When you are considering selling your home, update the master bedroom to a style which appeals to both genders. You never know who will be a potential buyer or the home purchaser, so create a neutral space which appeals to the majority of lookers.  Start by de-cluttering and de-personalizing the space, next paint the walls a neutral color, such as caramel or ivory.  Add a hint of color with throw pillows or a colorful bedspread or duvet cover. Add a vase of fresh cut flowers to a side table.

The Orange County Museum of Art is hosting an exhibit by Zheng Chongbin. The exhibit, titled, The Pacific Project will be open until Sunday, December 4^th.  This is the fourth installment of The Pacific Project, this one includes a new video presentation; Branches are Roots in the Sky, filmed in 2016. The video explores “how we construct our knowledge of the world and its flows and changes through our perceptions of time, space, and surface.” There are four ink paintings with accompany the video. Chongbin is an artist based in San Francisco and Shanghai. Steeped in the ancient traditions ink painting, Chongbin goal is to make this work relevant to the 21^st century. The Orange County Museum of Art is located at 850 San Clemente Drive in Newport Beach. Museum admission is $10 which includes access to this exhibit. For more information about this exhibit or the museum, see their website at: https://www.ocma.net/exhibition/pacific-project-zheng-chongbin.

Pelican Hill is a collection of exclusive guard gated developments in Newport Coast. The residential community is just up the hill from the Pelican Hill Resort, Spa and Golf Course. Located at 7 Seahaven, this 4,500 square foot home is part of the Pelican Ridge development. This four bedroom, six bathroom home was built in 1994. This custom built estate has a Mediterranean architectural style. Attention to detail can be seen in the imported stone, hand crafted mantles and crystal chandeliers. The home and property have endless views of the surrounding hills, mountains, canyons and city night lights. This home sits on a large 13,500 square foot piece of property. Outdoors, homeowners’ will enjoy strolling amongst the white roses, relaxing in the spa or eating at the outdoor barbeque bar area. Pelican Ridge was developed by the Irvine Company in the 1990’s. Among the amenities offered in Pelican Ridge are a clubhouse, pool and tennis courts.

When you are selling your home, keep your options open. If you wish to sell your home prior to purchasing your next property, you have a few choices. If you have multiple offers on your home, perhaps, rather than taking the highest bid, look at bids which offer you a lease back option on your home until you find your next one or a bid which offers a long closing period. Work with your realtor, they can help you sift through all the options and come up with the best option for your situation.

The Gourmet Detective restaurant is having a Murder Mystery Dinner. “Darling, You Slay Me!” is an interactive evening which begins the minute you enter the restaurant. The setting is Broadway 1928. You will be greeted and seated by a cast of characters. You will be part of the mystery dinner as a witness, an accomplice or a sleuth. During the three course dinner, the story will be played out. The professional actors will add to the evening, by brining to life the setting and helping guests become part of the story.  There will be period music throughout the evening. Each guest can choose how much they would like to participate. The Gourmet Detective evenings are held at the Tee Room. The Tee Room is located at 3100 Irvine Avenue in Newport Beach. The doors open at 7:30pm with dinner being served at 8pm on Saturdays through November 19^th. Tickets are $69. For more information or to make reservations, see their website at: http://www.gourmetdetective.com/.

Pelican Hill is part of Newport Coast and home to several luxury residential developments and the Pelican Hill Resort, Spa and Golf Course. The Pelican Hill Golf Club offers 36 holes of world class golf against the backdrop of Pacific Ocean. Located at 24 Pelican Point Drive, this 5,400 square foot home is part of the Pelican Point development. This five bedroom, six bathroom home was built in 1998. The villa has a Mediterranean architectural style. There is a first level bedroom suite, with private access, perfect for guests. The open floor plans flows seamlessly from indoors to outdoors. Attention to detail can be seen in the columns, windows and ceilings. This custom built estate has wonderful views of Newport coastline, the Pelican Hill Golf Course and the Pacific Ocean. This home sits on a large 11,000 square foot piece of property. Outdoors homeowners will enjoy a custom pool, spa, covered loggia, and fire pit. Also, outdoors there is a built in barbeque area with a pull up bar. Pelican Point is a 24 hour guard gated community with just 48 custom built homes.

