Beverly Hills Centennial Block Party – Rodeo Drive
The City of Beverly Hills threw itself a huge 100th birthday party Sunday afternoon. Rodeo Drive was turned into a block party with food by Beverly Hills’ top restaurants, rides for the kids and carnival games. The Luxe Hotel provided birthday cake for 15,000! 20 dance troupes performed, and Motown legend Martha Reeves headlined on […]
Minotti Designer Penthouse Unveiling Party – Carlyle Residences – Westwood, CA
The contemporary modern furniture company Minotti has been having some success partnering with luxury home developers. They have been providing furniture not merely to stage the home for marketing, but to be included in the sale. These are “move-in-ready” luxury homes. It’s a novel idea, and it suits the needs of an elite clientele for […]
Children’s Lifesaving Foundation – Dream Mentor – Venice, CA
I had a very nice experience today. Francesca McCaffery invited me to speak to the sweetest group of kids about careers in real estate as part of the Children’s Lifesaving Foundation’s Dream Mentor program. I was made to feel relaxed and right at home…lot’s of welcoming hugs. The kids were polite, attentive and asked some […]
Godfrey’s Birthday at Mastro’s Steakhouse – Beverly Hills, CA
Tuesday night we had a late supper to celebrate Godfrey Verdade’s 37th birthday at Mastro’s. He’s the impresario behind God Body Fitness personal training and boot camps (GodBodyFitness.com). The vibe was chill, the company excellent and the ribeyes and sea bass were delicious! Happy birthday, buddy! In the pix, Godfrey Verdade, Jamika Wilson and me.
KROQ Storm the Mountain Party – Bear Mountain – Big Bear, CA
I hit the local slopes at Bear Mountain last weekend with Laurie Housman, Rich Rega and Alicia Speck. It was awesome spring skiing, sunny and not too crowded. I skied on performance demo rentals…I think the boots were too loose…never really got my footing on the mountain. I’ll try a size smaller next trip. Everyone […]
Top 10 Buyer Legal Mistakes
The California Association of Realtors recommends that home buyers avoid making these key legal mistakes.
6 Tax Facts for Home Sellers
Here are some IRS rules every home seller should be aware of while considering the tax consequences of a sale.
James Turrell: A Retrospective – LACMA
A retrospective of the work of artist James Turrell is currently showing at LACMA though April 6th. The focus of the show is light…not light as it reveals the details and form of an object…but simply the light itself. Turrell does the nearly impossible and creates the illusion of objects formed only with light….some projected…some […]
5 Top Overlooked Questions When Buying a Home (Video)
Here are some Key questions buyers sometimes forget to ask during the buying process.
Cowboys & Aliens Halloween Party
The Fools’ Guild once again produced an awesome Halloween party! King Cotton & The King Pins rocked the Viva Cantina with a mix of R&B, soul and blues. An motley crew of cowboys & aliens packed the dance floor, and the crowd overflowed out to a patio surrounded with trippy 3D outer space murals. The […]
Redondo Beach to Avalon Cruise
What an adventure! Our tiller broke just off Catalina, but we manged to make it to Avalon safe & sound. A new friend and good samaritan, Bill Rosen took mercy on us and fixed our tiller in the workshop in his amazing motor yacht. Catalina was chic, everybody was chill, and the harbor filled with […]
A Day Sail to Palos Verdes – Santa Monica Bay
We had a great time sailing out to the point on Palos Verdes…as always. Didn’t dinner on the pier taste great? In these pix: Me, Laurie Housman, Godfrey Verdade, Jamika Wilson, a couple of dolphins; and Mark & Teresa on the Sweat Tea II.
