WEST HOLLYWOOD CONDO REPORT: June 2009 (May 2009) Average Selling Price: $572,000 ($545,000) Average List Price: $607,000 ($579,000) Median Price: $560,000 ($502,000) Total Sold in Dollars: $15,444,000 ($14,170,000) Number of Units Sold:  27 (26) Lowest Price Condo Sold: $274,500  ($265,000) Highest Price Condo Sold: $1,485,000 ($900,0000) Average Days on the Market: 100 (124) (Statistics extracted from The CLAW MLS and rounded off for ease of comparison. Statistics are deemed reliable but are not guaranteed) 07/08/2009

Why has the Department of Insurance in California deemed it illegal for any Title Company to provide Property Profiles to anyone? Is it true that only if you have an "Open Order" with a Title Company are they allowed to supply the information previously contained in a "Property Profile"? My Title Rep has advised that information regarding property details, ownership information, registered loans etc. may now only be obtained from vendors who charge for this information. Apparently this move is a direct result of SB 133 (Senate Bill) - A new Title Marketing Law. This does nor sound right to me. Have these vendors lobbied so hard that the law has been changed? The primary rationale of this Bill is to enhance consumer protection, but I don't see it that way. Real Estate Brokerages are perm... 07/05/2009

Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills - Murder, Mystery, Intrigue .... a True Story Copyright © 2009 Penn Properties.  All Rights Reserved. 07/05/2009

This week I received my Member Reference Guide from the National Association of Realtors. Included in the brochure were details of the benefits offered by the NAR's Realtor Benefits Program. One benefit I didn't know about was The Realtors® Federal Credit Union. I didn't even know there was a Credit Union for Realtors. I'm interested in feedback from fellow ActiveRainers who are members of this Credit Union.  Has anyone obtained a mortgage from this Credit Union? ..... Are there real and practical benefits to be had? 07/04/2009

Sarah Palin announced she will step down as Governor of Alaska. Why? Is there Breaking News about a new scandal? Why is she really "passing the ball" as she says?  Palin took no questions after a brief news conference in her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska. She did not state her future plans.  "I'm not seeking re-election" in 2010, Palin said, stating she would transfer authority to Lt. Governor Sean Parnell on July 26. According to a report on CNN, the governor's "book deal and other issues" were "causing a lot of friction" in her home state. The report went on to say she is "mapping out a path to 2012." Republican strategist Ed Rollins said: "I think people are going to be very suspicious because of the timing. You don't quit on the Friday of a three-day holiday. If you are going to do th... 07/03/2009

Last year I blogged about The Best Pizza in Los Angeles. Then last month I posted a pic of the delicious Pizza Bianca available at Pizzeria Mozza on Melrose Ave in Los Angeles. That "Wordless Wednesday" photo received over 25 comments from hungry ActiveRainers being tempted by the mouthwatering image. Several commentators asked if the Pizzas were available to go or for delivery. Now while I doubt my little post had any influence on the owner's of Pizzeria Mozza, it was great to learn that Pizza Mozza 2 Go was opening up right next door to Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza. The Menu at Pizza Mozza 2 Go (which actually opened its doors last week) features many of the outstanding choices available at the sit-down pizzeria as well as some of their decadent desserts. (I posted a pic of their ... 07/03/2009

Two-Bed Condos For Sale in West Hollywood as at 7/1/09: Number of Two-Bed Condos For Sale: 109 Lowest Priced Two-Bed Condo: $414,000 (906 sq ft) HOA $336 per month Highest Priced Two-Bed Condo: $2,475,000 (2246 sq ft) HOA $1640 per month Smallest Two-Bed Condo Available: 870 sq ft Biggest Two-Bed Condo Available: 2660 sq ft Oldest Listing:  533 days - Listed Since 1/17/2008 Information obtained from the CLAW MLS and deemed reliable but not guaranteed. 07/01/2009

