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Red Wine that is noteworthy under $10 a bottle!
Red Wine that is noteworthy under $10 a bottle! This is only my second post about inexpensive good wines. I decided to write this post for one of my Active Rain Friends who drinks good inexpensive red wines. I thought she could add these two bottles to her repertories. For those of you who missed my previous post, here it is for your convenience (http://activerain.com/blogsview/1407763/being-frugal-in-back-in-fashion-now ). In today’s challenging economic times it is good to have a resource for inexpensive but good wine. So if you need one, feel free to reach out to me directly. The First one I will mention is the Montebuena (estate bottled) 2009 red wine from Spain under $9 dollars, by www.kysela.com importers. This is not your typical red wine from Spain; it is much deeper with a dark fig and plum palate. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate gave it a 90 pointer, which is a very high rating for a wine like this, firmly structured with a smooth finish. I should have bought a case rather than just one bottle. Coto De Hayas Garnacha Centenaria 2009 red wines from Spain as well under $10 dollars a bottle. Steve Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar rated it 88 points. I actually thought it was better than that. The grape production for this wine was limited to 5,500 vines, from three vineyards, which were planted over 100 years ago. The wine is aged for four months in American oak barrels, followed by a minimum of four months in bottles. The wine has great clarity and brightness with a deep ruby red color. The nose is potent blend of spices and ripe fruit. The palate is full, harmonious and smooth with good length. In the finish there is a return to the fruit and spice, which is first detected in the nose. These two bottles of wine I would be willing to put it in a blind taste testing against a lot of $25-$50 bottles and I am confident you would pick these two over them. 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, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 (USA) 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...
read moreImages of spring in Los Angeles via blooming Trees!
Images of spring in Los Angeles via blooming Trees. Most people do not realize that Los Angeles is not just high rise buildings. The colors of these blooming trees are some of the most beautiful, almost breathe taking. If you come to Los Angeles for the first time in May, you will be pleasantly surprised at the various trees in full bloom. The colors are amazing and magnificent, they are absolutely spectacular. Words are hard to describe them. So enjoy and let me know if you can name the Trees. 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, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 (USA) 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...
read moreThe 2011 Festival of Books had a Legendary Chef: Thomas Keller at the Cooking Stage!
The 2011 Festival of Books had a Legendary Chef: Thomas Keller at the Cooking Stage! Thomas Keller is not only a Chef’s Chef, he is someone who deserves awe and he is very inspirational. I went to see him because he created “The French Laundry” ( http://www.thefrenchlaundry.com ), Bouchon” (www.bouchonbistro.com) and “Per Se“(www.perseny.com) He is a perfectionist and he is a motivator, but mostly he is role model to look up to. He is a multiple James Beard award winning Chef. He is the only American Chef ever awarded the coveted Michelin three star rating simultaneously for two restaurants Per Se and The French Laundry. He gave me such inspiration and motivation by listening to him that I would have paid to hear him had I known what I was going to receive. The good news it was free. I will share one small sentence he passed on: The Challenge is to maintain passion for the everyday routine and endlessly repeated act, to derive deep gratification from the mundane. This sentence resonated with me how much cooking is similar to Real Estate. We do many mundane things over and over and the result of our efforts creates: happy Sellers and happy Buyers. How profound of an observation. I loved it. I was sad that the discussion ended. 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, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 (USA) 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 Organizations. ...
read morePoliticians at work in the United States! This is an actual photo of Politicians at work!