Los Angeles Plays Itself – A film by Prof. Tom Andersen – 2003 (Video)
To see film clips of many of the notable homes I have featured in this column, please check out Cal Arts Professor Tom Anderson’s film, Los Angeles Plays Itself which chronicles the depiction of LA from silent films to the contemporary era. Above image: The Bradbury building in Blade Runner
Sa & Jess Winfield’s Independence Day Party – Hollywood Hills
It was a perfect day at Sa & Jess Winfield’s 4th of Ju-luau party this year. We had gorgeous weather, a shimmering pool, tasty treats and great company…a perfect day. Some folks in the photos (and some who are not): Sa & Jess Winfield, Shannon, Chris, Hughes, Toni, Mack, Rover, Cal, Armin, Danny, Joseph, Jackson, […]
System Krush – Party & Graffiti Fine Art Expo – Silverlake, CA
Street artists are doing some of the most exciting and interesting work in LA. Check out pics of some of the work on display at System Krush’s Graffiti Fine Art Expo in Silverlake. More info: System Krush
Jessica’s 21st Birthday – Las Vegas
Rebecca hosted a 21st birthday bash in Las Vegas for her daughter Jessie, over this Memorial Day weekend. From the moment the car picked us up at the airport until we departed, our feet never touched the ground. We stayed at the Aria Sky Suites and went upstairs to check out our matching 2br 2.5ba […]
John Thomas Dye School – Spring Fair
On the first Sunday in May, our neighborhood school transforms itself into a world of color, balloons, carnival sounds, and joyful voices as the School community comes together to celebrate the yearly Spring Fair. Parents, teachers, and students work together to carry out the theme, which is revealed during the first week of school in […]
The Rich Man’s Secret Mortgage: The Pledged-Asset Loan
Guess what? When borrowing money to purchase a home, you don’t have to use the home as collateral. Yeah, that’s right. Sure, that’s what most people do. So, many people never consider that there may be a better option. If you are lucky enough to have financial assets that exceed the value of your down-payment or […]
LA Times Hot Property Webcast – LeAnn Rimes Steals a $3 Million Home in Hidden Hills and More (Video)
LA Times Hot Property columnist Lauren Beale and Beverly Hills real agent Drew de la Houssaye discuss LeAnn Rimes’ $3 million purchase in Hidden Hills, Misha Barton’s Beverly Hills Villa, Debra Messing’s quick $11.4 million sale in Bel Air, Bud Yorkin’s $30 Million price drop in Holmby Hills, Marvin Hamlish’s former home in Laurel Canyon […]
The Perfect Home for the Incredible Burt Wonderstone (video)
“I’ve found homes for all sorts of people, but magicians are…..well, they are different,” says Beverly Hills realtor, Drew de la Houssaye. “Successful magicians tend to live in very eccentric homes, with room to display oddities or magic collectables. Those working with animals may also need space for their lions and tigers to roam around. […]
Jaguar F-type Launch Party – Galpin Premier Collection
The Galpin Premier Collection hosted a spectacular unveiling party to introduce the new F-type Jaguar…a car Jaguar boldly proclaims to the successor of the “most beautiful car in the world” — their classic E-type. Brian Allan, GM emceed the event with an assist from the dealership president Beau Boeckmann. I overheard that there will be […]
Hot Properties – LA Times Archives
We scoop TMZ! Harvey Levin lists his house for $5.3 million By Lauren Beale Updated Mar 01, 2013Someone alert TMZ! Harvey Levin has JUST listed his ultra-private retreat in Hollywood Hills West for $5.3 million … The Times has learned … by studying the new listings on the MLS. More… Patricia Heaton in ‘The Middle’ […]
LA Times Interviews Drew de la Houssaye on Jeremy Renner’s $24.5M Art Deco Flip and More (video)
Drew was recently interviewed by LA Times real estate columnist Lauren Beale on Jeremy Renner’s $24.5M flip, Matt Damon’s $15M new home in Pacific Palisades, the $36.5M sale of Max Palevsky’s Malibu estate, Buzz Aldrin’s condo listing and Vanessa Bryant’s sale of her mom’s house in Newport Coast. Visit LA Times Hot Properties to read […]
Poetry Reading – Malibu
Jane Rosenberg LaForge came back to us from Manhattan and did a poetry reading from her latest book, With Apologies To Mick Jagger, Other Gods, And All Women. The reading was at The Bank of Books, in Malibu friday afternoon. The event was standing room only, and happily for Jane’s publisher, the book sold-out. The […]
