Marla Jo Fisher, Staff Writer: My Thanksgiving turkey last year After a careful and highly scientific analysis of today’s weekly shopping specials, here are my favorites among the many grocery deals floating out there in space. If you don’t trust my judgment (I admit i … (3:06 pm) MORE »

Marla Jo Fisher, Staff Writer: Hello! It’s Wednesday, and you know what that means:  Grocery stores start their weekly specials. Now that most stores offer them online, it’s easier than ever to compare the offerings,  just with a little click of your pinkie. This is … (2:04 pm) MORE »

Nancy Luna, Staff Writer: Here’s a few food headlines and Fast Food Maven Tweets to chew on: After my co-worker Lou Ponsi reported the freebie event at the soon-to-open T.G.I. Friday’s in Brea, the restaurant’s phone lines were jammed.  As of this afternoo … (2:04 pm) MORE »

Jon Lansner: The “LA Land” real estate blog from our pals at the Los Angeles Times is no more. It’s a victim,so to speak, of a consolidation strategy where most business content will appear in one giant financial blog. LA Land’s last post … (1:50 pm) MORE »

KELLI HART, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Two homes in Laguna Beach’s prestigious Emerald Bay community just saw price reductions in the past few days. The first is a home neighboring Warren Buffett’s former house - it’s located at 33 Emerald Bay (Buffett’s is 35 Emer … (1:00 pm) MORE »

Marla Jo Fisher, Staff Writer: TowelBathrobe.com is offering a one-day Black Friday special, one day only, Friday, Nov. 27. ONE DAY ONLY: Use Coupon “blackfriday” for an additonal 15% OFF on the company’s high-quality Turkish cotton bathrobes and towels that are … (12:53 pm) MORE »

Brittany Levine, The Orange County Register: Work off those holiday meals or get ready to actually stick to that New Year’s resolution to shed pounds this time around with a free outdoor fitness class from Outdoor Fitness Adventure Club in San Clemente. The catch: you have to be a San Cle … (12:32 pm) MORE »

Erika Chavez, Staff Writer: That’s right, readers… after two years of renting a townhome in Irvine and scouring dozens of open houses from Woodbridge to West Irvine, we finally purchased a home– in Orange. So for the curious, I’ll attempt to answer some … (12:29 pm) MORE »

Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress: The California Energy Commission today unanimously voted to force TV manufacturers to build more energy-efficient big TVs by 2011, reports the Associated Press. The move affects new TVs up to 58 inches. The change would reduce TV energy consumption … (12:13 pm) MORE »

Jan Norman, small-business columnist: Steve Jobs is the  entrepreneur that teenagers admire most, according to a survey by Junior Achievement, the world’s largest economic education program for junior high and high schools. Here are the most admired entrepreneurs in the survey of … (12:00 pm) MORE »

Marilyn Kalfus, real estate reporter: A mission-style house in the Lake Park area of Huntington Beach dating back to 1924 that retained many of its vintage touches sold last week for $1,165,000. It was going for $1,497,00 last Spring. “They just wanted something really special … (12:00 pm) MORE »

Jeff Collins: Nationwide survey found 12% of people responding plan to buy a home as an investment, twice the share (5.6%) expressing such interest in March. The survey by the online property listing service Move.com said the lure of lower prices and foreclosure b … (12:00 pm) MORE »

Matt Degen: A new batch of cars have earned the designation “Top Safety Pick” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2010. This year, the parameters to make the cut were tougher than ever because vehicles had to show good roof strength to … (11:09 am) MORE »

Mary Ann Milbourn: Two bills have been introduced in Congress that would extend the COBRA insurance subsidy that is due to expire Dec. 31. The economic stimulus package approved in February provides a 65% subsidy on COBRA premiums for nine months for those unemployed b … (11:00 am) MORE »

Marla Jo Fisher, Staff Writer: I am going to be the Orange County Register’s Black Friday blogger this year, getting up before dawn the day after Thankgiving to cover what’s going on in Orange County. Since this is the first year I’ve done this, I could use some … (10:16 am) MORE »

