Diamond Bar Real Estate: February 2010

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Diamond Bar Country Estate with 270 Degree View $1,270,000

Bed: 4
Bath(F,T,H,Q): 3,1,1,0
Sqft: 4,410/A
$/Sqft: $288
Lot SF: 45,298
YrBuilt: 1979
HOA: $205
Stories: Two Level
SchDist: Walnut Valley Unified

Description: CUSTOM HILLTOP ESTATE WITH 270 DEGREE VIEW IN "THE COUNTRY"--A PRIVATE GATED COMMUNITY WITH 24-HOUR SECURITY GUARD. RESORT STYLE LIVING AT ITS BEST! FULL FEATURED ASSOCIATION AMENITIES. THIS EXQUISITE BRICK FACADE HOME IS BUILT HIGH ABOVE STREET LEVEL W/ A LONG PRIVATE DRIVEWAY LEADING TO A LARGE COURTYARD--ENOUGH ROOM TO PARK 6-8 CARS. WITH HILLS AT ITS BACK, CLEAR VIEW OF CITY LIGHTS CAN BE SEEN FROM THE 3 LARGE BALCONY / PORCH, & ALMOST EVERY ROOM. LOCATED JUST 10 HOMES FROM THE MAIN D.B. BLVD. GATE & CONNECTED TO CITY UTILITIES & SEWER, UNLIKE SOME HOMES IN "THE COUNTRY" STILL ON SEPTIC TANKS. A SPRAWLING 3,500 Sq.Ft. MAIN FLOOR FEATURES 3 OVER SIZED BEDROOMS, 2.5 BATHS, KITCHEN, LIVING, DINING, & A HUGE 1,000 Sq.Ft. FAMILY ROOM W/ WET BAR.SPACIOUS MASTER W/ SITTING AREA, FIREPLACE, PRIVATE BALCONY, WALK-IN CLOSET & JETTED BATH TUB. VAULTED CEILING IN LIVING, FAMILY ROOM, & MASTER BEDROOM. BACK YARD W/ SPARKLING POOL & SPA, BRICK BBQ, FRUIT TREES, & 3 LARGE COVERED PATIO AREAS.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Diamond Bar View House with Excellent Walnut School District $1,250,000

Bed: 6
Bath(F,T,H,Q): 4,0,1,0
Sqft: 4,323/A
$/Sqft: $289
Lot SF: 17,624
YrBuilt: 1998
HOA: $198
Stories: Two Level
SchDist: Walnut Valley Unified
Elem: Evergreen
Midsch: South Pointe
Highsch: Diamond Bar

Description: Luxury Home Located in the Prestigious "Diamond Crest" Gated Community. Features 6 Bedrooms (3 Suites - One Suite on the 1st Floor + Two on the 2nd Floor) + 4.5 Bath + Library + Open Loft + 20 FT High Ceiling in the Living Room (Very Open & Bright). Gourmet Kitchen Area with Large Kitchen Island + Walk-In Pantry. Fireplace in the Family Room. Professional Landscaping. Very Convenient Location, Walking Distance to South Pointe Middle School and Close to Diamond Bar High School. Easy Access to 60 FRWY & 57 FRWY, and Close to Shopping Centers. Great Walnut School District.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Diamond Bar Country Estate For Sale $899,000

Bed: 3
Bath(F,T,H,Q): 2,0,0,0
Sqft: 2,196/A
$/Sqft: $409
Lot SF: 64,000
YrBuilt: 1977
HOA: $205
Stories: Three or More Levels
SchDist: Walnut Valley Unified

Description: Situated in Prestigious Guard Gated Community "The Country Estates". 180 Degrees City Lights and Mountain View. Original Redwood Retreat-Like Home. Set Back From Street on Private Wooded Lot. 3 Bedroom, 2 Beth, Formal Dining Room, Custom Stained Glass Windows, Vaulted Ceilings. Gentle Down Slope for Back Yard Enjoyment and Potential Expansion. Deferred Maintenance Work Required. Ready for Updating to your Own Desired Specifications.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Diamond Bar Pool Howe with View $1,180,000

Bed: 6
Bath(F,T,H,Q): 4,0,0,0
Sqft: 4,093/A
$/Sqft: $288
Lot SF: 21,823
YrBuilt: 1999
HOA: $195
Stories: Two Level
SchDist: Walnut Valley Unified

