California Home Sales Decrease 37.1% in September, 2006

The median price of an existing single-family home in California increased 1.8 percent in September and sales decreased 31.7 percent compared with the same period a year ago, C.A.R. reported today. "We expected a fairly steep decline in sales last month compared with a year ago, when sales were near their all-time record," said C.A.R. President Vince Malta.

"Unsold inventory is holding steady, and is close to the long-term historic average typical of a more 'normal' market."According to the report, the median price of an existing, single-family detached home in California during September 2006 was $553,050, a 1.8 percent increase over the revised $543,510 median for September 2005.

Also last month, closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled 444,780 at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, down 31.7 percent compared with the sales pace recorded one year earlier and up 0.6 percent from home resale activity in August.

"Overall, year-to-date sales were down 24 percent, in line with our 2006 projection. Regional trends in sales and prices were consistent with recent months," said C.A.R. Vice President and Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young.

"Areas that experienced a lot of homebuilding in recent years or second home activity have experienced larger declines in sales and weaker prices than the state as a whole. These include Northern California, the Northern Wine Country, the Central Valley, San Diego County, and the Lower Desert in Southern California."

**Taken from the California Association of Realtors Bulletin, dated October 27, 2006.

Pic is of a dog whose picture that I took in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Fast Facts

Fast Facts


Calif. median home price -
September 06: $553,050 (Source: C.A.R.)

Calif. highest median home price
by C.A.R. region September 06:
Santa Barbara So. Coast
$1,025,000 (Source: C.A.R.)

Calif. lowest median home price
by C.A.R. region September 06:
High Desert $329,040
(Source: C.A.R.)

Calif. First-time Buyer
Affordability Index -
Second Quarter
06:23 percent
(Source: C.A.R.)

Mortgage rates - week ending 10/19:

30-yr. fixed: 6.36%; Fees/points: 0.5%
15-yr. fixed: 6.06%; Fees/points: 0.5%
1-yr. adjustable: 5.57%; Fees/points: 0.8%

(Source: Freddie Mac)

**Taken from the California Association of Realtors Bulletin, dated October 27, 2006.

Pic is of me on of the streets in the seaside city, Cannes, France. Where they have the International Film Festival every year in the month of May. Nice Town!! (and friendly, too)

Me in front of the Bernini Neptune Fountain in Piazza Navona

Incidentally, my hair, by my error, got shaved off pretty much....so scary, I know...what a difference...but it did grow while I was away as you'll see in the later pics...lol

Picconi Checks in then Off to Piazza Navona!!!

After checking into Hotel Ara Pacis, and dropping off my carryon luggage, my room wasn't ready, so of course, I thought, I'm off to my favorite Piazza......

PIAZZA NAVONA!!!

I always visit and spend the most time there while I'm in Rome....just love it....It's been in many movies......Bernini's Neptune Fountain is there....along with two others (one of which was being refurbished/cleaned), and people gather there....all around the rectangular, kind of circular piazza, there are cafes and places to enjoy Gelato and/or Coffee, or a meal.

IT'S REALLY A MUST SEE!

The Pantheon is also very close to there and Campo Di Fiori.....

**the close~up fountain pic here is taken through the glass, so if you look carefully, you can see the reflection from the glass.....that's the fountain they are cleaning.....

Picconi Walks from St. Peters to Castel San Angelo...

Here are pics of my trip from St. Peter's to Castel San Angelo.....and the Tiber River behind me in the first one....

The third one was important because in the background you can see St. Peter's....meanwhile the pic reveals the street that my Grandmother, Nonna, used to work on when she was in her early 20's....which is around 1935-1940......

I just told one of my friends about it and he said, "I bet you were emotional while you were on that street and just in the area." ...I'm like, "Yup!"

The second pic is the bridge that crosses the Tiber and also is perpendicular to Castel San Angelo.....Later, once my cruise was over, I walked one afternoon across the bridge (and it was beautifully sunny that day too, with white wispy clouds in the background of my pics) and took pictures of each individual statue....

