Homefront Los Angeles

Adorable Bear Cubs in Yosmite

2011-09-29T15:34:00.000-07:00

How lucky were these tourists to see these playful bear cubs in person.

Good thing mama bear stayed cool.

9706 Kirkside in Escrow (Short Sale)

2011-09-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

9706 Kirkside Road, Beverlywood

Short sales can take a long time. Fortunately, I was able to find solid, patient buyers who were willing to endure the lengthy, and sometimes frustrating short sale process. In the end this home will go to a good family who will cherish this property. The seller will benefit from getting out from "underwater". Stay tuned for final sales price.

New Listing - Two Story, 2 bedrooms in Prime Silver Lake

2011-06-08T16:33:00.000-07:00

Terrific Silver Lake starter home. This classic two-story, 2 bedroom 2 bath home awaits your decorator’s touch. Formal living room and dining room, with original 1921 built-in, a floral-covered pergola and patio, and lovely landscaped yard highlight this home. Elevated above the street on a street-to-street lot. Located in the heart of Silver Lake, close to all that this exciting neighborhood has to offer. Property is commercially zoned (buyer to investigate). For more photos and a downloadable flyer Visit: www.1108westerlyterrace.com
Listed for $499,000

New Listing – 9706 Kirkside Road, Beverlywood

2011-06-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

Unmatched value in prime Beverlywood. Short sale. Warm and inviting 5 bedroom with Den, 2.75 bath traditional. Property features 2 fireplaces, eat-in kitchen, private backyard, brick patio, 2-car garage on a lovely Cul-de-sac street. Lots of storage space in large attic. Room for growing or large family. Fantastic opportunity in a terrific location. Short sale negotiator in place.
Visit http://9706kirksideroad.com to see more photos and download a flyer
Listed for $1,150,000

Stunning New Listing – Blocks From Beverly Hills

2011-03-29T21:11:00.001-07:00

1240 S. Corning Street #306

Los Angeles, CA 90035

A breathtakingly remodeled two bedroom, two bath condo centrally located just blocks from Beverly Hills. This top floor unit has been completely rehabbed with remarkable attention to detail. A light-filled living room with soaring ceilings, gorgeous fireplace, and tasteful understated wet bar greet you upon entering. Rich Mahogany hardwood floors grace all of the public spaces. Updated electrical scheme with recessed lighting and high-end rheostats throughout. The master suite features spacious closets, dual sinks, dual shower heads, tub and separate shower stall. Both bathrooms have been meticulously redesigned and configured. The kitchen boasts, stainless steel appliances, lovely ceasarstone counters and custom, designer cabinets and tilework. This condo also comes with in-unit laundry featuring large capacity washer and dryer. A brand new furnace, two underground parking spaces, additional storage, low HOA fees and small community gym round out this fantastic offering. Not to be missed.
Listed for $559,000
Call Anthony Diaz-Perez for showing information (310)777-6230

How to convert a garage…

2011-03-03T15:39:00.001-08:00

In today’s lending environment a great large number of loans are denied because of garage conversions that don’t past appraiser's muster. It used to be that no one cared whether or not a garage had been converted. It was seen as value added. But now, as banks become more conservative, underwriters are reticent to approve loans for homes where a garages may be used for other purposes. Mainly the red flag goes up when things like plumbing and kitchens are installed in garages. It makes appraisers and underwriters squeamish when additional “living space” is bootlegged into a property.

But let’s face it, here in Southern California many, many people’s cars never see the inside of their garages, and garages often become the family storage locker. Some homeowners, in an effort to create extra space, succeed in adding the much needed office, sauna, or bathroom. However, when it comes time to sell they find that the investment in their property pays no dividends. In fact, they may end up paying more by having to undo their project and restore the garage to its former state.

By contrast, some homeowners get it right. My clients Jeff and Frank who I helped purchase this gorgeous 1930 Spanish, recently completed a brilliant conversion on their detached 2-car garage.

Frank is a Pilates instructor and massage therapist. It has been his dream to have an in home studio where he can teach, workout with Jeff, and treat clients. They called me a few months after moving in and asked my opinion on how they could convert the space while not jeopardizing a possible future sale.