Description: LUXURIOUS HOME IN "DIAMOND CREST" GATED COMMUNITY. BEAUTIFUL BACK YARD W/ CUSTOM DESIGNED POOL & SPA, LOVELY PATIO TO ENJOY THE BREATHTAKING CITY LIGHTS & MOUNTAIN VIEW. 6 BEDROOM/ 4 BATHROOM + LIBRARY ( 2 SUITES) 2 BED/1 BATH DOWNSTAIRS, 1 SUITE. CATHEDRAL CEILING IN LIVING ROOM. UPGRADED THROUGH THE HOUSE. UPGRADED CERAMIC TILE THROUGH ALL OF DOWNSTAIR AND UPGRADED HARDWOOD FLOORING THRU UPSTAIRS. SPACIOUS KITCHEN WITH NEWER REMODELED GRANITE COUNTER TOP & KITCHEN ISLAND + LARGE WALK-IN PANTRY. FAMILY ROOM WITH FIREPLACE. LARGE MASTER SUITES WITH 2 SEPARATE WALK -IN CLOSET. NEW INTERIOR PAINT. PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPING W/ CUSTOM DESIGNED WATERFALL POOL & SPA, AND LOVELY PATIO. NEWER GAZEBO, ROSE GARDEN, & LOTS OF FRUIT TREES. WALNUT SCHOOL DISTRICT. WALKING DISTANCE TO SOUTH POINTE MIDDLE SCHOOL.

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Diamond Bar House with Mountain View $1,168,000

Bed: 5
Bath(F,T,H,Q): 3,0,0,0
Sqft: 3,536/A
$/Sqft: $330
Lot SF: 9,130
YrBuilt: 2001
#Units:
HOA: $210

Description: PRESTIGIOUS "DIAMOND HILL" 24HR GRD GATED COMM HOME W/ BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAIN VIEW. LARGEST FLAT YARD LOCATED AT END OF CUL-DE-SAC W/ LOTS OF PRIVACY & EXTRA PARKING SPACE. 5 BEDROOM 3 BATHROOM + LIBRARY ( COULD BE USED AS 6TH BEDRM) & SEWING ROOM ( 1 BED/1 BATH + LIBRARY DOWNSTAIRS ) DOUBLE DOOR ENTRY W/ UPG CERAMIC TILE FLOORING LEADS TO MAGNIFICENT HIGH CEILING LIVING ROOM. UPG CARPET & CUSTOM WINDOW DRAPERIES THROUGH THE HOUSE. SPACIOUS FAMILY ROOM W/ UPG GRANITE SURROUNDING FIREPLACE. GOURMET KITCHEN W/ UPG GRANITE COUNTERTOP, LARGE CENTER ISLAND, AND WALK-IN PANTRY. 2 LOVELY BALCONY OFF MASTER SUITE & 2ND FLOOR BEDROOM TO ENJOY THE BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAIN VIEW. LUXURIOUS MASTER SUITE W/ EXTRA SITTING AREA, LARGE MASTER BATH W/ HIS & HER SINK, SEPARATE SHOWER & JACUZZI BATHTUB, & LARGE WALK-IN CLOSET. INTERIOR LAUNDRY ROOM W/ SINK & LOTS OF CABINETS. PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPING W/ NICE CURB APPEAL, AUTO SPRINKLER & TIMER SYSTEM. 2 CENTRAL A/C & HEATING SYSTEM. 3 ATTACH CAR GARAGE.

Diamond Bar City

Diamond Bar City History

Diamond Bar as with many Southern California communities, Diamond Bar's recorded history began with a Mexican land grant. On March 30, 1840, Governor Juan Alvarado deeded 4,340 acres, which included Brea Canyon and the eastern Walnut Valley, to Jose de la Luz Linares, who founded Rancho Los Nogales, or Ranch of the Walnut Trees. Linares died in 1847, and his widow sold a choice portion of the ranch to Ricardo Vejar for $100 in merchandise, 100 calves, and the assumption of her late husband's debts. Vejar already owned the Rancho San Jose to the east (now Pomona), and by acquiring the rest of Rancho Los Nogales over the next ten years, became the fifth wealthiest landowner in Los Angeles County, with over 10,000 acres.

A community icon...The Windmill can still be seen at the Diamond Bar Towne Center)

Unfortunately, Vejar's luck did not last. When the United States government took over California and resurveyed the old land grants, he ended up with only 464 acres. Then the great drought of the 1860's forced most of the area ranchers to borrow money to feed their cattle. Vejar had been trading with two Los Angeles merchants, Isaac Schlesinger and Hyman Tischler, and they loaned him $600 for supplies at an interest rate of eight percent per month. When the note, with compounded interest, was finally called in for over $28,000, Vejar couldn't pay, and his property passed to Schlesinger and Tischler in 1864.

The Rancho Los Nogales did not prosper under its new owners, and they were surrounded by hostile neighbors who remained loyal to Vejar. In 1866, they sold the ranch to Louis Phillips for $30,000, bringing his holdings to over 12,000 acres. Phillips sold a portion of the ranch to WiIliam Rubettom, who opened up a tavern and overland stage station for the Butterfield route near where the Orange Freeway (57) now crosses Pomona Boulevard. He called the community "Spadra," after his hometown in Arkansas, and this became the first named settlement in the Diamond Bar area.

In 1873, the Rancho Los Nogales was sold again, this time to Wilson Beach and George Butler. After that, the property became quite fragmented as parcels were sold off to many different owners. But in 1918, Frederich E. Lewis bought up most of the original Rancho Los Nogales again, and he registered the Brand of Diamond Bar with the California Department of Agriculture. Lewis sold the Diamond Bar Ranch to the Bartholome family in 1943, and they continued to raise cattle on it for the next thirteen years.

