PORTOLA HILLS LIVING by Kelly Turbeville

It's time for our Annual Portola Hills Food Drive supporting South County Outreach.  Each the year the team at GPS real estate group holds this event to provide food to those most in need. This year with the pandemic the need is extremely high.   It is pretty simple to participate, simple text us that you would like to participate, put your food out on the pick up date 8/22 and we will swing by and pick it up from you. In 2019 we picked up over 700 lbs of food from the community, which was greatly appreciated by South County Outreach .  Our goal this year is a 1000 lbs, so we need your help! South County Outreach's vision is to End Hunger & House Hope in Orange County. How do we do that? Through our programs, like our Food Pantry, which is the largest pantry in South Orange County, and our Transitional Housing Program, which helps homeless families get back on their feet with the tools and counseling they need to succeed. It’s a big job, but we’re not alone. We believe that

Who says people don't buy homes during a pandemic?  Looking at the real estate market this past July for the Portola Hills community, sales volume increased 38% from the same time period in 2019, buyer demand is extremely strong! Though there are concerns with unemployment, the rest of the market is pretty strong in the OC.  My interruption from working with clients is, all this time at home is highlighting what doesn't work in their current home. That, along with the low interest rates,  strong equity position, sellers are looking to sell and move up to their dream home.  Also, those who rent see that with the low interest rates it is literally cheaper to buy right now! Finally home represents security and I think we all are looking for a bit more of that in our lives these days.... would you agree? Below is a quick snapshot of how the real estate market preformed in July: What's my Portola Hills Home Value With interest rates hovering below 3% this has become the real est