Well, gotta get ready for dinner soon....In real life, it's Friday night and so I'm going to try to finish this up here....

Here is More of St. Peter's for you...

These pics were taken Monday, October 9th, 2006.

As you can see, it was beautiful weather.

Picconi arrives in Vatican City, Piazza San Pietro (Saint Peter's Square)

here I am wandering aimlessly (joke) with my carry~on through St. Peter's on my way to my hotel......in Rome....

PICCONI ARRIVES IN ROMA (THE DAY BEFORE)

Upon arriving in Rome and discovering that I wasn't going to have any luggage to take to my hotel.....hopefully tomorrow it would arrive....I embarked on the train, then a little walk with my carry~on luggage to my hotel...Hotel Ara Pacis....which was just past Castel San Angelo, and about 3 blocks (maybe a few more, but who's counting when you're walking EVERYWHERE, RIGHT?), FROM SAINT PETERS SQUARE....VATICAN CITY.


I actually had a large balcony which was a bit of a plus....and did manage to keep myself from jumping off of it that first night.....in Rome. My bathroom was interesting there, not what we're used to in America, but very standard for Europe, or at least Italy.

There was also a buday, in my bathroom.....(sp?)

the tile of the boy walking in joyously....

here is a pic of the actual tile that was hung in my bathroom.

The previous pic two entries ago, was of the same image, just enlarged and incorporated into their decorating and used as wallpaper, near the other end of the ship....VERY CLEVER DECORATOR.

Picconi gets an Upgrade!!

Because I was traveling alone, I had to pay a single supplement for not being two people, as normal pricing per person is based on double occupancy.

Trying to keep the costs down, I went ahead and asked for an upper/lower room, which means bunk beds and saved $500 from the cost of a regular stateroom. A regular stateroom sleeps 2.

Mine, as seen here, could sleep at least 4, converting the sofa to a bed.

I would type my notes for my blog, download, resize/reshape pics that I took each day out of my room and sometimes type emails to my family, which I would later go to the Internet Cafe onboard where I utilized their service to send an email and pics from the days ventures.

So, as you can see, I didn't even think I'd have a window and this one was large, plus the bed (Queen) and just the amount of space made me feel like all the heartache I had experienced from my travels and not having my bags the first night in Rome, was something that I'd forget about very soon. Yeah!!

my trip....

This tile, which was hung appropriately in my stateroom/cabin bathroom onboard, pretty accurately reflects how I felt the moment I walked into my stateroom/cabin aboard the Carnival Liberty in Civitavecchia....(the port of Rome, Italy)

After having had to stay at the hotel without my bags for the night, (the night before), alone in Rome (I know, poor me, right?!!) going out shopping for fun (or at least trying to have fun), dinner and buying necessities that I didn't have since my bags had gone to Milan.....making all the adjustments that I could, and trying to recover from the hours of flying, little sleep (3 hrs) the night before....it was, let's just say, like that saying, when you get a lemon, make lemonnade!! Well, that's what I tried to do. BIG SMILE!

See, I'll show you my room.....next posting....

Picconi goes backwards?

Hi There!

I will try to keep this as easy as possible.....

I have loaded verbage while on my trip at different times.....and am going back and starting to release them, once I've added whatever pics I can onto the individual entries.....

So, probably what I'll do is put them as whatever city the boat was in that day, or something.

Hope you enjoy the last weekend of October!



My Best,
Todd

Picconi Remembers Visiting Venice in 1979.....

PICS: VENETIAN MASKS!

BIRDS ON A LAMPOST IN PIAZZA SAN MARCOS

THE GRAND CHURCH OF PIAZZA SAN MARCO THAT THE TOURIST ARE LINING UP TO GO IN TO VIEW.

ME IN FRONT OF THE GRAND CHURCH (CHIESA) @ PIAZZA SAN MARCOS.