When you are purchasing a home, there is always a chance you will end up in a bidding war.  To have the most successful outcome, rather that outcome is winning the bidding war or knowing when to walk away, plan out this situation with your realtor before you begin looking at homes. Your realtor is your best resource in this situation. Set-up parameters at the beginning of your home search process with the upper limits of what you can afford or are willing to spend, prior to becoming emotionally involved with your dream home.

The Environmental Nature Center is having their 2016 Summer Nature Camps throughout July and August. Summer Camps begin June 27^th and run through August 18^th, 2016. This is the 39^th consecutive year of summer nature camps at the Environmental Nature Center. Camps focus on providing science education that is both outdoors and hands on. Weekly themes include Outdoor Explorers, Nature Detectives, Weird Science and Amazing Animals. This camp is for students from kindergarten through 6^th grade. Camps are held Monday through Thursday.  Both full day and half day camps are available, full day programs are from 9am to 3pm and half day programs are from 9am to 1pm. The Environmental Nature Center is located at 1601 16^th Street in Newport Beach. For more information and registration, see their website at: http://encenter.org/.

Pelican Hill is part of Newport Coast, along with Crystal Cove. Newport Coast is a small section of Newport Beach with a population of just 10,000 residents, which gives the area a close knit feel. Located at 7 Seahaven, this 4,500 square foot home is part of the Pelican Ridge development. This four bedroom, six bathroom home was built in 1994. This home has a Mediterranean architectural style. Attention to detail can be seen in the custom cabinetry, imported stone and crystal chandeliers. There is a main level bedroom. The kitchen opens onto a morning room and the family room.  The estate has endless views of the surrounding mountains, surrounding canyons and city night lights.  The home sits on a 13,500 square foot piece of property. Outdoors, homeowners will enjoy wandering amongst the white roses, relaxing by the large spa or cooking in the barbeque area. Students living in Pelican Hill attend Newport Coast Elementary School and Corona del Mar Intermediate and High School. Pelican Ridge is a 24 hour guard gated neighborhood.

When selling your home, it is important to begin the process by deep cleaning your home and keeping it at this level of clean and picked up during the time the home is available for showings and open houses. Creating an atmosphere in which potential buyers can imagine themselves using this home, goes a long way in capturing a buyer’s imagination. A sparkling clean home also gives potential buyers a sense of degree of upkeep and maintenance the home has had.

Sunset Jazz at Newport is back at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel and Spa this summer. The 7^th Annual Sunset Jazz Series will begin on Wednesday, July 6^th and continue on Wednesday through September 14^th. Concerts will take place in the Rose Garden or on the Seaview Terrace.  This year’s concerts will feature favorite performers from the Newport Beach Jazz Party and The Jazz Cruise. The line-up for the month of July is:

July 6^th: Ken Peplowski – Chuck Redd Quintet

July 13^th: Ernie Andrews

July 20^th:  James Morrison Band from Australia

July 27^th: The Four Freshmen

Concerts will begin at 6pm with doors opening at 5pm. Food and drinks will be available.  Tickets are available for single concerts or as a package for the entire season. The Marriott is located at 900 Newport Center Drive. For more information, to purchase tickets or to see the line-up for the entire season, see their website at: http://www.sunsetjazzatnewport.com/.

The Pelican Hill area of Newport Coast is made-up for five luxury developments and the Pelican Hill Resort, Spa and Golf Course. The five communities in Pelican Hill are: Pelican Crest, Pelican Point, Pelican Hill, Pelican Ridge and Pelican Ridge Estates. Located at 5 Sea Shell, this 10,400 square foot estate is part of the Pelican Hill development. This four bedroom, seven bathroom home was built in 1997. This custom built home has an Art Deco architectural style. The home entrance has water features both inside and outside. The master bedroom suite features a wet bar, fireplace, view terrace and an adjacent study. There is elevator access to all the floors. Additional rooms include a wine cellar, home gym and sauna. There are 180 degree views of the Pacific Ocean, white water, the Los Angeles Skyline, Catalina Island, Palos Verdes and beautiful evening sunsets. This estate sits on a large 19,000 square foot piece of property with a cul-de-sac setting. Outdoor, homeowners will enjoy the pool with spa, an outdoor kitchen, and several seating areas. Fashion Island is nearby with a wide variety of shopping, dining and entertainment options.

