08/02/2009

AIG - Another Ponzi Scheme? - A tangled web of corporate intrigue The New York Times featured a disturbing article today, stating "The dozens of insurance companies that make up the American International Group (AIG) show signs of considerable weakness even after their corporate parent got the biggest bailout in history, a review of state regulatory filings shows." AIG received $182 Billion of taxpayer's money to survive. AIG has repeatedly claimed its problems primarily because a small unit within the organization that dealt in exotic derivatives. But regulators have found that several of AIG's individual insurance companies have been investing in each other's stocks; borrowing from each other's investment portfolios; and guaranteeing each other’s insurance policies, even when they hav... 08/01/2009

07/31/2009

123 Kings Rd - New loft-style condos in the West Hollywood area at Kings Road and Beverly Blvd. This 12-unit building offers a choice of 1 and 2 Bedroom condos with open floor plans, 20 ft ceilings and a combination of polished cement and hardwood floors. Originally much higher priced around $800 per sq ft ($1,175,000 for 1500 sq ft), the units have been aggressively discounted, making them more competitively priced in the current market at between $460 - $570 per sq ft. That's a reduction of over 35%!!! But before you sign up to buy one of these units be sure you have the strength to climb stairs .... and a lot of them .... literally! Acclaimed architects Pugh+Scarpa designed the project and construction was by JT Builders.      07/31/2009

Can I advertise another Realtor's Listings? When a Realtor obtains an exclusive Listing Agreement from a Seller that Realtor obtains the permission to market and advertise the property. If you don't have the express permission from a property owner to advertise his or her property, then you cannot do so. I'm wondering how Redfin can advertise other Realtors' listings like this. Their website clearly states:"See this home with a Redfin agent. It's easy and there's no obligation" 07/30/2009

Do you analyze your Blog and see which of your posts receive the greatest number of comments? Do you wonder why certain posts receive zero comments? I try to comment on interesting and relevant topics that relate to Real Estate matters. I also try to blog about topics that may be of interest to people in my local neighborhood and people relocating to the area I live and work in. Perhaps readers around the country (and the world) may also be interested in what's happening in Los Angeles. I often look at other blogs that are receiving no comments and find a few common elements: 1. The post is way too long. It makes sense to keep it brief. Get the message across quickly and let the comments carry the conversation further. 2. There are no pictures or graphics. Add pictures. Visuals can add ... 07/30/2009

1200 Sweetzer is the newest condo development in West Hollywood. Described as "Boutique Homes", 1200 Sweetzer (at the corner of Sweetzer and Norton Avenues) offers a choice of 10 units in 2 and 3 bedroom configurations with private patios and decks built around a landscaped courtyard. The project was built using sustainable products and materials and designed to incorporate natural light and ventilation. The MLS details (provided by Listing Brokerage Sotheby's International) highlights "mahogany wood flooring, security system in each unit, custom kitchen cabinetry with soft touch closing, video intercom systems, washer/dryer hookups, stainless appliances, dual paned windows and sliders, caesarstone countertops, glass backsplashes and more". Prices in the 10-unit building vary from $799... 07/29/2009

I've blogged about the very poor customer service offered by American Airlines "Does Customer Servcie Exist at American Airlines" and "American Airlines is possibly the very worst airline in the country". In contrast, I blogged about Virgin America and "Outstanding Customer Service Leads to Oustanding Profits". Forbes.com  recently featured an an excellent article titled: "United Airlines Shows How Not to Run Your Business". This video posted on You Tube was viewed more than 3 million times in its first 10 days. Much like "The Power of Blogging" the various social networks on the internet are becoming even more powerful tools to hold companies accountable as many millions of consumers can be easily reached and informed. 07/27/2009

Did you know our government is sitting on a huge profit? - 7/17/2009 Goldman Sachs is the epitomy of corruption - Where is the public outrage? - 7/20/2009 Warren Buffet makes $4 Billion profit on Goldman Sachs stake? - 7/24/09 Goldman Sachs: Gamblig with your money? - 7/27/09 Warren Buffet "loaned" Goldman Sachs $5 Billion ..... and this week booked a profit of $4 Billion! The Fed "loaned" Goldman Sachs $10 Billion ..... and this week accepted a $1.1 Billion profit (Goldman had initially offered only $650 Million profit to the Fed)! Why is this not making headline news?  Why aren't American Taxpayers furious? Why is no-one asking questions? Even more outrageous is the fact that Goldman Sachs recently reported 2nd quarter profits of $3.4 Billion and immediately earmarked bonuses in exce... 07/26/2009

    Pavilions in West Hollywood (Safeway's flagship store) opened this week. "All is forgiven" - You see, about two weeks ago I blogged that the new store is "aesthetically unappealing and boring in the design". Well, that still holds true for the exterior of the building but the interior and the contents of the store makes up for the new building. The new Pavilions in West Hollywood is impressive. There's a huge selection of fresh produce featuring a great choice of organic fruit & vegetables. The bakery looks fantastic with a delicious looking choice of breads. The store has also increased the brands they're carrying giving shoppers an even wider variety to choose from. The store features a full-service pharmacy, gourmet deli ("Signature Cafe") where they make fresh sandwiches to ord... 07/25/2009

