February 18, 2019
Quote of the Day
One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present. – Golda Meir
This Day in History
February 18, 1885: Twain publishes The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. On this day in 1885, Mark Twain publishes his famous – and famously controversial – novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Twain (the pen name of Samuel Clemens) first introduced Huck Finn as the best friend of Tom Sawyer, hero of his tremendously successful novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876). Though Twain saw Huck’s story as a kind of sequel to his earlier book, the new novel was far more serious, focusing on the institution of slavery and other aspects of life in the antebellum South.
At the book’s heart is the journey of Huck and his friend Jim, a runaway slave, down the Mississippi River on a raft. Jim runs away because he is about to be sold and separated from his wife and children, and Huck goes with him to help him get to Ohio and freedom. Huck narrates the story in his distinctive voice, offering colorful descriptions of the people and places they encounter along the way. The most striking part of the book is its satirical look at racism, religion and other social attitudes of the time. While Jim is strong, brave, generous and wise, many of the white characters are portrayed as violent, stupid or simply selfish, and the naive Huck ends up questioning the hypocritical, unjust nature of society in general.
Even in 1885, two decades after the Emancipation Proclamation and the end of the Civil War, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn landed with a splash. A month after its publication, a Concord, Massachusetts, library banned the book, calling its subject matter “tawdry” and its narrative voice “coarse” and “ignorant.” Other libraries followed suit, beginning a controversy that continued long after Twain’s death in 1910. In the 1950s, the book came under fire from African-American groups for being racist in its portrayal of black characters, despite the fact that it was seen by many as a strong criticism of racism and slavery. As recently as 1998, an Arizona parent sued her school district, claiming that making Twain’s novel required high school reading made already existing racial tensions even worse.
Aside from its controversial nature and its continuing popularity with young readers, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been hailed by many serious literary critics as a masterpiece. No less a judge than Ernest Hemingway famously declared that the book marked the beginning of American literature: “There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since.”
Ojai Weather
Mostly sunny – High 58 / Low 32
~
Rainfall accumulation from 2/16 to 2/17 – .01 inches
Total rainfall for the season – 20.04 inches
Monday, February 18, 2019
3:35 p.m.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 211 Fox Street – reduced from $715,000 to $699,000.
- 902 Sunset Place – sale pending.
~ Ray
10:45 a.m.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 1563 Gridley Road – reduced from $6,885,000 to $6,250,000.
- 429 Vallerio Avenue – sale pending.
- 810 El Toro Road – sale pending.
- 202 N. Fulton Street – sale pending.
- 701 Del Oro Drive – sale pending.
- 832 E. Ojai Avenue – sale pending.
~ Ray
Pic of the Day
Saturday, February 16, 2019
11:55 a.m.
There is a new listing on the market:
- 4403 Thacher Road – $16,000,000.
The open house list has been updated! We’ll be holding our listing at 1003 N. Drown Avenue open tomorrow (Sunday) from 1:00 to 3:30.
~ Ray
Pic of the Day
Friday, February 15, 2019
4:00 p.m.
There is a new listing on the market:
- 810 El Toro Road – $2,750,000.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 407 Bryant Circle #H – back on the market (had been expired as of 12/31/18) and reduced from $995,000 to $945,000.
- 950 Woodland Avenue #28 – reduced from $215,000 to $199,000.
- 4274 Thacher Road – sale pending.
- 11947 Koenigstein Road – sale pending.
- 669 Telsa Street – sale pending.
- 305 W. Aliso Street – sold for $850,000 (originally listed for $949,000).
- 202 N. Carrillo Road #D – this listing has been withdrawn from the market.
Have a great weekend; see you tomorrow morning with the updated open house list.
~ Ray
9:40 a.m.
There are two new listings on the market:
- 1273 S. Rice Road #84 – $205,000.
- 1885 Maricopa Highway #13 – $240,000.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 236 S. Montgomery Street – back on the market (had been cancelled) and reduced from $849,000 to $829,000.
- 950 Woodland Avenue #9 – sale pending.
- 202 N. Ventura Street – this listing has expired.
Here’s the list of things to do in Ojai.
