Best Buys In Ojai/Team Deckert – Our daily blog spotlighting the best in Ojai Valley real estate!

August 18, 2026

Quote of the Day

My theology, briefly, is that the universe was dictated but not signed.

~ Christopher Morley

This Day in History

August 18, 1227: Genghis Khan dies. Genghis Khan, the Mongol leader who forged an empire stretching from the east coast of China west to the Aral Sea, dies in camp during a campaign against the Chinese kingdom of Xi Xia. The great Khan, who was over 60 and in failing health, may have succumbed to injuries incurred during a fall from a horse in the previous year.

On his deathbed, he ordered that Xi Xia be wiped from the face of the earth. Obedient as always, Khan’s successors leveled whole cities and towns, killing or enslaving all their inhabitants. Obeying his order to keep his death secret, Genghis’ heirs slaughtered anyone who set eyes on his funeral procession making its way back to Karakorum, the capital of the Mongol empire. Still bringing death as he had in life, many were killed before his corpse was buried in an unmarked grave. His final resting place remains a mystery.

The Mongol empire continued to grow after Genghis Khan’s death, eventually encompassing most of inhabitable Eurasia. The empire disintegrated in the 14th century, but the rulers of many Asian states claimed descent from Genghis Khan and his captains.

Ojai Weather

Mostly sunny – High 92 / Low 62

Lake Casitas water capacity – 96.5%

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

12:40 p.m.

One new listing has come to the market since Friday:

259 Prospect Street – $890,000

Recently cancelled, withdrawn, or expired listings – back on the market as “new:”

203 N. Fulton Street – $919,000 (this had recently expired on 7/27).

Pic of the Day

I can’t wait to see your Pong-inspired bathroom

Friday, August 14, 2026

11:35 a.m.

There are two new listings on the market:

160 N. Encinal Avenue – $939,000

306 E. Matilija Street – $2,200,000

Recently cancelled, expired, or withdrawn listings – back on the market as “new:”

16096 Maricopa Highway – $1,449,000 (this had recently been cancelled on 7/10).

Have a great weekend!

Pic of the Day

Amazon driver, arriving at Charolotte’s place:

“Aw, hell no!”

Thursday, August 13, 2026

10:00 a.m.

There is a new “coming soon” listing on the market:

125 Oak Drive – $835,000 (coming soon, 8/14)

Pic of the Day

Actual listing photo – what kind of orgy house is this?

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

10:55 a.m.

One new listing hit the market in the last five days, but it’s already a pending sale:

11374 Oakcrest Avenue – $850,000 (already under contract)

I just returned from a 10 day trip to visit my family in Chicago. It was a combination of sadness and joy – the sadness consisted of saying “goodbye” to our family home that the Deckerts had owned for 52 years. My younger brother – who bought the home from my father 15 years ago – made the move to a new home just 20 minutes away. We went through the last of the older family photos, letters, notes, and other memorabilia between my mother and father, combined their ashes and put them in smaller urns that all the kids could take with them (I received a minor inquisition from the O’hare TSA when I carried it with my on-board luggage), held a vinyl album lottery of my dad’s 1,500 or so records; sawed open an old safe that belonged to my younger sister (with her approval, of course) – hoping for a more exciting reveal than that of Al Capone’s vault; and my brother’s mother-in-law made throw pillows out of several of my father’s old work uniforms – complete with his name patch, as well as the company’s logo. Indeed, tears were shed.

But there was much joy as well: The six of my younger siblings and myself, goofing on each other during the album lottery; the last Deckert family baseball game to be held in the side yard; one of my younger brothers – who stopped playing sports by the time he was 10 years old – hitting a home run over the house; seeing my little sister, who only a year ago first signed up with the School of Rock adult band in order to learn to sing, then watching her perform live in front of a room of 200 people and absolutely nailing “You Got Today” (by Maggie Rose) – causing me to get the chills and tears to form in my eyes; watching my sister’s kids also perform live on that same stage; stopping at Portllo’s twice to get the famous Chicago-style hot dog (which I would pick over steak and lobster any day); and staying up until 2:00 a.m. just shootin’ the breeze with my brother.

All great and cherished memories of my former home – but it’s good to be back home in Ojai, my “forever” place to be!