Realtors hear bright California City, East Kern outlook
New homes and jobs on the way
BY BILL DEAVER
REALTORS from Southeast Kern installed new officers Saturday evening
at a dinner at Ramon's Mexican Restaurant in California City. Among those
taking the oath were, from left, President Ida Marie Canas of Coldwell-Banker
Best Realty, MLS Chairman Cortez Swanigan of California City Real Estate,
President-Elect Harry Christopherson of Coldwell-Banker Best Realty and
Treasurer Ann Spry of California City Real Estate.
CALIFORNIA CITY - Southeast Kern Realtors and their guests heard a bright outlook for California City and the region from speakers at the organization's installation dinner Saturday evening.
Saying that Realtors in Southeast Kern have "taken great steps in the last four years," Kathy Vejtasa of Coldwell-Banker Best Realty encouraged them to "take the next step" by taking part in their communities.
California City City Manager Jack Stewart agreed, challenging the real estate professionals to "partner" with the city in passing an extension of the city's parcel tax to help bring more businesses, jobs, and homes to the city and the region, and to market the community.
Good market
Vejtasa said the High Desert "is the most affordable area in California for homes." Noting that only about 23-percent of people statewide can afford to purchase homes, that percentage rises to 75-percent in Southeast Kern.
"Interest rates are the lowest they have been in 46 years," and changes in capital gains tax rates are fueling investment in real estate ventures, she said.
Opportunities for new jobs are being created, especially at Mojave Airport, with several projects under way to add to the 1,000 good-paying jobs already there, Vejtasa said.
Edwards Air Force Base employs 16,000 people, 65-percent of them civilians working in 250 active programs including Global Hawk, Airborne Laser, F-22, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Vejtasa reminded her listeners that protecting East Kern's bases from the federal Base Realignment and Closing (BRAC) program is vital.
"We can't stand on the sidelines," she said. "We were caught with our pants down in the last BRAC," when 29 California military bases were closed.
Edwards is competing with Eglin Air Force Base in Florida for jobs and China Lake with Patuxent River Naval Air Station.
U.S. Borax in Boron is another major source of jobs in the region, with plans underway to expand the mine, one of two major sources of borax in the world, Vejtasa told the group meeting at Ramon's Restaurant in California City.
City outlook
"We're on a roll," City Manager Jack Stewart said of the city and East Kern. "We are moving ahead, the city has come a long way."
Stewart said additional retail stores are on their way along with the long-anticipated hotel. The former Lakeshore Inn/Holiday Inn building is set to become an assisted living facility and new homes are either under construction or planned.
Three new housing projects are planned for South Loop Blvd., 45 homes in The Villages, 50 units at 107th near Proctor, and 180 units on North Loop.
That's good, Stewart said, because "we're running out of housing inventory."
Building permit activity has gone from zero permits issued in 1998 to 30 so far this year, he said. "The average cost of these new homes is $153,000 not including the cost of land and permits," Stewart said.
The city's assessed valuation for taxes is increasing along with the construction activity, he added.
Challenge
Stewart said the key to the city's future is "all of us working together" to market the city and to get the parcel tax approved. "We need to joint-venture," he said.
Down-side of the city's growth is that "undesirables" are moving into the city, attracted by low housing costs, people from "Southern California who want to be gang-bangers." The city is working to keep property values up by enforcing building codes and developing a "view corridor" along California City Boulevard.
New officers
New officers of the organization were installed by Association Executive Ava Marcano. They include President Ida Marie Canas, President-elect Harry Christopherson, Secretary Dena Clark, and Treasurer Ann Spry.
City Planning Department Secretary Rona Green received an award for
a non-Realtor whose work helps improve the city and Cortez Swanigan received
the "rookie of the year" award.
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