Yesterday, I bought a beautiful Valentine’s Day flower arrangement for Cheryl from Forage Ojai. This triggered a memory: A few years ago, Emily Wilson of Heritage Financial sent a flower arrangement for Cheryl’s birthday. Cheryl’s office and my office both face the street, so we were able to see two delivery people (a man and a woman) as they walked to and from the front door. After they dropped off the flowers, they did something strange and humorous: First they high-fived each other, then stopped for a second and hugged and gave each other a kiss, then walked arm-in arm back to their vehicle. We said to each other with a laugh, “Did you see that? What was THAT all about?” We eventually discovered that the flowers were the first-ever delivery for Forage Ojai and owners Liz and Shane. And it was those two who shared such a joyous moment on our sidewalk that day. I’m glad I finally got to meet Liz yesterday, so that I was able to tell her the story. Forage Ojai will be moving from their current location on Baldwin Road to Meiners Oaks soon. Here’s to much future success for Liz and Shane at their new location!
~ Ray
Pic of the Day
Thursday, February 14, 2019
3:05 p.m.
There is a new listing on the market:
- 429 Vallerio Avenue – $699,000.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 163-165 N. Pueblo Avenue – reduced from $625,000 to $599,000.
~ Ray
10:25 a.m.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 10999 Ojai Santa Paula Road – reduced from $3,399,000 to $3,299,000.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
~ Ray
Pic of the Day
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
4:15 p.m.
- No other changes for today. Have a nice evening…and enjoy the rain!
~ Ray
10:20 a.m.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 422 Descanso Avenue – reduced from $645,000 to $639,000.
- 260 N. Poli Street – sold for $540,000 (originally listed for $639,000).
~ Ray
Pic of the Day
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
2:00 p.m.
There are two new listings on the market:
- 57 Don Antonio Way – $87,500.
- 12590 MacDonald Drive – $599,000.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 850 Baldwin Road – back on the market (had been cancelled, last on the market in December) and reduced from $2,195,000 to $1,995,000.
- 1001 Creekside Way #H – sale pending.
- 231 Boardman Road – sale pending.
- 58 Minuet Place – sale pending.
- 1202 Loma Drive #66 – sold for $152,500 (originally listed for $165,000).
Today’s update is a bit late, as we were attending an awards ceremony in Oxnard for Keller Williams brokers and agents. We’re honored to say that our team put together a great season in 2018; here’s to 2019 being even better!
~ Ray
Pic of the Day
Monday, February 11, 2019
5:05 p.m.
There are two new listings on the market:
- 202 N. Fulton Street – $599,000.
- 950 Woodland Avenue #30 – $98,000.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 565 Pala Drive – sale pending.
- 2181 Valley Meadow Drive – this listing has been cancelled (had been a pending sale).
~ Ray
12:05 p.m.
There is a new listing on the market:
- 1183 Bonmark Drive – $679,000.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 2330 Ladera Road – reduced from $2,590,000 to $2,490,000.
- 83 Crown Street – sale pending.
- 2431 Burnham Road – sale pending.
- 950 Fairview Road – sold for $605,000 (originally listed for $600,000).
- 230 S. Pueblo Avenue – sold for $580,000 (originally listed for $599,000).
~ Ray
Pic of the Day
I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day
when it’s cold outside, I’ve got the month of May
Well, I guess you’d say
What can make me feel this way
My grill (my grill, my grill)
Talkin’ ’bout my grill (my grill)
Saturday, February 9, 2019
9:10 a.m.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- St. Thomas Drive land parcel – this listing has expired. (The Ventura MLS link will show as “unavailable.”)
The open house list has been updated! Our listing at 1003 N. Drown Avenue will be open tomorrow from noon to 3:00 p.m. After a couple of months of digging and investigation, we finally found the records that show the guest cottage is permitted as a legal second dwelling, which certainly adds to the value of this property.
~ Ray
Pic of the Day
Friday, February 8, 2019
6:10 p.m.
There is a new listing on the market:
- 950 Woodland Avenue #102 – $109,900.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 102 W. Matilija Street – sold for $1,249,000 (originally listed for $1,249,000).
- 5 Valley Road – sold for $580,000 (originally listed for $599,000). Congrats to our clients/sellers who closed on the sale of their home today, and congrats to teammate Paul Johnsen who brought this listing and deal to the table!
Have a great weekend; see you tomorrow morning with the updated open house list…
~ Ray
9:30 a.m.
There is a new listing on the market:
- 520 Del Oro Drive – $1,895,000.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 112 S. Fulton Street – sold for $550,000 (originally listed for $539,000).
~ Here’s the list of things to do in Ojai. We’ve also added a new BBIO video: It’s teammate Rob Perron talking about Hip Vegan restaurant, which re-opened about a month ago at their new location!
~ Just FYI – there’s a chance this will be the only update for today, depending on how the day pans out.
~ Ray
Pic of the Day
Thursday, February 7, 2019
5:45 p.m.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 196 Mahoney Avenue – back on the market (had been an expired listing).
