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Thanksgiving 2014 a bittersweet get together in Los Angeles
Thanksgiving 2014 a bittersweet get together in Los Angeles. The history of Thanksgiving have often been debated. In my opinion it has evolved and changed over the years. When you read about the history there are some variations as to the history, as well as who is right and who is not. In the big picture it does not matter. As far as I can envision the first Thanksgiving (most would agree with me) The Pilgrims coming ashore greeted by the Indians (natives) and gathering around the fire for a huge feast. The Pilgrims glad that they arrived safe and sound from the long journey. Hence the concept of “Gratitude “The Indians welcoming them to the land of plenty. I have written a few posts about Thanksgiving, where to eat if you do not have a place to go to, where to eat if you do not want to cook. What wines to pair your dinner with? I have also written posts about how to prepare for the “big event” including a Menu. Anyway you get the idea. Just Google my name and Thanksgiving and most will appear. This Thanksgiving is a bit different, we have a lot to be grateful for: we are in good health, have a new home, new car and a house full of pets and then some in the back yard we have our stray and many birds and squirrels. Some of my friends called us “animal farmers”. We have good friends and good neighbors. What is different this year is that I am not cooking rather going over to one of our friend’s house. We are grateful that we have been invited, especially since I have been so busy even up to this evening. This invitation took a lot of pressure off me. Quite frankly it is a lot easier to go fight traffic to pick up some pies from one of the best Pie Places in LA than prep and cook an entire feast. It is also different, since this year is the first time Diane & I do not have any of our parents to share this event with. So with that said I am glad we have friends to go to. My mother used to have a magnet on her refrigerator that said “Friends are our chosen family”. That to me is bittersweet. So if you are getting together with friends and family, remember to be gracious and kind to each other and enjoy the moment. Everyone should have a good time and the only one should be unhappy is the “Turkey”. I saw a cartoon today the Turkey was holding a sign “eat beef” In closing I would like to wish you, your family as well as your friends a very Happy Thanksgiving and at the same time I would like to thank you for your support throughout the year. As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy 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...
read moreLessons in Personal Change: Monday night musings by a Los Angeles Realtor
Lessons in Personal Change Observations about various subject: must be Monday night and it must be my Monday night musings. The older I get the more I become philosophical. I am starting to understand the Captains of Industry and their thought process. The first half of their life was all about competition, how they could be more successful, how they could be better and how much they could accumulate. Now that I understand that why they changed in the second half of their lives. Not wanting to compare myself to the Captains of Industry, but I am more focused on how I can help others. There are many more important things such as rescuing stray kittens, making other people feel good. Treating them to great wines, great dinners and good company. The returns are enormous, people appreciate me and want to be my friends and want to learn from me. When I was younger people were threatened by me and wanted to compete against me and surpass my successes. interesting how that changed. I have become more caring and concerned about other peoples feelings, wishes, needs and wants and I feel more successful. If you are in Real Estate it is a good place to be. Clearly we are here to help others buy their dream home . If they are first time buyers they depend on our knowledge, skill and advice. If they are seasoned investors, they depend on our knowledge, experience and ability to help them acquire a property that will earn them large profits. Interestingly now that my priorities changed I have become more successful and more at peace with myself. At the same time my business has skyrocket too. So if you are looking for a successful Realtor in the Greater Los Angeles are who will get what you want clearly it is in your best interest to reach out to me. I have achieved my success now let me help you achieve your dreams and success. 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...
