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A conversation with Herb Alpert and Lani Hall discussing their music and passions!
A conversation with Herb Alpert and Lani Hall discussing their music and passions! This Local Event is truly worth attending. The price is $25 and the Moss Theatre is a cozy place where you feel like you could touch the people. I have attended about three or four events and it was always an enjoyable evening. Thursday, February 19, 2015 8:00pm A Conversation with Herb Alpert and Lani Hall discussing their music and passions Moss Theatre New Roads School Herb Alpert Educational Village 3131 Olympic Boulevard Santa Monica, CA 90404 Read more at: http://livetalksla.org/events/alpert/#sthash.Eila9VfZ.dpuf I have been a fan of Herb Alpert since I was about ten years old. The way he handled the Trumpet no other Trumpeter could do. As he was blasting away you hardly noticed his mouth move. There were other trumpet players whose face would turn into a “chipmunk” or just a big balloon. Herb Albert had a graceful way of handling the instrument. The music he created was magical too. The group’s name if you are not familiar with was called Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass! Not only was he liked by me, but clearly others felt the same way. He has Nine Grammy Awards which he has earned over the years, this I find incredible. So having the 40th Album Released is a major feat by itself. Having that many albums is hard to fathom too. Sadly I do not have all 40 of them, but quite a few and I could listen to them over and over. Herb Alpert also had one of the largest independent Record Companies in the world with his partner Jerry Moss, I am sure most of you heard of A & M records they were around from 1966 until about 1999. I used to love driving down La Brea Blvd south of Sunset Blvd seeing their Studio and always intended on stopping in. If those grounds could talk, they were located in what used to be Charlie Chaplin’s old Studio…. Sadly I never ended up stopping in nor did the grounds talk. If you have time Google A & M Records better yet I am enclosing a link here for your convenience, look at how many famous musicians and comedians you might recognize that were signed by A & M Records the list seems endless. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%26M_Records ) Just on a side note in case you do not have time to read through the link, Cat Stevens, Cheech & Chong, Sergio Mendez & the Brazil 66th, Sting, Barry White to name a few…. What I learned was that they sold the company in 1989 but were involved with it until 2008. The best part was they had an “integrity clause” what a novel concept. Needless to say it was violated and they filed legal action and won a $200 million judgment. Loved this part who said there is no price for integrity. 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 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 commissions to local animal rescue...
read moreThe Beverly Hills City Sign is one of the most photographed signs in the world.
The Beverly Hills City Sign is one of the most photographed signs. Depending which statistics you look at, either the ” Hollywood” sign or the “Beverly Hills” sign come in first or second. People from all over the world spend their life savings to make the homage to the greater Los Angeles area to visit ‘Beverly Hills’. Amazingly enough, my real estate office is right on the center of all this tourist attraction. I have been in the Beverly Hills longer than I can remember. Being a Beverly Hills Berkshire Hathaway Realtor is an honor and I appreciate it and am grateful every day for the privilege. Having been in the Beverly Hills with another company next door to one of the Iconic Restaurant of Wolfgang Puck and be able to take clients there for a quick lunch meeting or a thank you dinner is indescribable, I count my blessings. Walking distance from my office to Rodeo Dr. and all the fantastic Restaurants is hard to describe and verbalize. Sometimes we take things for granted, such as that there is a Blizzard on the East Coast is having and here we are walking our dog and saying ‘wow we did not need that sweat shirt it feels warmer tonight than last night’. Beverly Hills is a small town with a big footprint. Many people do not realize there is a difference comparing Hollywood & Beverly Hills. The glitz of Hollywood is in the movies and on TV. The glitz of Beverly Hills is in the streets. Rodeo Dr. & Wilshire Blvd intersection probably has had more tourist visits and have taken more pictures of than any other street corner on the Globe. Just on a side note this famous intersection is less than 500 yards from my office. When you see the Beverly Hills Sign you know you are near the Platinum Triangle. This is the hub where the world’s money connect and deals are made in coffee shops, restaurants in front of millions of oblivious tourists who are too busy looking for Hollywood Movie Stars. Just on a side note in case you did not know, the sister city of Beverly Hills is Cannes, France. If you want to experience Luxury from close up, no need to go to Hollywood or Malibu, you will find it all here in Beverly Hills. The fantastic Hotels, shops and restaurants all give you the feeling of luxury and ultra-luxury. If you see this sign you know you have arrived to one of the most magical and luxurious cities anywhere in the world. So if you come visit make sure give me a call and let’s talk real estate, or better yet let’s discuss investment opportunities in Beverly Hills or vicinity. 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 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 commissions to local animal rescue...
