied toward your down payment or closing costs at closing. If you cancel in writing under a right your contract gives you, within its window, the deposit is generally returned. After those rights are removed, a buyer who backs out may lose it. One California agent guide says the seller may keep up to 3% of the price as liquidated damages, and only if both parties initialed that clause.

General information, not legal advice. Ask your agent and escrow officer how your own contract reads.

What did nobody tell you before your first offer? Drop it below.

Sources: Redfin; a California agent guide to the C.A.R. RPA. Terms vary by contract.

Brian Cooper, REALTOR® · eXp Realty · DRE # 01434286

11/04/2026

OJAI — city spotlight.

Here's what's published on my Ojai page (Chicago Title Market Trend Report, June 2026 full-value sales):

ZIP 93023: $1,158,000 median, $912 per sq ft, 33 sales, +22.5% year over year.

The page also does something I like: it withholds a citywide median. The report's blended number averaged in a second ZIP that had a single closing at $338,000, which dragged the blend far below what the 33 sales in 93023 show. One sale shouldn't set the headline for a whole town.

A +22.5% move on 33 sales can reflect which homes happened to sell, not only a change in value, so read it as direction. I've left out the condo row, where two sales is too few to read as a trend.

Figures are approximate; verify current numbers before relying on them.

Full Ojai guide: https://cooperfamilyrealestate.com/ojai-real-estate

📲 Comment GUIDE and I'll DM you my Ventura County city guide.

Brian Cooper, REALTOR® · eXp Realty · DRE # 01434286

11/03/2026

A 33-acre hillside garden in Thousand Oaks, and it's easy to miss. The Conejo Valley Botanic Garden is at 400 W. Gainsborough Rd. The main garden is open sunrise to sunset, and it's closed July 4th and when trail conditions are wet.

It has fifteen hillside gardens with California natives plus plants from Australia, Chile, the Mediterranean and South Africa, a riparian stream trail, and a 1-mile Nature Trail that drops into an oak-filled canyon (per Wikipedia). The property was acquired in 1973 and the first garden parts appeared in 1976. The Kids' Adventure Garden is Sundays, 11 AM to 3 PM, and the nursery plant sale is Wednesdays, 9:30 AM to noon. Wikipedia lists admission as free, but check the garden's site before you go.

First visit or regular? Tell me your favorite trail or garden below.

Sources: conejogarden.org and Wikipedia. Hours and rules change, so check before you go.

Brian Cooper, REALTOR® · eXp Realty · DRE # 01434286

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159 Parrot Lane
Simi Valley, CA
93065

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