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Los Angeles, CA Real Estate News

By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
Lemon, Avocado, Bucatini & Shrimp pasta dinner... this dinner was inspired, because Diane wanted a break from " Red Sauce so with that said I reached into my cookbooks and found this recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks: "Pasta Modern." Those of you who read my posts know I would end up modifying the recipe to make it my own.Well, I did the short recipe, lemon, lemon zest, shrimp, avocado and lemon juice.My additions, fresh parsley, clam juice, little bit of heavy cream and a lot more wine:). I also added little bit of heavy cream and substituted red onions with sweet onions as well as added some baby spinach,  Wishing you a safe and healthy life and I look forward to your comments. If you are looking for a knowledgeable, focused and goal-oriented Realtor in the Beverly Hills area who...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
My latest version of a corn chowder with clams... I have been a huge fan of fresh corn and other ingredients to make the Chowder. This time I decided instead of the canned minced clams why not go with the Wild For clam meat version.All I can say is once you switch to this you will never go back to the canned minced clams.You can actually taste the clams, and it was a hit. Tonight's easy dinner, since I had a really challenging day. Some day I might post about it. In the mean time enjoy the Clam/Corn Chowder. Wishing you a safe and healthy life and I look forward to your comments. If you are looking for a knowledgeable, focused and goal-oriented Realtor in the Beverly Hills area who will help you achieve your Real Estate goals, please reach out to me directly! If you are looking for a pe...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
Wordless Wednesdays: Citrus Tree pruning in the back yard... Diane decided to prune the trees. Needless to say, she has been coordinating with our Gardner to do this. Hence, I was stuck dealing with them.They showed up in the afternoon while I was in the middle of keeping one deal together and negotiating two other deal.Next thing I know is they are putting cut branches into the "trash" barrel after they filled the "Green Barrel."  after they left, I was trying to salvage many of the oranges. Clearly you know for future Orange Juice.... Needless to say, managed to save some but what you see here was probably 50% the rest were lost!    Wishing you a safe and healthy life and I look forward to your comments. If you are looking for a knowledgeable, focused and goal-oriented Realtor in the ...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
Just for fun: I do not mind sharing our oranges with the Squirrels what I mind is if they are wasting the oranges.Well, see for yourself.I make fresh squeezed orange juice every other day and Diane I love drinking it. Now days here to get a quart like I squeeze can cost anywhere from $5.99 to $8.99 and for me it is 20 minutes, worth of work. I hate waste, I guess I grew up with parents who were born before or during the depression and I learned to be frugal about certain things.Wishing you a safe and healthy life and I look forward to your comments. If you are looking for a knowledgeable, focused and goal-oriented Realtor in the Beverly Hills area who will help you achieve your Real Estate goals, please reach out to me directly! If you are looking for a pet friendly Beverly Hills Realto...
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By Johnny Burke
(Keller Williams Realty)
Legislation Protects Consumers Purchasing Foreclosed Properties SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The Escrow Institute of California announced today that Governor Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 957 into law. This bill, authored by Assembly Member Cathleen Galgiani (D-Tracy), protects consumers by ensuring that they have the right to choose their own real estate service providers when purchasing foreclosed properties. AB 957, known as the Buyer's Choice Act, prohibits sellers of so-called REO properties - typically foreclosed properties owned by banks - from requiring the buyer to use a particular title company, escrow settlement or other real estate service provider. This unethical, anti-competitive practice drives up costs for homebuyers and takes business away from loca...
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By Lupe Soto-Realtor, Listing, Selling Burbank, San Fernando Valley LA
(Premier Realty Assoc)
BoA Struggles With Loan Modifications Bank of America could collect about $6 billion if it meets the deadline set by the federal government to help struggling borrowers for the Making Home Affordable program.But the Treasury Department released a report last week that showed that only 11 percent, about 95,000, of Bank of America's delinquent borrowers who are potentially eligible for the program have been given a loan modification. That puts Bank of America at the bottom of the list of major banks involved in the program."We're sure working hard," said Ken Scheller, senior vice president for home retention at Bank of America, when asked about his company's low success rate. "We don't want to be down there."There appear to be multiple problems, not the least of which is that many of the ...