read moreThe Hollywood Sign one of the most Iconic Local Attractions of Los Angeles!
The Hollywood Sign one of the most Iconic Local Attractions of Los Angeles! Here in the greater Los Angeles area there are so many Permanent Local Attractions that we could write a book about them and I am confident that books have been probably written about them. One of my friends inspired me to write about a few of them. One of the most visited local attraction is the Hollywood Sign. I have written about it often and I guess I keep coming back to it, because people from all over the world come see it and take pictures of it. They also take pictures of themselves with the sign in the back ground. The best part is some of the local residents who live around it begrudge the visitors for standing in the middle of the street, holding up traffic as they are trying to go back and forth from their homes. The Hollywood Sign is often equated to the same level of interest as people wanting to go to the Holly land, or to Mecca. A once in a life time pilgrimage to take a picture of the Iconic Hollywood Sign. To me this Iconic Sign signifies my profession’s contribution to Los Angeles attraction from all over the world. The sign at one point read “Hollywood Land” due to earth movement i.e.: slides from natural occurrences, rain, mud no one can recall anymore or wants to recall the “land” part slipped off. It was an Advertisement for a Real Estate Developer to have potential buyers come and buy homes that he was building near the sign. The best part is virtually every other day someone, somewhere writes about the Hollywood Sign and the Hollywood Sign experience they had. In addition to our temperate climate this is a huge attraction that not only brings visitors, but it also helps in bringing Relocation Clients who want to be closer to this Iconic Sign. In case you missed some of my previous blog posts here are a few for your convenience check it out if you have more interest about this great Local Attraction One of my favorite post about the Hollywood Sign was at the time they were refurbishing it (see enclosed link http://actvra.in/44Pz this was around 2010); Then I wrote this around the 90th birthday of the sign. http://actvra.in/44PC Over the years I have listed and sold Vacant Land that had views of the Hollywood Sign as well as homes that were not only boasting of views of the Hollywood Sign but of Griffith Park Observatory and of Downtown Los Angeles. Clearly these are equally significant local attractions that bring people to this greater Los Angeles area either temporarily or permanently. Since I am a Realtor who has sold many a vacant lot and Single Family Residences over the years in the Beachwood Canyon area, (where the Hollywood Sign is located) I appreciate the extra Value the Hollywood Sign brings to the table. Buyers and sellers understand there is a financial not just esthetic and historic value to being near the sign and to be able to see it from your back or front yard has a value. So if you are interested in buying or selling a home with views of the Hollywood Sign please...
read moreRoasted Cauliflower Steaks with Raisin Relish!
Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Raisin Relish Since I have not done a Recipe in a while I am long over due! Relatively easy to make Ingredients: 1/2 Cup of finely chopped roasted red peppers. If you do not have the time or energy to make it Trader Joe’s sells the and all you have to do is chopped them 2 table spoons of raisins, regular or golden which ever you have at home again all you have to do is chop them. 2table spoons of capers, rinsed, drained and finely chopped (Trader Joe’s has them in the jar) 2-3 table spoon of chopped Italian Parsley the fresher the better 2 table spoons of Orange Champagne Vinegar again from Trader Joe’s ( trust me this will make the difference) Salt & pepper to taste preferably Kosher Sea Salt from Trader Joe’s 1 small head of Cauliflower (about 1-2lbs) 2-3 table spoons of extra-virgin olive oil Directions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F combine all the above ingredients outside of the Olive Oil and the Cauliflower. Wash & Trim the Cauliflower, then cut the head into 1 inch thick slices. if the florets fall to the side do not stress. For the salt lovers this is the time to salt and pepper the Cauliflower ( I do not add since I love the flavor of the ingredient and I do not want the flavor of the salt) Take a oven resistant pan pour the olive oil and put the cauliflower in brown on both sides for about 5 minutes each. Then transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes. Once the cauliflower is easily pierced with a knife or a fork then spoon the relish over the cauliflower and serve immediately. Depend how you do it it could be a main course or a side dish. I prefer it as a side dish. 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 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 commissions to local animal...
