Ben Lee Properties — August 2026 Newsletter
This Month's Article
If our cover model this month is any indication, I believe we are officially entering the Dog Days of Summer. The weather is hotter; energy is waning and most of us are slowing down a bit. I was curious to learn about the phrase’s origins and discovered it was named for Sirius, the Dog Star, which rises with the sun during this time of year. Well, our rock star dog Roger, (as seen on this month’s cover) has been making the most of the last few weeks of summer—spending as much time with me on the stretch of sand called Silver Strand out in Oxnard.
Life moves at a different pace out there—it’s only about 65 miles north of West LA, quieter than Ventura and has properties with price tags multi-millions of dollars less than Malibu yet offers a beautiful stretch of beach that is home to some of the best surfing on the coast. It’s peaceful, uncrowded and has a generous spirit when it comes to dogs allowed to frolic on the sand. I’ve been spending a lot of time out there, so much so that my family has already dubbed me the ‘unofficial mayor of Oxnard’, given how many people I’ve met and befriended just while throwing the ball for the dog or taking my board out into the water. Most of the people I’ve met there have little interest in Westside real estate and don’t much care about what homes are selling for (other than to express shock) so it provides the chance to let my mind lose hold of all the numbers that are usually floating around in there.
Conversations pretty much focus exclusively on the temperature of the water, conditions of the sand, and wondering to one another why the beach is so empty on such a beautiful day. I guess, in a way, spending time there is a glimpse into what eventual retirement might look like. I’m nowhere near that phase of life yet but taking it easy, adopting a slower pace and letting my brain relax for a few days at a time is a welcome relief. Which brings me back to these Dog Days of Summer.
If I remember correctly, most parents can’t really relax too much this time of year. Just replace school drop offs with rushing to get to camp in time. Rash guards temporarily replace uniforms and in addition to those lunches to pack, now you need to slather on extra sunblock, too. There’s pressure to fill their days with meaningful activities, always with an eye toward whether their hobbies may eventually make their way onto college applications.
You’ll stress about their amount of screen-time and wonder if you’re irreparably damaging their developing brains, all while balancing jobs of your own and taking care of the house and pets. My boys are older now but I do remember that the slower paced Dog Days of Summer only kick in once they’re back in school and you can find a few minutes of peace and quiet to do absolutely nothing. Like most everybody, I’m constantly in a struggle to find that perfect balance between work and relaxation. When the demands of real estate become too all-encompassing, I force myself to take a step back and try to decompress (usually on a surfboard).
What’s the random thing that allows you to relax and check out for a few minutes or hours? Whatever it is, you owe it to yourself to let your brain log-off for a bit with no reason, apology or excuse given. But while you’re finding your much deserved moments of Zen, don’t lose focus on one aspect of living in the city that is incredibly important: crime/safety. Unfortunately, summer months often see an uptick in criminal behavior and no neighborhood is immune.
Our LAPD Lead Officer Chris Baker wants to help keep us safe by reminding us of simple ways to stay vigilant: - Be aware of your surroundings when arriving home, especially when entering or exiting their vehicles. - Avoid becoming distracted by phones or other devices when walking to or from your homes. - Ensure exterior cameras, doorbell cameras, alarm systems, and lighting are functioning properly. - Report any suspicious persons or vehicles to LAPD immediately rather than assuming someone else will call. And if you live in the general Cheviot Hills area and haven’t yet made the switch to Post Security, we’re only 30 or so homes away from bringing in a third patrol car that will continuously drive around our neighborhood, protecting us all. I have no personal investment in this company other than being a customer who’s been pleased with the service it provides and I want to do whatever I can to keep our neighborhood safe and crime-free. I hope that as your summer starts to wind down you can try and squeeze in as many special memories as possible.
One fun thing you can do is participate in our photo contest. We’ve gotten some terrific entries but there is always room for more and you can win $500 if you submit the winning picture. Flip to the back page to learn the details. And whether I see you at the beach in Oxnard or on the streets of our neighborhood, I look forward to chatting with you about real estate, dogs, waves or whatever’s happening that day.