One-Bed Condos For Sale in West Hollywood as at 6/30/09: Number of One-Bed Condos For Sale: 64 Lowest Priced One-Bed Condo: $274,900 (670 sq ft) HOA $282 per month Highest Priced One-Bed Condo: $3,495,000 (3900 sq ft) HOA $2600 per month Smallest One-Bed Condo Available: 664 sq ft Biggest One-Bed Condo Available: 3900 sq ft Oldest Listing: 499 days - Listed Since 2/17/2008 Information obtained from the CLAW MLS and deemed reliable but not guaranteed. 06/30/2009

California enjoys some of the best weather in the country and yesterday was a magnificent day for the beach. I decided to take a day off and have a break from Real Estate. A friend and I drove out to Malibu and chose Broad Beach as our destination. When we arrived it was high tide. We were shocked by what we saw. The beach was gone - literally. The water had risen so much that the beach houses were being sucked back into the ocean. It's a disastrous case of sand erosion. Desperate homeowners have placed walls of sandbags on the borders of their properties in an attempt to hold-off the forces of nature. There are "Emergency Coastal Development Permits" on several of the homes allowing for the placement of temporary sandbags to protect existing development on the seaward side of the prop... 06/29/2009

While browsing the blogs (Curbed LA) I read an interesting post about how The National Trust for Historic Preservation has launched a microsite chronicling the LGBT influence on America's neighborhoods and discusses the gay passion to preserve. The site acknowledges the contributions by LGBT preservationists and goes on to state the importance of maintaining historic places that have made an impact on our society. Such preservation keeps history alive. Of particular significance to the LGBT Community is The Stonewall Inn, "the small, undistinguished LGBT bar on Christopher Street ... where over the course of several nights, New York City police went to make as many arrests as was convenient." The gay patrons began to resist the harassment and eventually huge numbers of supporters gathe... 06/27/2009

In the June 24th ActiveRain Newsletter I was featured in "Member Spotlight". I'm not one who usually needs or wants awards, trophies or certificates - but this "recognition" felt great. I've been actively blogging on ActiveRain since April 2008 and during this time I've made some really great online friends. I've learned so much about Search Engine Optimization, "Google Juice", and have noticed a marked improvement in my writing style (not to mention more interesting topics to blog about). I've learned about towns I'd never heard of before and discovered things I never knew of. I've participated in many passionate and sometimes heated political debates and have enjoyed the sharing of opinions. I've also has success with online leads and have been interviewed by the media as a direct re... 06/25/2009

I recently had a telephone call from an intern at Inman News. She requested I respond to questions regarding foreclosures in my farm area. I was happy to oblige.Today I was checking their website and to my horror I found an article called: "What is the state of foreclosures in your area?" There was my face pic and an a bunch of confused, incoherent comments that I allegedly made to the intern. She apparently heard a few words I said and proceeded to construct random sentences that don't make proper sense. It's embarrassing - not for me - but for Inman News, that has an intern write such nonsense and have it published as a legitimate Broker's quote. In future if I'm contacted by Inman News my reply will be "No Comment". Is there not a senior editor to check and approve what they put out ... 06/25/2009

Who is crying now? South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's emotional and teary press conference on Wednesday June 24, 2009 effectively ended the possibility of his being a 2012 Republican Presidential Nominee. The press conference also saw Sanford resign as Chairman from the Republican Governors' Association. "I spent the last five days of my life crying in Argentina," he said. Sanford admitted to cheating on his wife and spending the previous few days with his mistress in Argentina while his whereabouts were unknown to his family and staff. This opens up a whole lot of moral, ethical and legal questions that the Governor will need to address. As many political commentators have already said, his infidelity should really be a private matter between Sanford and his family, but the whole mess... 06/25/2009