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A minimum investment of 3.50%. This can include a combination of borrower paid down payment and closing costs, or gift funds. Most conventional loans today require 5% down or greater, not including closing costs. Some costs are excluded such as discount points, prepaid items, seller paid closing costs, etc. No minimum FICO requirement, making loans available to those who don't have high enough FICO scores for a conventional loan. More lenient qualifying ratios of 31% front-end (gross income /PITI) and 43% back-end (gross income / PITI + other monthly liabilities). The conventional loan qualifying ratios are 28% and 36%, respectively. FHA allows buyers to use a higher percentage of their income towards housing costs. People with bankruptcies may qualify. For Chapter 7, borrowers may be ...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
Although my report is late again, it is still interesting. The Century City Condominium Market Report for September 2009 is amazing. The Active Listings went up by a small margin from the previous month. Currently we had 313 Active Condominium listings as of October 1st 2009 vs. 309 from the month before. The Condominiums that are in Escrow waiting to remove contingencies have increased as well from the previous month. The previous month there were 34 and in September there were 39 waiting to remove their contingencies. The properties that were pending in the previous month were at an all time high since the Economic Meltdown. There were 56 pending and as the large number of Pending Condominiums indicated the numbers were still high for September, it was amazingly 48 properties.  Here a...
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By Dom Naidoo, Malibu to the Marina Real Estate
(Westside Properties)
I rarely post anything related to food or beverage recipes BUT I have to post this video. Makes me want a slice right now...yumm!!! Happy Sunday everyone. I hope that you all had a chance to enjoy the weekend with your loved ones. I was blessed today to not have to be in the field working.
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By Jane Peters, Los Angeles real estate concierge services
(Home Jane Realty)
The following charts refer to single family home activity in Los Angeles from September '08 thru September '09. The median home price has decreased by 12% over the year: The number of Los Angeles sold properties has increased by 12% - 410 units in September '09. The number of properties under contract has increased by 39% - 470 units in September.  Compared to September '08 less 7% less properties have completed escrow as in September '09.  This could be due to the increasing difficulty of getting a mortgage. The number of properties on the market has decreased 42%.  This is a sign that prices may start to rise due to the shortage of inventory. The number of new properties coming on the market each month has decreased by 33%.  Also an indication that prices could start to rise due to th...
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By Paul Argueta
(REOheaven.com)
1425 E 59th Pl Los Angeles CA 90001 3 beds, 3.0 baths, 1,674 sq ft now pending!! $125,900!! http://tinyurl.com/y9m67dm
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By Paul Argueta
(REOheaven.com)
8913 Towne Ave Los Angeles CA 90003 2 beds, 1.0 baths, 971 sq ft just reduced!! $176,000!!! http://tinyurl.com/p7xrls
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By Valerie Fitzgerald, Luxury Real Estate in Beverly Hills & West LA
(Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage)
Falling real estate prices are becoming as much a feature of high-end neighborhoods as ocean views, infinity pools and four-car garages. While the latest data suggests prices for mainstream homes may be stabilizing after several years of pain, the news for luxury homes isn't looking as good. That's bad news for sellers, naturally, but anyone in the market for a home listed for $2 million or more will find deeply discounted asking prices—and may be able to command even lower prices. Last week, data from the Federal Housing Finance Agency showed that average home prices ticked up 0.3% nationwide between June and July, including a 1.6% bounce on the west coast. The gains are modest, and they are partly influenced by the season—higher-end homes tend to sell better in late spring and early s...
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By Paul Argueta
(REOheaven.com)
7896 Naylor Ave Los Angeles CA 90045 3 beds, 1.0 baths, 998 sq ft just listed! $474,900!! http://tinyurl.com/yfqnomy
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By COMPASS PALM SPRINGS | Stewart Penn, COMPASS Palm Springs - Broker Associate
(COMPASS)
I love chocolate and have a very "sweet tooth" - so on a recent trip to Charleston I had to visit Market Street Sweets, South Carolina's extension of Georgia's River Street Sweets. Market Street Sweets is situated in the old Market area of Charleston and ideally located to appeal to tourists and visitors. Their friendly staff offer samples of their wickedly tempting chocolates and fudge and after a quick taste, I was hooked! Their chocolates are really delicious, especially the Chocolate Bear Claws - mounds of luscious milk chocolate, creamy caramel and chopped nuts. Their Praline, rich with sugar, cream and giant pecan halves, are equally decadent and irresistible, and are especially good served warm. Fortunately they ship around the world, so even though I'm back in Los Angeles I'll s...
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The origins of the word mortgage come from the French words mort (death), and gage (a pledge). The word mortgage came into Middle English by way of Middle and Old French.  For a greater portion of the Middle English period French was the language of the ruling elite, many of which spoke little if any English. Taking out a mortgage did not mean that the mortgagee (borrower) expected to be killed if he did not pay back the mortgage; it merely meant that he would lose the mortgaged property if he fell behind on his payments.  It had to do with the doubtfulness of whether or not the mortgagor will pay the debt. If the mortgagor did not, then the land pledged to the mortgagee as security for the debt was taken from him, and so dead to him... The notion goes back to ancient Roman times. It re...
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By Dorene Slavitz, Experienced. Ethical. Outstanding Results!
