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We are so inundated with bad information what is one to do?
We are inundated with so much bad information, what is one to do? Observations about various things. There are so many internet portals, news media platforms that seem to have credibility, but they manage to provide bad information without any fact checking. What are we to do? How do we separate reality from fiction? No this is not a’ Political Post’, it is just an observation about bad information that could have been easily fact checked. My post was inspired by an article I read on Realtor dot com. The author made herself an “expert” about Frank Lloyd Wright homes. This is a contrarian post to that specific article, I just read on the internet. Keep in mind I live in Los Angeles and have been a Beverly Hills Realtor for 22+ years in the local market. I have always been fascinated with the fact that there are so many Frank Lloyd Wright homes that exist in Los Angeles. Hence, I followed the listing and sales history, just as a personal curiosity. Now keep in mind the author of this article is a food, wellness, and home writer. Her work has been featured in Healthyish, Prevention.com, Lifehacker, She Knows, and CafeMom It amazes me that she writes a Featured Article on Realtor dot Com and no one decides to “fact check her”. I totally disagree with her post as well as her message. People that can afford to buy Frank Lloyd Wright homes buy them as a piece of Art. Just to give you an example: there was a Frank Lloyd Wright home collector and he had more than four that I know of. He bought it not for profit but for his love of the Architect. Most of the buyers of Frank Lloyd Wright homes are not looking to make a profit, rather they buy them to preserve them and pass it on to future generations to the public and other Frank Lloyd Wright fans. Now with that said I remember when Ron Buerkle bought the virtual teardown home for about $4+ million dollars. We in the Real Estate Community were thrilled that he would bring it back to life. Yes, after he spent depending on who you talk to $10- $17 million dollars fixing it up. At some point in time he decided to put it on the market and sell it. Just to be clear this property has been on the market for 402 days as of this writing unlike what the author claimed well here it is check on the Days On Market for being transparent I am enclosing the link 2607 GLENDOWER AVE LOS ANGELES CA 90027 In case you can not see it here is the cut and paste of the listing dates: Contract Info DOM 402 List Date 07-09-2018 List Price $23,000,000 Orig List Price $23,000,000 Status Date 07-09-2018 Change Date/Type 04-09-2019 / Extended Sale Type Standard Here is the article in case you are interested, that I am writing the contrarian post about… https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/secret-curse-of-owning-a-frank-lloyd-wright-house?identityID=7855981&MID=2019_0816_WeeklyNL&RID=314075502&cid=eml_promo_Marketing_NonPRSL_WeeklyNL_cons.10918622_2019_0816_WeeklyNL-blog1franklloydwright-blogs_trends Claiming to have a property listed 30 days ago vs the reality of 402 days is just plain wrong. Where are the editors??? So, you might say what is your point?? Not trying to be nasty, I just want you to be cautious as to what you read on...
read moreTime Flies! Looking Back on Ten Years A Perspective by Endre Barath, Jr. Beverly Hills, Pet Friendly Realtor
This post was inspired by one of my Active Rain friends, Jeff D. Jeff asked us to reflect on and share at least 10 changes that took place in our lives during the past 10 years. Many who know me know that I am all about forward thinking and moving forward, rather than living in or looking back at the past. Yet, thanks to Jeff’s inspiration, I decided to journey back and see what took place the past 10 years of our lives. I am intentionally omitting the loss of both my and Diane’s parents as well as and animals and instead am focusing on “events” that took place in our lives, while also recalling some memorable events that took place around the globe. Without further ado: 2009: I was at the beginning stages of my journey on becoming a blogger. I abandoned my trusted typewriter for my first laptop . The global economy had just tanked, and as a Realtor I was striving to get my name out to the World Wide Web. My intent was to get referrals from this social platform known as Active Rain. I did not have the burning desire to become a real estate ‘writer’. Rather, I wanted referrals to specifically be known to buyers and sellers in the greater Los Angeles area. This change was new for me and it was the beginning of a long and interesting journey. Quite unexpectedly, I formed new (and what would become long) friendships. We exchanged ideas and yes, even picked up a few referrals. I realized just how vast a network the world wide web reached when international buyers and sellers found me due to my various blog posts. In January of that same year, CPT Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger landed US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River, thereby saving the lives of all 155 people aboard. 2010: A roller coaster of a year. I had listed and sold quite a few single-family homes in the greater Los Angeles area, as well as a couple of duplexes on LA’s West Side. My regular readers think of me as the international “go to” Realtor in Beverly Hills and vicinity. Contrary to popular belief, I do also sell homes, not just vacant lots, although my name does pop into the minds of most who are considering buying or selling vacant land in the Greater Los Angeles area. All these accomplishments were amplified by the World Wide Web. In December, I flew to Hungary and closed out a chapter in my life. The internet was helpful in keeping my business manageable, and I was able to sell a vacant lot despite losing and replacing my Blackberry on this particular trip. This was the same year that Julian Assange of WikiLeaks fame was arrested in London, England and the beginning of his complicated journey. 2011: I started to really grasp all that blogging entailed. I wrote many posts, and one in particular about “wood burning fireplaces in Los Angeles” continues to generate inquiries even today. Not wanting to embellish, I can safely say I’ve had more calls and emails from this post than any other post I have written. This was also the year that the most notorious terrorist was killed by Seal Team Six! 2012: I changed Brokers...