What I basically told them was: to make sure that whatever you do never takes away from the functionality of the space as a garage. Don’t get too ambitious and add a bathroom or anything that will make it look like living space. Leave the garage opening available. Even if you remove the garage door, do yourself a favor and make it easy to pop a garage door back on when it comes time to sell.

Granted, I don’t think they will be moving from this great home anytime soon, but they have certainly avoided any future headaches.

Here is the how the garage looked when they purchased the house:

Inside, they installed drywall and enclosed an area that still serves as storage for yard and garden tools,

and hid it behind a mirrored wall.

And in what I think is a great choice, they hung the ceiling leaving a portion of the support beams exposed instead of covering the entire ceiling with sheetrock.

They added handsome sconces on the walls by Troy Lighting. On the floors they laid a rubber gym surface that comes in four foot rolls, made by RB Rubber from Linoleum City. It’s a great surface for their Pilates equipment.

Frank and Jeff removed the old solid wood door and replaced it with Marvin glass sliders from Benchmark in Culver City. The wood accents around the doorway are Oak with Mexican-style “clavos” for effect. They “hatchet-distressed” the fir lintel beam to give it some age. The lantern above the door is made by Artistic Lighting and Designs. All lighting was purchased through Capital Lighting and Wholesale Supply in Culver City.

They now have a terrific Pilates/massage studio/home gym. It is still essentially their garage, but as you can see it’s a hell of a lot more.

January Market Report From C.A.R

2011-02-25T15:02:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 15) – California home sales rose in January, marking three consecutive monthly increases and posting their highest level since May 2010, while the statewide median price declined to its lowest level since June 2009, according to data from the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.).
“With lower home prices and rates edging up from their historic lows of late last year, prospective home buyers should consider the opportunities in today’s market,” said C.A.R. President Beth L. Peerce.

Click here to check out this market report video from C.A.R.

Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 546,420 in January, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local REALTOR® associations and MLSs statewide, representing 90 percent of the market. January’s sales were up 5.1 percent from December’s revised pace of 520,080 and up 2.5 percent from the 532,870 sales pace recorded in January 2010. It was the first year-over-year sales increase since May 2010. The statewide sales figure represents what would be the total number of homes sold during 2011 if sales maintained the January pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.
The statewide median price of an existing, single-family detached home sold in California was $278,900, down 8.6 percent from a revised $305,020 in December and was down 2.0 percent from the $284,600 median price recorded for January 2010. The January 2011 median price was the lowest since June 2009, when it was $274,640.
“Although prices typically fall seasonally in January and February of each year, the decline in the median price can primarily be attributed to the aftereffects of last fall’s foreclosure moratoria,” said C.A.R. Vice President and Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young. “More distressed properties are coming on to the market, which led to an uptick in sales of distressed properties during January. We expect this trend to continue as lenders expedite the disposition of these properties,” she said.
Here are other highlights of C.A.R.’s resale housing report for January 2011:

The Unsold Inventory Index for existing, single-family detached homes was 6.7 months in January, up from 5.0 months in December 2010. The index was 5.7 months in January 2010. The index indicates the number of months needed to deplete the supply of homes on the market at the current sales rate.
Thirty-year fixed-mortgage interest rates averaged 4.76 percent during January 2011, compared with 5.03 percent in January 2010, according to Freddie Mac. Adjustable-mortgage interest rates averaged 3.25 percent in January 2011, compared with 4.33 percent in January 2010.
The median number of days it took to sell a single-family home was 61.8 days in January 2011, compared with 32.9 days for the same period a year ago.
View Unsold Inventory by price point.

Technorati Tags: Market report,California real estate,sales,real estate,Los Angeles real estate

A Midwesterner’s Reflections on Southern California in February

2011-02-21T16:00:00.001-08:00

It’s funny how the brain collects its data by way of the nose. It was fourteen years ago almost to the day that I drove the long and sometimes treacherous 1,800 miles from my former Chicago home to Los Angeles. I escaped the Midwest during a snowstorm and then nearly drove off a mountain road in an Arizona blizzard. But I made it.

