Open Houses for Sunday 8/22/2010 as per The MLS: Condos 950 N Kings Rd #254: $349,000 - 1-Bed 1-Bath (761 sq ft) 960 Larrabee St #105: $359,000 - 1-Bed 1-Bath (798 sq ft) 1215 N Olive Dr #106: $369,000 - 1-Bed 1-Bath (887 sq ft) 1155 La Cienega #1210: $435,000 - 1-Bed 1-Bath (798 sq ft) 850 N Kings Rd #106: $599,000 - 2-Bed 2-Bath (1317 sq ft) 1411 Detroit St #305: $650,000 - 2-Bed 2-Bath (1560 sq ft) 1426 N Laurel #110: $669,000 - 2-Bed 3-Bath (1374 sq ft) 1200 N Sweezter #4: $699,000 - 2-Bed 2-Bath (1220 sq ft) 850 Croft Ave #302: $875,000 - 2-Bed 2-Bath (1649 sq ft) 925 Genessee Ave #2: $999,000 - 2-Bed 2-Bath (2100 sq ft) 8730 Shoreham Dr #A: $1,195,000 - 3-Bed 2-Bath (1849 sq ft) 1200 N Sweetzer Ave #7: $1,225,000 - 3-Bed 2-Bath (1924 sq ft) If you're looking to buy or sell in West... 08/20/2010

To quote the Legendary Place website, "Finally someone has done it right" . I have to say I agree. Lately I've been a bit soured with the most recent new construction projects that have hit the market, so to me this project is a breath of fresh air. I've been following this development since it was in the initial framing stages. It's right up the street from another project that I have written about and is a personal fave, 1322 North Detroit.  What is really appealing about Legendary Place is that it's going back to the basics in the sense that the floor plans are livable and the construction quality feels substantial. There are ample closets, beautiful Viking kitchens (Plug From Your Sponsors at Viking: I swear I should be getting some sort of endorsement deal for as much as I mention ... 08/17/2010

West Hollywood Vicinity - Single Family Homes Sold in July 2010: Number of Homes Sold: 5 Average Days on the Market: 45 Median Price: $850,000 Average List Price: $969,000 Average Selling Price: $838,000 Lowest Price Home Sold: $580,000 Highest Price Home Sold: $1,160,000 Total Sold in Dollars: $4,190,000 Stewart Penn - Realtor for homes, condos & lofts in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, the Sunset Strip and throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Information obtained from The MLS is deemed accurate but not guaranteed. 08/07/2010

West Hollywood, CA - Sierra Towers. Seldom do two words mean as much when it comes to real estate in West Hollywood.  Located at the glitzy west end of the Sunset Strip, nestled against the Hollywood Hills and quite literally on the doorstep to Beverly Hills these unique condo homes have their own mystique in Los Angeles home lore. The West Hollywood landmark stands proudly with unrivaled views from many of the units.  Even on the lower floors there are grand vistas.  The Sierra Towers are the pinnacle of glamor, being able through the years to boast of such celebrity owners as Matthew Perry, Elton John, Vincent Gallo, Cher, Jim Morriss, PJ Harvey, Joan Collins, Diahann Carroll, Sidney Poitier, Fred Durst, Peter Lawford, Evander Holyfield, David Geffen, George Hamilton and Bill Shoemake... 08/03/2010

Anger and disappointment in response to Target's contribution of $150,000 to the political action committee of Minnesota's anti-gay gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, is gaining momentum. "What's important in life is people, I love the people in my life, more than anything I could buy in this store - I'm going to boycott Target until they make this right" - Randi Reitan (Mother and Grand-mother) "A lot of people feel betrayed by this place where everybody goes to shop and you get to see them at Pride and you feel good that you're supporting a corporation that's giving back to the community," Monica Meyer, interim head of the gay rights group OutFront Minnesota. 07/29/2010

I'm a big fan of Target. I shop there every two weeks and spend about $400 a month at the West Hollywood store. Annualized, that's $4800 - a fair sum of money. I was therefore extremely disappointed to read that Target's CEO - Gregg Steinhafel - contributed $150,000 of Target's money to the political group MN Forward, a political group that endorses Tom Emmer, who is in staunch opposition to gay marriage. Target willingly accepts my money (and that of many other gay men and women across the country), but endorses politicians and political groups that advocate against basic constitutional rights currently denied to so many Americans. This homophobic association is obviously a problem for Target's CEO. Via The Huffington Post I read that part of his damage control included a letter to Tar... 07/28/2010

