Santa Clarita Number Crunching

From fellow Santa Clarita Realtor and buddy Paul Atkins (per email 11/6/2008):

• Activity (Closed Sales) up 85.7%, September2008 versus 2007
  
• Pending Home Sales up 148.4%, September 2008 versus 2007
  
• Homes on Active status Down 36.3%, September 2008 versus 2007

All the numbers look good for a recovery in SCV!

Current Inventories as of September statistics:

• Stevenson Ranch: 4.6 months inventory
• Valencia: 5.3 months
• Saugus: 4.6 months
• Canyon Country: 5.4 months
• Castaic: 5.6 months
• Newhall: 6.1 months
• Acton/Agua Dulce: 16.8 months
• All of SCV: 5.59 months

Except for Acton/Agua Dulce, short sales or REOs account for between 49-66% of Active Properties on the market, based on September numbers.

Santa Clarita Recognitions

From City of Santa Clarita City Manager Ken Pulskamp, by email dated 11/3:

Once again, the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) named Santa Clarita as a finalist for the most business friendly city in all of Los Angeles County. This year, the LAEDC created two categories for this award to recognize cities with populations of 50,000 and above and those with 50,000 and under. Santa Clarita was selected as part of the population 50,000 and above category through its demonstration of business-friendly practices such as no business license fee or tax, no utility users’ fee, effective communication with the business community, and the Santa Clarita Enterprise Zone. Santa Clarita was selected from among 88 Los Angeles cities for this recognition.

At the annual League of California Cities conference in September, the City of Santa Clarita’s film and tourism programs were recognized for their contributions in economic development with a prestigious Helen Putnam Award of Excellence. This award is given to a handful of California’s 480 cities annually, recognizing outstanding achievements for programs and projects. Santa Clarita’s successes in attracting and supporting the entertainment industry and location filming, in addition to the City’s efforts to attract national and international tourism events were lauded as outstanding by the League.

Plan Your Winter! Santa Clarita Events

From the City of Santa Clarita Arts and Events office, via email on October 29, 2008:

Santa Clarita Marathon (November 1-2)
The Santa Clarita Marathon features a full marathon, half marathon, 5K Run/Walk, and Kid K. Strap on those sneakers, and get ready to become one of the 2,500 runners and walkers that enjoy the Santa Clarita paseos and trails on Sunday, November 2. A free pre-race Health and Fitness Expo will kick off marathon activities on Saturday, November 1, located at the Valencia Hyatt. For more information, visit www.scmarathon.org.

Fine Craft Show (November 15-16)
Join us at Old Orchard Park for a relaxed and enjoyable weekend of shopping featuring fine handcrafted items, specialty foods, coffees and jazz music. You will find many one-of-a-kind gifts including intricate and colorful handcrafted jewelry, pottery, woodwork, ceramics, floral arrangements, and much more. For more information, please visit www.santa-clarita.com/crafts.

Veterans Day (November 11)
The Veterans Day Ceremony is held annually on November 11th at the Veterans Memorial in Old Town Newhall. The event is a partnership between the City of Santa Clarita and the Veterans’ Historical Committee, the SCV Chapter 91 Blue Star Moms, Blue Star Moms of the Canyons Chapter 82, Prayer Angels for the Military, and the Knights of Columbus. The Ceremony honors Veterans and individuals serving in the military and their families. For more information, please call (661) 286-4018.

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Upcoming Events

Paint the Town (December 5)
In celebration of the holiday season, and to create a joyful holiday setting in Old Town Newhall, the City of Santa Clarita presents a ‘Holiday Window Painting Contest.’ For more information, please visit www.santa-clarita.com/arts.

Literacy and Arts Festival (December 6)
On Saturday, December 6, celebrate the holidays with the second annual Literacy and Arts Festival, presented by the Santa Clarita Valley Education Foundation and the City of Santa Clarita. For more information, please visit www.scveducationfoundation.org.

Old Town Newhall Holiday Parade (December 6, 2008)
All Santa Clarita Valley children are encouraged to participate by walking in the parade and dressing up according to their family’s holiday traditions. For more information, please visit www.santa-clarita.com/arts.

Disney’s High School Musical: The Ice Tour (December 27)
Celebrate the holidays with the gang from the High School Musical located at the Honda Center in Anaheim. This trip includes transportation by bus and reserved seats in the lower level at the Honda Center. For more information, email trips&tours@santa-clarita.com.

Tournament of Roses Parade 2009 (January 1)
Pasadena’s 120th annual Tournament of Roses Parade, “Hat’s Off to Entertainment” will be making its way down Colorado Boulevard and we have reserved a seat just for you! For more information, email trips&tours@santa-clarita.com.

Glacier Slide Polar Bear Swim (January 1)
Join the official Santa Clarita Polar Bear Club by taking a chilly plunge in the Aquatic Center’s waterslide pool on New Year’s Day. For more information, please contact (661) 250-3766.

Santa Clarita Valley Film Festival (January 8-11)
The 4th Annual SCV Film Festival provides local filmmakers with opportunities to show their work and to come together with an audience to enjoy quality independent films. For more information, please visit www.scvfilmfestival.com.