You don’t want to miss this!
The newest Mexican food hall and market in OC is packed with 20+ places to eat. A foodie destination that should be on your list on your trip to Orange County.
There are a lot of food halls but this one is filled with good food and good vibes. This place gets so packed they even offer valet parking.
Open Monday-Tuesday & Sunday 6am-10pm, Friday & Saturday 6am-11pm.
They bring in live music on weekends and offer cooking classes throughout the year.
@mercado_northgategonzalez
Compliments of @localemagazine…
Want to do something besides the traditional “dinner” date? Here are 9 non-dinner ideas in Orange County.
🚣♂️ Take a romantic gondola ride in Newport Beach @gondolaadventures
💆♀️ Have a relaxing Spa Day at @innatthemissionsjc
💃 Spice up date night with Bachata Classes at @sevillaoc
🚁 Take a Helicopter ride with @rogueaviation
🌹 Go on a romantic stroll through @theshermangardens
🎨 Explore all the beautiful art at @ocmamuseum in Costa Mesa
🏺 Take a pottery class at @artimebarro
💡 Make your own Turkish Mosaic Lamp with @artmasterclass.usa
⛳ Grab a bucket of balls and hit the driving range at The Islands Golf Center
📸 credit: @gondolaadventures
#carealestategroup #familyfunfriday #ocrealtor #ocrealestate #ocrealestateagent #OrangeCountyDates #valentinesdaydates #dateideas #datenightideas
Keeping Current Matters | Apr 16, 2024
If you’ve got a move on your mind, you may be wondering whether you should wait to sell until mortgage rates come down before you spring into action. Here’s some information that could help answer that question for you.
In the housing market, there’s a longstanding relationship between mortgage rates and buyer demand. Typically, the higher rates are, you’ll see lower buyer demand. That’s because some people who want to move will be hesitant to take on a higher mortgage rate for their next home. So, they decide to wait it out and put their plans on hold.
But when rates start to come down, things change. It goes from limited or weak demand to good or strong demand. That’s because a big portion of the buyers who sat on the sidelines when rates were higher are going to jump back in and make their moves happen. The graph below helps give you a visual of how this relationship works and where we are today:
As Lisa Sturtevant, Chief Economist for Bright MLS, explains:
“The higher rates we’re seeing now [are likely] going to lead more prospective buyers to sit out the market and wait for rates to come down.”
Why You Might Not Want To Wait
If you’re asking yourself: what does this mean for my move? Here’s the golden nugget. According to experts, mortgage rates are still projected to come down this year, just a bit later than they originally thought.
When rates come down, more people are going to get back into the market. And that means you’ll have a lot more competition from other buyers when you go to purchase your next home. That may make your move more stressful if you wait because greater demand could lead to an increase in multiple offer scenarios and prices rising faster.
But if you’re ready and able to sell now, it may be worth it to get ahead of that. You have the chance to move before the competition increases.
Bottom Line
If you’re thinking about whether you should wait for rates to come down before you move, don’t forget to factor in buyer demand. Once rates decline, competition will go up even more. If you want to get ahead of that and sell now, talk to a CA Real Estate Agent.
Let’s connect and plan your next steps. Find out if we’re the right real estate team for you!
CA Real Estate Group | Caliber RE Group
👩🏻 Christine Almarines @carealestategroup
Realtor DRE# 01412944 | 714-476-4637
👩🏻 Anaid Bautista @wealthwithanaid
Realtor DRE# 02179675 | 949-391-8266
Hablo español
Apr 15, 2024
In the spirit of tax day today, we’re posting this handy infographic guide to print and pin-up by your desk. This guide helps you determine what tax records to save, how long to store them, and the best ways to keep your records secure. To start 2024 off on a good foot, follow this guide to help you organize and store your tax files properly for years to come.
If you need to securely shred your outdated tax documents, we’re hosting a free paper shred event this month! See details here:
Free Paper Shred Event
THIS WEEKEND IN ORANGE COUNTY
Now🔥Here’s what’s happening this weekend in OC!
Imaginology Apr 13-14 @oc_fair
This event is one of the best of its kind with a focus on STEAM education. For one weekend only participate in activities, watch demonstrations and let the kids immerse themselves in the wonderful world of STEAM
Race On The Base, Sat, Apr 13 @raceonthebase
The ever-popular UWS Race on the Base Reverse Sprint Triathlon and 5K Walk/Run is here!
GardenFest Sat, Apr 13
San Clemente’s Biggest, Best Plant Sale and Garden/Household Goods Flea Market. Waterwise Plants, California Native Plants, Succulents, Cactus, Perennials, Annuals, Herbs, as well as an assortment of other types of plants. 8am-2pm at the San Clemente Community Center.
Sake Festival, Sun, Apr 14 @gokumius
More than 40 craft sakes available for tasting and izakaya style appetizer buffets at Gokumi Ramen & Yakitori with 2 time frames available. 1-3pm or 5-8pm. Tickets are $50/ Each. Must be 21+ to attend.