Over the years, February and the emergence of the flowering pink Jasmine and aromatic Victorian box trees would bring back the memories of my arrival in LA. Back then, I mistakenly attributed the gorgeous perfume in the air to the ubiquitous bougainvillea plants. It would be some time before I knew from where it came. My impressions of this city in my first months here were a world away from the smoggy LA that I had expected to find.

After last year, the aromas of February will forever be attached to a far greater arrival than my own. My daughter’s birth February 12^th coincides with the sweetness that welcomed me to this beautiful part of the country. And her sweetness has reassigned those smells in my brain’s hard drive. She will grow up a “California girl” and will probably take for granted what makes Southern California such a special place to live.

Now I hate to sound like the chamber of commerce, but why would you want to live anywhere else? While nearly half the country braces for another arctic blast after the latest pile up of snow, our preparations for bad weather consist mainly of remembering where that damn umbrella went, and will it still work after 10 months of hibernation; or is this a “sweater day?”

Yesterday as I went out for my run I was brought to a screeching halt by the breathtaking views of snowcapped San Gabriel Mountains. I paused, and after saying a few private words of gratitude, thought: “Where else in America can you see this and still be just a twenty minute drive to the ocean?”

I don’t know, but I’m glad that our home here in LA is one of those places.

Oh yeah and there’s this good news:
Luxury home sales jump 21% in California
Homefront Los Angeles Blog: Feb 10th
Homefront Los Angeles Blog: Jan. 19th

Cheaper to buy than to rent in 72% of largest U.S. cities

2011-02-10T14:28:00.001-08:00

Trulia: Former homeowners flooding rental market

By Inman News, Monday, January 24, 2011.
Via Inman News™

Despite the rising number of renters across the country, it is cheaper to buy a home rather than rent one in 72 percent of the 50 largest cities in the U.S., according to an index released by real estate search and marketing site Trulia.

"Since the start of the 'Great Recession,' many former homeowners have flooded the rental market. Following the principles of supply and demand, renting has become relatively more expensive than buying in most markets," said Pete Flint, CEO and co-founder of Trulia, in a statement.

"Though necessary for achieving true economic recovery, stricter bank lending practices have also further aggravated the struggling housing market in the short term. Even highly qualified homebuyers face intense scrutiny on their income, savings, existing debt and credit history before they can get a mortgage loan."

Trulia's rent vs. buy index compares the median list price with the median rent on two-bedroom apartments, condominiums and townhomes listed on Trulia.com as of Jan. 10, 2011.

A price-to-rent ratio of 1 to 15 means that it's much cheaper to buy than to rent in a particular city. A ratio between 16 and 20 means that it's more expensive to rent than to buy, but, depending on the family's situation, buying could "make financial sense," the site said. Any ratio above 20 indicates that owning is much more costly than renting in a city.

In 36 out of 50 of the country's most populous cities, buying a two-bedroom home is less expensive than renting one. These cities include many areas that have been hit hard by foreclosures, such as Las Vegas, Phoenix and Fresno, Calif.

Read the full article Here:

Are prices down in LA?.. No they are not!

2011-01-19T11:40:00.000-08:00

Median Sales Prices For Single Family Homes in 25 selected areas

The news here is good. In only seven out of these 25 areas do we see reductions in the median sales price, and out of those 7 only 3 areas (Brentwood, West Hollywood and Malibu) show reductions in the the double digits. That leaves eighteen of the most popular areas of LA showing positive growth in this challenging economy. This data while representing only a portion of the LA metro area supports what I previously reported in this blog (via the Washington post) that prices are rose slightly last year in the LA, SF, SD and the Washington DC areas, while prices nationally continue to drop or are flat.