read moreThe 87th Academy Awards will be held this February 22nd,2015 at the Dolby Theater.
The 87th Academy Awards will be held this February 22nd, 2015 at the Dolby Theater. The Proper name is “The Academy Awards of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences”. Most people know it as the “Oscars”. Every year Hollywood gets together and there is fierce campaigning in the background by actors, directors and all involved. The votes are already in and the predictions are hot and heavy. Some make a living of the guessing as to who shall win which award. It reminds me of the political elections, hard aggressive campaigning does not always guarantee that the right person got the award or in politics the position. Just like in politics people vote without doing their research as well as their homework. Just on a side note, over the years I have been in a few homes of the Members of the Academy who are actually voters and saw many a DVD in plastic still unopened and the voting has been completed. Actually very similar when I have been to “Oscar parties” and we were using the ballots that you can get off the internet and in the old days out of the News Papers, we “guessed” or should I say “voted” and the winner at the end of the party won a price which the host provided. Not one person at the party has seen all the categories, clearly there was still a “winner” or should I say “best guesser”, but I digress. 2014 Academy Awards Ceremony By now the directions are clear, since the Golden Globes were already held, there are clearly some front runners and some unexpected surprises as it always happen at the Oscars, year after year. Keep in mind this is big business not just for the” Hollywood Who is Who”, but for the clothing designers, the jewelry designers as well. After all, the whole world or at least that is how it is perceived, will tune in and watch the show. Bette Midler at the 2014 Academy Awards Ceremony There will be a lot of glitz and glamour as one would expect from the entertainment industry. The gossip industry will be making hay as well. There is so much that goes into this choreographed awards ceremony that most people are not even aware. The seating arrangement is politics as well, i.e.: who sits where, who is sitting next to, behind or in front of the people. There will be quite a few losers, since only one person or entity wins the coveted award in each category. Some losers will be gracious others not so and if you watch it you will get to see the reactions, because the cameras will be zooming in mercilessly on the winners as well as the losers. So clearly you can see why the gossip industry will have fun with this. I remember growing up as a kid watching the “Oscars” and my parents complaining who won and discussing who should have one. Nothing has changed over the years, these same discussion will be going on the night of February 22nd, 2015 as well as after it. The only thing will change are the names and faces, but the drama will be the same. A far as I am concerned the best part is, just as the Golden...
read moreShould I get a 100amp service or a 200amp service Electric Panel?
The question is, should I get 100 amps or 200 amps for my Electric Panel? This question often arises when a Home Owner is considering upgrading the Electrical System. My take is the more is the better. The world is getting more and more technologically oriented, hence I would suggest if you are upgrading a system go for the 200amps. Being a Greater Los Angeles Realtor, I see homes that have even 300 to 400 amps now days. Keep in mind, I grew up with “fuse boxes” I remember when my mother was drying her hair and she would “blow a fuse”, then my father had to get the flashlight and go in the basement and replace the “blown fuse”. Now clearly the house where we lived was on a 60 amps system. Keep in mind that was in the early 1960’s, because of this advice you will not have childhood memories like I just described. Some people are Engineers and they do Electrical Calculations to determine what you need. My take is different, first if you have more now, then you do not need to worry down the road if you have enough. I find that as time goes by we keep adding more and more electronic equipment, it is just our nature. So with that said, my advice is for the small price difference today get the bigger amps. The labor costs are virtually identical so chances are if you did not do it now, it will cost you a lot more if you have to do it in a few years down the road. Also my advice is to use a licensed and bonded electrician and have him pull the permits. First the odds will be in your favor that it will be done correctly, second if you ever decide to sell your home at least you can be assured that it will be a positive vs. a negative when the home inspector identifies that the electrical update was done correctly and with proper permits. Since I am a Greater Los Angeles Realtor, I often watch the reaction of the buyer’s faces when the home inspector announces that the Electrical Panel looks like it was recently updated, the reaction is smiles and reassuring. On the other hand when the opposite is announced there is a nervous concern and you can see the buyers are calculating what additional costs they will be incurring. Trust me they think it is twice as expensive as it really is, hence it adds another layer of doubt into the purchase process. 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 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 commissions to local animal rescue organizations ...
