Pasadena Star News conducted a survey of local city government websites among area cities, looking for transparency of public information. Monrovia and Rosemead scored the highest, with A grades. Arcadia came in 6th among 32 cities, with a B-minus grade.
Affordability: looming issue for local housing market. Increase in interest rates and tapering prices make great incentives for buyers, for now. Arcadia Association of Realtors (AAR) says the housing market was strong this spring.
Arcadia housing boom with Chinese dollars? Bloomberg BusinessWeek says kickbacks and Chinese cash deals are fueling the rapid growth of mansions in Arcadia.
Making the transition to Common Core State Standards. Arcadia Unified School District recruits in-house teachers, rather than hire outside consultants, to serve as classroom mentors for implementation. The standards align curricula across 46 states and District of Columbia.
California's median home price posted its biggest annual gain in more than 5 years last month, rising 20.8% to $301,790, as reported by California Association of Realtors. Arcadia has the second-largest increase in the state with its median home price jumping 40.2% in March to $726,136 compared to $518,000 a year earlier.
Arcadia welcomes the 49th Pasadena Showcase House of Design. The house will be a 1941 Monterey Colonial house designed by renowned architect Roland E. Coate. It will be renovated by Southern California's prominent interior and exterior designers and will open for public tours April 21-May 19, 2013. The showcase house is a fundraiser that supports bringing music and art programs to children.
Arcadia Planning Commission denies Marvin Fong's plan for a large development at 2236 Hollis Lane. The proposed project is 4 times larger than the existing property, which upset a grass roots group effort to prevent "mansionization."
A senior housing apartment complex at 16 Campus Drive in Arcadia will create 250 jobs. The 43-unit complex will have spacious one-and two-bedroom apartments. Ashwood Construction and Davila Properties are the developers.
Los Angeles County home prices and sales continue to decline. The median price of a Los Angeles County home fell in October to $339,910, down 2.6% from September's price of $349,040. However, Arcadia led all California cities with a 40% jump from last year's median price. Currently the median home price in Arcadia is $856,000. Other San Gabriel Valley area median home prices are given.
Sex offenders launch series of lawsuits challenging residency restrictions. The California Supreme Court decided residency restrictions for some sex offenders violate the federal constitution. Arcadia's restrictions place more than 90% of Arcadia's residential property in exclusion zones that effectively banish registered sex offenders. Janice Bellucci says the law in Arcadia violates the 5th and 14th amendments and the Ex Post Facto Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
2010 U.S. Census data shows that 12 San Gabriel Valley cities, including Arcadia, saw the percentage of owner-occupied homes rise, something that experts said was extremely uncommon following the housing crisis. 63.1% of Arcadia's homes are owner-occupied, while 36.9% are occupied by renters. Other cities' figures are shown in chart. Arcadia's vacancy percentage is 5.3%. Vacancy rates are determined by the U.S. Census Bureau by sending out canvassers to homes that did not respond to Census mailers.
Los Angeles County Mayor Michael D. Antonovich urged Southern California Edison (SCE) to restore power now to San Gabriel Valley residents that lost power in last week's windstorm.
Fueld by rising prices in Arcadia, Pomona, Pico Ribera and most beach cities, the Los Angeles metropolitan area bucked a national trend this year, as it saw a 3.3% year-over-year gain in home prices, according to a report by Standard & Poor's and Case-Shiller. Arcadia saw a 39.6% increase in home prices this year.
Property values in the West San Gabriel Valley (Pasadena and surrounding areas) continue to climb, fueled by high home prices and relatively low unemployment, despite a down economy, according to a year's worth of data released by the Los Angeles County Tax Assessor. Arcadia's combined property value rose 4.4%, more than any city in the county. The strong resale value of luxury homes and the increased demand for new construction are the main factors that led to Arcadia's growth. Jeanne Keating, a realtor and president of the Arcadia Association of Realtors, says Arcadia's great schools, availability of luxury homes, a solid city government, and a stable community, all factor into Arcadia's $713,500 median home price.
Los Angeles County home sales dropped 8.6% last month from a year earlier. Arcadia, however, shows a 4.1% increase in median home price, from a year ago December. Arcadia's median home price was $692,000 last month. Figures for California state, Los Angeles and other San Gabriel Valley cities are shown.
Arcadia Unified School District test scores among highest in Southern California, according to new statewide test results released by California Department of Education. Arcadia scored 40% higher than the state average for math and 26% higher in English language arts/literacy.
Los Angeles County home sales rise slightly in November. Locally, 13 San Gabriel Valley cities saw their median home prices decline in November, while 11 communities posted increases. Arcadia ranked among the 10 California cities with the highest median home prices in November, according to the California Association of Realtors (CAR).
Saving Arcadia, the anti-mansionization group, sues City over controversial two-story home proposed at 1101 S. Fifth Avenue. Lawsuit alleges the project violates California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).