Appraisals - The Problem or the solution? The pendulum has swung from one extreme to another. Remember when appraisers drove by a property and found full value based on the price in Purchase Agreement?  Fast forward two years later and that same appraiser is petrified to commit to a valuation. Obviously the appraisal situation was totally out of hand and resulted in lenders approving ridiculously high loans for completely unqualified borrowers. It was insane. As part of the solution to remedying that chaos that prevailed during the recent Real Estate Boom the authorities implemented strict criteria for the appraisers that lenders now get to use. The problem is that many of these lender appointed appraisers have no idea of the area they're appraising. The result is that many loans cannot... 07/24/2009

Murano is a beautiful restaurant situated at 9010 Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, CA 90069. I say beautiful, because the room is magnificently decorated with stunning red crystal chandeliers imported from Murano, Italy. The room is sexy and stylish and creates a sophisticated atmosphere in which to enjoy their great food. My most recent meal consisted of the "Birratina Pugliese" for starters, imported Italian Burrata cheese with thinly sliced organic tomatoes, dressed with basil olive oil. I then had the "Strozzapreti Romagnoli", twisted pasta tunes, smoked salmon, asparagus, shallots, white wine and strachino cheese. For dessert I had "Chocolate Souffle", which was light and airy and filled with a creamy chocolate molton and accompanied with a scoop of vanilla gelato. A 20-year old p... 07/24/2009

I recently posted a blog titled: "Smoking on Balconies - A Dilemma for Condo Owners" and received many interesting comments from both smokers and non smokers. Our all-important HOA meeting was held to discuss this issue. It appeared that most owners (even the non smokers) did not favor a formal ban on smoking on balconies as this seemed to be a draconian approach to the problem. What surprised most of us at the meeting was that neither the Board nor the Management Company had approached the offending smokers to discuss an amicable compromise. An interesting point concerning the HOA's liability arose. What would happen if an owner became ill due to second hand smoke emanating from a balcony? Could the HOA be held liable since it didn't strictly enforce the CC&R's and Rules and Regulation... 07/23/2009

When I saw that this property was hitting the market this past Tuesday, I was pretty excited. It's rare that you are going to find a done, move in ready 2br/2ba unit in the heart of the best part of West Hollywood for under $600,000, let alone under $500,000. What's the catch I thought? When I previewed the unit, I have to say that it definitely lived up to my expectations. It's a very clean, well presented condo located in a small (but nice) unassuming building just steps from both the Sunset Strip and Santa Monica Blvd. There are a few giveaways that some corners were cut in the updating - the flooring is a hardwood laminate (looks fairly natural), there is no central AC (wall units), and it's not the brightest unit in the world (although certainly not dark). On the flip side, there a... 07/23/2009

Google Voice is truly incredible with brilliant features available on this new product from Google. -> Never dial a telephone number using your landline again If you're sitting at your desk you can call anyone in your computer's address book. Simply enter the person's phone number and Google will make the call, displaying your caller ID as your Google Voice telephone number (which you get to choose for free). -> Send text messages to anyone in your address book using your computer's keyboard I think this is great ... no more fiddling with my iphone to send text message while at my desk. -> Another great feature is having different voicemail greetings for diffeent caller groups This allows a more formal message for clients and unrecognized callers, while permitting a more casual message ... 07/22/2009

Another great Tribute to the Federal Communications Commission .... more Unnecessary Censorship ... Enjoy! 07/22/2009

Last week I posted a Blog called "Independent Contractors (Realtors) targeted to make Interest Free Loans to California" and discussed the unacceptable proposal that Independent Contractors have 3% withheld from payments to due them. C.A.R. (California Association of Realtors) reports that "the governor (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and legislative leaders have reached agreement to bridge the $26.3 billion state budget gap.  According to legislative sources and newspaper accounts, the agreement does NOT include the 3 percent independent contractor withholding proposal. However the official budget language is not yet in print. C.A.R. will follow up with additional details when they are available.  The agreement includes about $15 billion in state budget cuts, as well as $2 billion in cuts to,... 07/21/2009

The last few weeks I have been on hiatus from The Twittering Tuesday Previews as I was holding open a listing I have been working on and wasn't able to caravan like I normally do. Don't worry, during this time I've still be scoping out the Hot Props and best deals - there just hasn't been a lot to see. This week promises at least a few juicy listings that I am excited to check out. Just to recap, as I preview property I will twitter my thoughts on them so that you are the first to have access to all the new listings that have hit the market today. These listings are open from11am-2pm, so if you happen to like something, check out my feedback and then drop on by. If the address is hyperlinked in bold, it will direct you to additional info, pics, etc. Twitter has now been integrated into ... 07/21/2009

  Google vs Bing     I dedicate a number of hours each day working to enhance my online presence. I check my website, add or modify keywords, check my online ads and I obviously blog. Each week I'm seeing my online presence expand. I know my efforts are paying off because the phone rings as a direct result from the internet, usually from a blog with a link back to my website. Up until recently I've been "googling" myself to see where I rank in various searches. When Microsoft launched their new search engine "Bing" I was curious to see my presence using that search engine compared to Google. There was simply no comparison between the two. I googled my name for images and saw a full page with my pics from the various sites I post on. When I did the same on Bing there was only one pic on... 07/20/2009

 Google Voice - Another innovative idea from Google. Today I received an email from Google inviting me to open a free Google Voice Account. I watched the video above and am highly impressed at the convenience this account can offer. "Google Voice gives you a single phone number that rings all your phones, saves your voicemail online, and transcribes your voicemail to text. Other cool features include the ability to listen in on messages while they are being left and the ability to make low cost international calls." One telephone number for all my voicemails .... now that's awesome! .... so call me: (310) 844-6515 07/20/2009