Camarillo, Ventura and Oxnard California real estate listings, home buying, selling and relocation information

Ventura County is the gem of California. Located in the southern part of the state, along the coast between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties, it enjoys wonderful Mediterranean weather. With a population of less than 750,000 it is far from the crowds yet just a short drive to many cultural events.

Ventura County was actually a part of Santa Barbara County until January 1, 1873. The split was a result of action taken by the state legislature, the year before it came unto it's own. Cities such as Ventura, Fillmore, Ojai, Oxnard and Santa Paula are the older brothers being incorporated in 1886, 1914, 1921, 1903 and 1902 respectively. Many of the Victorian and Craftsman style of homes can be found in these towns.

If listening to the waves crashing against the shore is your thing, then Ventura is one of your choices. With over seven miles of public beach access, the county offers you a lot of Pacific recreation. Ventura, the county seat, is also the home to the County Fair and Mission San Buenaventura, founded in 1782 by Father Junipero Serra. The historical mission, which is open to the public, is an active church and not just a museum.

Fillmore, "The Last Best Small Town in Southern California", with only a population of a little over 13,000, is a great place to live. They boast of old time soda shops and The Fillmore and Western Railway, which have become a wonderful tourist attractions. Restored vintage trains leisurely carry passengers past large tracts of citrus groves to Santa Paula, "The Citrus Capital of the World". Besides agriculture, Santa Paula was also known and founded for its affiliation within the oil industry. The Union Oil Company's museum still rests downtown in the same location it used to be when it was the headquarters of the global giant. Today Santa Paula may be the backdrop for one of the many motion pictures and commercials filmed in this quaint town each year.

Artists were attracted to the Ojai Valley and now, with many Hollywood celebrities among the citizenry, have grown the population to about 8,000. As the gateway to the Los Padres National Forest, you can take a morning hike or you might choose to enjoy a bike ride through town, stopping to look at the many downtown shops and, then, finishing your day with a relaxing massage at a world renowned spa retreat.

The largest city in the county is Oxnard with a population of over 158,000 people. Yet, in spite of it being a bustling town, it is still surrounded by some of the richest agricultural land in the nation. Each year Oxnard hosts the Strawberry Festival, bringing in thousands of tourists to help celebrate everything strawberry over a multi-day event. Being a coastal community, Oxnard is also a starting point to the Channel Islands, where Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the first European to explore California, was actually buried in 1542 after his death.

The younger kids on the block are Camarillo, Moorpark, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks, all being incorporated in 1964 or later. Juan Camarillo purchased 10,000 acres known as Rancho Calleguas in 1875 and his family called it home. They were well known, even through the 20th century, for their breeding of beautiful white Arabian horses among other livestock. That town is today known as Camarillo.

Moorpark, a fast growing community, evolved from a sleepy little farming town until the 1980's when it developed into a well thought out bedroom community. Today, with over 29,000 inhabitants, Moorpark is still home to the world famous Exotic Animal Training and Management Program.

Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks, each with over 100,000 citizens, consistently rate as one of the safest cities in America for a town of its size. In fact, according to F.B.I. statistics, the two often trade places each year as the number one and two cities in the nation.

Even though it is slowly transforming itself to a place that many find convenient with it's modern amenities, Ventura County is still married to agriculture. In fact, it ranks as 11th in the state with close to $1 billion in revenue from its row crops and citrus trees. If you include the ancillary services, the revenue tops out over $2 billion. As many as 20,000 people are thought to work within this industry, helping to maintain Ventura County as a powerhouse which includes the Sunkist industries and the Calavo cooperation which work to distribute worldwide the different varieties of citrus such as oranges, lemons, the number one producer; as well as avocados.

Another nice thing about living in Ventura County is that, on the way to work, one can pass by these fragrant citrus groves to one of the many businesses within the growing high-tech and service corridor. Companies such as Amgen, Wellpoint, Countrywide Home Loans, Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation and Verizon thrive in this region. In fact, not only are four out of the five mentioned companies in the top ten of the county's employers, at least three of them have their worldwide headquarters in this area.

Besides the easy pace and the feeling of seclusion from the rest of the world, Ventura County is very accessible. With three small airports of it's own and only a little over an hour's drive to LAX, the globe is within reach. In addition to the natural resources available to its inhabitants such as the ocean, rivers, parks, mountains and deserts, there are other man made places nearby in which to have fun. There is the magic kingdom of Disneyland, the roller coaster mecca of Magic Mountain and the thrill of Knott's Berry Farm. You can also root for your favorite baseball team, the Los Angeles Dodger's, or for the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers. San Diego and Mexico are only a quick three-hour ride from here.

If shopping until you drop is your idea of fun, then watch out, because you couldn't be more ideally located. From the discount stores of K-Mart; Wal-Mart; Target; Costco; Sam's Clubs and others like them, you can save on many everyday items. But if you are looking for something special at a great price, then head on over to the always growing Camarillo's Premium Outlet. There you will find the likes of Off 5th - Sak's Fifth Avenue; Mikasa; Ralph Lauren; Nike; Liz Claiborne; Versace and others.

Other popular shopping venues are the Oaks Mall and the Janss Mall, both in Thousand Oaks, with Macy's; Robinsons-May; J.C. Penny's; Marshall's and Linen & Things serving as anchors. The Pacific View Mall in Ventura, in addition to Robinsons-May and Macy's, also has a J.C. Penny's and a new Sears store as their main stores. Some smaller and more specialty centers are The Esplanade and Shopping at the Rose area in Oxnard; The Promenade at Westlake and The Pointsetta shopping area in Ventura. These centers are home to Nordstrom Rack; T.J. Maxx; Home Depot; Barnes & Noble; Bristol Farms; Mervyn's; Burlington Coat Factory and Best Buy.

Finally, if Nordstrom's; Sak's Fifth Avenue; Gucci; Armani; Tiffany's; Nieman-Marcus; Chanel and Cartier are part of your taste then travel in either direction, north or south to either sunny Santa Barbara's State Street or Beverly Hill's world famous Rodeo Drive.

So, as you can see, Ventura County really has it all. Great weather, abundant shopping, safe streets, jobs and friendly people - not to mention beautiful mountain views and sunsets. So if you're driving down a tranquil country road after spending a day listening to waves lap the beach and you spot a hawk with a massive wingspan gliding overhead on the warm air currents, then you know that you are in Ventura County.

Curb Appeal >Trees Improve Energy Efficiency

Mature trees add "curb appeal" to a property and can make a home more energy efficient. Planted at the edges of a building, a tree's broad canopy of leaves softens the hard lines of architecture and offers shade. Trees absorb light reflected from the roof and decrease the air temperature surrounding your home through evaporation of moisture.

The positioning of trees and shrubs around your home has a significant effect on how much you'll be paying to heat and cool your house each month. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, even one strategically placed tree can reduce your heating and cooling bill up to 25 percent. In general, deciduous trees planted on the south and west sides of the house keep the home cool during the summer and allow low-angle sun into the home during the winter. If you live on a windy hill or coastal bluff, planting evergreen trees or shrubs on the north and west sides of your structure will help protect your home from winter gusts and storms.

Consult your landscape designer for advice about your particular property.

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Q	Which home is considered the ultimate in California craftsman-style architecture?
A	Located in Pasadena, the Gamble House, built in 1908 by Charles and Henry Greene, is a National Historic Home open to visitors.
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VENTURA COUNTY, THE GREATEST SPOT ON EARTH