read moreIs there such a thing as being “dog tired”?
Is there such a thing as being “dog tired” I have often heard people commenting that they were “dog tired”. I have never used the expression, since I am a believer what you put out to the universe you get back. Hence I do not want this feeling of being tired. After all we have all the same 24 hrs. as everyone else and I do not want to waste it by complaining about being tired. I never cared listening to people who always complain and say that they are tired. I always prefer hanging out with people who have energy and spend time being internally motivated. So I did a bit of Google searching and found this definition on the internet of where the phrase of being “dog tired” came from. Hence I thought I would share with you: Dog tired is an old English phrase usually hyphenated to dog-tired. An adjectival phrase meaning to be physically exhausted, it derives from an old tale of Alfred the Great who used to send his sons out with his extensive kennels of hunting dogs. Whichever of his sons, be it Athelbrod or Edwin, were able to catch more of the hounds would gain their father’s right hand side at the dinner table that evening. These chases would leave them ‘dog-tired’ yet merry at their victory. The tradition was continued for a few generations but is not noted in literature after Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People. So with that said I must admit I found this interesting. Since there were times I was exhausted from various activities. Sometimes it was from driving Relocation Clients all day and doing it three days in a row, because they were only in town for three days. Needless to say there were times when I was exhausted from being at a seven hour home inspection. I considered these as the unusual and not ordinary day to day activity, hence I would not complain or grouse about it too much. Quite frankly I am tired of hearing misinformation about Real Estate in the Media. Furthermore I am tired of Charlatan Motivation Gurus pushing their product to Realtors. Just to site an example: work four hours a day three days a week and make $X00,000 + a year. I do not know about you, but I work very hard seven days a week for every dollar I make. This made me wonder some more, being a Realtor what makes you “dog tired”? Hopefully showing property, writing offers and negotiating offers do not fall into this category for you. 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 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 commissions to local animal rescue...
read moreThe 37th Annual Playboy Jazz Festival will be held this June 13th & 14th at the Hollywood Bowl
The 37th Annual Playboy Jazz Festival will be held this June 13th & 14th at the Hollywood Bowl The 37th Annual Playboy Jazz Festival will be held this June 13th & 14th. This is one of those re-occurring events that we look forward to every year. It is also a sign of that it is the middle of the year. Generally speaking it is always around the 13-15 of June depending what day Saturday or Sunday falls in the middle of June. Diane and I have probably been to it eight or nine times in the past seventeen years. Some years we could not go due to other commitments and other times it was just a question of do we want to drive to the Hollywood Bowl?? Keep in mind when we lived in Century City we were about 30 minutes from the Hollywood Bowl. Then we moved to Marina Del Rey and everything became a project. Clearly we were very comfortable where we lived and did not want to venture out once we got home. On the other hand there are many people from the San Fernando Valley who take busses specifically to go to the Hollywood Bowl. Then again there are people from all over the country who make it as a once in a life time opportunity to go to the Hollywood Bowl and spend an evening at the Playboy Jazz Festival. On the other hand here we are and we choose to turn down the opportunity out of sheer comfort i.e.: stay at home or drive one way 45 minutes and keep in mind at the end of the night drive home another 45 minutes. We have seen many fantastic world famous Jazz performers to many to name, but always worth the drive. So why don’t we do it every year? The answer is varied, too many other opportunities that we are surrounded with that might be closer and more convenient is the short answer. So here we are in January and what made me think of the Playboy Jazz Festival in June. BTW this year it will be June 13th & 14th. So getting back to my rhetorical question why now think about the Playboy Jazz Festival. Well part of it is Bill Cosby has been the MC for as far as I can remember and with all the controversy surrounding him I was wondering, will Playboy Stand by his man? Well as it turned out, it shows I have not been at the Hollywood Bowl in the past three or four years, otherwise I would have known the answer. Bill Cosby had his last MC Job at the 34th Playboy Jazz Festival. Everyone said good bye to him. To give you a little history the First Playboy Jazz Festival was held in Chicago Stadium in 1959. Keep in mind in those days Playboy Headquarters was in Chicago. The Second Playboy Jazz Festival did not happen until 1979. (So on a side note even Hugh Heffner had other obligations and commitments for twenty years, hence I do not feel so bad skipping a few of them). Then he settled down and Playboy Enterprises moved this event to the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and ever since then it has been here every year. The...
