Blog
“I Blog for Wine” will be my new slogan, instead of “For All Your Real Estate Needs”
“I Blog for Wine” will be my new motto, instead of “For All Your Real Estate Needs!” As most of you who consistently read my blog posts know, I cover a wide variety of subjects. I often blog about my own cats, animal rescue organizations, cooking, recipes, books, wines, champagnes, local businesses and restaurants – needless to say these are some of my favorite things that I think about. I also blog about real estate and real estate trends in the greater Los Angeles area as well. Thanks to Active Rain as my blogging platform, I have connected with numerous international real estate buyers from Europe and Asia and have sold them properties in the Greater Los Angeles Area. I have also had some funny phone calls because of my blogging, some examples: “How do I get to the Playboy Mansion for the Halloween Party?” (Wish I knew!) “Why does the last shuttle leaves so early from Marina Del Rey to Playa Vista?” “Are you the Manager of Hot Dog on the Stick in Santa Monica?” It is a lot of fun blogging and I have perhaps the best story to share with you. Recently when Pope Francis was elected, there was hardly any other news on television at the time. Naturally, my ears perked up when I heard about a mysterious wine order, a wine-seller “The Redd Collection” and the Vatican, see enclosed link in case you missed it (http://actvra.in/S4T ). The story does not end there. I received an email the other day from none other than the owner of “The Redd Collection” Michael Carpenter (http://www.redcollection.com) Turns out, he read about my blog of his mysterious wine sale to the Vatican and wanted to know if I tried the wine since I blogged about his fun story and just in case I did not, then he would like to present me with a bottle of 2008 Papale Primitivo di Manduria from the producer Varvaglione. I was totally thrilled, first because of the kind and generous nature of Michael Carpenter. I immediately responded that I would love a bottle and to meet him in person, any time any place. After a few emails, about a week or so later I had the pleasure of meeting him at his house and as you can see I have a bottle of the promised Pope’s WineJ. I was just as thrilled to get confirmation that people read my blog posts, and thanks to Google I rank high enough to have a solid readership. With all this said, I plan to share this wine with friends and family at our Thanksgiving dinner, luckily for all, Thanksgiving is just right around the corner, so we will be uncorking it soonJ! Needless to say my mother and father and Diane’s mother will be in our hearts as we taste this wine, since my father once brought Diane & I a bottle of wine that was served at another Pope’s Inaugural celebration around 1999 (Pope John Paul II) . It was a white wine from a German winery. Sadly due to hard drive crashes and two laptops later the pictures are gone only the wonderful memories remain. Diane’s father will be the lucky one...
read moreSpeechless Sunday: Red Vine Pizza in Pasadena!
Speechless Sunday: Red Vine Pizza in Pasadena As most of you know I am very picky when it comes to pizza and I only love thin crust pizza! Well you be the judge If you are considering buying or selling a luxury home, or an ultra luxury home, or luxury investment real estate, or 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 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 I am a Pet Friendly Realtor and I contribute a portion of my commissions to local animal rescue...
read moreDo you love risotto?What if you could make risotto without rice, you can
Do you love risotto? What if you could make risotto without rice? You can! Make a delicious risotto by substituting the rice with Farro. What exactly is Farro ? Well, there has always been some confusion about that. True Farro comes from where else but Italy J . It is also known as Emmer or Triticum Dicoccum, a variety of hard wheat. This grain is high in minerals, fiber and vitamins. The Romans, the Etruscans and the Egyptians all used this important food and Roman soldiers were given rations of Farro as part of a balanced diet. So you see, Farro has been around for a very long time. Where will you find Farro? In the mountainous regions of Tuscany and Abruzzo . Ok you say, “I cannot go to Tuscany.” (Pity, I know) But fear not, I am sure you can go to Whole Foods, Sprouts and/ or similar grocery stores in your neighborhood. Check out their Grain Department and I assure you that you will find Farro on the shelves or in the bulk bins. When buying Faro, make sure it is from the Garfagnana area of Toscana, that one has the most pure and nutty taste. There is Spelt (Triticum Spelta) which can be confused for Farro. The difference is spelt softens and becomes mushy. So if need be, pay a little more and be assured that you are getting IGP-designated Farro della Garfagnana from Toscana. By having the proper ingredient, you can be assured that the grain has been properly husked and you can then substitute it for rice to make your risotto aka farrottoJ Look for one of my future blogs about making Endre’s FarrottoJ If you are considering buying or selling a luxury home, or an ultra luxury home, or luxury investment real estate, or 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 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 I am a Pet Friendly Realtor and I contribute a portion of my commissions to local animal rescue organizations. ...
read moreNovember 11th 2013 is Veterans Day, salute and thank a Veteran!