Jon Lansner: John Karevoll of DataQuick has followed the local real estate market for the past two decades. As Orange County housing hits its fourth-year anniversary of its collapse, we figured we’d check in with him again to see what he’s thinking. ( … (9:40 am) MORE »

Marla Jo Fisher, Staff Writer: If you’re interested in heading to the landmark Pantages Theater this holiday season to see the Broadway touring company of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” you might like to know you can see the show in orchestra seats for as lit … (9:10 am) MORE »

Marla Jo Fisher, Staff Writer: Do you like to bowl? Then you might just love this deal. If you bowl two games at Fountain Bowl in Fountain Valley and get a frequent-bowler card, bring that card to Huntington Beach Mazda to be entered in a drawing to win a 2010 Mazda 3. The car wil … (9:06 am) MORE »

Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress: Vizio and Samsung continue to compete neck and neck in vying for consumer love when it comes to LCD TVs. This quarter, Samsung sold more TVs in the U.S. than the Irvine HDTV firm. According to market research firm iSuppli Corp, the battle for first … (9:04 am) MORE »

Mary Ann Milbourn: Southern California consumers continued to benefit in October from the drop in gasoline prices which helped push inflation down 0.4% over the last year, reports the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Consumer prices in the Orange County-Los Angeles-Riv … (6:57 am) MORE »

Nancy Luna, Staff Writer: I hope the wines are better than Trader Joe’s famous Two Buck chuck. If I only lived in Costa Mesa. The Trader Joe’s on West 17th Street has launched a free wine tasting program. The Costa Mesa store is the only one in Orange County to offe … (6:45 am) MORE »

Jan Norman, small-business columnist: The State Compensation Insurance Fund will increase its workers compensation insurance premiums for California businesses an average 5% effective on or after Jan. 1, 2010. The State Fund is the largest workers compensation insurer in California with … (6:00 am) MORE »

Erika Chavez, Staff Writer: For the calendar month of October – DataQuick’s freshest homebuying stats — these sales trends appear in Irvine ZIPs … • Citywide sales totaled 255 – that’s +38% vs. a year ago. Countywide, sales were -1% vs. a … (5:00 am) MORE »

Marla Jo Fisher, Staff Writer: Our mascot, Wednesday Addams Good morning, it’s wonderful Wednesday. In the Bible, Wednesday was the day the sun and moon were created. I’m not sure if we’ll see either one today as there’s a chance of rain. In the interest of … (4:14 am) MORE »

KELLI HART, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Here are the sales trends that appear from DataQuick’s freshest homebuying stats for the calendar month October in our South Coast beach cities … • 3-city sales totaled 156 – that’s +20% vs. a year ago. Countywide, sales w … (4:00 am) MORE »

Marilyn Kalfus, real estate reporter: For calendar month October, DataQuick’s freshest homebuying stats show these trends in Surf City: • City sales totaled 175 — that’s +17% vs. a year ago. Countywide, sales were -1% vs. a year ago in same period. • Of the cityR … (3:00 am) MORE »

Mathew Padilla: A mixed forecast courtesy of National Mortgage News: Residential originations will decline by almost 30% next year to $1.38 trillion as rising interest rates put a crimp on new originations, according to a new forecast from Fannie Mae. The GSE believ … (1:00 am) MORE »

Nancy Luna, Staff Writer: Six Dollar Cheeseburger cost $2.79. In another smack aimed at McDonald’s, Carl’s Jr. will debut today a discounted Six Dollar burger that claims to be nearly twice as big as a Quarter Pounder. Carl’s Jr.’s Angus burgers normal … (12:01 am) MORE »

Marilyn Kalfus, real estate reporter: How to sell the $9.5 million — oops, now $6.7  million — waterfront Corona del Mar house seen Monday night on Bravo TV’s “Million Dollar Listing”? Those of us who watched the show observed some remode … (12:01 am) MORE »

