When in Long Beach

Shima 0 comments 27.04.2026

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗲 is easily one of the most popular waterfront spots in Long Beach. 🏖️

AKA, a great place to take family and friends visiting SoCal. There are boardwalk vibes, colorful shops, and harbor views all in one place.

It was designed to feel like a quaint seaside village
(Cape Cod–style) with wooden walkways and bright buildings.

There’s so much to do! Below are some of my personal favorites.

𝗘𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 🔭
There are several indoor/outdoor seating options available at the waterfront restaurants that face the marina and boats. Casual to nicer dining options available.

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗽 & 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹 🛍️
Enjoy small boutiques, souvenir shops, jewelry, beachwear. Not in the mood to shop? A great “walk around with coffee/ice cream” kind of place.

𝗙𝘂𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 🪂
My personal favorite thing to do is rent a bike and cruise along the coast. If that’s not your thing, you can consider renting a boat to sail or even parasailing. Be sure to check out the arcade, too.

𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 🌅
Enjoy a sunset view over the marina. You can also catch the Queen Mary, just across the water. A great spot for photos, date nights, or just walking.

𝘼 𝙛𝙚𝙬 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙖 𝙛𝙪𝙣 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙨:
It is a walking distance to the Aquarium of the Pacific. 🐠
Definitely a family-friendly environment during the day and I’d say more romantic in the evenings.

Finally, be sure to visit the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. 🤤 🍫

Enjoy one of their famous caramel apples, fresh fudge made in-store, or chocolate-covered strawberries. 🍓 SO good!

Why Inglewood is HOT?

Shima 0 comments 23.09.2016

Guys, as predicted, Inglewood is coming up! The new casino opened yesterday and will have its grand opening this November. In addition, The Forum has been rated #4 in the WORLD for venues, Inglewood was voted Los Angeles's, "Neighborhood of the year" in 2014 and crime has been the lowest for five consecutive years.

Property values have increased 85.6% since 2012 and in January of 2016, the Los Angeles Rams announced their return to Los Angeles and residency in Inglewood! They are working on a $20 million dollar senior citizen building that will open next November and did I mention that it's home to Randy's Donuts?

It's not a bad time to buy in Inglewood right now.

Luck doesn’t have anything to do with leasing a home

Shima 0 comments 05.03.2016

Last week during my open house, I met a family who was frustrated after submitting numerous applications to lease potential homes and were denied.  In a market as competitive as it has been and with the housing shortage in California, more people are afraid they’ve been cursed with bad luck.

Truthfully, there is no golden coin or luck that helps- it has everything to do with credibility.

When a landlord is contemplating on accepting an applicant for their property, several factors come into play. In order to be portrayed as a desirable candidate, there are some things that may increase your chances of being accepted.

Understandably, life happens and causes some shifts in our credit, loss of job, increase in our credit charges, etc. which can greatly affect our good-standing. However, when submitting an application to lease, consider what you would think as a landlord looking at your application, credit, or bank statements.

I spoke with several landlords and property manager, Tim Marshall to better understand how one could improve their chances of leasing. Upon our talk, I found that a considerable candidate is someone who can prove income.

Sometimes, based on one’s low credit score, they have to increase their chances by providing more proof of income. Such as, bank statements, tax returns, etc. This sometimes results in digging deeper than intended to.

A landlord’s greatest nightmare is offering residency to a client who cannot pay their rent. This results in unnecessary conflict for him/her. So, by providing all sources of income- you’re assuring the landlord that you’ll have no issue paying your rent.

A landlord may also value a cover letter. In a cover letter, you are telling the landlord who you are and why they should choose you. Whether you’re writing a cover letter to buy or rent, you’re allowing the person on the other end to have a better understanding of who you are, what you do and why you’re the right candidate for them.

Lastly, references are another staple that can allow a seller or landlord clarify that you’re efficient, reliable, clean, and trustworthy. These characteristics are important for a landlord or owner of a home as they want to rest assured that whoever is in their property is taking care of it and using it solely as a home.

You can gather references from prior landlords, old/current bosses, family and friends.

Finally, Tim Marshall says, “There is no other time that the laws of supply and demand have been more affected to rent. A lot of people want the same things you want and due to scarcity, it’s limiting. But don’t get discouraged and just understand that it has affected real estate as a whole.”

Although leasing can feel disheartening if denied, remember it is a competitive market and in order to better your chances- consider gathering these documents in advance.

Thank you for your trust and remember, your referrals are the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for me!

Trader Joe’s increases Home Appreciation

Shima 0 comments 14.09.2015

If you needed another reason to love Trader Joe’s, this is it.

According to RealtyTrac, who ran an analysis of home values, appreciation, and property taxes within U.S. zip codes discovered that homeowners near a Trader Joe’s have experienced an increase in home value.

The study was determined by comparing the home values of owners living near a Trader Joe’s versus homeowners near a Whole Foods. There was an average 40 percent increase in home values of those near Trader Joe’s and only a 34 percent appreciation of those near a Whole Foods.

The homes used for the study were based on 1.7 million homes, condos and co-ops with at least one Whole Foods store nearby but no Trader Joe’s, and 2.3 million homes, condos and co-ops with at least one Trader Joe’s in the area but no Whole Foods.

Why might the home value increase for a neighborhood close to a Trader Joe’s? Well, here are some reminders why Trader Joe’s is admired according to Yahoo Food

-All Trader Joe’s products are made from non-GMO foods, and contain no high fructose corn syrup, trans fat, artificial colors or flavors

-The first Trader Joe’s opened by a man named Joe in 1967 in Pasadena, CA.

-If you don’t like something, you can return it.

-If you want to try something before you buy it, you can do that too.

-Trader Joe’s donates leftover food to food banks, pantries, and/or soup kitchens.

-They make cookie butter.

In addition, as reported by Fooducate, “At Whole Foods Market, items are typically priced higher than similar products at Trader Joe’s.”

Although homeowners who live in a radius within a Trader Joe’s have experienced an increase in home value appreciation, it was also noted that they pay higher property taxes on average.

In conclusion, though living near a Whole Food’s or Trader Joe’s may not be considered as in depth as this study is when purchasing a home, I have one response: cookie butter.

That is all.

References contributing to this article include: Daily Breeze, RealtyTrac, Fooducate, and Yahoo Food.