2 Bed Condos For Sale in West Hollywood as at 7/18/2010: Number of 2 Bed Condos For Sale: 129 Lowest Priced 2 Bed Condo: $332,000 HOA $225 per month Highest Priced 2 Bed Condo: $4,250,000 HOA $2300 per month Smallest 2 Bed Condo Available:  66 sq ft Biggest 2 Bed Condo Available: 4100 sq ft Oldest Listing: 498 days - Listed Since 2/2/2009 For current listings of all 2 Bed Condos For Sale in West Hollywood, please don't hesitate to call me: Stewart Penn - Penn Properties - (310) 844-6515 Information obtained from the CLAW MLS and deemed reliable but not guaranteed. 07/18/2010

When hunting that perfect Hollywood Hills Home for sale and you get a little cranky... if it's low blood sugar and you need a snack there's a new place down the street from the Pacific Design Center, actually across the street from the Beverly Center called "Crepe Republic".  While I know that everyone wants to be the first to say "I found it!" - when it's good, it doesn't matter.  Scouring the Hollywood real estate market day after day it's easy to notice more than a few crepe places when they're on your radar. In West Hollywood I can think of a couple on Santa Monica... but let's leave those for another time. Crepe Republic is a place I passed by a few time without trying because of it's strip mall location.  I tend to want to go for crepes with a little french bistro flair, a little ... 07/08/2010

June 2010: Number of Units Sold:  32  Average Days on the Market: 76 Median Price: $525,000 (May $530,000) Average List Price: $623,000 (May $576,000) Average Selling Price: $587,000 (May $553,000) Lowest Price Condo Sold: $250,000. The previous month's lowest sale was $285,000. Highest Price Condo Sold: $1,500,000. The previous month's highest sale was $1,100,000. Total Sold in Dollars: $18,796,000 (May $11,054,000 - April $5,176,000 - March $13,380,000) Search The MLS - Stewart Penn - Realtor for homes, condos & lofts in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Santa Monica, Malibu, Brentwood, Century City, Westwood, Beverly Center, Miracle Mile, West Hollywood, Sunset Strip, Hollywood Hills, Hancock Park, Sherman Oaks, Studio City and throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Information... 07/07/2010

June 2010: Number of Homes Sold: 6 Closed Escrows Average Days on the Market: 50 Median Price: $915,000 Average List Price: $942,000 Average Selling Price: $938,000 Lowest Price Condo Sold: $723,000 Highest Price Condo Sold: $1,361,000 Total Sold in Dollars: $5,628,000 Search The MLS - Stewart Penn - Realtor for homes, condos & lofts in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Santa Monica, Malibu, Brentwood, Century City, Westwood, Beverly Center, Miracle Mile, West Hollywood, Sunset Strip, Hollywood Hills, Hancock Park, Sherman Oaks, Studio City and throughout the greater Los Angeles area. 07/07/2010

90048 Condos | West Hollywood Condos 141 S Clark Drive, West Hollywood, CA 90048 The Rob Clark Contemporary condo building in prime location. Year Built: 1973 No. of Units: 105 Unit Sizes: 1 & 2 Bedroom units Record Sale Price: $685,000 (8/16/2007) Stewart Penn - Realtor for condos, lofts & single family homes in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Santa Monica, Malibu, Brentwood, Century City, Westwood, Beverly Center, Miracle Mile, West Hollywood, Sunset Strip, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, Hancock Park, Sherman Oaks, Studio City and throughout the greater Los Angeles area. For further information about buying or selling at 141 S Clarke Drive, please contact: Stewart Penn - Realtor/Broker - Los Angeles Condo Specialist 07/01/2010

90069 Condos - West Hollywood Condos 906 N Doheny, West Hollywood, CA 90069 Doheny Terrace Contemporary condo building in great West Hollywood Location (Beverly Hills Border). Year Built: 1973 No. of Units: 66 Unit Sizes: 1 & 2 Bedroom units Record Sale Price: $790,000 (7/3/2007) Stewart Penn - Realtor for condos, lofts & single family homes in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Santa Monica, Malibu, Brentwood, Century City, Westwood, Beverly Center, Miracle Mile, West Hollywood, Sunset Strip, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, Hancock Park, Sherman Oaks, Studio City and throughout the greater Los Angeles area. For further information about 906 N Dohency Drive, please contact: Stewart Penn - Realtor/Broker - Los Angeles Condo Specialist 07/01/2010

There's some major rearranging going on at Target in West Hollywood. Located at 7100 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood in The Gateway Shopping Center, this Target store is meant to be one of the chain's most popular "flagship stores" in the nation. I've recently noticed that the store has been in disarray and poorly stocked, so I asked what was going on .... apparently they're gearing up and making space to start selling fresh produce. I was unaware that Target even had a program of PFresh Stores nationwide. While I'm a big fan of buying toiletires and cleaning supplies at Target, I think for the time being I'm going to continue buying my fresh fruit and vegetables at Trader Joe's and Bristol Farms. 06/24/2010