Marla Jo Fisher, Staff Writer: Southwest Airlines announced last-minute travel deals for you turkeys, er, Thanksgiving travellers who haven’t made any plans but still want to go somewhere. Click here to go to the Southwest Airlines Thanksgiving sale Web site Update: Also cli … (3:40 pm) MORE »

Marilyn Kalfus, real estate reporter: The inability to sell higher-end homes at the Brightwater development overlooking the Bolsa Chica wetlands has led to 3rd quarter revenues that were $4.3 million lower than in Q3 2008, the builder said in a news release.   Irvine-based Califo … (3:00 pm) MORE »

Matt Degen: Chrysler is recalling 161,450 Jeep Wrangler vehicles from model year 2007 and 2008 over what can potentially turn into a fire hazard in the engine bay. The Jeeps affected are ones with automatic transmissions that were made between June 2006 and July … (2:52 pm) MORE »

Lou Ponsi, Staff Writer: Before a new T.G.I. Friday’s opens next week at the Brea Marketplace, the restaurant is making a rare gesture to guests:  preview our food for free. The brand new restaurant, which has been under construction for 18 months, is offering free me … (2:42 pm) MORE »

KELLI HART, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Register reporter Brittany Levine listed the newest foreclosures to hit the market in San Clemente. One of them includes this snazzy Sea Pointe Estates home we wrote about HERE. To read the full story and check out photos of these foreclosur … (2:30 pm) MORE »

Jeff Collins: click to enlarge click to enlarge This month marks the fourth year since the discovery of what turned out to be the latest housing slump — the one that triggered the worst recession since the Great Depression. October 2005 was the first … (2:18 pm) MORE »

Erika Chavez, Staff Writer: There are 479 homes for sale in Irvine, down from 495 available properties two weeks ago, according to a report from Steven Thomas of Altera Real Estate. The city has an expected market time of 2.01 months. That’s a benchmark tracking how many mont … (1:59 pm) MORE »

Mathew Padilla: DataQuick reports lenders filed 2,152 notices of default in Orange County in October, down 3.2 percent from September but up 132.6 percent from a year ago. Default notices fell for the third straight month, which could reflect borrowers getting more … (1:50 pm) MORE »

KELLI HART, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Laguna Beach has not only trimmed its expected market time since two weeks ago, but the coastal city also dropped from its ranking as the county’s second slowest housing market to the third slowest. Topic DP LB SC Listed 251 339 362 Pend … (1:00 pm) MORE »

PAUL HODGINS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Booze on a Budget by Paul Hodgins I am the definition of the term “Joe Sixpack.” For years, my idea of good beer was the same as my dad’s and father-in-law’s: The cheaper the better. Gradually, my tastes changed with my inco … (1:00 pm) MORE »

Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress: There are three more things AT&T U-verse customers can do on their TV: See who’s calling on the phone, watch four ESPN channels at the same time (for ESPN Full Court customers only) and get instant discounts on movies on demand. None of th … (12:58 pm) MORE »

Erika Chavez, Staff Writer: I’ve lived in Irvine for more than two years, and I’m still discovering things that surprise and delight me. My latest discovery: there’s an actual Christmas tree farm in Irvine, and you can choose your tree starting this Saturday, … (12:31 pm) MORE »

Marla Jo Fisher, Staff Writer: The Tustin branch of the Orange County Public Library is holding movie matinees every Monday and Wednesday at 11 a.m. Here’s the list of upcoming films that are screening at the Tustin Library. It looks like a good mix of contemporary movies a … (12:23 pm) MORE »

Jeff Collins: MDA DataQuick reported today that Southern California home prices continued to increase in October over the month before, rising $5,000 to $280,000. County Median price Vs. 2008 Sales Vs. 2008 Los Angeles $325,000 -8.5% 7,409 8.6% Orange $436, … (12:03 pm) MORE »

