Preparing Your Home For Sale
1. The exterior of your home is extremely important in attracting the right attention when listing on the sales market. It is the first things that people will see and as such should impart the atmosphere and feeling that you want the home to convey. To convey that sense of awe and put forth an impressive facade try to imagine that your home is going to be on the cover of a home magazine. How should it look in the picture? Now use that as a guide as you go about shaping up the yard and home.
2. New paint is always a good selling point and an attractive touch. New paint can make a home look years younger and newer. Be sure to paint in a neutral color as aggressive colors can alienate a large number of buyers. Next, tend to the yard. Make sure that the lawn is cut and the edges trimmed neatly. The neater they yard, the better the home will look. Take some time to remove any excess clutter or debris that has built up over the years and get rid of it.
Another good idea is to redo the paved area of the yard. Over time weeds can crack cement and make it look unsightly. If you want to make the drive and walk look as good as new, resurfacing with an asphalt surface adds a clean aesthetic note to a yard. At this time you can also add new topsoil and mulch to the gardens. Mulch is a great idea as it will keep weeds from growing back and making a mess of gardens. Try using a dark mulch as the dark color will set off the new flowers that you should plant nicely!
3. This is also a great time to see to the roof. Ensure that the gutters are clear and clean. Also, have the roof checked out. One thing that is a great selling point is anew roof with a warranty. If there are any problems with the roof, know they they will come up during the home inspection and smart buyers will likely have subjects that concern the replacement of the roof or a large discount if it needs replacing or fixing. If you are aware of any concerns ahead of time you can better prepare for dealing with them. Now get to it!
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.
Population: 59,700
*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)
Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $564,100 (it was $245,800 in 2000)
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/ACPopulation: 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 |
**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 |
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