Politicians at work in the United States! This is an actual photo not a joke of politicians at work! This picture was sent to me. First I was going to delete it. Then I changed my mind maybe you did not see this so why not share it. Is this funny? Is this ironic? Is this comical? Is this sad? I work very hard for all my clients year in year out and I generally work seven days a week and only take a few days off a year when Diane want to go on vacation, even then my BlackBerry, My Dell Studio 15 is with me to make sure my clients are taken care of. So do you make at least $179k with a three day work week? House Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr., R-Norwalk, pictured standing, far right, speaks while colleagues Rep. Barbara Lambert, D-Milford and Rep. Jack F. Hennessy, D-Bridgeport, play solitaire Monday night as the House convened to vote on a new budget. (AP) The guy sitting in the row in front of these two….he’s on Facebook, and the guy behind Hennessy is checking out the baseball scores. These are the folks that couldn’t get the budget out by Oct. 1, and are about to control your health care, cap and trade, and the list goes on and on…. Should we buy them larger screen computers – or – a ticket home, permanently? This is one of their 3-DAY WORK WEEKS that we all pay for (salary is about $179,000 per year). Let me know what you think! This is not to pick on the Connecticut Politicians, I suspect this is more wide spread than we would like to believe… 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, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 (USA) 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 Organizations ...
read more5330 YARMOUTH AVE 111 ENCINO, CA 91316 Sunday May 15th, Open House 2pm-5pm!
5330 YARMOUTH AVE 111 ENCINO, CA 91316. Sunday May 15th, Open House 2pm-5pm! HUGE PRICE REDUCTION. SELLER WANTS IT SOLD NOW! TERRIFIC OPPORTUNITY, NOT A SHORT SALE, NOR AN REO. DO NOT MISS OUT! COSMETIC FIXER IN ONE OF THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER COMPLEXES IN ENCINO. PRIVATE BALCONY OFF LARGE MASTER SUITE. UNIQUE MASTER BATH WITH CENTER CONSOLE, MAKEUP MIRROR, AND DUAL SINKS. AN ADDITIONAL LARGE BALCONY SHARED BY LIVING AND SECOND BEDROOM. OPEN, INVITING, SPACIOUS LIVING AND DINING AREAS. INSIDE WASHER & DRYER, AMPLE STORAGE. PET-FRIENDLY COMPLEX. TRUST SALE, NO COURT CONFIRMATION REQUIRED. BEST VALUE MONEY CAN BUY IN ENCINO 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, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 (USA) 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...
read moreLakers Fans, Sports Fans, a Lesson on Character!
Lakers Fans, Sports Fans, a Lesson on Character As most of you all know the fourth game was the elimination game of the Los Angeles Lakers from the Play Offs. A team that has great talent on the court as well as on the bench and in the coaching staff at all levels. So in spite of talent something was amiss. The team not only failed their players but they failed their fans as well. I was driving to a Showing in Los Feliz to show my client a $990,000.00 Bank Foreclosure. The previous owner paid $1.6 million for it in 2005. The home was bought with virtually no money down and now there weren’t any appliances and a lot of items such as fixtures were all removed and the remainder was damaged. I stopped to get a cup of coffee and a bagel before the showing and I saw this scene on the corner of one of the nicest streets in Hancock Park. It made me pause at the similarities between this beautiful home and the Los Angeles Lakers, it was a clearly a lesson on Character. Now these two pictures tell you everything. 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, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 (USA) 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...
read moreMarina Del Rey Condominium Market Report for April 2011
Marina Del Rey Condominium Market Report for April 2011 As you know I have been blogging for years about the benefits of living in Marina Del Rey. Those of you who know me are aware I live here and I am a bit biased. So for some of you who are not familiar with Marina Del Rey, it has a population of approximately 8200 people with about 19 marinas that have a capacity for about 5300 boats. The entire Marina Del Rey consists of only 1.5 square miles of which only .9miles is land and .6 is water. So if you want some Ocean View Homes or Ocean View Condominiums you will understand it is almost easier to find one with the views rather than without one. Now with that said I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the little bit of information you might not have been aware of. Now let us look at how the Real Estate Market has fared compared to the previous month. There were 156 Active Listings compared to the previous months 143 Active Listings. This is again as I said before good. The greater the selection a buyer can choose from, the better the opportunities to negotiate and buy a condominium at a fair price. Many lenders and real estate agents I have been talking to were telling me that the market has picked up. Well the following statistics will confirm this fact. In March there were 11 properties accepting Backup Offers and 11 were Pending now in April there were 28 properties accepting Backup Offers and 21 were Pending. This confirms that the Marina Del Rey Real Estate activity is getting quite robust. So let us look at the Sold Condominium numbers: March there were 29 Sold and in April 18 Sold. 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, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call 310.486.1002 (USA) 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...