read moreSummer Fun in Beverly Hills, CA
Summer Fun in Beverly Hills, CA. Beverly Hills is considered the “destination place” for many people from all over the globe. Tourists come to see many “attractions”, but the number one attraction is of course ‘Rodeo Drive’. Although Rodeo Drive is about two miles long most people are only focused on about three blocks of it. That is from Santa Monica Boulevard South to Wilshire Blvd. There was a time when the visitors would hope to run into some of the “Hollywood Celebrities”. The reality is the only celebrities you see, this part of town are the ones “who want to be seen”. Most are usually hidden behind the gates of their palatial mansions moving from point A to point B in darkened windows of the SUV’s that are driven by their trusted chauffeurs and bodyguards unnoticed by the tourists. The second most popular tourist attraction in Beverly Hills is clearly the Beverly Hills Sign North of Santa Monica Boulevard. The Mayor of Beverly Hills can often be seen doing a VLOG and he is enjoying the hundreds of thousands of visitors that are checking him out. Funny part about it is most of these visitors have no idea who he is and why is he doing a VLOG? They just know he must be a celebrity of sorts. There are many other attractions in Beverly Hills and not wanting to slight anyone all I can say is too many to name. If you forced me and said, Endre do not be politically correct what would the third place be? Well, if you force me, I must say it would be “The Shops”. They become a tourist destination place for many to be photographed in front or inside the shops. There are many people who will go home with happy memories of standing in front of these shops without stepping inside of them. Others will take advantage of buying some very expensive, clothing, handbags, shoes and the list goes on and on. To many tourists Beverly Hills has been on their “Bucket list” to visit and shop or just window shop. Those who have read my posts consistently know that I am very grateful to be able to say that my Real Estate Office is on 131 South Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, CA. I never take it for granted and I always appreciate what I have. Virtually every International Client that I have represented insisted on visiting my office, although I prefer lunch or dinner with them outside the office. Nevertheless, I smile when I see them take selfies and pictures of the front of my office as well as inside. It is all part of the fun. Now if you would like to be represented by a fun Beverly Hills Agent who calls Rodeo Drive as his place of work please reach out to me directly! Looking for a knowledgeable, focused and goal-oriented Realtor in the Beverly Hills area who will help you achieve your Real Estate goals? Please reach out to me directly! If you are looking for a pet friendly Beverly Hills Realtor who can handle and sell the most difficult properties that no one else could, please reach out to me directly!! If you are considering buying or selling a home, a luxury home, luxury investment real...
read moreHappy Independence Day! Wishing you a Safe Celebration!
Our Flag is flying high and we are celebrating our Freedom and wishing you a Happy Independence Day! Happy July 4th week! Believe it or not, 2019 is now half over. In summary, the first 6 months of the year have been a bit of a roller coaster for real estate in the greater Los Angeles area. In spite of mixed messages, here are a few facts we can celebrate as America approaches her birthday: The Department Of Labor reported that the weekly initial jobless claims fell to 196,000. This is the lowest number since 1969. It’s worth noting that in 1969, there were approximately 202 million people in the U.S. As of this writing, that number is up to approximately 327 million, so the jobless claim number is even more impressive. For those that have been concerned about recession earlier this year, in my opinion it is highly unlikely that we will see a recession in 2019 since the labor market is strengthening. Then of course there is the concern over interest rates. To clarify, consumer confidence and jobs help buy homes more than low interest rates. On this 4th of July holiday, please remember this is NOT a fun holiday for your pet(s). The loud bangs of fireworks are terrifying for them. Keep your pets inside and in your sight until the festivities are over. Consider playing classical music and/or having the TV on for them. The already overcrowded shelters will be overrun with lost pets, and you don’t want yours to be one of them. With all this said, I wish you (and your pets if you have them) a safe and relaxing 4th of July. Looking for a knowledgeable, focused and goal-oriented Realtor in the Beverly Hills area who will help you achieve your Real Estate goals? Please reach out to me directly! If you are looking for a pet friendly Beverly Hills Realtor who can handle and sell the most difficult properties that no one else could, please reach out to me directly!! If you are considering buying or selling a home, a luxury home, luxury investment real estate, luxury vacation homes, or luxury beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu, feel free to contact me at 310.486.1002 (m) or homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com I contribute a portion of my commission to local animal rescue organizations. ...
