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This coming week is the 50th Anniversary of National Poison Prevention Week!
This coming week is the 50th Anniversary of National Poison Prevention Week! Since it is Poison Prevention Week, let’s look at our home and garden to see how we could improve the environment for our pets. It does not matter if you are a First Time Home Owner or a long time Home Owner, I would like to remind all home owners of the poisons that lurk in your home as well as in your garden. As a Pet Friendly Realtor I try to keep up with all issues related to having a healthy environment for our four legged friends. Ironically some items we forget and others we did not know. As I was doing my research for this post, I had one of those “Aha moments” as well as a few on the list that hit me as “I did not know that”. So hopefully if we can improve our environment around our pets, they will be safer and live a better quality of life. I have a few important items I would like to list as bullet points to watch out for. This list was taken from the ASPCA’s Top 10 Pet Toxins of 2011. I am not going to list it all just a few, but I will include the link for your convenience if you would like to read further about them: · Human Prescription Medication: Cats and dogs are notorious for ingesting any dropped pills. So my advice even if it takes a few minutes search for that “dropped pill” since almost 25,000 calls to Veterinarians was due to this easily correctable problem. · Insecticides: This category includes Lawn care Products. Read the Label and if it is poisonous for your pets do not buy it. There is animal friendly Lawn care Products on the market. I also want to emphasize this includes insecticides you put on your cats & dogs for preventive purposes. Again let me caution you if it says for dogs only or for cats only than use it on the correct species. Never use a product labeled for a dog on a cat! · People Food: Chocolate is the number one people food that pets ingesting which can cause from vomiting to seizures and everything in between. Here is the link so you can see the entire list: http://email17.secureserver.net/webmail.php?login=1 I would like to mention one other area to be cautious of and that is Plants. Not only should you be concerned with indoor plants but with outdoor ones as well, especially if you have dogs and or cats that are allowed to go in your back yard. I am going to mention a few flowers and fruits some of which I was surprised to see on the list. Again I will give you a link for your convenience to see all the plants and fruits. Hard to believe, but I would rather be cautious than make that trip to the Vet’s Office in an emergency. So with that said: Amaryllis, Apples, Apricots, Asian Lily, Bergamot Oranges, Bird of Paradise, Branching Ivy, Calla Lily, Carnation, Cherry, Daffodil and Easter Lily to name a few…… Here is the link so you can see all of them: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/ If you have any reason to suspect that your pet has ingested something toxic,...
read moreShould I buy a Home Warranty?
Should I buy a Home Warranty? First Time Home Buyers have many questions and concerns, one of the many questions is: Should I buy a Home Warranty or not? Buyers, Sellers & Agents are debating this very question all across the country this very minute. I am just amazed how Penny Wise and Pound foolish some of the Buyers & Sellers were, who have commented against this great program. I have also notice that there have been even some questionable advices given on another Website by agents, who shall remain nameless. First let me start out with the fact that the cost of a Home Warranty generally runs around $300-$350 for a Condominium or a Townhouse or a Mobile Home in the Greater Los Angeles area. The cost for a Single Family is a bit higher somewhere in the range of $370 -$600 depending if there is a pool and if the roof is included in the coverage. Let us be realistic, if you do not get a Home Warranty, it could cost you a small fortune if you have a problem. In my experience I have found that one visit from a Plummer, or an Electrician to fix and repair or replace things that can go wrong with a property will cost more than the Annual Premium I quoted above. Generally First time home buyers are tight on cash after they just bought their home and in the unlikely event a problem occurs, what do they do then? Hence to me it is clear that the Premium is worth the peace of mind for financial security. I have always suggested to sellers to Purchase a Home Warranty during the Listing Period, if they do not agree to it, then when an Offer comes in on their home I suggest including the Home Warranty. The benefit is clear, the New Owner will not call with questions, concerns and possible after the fact financial or legal ramifications if the Seller bought a Home Warranty. The Buyer will simply call the Home Warranty Company. So what are your recommendations about this subject? As you can tell I am for it, so I would love to hear where I am going wrong with this advice. 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 or emails 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 moreDo you know the difference betwen Dampers and Flues?
