2012-05-22T05:25:50Z http://los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com/atom.aspx Quick Blogcast tag:los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com,2012-05-21:21d6448a-d380-4497-948f-2461f4565f41 Phyllis Harb 2012-05-21T08:58:00Z 2012-05-21T08:58:00Z I am noticing a trend in that I am being called into the selling equation sooner, rather than later. I recently listed a duplex in Glendale’s Adam Hill neighborhood. My out of state client is selling his Uncle’s home. Although his home won’t be available for showing until July (yes, July!) we are diligently working on his behalf. Last week, I met with a landscaper and my home stager so we could coordinate how we will create curb appeal. The current landscape is unattractive and hides the ... tag:los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com,2012-05-20:1c6abf08-ea09-4a0a-a426-b29a804b303d Phyllis Harb 2012-05-20T09:57:00Z 2012-05-20T09:57:00Z Just an update to my earlier post regarding Lisa and I both writing offers. Each of us were in counter offers; there is a serious shortage of available listings. Lisa competed with fourteen others on her short sale offer and was the successful bidder. My clients changed their mind and we are pursuing other options. For those home buyers still thinking that open houses are the way to find a home, think again. The real estate market is challenging. You can learn about the market at open houses, but if you want to purchase a home, you need an ... tag:los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com,2012-05-18:22d40f75-cfa7-48ec-b8cd-221bc414c3c2 Phyllis Harb 2012-05-18T09:55:00Z 2012-05-18T09:55:00Z Another fun filled Los Angeles Weekend, and once again, something for everyone! Classic Car Show at Bob’s Big Boy- Burbank May 18 from 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM Dog Behavior Lecture: Mischief, Mayhem, and Manners at Glendale Humane Society- GlendaleMay 20 from 2:00 PM – 3:30 PMJoin us as dog behavior expert Janine Pierce reveals the mysteries behind our canine companions' Mischief, Mayhem, and Manners. We will also cover specific problem solving like jumping, mouthing, greeting behaviors, coprophagia (gasp!) and more! Instructor: Janine Pierce, CPDT-KA (Dog Behavior Expert and Professional Dog Trainer) Pre-registration is required: Early bird ... tag:los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com,2012-05-17:ad50556c-951d-4301-af2e-08099ddc666c Phyllis Harb 2012-05-17T09:44:00Z 2012-05-17T09:44:00Z Purchasing a home can be an emotional roller coaster and when I represent the seller, I try to keep that in mind. When I receive an offer, I quickly acknowledge it and try to give the buyer's agent an idea as to what time frame in which to expect an answer. Lisa and I both wrote and presented offers on Monday. The offer Lisa wrote was for a short sale in Shadow Hills. There were multiple offers and Lisa has not yet heard whether her offer is the one which will be submitted to the bank for short ... tag:los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com,2012-05-16:2232a6f6-9325-4a98-ab5f-8b771be93c19 Phyllis Harb 2012-05-16T07:18:00Z 2012-05-16T07:18:00Z When I first entered the real estate profession, silence deemed approval. When you entered into a real estate contract, contingencies were passively removed. If your loan contingency was 17 days and you didn't obtain loan approval by then, you needed to extend your contingency. If you didn't it was automatically removed. Home buyers and sellers hire a Realtor to assist them in all aspects of their real estate transaction. Likely some Realtors didn't count out the days, contingencies that should have been extended weren't and likely some buyers lost their deposit. There were probably lawsuits against ... tag:los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com,2012-05-15:1f4822da-2a8f-4c49-a55e-0412406520fb Phyllis Harb 2012-05-15T07:06:00Z 2012-05-15T07:06:00Z I have an upcoming listing located at 5410 Vista Del Arroyo Drive, in La CrescentaAbout La Crescenta: This is not the land that time forgot, but a delightful suburb with low crime and highly ranked schools. According to the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce: "La Crescenta is a residential community offering nighttime rest, seclusion and quiet for families who make their livings in the roar of one of America's greatest cities. It is a community combining all the advantages of urban living and metropolitan convenience." About 5410 ... tag:los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com,2012-05-14:008a967d-c5ee-43fd-a28d-9673d42d7196 Phyllis Harb 2012-05-14T08:10:00Z 2012-05-14T08:10:00Z Just 4% of April’s La