LORD BYRON'S HOME IN VENICE...COOL THAT I PASSED THIS WHILE RIDING A WATER TAXI ON MY WAY BACK TO THE SHIP.

CLOSEUP OF THE HORSES ATOP THE CHURCH @ PIAZZA SAN MARCOS. I REMEMBERED BEING THERE BACK IN 1979 (YES, THAT'S RIGHT, OMG!) AND BEING INSIDE AND LOOKING OUT AT THE HORSES THAT THEY WERE CLEANING AT THE TIME....THANK YOU PAPA AND NONNA FOR THAT TRIP!!

Hi There!!

I'm still on vacation....Just wanted to say that I'm thinkin' of you and hope that you and yours are all doing very well.

I'm keeping a pretty good journal and pics of what I'm doing, so will have, or at least should have, a few things to share with you upon my return on the 25th.

Until then....I'm sending you my best!!

Yours,
Todd

Relationships Are Hard Work......

October 16th, Monday, 2006
615PM

RELATIONSHIPS ARE ALOT OF WORK!!

I wrote out a 3 page letter tonight to a very
special person that I had in my life up until just
over a year ago. I explained why I behaved the
way I did, how sorry I was and hoping that at
least the energy from my apology being directed
“at” the person I wronged, or at least hurt and
was irresponsible with, would somehow help both of
us. Mainly the other person.....It was hard and
at the end, I cried.

Life is full of happy and not so happy times.

The important part is to be resilient and clean up
your s***!!

That’s what I’m trying to do.

Now, I have to pull myself together and try to get
to dinner.

I just had an idea that I will be putting my
entries into the blogger.com account as drafts, so
I can have all this in by the time I get back
home. The time would be well spent, even though
I’m on vacation....it’s a bit of work showing it,
but not regular work....right? I guess for
now....I will think this way.

Bye for now.

Todd
618pm

Toddy's Diet Goes South.....

PICS: Angel above the church that I lit a candle in, while in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Cafes in Croatia....There were many.

Look ~ it's Nestle Water in Europe.



October 16, 2006 353PM
I’ve just arrived into my stateroom and enjoyed a bit of sun and alot of porking out today!! I have been binging since 7am this morning and fear it’s not going to stop. I will have to put an end to it once I wake up from my nap, workout or just rest and have only fruit for dinner. That’s the end of it.

While laying out on deck 10, it was way too crowded today....The mediterranean Sun felt phenomenally warm and was kissing everyone’s skin and we were all worshipping it back in return. It was great. They had a musical group playing oldies that was really just less than average (to poor)....so wasn’t impressed and it made me not want to stay there. Plus, being SO CLOSE to other people, and them apparently not even thinking twice about me being in their space....they certainly were in mine!! LOL


Anyway, escaped, had a piece of pizza, fries and some cinammon rolls (little ones)...and some coffee. Now just getting settled back in here for the rest of the day it looks like...I can’t even think about tomorrow....I just want to try to get myself to REST. No working out after 7pm tonight...or else, I’ll have to take some pills to sleep. Tomorrow is Sicily and I do have an excursion planned to Taormina....

We’ve had EXCELLENT weather this whole trip, especially for October!!! The captain said tonight we may have thunderstorms....so I’m wondering if it’s because we’re so far South...but doubt it....it’s gotta happen eventually ~ the rain had to catch up with us. It’s fine...it’s still will be ok.
Trip is more than halfway over at this point and I’m glad I came.
Ciao for now and going to try to nap.

Donald Trump on Larry King Live today...

PICS:

GREECE in the distance through the clouds.

The Carnival Liberty Casino.

The Carnival Liberty's Waterslide.

The Door going outside......notice the Venetian decor on the doors....it's throughout the ship.