read morePlaya Del Rey Condominium Market Report for April 2011
Playa Del Rey Condominium Market Report for April 2011 Playa del Rey immage from unknown source. Looking at Playa del Rey from the Ballona Creek The Playa Del Rey Condominium Market Report for April 2011 confirms what people in the Real Estate Community have been chattering about. The Real Estate Market has picked up in various pockets. To some of you who are not familiar with Playa Del Rey, this community is on the Beach. The northern border is Marina Del Rey connected by a foot bridge; the southern border is El Segundo & Manhattan Beach. It is surrounded by Wet Lands and of course the Western border is the Pacific Ocean. It is a great place for bikers or people that like walking or jogging. The bottom line is the only reason you need a car is to go to and from Playa del Rey. The Beach Life is great & probably one of the best Ocean Views in the area. The home owners know about this great hideaway. Check out the Beach Camera on Playa del Rey http://www.watchthewater.org/ Now after you wondered about living in Playa Del Rey, let’s look at how the Real Estate market did compared to the previous month. With that said, this month there were 49 Active Listings compared to the previous month of 56. This is something we need to watch. The reason is self evident when you look at the next numbers, This month there are 13 properties accepting Backup Offers one on Hold and 13 are Pending. This explains why there is a drop in the inventory. This is a huge increase from the previous months 9 accepting Backup Offers none on Hold and 2 Pending. Evidently as everyone around me has been saying that the market has picked up, the numbers confirm it. So interestingly the Sold numbers are identical to the previous month 6 Condominiums Sold during April. 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, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 (USA) 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 Organizations ...
read moreEndre Barath Home Alone! Well not quite home alone
Endre Barath Home Alone! As some of you know Diane visited her parents & her friends in Boston, MA. So there were discussions going on what will I do in her absence? Will I cook? Will I go out at night? Well to those of you who know me, but were not sure what I did. I will let you peak at the pictures. Since she has stopped eating meat (not counting chicken & Shell fish) I went to one of the Best Rib places in Los Angeles if not the best and did “take out”. Since that is all you can do at this place, there are no tables, there are no counters. Have you guessed it? Well I will post about it later. I will give you a hint the place is not in Beverly Hills. For now just enjoy the pictures. Anyway I baked the potatoes:)) The game was pre-season Freeway Series, Dodgers vs. Angels. Since I am RedSox fan and a Baseball fan, it was still better than no game at all. As you can see Douggy enjoyed the game too:)) 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, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 (USA) 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 Organizations....
read moreDid you read about Market Leader & Active Rain? Guess what, you are more Valuable as a Member now!
Did you read about Market Leader & Active Rain? Guess what, you are more Valuable as a Member now! According to Inman News (Wednesday may 4th 2011) Market Leader has posted a $4.3million net loss during the first quarter of this year. Under normal circumstances I would find this not noteworthy to write about. Oh well just another “software as a service” company not making any money. Interestingly enough if you have been keeping up with all the changes here at Active Rain over the past few years and recent months, then your interest would be perked up. BUT let me get back to the story for now. The Company (Market Leader) disclosed in a regulatory filing on the 3rd of May that revenue was up 61 per cent from a year ago during the first quarter. So what that means is they were losing around $7.2 million a year ago. So this is where it gets interesting. Where did this new found revenue come from? The Answer is: ACTIVE RAIN! Hence the money that its membership pays for various products such as Rainmaker, Community Sponsorship has generated enough money to get Market Leader heading towards the Black from the Red. Now to the interesting part previously Market Leader treated Active Rain as an equity investment. Now Active Rain is included in Revenue and Expense generation, since they became Majority Stakeholders in the company since September. So with that said we are all more Valuable to Market Leader. p.s.: ask me about the Keller Williams Deal:)) Oh I am sure you know about that...
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