Canada home sales were short sales or foreclosures. La Canada real estate is driven by the school district. It’s prime spring selling season, so it’s no surprise that the number of homes sold increased, price per square ft and average selling price increased (both the highest for the year). Search La Canada Homes for SaleFind La Canada Short SalesSearch La Canada foreclosure listingsTweet ... tag:los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com,2012-05-13:096ab696-ec63-4cd9-a9c5-b009a437f423 Phyllis Harb 2012-05-13T07:47:00Z 2012-05-13T07:47:00Z For those of you not spending the day with mom or maybe you are going to buy mom a house.... /files/94499-87566/La_Canada_5_13.pdf">La Canada Open Houses/files/94499-87566/Glendale_5_13.pdf">Glendale Open Houses/files/94499-87566/Burbank_5_13.pdf">Burbank Open Houses/files/94499-87566/Pasadena_5_13.pdf">Pasadena Open Houses/files/94499-87566/Eagle_Rock_5_13.pdf">Eagle Rock Open HousesAnd in honor of Mother's everywhere who teach their children manners, let's brush up:Open House EtiquetteOpen House Etiquette Part 2Tweet ... tag:los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com,2012-05-11:6d9ab9a0-41fe-4eee-93bc-f3da450ccba5 Phyllis Harb 2012-05-11T09:43:00Z 2012-05-11T09:43:00Z My mother is in Washington State and I won't be spending Mother's Day with her. I sold a big fixer upper in Altadena earlier this year and on Saturday my client is having a party, I can't wait to see her home's transformation! On Sunday, I have one daughter making it home from college, we will have a lovely brunch with family and friends in honor of beautiful women everywhere. For those of you looking to spend some quality time with Mom this weekend, there are a variety of options: A Taste of Spring at ... tag:los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com,2012-05-10:cef9e248-66c9-4ff7-844b-7eb5aada8e1d Phyllis Harb 2012-05-10T08:40:00Z 2012-05-10T08:40:00Z Although the average price per square foot of La Crescenta home sales dropped, it is back to February’s level. Days on market is down, average selling price similar to last month as well as percentage of average selling price to list. La Crescenta home values are holding steady. The absorption rate remains low making this La Crescenta real estate market a seller’s market. Conclusion: Although, inventory is tight, La Crescenta home values are holding steady (they are not increasing). Search the MLS just like your Realtor Search La Crescenta Homes for SaleFind La Crescenta Short SalesSearch La Crescenta ... tag:los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com,2012-05-09:c998721a-5dfe-46fe-9b0f-bc28b103ea22 Phyllis Harb 2012-05-09T07:26:00Z 2012-05-09T07:26:00Z On Sunday morning I received a telephone call from a young woman inquiring about a Glendale condo. It was a short sale, but that’s not the point of this story. She wanted to see the condo and because she found the listing on my real estate web site she assumed I was the listing agent; I am not. I told her that although it wasn’t my listing, that either Lisa or Natalie would be happy to show it to her that day. She apologized and explained to me that she had a real ... tag:los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com,2012-05-08:46cf0ede-6630-437f-a625-dff2559ecc74 Phyllis Harb 2012-05-08T08:35:00Z 2012-05-08T08:35:00Z The number of Glendale homes sold in April dropped from March. Does that mean Glendale home buyers have backed off? Home buyers and Realtors are desperately searching for the right home. I am in escrow with the same real estate agent for two different properties. We spoke yesterday and he told me he has more than 20 qualified buyers looking to buy and they can't find a home. I told him I have an Adams Hill duplex coming soon (June or July)... more on that later. There are many homes listed for sale which ... tag:los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com,2012-05-07:34514e8e-eaed-476f-8d0a-161d6de90f69 Phyllis Harb 2012-05-07T08:46:00Z 2012-05-07T08:46:00Z Tomorrow we will return to the real estate statistics, but this week is all about Mom. For those of you fortunate enough to spend the day with your mother on Mother's day, here's a list of some of our finer Los Angeles and vicinity restaurants. Bashan Restaurant (818) 541-15323459 N. Verdugo Road, Glendale12:00 PM - 3:30 PM, $40.00 per person, $15.00 Wine Pairing Border Grill (213) 486-5171445 S. Figueroa St, Downtown Los AngelesUnlimited small plates brunch - $34.00 for adults, $15.00 for kids Cafe Pinot (213) 239-6500700 W. 5th St, Downtown Los Angeles3 course brunch ... tag:los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com,2012-05-06:04f0bfcb-e9ac-49a8-8d65-451a5a0e930f