Rose Clime's Blog

Moving day brings many challenges to most families and one of the biggest concerns for pet parents is how their pets will adapt to the new home.  

Most new homeowners have a few odd jobs to do in their home before moving in. Depending on the things you need to do, this can be the perfect time to introduce your fur kids to the new home so they can get familiar with their surroundings. Of course you won't want to bring them along if you're painting or tackling a remodeling job, but if you're putting in shelf liners or measuring for new window coverings, having your pet along can be great company.

To make moving day easier on them, it's a good idea to schedule a day at their favorite boarding or daycare center.  Drop them off early on moving day so you can be back at the old house before the movers arrive.  You'll have peace of mind knowing they are safe and happy and it's one less thing you have to worry about.

With the pets out of the movers' way, you'll be able to prop doors and gates open for moving furniture and boxes out to the truck without fear of a stressed pet slipping out unnoticed.

Another good idea is to pack a "1st Day Survival Kit" for each member of the household, including your pets.  Your pets' Kit should contain the necessities to survive the first night in your new home, including their food, can opener, medications, toys, beds and food & water dishes.  And if you leave the kit in your car, you'll have no trouble finding their things when you get to the new house.

After the movers are finished unloading at the new house and before you pick up the pets, unpack their Kit and put their belongings in place. When you bring them home, hopefully tired after playing all day at daycare, it will be to their own things. And if you brought them along when you did your odd-jobs before moving day, they'll be in familiar surroundings, so there shouldn't be any anxiety.

If you follow these simple steps, your fur kids won't get stressed by all of the commotion on moving day and they'll adjust to their new home easily. Dogs don't care where they live - as long as they're with people they love.

A friend recently emailed me to tell me her family got a dog a few weeks ago and they are going on vacation this summer. She wanted to know if I could recommend a good kennel for her new dog Moe .

There are many fine boarding facilities here in South Orange County, but I suggested she board Moe at Pet Suites in Aliso Viejo. I know the manager, Maria pretty well and have been to the facility many times. It is always squeaky clean and the staff is very caring and knowledgeable about taking care of pets. One of my dog-show friends boarded her show dogs there a couple of months ago and she was very happy and so were her dogs (and you know how picky us show folks are).

No matter where you're considering boarding your pets, I suggest dropping in for a tour before leaving your dog at any facility. You'll want to be sure it's clean and well organized and see first hand how the staff treats their guests. And it's a good time to ask any questions about their programs, feeding, vaccination requirements, pricing, etc.

It's a good idea to board your dog overnight at least once before your trip so she will be familiar with the place and know that you are coming back to get her. You'll be able to see how your dog reacts to being boarded. Some dogs take it in stride and others are traumatized, no matter how good the care. If your dog doesn't react well to an overnight stay, you may want to consider a pet sitter instead. Whether you send your dog to a boarding kennel or use a pet sitter, you'll be more relaxed knowing your dog is happy and it's one less detail you'll have to attend to just before you leave for the big trip.

Once you've decided which boarding facility is best for you and your pet, make your reservations well in advance. The better facilities book up fast, especially during the summer months and at holiday time.

Wherever you go on vacation this summer, have a doggone good time and relax knowing your precious pets are in good hands.

I remember the first Earth Day back in 1970.  I walked the five miles to and from school instead of taking the bus that day.  Ever since then, I''ve done my best to recycle and to minimize my impact on our Earth.

Did you know nearly 35 million trees are cut down each year for mail most of us don''t even want.  Junk mail.   If you want to do something to help our Earth and minimize the amount of junk mail you receive, please visit the Integrated Waste Management site for tips on reducing the amount of needless paper in your life.  It''s easy and doesn''t cost much, but it has a big impact.

Happy Earth Day... Today, tomorrow, and everyday!

It’s hard to believe it’s time for America’s Family Pet Expo to come to town again.  I’ve participated for 7 or 8 years now, and can tell you first hand, it’s a great way to spend an afternoon.  Actually, the afternoons get really crowded (think wall-to-wall people) so if you can make it earlier in the day, you’ll get around a lot easier. 