Do you know the difference between Dampers and Flues? I have blogged about Fireplace restrictions in Los Angeles County previously. A fireplace in a home is now an endangered item under current code. Nevertheless if you have a home that was built before the Fireplace restriction in Los Angeles County, you should be happy. After you celebrated your good luck that you can still have an old fashioned wood burning fireplace in your home there are a few things you should know. Google immage Every Fireplace has a chimney damper. This is a movable plate that sits above the fireplace before the flue. If you pull the lever toward you, generally that will open most of the dampers. When the damper is closed, it helps to keep heated air from going up the chimney. It also prevents the wind from blowing ashes all over your room. Many older homes in the greater Los Angeles area do not have dampers. If that is the case with your fireplace, the simplest and most effective solution is a top mounted damper which becomes part of the chimney cap. If you need a good Chimney specialist, just reach out to me and I will be happy to recommend one to you. The flue, also known as the chimney lining, is basically a pipe up the middle of the chimney. Generaly the flue begins were the fireplace transforms into the flue pipe and ends at the chimney cap. The purpose of the flue is to move ash, sparks, smoke and gas out of the house into the atmosphere. A byproduct is also that it moves the heat out as well. At the same time the flue acts as an insulator to protect the chimney from the extreme heat which escapes from the fireplace. When you are buying a home with a wood burning fireplace, I recommend you get a Chimney Inspector above and beyond a physical inspector to make sure that you are identifying if you have a functional fireplace or you are facing an expense to make the fireplace functional again. There are still quite a few homes in the Hollywood Hills as well as in the Greater Los Angeles that have wood burning fireplaces. Should you be interested in buying or selling one these homes, please 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, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 or emails 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 moreArchangel By Robert Harris
Archangel by Robert Harris… If you have never read any books by Robert Harris let me tell you something: You are missing out on one of the best Historical Novelists of our time. He writes as if it really happened that way. Harris’s historical research is obvious, the details are amazing. I have lived until the age of 11 in Communist Hungry and my father told stories which coincided with events that happened in this book. Some of the details he included, you would not know by reading or studying World History. After reading this novel, you will doubt the historical facts as they are known and swear, that it is not how it happened, because you read Robert Harris’s version. He is my all-time favorite Historical novelist. This Story is about NKVD, KGB, Stalin, Beria, Brezhnev and post Soviet Union era of Gorbachev. There is violence, sex, espionage and what else but an international thriller. After you finish reading his book you want more, because you were entertained, but you crave more. I might say he is the best historical fiction writer of our times. If you do not read this book you are doing yourself a disservice. This is a fast, fun and exciting read. Be prepared that once you start reading this book you do not want to put it down and at the same time want to get your hands on his other books. 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 or emails 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 morePatrick’s Roadhouse a PCH Institution (a Restaurant)
Patrick’s Roadhouse a PCH Institution ( a Restaurant) Since St Patrick’s Day is coming up in a few days. I thought I would showcase an institution on PCH. Most people think this Green Building is either in Pacific Palisades others think it is in Santa Monica, well, those who thought it is in Santa Monica CA are correct. Of course on the other side (north side) it is Pacific Palisades. Then again other people wonder what this Goudy Green Place is. Is it a Tourist Trap or is it a local good hang out. Well if you want to eat an inexpensive Burger or Omelets and watch Celebrities, this is the place for you. Depends when you drop in, who might be at this Funky Roadside Eatery. President Bill Clinton has been here a couple of times on his way to Malibu. Sylvester Stallone has been seen frequently here. There was a time when Arnold Schwarzenegger could be seen every morning here. There is even a breakfast item he asked to put on the menu .I could go on and on with stories such as Sean Penn, Jonny Carson, but let me focus on this place. Bill Fischler bought this place in 1973 and he decorated it with World War II memorabilia and other funky stuff. The place has Character which consists of random furniture for starts. After he passed away in 1997,his son Anthony took over and the tradition continues. It was touch and go around 2009 if the place would be closed or not, but the dispute with the Landlord was settled. Check out this link to the Restaurant and specifically look at their Menu. If you want a novelty burger get the “Rockefeller” comes with caviar. If you into more the traditional burger just asks the waitress and she will guide you well. http://www.patricksroadhouse.info/ If you have 6 minutes to spare check out this clip from Guy Fieri of Diners, Drive-inns and Dives‘fame http://youtu.be/wEO40hlvt2c The locals love the place, it is not a Michelin Rated Restaurant, it is not on Zagat’s Best list either, nevertheless it is a good place to be near the beach and take care of your hunger at a reasonable price. Patrick’s Roadhouse is on the East Side of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) at 106 Entrada Dr, Santa Monica, CA 90402 Tel.: 310.459.4544 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 or emails 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 moreThis Saturday, March 17th is St Patrick’s Day!
