Breathe a breath of fresh air while exploring Saugus property on horseback. Saddle up and get to exploring the lay of the land at Don E. Brook Farms. Trail rides expertly match horse to rider. Friendly mounts aim to please and are playful yet sure and steady. Trail hands lead the way along paths winding through pleasantly picturesque scenery. Hour long rides satisfy the novice and find many yearning for longer excursions. When love is in the air sunset dinner rides are just the ticket. Horse and rider teams meander along the route as the sun sets prettily. Making the way back to the farmstead the evening meal is served. Catered meals coupled with a campfire create an intimate and magical vibe perfect for romantic moments.

Besides trail rides Don E. Brook Farms serves all the equestrian needs of the Saugus real estate area from simple jaunts on the trails to riding instruction and boarding. 

There’s Plenty of Horsing Around on Saugus Real Estate

Lessons are available daily on the Saugus property. Professional teachers work with all levels of students, youth and adults. Group lessons vary between English, Western and Flat. Other classes feature Barrel Racing and Gymkhana. Jumping lessons are quite popular with Saugus property equestrians. Walk ins are always welcome to saddle up and join in  anytime. More information about lessons can be found here.

Creativity is in the works on this piece of Saugus real estate. Parties are often held at the farm and the birthday boy or girl the envy of all invited. In the Rodeo Wrangler Party young cowfolk maneuver the ropes and learn to throw a lasso. Get girly with glitter with the Unicorn Magic Party. City Slickers features campfire dining and leisurely rides.

Located at 28680 San Francisquito Canyon Road this is the place to go to horse around. A long history spans over five decades. The folks here know what they are about and they take pride in high quality beloved horses and their dedicated team of workers.

Seniors are all smiles on Santa Clarita property at the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center. An amazing resource for those in their golden years, the facility holds a variety of workshops, classes and programs just for the elderly.

Locals over sixty keep on learning with a full calendar of classes. Fitness is a key component to staying healthy. High energy fills the room for Zumba while the mood becomes flexible during yoga and chair yoga. Dance classes sway to the beat with swing dance. Next door line dancing kicks it up a notch. Creative juices flow with arts and crafts. Friends share the gift of gab during knitting and needlepoint circles. Lighthearted bouts of competition is the norm for bingo, chess, billiards and card games. New languages are easily mastered as is the latest in technology tools. Traveling is for the young at heart of any age. Trips and tours are regularly scheduled to various locations of interest. Local excursions feature destinations such as the San Manuel Casinos, Santa Anita Race Track and Descanso Gardens. Longer jaunts find Santa Clarita property residents escaping out of state and sometimes even out of the country.

Smiles All Around in Santa Clarita Homes

Leading the charge the center offers the only adult day program for those diagnosed with Dementia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's disease in the Santa Clarita Valley. Quality care including social engagement and mental and physical stimulation is designed to promote independence and the ability to remain in one’s own Santa Clarita home for as long as possible. More details are available here.

Located at 22900 Market Street the Santa Clarita Valley Center is easily accessible. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30. Outside assistance is provided for homebound seniors including transportation and meal delivery. Additional information regarding these services and others can be obtained by calling 661.259.9444.

Trek about William S. Hart Park on Santa Clarita real estate and then head on up to mansion at the top of the hill. Once home to Hollywood great silent film star William S. Hart, the land now serves a wonderful place for recreational fun. In the park open spaces beckon picnic goers. Blankets are spread on soft grasses. Under towering California Oak trees books are avidly read while youngsters run and frolic about. Nature trails appeal to hikers. Nearby a barnyard is filled with friendly animals looking for a handout from visitors. Many love to observe a resident herd of bison making this landscape their Santa Clarita home.