The Expo is a ton of fun.  There's shows and demonstrations all day long and you can get up close to your favorite dog & cat breeds.  There's reptiles (that’s me with Lucy a 35 year old Rhino Iguana last year – I’m the redhead by the way). bunnies, birds, fish and every kind of pet imaginable.  The animal shelters and rescue groups are there with homeless pets, looking for homes. There’s also a petting zoo, pony rides for the kids and lots and lots of vendors selling everything from collars to canine couture. If you have questions about your pet’s food, you can talk directly to the pet food manufacturers.  But leave your pet at home; they only allow animals that are being exhibited on the grounds.

The Pet Expo starts tomorrow and runs all weekend.  It's at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.  I’ll be in the Wheaten Terrier booth with Avalon.  Stop by and say hi.

It seems that lately I've heard more and more reports in the news about dogs being stolen from backyards, breeder's homes and parked cars. Because thefts often target purebred dogs, Lisa Peterson, Spokesman for the American Kennel Club will appear on NBCs Today Show tomorrow at about 8:15a.m. to discuss the rise in pet thefts. It is occurring at such an alarming rate, the AKC issued a press release yesterday on the topic.   The release offers some excellent advice to help prevent your dog from being a target and it reminds me that we can never be too careful where our four-legged family members are concerned.

Americans love their dogs and the people of Rancho Santa Margarita are no exception.  This Saturday, Feb. 23 from 1:00 – 4:00 pm Rancho Santa Margarita celebrates its 2nd Annual “Dog Day Afternoon”. 

If you were there last year, you know what a great event SAMLARC put on and how much fun everyone had.  This year’s event looks to be even more exciting with Agility and Grooming Demonstrations, a Doggie Costume Contest, Dog Games, Pet Boutiques selling designer clothes, novelties, artificial turf for your yard, and everything in between.  There’ll be Doggie Day Care booths, Pet Sitters, Pet Massage and T-Touch  demonstrations.  And the RSM Library will have crafts and story telling for the kids.

Don’t have a dog?  Not to worry, there’ll be Non-profit Pet Rescue Groups with dogs of all shapes and sizes available for adoption. 

Stop by and say hello to Big Dog and all the volunteers at the South County Animal Shelter Coalition booth.  They’ll have information about what they’re doing to have a pro-humane shelter established for South Orange County.  SCAS will have t-shirts & buttons available for sale and my friend, Carol Bridges of Treasured Moments Photography will be taking pictures of you and your pooch for a small donation.

If you get hungry, the Trabuco Elementary PTA will have Hot Dogs, Chips & Soft Drinks for sale and there’ll be an ice cream bus to satisfy your sweet tooth.

So bring your dogs, your kids and the whole family to Monte Vista Park, 21682 Buena Suerte (Near Avenida de las Flores) this Saturday.  The first 200 people will get goodie bags for participating.

In case of rain, the event will take place on March 1.  For more info, contact Ashley Archer at 949 448 6252 or go to www.samlarc.org

As an Agent, one of the things I hear a lot is “Disclose, Disclose, Disclose”.  This applies whether you are selling your home or renting it out.  Whether you are a landlord or an agent representing a landlord, you have to disclose everything that you have actual knowledge about that may affect the value of the property, or in the case of a lease, the habitability of a property.

I recently leased a house in Mission Viejo, CA for a good friend who had moved out of the area.  And because of our long time friendship, I knew a bit about the home’s history and that it had some water damage several years ago. 

My marketing efforts produced calls from several prospective tenants; one in particular comes to mind because when she called, I happened to be in the area with one of my dogs in the car.  We met at my office just down the street from the home and I offered to drive her and mentioned the dog, but because she had severe allergies, she decided to drive her own car the 2 blocks to the property. 