Paws In The Park, Sat, Apr 13
There will be plenty to bark about at this event featuring pet-related vendors, rescue groups, DJ and games, crafts, activities and more. 10am-12:30pm On The Town Green In Ladera Ranch.
Springtime in Paris Boutique, Sat, Apr 13
Immerse yourself in the allure of Parisian charm as you peruse hand-sculpted treasures crafted by our talented local artisans and crafters. Featuring over 50+ vendors, our boutique offers an array of quirky and irresistible gifts. 8am-4pm at the Norman P Murray Community Center in Mission Viejo
Keeping Current Matters | Apr 1, 2024
Are you thinking about making a move? If so, now may be the perfect time to start the process. That’s because experts say the best week to list your house is just around the corner.
A recent Realtor.com study looked at housing market trends over the past several years (with the exception of 2020, since it was an unusual year), and found the best week to put your house on the market this year is April 14-20:
“Every year, one week stands out from the rest as that perfect stretch of time when it’s great to be a home seller. This year, the week of April 14–20 is the best time to sell—that is, if sellers want to see lots of interest in their homes, sell quickly, and pocket some extra cash, according to Realtor.com® data.”
Here’s why this matters for you. While the spring market is a great time to sell no matter the week, this may be the peak sweet spot. And if you’ve been putting your plans on the back burner and waiting for the right time to act, this could be the nudge you need to make your move happen. As Hannah Jones, Senior Economic Research Analyst at Realtor.com explains:
“The third week of April brings the best combination of housing market factors for sellers. The best week offers higher buyer demand, lower competition [from other sellers], and fewer price reductions than the typical week of the year.”
But, if you want to get in on the action, you’ll need to move quickly and lean on the pros. Your local real estate agent is the perfect go-to when it comes to figuring out a plan to prep your house and get it on the market.
They’ll be able to offer advice to balance your target listing date with what you need to do from a repair and renovation standpoint. And they can walk you through exactly how to prioritize your list so you know what to tackle first.
For example, if your house is already in good shape, you’ll be able to really focus in on the smaller things that are easy to do and make a big impact. As an article from Investopedia says:
“You won’t have time for any major renovations, so focus on quick repairs to address things that could deter potential buyers.”
Here are some specific examples from that article:
Just remember, even if you’re not ready to list within the next couple of weeks, that’s okay. The window of opportunity doesn’t close when this week ends. Spring is the peak homebuying season and it’s still a seller’s market, so you’ll be in the driver’s seat all season long.
Bottom Line
Ready to get the ball rolling? Connect with a real estate agent to schedule a time to go over your next steps.
Keeping Current Matters | Apr 3, 2024
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Hip2Save.com | Mar 16, 2024
Try these silly easy April Fools’ pranks for the family! This post is full of April Fools’ ideas that bring on the laughs!
Do you like playing harmless and silly April Fools’ Day pranks on your family?
I personally think it’s fun to become a little bit of a prankster once in a while to lighten the mood and make my kids laugh. Here are a few funny and easy April Fools’ pranks for the family. These clever ideas sure to bring some giggles – even year-round when they least expect it! Ha Ha!
Try these easy April Fools’ pranks for the family:
1. “Ice Cream” Sundaes that are savory, not sweet.
This is one of the best April Fools’ pranks for the family! Use an ice cream scooper to serve up these “ice cream” sundaes that are actually made from mashed potatoes and gravy. Don’t they look so realistic?
Collin actually played this prank on her daughter, Piper, a few years back. Check out this April Fools FAIL video as things didn’t go as planned. 
2. Bug on a Lampshade is sure to create some jump scares!
Tape a plastic bug (find plastic spiders at your local dollar store or on Amazon.com!) on the inside of a lampshade and then ask a family member to turn on the light. Yikes!
3. This Donut Box Trick is full of veggies no one expected.
This April Fools’ prank for the family is bound to get everyone! 
Grab a donut box and fill it with fresh veggies for a funny fake-out!
4. This Oreo cookie trick will result in disappointment.
It’s a classic prank! Replace Oreo cookie filling with toothpaste! Use a butter knife to scrape off the Oreo filling and place a little white toothpaste in the middle of one side. When you put it back together, it looks exactly like a real Oreo cookie!
You could even leave some of the outer edges of the original cream filling so that from the outside, the cookie won’t look tampered with at all!
Hip Tip: Worried about eating toothpaste? Instead of making prank Oreos, make prank toothpaste instead. Take an old toothpaste tube and fill it up with peanut butter. When your loved one goes to brush their teeth, they’ll get a tasty surprise!
5. That’s not orange juice!
Do you know that orange powdered cheese packet that comes with packaged Mac and Cheese? Pour it into a pitcher, mix it with water, and it looks exactly like orange juice!