If you are in the market to purchase a home, be ready up front. Don’t wait until you find your dream home to prepare for a mortgage. Begin the home buying process, by becoming pre-approved for a mortgage. Also, the fewer contingencies you can offer as a home buyer, the more attractive your offer will be to the home seller. Options you can offer a seller, to make your offer more attractive are a rent-back option, a fast settlement or no conditions. Always, work with your realtor before offering anything, they will be able to give you the best advice. 

The Annual Old Glory Boat Parade celebrating the Fourth of July will get underway at 1pm on the 4^th of July. The boat parade sets off from Collins Island and proceeds throughout Newport Harbor for two hours. This year’s parade theme is Celebrating Our Heros. Come out and take part or watch all the fabulously decorated boats as they cruise by. Boat decoration parade winners will be announced at the Awards Banquet held on Sunday, July 24^th at 6:30pm. This is a daylong celebration. The American Legion Post 291 is kicking off the day with a pancake breakfast which starts at 7am. A lunch buffet will be held from 12 noon to 5pm. There will be music throughout the day and the day will conclude with the fireworks show over Newport Harbor at 9pm. The boat parade is free to participate in. For more information about this day long 4^th of July celebration, see their website at: http://www.alyc.com/event-2099396?CalendarViewType=1&SelectedDate=7/2/2016.

Pelican Hill is perched high on a cliff above Newport Harbor. Residents will enjoy breathtaking views, a private beach, and world class amenities living in this group of luxury developments. Located at 11 Pelican Vista Drive, this 7,600 square foot estate is part of the Pelican Crest development. This four bedroom, nine bathroom home was built in 2001. As you enter the foyer, you are greeted by a thousand crystal chandelier. The whole home is wired with a Creston light control system. Attention to detail can be seen in the Dorn Bacht fixtures, Miele appliances and Olufsen multimedia equipment. The estate style home sits on an oversized 19,000 square foot piece of property. The home has wonderful views of the Pacific Ocean, Newport Harbor, Catalina Islands, white water, city night lights and spectacular sunsets. Outdoors, homeowners will enjoy relaxing by the pool and spa. Pelican Crest is a 24 hour guard gated development with 166 custom built estates.

When you are considering selling your home, regardless of the time of the year, a fresh coat of paint is a great way to revive a home’s interior. When you are picking out colors, choose sophisticated neutral colors, these appeal to the majority of potential home buyers. Colors such as cream, ivory, and caramel are great choices. Add a pop of color with accessories, such as throw pillows or a vase of flowers.

Duckhorn Vineyards is having a wine pairings dinner at 21 Oceanfront. On Monday evening, June 6^th, Duckhorn Vineyards is working with Executive Chef Miroslave Rusey to create a memorable dinner with wine pairings. The speaker this evening will be Remy Crane. The Amuse Bouche course will be lobster crostini paired with a Napa Valley Chardonnay. The 1^st course will be Ahi tuna with an Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. The 2^nd course is the salad course with a Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon. The entrée course features surf and turf paired with a Napa Valley Merlot. The final course is the dessert course featuring wild berry panna cotta with a Napa Valley red wine.  The dinner starts at 6:30pm and ends at 9:30pm. 21 Oceanfront is located at 2100 West Oceanfront, Newport Beach. Tickets are $110 per person. For more information about this wine dinner, see their website at: http://www.21oceanfront.com/wineCalendar.htm.

Pelican Hill, along with Crystal Cove and several other luxury developments are located in Newport Coast. Newport Coast has population of just 10,000 people, giving it a close-knit feel, while having all the conveniences of the larger city of Newport Beach. Located at 42 Pelican Point Drive, this 8,800 square foot home is part of the Pelican Point development. This four bedroom, six bathroom estate has a European Baroque architectural style. The home was built in 2012 and 2013. As guest entered the home they are swept away to coastal 16^th century Europe. Attention to detail can be seen in the stone work, hand blown glass windows and the trompe I oeil style paintings. The interior finishes and furniture is by Michael Amini. The estate features a home theater, a wine cellar and a subterranean five car garage. The home has awe-inspiring views of the Pacific Ocean, white water, Catalina Island, city night lights, the 12^th hole of the Pelican Hill Golf Course and evening sunsets. Pelican Point is a 24 hour guard gated community with just 48 custom built homes. The Pelican Point’s neighborhood is positioned very near the Crystal Cove State Park, which provides the area with over three miles of pristine sandy beach and 2,400 acres of undeveloped land for outdoor activities.