read moreConsidering Selling your home? Seller’s Advie in the Los Angeles area
Considering selling your home: Seller’s Advice in the greater Los Angeles Area by Endre Barath, Jr. I know most sellers do not want to hear this message never the less, I will say it anyway: THE HOUSING MARKET IN LOS ANGELES is in transition. We went from a hot smoking sellers’ market, when homes were selling the moment the property came on the market to a cooler market. One minute you were like on a Roller Coaster Ride, everything in multiple offers then nothing, then crazy hot again and then cooler again. This to me is a clear sign that we are in transition. So if you are considering selling your home, my advice is to be realistic about not only the List Price but the Market Place Trend as well. Do not listen to your uncle Charlie who lives 200 miles from your home. Keep it real and go to Open Houses, see what the other properties are going for. In other words get a sense of what the market is like. Put your buyer’s hat on and see how your home compares to the ones you looked at. IF you do not have the time to do that, then listen to your Realtor who does go to the open houses and knows the difference of the ones on the market vs. the ones that are pending in comparison to your home. Do not over price your home, just because you did not go look at the other properties take my word the buyers have looked at them and they know the true value of your home. When the market is in Transition it is very Price Driven. The homes that are priced well, staged well and are showroom ready will sell long before the overpriced properties. Spend money on Landscaping to attract and put the potential buyer in a buying mode before they walk into your home. Fresh paint inside does wonders to buyers. It shows you maintained your home not only on the outside but on the inside as well. Do not remodel your kitchen or your bathrooms, you should have done that while you were living there. Remove clutter your home, fill the garage or get rid of the stuff. I know you have heard all this before, never the less it is timeless advice. If you want more information and proper representation reach out to me directly if you are a seller in the Greater Los Angeles area. I will sell your home fast and for top dollar. 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 Organizations...
read moreWhy is a Detroit Police Car patrolling Los Angeles Streets? What is that all about?
Why is a Detroit Police Car patrolling Los Angeles Streets? What is that all about? OK I was following Diane so she could drop of her car to our favorite Automotive Repair Shop. So what do I see in front of Baizer & Grimmett, I see a vintage Police Cruiser. Well you know me, I had to ask. So John tells me that his client flew to a Red Wings game and saw this cruiser outside. He then proceeded to ask the owner if he would have considered selling. Interestingly enough the owner said not only that he was considering selling but a resounding YES! Then the new owner decided to drive the cruiser back to Los Angeles. Well half way back to Los Angeles he broke down. So now it is John’s job to get the cruiser back on the road to keep Los Angeles safe for all! Now if you want to have a smooth and safe Real Estate Transaction in the Greater Los Angeles area reach out to me! 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...
read moreMaking friends is not an easy process if you are a Stray Cat!
Making friends is not a fast and easy process if you are a Stray Cat. Update on Wiley! Wells as most of you know we have three indoor cats and there is a stray we have been feeding and socializing. The hard part is done Wiley has been neutered. Sadly during the recovery process we learned that he would be difficult to turn into an indoor cat. So we are making small step in that direction. For those of you who are not familiar there is a very short window to human socialize a stray kitten? It has to be in the first six to eight weeks after that the odds become very slim. Needless to say every day there is some progress to report. As you can see here our indoor cats are learning to get along with him through the screen door. Unfortunately we want to move the process along faster but it is not that easy. He is talking to us and starting to trust us. The other four legged critters are finally at the point where they are not hissing at him or charging at the back screen door. Oh on a side note we need to get a security screen in the back as well so we do not accidentally create a tragedy i.e.: that the indoor ones would lunging after him and get hurt or worse run out after him. Keep in mind we are getting close to having Diane’s dog in the house hold too and he sure would run and chase after Wiley as we saw it a few weeks ago. (Needless to say that is another post) Anyway Diane made him a bed and we bought him an A-Frame house to keep him warm during the cold nights. He is OK with the bed but not with the house yet…. All in good time we keep telling ourselves. So there you have it until the next update! If you are looking for a Pet Friendly Realtor to represent you in the purchase or the sale of your home, please reach out to me directly! 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 Organizations ...
read moreThe Value of Branding: the most recognized Brand will insure long erm success!