read moreTop five first time home buyer questions in Los Angeles, CA
Over the years, these were the top five first time home buyer questions, I have been asked in the greater Los Angeles area. Now, in no specific order, let me list them and then address each of them: How safe is the neighborhood? What will the annual taxes be on this home? How much will I have to pay per month for the mortgage? What is the interest rate going to be on my loan? How much will my home be worth in seven years? Clearly these questions sound simple, but they are not that easy to answer in a sentence or two. Most first-time home buyers need, what I consider additional patience and even some hand holding. The extra kindness and caring will make the purchasing process so much smoother. How Safe is the neighborhood? This is not a loaded question; it is a legitimate concern. The issue is it is a subjective matter. Different people have varied tolerance to what they perceive as safe vs. unsafe. I always advise my buyers to drive by the area in the evening, weekends as well as weekdays to determine their comfort level. I also suggest checking with the local police department as to what the crime statistics are. Interestingly this is not just asked by Relocation Clients. Keep in mind Los Angeles consists of about sixty square miles of area and often first-time home buyers leave the comfort zone of where they were renting to a different area to purchase, because of affordability reasons. What will the annual taxes be on this home? Well this depends on where the property is located, it makes a difference if it is in Beverly Hills, Culver City or Los Angeles to name a few areas. Clearly a safe number without looking at the actual location is around 1-1.25% of the purchase price. Thanks to Proposition 13, our tax obligation is determined by the purchase price. There after minor tax increases are permitted based on inflation. This is probably the easiest question to answer from all five. How much will I have to pay per month for the mortgage? This question I prefer the lender to answer. Clearly deferring, because it all depends on a variety of factors. One factor, which has the largest influence on this is, how much will the down payment is the mortgage amount itself. It has a huge impact on the size of the monthly payment. Other factors include what type of loan it is and the list goes on and on. Not wanting to forget the interest rate influences this amount as well. What is the interest rate going to be on my loan? This question also requires a more complex answer. The short answer is it depends on your credit rating, coupled with the income you can generate. Also, it depends how large are your outstanding loan balances, to name a few. Again I defer the buyers to the Mortgage lender to get a better answer. How much will my home be worth in seven years? I always joke yes I was born in Hungary, but I am not a Gypsy and I do not have a Chrystal Ball as to what your home is going to be worth in seven years. One thing I can share...
read moreADU’s also known as Accessory Dwelling Units: The Hottest Craze in Los Angeles!
ADU’s also known as Accessory Dwelling Units. They are indeed the hottest craze in Los Angeles. In my observation, there are a few key pitfalls that you should avoid, when it comes to building an ADU’s. ADU’s are truly awesome: As a Los Angeles Realtor, I am all for adding ADU’s to your home. Someone who lives in Westchester, CA. 90045, I see the benefit of the additional space. If you live in a modest home ADU’s can add a huge benefit. When it comes to living square feet, to be able to add additional living square feet to your home is clearly a plus. There are some key points to consider before you jump on the bandwagon. First and foremost, please build the ADU with permits. Second, have your Architect or Contractor design it, by having interior access to the main house. These two points are critical, because when the time comes to sell your home you do not want to be surprised. In my opinion, should you decide to build the ADU without permits, for all practical purposes, you might as well not have it. Appraisers and Insurance Carriers do not consider the square feet as part of the original living square feet if it was not built by permits. Keep in mind, if you do not have direct access from the main house to the ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit), then you can not include the living square feet to the total size of the house. This could be a huge surprise when you are ready to sell your home. Just as an example, most ADU’s are about four to five hundred square feet additions. Let us use an example: If your neighborhood is selling around $700-$800 a square foot that in simple mathematics could be a $280,000 -$400,000 price difference, when it comes to accessing your homes value. Alternatively, should you decide to only take half my advice think again. By building the ADU with permits and not creating a direct access to the main house, it will cost you. The ADU’s value would be comparable to a fancy “shed”,even if it was just newly built. In my market, that is Westchester, CA 90045, that would be around $10,000-$25,000. Another drawback, by to not having the ADU’s done with permits could be a problem during the sale of your home. Clearly you cannot have a stove or a toilet in the addition if it is un-permitted. Therefore, when it comes time to sell you need to hide it from the Appraisers. Let’s face it there is a stigma with doing things without permits. The perception is that it was a chewing gum addition rather than done by professional craftsmen up to current code. This in turn would make your home harder to sell. Accessory Dwelling UnitsLooking for a knowledgeable, focused and goal-oriented Realtor in the Beverly Hills area who will help you achieve your Real Estate goals? Please reach out to me directly! If you are looking for a pet friendly Beverly Hills Realtor who can handle and sell the most difficult properties that no one else could, please reach out to me directly!! If you are considering buying or selling a home, a luxury home, luxury investment real estate, luxury vacation homes, or luxury beach...