6. Give out some Cracker Jack carrots.
For a fun lunch box prank, replace a snack box like Cracker Jacks with fresh baby carrots. This trick also works well with a small bag of chips. Just remember to seal the package back up with a little double-sided tape for a more realistic effect!
7. “Spaghetti and Meatballs” cupcakes are the perfect April Fools’ dessert.
While it’s technically an April Fool’s prank, this easy cupcake recipe actually makes for a yummy treat amidst the joke. Plus, they look so realistic!
8. Put a healthy surprise in your cake pops!
Hip Tip: Have some extra chocolate? Use it to make chocolate-covered rocks or cotton balls. Your fam will think it’s candy! Just make sure the prank recipient doesn’t actually eat them!!
9. Put fake eyes on the inanimate objects in your home.
Take a page from Hip2Save’s Liz. She gifted her nephews a pack of
silly craft eyeballs. For April Fools’ Day, the boys stuck these googly eyes on inanimate objects all over their house. The family kept finding them for weeks, so this is one April Fools’ prank that can keeps the laughs coming!
10. Put some confetti in a vent!
You can either buy
confetti or cut up some paper, stick it in someone’s car vents, and wait for them to be covered when they turn the air on! A few of our readers did this funny prank, and the results were hilarious.
11. Place plastic wrap over your toilet bowl.
Hip2Save’s Angie has a mom with a sense of humor! One of her easy April Fools’ pranks for the family included placing
plastic wrap over the toilet bowl. When someone has to go, hopefully they notice the clear barrier first! This prank might get a little messy
but it’s a tried a true April Fools’ Day idea!
12. Add a special “syrup” to their coffee.
Angie’s daughter once pranked her on April Fools’ Day by putting
soy sauce in the coffee. Angie didn’t even realize until she was in the car and sipping on her travel mug!
This idea is one of the easy April Fools’ Day pranks for family. It’s truly a cinch to pull off and very affordable!
13. Serve up a salty breakfast.
Start the day with a prank! For April Fools’ breakfast, serve up a grapefruit that’s covered in white pepper instead of sugar! Hopefully the victim doesn’t feel too salty about it afterwards!
14. Perform a manicure on a heavy sleeper.
This April Fools’ Prank was suggested by a Hip reader who tried it on her husband and we think it is too funny! If you have a very heavy sleeper in your family, surprise them on April 1st by giving them a manicure while they are sleeping. The weirder the paint job, the better!
15. Pretend you “peed” on the floor.
This is another reader favorite prank! Grab a bag or can of peas and place it on the bathroom floor. Shock your family when you tell them that you had an accident in the bathroom. They’re in for a laugh when they find out what you meant by “peed.”
“Last year my best friend took a bag of peas from the freezer, brought it to the bathroom, set the bag on the floor, and told her parents that she had peed on the floor. her dad’s reaction was so hilarious!!!!”
16. Fake a shopping spree.
This hilarious idea came from Hip reader Tracey and we LOVE it! Save your empty Amazon packages throughout the year and “deliver” them to your doorstep for an unsuspecting family member to find!
“Last year I pranked my DH by saving up Amazon & Target boxes and putting them outside the front door; I even filled them with some books so they would have some weight. He was like, “umm, what did you order?!” The worried look on his face was too funny. Amazon doesn’t use too many boxes these days, but it’d be easy to save up some of their shipping envelopes if you open them carefully.”
17. Star Wars fans won’t be able to get enough of this “blue milk”!
Reader’s Digest brought up the perfect prank to get the kiddos into the April Fool’s spirit – blue milk! Simply add a few drops of
blue food color to your milk carton, and you can serve up a glass of blue milk!
18. Serve up a bowl of cereal that requires a little extra work to enjoy.
Have kiddos that enjoy cereal? Good Housekeeping recommends creating some April fool’s prep a night in advance by pouring cereal and milk and adding a spoon then freezing it overnight. Your kiddos will be stumped trying to dig into this frozen bowl of cereal. 
19. Keep the lights off.
KidsActivities.com recommends using colored tape for little ones and clear tape for older kiddos, leaving them confused about the lack of light.
About the writer:
Lina has a Bachelor’s Degree from Northern Arizona University with 11 years of blogging and photography experience having work featured in Today.com, Martha Stewart, Country Living, Fox News, Buzzfeed, and HGTV.
This report specifically benefits our Single Women Home Buyers to provide insight into the demographics, financial profiles, home buying motivations & lending experiences of women who purchase homes on their own.
We’d be happy to walk through this report with you.
Let’s connect and plan your next steps and find out if we’re the right real estate team for you!
CA Real Estate Group | Caliber Real Estate Group
👩🏻 Christine Almarines @carealestategroup
Realtor DRE# 01412944 | 714-476-4637
Tagalog speaking
👩🏻 Anaid Bautista @wealthwithanaid
Realtor DRE# 02179675 | 949-391-8266
Spanish speaking