2010 Compared with 2009 and percent change

Area	2010	2009	% +/-
Beverly Hills	$3,200,000	$2,900,000	+10.3%
Beverly Hills P.O.	$1,850,000	$1,699,999	+8.8%
Sunset Strip – Hwood Hills	$1,200,000	$1,200,000	+0.0%
Bel Air/Holmby	$1,590,000	$1,550,000	+2.5%
Westwood - Century City	$1,300,000	$1,300,000	+0.0%
Brentwood	$1,723,885	$2,057,500	-19.3%
West L.A.	$697,500	$665,000	+4.8%
Cheviot Hills/ Rancho Park	$1,200,000	$1,249,500	-4.1%
Beverlywood Vicinity	$800,000	$778,000	+2.8%
West Hollywood	$760,000	$850,000	-11.8%
Venice	$975,000	$980,000	-0.05%
Marina Del Rey	$1,550,000	$1,225,000	+18.3%
Palms - Mar Vista	$740,000	$700,000	+5.7%
Santa Monica	$1,634,000	$1,579,000	+3.4%
Pacific Palisades	$1,815,000	$1,930,000	+5.9%
Hancock Park	$982,500	$905,000	+8.0%
Beverly Center-Miracle M	$905,000	$880,000	+2.8%
Hollywood	$453,500	$413,000	+9.6%
Silver Lake/Echo Park	$600,000	$600,000	+0.0%
Los Feliz	$931,250	$920,000	+1.2%
Westchester	$670,000	$679,000	-1.3%
Hollywood Hills East	$922,500	$950,000	-2.9%
Playa Del Rey	$1,000,000	$940,500	+6.3%
Malibu Beach	$4,100,000	$6,150,000	-50.0%
Malibu	$1,725,000	$1,717,845	+0.04%

Los Angeles, San Fran, San Diego and Washington D.C. region post gains as home prices still falling in most U.S. cities

2010-12-30T16:08:00.000-08:00

While this article paints a dismal picture of the national real estate market, there is some good news for our region…See below and click the link to the article.

Of the 20 major metropolitan areas tracked by the Case-Shiller index, only three regions aside from Washington posted year-over-year gains: Los Angeles, San Diego and San Franciso.

Washington region posts gains as home prices still falling in most U.S. cities

Frank Zappa On The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson 4/3/1986

2010-12-21T20:36:00.000-08:00

Two true icons of the late 20th century sitting down and chatting

I have been a huge fan of Frank Zappa’s music for a long time. It seems fitting to post this on FZ’s birthday. RIP Frank. Thanks for all the music. This is a two part interview. Part one is posted here, you can follow the link at the end of the video to part 2.

One Of My Favorite Radio Shows - WNYC’s Radiolab

2010-12-15T17:09:00.001-08:00

I absolutely love WNYC’s Radiolab. If you dig stuff like This American Life (the best show on Radio) you will love Radiolab. If you love animals then you’ll love this story.
If you love this story. Share this blog post with a friend. Enjoy!
The player above will play the full program, but the story that I love is begins at the 3:57 mark. I recommend just sitting back and listening to the intro to the show. They set it up very nicely. The story that I love follows the intro.

NoHo Arts District Rentals – Available December 1st – 3 bedroom and 2 bedroom with bonus space

2010-11-16T17:01:00.001-08:00

Gorgeous Newly restored 3 Bedroom 2 bath Craftsman with private yard, formal dining room, covered rear patio, lovely landscaping, Central heat and AC, alarm system. washer /dryer, Brand new everything. 1 car Garage, and additional off street parking. Pets will be considered. Offered at $2,500/month.

View Full Album

Recently remodeled classic California cottage. Spacious 2 bedroom with a loft, and over 150 extra sq ft of bonus space. New kitchen, new bath, AC, washer /dryer, private secure rear yard. 2 parking spaces. Pets will be considered. Offered at $1,800/month

View Full Album

Easy to show. Email Anthony – anthony@anthonydp.com

www.anthonydp.com has launched!

2010-11-11T15:59:00.000-08:00

Introducing the all new anthonydp.com! Your one-stop spot for Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and Westside real estate. Easy navigation, elegant, simple design, integrated MLS search tool. Click the link above and check it out.

Some Photos Taken Around Town

2010-11-03T14:33:00.000-07:00

A message to my wife...

Cement Imprint

Homefront September Newsletter is now available online

2010-09-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

This month's newsletter is now available. Click the link below. Feel free to share it online, or click the link at the top of the page to join the email list.

Follow this link:
HOMEFRONT SEPTEMBER 2010 EDITION

Just how low are interest rates?