read moreReal Estate Market Report for Los Feliz, CA. 90027
Real Estate Market Report for Los Feliz, CA. 90027 The Single-Family Market in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles has been cooling over the past few months. Prices flattened out. Despite that if you look at the current rate of sale versus the amount of inventory you will notice that despite this Los Feliz is still in a Seller’s Market. I attribute this phenomenon to the significant demand and that there is little inventory available. The 90027-zip code is famous for having modest size lots compared to other parts of Los Angeles. Land is at a premium. There are virtually no homes on lots larger than a half an acre of land. On the other hand, there are some premium priced homes that are virtually inside Griffith Park and it gives the feel as if your back yard is Griffith Park, which consists of approximately 4310 acres of land. This in turn is the largest Urban Park in North America. Check out one my posts where I have written about it ( http://actvra.in/4Qsr ) As of this writing: The Median List Price is: $1,995,000.00 The Average Days on Market (DOM) is 124 There are currently 53 homes on the Market The Asking Price Per Square Foot is $695 The most Expensive Listing is: $6.195,000.00 The Least Expensive Listing is: $730,000.00 Breaking the down the properties into four Quartiles the numbers become very interesting: The First Quartile of the Market or the top .25%: The Median Price is $3,997,000 and the median living sq. ft. is approximately 5,020 and it sits on 0.25 -0.50 acres of land consisting of 5 bedrooms and 4 baths. The average Days on Market is around 218 (DOM). The Second Quartile of the Market or the second .25%: The Median Price is $2,395,000 and the median living sq. ft. is approximately 3,650 and it sits on 6500-8,000 sq. ft. of land consisting of 4 bedrooms and 4 baths. The average Days on Market is around 103 (DOM). The Third Quartile of the Market or the third .25%: The Median Price is $1,599,000 and the median living sq. ft. is approximately 2,600 and it sits on 6500-8000 sq. ft. of land consisting of 4 bedrooms and 3 baths. The average Days on Market is around 78 (DOM). The Fourth Quartile of the Market of the bottom .25%: The Median Price is $1,172,500 and the median living sq. ft. is approximately 1810 and it sits on 1000 – 4500 sq. ft. of land and generally had 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. The average Days on Market is around 100 (DOM). ...
read moreWhen is the best time to buy a home?
When is the best time to buy a home? The age old question has been debated since the time people started buying and selling homes. There has been many varied opinions and rationalizations about this subject. Hence I decided to share my advice and shed light on this age old question. My advice is based on 20+ years of selling Real Estate. The best time to buy a home is when there is less competition. This statement might seem simplistic never the less it is very true. Let’s face it, there are many factors, number of choices of homes as well as price ranges which are always fluctuating no matter when you start your search to buy a home. There is one constant, when there are more people buying the buyer is at a disadvantage. On the other hand when there are fewer buyers, than the buyer has the advantage. Just to be clear, it does not matter whether it is a sellers or a buyers’ market. So with that said the best time to buy is during the Holiday Season. Most people especially buyers and sellers focus on the Holidays, instead of the buying or selling of a home. Therefore, from Thanksgiving to the New Year we are more focused on other aspects of our lives and the home buying process is on the back burner for most people. Traditionally my Real Estate Activity from November to January consists of helping the more serious and focused buyers and sellers, strictly because they are the only ones who are contacting me at this time period of the year. It is actually nice, because I do not have to sort through and determine who are the professional lookers or those who are just beginning to contemplate the idea of buying vs. the ones that are ready to buy. Sellers are just as focused, they are ready to sell, not just test the market. They want or need to sell therefore they appreciate serious buyers as well. No need to prepare the home for “lookers” they are preparing for the showings knowing that there are serious buyers out there. Keep in mind there are other great times to buy and sell, in my experience I found that the Holidays are always the best time. Just to give you an example the same strategy works on Long Weekends like Labor Day, Memorial Day and Fourth of July too. The holiday distractions favor the serious buyers. If you are considering buying or selling a home, a luxury home, luxury investment real estate, luxury vacation homes, or luxury beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu, feel free to contact me at me at 10.486.1002 (m) or homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com. I am a pet friendly realtor and I contribute a portion of my commission to local animal rescue organizations. ...