Jan Norman, small-business columnist: Cal State Fullerton student Craig Martyn, 24, is a finalist for Global Student Entrepreneur for the second year in a row. Martyn was 15 when he started BLMA Models, a manufacturer of highly accurate locomotive and scenery Craig Martyn, BMLA Models a … (12:00 pm) MORE »

Jon Lansner: For October – DataQuick’s freshest stats — Orange County homebuying patterns showed: 40 of O.C.’s 83 ZIP codes had gains in their respective median selling price. Overall, prices were +3.9% vs. a year ago. 5 of 83 O.C. ZIPs … (11:10 am) MORE »

Matt Degen: Honda’s Dog Friendly Element officially went on sale today, and we’ve already put one through the wringer with the help of my canine companion. The special-edition Element features a built-in crate behind the rear seats and a ramp that ca … (10:27 am) MORE »

Marla Jo Fisher, Staff Writer: Last updated Tuesday Nov. 17 10 a.m. I’m going to be getting up in the dark on Black Friday, Nov. 27, to head out and blog about the day-after-turkey-deals out there and how people are responding. To prepare myself emotionally for this feat, … (9:59 am) MORE »

Marla Jo Fisher, Staff Writer: Bargain hunter Janice Davis of Garden Grove alerted us to check out the Viva Bargain Center, next to the Target store at 12220 Harbor Blvd., near Chapman. She says you can buy 12-packs of Propel water there for $1.99 per pack. If you’ve ever ch … (9:58 am) MORE »

Jon Lansner: Have local homes prices gotten ahead of Orange County real estate shoppers’ wallets? For October – DataQuick’s latest homebuying report — Orange County saw … _ WHERE DID THEY BUY IN OCTOBER? (Click image for details!) $ … (9:48 am) MORE »

Erika Chavez, Staff Writer: I’m still in the middle of an unpacking frenzy as we settle into our new home (details to come, I promise!), but here’s a look at Irvine real estate issues in the news and blogosphere… The Irvine City Council approved a scaled-back, … (8:54 am) MORE »

Marla Jo Fisher, Staff Writer: Our mascot, Tuesday Weld It’s Tuesday and you know I love Tuesdays! Hope you are going to have a good day today. Tuesdays are great days because there are always good bargains on Tuesdays. Keep your eyes open today! Military, veterans get into … (7:06 am) MORE »

Jan Norman, small-business columnist: TTM Technologies Inc., a Santa Ana-based printed circuit board maker, has acquired Meadville Holdings TTM laser cutter Limited of Hong Kong in a cash and stock deal worth approximately $521 million. Accompanying photos are courtesy of TTM Technologie … (6:00 am) MORE »

Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress: The folks at Santa Ana’s sound-technology company SRS Labs have discovered a way to soften loud commercials and plan to offer a device to consumers in upcoming months.  It works — I’ve experienced it at the company’s offices. … (5:26 am) MORE »

Nancy Luna, Staff Writer: 11 a.m. update to correct bun size The mini-foods trend erupted this year with the invasion of petite desserts and slider burgers. Now Togo’s is joining the pint-size trend by debuting a line of six Mini Classic sandwiches.  Starting Wednesda … (5:01 am) MORE »

KELLI HART, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The folks from Realtor.com pulled together a list of the top 10 most searched homes for sale on their Web site in our south coast cities. These hot homes are tracked within 20% of the median list price for Dana Point, Laguna Beach and San Clemente c … (4:00 am) MORE »

Mary Ann Milbourn: Think no one is hiring these days?  Well Uncle Sam is. Between a wave of Baby Boomer retirements, stimulus spending and expansion into new areas, the federal government may be the biggest employer out there for local jobs. The non-profit Partnership … (3:00 am) MORE »

Marilyn Kalfus, real estate reporter: In his blog this week, mortgage broker Dennis C. Smith of Stratis Financial in Huntington Beach looks ahead. He sums up next year this way: “Outlook for 2010? More regulations, more policies, more paperwork and fewer opportunities for borrower … (3:00 am) MORE »