Phyllis Harb 2012-05-06T09:18:00Z 2012-05-06T09:18:00Z For those of you who love them, here's the list of Sunday Open Houses:/files/94499-87566/La_Canada_5_6.pdf">La Canada Open Houses/files/94499-87566/La_Crescenta_5_6.pdf">La Crescenta/Montrose Open Houses/files/94499-87566/Glendale_5_6.pdf">Glendale Open Houses/files/94499-87566/Burbank_5_6.pdf">Burbank Open Houses/files/94499-87566/Pasadena_5_6.pdf">Pasadena Open Houses/files/94499-87566/Eagle_Rock_5_6.pdf">Eagle Rock Open HousesTweet ... tag:los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com,2012-05-04:31e10507-64c1-408c-8743-91e2847aabe4 Phyllis Harb 2012-05-04T09:31:00Z 2012-05-04T09:31:00Z We are so fortunate to live where we do. Another weekend with so many possibilities: 61st Annual Altadena Guild Home Tour- AltadenaMay 6, at 10:00 AM - 4:00 PMThe walking tour, located in the beautiful heart of Midlothian Drive at the intersection of Midwick Drive, will feature four unique Altadena homes, two of which were built in 1930. The theme this year, “The Heart of Midlothian – Home Is Where the Heart Is,” is also in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Huntington Medical Research Institute. $25.00Grow! A Garden Festival at the Los Angeles County ... tag:los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com,2012-05-03:d92c9750-1568-48b6-97f8-613ccb442bb2 Phyllis Harb 2012-05-03T08:37:00Z 2012-05-03T08:37:00Z It's peak real estate selling season: Spring. The number of Pasadena homes sold increased from last month, average price per foot increased to the highest for the year. Average selling price of Pasadena homes also increased, percentage of selling price to list also increased from last month. Absorption rate is down (better for sellers). Short sales and foreclosures are just 14% of the Pasadena real estate market. ... tag:los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com,2012-05-02:424e245b-3e8f-4248-9b57-f895e9224131 Phyllis Harb 2012-05-02T08:29:00Z 2012-05-02T08:29:00Z I have always disliked math, but I just love real estate statistics! So is the luxury real estate market making a comeback? The answer is both yes and no; it depends on the location. Let's look where luxury real estate sales are making a strong comeback: La CanadaLast year four La Canada homes sold in excess of $3,000,000. MLS data for the first four months reflects three, $3,000,000+ sales. Luxury real estate is alive and doing extremely well in the 91011. With just three sales, it's hard to read too much more into the data, such as price ... tag:los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com,2012-05-01:eb3ab7d5-5d1d-469a-bc2f-f137fd24cbda Phyllis Harb 2012-05-01T10:07:00Z 2012-05-01T10:07:00Z So what does a real estate agent do all day? There are full time and part time real estate agents. Full time agents make selling real estate their career, not a hobby or a past time. Each day, full time real estate agents: 1) Check the multiple listing service (MLS) for new listings and price reductions (for both our buyer clients and to determine the competition for our seller clients). We check to learn what has entered escrow and the selling price of those homes sold. 2) ... tag:los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com,2012-04-30:672bfb8f-ca15-42f6-afab-63c225e825f1 Phyllis Harb 2012-04-30T08:49:00Z 2012-04-30T08:49:00Z So as we say goodbye to April, what’s happening with Los Angeles Real Estate? Tune in to Money 101 with Bob McCormick Money KFWB – 980 and find out! I will be a guest, please call in with your questions. I am in a waiting mode. I am waiting for a couple of listings to get ready for market. I had an appraisal come in low, have rebutted it and am waiting for the appraiser’s response. The least favorite part of a real estate agent’s job is the “hurry up and ... tag:los-angeles-real-estate-blog.com,2012-04-29:47b12545-50ca-410b-be88-3e40323a9ad3 Phyllis Harb 2012-04-29T08:23:00Z 2012-04-29T08:23:00Z Another new listing, but not yet primped for showing... everything else I have is in escrow. So, you won't find, me, Lisa or Natalie at an open house this Sunday. For those of you desiring the flexibility of searching for homes without a Realtor, here's the list of Sunday Open Houses:/files/94499-87566/La_Canada_4_29.pdf">La Canada Open Houses/files/94499-87566/La_Crescenta_4_29.pdf">La Crescenta/Montrose Open Houses/files/94499-87566/Glendale_4_29.pdf">Glendale Open Houses/files/94499-87566/Pasadena_4_29.pdf">Pasadena Open Houses/files/94499-87566/Burbank_4_29.pdf">Burbank Open Houses/files/94499-87566/Eagle_Rock_4_29.pdf">Eagle Rock Open HousesSearch the multiple listing service just like a RealtorTweet ...