2010-09-21T21:28:00.001-07:00

Pretty Damn low. Check out this graph:

Via www.mortgage-x.com

If we just compare rates in June of this year to the present we find a drop off of .37% on a 30-year fixed mortgage, while 15-year fixed loans are .38% lower.

On a $500,000 loan, that amounts to a savings of about $1,900 per year.

Just Sold - 3253 Benda Street, Hollywood Knolls

2010-08-09T16:22:00.000-07:00

1937 Hollywood Knolls traditional with modern appeal. 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths plus wonderful gallery-like den/office with high ceilings. Stylish and tranquil house ffeaturing crown moldings, hardwood floors, newer double paned windows, copper plumbing, remote controlled lighting, and a cool vibe. Great outdoor spaces - front view deck off the living room, secluded brick courtyard, side patio and grass yard. Tuck under attached garage with storage/workshop area. Terrific house on a lovely leafy hillside street.

Just Sold - 1815 Ridgeley, Mid-City

2010-07-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

Lovingly renovated Mid-City Spanish, wonderful curb appeal, open floor plan with great layout, lots of natural light, and an expansive oasis-like backyard that has been fully landscaped. Brimming with character this home features:

Refinished oak hardwood floors, Moorish arched window,coved ceilings, crystal doorknobs and restored doors/hardware,Italian butterfly granite counters in kitchen, new cabinetry, and remodeled bathrooms with authentic Mexican tiling, French doors, redwood deck, private lanai, tankless hot water heater, copper plumbing, and restored Spanish tile roof.
Sold For $535,000

Just Sold - 938 Palm Ave #10, West Hollywood

2010-07-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

Terrific price, spectacular location for this stunning West Hollywood condo. Two bedroom, 2 bath second floor unit in small pool building in the heart of prime WeHo, north of Santa Monica Blvd. Features include: open floor plan with newer Australian Merbau hardwood floors, designer kitchen with stainless steel appliances, 4 skylights, enormous master bedroom suite with Jacuzzi tub, and spacious closet, in-unit laundry, large dining room, recessed lighting, 2 side by side parking spaces and additional storage locker, building boasts a lovely, private pool area. No need to drive anywhere, this great home is walking distance to great shops, restaurants, bars, and grocery stores.

Listed For $485,000

Sold For $475,000

Click here to see the video tour

Click Here for the virtual tour

Coldwell Banker's Annual Awards Announced

2010-05-05T17:09:00.000-07:00

Last month I was awarded membership in the Coldwell Banker’s International Diamond Society, a level achieved by only the top 5 percent of the approximately 96,600 sales associates worldwide in the Coldwell Banker® system. This marks the second year in a row that I have been given an award, and this is a step up from last year’s Sterling Society award. It comes with the accolades of the company's CEO.

“Coldwell Banker is recognized as a leader in the real estate industry because of professionals like Anthony Diaz-Perez,” said Jim Gillespie, president and chief executive officer of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “Anthony has been given the International Diamond Society Award because of his outstanding dedication to helping customers recognize the value of real estate as a long term investment and finding the home that’s right for them.”

I am honored by this recognition. It is nice to have the appreciation of my company, but what matters most is the appreciation and loyalty of my clients, without whom I could never have achieved this award.

Just Sold - 5506 76th Street, Weschester

2010-04-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

Located in the Osage heights area of Westchester - This spacious 3 bedroom 2 bath, 1400 square foot home boasts gleaming hardwood floors, permitted master suite and two story garage/office additions, den, sun porch, and lots of closet space. Close to the Westchester charter school on a quiet residential street.
Sold For $596,000

Great New Condo Listing - 938 Palm Avenue #10, West Hollywood

2010-02-27T15:34:00.000-08:00

Terrific price, spectacular location for this stunning West Hollywood condo. Two bedroom, 2 bath second floor unit in small pool building in the heart of prime WeHo, north of Santa Monica Blvd. Features include: open floor plan with newer Australian Merbau hardwood floors, designer kitchen with stainless steel appliances, 4 skylights, enormous master bedroom suite with Jacuzzi tub, and spacious closet, in-unit laundry, large dining room, recessed lighting, 2 side by side parking spaces and additional storage locker, building boasts a lovely, private pool area. No need to drive anywhere, this great home is walking distance to great shops, restaurants, bars, and grocery stores.