Live Life Richly in a Santa Clarita Home

High on the hill and rich with vivid history sits a Santa Clarita real estate wonder. Inside the William S. Hart Museum a treasure trove of memory invoking items wait to be discovered. Over twenty rooms display an impressive collection of Western and Native American art alongside early Hollywood memorabilia owned by Bill Hart. The only way in is by guided tour. Both on the hour and on the half hour, docents open the redwood front door to guests inviting them inside. Greeted by an amazing foyer tourees are often awestruck by the simplistic yet opulent beauty of this 1920’s property. It’s easy to imagine the lifestyle lived while observing the formal dining room, living room, service area and guest room. A dedicated pet parent visitors are treated to a peek inside a bedroom set up just for William S. Hart’s dogs. Tours vary as guides like to change the itineraries up a bit creating a new atmosphere for each experience. After inspecting the main house guests taking the museum trail will find the bunk house which also served as a guest house and getaway zone.

Special events are often livening up the property. Favorite times to visit include western themed open houses and backyard crafting extraordinaires. School aged children take part in onsite history lessons during field trips. Hours to the William S. Hart Museum are seasonal and should be checked before heading over.

Receive the Latest Local Market Stats

Curious about local real estate? So are we! Every month we review trends in our real estate market and consider the number of homes on the market in each price tier, the amount of time particular homes have been listed for sale, specific neighborhood trends, the median price and square footage of each home sold and so much more. We’d love to invite you to do the same!

Get Local Market Reports Sent Directly to You

You can sign up here to receive your own market report, delivered as often as you like! It contains current information on pending, active and just sold properties so you can see actual homes in your neighborhood. You can review your area on a larger scale, as well, by refining your search to include properties across the city or county. As you notice price and size trends, please contact us for clarification or to have any questions answered.

We can definitely fill you in on details that are not listed on the report and help you determine the best home for you. If you are wondering if now is the time to sell, please try out our INSTANT home value tool. You’ll get an estimate on the value of your property in today’s market. Either way, we hope to hear from you soon as you get to know our neighborhoods and local real estate market better.

A good DIYer knows a lot about tools and techniques, but the best DIYers know about building codes, too. Completing home improvement projects that are code-compliant — and can pass inspections from your local building authority — are the route to a safe and happy home, and well-done DIY projects.

Although few homeowners can claim an encyclopedic knowledge of their local building codes, here’s a heads up on seven of the most common code violations that DIYers are guilty of:

1.  Working Without a Permit

Sure, permits cost money. And if you don’t apply for one, who’s to know?

A lot of DIY homeowners have that point of view, and it’s wrong-headed. Yes, homeowners are allowed to do their own improvements without a contractor’s license, but you still need a permit for many remodeling projects.

That’s important because:

• You’ll know that your improvements are safe and reliable.
•  Your work will comply with the latest energy- and water-conservation measures. That saves you money in the long run, and makes your house more marketable when you decide to sell.
• Work that’s not up to code may be discovered by an inspector when you try and sell, putting a big damper on your plans. You may be required to fix any problems (with added expense) before a buyer will consider making an offer. And if your buyer should later discover fixes that aren’t up to code, you could be sued for repairs and damages.

If you have permits, your project will be inspected. Don’t think of visits from a building inspector as adversarial; rather, they’re opportunities to learn about construction techniques and materials. A building inspector can be a valuable helpmate for the DIYer.

Not all projects require permits and inspections. Start off by inquiring with your local building authority and discussing your project in detail.

2.  Not Testing Older Materials for Asbestos and Lead

Image: Asbestorama

These two dangerous materials lurk in many older building materials, and their disposal is strictly regulated in most states.

Those laws not only protect your health, but protect trash removal workers and landfill operators, too. If you dump tainted remodeling waste, you’re putting others at risk.

Asbestos is found in many common building materials, especially in houses built before 1970, including:

• Popcorn ceiling texture
• Vinyl tile
• Drywall joint compound
• Hot-water pipe and duct insulation
• Vermiculite attic insulation
• Cement shingle siding

Most communities have independent testing facilities that, for $25 to $50, can determine if asbestos is present in samples.

However, even the removal of samples is risky. If you suspect asbestos, contact your local building authority or regional Occupational Safety and Health Administration office to find out the best way to test for and remove asbestos.

