This custom, three-bedroom, ranch-style home sits back from the road on 1.27 acres at the end of a cul-de-sac off historic Creek Road.

Interior features include two fireplaces, remodeled kitchen, formal and casual dining, spacious loft, exposed-beam ceilings, laundry room, and many upgrades.

Outside, you will find a three-car garage, drought-tolerant landscaping, large front porch with pergola, an expansive outdoor living area with pergolas and a patio fireplace, horse or livestock facilities, RV parking, trailer parking, and plenty of space to customize with a pool, arena, or sports court.

Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy country living just minutes from the shops, restaurants, spas, galleries, tasting rooms, and weekly farmers market in downtown Ojai.

Plus, the fishing, boating, camping and water park at Lake Casitas are just a short drive away.

 Features include:

Three bedrooms
Loft for office or seating area
2.5 bathrooms
Approximately 2,086 square feet
Two stone fireplaces with custom wood mantels
Exposed-beam ceilings
Ceiling fans
Dual-sink vanity in master bathroom
Formal dining room and breakfast nook
2016 kitchen remodel
Hammered copper farmhouse sink in kitchen
Granite counters and breakfast bar
Laundry room with folding counter and storage
Hammered copper sink in powder room
Ample closets, cabinets and pantry for storage
Many recent updates and upgrades
Approximately 1.27 acres
Three-car garage
Expansive outdoor living areas
Three pergola-covered patios
Beautiful, stone patio fireplace
Separately fenced backyard
Three dividable corrals with shelter
Open tack and feed room
Mature trees
Low-water landscaping
Large, gated area for parking or expanded horse area
Nearby mountain views
Located at end of cul-de-sac
Room for pool, shop, family orchard, hobbies
Short drive to schools, shops, restaurants
Short drive to boating and fishing at Lake Casitas

For more photos and information, visit the property information page. To schedule a showing, contact Nora Davis.

Growing your own food is a rewarding experience that allows you to spend more time outdoors, save money on your grocery bill, and know exactly where your food is coming from. It is also a great way to have fresh, organic produce conveniently available right in your backyard and a fun activity you can do with your family.
 
Eating healthy is more important than ever and limiting trips to the grocery store is not a bad idea right now. So, if we can grow some of our own food at home and use these ingredients to make healthy juices filled with antioxidants and immune-boosting nutrients, that sounds like a pretty good quarantine project to me.
 
To help inspire you, here are eight of my favorite juicing ingredients I grow in my vegetable garden and that will be super easy for you to grow in yours.
 
1. Spinach
This dark, leafy green provides magnesium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, and more, which makes this easy-to-grow vegetable a good choice for your juicing garden. Spinach thrives in containers or in the ground, is easy to grow from seed, and allows you to harvest on demand as it continues to produce leaves. To make sure you have a steady supply, plant your crop in two-week intervals.
 
2. Kale
Generally considered a superfood, kale is a nutrient-dense, leafy green providing an array of vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, manganese, and calcium. You can grow kale in containers or in the ground and can start from seeds or seedlings. If you juice often, you will likely go through a lot of kale, so, if possible, dedicate a good amount of space for your kale plants and plant in three-week intervals.
 
3. Cucumbers
Cucumber juice is a refreshing treat on a hot day and provides potassium, magnesium, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, and B vitamins. You can grow your plants in containers or in the ground, but keep in mind that you will need to support your cucumbers with a large tomato cage or a trellis. Consider growing more than one variety for different purposes. For example, this year, I’m growing Persian cucumbers for juicing and snacking and Nationals for pickling. 
 
4. Tomatoes
Add tomatoes to your garden for juicing, salsas, soups, stews, and sauces. Tomatoes are incredibly easy to grow in this area and can be grown in the ground or in containers. They provide lutein, lycopene, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, and potassium. If you are planning on using them for different purposes, consider growing different varieties. For example, San Marzanos are higher in pectin, which makes them better for stews and sauces; whereas, Better Boys or Celebrities have a higher juice content, which makes them better for juicing.
 
5. Carrots
While they don’t actually make you see better at night, carrots are high in beta carotene, which is essential to eye health, as well as your overall wellness. They are incredibly easy to grow and can be grown in the ground or in containers – as long as the containers are deep enough to accommodate their growth. Carrots are a popular juicing ingredient, so they are a great addition to your juicing garden. However, if you are short on space, skip the carrots. Organic carrots are readily available and less expensive than other organic produce options, so keep buying these at the store or farmers market, and save your garden space for other veggies.
 
6. Parsley
Parsley takes patience. You may not see any signs of life for up to three weeks after planting your seeds, but once it finally gets going, just one or two plants will probably provide as much as you need for juicing. Often used for detoxing the liver, parsley is not going to add a lot of flavor to your juices, but it does add iron, folate, vitamin K, vitamin A, and vitamin C.
 