(Residential & Commercial Real Estate)
Housing Index shows the pace of home prics declines slowed in July..a sign that the market is near bottom! The pace of price declines slowed in July for Los Angeles to -14% compared with the same month one year ago according the the S&P/Case -Shiller US National home price index. These figures support stabilization nationally for Real Estate Values. We still need to remain observant in the coming months to see if the expiration of the first time homebuyers tax credit will effect these figures. In Los Angeles including Orange County the 20 year index is now at 2003 levels, going back to just before home prices made their most dramatic gains in the housing "bubble" Making Sense of the News For first time homebuyers, this remains an ideal time to consider purchasing a home. Interest rates ...
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By Johnny Burke
(Keller Williams Realty)
NEW YORK (Reuters) "Short sales," or sales of homes for less than the balance on existing mortgages, are seen as a key way to supplement other efforts such as loan modifications to steady housing.   Unlike most modifications, "short sales" eliminate the problem of negative equity that has become a big reason for defaults as home prices have plunged. The incentives, first announced in May, would expand the government's Home Affordable Modification Program that has seen limited success in lowering payments for hundreds of thousands of homeowners deemed eligible. Just 12 percent of homeowners eligible have had their loans reworked, leaving millions more foreclosures to come, the Treasury said on September 9. More short sales may alleviate fears that a raft of "shadow supply," or foreclosur...
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By Annie Pinsker-Brown, Stage to Sell, Los Angeles Home Stager
(Stage to Sell - LA Home Staging)
If you follow my AR blog, you'll know that I've done several "staging" jobs for American Communities, a developer of low income housing in Los Angeles. If you read my posts about Staging 1,  Staging 2 and Staging 3, you will remember that our goal was to make the common spaces in these buildings warm and inviting, as well as functional for the residents to relax, watch TV, attend meetings & classes and use a computer. We recently completed Staging #4 for American Communities. Like the previous building, this one was designed in a contemporary Art Deco style, so we chose furnishings and art that fit with this theme. But at Stage to Sell, we always have to try something new! So this time we added a graphic element to the walls with vinyl decals. Though these gave us the fun design element...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
Playa Vista Market Report for September 2009 First I want to let all my readers know there are a few changes I made to the normal monthly market report. I was very intrigued how little the inventory was, so I did a comparison between September 2008 to September 2009 as well as the month to month in between. I found this quite fascinating and I wanted to share it with you There were only 26 Active Listings. I was just totally amazed. Compared to September 2008 that is a huge change. Even if you compare it July as well as August you will see this is dramatic. I imdediately started to wonder what this will do to the next few months referrence sales? At the same time I wanted to let everyone know there were 17 Properties that were in Escrow and the Buyers have not removed their investigatio...
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By Paul Argueta
(REOheaven.com)
1425 E 59th Pl Los Angeles CA 90001 3 beds, 3.0 baths, 1,674 sq ft just listed!! $125,900!! http://tinyurl.com/y9m67dm
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By Johnny Burke
(Keller Williams Realty)
District Attorney Steve Cooley warns Los Angeles County homeowners to be on the alert for foreclosure rescue scams. Many consumers are faced with a mortgage they can no longer afford and are facing foreclosure. Unscrupulous opportunists are profiting from this crisis.  They promise quick results for a fee but actually provide nothing. Beware of promises involving the payment of substantial amounts of money or the deeding of your home to someone as a way to solve your financial problems. In reality, these predators may steal your money, your home and your hope. Help yourself. Call your lender directly to negotiate a loan modification. For foreclosure assistance, seek help from a housing counselor approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by calling 1-888-995-...
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If the property was purchased or refinanced: Before October 14, 1987, all interest paid is fully deductible, without limit. After October 13, 1987, if the mortgage (up to $1 million) was used to purchase, build or improve your home or second home, interest is deductible. In addition, interest on debt (HELOC, 2nd) up to $100,000, secured by the home, used for any purpose, is deductible. Refinancing of eligible debt results in fully deductible interest. POINTS: Points on purchase are generally fully deductible. Points on refinance are amortized over the life of the loan. If you refinance again, the previously unamortized points for the old loan become fully deductible.
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By Lupe Soto-Realtor, Listing, Selling Burbank, San Fernando Valley LA
(Premier Realty Assoc)
Positive thinking when buying a home.  An affirmation/thought is a powerful tool which will help you gain positive attitude which leads to positive actions. Our minds work in wonderful ways. Once you start saying your affirmations/thoughts on a regular basis - your mind will find ways for these affirmations/thoughts to become a reality.  Think about this and make it today a great day. greetings from Lupe Soto, Burbank Realtor www.HomesWithLupe.com Wishes to support buying a home: "I want to consistently make enough money to easily afford living in the home of my choice" The following affirmation/thought is an inspiration from THE DAILY MOTIVATOR by Ralph Marston START DOING!  Are you stuck trying to figure out how to get started? Stop over-thinking the situation and start doing somethi...
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