Lead paint has been outlawed since 1978. Laws prevent contractors from doing work without taking specific precautions to contain and dispose of lead-contaminated building materials.

DIY homeowners aren’t subject to those laws. But if you’re hiring a contractor to do some of the work, your pro must adhere to the laws or be subject to fines of up to $37,500 per day. Talk about putting a crimp in your plans!

Other than that, your own health may be at risk if you cut, scrape, or sand materials — especially paint — with lead in them. DIY lead test kits are cheap ($8 to $35) and easy to use.

3.  Improper Fastening of Deck Ledgers to Houses

Image: Reuben Saltzman

Building a deck is the ideal DIY project — it’s fairly straightforward and materials are simple.

But a recent spate of deck failures reveals that many decks fail where the deck ledger fastens to the house — one of the more technically challenging steps of deck-building.

The North American Deck and Railing Association says two of the most-common mistakes are:

• Improper (or missing) flashing to keep water from seeping behind the ledger where it can soften and rot out wood.
• Using old fastening methods, such as plain nails, to secure the ledger to the house.

It’s a good idea to have your deck inspected for proper construction techniques when you build it, and to do yearly DIY inspections and repairs.

4.  Adding a Basement Bedroom Without an Egress Window

Seems like a no-brainer: Junior needs his own bedroom, and you’ve got all this space in your basement. A few walls and carpet and voila! — an extra bedroom.

But it’s not that simple. Codes say that any “sleeping room” must include an egress window that’s at least 20 inches wide and 24 inches high, with a minimum opening of 5.7 square feet — enough for an adult to crawl through.

Because it’s a basement, you’ll likely need to excavate outside the window and add a window well to help keep water out.

The installation of an egress window costs $2,500 to $5,000 — well worth it for your peace of mind and the safety of your family. Without an egress window, a real estate appraiser won’t qualify the space as a bedroom, which may hurt your chances to sell your home.

5.  Venting a Bath Fan into an Attic

You’ve spiffed up the guest bathroom and even added a new bathroom vent fan — nice going. But you aren’t finished unless you vent that fan all the way to the outside of your house.

Venting directly into an attic space might be easy, but your fan is going to deliver plenty of humid air into your attic where is can cause mold and rot.

Building codes say you’ve got to vent the air from the fan to outside your house using a 4-inch-diameter vent pipe.

Some inexpensive bath fans have 3-inch-diameter fittings. If so, buy a piece of converter pipe that changes the diameter to 4 inches.

Related: How to Install a Bathroom Exhaust Fan

6.  Botched Electrical Work

Image: Industrial Luxury Group

Few examples of home improvement and repair are life threatening, but electrical work definitely can be. That’s why utmost caution is needed when you do your own wiring. Here are a few common wiring mistakes:

Wrong size circuit. Basically, 15-amp circuits are for lighting fixtures and 20-amp circuits are for receptacles. If you’re renovating and want to add a receptacle, don’t splice into a lighting circuit to do it — rather, extend from an existing 20-amp circuit.

An exception is a refrigerator, which can be on a dedicated, 15-amp circuit.

Splicing wires without a junction box. Don’t splice wires together with a couple of wire nuts and some electrical tape and call it a day. All wire connections must be inside an approved junction box. While you’re at it, you can’t hide a junction box inside a wall — it must be visible and accessible.

Missing GFCIs. A ground-fault circuit interrupter, or GFCI, is required for any circuit that services an area where water might be present: bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, garages, and outdoor receptacles. A single GFCI at the beginning of a circuit can protect other receptacles on the same circuit.

7.  Not Following Fence Height Requirements

Image: Liz Foreman for HouseLogic

Fences are a major source of disputes with neighbors, and a top source of complaints to local building and planning departments.

Many problems stem from the fact that homeowners, in an attempt to establish privacy, build fences that are too tall. Most codes limit fences on the sides and in the back of property to 6 feet, and 42 to 48 inches in the front.