Listed For $485,000

Click here to see the video tour

Click Here for the virtual tour

Friday Morning, Inglewood

2010-02-08T21:07:00.000-08:00

Shipping Container Dwellings Strike Again!

2010-02-03T12:59:00.000-08:00

Via Curbed LA

I have already posted on modular shipping containers homes. It seems that even the Boy Scouts of America know sustainability. Curbed LA covers the architectural firm Gensler's replacing of the cabins that southern California scouts use on Catalina Island with sustainable shipping container structures. Check out the story here.

Massive Solar Power Project Proposed For Owens Valley

2010-02-03T11:27:00.000-08:00

Many of you already know the rich and troubled history behind the city of LA and more specifically the Dept of Water and Power (LADWP) and the Owens Valley. For those of you who don't, the short version is: every drop of water that we get originated from the Owens river. The Los Angeles aqueduct, the brainchild of William Mulholland, delivers water from the the eastern Sierras into the DWP system. The growth and expansion of the San fernando Valley and the LA basin can be attributed to Mulholland's acheivement.

An impressive feat of engineering on the one hand, but a painful chapter in the lives of those Owens Valley residents who saw their environment completely change, and not for the better. The eco-system of Owens lake was obliterated and the valley now struggles with dust storms that result from the drying of the landscape.

There may be a happy ending to this sad tale with the recent news that the DWP has Proposed an enormous photovoltaic solar project at Owens lake. The proposed project, when completed, would span an area the size of Cleveland, Ohio. If approved, the resulting sustainable energy and green jobs that it would create, may be a gift that keeps on giving for the locals.

The DWP will need to enlist local support and repair the trust (if it ever existed)between the community and the Los Angeles municipal government. Given the history of the past 100 years that may be the biggest hurdle of all.

See the Los Angeles Time article here.

DataQuick Releases December Sales Figures - Market Has Improved Since December 2008

2010-01-21T16:09:00.000-08:00

MDA Dataquick has just put out the December 2009 sales figures. Sales in the Southland rose 12.1% when compared with sales in December 2008. Their findings also indicate that the medain sales price has risen in each of the last eight months.

Trending upwards? Perhaps. Read the article HERE.

New Favorite Website - Lovelylisting.com

2010-01-20T15:29:00.000-08:00

Sara Lorimer is your host and commentator for some of the most intriguingly weird, tasteless, and hilarious real estate photos taken from Multiple listing services from around the world. She's really very funny.

Via Lovelisting.com

Check it out:

http://www.lovelylisting.com/

90 Day Flip Rule Waived - Good News For Homebuyers and Investors

2010-01-19T10:26:00.001-08:00

In an effort to stimulate more sales and stabilize the real estate market the Department of Housing and Urban Development, better known as HUD, has waived the "90-day flip rule."

The rule was put in place to protect buyers from predatory speculators who would purchase properties on the cheap, make low cost cosmetic repairs, and place the houses back on the market in an effort to pull a large profit. Many innocent buyers were left with substandard homes, and little recourse to the mitigating of damages. HUD, which oversees the FHA government insured mortgage program has not allowed FHA financing for homes that seller have owned for less than 90 days.

That rule will now be waived for the next year. Effective February 1, 2010 any buyer acquiring financing with an FHA mortgage can purchase any property regardless of how long it has been owned by the seller. This change will allow many buyers, a lot of them first-timers, to choose from the entire inventory of available homes. It will also allow many investors to quickly turn around rehabbed properties, and get them sold. The safeguard from the scumbags out there, of course will be your licensed REALTOR! Choose wisely.

The effect this will have may help stabilize pricing and create more activity in the housing market. Another potential result will be to revitalize blighted neighborhoods in areas where vacant properties are rampant.

See the press release from HUD here

Element Live/Work Lofts Marina Del Rey - 6 Units Back On Market

2010-01-08T13:31:00.000-08:00

All 41 units sold during the December 13th court-ordered auction. After some delays, due to auctioneer errors, the average price per square foot came out to $415/sqft. The average overbid was $124,879.

Now that the dust has settled on the auction, as expected some of these units have already fallen out of escrow. They are now being offered on the open-market (refreshing no?) at the final auction sales prices.