The Value of Branding: The most recognized Brand will insure long term success! As a Realtor I am always looking at Brands, since branding is considered a very important aspect of long term success in Real Estate. If you see a Logo or a combination of memorable Initials and a noteworthy Logo that is clearly an advantage you can capitalize on. That particular Realtor has a Recognition advantage over the other members of the real estate community with whom he or she is competing with. After all, if the potential seller remembers your brand or name, then it is a guarantee that you will be invited to the listing appointment. When I say it is clear that you will be at the Listing Presentation, I guarantee it. Once you are in front of the seller or sellers now your knowledge and confidence must shine through or you are out the door without a listing. I have found that due to my branding and name recognition the majority of my clients list with me. The ones that do not is based mostly on the fact that we do not agree on the value of their property or the value of my service i.e.: my commission. Keep in mind I am a full service Realtor not a discount Realtor. After all I am THE LANDMAN and some people call me THE Reluctant Land KingJ I have always been invited to a Land Listing Appointment on the Internet or Face to Face. The only time I did not get the listing was, when my assessment of what the property should be listed was way out of market range and I was unable to convince the sellers that they had very different assessment of what the true value was. The other times were, when they did not accept that my track record speaks for itself, hence what I charge for commission is worth every per cent over the norm they are accustomed to. So now with that said, look at this picture. The Rolling Stones have the ultimate Name Recognition as well as the ability to attract multi-generational followers. When most people think of them they think of the Red Tongue and Rock and Roll music. I have seen them marketing everything you can imagine from Vodka to this bottle of wine. As most of you know I am a wine snob and even I considered buying the bottle, just on a side note NOT to drink it, but just to have the bottle with the label in my collection. Clearly I did not think the content of the bottle was worth what they were asking for it for consumption, rather for a collector’s item I saw the Value. Keep in mind Miss Rolling Stone’s Mega Fan Diane did not want it. I still might get it, now that is clearly a sign of good Name Recognition, Branding and the ability to convey a value. So what are your thoughts about this subject? Do you think I am wrong? 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....
read moreWestchester Monthly Supply inventory Month over Month October 2013- October 2014
I you look at this chart, clearly you can see that inventory as increased a great deal month over month. The part you do not see is that prices have increased by 19% month over month too. Clearly this is a huge increase and shows the desirability factor of “hip cool and trendy Westchester”. There are pros and cons with this. The large increase is good for the neighborhood, clearly not so good for the potential buyers. I have been asked often what do I attribute these increases in Westchester? To me the answer is easy. The average home on the West Side of Los Angeles is around $900,000 and higher, I am talking about entry level homes. Hence the value of the areas such as Culver City, West Los Angeles, Mar Vista and Westchester have benefited by it. There is a very strong contingent of first time buyers who work on the West Side of Los Angeles. Places like Santa Monica, Century City and Beverly Hills and these individuals do not want to move to the San Fernando Valley due to the commute, hence they are willing to pay a premium to be on this side of the Santa Monica Mountain Range. If you would like more information about Westchester feel free to reach out to me directly! 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 Organizations...
read moreAnn Rice in conversation with Christopher Rice: on of the best interviews I heard
Ann Rice in conversation with Christopher Rice, one of the best interviews I have heard in years! Ann Rice is one of the most gracious authors I have ever met in the past 30+ years. She really gets it: without her fan base, without her readers, without her loyal follower she would not be so successful. There are authors who write a great many books and are successful on paper, but they are not like Ann Rice, she gives back to her fans. If you come to see her she will sign all your books, forget what the publishers say, and forget what the handlers say: Ann Rice will sign all your items. She is very gracious and kind. This was the third time Diane and I saw her and when I heard what a grueling schedule she had I could hardly believe my ears. Look at this schedule: Here is a current list of her appearances: Harvard Book Store, Boston, MA (11/4) Writers On A New England Stage, Portsmouth, NH (11/4) The Strand, New York (11/7) Copperfield’s Books, Northern CA (11/11) Books, Inc. in Opera Plaza, San Francisco (11/12) Books & Books, Miami, FL (11/17) Half-Price Books, Dallas, TX (11/18) Live Talks Los Angeles (11/19) Now clearly this is an Author who is giving back to her fans base. OK keep in mind she is not 20 something. She was here in Los Angeles signing her books and anything her fans wanted…we were close to the end of the line and it was almost 10:45pm and she was flying out in the morning to Arizona. Diane and I were so impressed you can see her smiling it was a picture I took of Diane and her about ten years ago when she was at Vromans in Pasadena. Diane and she were joking that they look better now the both of themJ i.e.: better hair and makeup… 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 Organizations....