While walking through the home, she mentioned she had to move out of a house a few years ago because it was contaminated with toxic mold, and the mold had made her sick.  My radar instantly went up.  Remembering the home we were in had previously had some water damage, I mentioned it.  She asked if there had been any mold and because I didn’t know, offered to find out for her.  In the meantime, she & her husband submitted an application to lease the home.

Sure enough, the homeowner reported there had been mold, but it had been cleaned up by the handyman that had done the repairs.  I asked if the home had ever been inspected for toxic mold by a certified inspector and it had not.  During this same conversation, I presented the prospective tenant’s application and recounted her health issues with toxic mold and recommended the homeowner have a mold inspection.

Even though there are no current disclosure or inspection requirements according to the California Association of Realtors’ Lease/Rental Disclosure Chart, they recommend “The landlord should disclose actual knowledge of toxic mold on the property.”  With the litigious mindset of our society today, an inspection would minimize potential liability.

My client had a mold inspection done and is happy to report the house has “no visible evidence” of mold contamination.  And although there was nothing to report, she followed my advice and included the previous water intrusion and the current mold inspection in her disclosures to the new tenant.  I'm sure both tenant and landlord are breathing easier. 

In 1994, I was a secretary for a real estate investment firm, living by myself in a tiny apartment. My car was on its last legs and I was sitting in a finance class learning about different ways to finance a home purchase. It was a requirement to renew my real estate license, otherwise I wouldn't have been there. I was daydreaming about the new car I was planning to buy when something about adjustable rate mortgages caught my attention. I started doing the math and realized that a home of my own just might be in reach. I checked my calculations with one of the real estate analysts at work the next day and with a little encouragement, found myself sitting in a Realtor's office that weekend.

I was scared to death, a single woman, buying my first home, in Orange County no less. I couldn't qualify for the loan on my own, so I called my mom and told her about the plan my Realtor and I had worked out. I would keep a little money in savings in case I got into trouble, and when interest rates went down I'd refinance and take her off the loan. Yes, she would co-sign on the loan.

The only thing I could afford was a cute little condo in Laguna Niguel, CA but it was perfect! So I got my car fixed, signed the purchase agreement and went through the escrow process. Yes, it was scary, but with the guidance of a good Realtor, my dream of owning my own home became a reality.

I will always remember watching the news a few days before escrow closed; O.J. was doing his infamous slow-speed chase up the 405. I could have cared less. I would own my first home in a matter of days. That was far more important to me.

Now, almost 15 years later I'm in a larger, single family home with a yard for my dogs, and I've never looked back.  I encourage single women everywhere to find a good Realtor and make your dream of homeownership a reality.  You'll be glad you did.

If you like pets or custom vintage cars, the place to be last Saturday was the 5th Annual CARe show at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center in South Orange County. Like many of the animal rescue groups I've been involved with over the years, Capistrano Animal Rescue Effort, the folks who take care of, and and find homes for the helpless and abandoned animals of San Juan Capistrano, are always in need of funding. They put on a terrific car show every year, complete with live music, vendors selling everything from car polish to dog shampoo and an opportunity drawing to raise money to support their rescue efforts. And of course Ruby's Diner was there dishing up their famous burgers & fries. I ran into my friend Jason Perry in his Allstate Insurance booth and helped him give out Frisbees & balloons to the kids, and of course Fred from the SouthOCBuzz Community Web Site was there taking photos.

Unlike most car shows, CARE invites people to bring their well behaved dogs and for a small donation, you and your favorite K-9 are allowed to wander around looking at the vintage cars and listen to the live band playing all your favorite oldies. It was like a stroll down memory lane, all the cars were really tricked out and lookin' good, but I was a bit disappointed the VW Van didn't have a bunk or tapestry curtains like the ones I remember from when I was a teenager. It was a nice way to spend a few hours on a Saturday morning and contribute to a worthy cause.

If you missed it this year, mark your calendar now for 2009. It's the Saturday before the Super Bowl.