As many of my readers know, the one area of the market that seems to be continually taking a hit are large new construction projects. In many of my posts, I've discussed the conundrum that developers are facing in today's economy which is this: these projects were started at a time when the market conditions were hot (but beginning to cool) and are now being launched when it is very much a value centric buyer's market. Developers are not unlike many private sellers in the sense that they too have an emotional attachment to their properties. They have put in tremendous amounts of time, energy, and money to see their projects succeed. Unfortunately, they are selling at a time when they are taking either a tremendous loss or are barely breaking even. Either way, it's not the scenario they ... 06/21/2010

West Hollywood Realtor - Stewart Penn - 310.844.6515 (Click on the logo for Testimonials) Search The MLS - Stewart Penn - Realtor for homes, condos & lofts in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Santa Monica, Malibu, Brentwood, Century City, Westwood, Beverly Center, Miracle Mile, West Hollywood, Sunset Strip, Hollywood Hills, Hancock Park, Sherman Oaks, Studio City and throughout the greater Los Angeles area. 06/21/2010

Property Tax Reassessment West Hollywood Property values have declined since 2007, yet many West Hollywood Homeowners are still paying Annual Property Taxes based on excessively high property values. Allow me to provide you with a realistic market comp to substantiate the current (reduced) value of your property, that you can then use to substantiate your "Decline in Value" review. Check out the link below and call me regarding your comps: Stewart Penn - Penn Properties - 310.844.6515 06/17/2010

9061 Keith Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069 Ideal location on the Beverly Hills border at the corner of Doheny & Keith Ave. Year Built: 1972 No. of Units: 30 Unit Sizes: 1 & 2 Bedroom units Record Sale Price: $779,000 (11/29/2005) Stewart Penn - Realtor for condos, lofts & single family homes in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Santa Monica, Malibu, Brentwood, Century City, Westwood, Beverly Center, Miracle Mile, West Hollywood, Sunset Strip, Hollywood Hills, Hancock Park, Sherman Oaks, Studio City and throughout the greater Los Angeles area. For further information, please contact: Stewart Penn - Realtor/Broker - West Hollywood Condo Specialist 06/17/2010

As at May 31, 2010: Condos For Sale: 188 units. There were also 188 units For Sale as at 4/30/2010, up form 140 units as at 3/31/2010. Condos Pending: 29 Units. A month earlier there were only 2 units Pending. Looking For Back-ups: 44 Units. There were 37 units Looking for Back-ups the month before. During May 2010: Number of Units Sold: 20 condos closed escrow, up from only 10 the month before.  Average Days on the Market: 60. Median Price: $530,000 (April $517,250) Average List Price: $576,000 (April $527,000) Average Selling Price: $553,000 (April $518,000) Lowest Price Condo Sold: $285,000. The previous month's lowest sale was $300,000.. Highest Price Condo Sold: $1,100,000. The previous month's highest sale was $715,000. Total Sold in Dollars: $11,054,000 (April $5,176,000 - March... 06/07/2010

2-Bed Condos For Sale in West Hollywood as at 6/5/2010: Number of Two-Bed Condos For Sale: 96 Lowest Priced Two-Bed Condo: $340,000 (1000 sq ft) HOA $225 per month Highest Priced Two-Bed Condo: $3,495,000 (4100 sq ft) HOA $2680 per month Smallest Two-Bed Condo Available:  870 sq ft Biggest Two-Bed Condo Available:  4100 sq ft Oldest Listing:   417 days - Listed since 3/18/2009 For current listings of all 2 Bed Condos For Sale in West Hollywood, please don't hesitate to call me: Stewart Penn - Penn Properties - (310) 844-6515 Information obtained from the CLAW MLS and deemed reliable but not guaranteed.   06/06/2010

1539 N Laurel Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90046 Laurel Villas Mid-Century building in ideal location, just north of Sunset Blvd. Year Built: 1961 No. of Units: 21 Unit Sizes: 1 & 2 Bedroom units Record Sale Price: $420,000 (2/9/2004) Stewart Penn - Realtor for condos, lofts & single family homes in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Santa Monica, Malibu, Brentwood, Century City, Westwood, Beverly Center, Miracle Mile, West Hollywood, Sunset Strip, Hollywood Hills, Hancock Park, Sherman Oaks, Studio City and throughout the greater Los Angeles area. For further information, please contact: Stewart Penn - Realtor/Broker - "Condo Specialist" 06/03/2010