November 11th 2013 is Veterans Day, salute and thank a Veteran for their service to our country! Over the years there has been a great deal of confusion when Veterans Day should be celebrated. Would you believe it was only sorted out in 1975 and put into effect in 1978? Go figure when politicians get involvedJ this is what happens, hence I am not surprised. From the end of World War I in 1918 to 1975 that is what it took finally to recognize the Veterans of our country. There was a lack of consistency of what day and how we should celebrate this day. Here is a link to the colorful twists and turns of this Holiday http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp to recognize and honor the Veterans for their patriotism and service to our country. I love the idea that people should have time off and relax and enjoy some well deserved time off. Sadly I am seeing many businesses are more focused on making a few dollars that they are unaware that they are demoralizing their workers by disregarding this Federal Holiday! I am also amazed how many people do not know the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day! Now with that said have a wonderful and relaxing Veterans Day! If you are considering buying or selling a luxury home, or an ultra luxury home, or luxury investment real estate, or 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 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 I am a Pet Friendly Realtor and I contribute a portion of my commissions to local animal rescue organizations. ...
read moreThe Cardinal of the Kremlin, by Tom Clancy a book review & then some!
The Cardinal of the Kremlin, by Tom Clancy a book review & then some. Calling all lovers of spy novels, military intelligence, and Cold War mysteries — this book is for you! (If you read The Hunt for Red October, you will recognize some of the characters.) With The Cardinal of the Kremlin, The late Tom Clancy wrote a great action, stress-packed novel. There are plots and sub plots. And of course, there are the characters; and if you kept up with this time period, in real time you would clearly recognize the players. There are the usual events, Star Wars, nuclear arms reduction negotiations, Kremlin & Washington internal politics and Mujahedeen, Afghan Rebels, Spetsnaz troops, submarines, CIA covert operatives, scientists, double agents, deep cover moles, spies, spymasters, KGB and GRU. Without giving away the plot, I am going to throw out a few names, all players that were matched in my mind as I read: Narmonov = Michael Gorbachev; the President of the US = Ronald Reagan; Filitov= a combination of two or more actual characters such as Oleg Gordievsky but primarily Oleg Penkowsky. You may even recognize Yuri Andropov, Konstantin Chernenko and even Andrei Gromyko – although not identified by name, but the fictional characters clearly represented them for me. I am including a link here that will confirm to you that I am not imagining these parallels. Please click on it and read it. Once you do I would be interested to hear your thoughts if you read this book and this link http://nsarchive.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/president-reagan-meets-oleg-gordievsky-soviet-double-agent-who-reported-danger-of-able-archer-83/ I only wish that I had read this book long ago, because then I would have been able to discuss it in depth with my father. Keep in mind that we escaped from Communist Hungary (Cold War Hungary) in 1964. If you are considering buying or selling a luxury home, or an ultra luxury home, or luxury investment real estate, or 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 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 I am a Pet Friendly Realtor and I contribute a portion of my commissions to local animal rescue organizations. ...
read moreBeverly Hills Single Family Statistics that SOLD in October 2013!
Beverly Hills Single Family Statistics that Sold in October 2013! As most of you know, I rarely do market snapshots, only when someone asks. Interestingly enough I was asked being a Beverly Hills Realtor, hence my clients have been reading some of the headlines and wanted the “Truth” so they called me. Needless to say I felt this deserved a Blog PostJ! The concern was that there is a pause in the sales in Beverly Hills. Specifically in the Single Family Market is what they were interested in. Furthermore the question was what sold and for how much? So with that said you tell me how the month of October fared? J I would also suspect you would be interested on what the highest priced home looked like so here are a few pictures! Beverly Hills Single Family Home SalesOctober 2013 Total Sold Dollar Volume: $ 121,468,175 Average Selling Price: $ 9,343,705 Average List Price: $ 10,614,538 Avg Sales Price/Avg. List Price: 88.0% Median Price: $ 6,000,000 Average Days on Market: 120 Number of Listings Sold: 13 Sold Listings: 1. 442 S WETHERLY DR $ 1,455,000 2. 201 S SWALL DR $ 1,660,000 3. 206 N OAKHURST DR $ 2,226,000 4. 253 S LINDEN DR $ 4,675,000 5. 516 N HILLCREST RD $ 4,700,000 6. 712 N REXFORD DR $ 5,592,175 7. 607 N ROXBURY DR $ 6,000,000 8. 703 N LINDEN DR $ 7,210,000 9. 729 N RODEO DR $ 7,950,000 10. 1200 CHANRUSS PL $ 13,500,000 11. 9425 SUNSET $ 19,500,000 12. 9425 SUNSET $ 19,500,000 13. 1146 TOWER RD $ 27,500,000 Single Family – Number of Bedrooms Price Class 2 or less 3 4 5 or more $1 – $200000 0 0 0 0 $200001 – $300000 0 0 0 0 $300001 – $400000 0 0 0 0 $400001 – $500000 0 0 0 0 $500001 – $600000 0 0 0 0 $600001 – $700000 0 0 0 0 $700001 – $800000 0 0 0 0 $800001 – $900000 0 0 0 0 $900001 – $1000000 0 0 0 0 $1000001 – $2000000 0 1 1 0 $2000001 – $3000000 0 0 0 1 $3000001 – $4000000 0 0 0 0 $4000001 – $5000000 0 0 0 2 $5000001 – $10000000 1 0 0 3 $10000001 – $100000000 0 0 0 4 DOM No. Of Units 1 – 30 Days 2 31 – 60 Days 4 61 – 90 Days 2 91 – 120 Days 1 Over 120 Days 4 Clearly you can see that there is activity and real buyers are willing to pay close to the asking price i.e.: 88% of the asking price is not unusual in the high end homes. Should you like to get a free market evaluation of your home or if you have a home in mind that you would like to buy, please reach out to me? If you are considering buying or selling a luxury home, or an ultra luxury home, or luxury investment real estate, or 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 give me a...
read moreWordless Wednesdays: Fall in Los Angeles, CA!