October 16, 2006 1137AM
I just got back to my room....and am watching Donald Trump on CNN Larry King Live....He likes Real Estate!! He says that it’s the best investment ~ or one of them ~ because you actually have something tangible for your investment....instead of investing in stocks, and then if they drop, you have nothing to show for it.


Also, he doesn’t like Angelina Jolie. He thinks that Paris Hilton is talented beyond what people realize....did you know she’s making money when she makes it to a party...she gets paid $25K, $50K or more to show up at a party.
One of his greatest failures ~ he doesn’t enjoy failing...he thinks you have to take the lesson out of it.....You have to have big failures to be a great success.
"When something doesn’t go quite right, I learn from it."
Donald Trump

He also said something during the interview that was interesting to me....he said people who fell like the Enron Scandal, Michael Millkin (sp?) and people like that...he said they have been dishonest people since High School, he thinks, if you look back at their history.
He said that they never got caught doing anything bad and that’s why they kept getting richer...because they were dishonest here and made a thousand, then again and it made them a million, then again and it made them several million. All of a sudden, they are multi-millionaires (possibly) and they do end up getting caught, and that’s when they have the big fall!
Robert Kiyosaki and Donald Trump have written a book and it’s call "Why We Want You To Be Rich"....and they got to know each other by going to "The Learning Annex".....Robert was a bestselling author, #3 All-Time.....for Rich Dad, Poor Dad.....Donald and Robert can take a lesson and pass it along to someone else....they can get better....Entrepreneurial People are people who attend "The Learning Annex"....
Donald talks about the Real Estate Market:
he says, "the market is still as solid, although it’s not as high as it was the past two years, but it’s still generally solid...and a few things to remember...you need the right location and the right product, and as long as interest rates don’t get too high, then I don’t believe how much of the bubble stuff bursting that is printed in the newspapers" ....fewwww!! I do believe what he’s saying and like Donald also said, at least you do get something tangible for your investment...and if you’re choosing location, buying a good product and having expertise, this is important....
They both had rich dads...so they started at the beginning...
Always go into something that you know something about and go into something that you love....so you’ll learn it so much faster...because you love it....
Robert says go into stuff small to start....
Donald says that you have to use leverage to your advantage....you don’t want to borrow so much that it doesn’t make sense and you have to know how to negotiate with your banks, etc....
Buy and not rent your own house....Robert says.....
How do you use this book, Larry asked. Robert and Donald both agreed that you need discipline....
I WANT THIS BOOK AND MAYBE SHOULD GIVE IT AWAY THIS YEAR FOR CHRISTMAS?? HMMMMM... been thinking about what I could give my past clients and this seems to be really calling to me..I will give this more thought.

Define rich: Donald says it’s a state of mind, you’re happy, not just to do with money.
Forbes defines rich as it is over a million dollars of income, comes passively, without working per year....OMG!
Money management is difficult.....Donald says you need experience and he’s a huge believer in education.....
Robert says that he would change our educational system and we should teach more people about money....Donald says they should be teaching how to earn, make and preserve money....and he says that people want to learn how to keep your money....the book is a bit about living the good life too......Get the book, publisher is RICH PRESS.

More Croatia and Please, No More Nightmares!!

PICS: Here's what the photographers in Croatia were filming....apparently, they were getting a "shot" of this street...for use in some type of media.

A Dubrovnik Bridge, near where our boat was parked.

The "Spanish Steps" replica that I mentioned earlier that was modeled after "The Spanish Steps" in Rome, Italy...There is a pic of the church at the top of the steps in the previous entry.

Guy enjoying the sun in Old Town....Yup, you could jump into the Mediterranean from just outside the walls.....I wish I could have....







October 16th, 2006
Have had too many nightmare dreams about work....one about Yvette, the other about Lomita do they want to sell or not, plus the next store neighbor is asking me out, plus was getting ready for this trip, too much!