7. Basil
If you find green juices bland, basil may be just the herb you need to up your juicing game. Providing magnesium, zinc, potassium, calcium, and vitamin K, this easy-to-grow herb is packed with nutrition, as well as flavor. Basil grows well in the ground or in containers, and you can dry it or freeze it for later use if you harvest more than you need.
 
8. Celery
Adding celery to your juices provides potassium, folate, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin E, and polyphenols. It grows well in containers or in the ground and is so easy to grow. Whenever you buy a bunch of organic celery, cut off the root end and place it in a small bowl of water. You will start seeing growth almost immediately. Once you have significant growth and it has sprouted new roots, transfer it to your garden or to a container with soil. Before you know it, you will have your very own celery patch.

This beautiful Ojai home for rent offers plenty of space to spread out with four bedrooms, two offices, formal living room, great room, formal and casual dining, and a multi-room master suite.
 
Four bedrooms + Two Offices
Three full bathrooms, two half bathrooms
4,200+ square feet of living space
Vaulted ceiling and brick fireplace in great room
Formal living room with fireplace
Remodeled kitchen with breakfast bar, Wolf range
Separate Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer
Wine refrigerator
Soaking tub, walk-in closet in master bedroom
Ample space to spread out and enjoy country living
Located on 16+ acre ranch
Gate entry
Approximately 1,000-square-foot, attached garage
Tennis court refinished in 2020
Balcony with views off master bedroom
Spacious deck with amazing views
Covered patio with outdoor kitchen
Fountain with brick walkway
Surrounded by lush lawn
Short drive to shops, restaurants, and farmers market


Learn more about this Ojai home for rent on the property information page, or email Nora to request an application.

Walk or bike to the farmer’s market, shops and restaurants in downtown Ojai from this remodeled home.

Step inside through the pergola-covered front porch to find a large entry and open floor plan with living room, formal dining, kitchen, and casual dining.

The living room features a beautiful fireplace with a travertine hearth and French doors to the main outdoor living area.

There is a second set of French doors leading from the casual dining area to the patio for easy indoor-outdoor entertaining.

The remodeled kitchen has a travertine floor and backsplash with a large, granite-topped island with a cooktop and breakfast bar.

The remodeled bathrooms also feature travertine floors and surrounds for the shower-bathtub area.

The original fourth bedroom was annexed into the master suite during the remodel, but could be transformed back into a fourth bedroom with the addition of a wall.

There is also an office with French doors off of the entry and a two-car garage.

For more photos and information, visit the property information page. To schedule a showing, contact Nora today!

Barbecue grills can stay in use throughout the year in the Ojai area, but summer is the official grilling season, which makes this the perfect time to talk about making our backyard barbecues healthier for us and the planet.
 
Cookouts provide the perfect platform from bringing together friends and family to catch up, lounge by the pool, indulge in a meal cooked over an open fire and more fully enjoy our home's outdoor living areas. Previous generations gathered around the grill without giving much thought to the potential health or environmental risks associated with dousing charcoal with lighter fluid and dining on charred steaks. However, we have more recently learned that those blackened bits of meat, abundant smoke and chemical-laden products are not so great for us or the environment.
 
Outdoor parties, in general, can wreak havoc on the planet with disposable party supplies, toxic pesticides to keep the bugs away, petrochemicals released from lighter fluid, charcoal and wood smoke polluting the air, and fat dripping onto the grill causing more smoke and pollution. And, of course, there are also the carcinogens and harmful compounds from eating foods cooked at high heat over an open flame that accumulate in the body and increase health risks.
 
Rather than give up grilling and resign ourselves to cooking indoors, all we really need to do is adopt greener grilling practices that are better for our guests and the environment.

Here are five tips to get you started:
 
1. Choose a Greener Grill
 
The grills that are currently considered greenest are solar-powered, corn-burning and hydrogen-powered grills. Of course, these are also the most expensive and hardest to find. It is much easier to find propane grills, which are eco-friendlier than charcoal grills, but if you can spring for a natural gas grill or an electric grill, that is even better. If you have a charcoal grill with which you are not quite ready to part, you can go greener by switching from conventional charcoal to natural or lump charcoal, or you can use plant-based ethanol disks, which are a greener option.
 
2. Skip the Lighter Fluid
 
The use of lighter fluid is responsible for the release of tons of volatile organic compounds into the air every year in the U.S., and self-lighting charcoal is not any better. While these two options might be the most convenient, it is actually quite easy to light your charcoal using a charcoal chimney or electric charcoal lighter. Using an inexpensive charcoal chimney is your greenest bet.
 
3. Maximize Your Grill Usage
 
Firing up your grill just to cook a steak or two is a waste of whichever type of fuel your grill requires, but you can easily adopt a greener grilling practice by always making it a point to make the most of the heat you create with your barbecue. When barbecuing, cook your entire meal on the grill and make enough to have leftovers for at least a couple of days to reduce future fuel needs.
 