read moreThe Malibu Single Family Under Contract Properties have seen a huge increase!
The Malibu Single Family Under Contract Properties have seen a huge increase! The Malibu Single Family Residential market is moving along just fine, in spite of what you hear on the news or what is taking place throughout the rest of the United States there is a comfortable Real Estate Activity. As most of you who read my blog posts, know I just wrote about the time on the market has been shortening for Single Family Residence in Malibu. So I thought it would be appropriate to see how the under contract Properties are doing. In my opinion that is the true tell tale of what the market will be like in the next 45-90 days. Not surprisingly there has been a 100% increase in the Under Contract Properties. To be specific in December 2013 there were 11 properties in Escrow. In December 2014 there were 22 properties that is double the amount i.e.: a 100% increase. Clearly this is an indication of things to come for 2015. Generally December is one of the slower months for Real Estate Activity in Malibu. The biggest reason is the demographics of Malibu is the “super affluent” hence they generally are away on vacations hence sales generally slow down. Needless to say technology has helped closing this gap, because thanks to the internet and technology like DocuSign you do not have to be local to list, negotiate and close on a Real Estate Transaction. In addition to it are all the holidays which also slow down the Real Estate Sales Activity in Malibu. So now with that said, if you are considering buying or selling do not wait until the rest of all the buyers enter the market take advantage of the serious sellers as well as the serious buyers in Malibu. That will guarantee you a purchase or a sale. Now if you would like more information about the Malibu Real Estate Market please reach out to me directly. There are very expensive as well as relatively inexpensive homes in Malibu, it all depends what your likes, wants and needs are. 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 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 commissions to local animal rescue...
read moreThe Malibu SFR (Single Family Residence) Average Days on Market has dropped 12%
The Malibu SFR (Single Family Residence) Average Days on Market has dropped 12% Malibu California has a lot to offer, there are quite a few Billionaires who call Malibu their home. Carbon Beach has been nicknamed Billionaire’s Beach. Anyway you get the idea. In spite of this phenomenon, there are still reasonably priced homes that you can find on the Beach Side as well as the Land Side of the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. Malibu has a lot to offer including 21 miles of scenic beaches. There was a time when the more expensive homes were the ones that were closer to Los Angeles i.e.: Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades. This is slowly changing as the new buyers realize that there are enough grocery stores and restaurants at the other end of Malibu to service their needs. Now on the border of Ventura County i.e.: the other end of Malibu, land as well as homes can be found selling for $5-$20+ million. Clearly there is a value given to being able to rub elbows with the rich and famous. To be able to stop in at the Malibu Inn or Nobu just to name a few places to see and be seen. If you do not believe me you should just see how many tourists come to Malibu for this specific reason only. Those who can afford to buy a home in Malibu have been quite busy, the clear indication of this is that the average days on market had dropped 12% from December 2013 vs. December 2014. So take a deep breath and look at these figures. December 2013 it took 179 days to sell a home in December 2014 it only took 157 days that is a change of 22 days and a reduction of 12%. Quiet impressive for a very specific market. 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 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 commissions to local animal rescue organizations ...
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