- 1213 Anita Avenue – back on the market (had been a cancelled listing) and increased from $417,500 to $425,000 (the home is now staged and looks much better).
- 234-236 N. La Luna Avenue – sale pending.
- 138 Mountain View Street – sold for $568,555 (originally listed for $639,000).
~ Ray
9:35 a.m.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 250 N. Arnaz Street – back on the market (had been a pending sale).
- 514 Vista Hermosa Drive – reduced from $1,689,000 to $1,595,000.
- 196 Mahoney Avenue – this listing has expired.
It was quite a shock to wake up this morning and see the temperature at 23 degrees! Fountains frozen over, grass with frost on it…frost on the windows, even! 13 years ago, my younger brother came to visit – and it was during a cold snap that I challenged him to jump into our pool for $10.00. Well, he did it. And the second his toe hit the water on his way in, I could see his face contort into an “Uh oh” expression. If I recall correctly, the pool water was at 38 degrees.
~ Ray
Pic of the Day
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
6:25 p.m.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 163-165 N. Pueblo Avenue – reduced from $650,000 to $625,000.
~ Ray
10:30 a.m.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 915 Santa Ana Blvd. – reduced from $779,000 to $749,000.
- 40 Ojai Drive – sold for $450,000 (originally listed for $469,500).
~ Ray
Pic of the Day
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
5:05 p.m.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 669 Telsa Street – reduced from $675,000 to $650,000.
- 950 Woodland Avenue #9 – reduced from $215,000 to $207,000.
- 209 S. Montgomery Street – sale pending.
- 410 Church Road #20 – sold for $521,750 (originally listed for $540,000).
~ Ray
10:05 a.m.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 1975 Maricopa Highway #32 – this listing has been cancelled.
I mis-wrote yesterday when I wrote that our rain gauge was close to four inches of rain over the last several days (it was actually closer to five inches). Our rainfall for the season is at 17.97 inches; we’re already at 6.34 inches more rain than we received during all of last year’s rainy season (11.63 inches). Two years ago, when we received a total rainfall tally of 27.19 inches for the season, we had 18.00 inches of rain by February 6th, 2017.
~ Ray
Pic of the Day
Monday, February 4, 2019
3:50 p.m.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 605 E. Oak Street – back on the market (had been expired) and reduced from $1,749,000 to $1,695,000.
- 1445 S. Rice Road – sale pending.
- 118 Don Felipe Way – sale pending.
- 2231 Maricopa Highway – sale pending.
- 12438 Linda Flora Drive – sold for $2,481,245 (originally listed for $2,595,000).
~ The Ojai Market Data update has been completed! Check out what happened in Ojai real estate for the month of January, 2019 here.
~ I’m waiting out the rain until at least tomorrow before I submit an “official” tally on the rain totals from the last several days. According to our rain gauge, we’re close to four inches.
~ Ray
10:15 a.m.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 608 Country Club Drive – reduced from $1,995,000 to $1,849,000.
- 1017 Ayers Avenue – sale pending.
- 209 S. Carrillo Road – sale pending.
~ Ray
Pic of the Day
Saturday, February 2, 2019
1:25 p.m.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 1368 Farnham Road – sale pending.
- 1142 N. Ventura Avenue – sale pending.
- 511 El Paseo Road – sold for $835,000 (originally listed for $1,049,000).
- 457 Burnham Road – sold for $495,000 (originally listed for $495,000).
- 10790 Encino Drive – sold for $1,775,000 (originally listed for $1,795,000).
- 503 S. Ventura Street – this listing has been cancelled (had been a pending sale).
- 236 S. Montgomery Street – this listing has been cancelled.
The open house list has been updated; our listing at 1003 N. Drown Avenue is currently open and will be open until 2:30 today. For other open houses, you might want to call the listing agent to be sure they’ll still be open, as many homeowners cancel when it’s raining.
We’ve added a new BBIO video; teammate Maria DePaola talks about Ojai Olive Oil Company.
Have a great weekend, and if you haven’t taken a gander at the river near the Baldwin Road bridge, it’s worth a look! The bridge on Santa Ana Road in Oak View showed the river level at 7 feet! The unofficial rain tally (from our rain gauge only) is 2.83 inches of accumulation between last night and now. I’ll have the totals for you after this series of rain has passed.
~ Ray
Pic of the Day
Friday, February 1, 2019
9:20 a.m.
Changes to the All Listings page:
- 260 N. Poli Street – sale pending.
- 257 N. Encinal Avenue – sale pending.
Here’s the list of things to do in Ojai!
~ Ray
Pic of the Day