4. Go Organic (and Local)
 
Purchase local, organic meats and produce whenever possible to reduce transportation-related pollution and energy and to lower the amount of harmful substances you feed your family (and put into the air, soil and water supply). Grilling more vegetables and less meat is another way to easily make your next cookout healthier and more environmentally friendly.
 
5. Keep Your Grill Clean
 
Regular care and cleaning will extend the life of your grill and, in the case of charcoal or wood grills, it also shortens the time it takes to preheat your grill and reduces the amount of smoke your grill emits. With any type of grill, fat and food that falls below the grate can cause excess smoke as well, but you can avoid this by regularly removing any buildup. Cutting extra fat off meats before grilling them can also reduce smoke production and makes for a healthier meal for your family and friends.

This 1950 cottage offers it all to buyers looking for charm, style, and modern living all in one turnkey home.

Pride of ownership is evident throughout, including the many recent upgrades, such as 2017 roof, 2018 bathroom remodels, 2019 AC/heating units, 2018 Trex deck with vinyl railing, and 2017 kitchen remodel, including appliances, quartz counters, custom cabinets, and tile backsplash.

The original hardwood floors add charm to the living and dining rooms, while multiple patios throughout the backyard provide ample space for outdoor living and entertaining. In the master, you will find a brick, gas fireplace, walk-in closet, built-in cabinet, and sliding door to a pergola-covered patio.

Aside from the outdoor living areas, there are also two storage sheds, a fenced garden area, lawn area, and a spacious laundry room.

This incredibly charming home has many upgrades throughout and is within walking or biking distance to the Ojai Valley Trail, post office, market, bank, and more.

To learn more, visit the property page for this Oak View home for sale.

The global pandemic has changed our lives in many ways, including revising our priorities as we balance personal and public health with meeting our basic needs, figuring out new ways to work, and determining the best ways to be both social and safe. In times such as this when our focus is on the short-term goals of staying healthy, keeping businesses afloat, and finding a way to the other side of the pandemic, it can be difficult to also keep an eye towards long-term goals, such as keeping the planet healthy for future generations.
 
This is exacerbated by some of the necessary changes put in place to reduce transmission and protect both consumers and workers. For example, we can no longer grab a cup of coffee in our reusable mugs, and many grocery stores are no longer allowing the use of reusable shopping bags. While many of us are not driving as much, we are increasing the environmental effects of transportation by ordering everything online and having it delivered to our doorstep. Those who have replaced dining out with regularly ordering takeout and delivery now have stacks of single-use food containers going into the recycling bin or to the landfill every week.
 
The focus needs to be on keeping ourselves and each other healthy and working together to get through this. This requires using more disposable products than most of us would like, but there are still steps we can take to maintain a greener lifestyle while focusing on these immediate priorities.
 
We can start with these:
 
1. Resist the urge to stock up on bottled water.
The water supply is not currently under threat. Continue using your filter pitchers, fill your own jugs at Rainbow Bridge, or establish delivery service for three- or five-gallon, reusable jugs that you return to the provider.
 
2. Start a compost pile.
If you are cooking more than you used to, you have more kitchen scraps to discard. If you don’t already have a compost bin or pile, start one to put those scraps to good use in your garden.
 
3. Invest in a sparkling water maker.
Products like SodaStream let you make your own sparkling water and flavored sodas, which means fewer cans and bottles to recycle.
 
4. Green your takeout and delivery routine.
We cannot use our own containers when we order food to go right now, but we can still limit the waste that comes with these orders. If you are picking up food to eat at home, refuse the utensils, napkins, and straws that usually come with takeout. If you are having food delivered, specify that you do not want utensils and napkins delivered with your order. When picking up food on your lunch break or on your way to a socially distanced picnic, bring your own cloth napkins, reusable straws, and utensils. There are lots of travel sets available with carrying cases that you can keep in your car or bag to make sure you always have reusable options with you.
 
5. Change your buying habits.
Look for simple ways to purchase fewer single-use products. For example, buy yogurt that comes in reusable glass jars instead of plastic containers that need to be recycled. Or, better yet, if you are spending more time at home, you might think about learning how to make your own yogurt. 
 
6. Make the best bag choices you can.
If you cannot use reusable shopping bags at your favorite places to shop, ask for paper bags. If only plastic bags are available, sanitize them and stash them away for later use as trash bags or poop bags.
 