Mathew Padilla: “There was a reasonable doubt on every charge,” said a juror in the case against two former Bear Stearns hedge fund managers. The quote comes from the New York Times. Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin were found not guilty of securities fra … (1:00 am) MORE »

Marilyn Kalfus, real estate reporter: The Balboa island and peninsula areas of Newport Beach this month emerge as the Orange County communities with the most home price reductions – each with 41% of the listings there reduced, according to Trulia.com. Another Newport area commu … (12:01 am) MORE »

KELLI HART, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: These south coast homes received price reductions of $100,000 or more in the past seven days. CLICK on address links for photos and additional information. Laguna Beach 114 South La Senda Drive Now: $8,995,000 Was: $9,995,000 2898 Rounsevel Terra … (4:32 pm) MORE »

Matt Degen: Arizona Senator and 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain has some stinging words regarding the fate of Chrysler, which like GM, went into bankruptcy this year and took billions of dollars in tax money for a bailout. According to the Detro … (4:18 pm) MORE »

Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress: New company alert: Startup Simple Mobile in Orange County officially launched its prepaid wireless service today claiming to “revolutionize the unlimited prepaid wireless market.” It comes from Clay Berryhill, a former exec of defunct A … (3:18 pm) MORE »

KELLI HART, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Reflecting the countywide trend, distressed inventory increased in Orange County’s south coast cities, according to a biweekly report by Steven Thomas of Altera Real Estate. City Listed Distressed % Dana Point 251 57 22.7 Laguna Beach 33 … (1:00 pm) MORE »

Lisa Liddane, retail reporter: Bargain. Discount. These are the two key words that are on shoppers’ minds as consumers gear up for the holiday shopping season. Although some shoppers have begun making their holiday purchases before Thanksgiving day, the day after that holiday  … (12:50 pm) MORE »

Marilyn Kalfus, real estate reporter: Here’s the closed sale on the downtown Huntington Beach cottage that got nearly 4 dozen offers after the bank, which foreclosed for $531,250, listed it for $376,200. The winning bid was $575,000 with a new loan. But then someone changed the … (12:45 pm) MORE »

Marla Jo Fisher, Staff Writer: This announcement just now from the Facebook page at CSUF Irvine: Wednesday (Nov. 18) on Campus, FREE Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince screening at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. in the Irvine TSU. Be there or the Dark Lord will get you! CSUF Irvine campus … (12:16 pm) MORE »

Erika Chavez, Staff Writer: Yes, readers, after two years of renting an Irvine town home, this blogger is once again the proud owner of a 30-year mortgage! So let’s have a little fun… What city is our new home in? Irvine … (12:00 pm) MORE »

Mathew Padilla: Ben Bernanke, head of the Federal Reserve, said Monday the central bank will continue to support the mortgage market while bank lending remains constrained, reports National Mortgage News. Here’s more: “We continue to encourage banks to r … (11:50 am) MORE »

Matt Degen: General Motors today said it lost $1.2 billion from the time it left bankruptcy protection on July 10 through Sept. 30, a loss which is actually better than it has reported in previous quarters. For example, from 2006 until the first quarter of this … (10:47 am) MORE »

Jan Norman, small-business columnist: Pacific Coast National Bank of  San Clemente, which had received $4.1 million in federal TARP bailout funds, was shut down Friday, and Tustin-based Sunwest Bank has acquired it and reopened it today, Nov. 16. Pacific Coast, which had two branches, i … (9:40 am) MORE »

Jon Lansner: Look who’s no. 1, so to speak! The latest Orange County home inventory report from Steve Thomas at Altera Real Estate in Aliso Viejo says that as of November 12 the local real estate market saw … Hottest Supply Deals Mon. Yr. ago Pri … (9:01 am) MORE »

Jon Lansner: The latest O.C. home inventory report from Steve Thomas at Altera Real Estate in Aliso Viejo shows his “market time” benchmark — tracking how many months it theoretically takes to sell all the inventory in the local MLS for-sale lis … (9:00 am) MORE »

