Bright and cheerful 4 bedroom 2 bath single story home in Newbury Park

$630,000

Newbury Park, CA

Pocket listing not yet in the MLS. Located on a cul-de-sac with views of boney mountain from both the front lawn and backyard, just steps from great hiking/biking trails. Near Hickory Park. Please contact me if you or someone you know would like to see this home. My cell is 805.490.4944 and email is yglesias75@gmail.com. Feel free to call, text and/or email me with any additional questions and/or to schedule a showing. 

Cool Ideas for Dressing Up Your Kid's Room

Icons and superheroes go in and out of style, so decorating your kids’ rooms to reflect their current favorite may not be the best idea. Decorators suggest using timeless themes and practical ideas to make their spaces cheerful and organized:

• Start with color – Choose a favorite, preferably a soothing one, to help your child ease into sleep. Consider painting one wall in chalkboard paint, ready for years of artistic expression.
• Use cool family art – Choose a favorite family, vacation, or kid photo and blow it up to large standard frame size at an office supply store. Then cut it evenly into thirds or fourths vertically, frame each one, and hang them side by side as separate pieces separated by just an inch or two.
• Make it a gallery – String wire from one wall to another, just high enough for you to reach, to hold a changing display of your child’s drawings. Or frame the drawings in standard acrylic frames that can be changed as new masterpieces emerge.
• Try dresser magic – Perk up a drab white dresser inexpensively by tying a length of colorful ribbon into a bow around each of the knobs.
• Create a reading nook – Make it an inviting place for shared reading with a bookcase full of books, soft lighting, and seating comfy enough for cuddling.
• Add maxi–storage – A rack of colorful, stacked bins from the local home store is better than a toy box for storing trucks, games, building blocks, and other large toys.
• And mini-storage – A multi-pocketed shoe organizer hung from one wall is a great place to stash mini action figures, Hot Wheels cars, hair goodies, and other small treasures.
• Stock cubbies or a shelf with art supplies – Keep it full of construction paper, markers, poster board, and other supplies your kid may need for school projects.
• Create a play space – Kids love to play dress-up. Find an old trunk and fill it with vintage clothing and hats they can use to ‘put on a show.’

How to Haggle on the Phone for Better Prices

Haggling may not be one of the funnest things you’ll do on any given day, but if you’re anywhere near good at it, you can save hundreds or thousands of dollars a year.

For people who don’t want to haggle in person or don’t want to send emails back and forth, the simplest option is calling on the phone. This can be done to reduce your costs for phone, cable TV, Internet service or other monthly bills, and for big-ticket purchases such as a car or household appliance.

Here are some tips for haggling over the phone:

Research

If you’re looking for a better price on your cable TV package, for example, look online for deals your cable provider and other companies are offering new customers, and ask for the same deal. The more information you have, the better prepared you’ll be to haggle by suggesting you’ll go to a competitor that has a better price.

Know who to call

Most businesses have customer service phone numbers. If you get lost in a phone tree, press the number “0,” which should usually connect you directly to an operator. Ask for a customer service representative. If that person isn’t much help within a few minutes, ask to be transferred to their supervisor or a customer retention specialist who can usually offer the bigger discounts that you want.

Don’t argue

Don’t debate the person on the other end of the line. Being mad will likely cause the other person to lose interest in helping you, so stay calm and on point. Ask for what you want and explain how long you’ve been a loyal customer and how much longer they’ll have you as a customer if they offer the discount.

Use silence

Being silent can give the other person the incentive to fill the space by talking and hopefully offering options. These may include a free add-on service, such as free delivery of a new mattress if you’re negotiating the price of a new bed, or they may all of a sudden find a deal on their computer that they didn’t offer during the first few minutes of your conversation.

Say goodbye

If the rep or retention specialist didn’t offer you the best deal you expected, then thank them for their time and say goodbye and that you’ll be checking with their competitors. This message that you may soon be dropping their service gives them one last chance to put you on hold and come up with a solution. If they don’t, then either go find a better price at another company, or call back a few days later and talk to another customer service representative. The people you talk with later may be much kinder willing to help you.

I hope you found this real estate information helpful. Please contact me for all your real estate needs today!

Retro Colors Make a Comeback: What's Hot in Decor Right Now

Everything old is new again, and that goes for decorating with color. While the last decade in home décor has largely been defined by white and varying shades of beige and gray, today’s designers are harking back to yesteryear with paint colors, furniture and even kitchen appliances.

Part art deco, part ‘50s suburban and part ‘60s mod, these awesome retro colors are fresh and refreshed to fit today’s tastes, say the color mavens at Sherwin Williams, whose wall color faves this year include shades of pink, aqua and pale or mustard yellows with accents of slate or peppery coral—great ways to set off the stark white of baseboards, crown moldings and door frames.

Big Chill, a retro appliance company launched just three years ago, is finding huge success with its growing line of refrigerators, stoves and dishwashers in pink, aqua, yellow and more that bring a spirit of nostalgia to today’s kitchens, along with their high-tech efficiency.

Small kitchen appliances from crockpots to mixers and toasters are now available in a wide range of bold and retro colors, and look for pink velvet, pale blue and teal sofas from a variety of furniture design companies as vintage furnishings make a huge comeback.

You might also find bright orange and sage green shantung side chairs, shabby-chic and pastel-colored buffets and bookshelves and other accessories, and don’t miss the lighting display in most home stores, where Tiffany lamps and vintage shades are gaining ground in sales.

A roomful of these vintage colors can make you feel a little nostalgic, a little happier and a little more optimistic. What more could anyone ask for?