An aerial view of Diamond Bar in the 1970's ...

In 1956, the Diamond Bar Ranch looked much as it did in 1840, with its golden hills peppered by green stands of oak and walnut trees, and grazed by large herds of cattle. The changes of the previous century were nothing, however, compared to the plans that the Transamerica Corporation had for Diamond Bar. In that year, they paid $10,000,000 for 8,000 acres of Brea Canyon, and they master-planned a community that would eventually become home to some 50,000 people. The first model homes were built at the north end of town in 1960, and a development "boom" had begun that continues today.

Today's Diamond Bar is a young, upscale residential community of about 60,000, situated among the meandering hills and valleys of Brea Canyon. Located at the junction of the Orange (57) and Pomona (60) freeways, Diamond Bar is central to all of the Los Angeles basin. A twenty-five mile radius encompasses Pasadena, downtown Los Angeles, Long Beach, Irvine and Riverside. Inside that radius, can be found such attractions as Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm, Anaheim and Dodger Stadiums, the theaters of Los Angeles' Civic Center, the Rose Bowl and the Coliseum, the Santa Anita and Los Alamitos race tracks, the Mt. Baldy ski slopes and all of the Orange County beaches. The Ontario International Airport is only twenty-five minutes away, giving Diamond Bar residents an attractive alternative to Los Angeles International Airport. A two-hour drive lands you beside the waters of Lake Arrowhead, or in the snowy mountains of Big Bear. Whether you prefer the hills and canyons in the city, the nearby mountains, the sun on the surf, or the desert, Diamond Bar places you at the center of the active Southern California life-style.

All desired services can be conveniently found in Diamond Bar's shopping and business centers. The Diamond Bar Golf Course has 18 beautiful and challenging holes, and the Los Angeles Royal Vista Golf Course is just down the road. Diamond Bar's parks offer residents more than 80 acres of recreational facilities. Mt. San Antonio College and California Polytechnic University, Pomona are located at the north edge of town, while California State University, Fullerton is just ten minutes to the south.

Diamond Bar, CA

Top 100 rank: N/A^C
Population: 59,700

Financial
	City stats	Best places avg.
Median family income (per year)	$84,173	$90,316
Family purchasing power (annual, cost-of-living adjusted)	$69,051	$82,867
Sales tax	8.30%	6.74%
State income tax rate (highest bracket)	9.30%^I	6.38%
State income tax rate (lowest bracket)	1.00%^I	2.74%
Auto insurance premiums (Average for the state)	$2,076	$2,121
Job growth % (2000-2006)	9.57%	13.41%
Housing
	City stats	Best places average
Median home price	$583,825	$359,352
Average property taxes (2006)	$3,730	$3,585


Education
	City stats	Best places average
Colleges, universities and professional schools (within 30 miles)	49	29
Junior colleges and technical institutes (within 30 miles)	55	18
Test scores reading (% above/below state average)	66.7%	20.1%
Test scores math (% above/below average)	52.0%	24.8%
% students attending public/private schools (located within town limits)	97.0/3.0	91.1/8.9
Quality of life
	City stats	Best places average
Air quality index* (% of days AQI ranked as good)	32.1%	77.3%
Personal crime incidents (per 1,000)	2	13
Property crime incidents (per 1,000)	15	206
Median commute time (in minutes)	30.7	23.1
% population with commute 45 mins. or longer	31.9%	15.6%
% population walk or bike to work	0.8%	2.7%

Health*
	City stats	Best places average
Has health plan (% of residents)	83.2%	90.5%
Body mass index (avg. for residents)	27	27
Diabetes rates (% of residents diagnosed)	7.3%	9.3%
Hypertension rates (% of residents diagnosed)	28.4%	30.6%
Elder-care facilities^**	263	107
Meet the neighbors
	City stats	Best places average
Median age	37.0	36.8
Completed at least some college (% of residents)	72.9%	72.4%
Married	58.6%	60.8%
Divorced	6.7%	8.0%
Racial diversity index (100 is national average; higher numbers indicate greater diversity)	428.6	59.2
Amount spent on vacations (domestic and foreign, household avg. per year)	$9,056	$8,250

*County data
**Elder-care services refer to skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. Data from Total Living Choices.
(C) Cities with populations greater than 50,000 were not eligible for this year's Best Places to Live list.

(I) Income tax notes:
17 states have statutory provision for automatic adjustment of tax brackets, personal exemption or standard deductions to the rate of inflation. Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska and Ohio indexes the personal exemption amounts only.
For joint returns, the taxes are twice the tax imposed on half the income.
Tax credits.
An additional 1% tax is imposed on taxable income over $1 million

Estimated median household income in 2005: $78,800 (it was $68,871 in 2000)

Diamond Bar	$78,800
California:	$53,629

Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $564,100 (it was $245,800 in 2000)

Diamond Bar	$564,100
California:	$477,700

Diamond Bar Real Estate