If you build a fence that’s not in compliance, a complaint could bring a building official to your property with an order to tear your fence down.

Source: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/home-improvement/residential-building-codes-common-violations-when-you-remodel/?sf13887134=1&sf13928059=1

Vista Canyon is an innovative new 185-acre transit-oriented community by JSB Development. Located in Santa Clarita, CA, the highly walkable mixed-use community seamlessly blends urban vitality with small town charm – offering 1,100 new homes in a variety of styles and creating a vital new employment hub. An on site Transit Center in the heart of the community features a Metrolink Depot and City Bus Transfer Station and links to a four-mile network of pedestrian, bike and equestrian trails.  Vista Canyon re imagines the suburban experience from the ground up – its “Town Square” offers 1 million square feet of retail, corporate office, entertainment, residential and hotel uses, along with a Town Green and Community Garden.  Over half of the community is dedicated as trails, parkland, river corridor and open space. A new water reclamation facility will supply recycled water to the community and surrounding areas. To learn more, visit vistacanyon.com.

Phase One development is concentrated around the main retail street. It includes the Gensler-designed 56,000 square foot office/retail building, an 18,000 square foot neighborhood retail store, a 614 space parking structure, and 480 studio, one and two bedroom apartment homes in complexes featuring fitness centers, resident lounges, pools, and outdoor common areas.

The office building’s design has a rustic and open-air feel. Ground level retail with flexible office space above, addresses the needs of today’s mobile and divergent workforce and introduces many leading trends in destination office design to Santa Clarita’s office environment.

The first phase also includes construction of a water reclamation facility, part of a comprehensive sustainability program, that will create more water on an annual basis than the community itself will use – resulting in a “net-zero” increase in consumption of local water.  The facility will create a recycled water supply that will more than serve Vista Canyon, with over two-thirds of the recycled water produced utilized by Castaic Lake Water Agency, Santa Clarita Valley’s regional water supplier, as part of its east side recycled water program.

• People who look for a home in Santa Clarita during the Holidays are more serious buyers!
• Serious buyers have fewer houses to choose from in Santa Clarita during the Holidays and less competition means more money for you!
• Since the supply of listings will dramatically increase in January, there will be less demand for your particular homes! Less demand means less money for you!
• Houses show better when decorated for the Holidays!
• Buyers are more emotional during the Holidays, so they are more likely to pay your price!
• Buyers have more time to look for a home during the Holidays than they do during a working week!
• Some people must buy before the end of the year for tax reasons!
• January is traditionally the month for employees to begin new jobs. Since transferees cannot wait until Spring to buy, you must be on the market now to capture that market!
• You can still be on the market, buy you have the option to restrict showings during the six or seven days during the Holidays!
• You can sell now for more money and we will provide for a delayed closing or extended occupancy until early next year!
• By selling now, you may have an opportunity to be a non-contingent buyer during the Spring, when many more houses are on the market for less money! This will allow you to sell high and buy low!

Smoke Detectors Specifications Changed
Starting July 1, 2014, the State Fire Marshall will not approve a battery-operated smoke alarm unless it contains a non-replaceable, non-removable battery capable of powering the smoke alarm for at least 10 years. This rule was originally slated to take effect on January 1, 2014.

Until July 1, 2015, an exception to this rule applies to smoke alarms ordered by, or in the inventory of, an owner, managing agent, contractor, wholesaler, or retailer on or before July 1, 2014. Furthermore, starting January 1, 2015, the State Fire Marshal will not approve a smoke alarm unless it does all of the following:

(1) displays the date of manufacture on the device

(2) provides a place on the device to insert the date of installation

(3) incorporate a hush feature.

A previous requirement for the smoke alarm to incorporate an end-of-life feature that provides notice that the device needs to be replaced has been eliminated. The requirements taking effect on January 1, 2015 was originally slated to take effect on January 1, 2014. The State Fire Marshal has the authority to create exceptions to these requirements. Senate Bill 745 (codified as Cal. Health & Safety Code § 13114) (effective January 1, 2014).