read moreRoy Choi’s POT: The Restaurant in Korea Town (Los Angeles that is)
As most of you know I have recently written about one of Los Angeles’s own sons: Roy Choi the Chef who is on the fast track to Stratospheric Levels. Since my last writing I heard he is teaming up with another international Chef to create a Gourmet Fast Food Restaurant in Europe in 2015. (Clearly a blog post for the future) So some of you have reached out to me and asked if I have been to his Restaurants and which ones? Well with that said, let me tell you tonight about POT. One of his latest creations, relatively speaking. He opened it around March 2014 and I could hardly wait to go there. Having seen him in person at the Los Angeles Festival of Books Cooking Stage in April of this year, he spent a few minutes telling us how difficult it was to get his parents to come in or even speak the name of the Restaurant. Keep in mind Roy Choi is about 44 or 45 years old. The food is a modern interpretation of Korean Food and basically he opened the Restaurant virtually walking distance to one of the most respected “old school Korean Restaurants” where they serve fantastic traditional Korean food. I love Roy Choi’s hutzpah, keep in mind he is second generation Korean and he considers himself an Angelino first rather than of Korean descent first. The Koreans are a very conservative and closed society in my experience and for Roy Choi to be a “radical in his interpretation” of traditional Korean cooking has intrigued me. On top to open up the Restaurant in the middle of Korea Town is not only risky but shows some bold aggressive moves on his part. So needless to say I could hardly wait to go and eat there. Lucky for me, Diane wanted to go as well, so we made a day time date to visit i.e.: lunch and then we figured we will be back. BTW the food was out of this world. The menu was clearly nontraditional just as I expected. Instead of linen table cloths you are greeted with a plain table and the staff brings you what looks like a newspaper but in reality it is the menu. It needs explaining and the staff is great at doing that. Diane and I ordered different “hot pot” both were fully of yummy items to many to name here. Mine was not only hot from the oven like Diane’s but mine was on fire from the spices as well. As I write this post Roy Choi’s Pot is in the running for best new Restaurant in LA, he has some tough competition, needless to say I am hoping he will win! His passion for feeding the masses comes through his food. On a side note the clientele consisted of young second and third generation Koreans, even first generation and there was a great business crowd as well. So if you are not afraid of the HEAT make it a destination place for lunch or dinner. Just on a side note there are some milder dishes 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...
read moreThe Confidnential or should I say Secret Sales Price is not so Secret!
The other day, I received a question from a potential buyer who was very concerned about the fact that there is too much information available to everyone on the Internet. Not wanting to be a wisenheimer, I tried explaining that there are many pros and cons about this subject and we do not have that much time to debate this subject. I asked and was wondering what brought this up? The buyer wanted to keep his sales price private once the transaction closed. He did not want everyone to see his purchase price. Needless to say I had to explain that there are no secrets any more. In the “old days” you could pay $250 extra and the Sales Price would be held confidential in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) as well as in the County Assessor’s Office. Well those days are gone. Some people think that by cancelling the listing in the MLS prior to close that will prevent the information to get out. I explained to the buyer, that yes there was a loophole before and that consisted of some buyers requesting to circumvent the Multiple Listing Requirement of publishing the sales price. They would asking the listing agent to cancel the listing and then it would not show up in the MLS what the sales price was. This loophole has been closed by the County Assessor’s Office or should I say by the California Attorney General. Even if the Documentary Transfer Tax (DDT) was filed separately expecting it to be confidential it is not the case. This was achieve by Section 11932 of the Revenue and Taxation Code which allowed the taxpayers to request the Documentary Transfer Tax to be shown on a separate page. This seemed to work for a while, then the Office of the Attorney General was addressing the issue of whether the DTT amount paid is open to public inspection or not. They determined in Opinion 68-12 that “The separate tax statement is subject to public inspection”. Therefore what happened was, that the Assessor now posts the sales prices derived from the DTT found in documents filed separately and stamped “Not for Public Record”. Simply said someone at the Assessor’s Office has the job to convert the tax amount which is nothing more than simple algebra and there you have the Sales Price Appears on the Assessor’s website. So with that said do not pay extra in Escrow to keep your Sales Price confidential because it will be public information anyway. 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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