This Saturday, March 17th is St Patrick’s Day! St Patrick’s Day is largely celebrated by Irish-Americans. Having lived in Boston, MA for over 10 plus years I have learned to accept it, even though it is not a federal holiday in the United States, in Boston it was treated as such. Alcoholic drinks and food would start around 11:30am and continue on until you ran out of energy or passed out. Most people celebrated St Patrick’s Day by wearing green clothing and drinking traditional “green beer” or other “green alcoholic” beverage. Having relocated to Los Angeles, I have learned that Angelinos are not clueless; rather they just do not celebrate St Patrick as Bostonians do. This does not make them less “Irish Traditionalists” after all even in Ireland St Patrick’s Day was just a minor religious holiday until the 1970’s. Basically St Patrick’s Day as we know it today, was invented in the United States by Irish-Americans. It was a way to pay respect to the saint and also create as well as strengthen their Irish ethnic identity. Interestingly St Patrick was not even Irish. He was born in England around 390 A.D. He was kidnapped and made a slave in Ireland St Patrick died on March 17th, 461 A.D. and was forgotten about. According to legend St Patrick used the thee leaves of a shamrock to explain the Christian holy trinity (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) Hence the wild growing thee leaf clover became a symbol of St Patrick’s Day. Ironically now days, the St Patrick’s Day Parade,drinking until one becomes silly and packing the pubs has returned to Ireland and the population has embraced this new tradition in Ireland as well. So with that said: Sláinte chugat Good health to you. A bit of trivia: When they say to you ‘Top of the morning to you’ respond with ‘And the rest of the day to you’. Also enjoy St Patrick’s Day in moderation. 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 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 310.486.1002 end_of_the_skype_highlightingor emails me at homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.comYour Pet Friendly Realtor. I contribute a portion of my commission to Local Animal Rescue Organizations. ...
read moreMarina Del Rey, CA Condominium Market Report for February 2012
Marina Del Rey, CA Condominium Market Report for February 2012 Recent data suggest that the worst may be over and that the housing sector has begun to stabilize. This was on MSN.com a widely read portal on the internet. “While we still have a long way to go back to normal, the latest numbers are one more indication that housing is slowly turning the corner,” Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders, said recently. David Crowe, the association’s chief economist, added, “We anticipate continued, slow improvement in housing starts and sales through 2012.” Comments like this are being mentioned more often than what we have been used to seeing in the past two years. Now with that said I am still a firm believer that Real Estate is Local and in the Local statistics there are even Micro Markets. One of the main reasons I love Marina Del Rey, CA is, since it is one of the most centrally located Beach Communities in Los Angeles. Marina Del Rey is bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the West and next door to the World Famous Venice Beach on the North . On the South there is Playa Del Rey. The best part is it is only about six miles to Beverly Hills. So let us look how the Real Estate Activity fared in Marina Del Rey CA. Also let’s not forget I live 300 yards from the Pacific Ocean. Now with that said let’s see how the Real Estate Market Activity fared in Marina Del Rey, CA. February: There were 114 Active Listings, Accepting Backup Offers were 12, Pending 7 and Sold 17. I have noticed a decrease of inventory from the previous month and a slight decrease of Sold properties on the other hand Pending properties have increased. This is a mixed sign well see it for yourself: January: there were 73 Active Listings, 5 in Backup position, 1 on Hold and only 8 Pending and 27 Sold. Part of this I attribute to the sellers believing in the old adage not to list their property in the winter rather than in the spring, the decrease in sales are directly related to the challenges of getting loans as well as appraisals in today’s turbulent Economic Times! 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 310.486.1002or emails me at homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.comYourPet Friendly Realtor. I contribute a portion of my commission to Local Animal Rescue Organizations. ...