When you are selling your home, don’t forget to stage the closets as you do the rest of the home. Storage room is near the top of every buyers list, so give them what they are looking for. Remove all the out of season clothes and some of the in-season clothes, if necessary, to make the interiors of the closets look as large as possible. During open houses and showings, leave the closet doors open, potential buyers are going to look in there anyway, so show them off.

The third annual Grit Cycle “Gritty Up Auction and Party” will be held on Thursday, June 2^nd.  The Gritty Up event will support The John Wayne Cancer Foundation. This Grit City event has two parts, part one is a three hour spin session and the second part is a party and auction. The party includes an auction, cocktails and appetizers. All proceeds from the evening and three hour cycle go directly to the John Wayne Cancer Foundation. The auction and party will be held at the A&O Kitchen and Bar at the Balboa Bay Resort. The event begins at 5pm and will run until 8pm. The A&O Kitchen and Bar is located at 1221 West Coast Highway in Newport Beach. The three hour spin session part will be held on Saturday, June 4^th from 1pm to 4pm. This part of the benefit will be held at Grit Cycle in Costa Mesa. For more information, see either of these websites; http://www.gritcycle.com/reserve/ or https://donate.johnwayne.org/costa-mesa/events/gritty-up-2016/e75688/.

Pelican Hill is part of the Newport Coast section of Newport Beach, along with Crystal Cove and other luxury developments. This is a small section of the Newport Beach, giving it a close-knit feel. Located at 5 Pelicans, this 13,000 square foot home is part of the Pelican Crest development. This six bedroom, ten bathroom home was built in 2005. This custom built estate has a combination of French and Mediterranean architectural styles. This estate underwent a complete renovation in 2015.  The home boasts a 35 foot height allowance which is rare in Newport Coast.  The home features a wine cellar, commercial elevator to all levels and a stadium theater. Attention to detail can be seen in the decorative plaster moldings, stonework and custom chandeliers. Both the home and property have outstanding views of the Pacific Ocean, the Newport Beach coastline, white water, the Pelican Hill Golf Course and beautiful evening sunsets. This home sits on an oversized 29,000 square foot piece of property with a peaceful cul-de-sac setting. Outdoors homeowners will enjoy strolling through the manicured gardens and relaxing by the swimming pool and spa. Pelican Crest is a 24 hour guard gated community with just 166 custom designed and built homes and estates.

Make potential buyers feel welcomed before they even get inside the house, do this by creating an inviting front porch or front door area. You can create this even if you have just a front stoop. Begin by cleaning the entire area, making sure it is free of dirt and cob webs. Next, re-paint the front door if necessary. Finally, add a new door mat, and a colorful container of blooming plants next to the door. Check to make sure the house numbers are visible from the street and that the front door light fixture is in working order. It should always be turned on for open houses and all showings.

The Annual Newport Beach Wine Festival will be happening taking place Memorial Day Weekend, May 27^nd through May 29^th. There will be fine wines, beer and food pairings for tasting. The Newport Beach Wine Festival will be held at the Balboa Bay Resort. The waterfront setting creates the perfect atmosphere for sipping fine wines and savoring the food pairings. In addition to tastings, there will be interactive blending classes and cooking classes and demonstrations. The Balboa Bay Resort is located at 1221 Coast Highway in Newport Beach. For more information about this exciting event, see their website at: http://meritagecollection.com/balboabayresort/newport-beach-ca-hotels/southern-california-events/.

Pelican Hill is situated in Newport Coast alongside the Crystal Cove community. The Pelican Hill community is made-up of several smaller luxury developments. Located at 3 Rim Ridge, this 11,000 square foot home is part of the Pelican Hill enclave. This six bedroom, nine bathroom estate style home was built in 2001. The home has a Neo-Classical architectural style. This estate features a library, full theater and private guest entrance. Attention to detail can be seen in the rock crystal chandeliers, inlaid limestone and custom ironwork. The home sits on an oversized 27,000 square foot piece of very private property with 225 feet of unimpeded views. This estate and property both have views of the Pacific Ocean, Catalina Island, the surrounding canyons, Pelican Hill Golf Course, city night lights and stunning sunsets. Outdoors, homeowners will enjoy entertaining on the 1,700 square foot deck and loggia, around the infinity edge pool and spa. Pelican Hill is a 24 hour guard gated community. Residents are near the beaches of Crystal Cove State Park and world–class shopping and dining at Fashion Island.