Joan, can we talk .......?I’m an independent Real Estate Broker in Los Angeles and have been reading about one of my favorite stars selling up in NY and moving to LA.Now I’d imagine she either has, or has been referred to a Realtor in Los Angeles – but I’d love the opportunity of assisting her in finding a new property to call home.Maybe a luxurious new penthouse in Century City or a perhaps an ocean facing condo in Santa Monica?Whatever her choice, I’d like to represent her.Please check out my website: http://www.pennpropertiesla.comJoan, please call me ......Stewart PennStewart Penn Realtor®|Broker Penn Properties310.866.1818 direct | 800.566.1318 fax stewart@pennpropertiesla.com | www.pennpropertiesla.comMember: California Association of Realtors | Beverly Hills Association of Realtors 06/24/2009

I've been following the news about the Tesla Electric Car - the start-up electric car manufacturer for which Daimler reportedly paid $50 Million to buy a 10% stake. Today I read on CNNMoney.com that the Fed is loaning Tesla $456 Million to build its electric car. "The Obama Administration will lend Tesla Motors $465 million to build an electric sedan and the battery packs needed to propel it. It's one of three loans totaling almost $8 billion that the Department of Energy awarded Tuesday to spur the development of fuel-efficient vehicles." This is great news for American entrepreneurs .... the most efficient car in the world can be mass produced in America. The sad thing is General Motors could have been way ahead in this business if they hadn't killed the electric car years ago. "We ar... 06/24/2009

This is definitely your quintessential rock and roll, Sunset Strip bachelor pad. Located on Larrabee, just west of Sunset Plaza, you are literally a short stroll from everything that the Strip has to offer. What I liked about this unit is that it feels high quality: dark hardwood floors, very cool kitchen with chrome accented back splashes, updated bathrooms, and well proportioned bedrooms. Apparently it's owned by some sort of rock star and this becomes clear when you see the stripper pole that has been installed in the living room next to the wet bar area. Putting all of that aside, I think this place has a ton of potential. I would say that this unit is best suited for a party boy/girl who likes to sleep in late or a tortured artist who thrives in dark environments. There is very lit... 06/24/2009

Today's Hot Prop made the cut for a few different reasons. The units are well located on Fountain and Crescent Heights which puts you in walking distance to basically everything that's cool on both the Sunset Strip as well as Santa Monica Blvd. The units themselves are very traditionally laid out with a large living room and two decent sized bedrooms. There are no questions as to where to put couches, TV's, etc like some of the more architectural properties that are out there. The units have no common walls (there are only 2 units per floor and 1 sprawling penthouse at the top), bamboo flooring, sumptuous bathrooms, high end Viking stove, Caesarstone counters, and triple pain windows for extra noise insulation. The prices are decent, but like most of the new construction out there, will... 06/23/2009

As I had mentioned yesterday, I am going to try to experiment with Twitter to gauge how useful it is in providing up to the minute info on the properties that I preview today. Side Note: Tuesday Caravan is when all the new properties are held open for agents to preview for their clients. This is when we look for our specific clients, as well as to get the pulse on what's happening in the market and how what kind of pricing strategies are out there. Below is a list of new properties that I plan to see for both my readers and clients I am currently working with today. I will tweet a brief synopsis of the unit as I see it. If it's a great deal, you might want to swing by the open house (11am-2pm) to take a look. I've had a lot of people interested in units that I post as Hot Props, only to... 06/23/2009

Last month I blogged about Tesla - the all-electric car manufacturer. I was impressed by their first mass-produced highway-capable electric vehicle, the Tesla Model S. Yesterday, Reuters reported as follows: Los Angeles (Reuters) - Electric car start-up Tesla Motors Inc. has slashed production costs for its flagship Roadster sports car by 43 percent to about $80,000 per vehicle as of June, its chief executive said on Monday. This is great news for this fledgling company that is pioneering mass produced electric cars. Additional good news was announced last month - German luxury car maker Daimler (Mercedes Benz) paid about $50 Million for a 10 percent stake in Tesla.  I predict Tesla is going to be huge success ....! 06/23/2009

Today I received an email with the story about The Mayonnaise Jar and Your Life. You may have read it before but I think it's worth reading again, and again! When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 Hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee. 

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.He then asked the students, if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar... 06/23/2009