Nancy Luna, Staff Writer: Freebie alert: On Tuesday (11/17), Jamba Juice will give away free sandwiches after 2 p.m. Here’s how it works: The first 150 customers who walk in the store after 2 p.m. will get their choice of four Flatbreads: Tomo ArtichokoTM Flatbread, Smo … (8:23 am) MORE »

Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress: If you hate waiting all day for the cable guy to install service, Time Warner Cable will now let Orange County and Southern California customers tackle the project themselves — and save some money. The cable TV provider is expanding its Easy Co … (8:23 am) MORE »

Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress: Noted: Wall Street Journal wrote about the trend of interactive ads on TV, including one from Burger King, Axe Body Spray and Charmin. All three have TV commercials offering viewers a way to respond immediately and either ask for a coupon, watch rel … (7:59 am) MORE »

Marla Jo Fisher, Staff Writer: When I was a girl, libraries were never this much fun! The Huntington Beach library was planning to sponsor a “Twilight Pizza Party” Wednesday, but the distributor pulled the rights to show the Twilight movie, so they’re showing  … (7:24 am) MORE »

Nancy Luna, Staff Writer: Freebie alert: On Tuesday (11/17), Jamba Juice will be giving away free sandwiches after 2 p.m. Here’s how it works: The first 150 customers that walk in the store after 2 p.m. will get their choice of four Flatbreads: Tomo ArtichokoTM Flatbrea … (7:19 am) MORE »

Jan Norman, small-business columnist: Garden Grove retailers are being targeted by the state in its search for unpaid sales taxes. Inspectors for the California State Board of Equalization sent letters on Nov. 13 to businesses in Garden Grove’s 92844 and 92845 ZIP codes and 11 othe … (6:00 am) MORE »

Nancy Luna, Staff Writer: Bliss Froyo in Orange is among several froyo shops that have closed in O.C. recently. Orange County’s froyo craze appears to be crashing after nearly two years of steady, out-of-control growth. Several shops have shuttered over the past few mon … (5:47 am) MORE »

Marla Jo Fisher, Staff Writer: Happy Monday.  In English, the word Monday came from the old English word for “moon’s day.”  In French, the word is lundi, which means “day of the moon.” It is considered a good day for fasting in some religions. Not i … (5:17 am) MORE »

Erika Chavez, Staff Writer: For the 22 business days ending Oct. 22 – DataQuick’s freshest homebuying stats — these sales trends appear in Irvine ZIPs … • Citywide sales totaled 245 – that’s +43% vs. a year ago. Countywide, sales were +9% … (5:00 am) MORE »

KELLI HART, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: A recent post about a home for sale where a family of 5 was found dead sparked a discussion on this blog about California law regarding home sales. Take our poll below! According to state law, a real estate agent and seller must disclose: “A d … (4:00 am) MORE »

Mary Ann Milbourn: The California Employment Development Department says it is working to get the new unemployment extension checks out as soon as possible. A specific date has not yet been set. People who potentially are eligible will be contacted directly so EDD offi … (3:00 am) MORE »

Marilyn Kalfus, real estate reporter: Here’s what houses in Huntington Beach are going for nowadays. These are closed sales for the week ending  Nov. 8. I’ve highlighted the lowest and highest sale prices, as well as houses that sold for the most above and below their original aski … (3:00 am) MORE »

Mathew Padilla: There were more foreclosures and short sales on the market last Thursday in Orange County than two weeks earlier — not a comforting trend heading into the holidays. click to enlarge The chart from Steve Thomas at Altera Real Estate in Aliso Vie … (1:00 am) MORE »

Marilyn Kalfus, real estate reporter: The waterfront Corona del Mar house we showed you that’s co-listed by a Realtor on Bravo TV’s “Million Dollar Listing” will air on tonight’s episode. A spokeswoman for the reality show sent us this blurb on what’s … (12:01 am) MORE »