Have had another regal scare and Thank God it’s not true.....I overheard someone at breakfast this morning talking about a 6.2 Earthquake and I thought that they said it was in California....I couldn’t relax.....I kept thinking and wondering and going, OMG, what if I’m really an orphan now? My freaking out took over and I pretty much immediately went over to one of the two who were talking and asked.....the nice man, who told me the better news, said it was in Hawaii, and that there was no tsunami or tornadoes or anything and that nobody was hurt. Feeewwweeee!!

After that scare, I had planned to come back to my cabin/stateroom and sleep, but now that is not going to happen. Think I’ll finish a few things up here, then head out to the internet cafe and get my web stuff done for now....I want to email my family photos from yesterday in Dubrovnik...I had already sent Venezia’s so don’t have that to do. I also did a collage of Dubrovnik, which I will try to put on my blog....it’s easier than having a million photos to download, you understand. It’s just one with a few, just a bit harder to see....who really goes through downloading all of them anyway? LOL

I had kind of fantasized about an interesting coincidence, that I would run into one of my clients, PD, and looks like she’s not on this cruise. We had talked about here coming out here back in July, and I was thinking, once I was ready to leave, wouldn’t it be fun....however, didn’t work out that way.

Oh, just thought I should keep a log, or copy my trip into the text on my blog, so you could click on each port that you may find interesting....what a great idea. Hope it works...sometimes when I try to copy stuff directly into the text portion of my blog, it doesn’t work...then i either have to do it the "long way" or not do it at all.

Checked with a client before I left, and let them know that my sister, Yvette, would be looking for a property for them.....and they told me that they "know how the market is right now" and I thought to myself, this sounds jaded or dangerous or like they don’t exactly "know" how the market is right now.

Unless the markets changed while I’m here, it’s still A GREAT REAL ESTATE MARKET. When was the last time you could sell your home for as much as you can sell it for right now? Not list it, because anyone can list for whatever they want, but actually sell it. Ok, then, I rest my case.

Well, think I’m going to go up and email my family...I’m still too anxious, even though I took half a sleeping pill around 5am.....that will teach me to not workout after 6pm like I did last night! Ciao Ciao~~Toddy

Laying Out After Time in Croatia...

PICS:

CROATIAN BEAUTIFULLY SIMPLISTIC ARCHITECTURE....

THE VIEW FROM THE BOAT WHERE I LAYED OUT AFTER MY RETURN TO THE SHIP.

A FILM CREW FILMING....Interestingly enough, I saw three film crews, while on my trip. One in Croatia, One in Rome and One in Barcelona.....The model shoot in Rome was most interesting....she looked familiar.....very tall and thin...jumping into the street on command....I will try to include her later.....


October 15, 2006 1014PM
"A giant apartment building"
Well, it’s Sunday night here on the mediterranean and I’m in the process of doing laundry ~ it’s drying right now.....although I did bring plenty of clothes, there wasn’t much to do tonight, didn’t feel really like socializing ~ get plenty of that while I’m working at home.

I was out earlier and saw two Mom’s hanging out and I could tell they were really tired....I wondered if they were having an ok time.....they seemed unhappy and I thought if I was with my friend, I wouldn’t be...kinda made me happy that I’m fine or ok alone....although after two weeks out here, I will be happy to be in familiar territory again....

I enjoyed a nice chest, tricep workout tonight...at the onboard gym....had a great shower, a nice stir~fried custom din din and now
just waiting to finish up my laundry (it’s in the dryer).....I bought a tshirt for myself in Dubrovnik so got that out already and now just waiting for the other stuff to finish up....should be done in about 3 minutes or so.

Overall it was a really nice day...beautiful in Dubrovnik and also afterwards, laying out was really great. The best that it’s been so far in the past almost a week.
I know I wasn’t supposed to workout...just couldn’t help myself....what am I supposed to do, just sit in my room all night? LOL I know, maybe tomorrow night I will. I’m enjoying looking at the pics I’ve taken so far and sending them to my family. Will probably do more of that tomorrow while we have the day at sea....at least I won’t have to deal with fighting for laundry machines or anything since mine will already be done....kinda like living in a giant apartment building.
Well, toodle loo.....Buona Notte!!