Spring time is one of the most active times of the year in the real estate market, there is more inventory but there is also greater demand during this time of year. You will most likely have to act fast when you find your perfect property. In order to act fast, be prepared. Start by finding a great local, professional real estate agent, such as those at the Franco Team. Next, work with a mortgage broker and complete the pre-approval process. With these items in place, you will be able to act as soon as you find the home of your dreams. Also, always be open to exploring any options your real estate agent suggests, it might just be the perfect home for you, which you could have otherwise overlooked.

The Dream Car Tour will take place on Saturday, April 30th. Participants will experience the thrill of driving one of six different exotic sports cars. Enjoy the ride alongside some of the most beautiful scenery in California, on the Pacific Coast Highway and throughout the Newport Beach area with the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean. There will be opportunities to pick from a selection of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Aston Martins, Bentleys and others. Professional instructors will be on hand to answer all your questions. Photos will be taken, so you will have a way to remember this special day. The day kicks-off at 10am. The event gets underway at the Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car located at 620 Newport Center Drive in Newport Beach. Reservations are required. For more information or to make your reservation, see their website at: https://www.bhrentacar.com/dream-car-tour.

Pelican Hill is a glamorous and luxurious group of five luxury developments in Newport Coast. Pelican Hill is home to the developments of Pelican Crest, Pelican Ridge, Pelican Ridge Estates, Pelican Hill and Pelican Point. Located at 1 Pelican Crest, this 13,000 square foot estate is part of the Pelican Crest development. This seven bedroom, eleven bathroom custom built estate was built in 2009. This estate features a wine cellar, bar and lounge area, recreation room and movie theatre. There is a seven car garage and all levels are accessible from a commercial grade elevator. This home has recently had a seven million dollar drop in price. The estate has 220 degree views of the Pacific Ocean, white water, Catalina Island, Newport Harbor, Pelican Hill Golf Course, city night lights and spectacular evening sunsets. On a clear day, views stretch to Palos Verdes. This estate sits on an oversized 31,000 square foot piece of property. Homeowners will enjoy relaxing by the view pool and spa. Pelican Crest is a 24 hour guard gated development with just 166 custom built homes and estates.

When staging the inside of your home, take a good look at all the floors. Give all floors a thorough cleaning, including professionally steam cleaning the carpets. Also, think about having tile floors professionally cleaned, as well, which includes grout cleaning. If the wood floors look like they are in poor shape, consider having them refinished. Potential buyers will love the sparkling clean home and are sure to notice the pristine floors.

The Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race will take place Friday, April 22^nd through Sunday, April 24^th. The race start can be viewed from the Balboa Pier. The main race begins in Newport Beach and has over 200 vessels. The race gets underway at 11am with a different class starting every ten minutes. This year there will be a short course starting from Shelter Island at 5pm. The short course is 62 miles and the traditional course is 125 miles. With having both courses, the NOSA goal is to include as many boats and boat types possible. This is an overnight race to Ensenada Mexico. This is one of the largest international races in the world.  For more information and to learn more about the race; see their website at: http://newporttoensenada.com/.

Pelican Hill is part of the Newport Coast section of Newport Beach along with Crystal Cove and several other luxury developments. Pelican Hill has world class views, five luxury developments and fabulous amenities. Located at 9 Sea Shell, this 8,000 square foot estate is part of the Pelican Hill development. This six bedroom, seven bathroom custom built home was built in 1995. Enter the home into a grand two story foyer. Attention to detail can be seen in the inset ceiling designs, custom cabinetry and high end carpet. This custom built estate has endless views of the Pacific Ocean, the Pelican Hill Golf Course, Catalina Island, Newport Harbor and evening sunsets, from the property and from almost every room in the home. This home sits on an oversized 17,000 square foot flat piece of property. Outdoors, homeowners will enjoy entertaining by the pool and spa, outdoor fireplace and the barbeque area. Pelican Hill is a 24 hour guard gated community with approximately 140 custom built estates. The Pelican Hill community is located near the Crystal Cove State Park, which provides the area with over three miles of pristine sandy beach and 2,400 acres of undeveloped land for outdoor activities.