The complex is a great build if you are a loft fan. The floor plans are bright, open and include Viking appliances, Ceasarstone counters, dual-sink bathrooms with large shower areas, dual showerheads and separate over-sized tub, generous balconies, polished concrete flooring. Each unit comes with 2 parking spaces, and there is a fitness center on site.

There are now 6 units available at the following prices.

Unit 201 $479,400 -- 1,070 sqft ($448/sqft)
Unit 207 $438,600 -- 1,270 sqft ($345/sqft)
Unit 409 $462,060 -- 1,070 Sqft ($432/sqft)
Unit 510 $448,800 -- 910 sqft ($493/sqft)
Unit 511 $518,160 -- 920 sqft ($563/sqft)
Unit 512 $805,800 -- 1,560 sqft ($516/sqft)

My opinion is that units 207 and 409 represent some of the better deals in the area for new construction boasting top-of-the-line amenities.

Have you seen these units? What's your opinion?

Curbed LA's Ugliest Houses of 2009 - Some of them even sold!

2009-12-31T11:04:00.000-08:00

Yes, a house is still a home, but these are some UGLY properties. Check out Curbed LA's review of the year's worst...err, best ugly houses.

Has The Market Stabilized? Examining L.A. County Sales

2009-12-22T13:16:00.000-08:00

The following three images are graphic depictions of market trends since December 1st 2008. They are based on data taken from the Greater Los Angeles and Westside MLS:

NOTE: Please click on the images for better reading/viewing. The dark bars represent the median sales price and the lighter bars represent the median list price.

This first graph examines houses sold with a price between $200,000 and $700,000.The median sale price has basically remained steady. The median sales price for December 2008 was $350,000. Twelve months later the Median sales price was $355,000. A slight rise in price which may have more to do with first-time home buyers angling to close before the previous tax credit deadline than an upward trend.

This graph displays homes sold with a purchase price between $701,000 and $2 Million. In this price category we see a drop of $85,000 between December 08' and November 09'. It's interesting to note that last December these home were closing at 97% of their list price. A year later we see a 85% difference in median sold to median list price.

In this last graph we take a look at condo sales between $200-700,000. Here, much like the single family homes in this price category, we see a slight rise of $5,000 over the twelve monthe from December of last year through November of this year. Interesting to note that sellers of these homes seem to be asking for more and getting less than they were 12 months ago.

Modular Homes Made From Shipping Containers

2009-12-17T12:25:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you but I sometimes wonder about how many shipping containers there are floating around in the world. You know, those rectangular steel boxes that you see unloaded from cargo ship and either attached to railroad cars or dropped on the back of semis.

Consider all the goods manufactured in China and shipped to ports in North America. Some estimate that there are around 18 million containers in use each year. That's a mind-blowing number.

Well, thousands of those sturdy steel containers are retired every year. Some very clever forward-thinking builders have begun using these containers as the building blocks to create prefab dwellings. Check out this posting From The Daily Green. By using existing structures like these, builders can reduce their construction costs by about 50%. If you've ever been down near the port of LA there are acres of these containers blighting the landscape due to our nation's trade deficit with China. More good are coming into the ports than we are shipping out.

Here's a 2006 Video reported by CNN:

Castillo Del Lago LA Landmark For Sale

2009-12-16T20:19:00.001-08:00

I finally got a chance to view the magnificent former home of Bugsy Siegel and Madonna. It is currently on the market for $9,995,000. A steal given that it was listed in April for over $14 million. Yes, the market has taken a dive at all price points.

It is really something else. I could have stayed there all day. To see the MLS profile click here.

You enter the property and take either an elevator or walk up spiralling staircase to reach the reception level. After that, thanks to the glorious renovation undertaken by the current owners you are transported to 1926 when this estate was built. There are hidden rooms and grotto-like hideaways, and the views of Lake Hollywoood are stunning. The detailing in the tile, wood and stone work, are outstanding.

Interesting factoid: Their are still bullet holes in a wood railing above the living room from when the LAPD raided back in the 30s. This is not the home where Bugsy Siegel met his demise. That house is in Beverly Hills.