read moreThanksgiving: I challenge you to rediscover the “Joy” of this Holliday! Have a Happy Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving: I challenge you to rediscover the ‘Joy ‘of this Holliday! Have a Happy Thanksgiving! 2015! I look back over the years and reflect on the wonderful memories that I had and recall fondly being with family and friends at this particular Holiday. It has always been a favorite holiday of mine. This is such an “American” holiday. It conjures up images of the Pilgrims sitting down to a feast with the local Indians. I recall funny moments being shared at the Dinner Table, Kitchen Preparations and some of the disasters we all laughed about. It brings me back memories of a less hustle and bustle time. An era of no smart phones, no internet, instead of shared stories of moments and family histories around the dinner table and in the living room as well as in the kitchen. It brings back to me a time of carefully planned, prepared expansive assortment of foods and the mouthwatering side dishes and snacks, but the best part was hanging out with family and friends. Sadly many are not hear anymore except in our hearts and in our photo albums, you know the printed as well as the digital versions. This holiday allows me to feel extra Patriotic as well as being a proud home owner. The moments that we experienced and created in our homes were so meaningful. Weather that home was a two story house, or a one story house, weather it was a triplex or a duplex it did not matter, what was important to me, that we were with the ones that meant the most to us. As I look back I also see how the times changed and I started preparing and cooking the Thanksgiving Dinners as well as checking my emails, never the less this holiday remains very special to me. I have always felt that the business world and the shopping malls and stores have disrespected this holiday, by not giving enough attention to it and rather glancing over it to focus on the holidays that follow after it. So with that said I continue my crusade of focusing on the Thanksgiving Holiday. Needless to say I have written many posts about this… so I will enclose some here below as well. At the same time I would like to challenge you all to focus on this holiday, but more importantly focus on your family and friends. Now with that said start preparing and enjoy one of the most Patriotic American Holidays: HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! https://endrebarath.com/thanksgiving-books-fo-2014-memories-linger https://endrebarath.com/thanksgiving-dining-in-marina-del-rey-ca/ https://endrebarath.com/thanksgiving-is-right-around-the-corner-20-days-and-counting/ http://activerain.com/blogsview/4252163/thanksgiving-day-is-only-eleven-days-away-have-you-started-planning- http://activerain.com/blogsview/4546491/wordless-wednesdays-wiley-in-his-house-happy-thanksgiving If you are considering buying or selling a home, a luxury home, luxury investment real estate, luxury vacation homes, or luxury beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu, feel free to contact me at me at 310.486.1002 (m) or homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com. I am a pet friendly realtor and I contribute a portion of my commission to local animal rescue...
read moreBank of Books, The Independent Bookstore in Malibu, CA is still here and thriving…
Bank of Books, The Independent Bookstore in Malibu, CA is still here and thriving…. It has been virtually two years since I last wrote about Bank of Books in Malibu, CA see enclosed link (http://actvra.in/XQQ ) that is a life time for a book seller especially an independent bookseller. That was the time the book store just opened. So here we are two years later they are in their third year. Needless to say most of you who know me, not only do I love to read books, but I am also a collector. Diane and I love going to independent bookstores and supporting them, as well as our own addiction. So you can imagine my excitement when I saw these books behind the glass cage! In case you cannot enlarge the pictures, one is an originally published Diary of Ann Frank in the Dutch Language (for about $4800+) Next to it is Harry Potter’s British Ed. And signed by the author (for about $600+) and if this is not something you would be interested in, well what about the King James Bible (for about $48,000+). I was excited about the Diary of Ann Frank as well as the Harry Potter book. So this is giving me incentive to work harder so I could acquire at least the Harry Potter bookJ The Good News from this is, that the Independent Book Seller in Malibu, CA is doing well when many other books stores have folded. If you are a consumer who is considering buying or selling a home, investment real estate, vacation homes, or beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Playa Vista, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 or email me at homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com Your Pet Friendly Realtor. I contribute a portion of my commission to Local Animal Rescue...
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