I loved Croatia!!

PICS: MY LUNCH WHILE INSIDE "OLD TOWN" DUBROVNIK.

STREET SCENE FROM MY SEAT AT LUNCH.

COLLAGE I MADE OF DUBROVNIK ~ OBVIOUSLY, TOO MUCH TIME ON MY HANDS...

ME OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF "OLD TOWN" DUBROVNIK, CROATIA.

October 15th, Sunday, 2006
534PM
Back in my room after a very pleasant day in Dubrovnik, Croatia. I loved it as much as I thought I would. It totally reminded me of the house that "The Transporter" owned, on the Mediterranean coast somewhere...absolutely a dream location....and simplistic architecture....The people were lovely, nice and helpful....I can’t tell you how much I really enjoyed myself!!


After I finished my tour there, inside the walls of Dubrovnik, everything is inside the walls, as far as shopping goes....it’s called the "Old Town" and lies just on the water.
I did end up going to a topless nude place, but nobody that I saw was nude there....Good thing probably.....talk about awwwkwwwwaaarrrrddd!!
Anyway, had a coffee upon arrival and met some very nice people on my same cruise ship, Carnival Liberty, from Toronto Canada...They took a few pics of me at the cafe sitting sipping my expresso....it was funny too, the guy showed up out of nowhere, just when I was trying to figure out how I was going to get my picture taken, BAM!!!
Anyway, after I finished my coffee, went for a little walk around the town, inside it’s old, ancient walls, estimated to be built around 1,600’s...to 1,700’s, I believe....
Then found a church which was at the top of what Rome’s equivalent, but not as grand, Spanish Steps....that’s what I called them....anyway, went into that church and luckily there wasn’t a mass going on...prayed, (they are Catholic mostly there) and then lit two candles......it was really emotional....I cried or started to just thinking how fortunate I have been, etc....to have my family, friends, clients, etc.....anyway, moving on.....
I finished my tour inside "Old Town" at Cafe Festival where I had a vegetarian lunch and sampled their local red wine....tasted kind of like spiked grape juice, guess that’s what it was, right? LOL Anyway, it was average to a bit above, definitely not bad. Took pics of both sides of the street scene from there, and the flag atop the entry to "Old Town" then headed back to my bus and came back to the ship to enjoy a long afternoon, on deck, overlooking the Adriatic Sea. I also brought a cd that I had made, "The Way of Love" and really had a very pleasant time out on deck.....
Then went to have a little early dinner and back in the cabin I came....and here I am.
Now going to go through my pics, oh, cancelled my yoga class for tonight and
my spin class for the morning....my lower back is still sore and starting to feel better, but don’t want to push it....not eating much anyway....I hope that I don’t gain weight on this trip! Anyway, going to go through my pics now and still listening to this fabulous cd...glad I made it before I left....love this mix of "My Beautiful Friend" by The Charlatans that I put on it....it’s really a great sound and vibe to it.....sounds kind of like Madonna.
Bought Madonna Sean and my friend, John T-shirts there....it was weird when I was in the tshirt shop, Madonna’s version of Like a Virgin/Hollywood Medley (from MTV Music Awards ~when she kissed Britney and Christina Aguilera) came on so I took it as a sign to buy for Sean...especially after the nightmare that I had last night.....not going to email him though, I’m sure he’s fine and he’ll just think I’m being weird if I email him to check on him...well, maybe I will, not sure yet.
Anyway, gotta get to my pics to reduce the 80 or so pics that I took in Dubrovnik....IT WAS ANOTHER SPECTACULAR STOP!! THANK YOU CARNIVAL AND DUBROVNIK FOR A GREAT DAY AND TIME. BIG SMILES
P.S. WISH I COULD EAT THIS HEALTHY AT HOME!!