7. Consolidate your online orders.
When we are spending more time at home and ordering most of what we need online, it is easy to fall into the habit of placing orders whenever you think of something you need. This is particularly true if you are one of the many who do most of our buying through Amazon Prime with free shipping on however many orders we place in a day. Reduce packaging waste and transportation by treating your online shopping as you would in-person shopping: make a list and consolidate your shopping trips. Instead of jumping online to order nail polish today, a case of canned tomatoes tomorrow, and then yarn for a new craft project the next day, make a shopping list and place your orders at the same time. You can even place things in your cart so you won’t forget about them – just resist the urge to hit “Buy Now” every time you want something. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can reduce packaging waste and transportation even more by forgoing the much-loved, two-day shipping and choosing Amazon Day instead. With this program, orders are consolidated into as few boxes as possible and all delivered on the same day each week.
 
8. Support local crafters by purchasing reusable masks.
Reusable masks are better for the environment than single-use options, and there are lots of local folks who have taken up mask making to supplement incomes reduced by the pandemic. Keep in mind that reusable masks need to be washed after each use and that some materials provide better protection than others. Before buying masks, do a quick online search to educate yourself about the best options.

This updated home is located at the end of a cul-de-sac in the Golden West neighborhood.

Privacy fencing and landscaping make the backyard your personal oasis with a swimming pool, spa, patio for lounging around the pool, and a separate patio with a pergola.

Inside, the tile entry leads to the living room with vaulted ceiling and gas fireplace or the family room with exposed-beam ceiling and corner fireplace with a tile hearth.

The 2020 remodel by renowned designer B. David Levine included many updates, including upstairs carpet, exterior stucco, interior paint, bathroom tile and counters, banister and railing, exterior doors, windows, fireplace tile, pergola paint and roof structure, LED lighting, and a beautifully remodeled kitchen with walnut cabinetry, Caesarstone counters, tile backsplash, wine rack, breakfast bar, and soft-close cabinets and drawers.

Other features include casual and formal dining rooms with sliding doors to the pool area, a laundry room and two-car garage.

Learn more about this Ojai home for sale on the property information page.

This Rancho La Vista Estates home has lots of space for entertaining and a large backyard with gorgeous mountain views.

The facade exudes southwest style, while the corner lot and block wall enhance privacy.

There is a sunken living room with a fireplace, casual and formal dining connected to outdoor living areas, a master suite with an en suite bath and walk-in closet, and a remodeled kitchen with granite counters, travertine back splash, tile floor, alder wood cabinets and soft-close drawers.

Of the three spacious guest rooms, one is tucked away on the other side of the kitchen along with a bathroom and access to the garage and backyard. This may work well as quarters for a nanny or a long-term guest.

The formal dining room with lots of natural light and French doors leading to the front porch could also make a great home office.

Community amenities include a swimming pool, tennis court, half basketball court and outdoor entertaining area with BBQ.

Learn more about this Ojai home for sale on the property information page.

As Ojaians continue to expand our efforts to conserve water, it’s time to turn our attention to our swimming pools.
 
The first thing to consider is a pool cover. A swimming pool’s greatest water loss (aside from a major leak) comes from evaporation, so the simple act of covering your pool when it is not in use can save thousands of gallons of water every year.
 
It is typical for uncovered swimming pools to lose between one-quarter and one-inch of water through evaporation every day. This loss increases if you heat your pool or have waterfalls or other water features. So, when you are not using your pool or expecting guests, cover your pool and turn off your pool heater and water features. This will help you lower your water bill and reduce your home’s impact on the environment.
 
The next thing to consider is pool leaks. Since most folks use their pools less in winter, this is the perfect time to look for and repair leaks to help you conserve water in the coming year. However, you can do this test any time of the year, so it will work just fine to do it now.
 
You are probably filling your pool with somewhere around two or three inches of water per week to replace what is lost through evaporation. The amount you need to fill your pool varies depending on the weather and the environment around your pool, so this will change throughout the year.
 
If you find that you are adding significantly more than this each week, you probably have a leak and should bring in a professional for testing. However, if you are only losing a little more than usual, it may be more difficult to determine if this loss is from evaporation and splashing or if it is from a leak.
 
If you suspect a small leak but are not sure if you are ready to shell out for a professional leak detection company, there is a simple, do-it-yourself test you can perform. All you need is a five-gallon bucket, a tape measure or ruler, and a permanent marker.
 
Here’s what you do:
 
1. Fill the five-gallon bucket with water from the pool until it is almost full.
 
2. Set the bucket on a pool step so that it is partially submerged.
 
3. Use the marker to mark the water level inside the bucket.
 
4. Use the marker to mark the water level of the pool on the outside of the bucket.
 
5. Keep everyone away from the pool and the bucket for one full day to maintain the integrity of your test.
 
6. Use the ruler or tape measure to measure the water loss inside the bucket and outside of the bucket by measuring the difference between the marks you made and the current water level.
 
If the water levels inside the bucket and outside the bucket lowered the same amount, then your water loss is most likely from evaporation. If the water level outside of the bucket lowered more than the water level inside the bucket, it is time to call in a local leak detection company, because you probably have a leak.