Stay safe and have a great month ahead! The Dog Days of Summer
Featured Listings
Cheviot Hills - FOR SALE! 9224 Monte Mar Dr. – $6,195,000 7 Bed / 7.5 Bath 5,532 Sq. Ft.
Beverlywood - SOLD! 9015 Beverlywood St. – $1,270,000 2 Bed / 1 Bath Koreatown - INCOME OPPORTUNITY! 3148 James M Wood Blvd – $23,000,000 Unit 1: 2 total units, 1 bedroom, 1.00 bath Unit 2: 6 total units, 2 bedrooms, 1.00 bath
Rancho Park - IN ESCROW! 10525 Almayo – $1,995,000 3 Bed / 2 Bath 2,144 Sq. Ft.
Cheviot Hills - FOR LEASE! 2890 Forrester Drive – $19,500 p/mo. 4 Bed / 5 Bath 4,438 Sq. Ft., 7,204 Sq. Ft. Lot
Cheviot Hills - FOR LEASE! 2855 Club Dr. – $22,500 p/mo. 5 Bed / 4.5 Bath 4,100 Sq. Ft.
Cheviot Hills - IN ESCROW! 3320 Patricia – $7,495,000 5 bed / 5 1/2 Bath 4,851 Sq. Ft., 9,275 Sq. Ft. Lot Beverly Hills - INCOME OPPORTUNITY! 166 N Arnaz – $2,995,000 Unit 1: 1 total unit, 3 bedrooms, 2.50 bathrooms Unit 2: 1 total unit, 2 bedrooms, 2.00 bathrooms Unit 3: 1 total unit, 0 bedroom, 1.00 bathroom
Cheviot Hills - IN ESCROW! 10359 Monte Mar Drive – $8,995,000 6 Bed / 7.5 Bath 6,635 Sq. Ft.
Community & More
Beverlywood happenings By Ben Lee This is the final month to participate in our annual Photo Contest so grab any Ben Lee Properties item (newsletter, spatula, sunglasses, etc) and take a picture with the item of your choosing in any setting you’d like. We’ll pick a winner at the end of the month (and that lucky entrant will win a whopping $500 prize!). So, if you’re taking one last trip of the summer, don’t forget to take a Ben Lee Property trinket with you and send your pictures to: ben@benleeproperties.com with PHOTO in the subject line. Good luck!
Photo Contest Our Big Kitchen LA The Ladies’ Neighborhood Wine Night is scheduled for August 10 at Jackie Shulman’s house in Cheviot Hills. It’s not too late to join! Send me an email: lillijlee@yahoo.com or give me a call: 310-650-7735 and I’ll send you the details. We need a host for October, so if you are interested in opening your home and meeting a bunch of neighbors, please let me know.
I promise it’s easy and always a lot of fun! Wine Night We had a great time sponsoring a night of volunteering at OBKLA last November and hope to be able to plan another evening to support this worthy organization soon. This group brings in volunteers to help make 600 meals a night to be distributed to underserved and hungry Los Angelenos. A lot of work goes into these meal-building evenings and if you would like to help the folks at OBKLA prepare, they have open volunteer sessions on Monday mornings at 11am.
Located in the Pico/Robertson area, this is a great way to get involved and give back for a very worthy cause. Check out their volunteer opportunities listed here: volunteer.obkla.org You’ll be glad you did! In honor of all the kids heading back to school this month, here are a few interesting school related fun facts to share with family and friends! According to the Love to Know website, a pencil can write 45,000 words before it stops functioning.
The first thing used as an eraser was a balled-up piece of bread. Play-Doh was originally created to clean wallpaper. The first day of school is always September 1 in Russia, even if it falls on a weekend. New York City has the largest school district in the nation, the oldest high school in America is Boston Latin School, founded in 1635 and is still operating today.
India has the school with the most students (a whopping 56,000!) and Harvard University has the largest library with over 20 million items including the Bay Psalm Book, the first book printed in North America in 1640. Back To School