Wordless Wednesdays: Fall in Los Angeles, CA! If you are considering buying or selling a luxury home, or an ultra luxury home, or luxury investment real estate, or 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 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 I am a Pet Friendly Realtor and I contribute a portion of my commissions to local animal rescue organizations. ...
read morePlantation Shutters, also known as California Shutters, add elegance
Plantation Shutters, also known as California Shutters, add elegance to your windows! There are many types of shutters on homes, the most common being exterior and interior shutters. In this blog post, interior shutters will be the focus. There are many different types and styles of shutters, both vertical and horizontal. Width and material differ as well (Louvers are wider as compared to other shutters). Residents of California and other warm-climate states such as Arizona, Florida and Texas, are the predominant users of Plantation Shutters. Equally popular are Plantation Shutters in the Mediterranean countries. One reason Californians choose Plantation Shutters is because of practicality and history. In the early 1950’s, when California had a large building boom due to a large increase of inward migration, homes were built with the idea of having large windows to enjoy the “view” while thermal efficiency was not consideredJ. By opening the louvers, homeowners could enjoy the “view”. Alternatively, just close the shutters for easy and instant privacy! Homeowners soon discovered that shutters also retained the heat, thus providing insulation for their home. Most shutter styles are made from wood or other natural materials. I prefer the fiberglass, or plastic. It allows for easy clean-up and maintenance while retaining their original “newness”. If they should get damaged, they can be easily replaced without having an “off” color shade as most fiberglass shutters are whiteJ. So if you would like to make your windows look elegant consider white Plantation Shutters. As you can see, they complement a room beautifully, without the need for curtains, valances, or other window dressings. If you are considering buying or selling a luxury home, or an ultra luxury home, or luxury investment real estate, or 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 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 I am a Pet Friendly Realtor and I contribute a portion of my commissions to local animal rescue organizations. ...
read moreLooking for a Realtor in Maine, who knows of a Lobster Farm for Sale!
Looking for a Realtor in Maine who knows of a Lobster Farm for Sale! Most of you who know me understand that I have many international all cash buyers. Well I was driving around with one of my clients yesterday and we were having a discussion that the best lobster in the world is the Maine Lobster. Needless to say the discussion went about how pricey they are all over the world. Hence he casually mentioned that if I know anyone who is willing to sell an existing Commercial Lobster Farm he would be interested. Hence with that note I am reaching out to the Maine Active Rain Community. I have a Referral for an All Cash (verified) foreign Buyer from China. FYI I have sold him properties in Los Angeles previously. Please reach out to me directly via my email and the best time & number where I can reach you. If you are considering buying or selling a luxury home, or an ultra luxury home, or luxury investment real estate, or 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 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 I am a Pet Friendly Realtor and I contribute a portion of my commissions to local animal rescue organizations. ...
read morePet Friendly Hotel in Los Angeles:The Palomar in Westwood Century City
Pet Friendly Hotel in Los Angeles: The Palomar in Westwood/Century City I have been quite busy for the past few days, since one of my clients from China flew into Los Angeles and was looking to buy another property for investing. Now, I pulled into the Hotel’s small driveway, (which was on Wilshire Blvd) to meet him and discuss our plans and which properties we would look at. I was so pleasantly surprises with what met me. The staff was fantastic: I let them know that I would spend about less than an hour. They valet my car and as I was about to walk into the lobby of this classy and comfortable boutique hotel this is what I saw. I had to share since most of you who read my blogs know that I am a Pet Friendly Realtor. So if you decide you would like to visit Los Angeles, but cannot leave your Furry Friend at home or you cannot find a Pet Sitter then clearly the Palomar Hotel is a place where you could stay. This hotel has a very inviting lobby with a nice fireplace and you feel immediately at home. Not only are they Pet Friendly but they are Eco Friendly as well. So if you are looking to stay in a very convenient place the Palomar is the hotel of choice. They are located in Westwood close to Beverly Hills as well as close to the beach, truly a great location! http://www.hotelpalomar-lawestwood.com/ Check out their website above and tell me when you are coming to Los Angeles with your petJ Hotel Palomar Los Angeles – Westwood 10740 Wilshire Boulevard (at Selby Avenue) Los Angeles, CA 90024 Tel: (310) 475-8711 Toll-free: (800) 472-8556 Fax: (310) 475-5220 If you are considering buying or selling a luxury home, or an ultra luxury home, or luxury investment real estate, or 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 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 I am a Pet Friendly Realtor and I contribute a portion of my commissions to local animal rescue organizations. ...
read more