read moreMy First P.D.James Novel: Innocent Blood
My First P.D.James novel: Innocent Blood I have been collecting quietly PD James novels for a long time, but time and other books took priority. So finally I read my first PD James novel. I decided Innocent Blood would be my first read. PD James is an amazing writer. This is not just a Murder Mystery that I was accustomed to reading. What I found fascinating and in a strange way it was interesting, that I learned to like characters that I should have despised rather than like. This is a story of revenge, atonement, forgiveness and at the same time a physiological thriller. This book addresses the issues of adoption, families by blood lines and a lot more. This book is not for the faint at heart. Now I understand why PD James has such a large following, she writers much deeper than what I have been accustomed from a murder mystery novel. She is a philosopher, a psychologist and a detective all at the same time. After reading this book I needed something easier to read… Nevertheless well worth reading and I have no regrets. 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 310.486.1002or emails me at homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.comYourPet Friendly Realtor. I contribute a portion of my commission to Local Animal Rescue Organizations....
read moreCentury City/ Westwood, CQA Condominium Market Report for February 2012
Century City / Westwood, CA Condominium Market Report for February 2012 Recent data suggest that the worst may be over and that the housing sector has begun to stabilize. This was on MSN.com a widely read portal on the internet. “While we still have a long way to go back to normal, the latest numbers are one more indication that housing is slowly turning the corner,” Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders, said recently. David Crowe, the association’s chief economist, added, “We anticipate continued, slow improvement in housing starts and sales through 2012.” Comments like this are being mentioned more often than what we have been used to seeing in the past two years. Now with that said I am still a firm believer that Real Estate is Local and in the Local statistics there are even Micro Markets. One of the main reasons I love Century, CA since it is one of the most centrally located Communities in Los Angele. Century City is approximately six miles to the Pacific Ocean and next door to the World Famous Beverly Hills. There are a few parts that have sidewalks, a few spots of green for children and pets to enjoy. This is the home of UCLA one of the most interesting University Campus I have ever seen. So let us look how the Real Estate Activity fared in Century City/ Westwood, CA February: There were 236 Active Listings, Accepting Backup Offers were 22, on Hold 2, Pending 25 and Sold 38. I have noticed a decrease of inventory from the previous month and a slight decrease of Sold properties on the other hand Pending properties have increased. This is a mixed sign well see it for yourself: January: there were 247 Active Listings, 17 in Backup position, 2 on Hold and only 24 Pending and 43Sold. Par t of this I attribute to the challenges of getting loans as well as appraisals in today’s turbulent Economic Times! 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 310.486.1002or emails me at homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.comYourPet Friendly Realtor. I contribute a portion of my commission to Local Animal Rescue Organizations. ...
read morePlaya Vista, CA Condominium Market Report for February 2012
Playa Vista, CA Condominium Market Report for February 2012 Recent data suggest that the worst may be over and that the housing sector has begun to stabilize. This was on MSN.com a widely read portal on the internet. “While we still have a long way to go back to normal, the latest numbers are one more indication that housing is slowly turning the corner,” Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders, said recently. David Crowe, the association’s chief economist, added, “We anticipate continued, slow improvement in housing starts and sales through 2012.” Comments like this are being mentioned more often than what we have been used to seeing in the past two years. Now with that said I am still a firm believer that Real Estate is Local and in the Local statistics there are even Micro Markets. One of the main reasons I love Playa Vista, CA since it is one of the latest Planned Communities that were built in Los Angeles in the past 50 years. Hence everything is new, well planned and pleasant to walk thru or drive thru. There are sidewalks, green parks for children and pets to enjoy, their own community library, community center with a state of the art Gym, and Olympic Size swimming pool. And if you want to go to the ocean it is only 1.5 miles to it. So let us look how the Real Estate Activity fared in Playa Vista, CA February: There were 25 Active Listings, Accepting Backup Offers were 5, Pending 6 and Sold 5. I have noticed an increase of inventory from the previous month and an increase of Sold properties as well as Pending. This is a good sign well see it for yourself: January: there were 17 Active Listings and only 2 Pending and 6 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 at 310.486.1002or emails me at homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.comYour Pet Friendly Realtor. I contribute a portion of my commission to Local Animal Rescue Organizations. ...
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