Jennifer Aniston Buys in Bel Air
Serial homeowner, Jennifer Aniston, has moved from her lavishly renovated Trousdale Estates abode to classic modern Bel Air home built by noted architect A. Quincy Jones. She stole the home for a reported $21 million….down from the original asking price of $24.9 million. The 8,500 sq ft home includes 4 bedrooms, six and one half [...]
The Giving Spirit – 2011 (Video)
800 volunteers (400 kids and 400 adults) gave their time and energy to The Giving Spirit in Brentwood last weekend. The organization is 10 years old and it donates food, clothing and toiletries to homeless families in Los Angeles. This year we put together 2700 gift bags with over 70 essential items for people living [...]
L.A. Then and Now – LA Times – December 10, 2006
L.A. THEN AND NOW
The long and the short of the Southland’s street names
By Cecilia Rasmussen, Times Staff Writer
December 10, 2006
Taliesin West – Scottsdale, AZ
This notable home was Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home, studio and school from 1937 until he passed away in 1959. Actually, this wasn’t a home so much as camp site. The pylon like stone walls were made from quartsite and cement sourced on on site and built by his students. On top of the pylons [...]
Oprah Wants to be Your Landlord
Oprah is looking to lease her Chicago Co-op. Why on earth does she want to be a landlord? I can’t see her sending Stedman out at 1:00am to fix her tenant’s toilet…actually I can. Nevermind. OWNER: Oprah Winfrey LOCATION: Chicago, IL PRICE: $15,000/month SIZE: 4,607 square feet, 2 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms Source: The Real Estalker
The Malin House (The Chemosphere) – Studio City
This notable house or a replica has been featured in the movies “Charlie’s Angels”, “Body Double” and the televison show “The Simpsons”…as the home of actor Troy McClure. The home was designed by John Lautner as a solution for building on a lot with a 45 degree downslope. The home rests on a 20 ft [...]
The Kirkeby Estate – Bel Air
This notable home is best known as the Beverly Hills residence of television’s “Beverly Hillbillies.” It was also featured prominently in the Jerry Lewis film “Cinderfella” and in the Fatboys’ comedy “The Disorderlies.” I took a tour of the house in 1986 or 1987, and most remember the tunnel under the southfacing lawn, the cube [...]
Basketball Champions (video)
This is what sports should be…a vehicle to bring out the best in people.
Grand Canyon (video)
Maybe These Are Miracles Grand Canyon captures the soul of Los Angeles like no other movie I’ve ever seen. If you are planning on moving here, watch this movie first. It captures the magic of this place the way Woody Allen movies capture New York City. I’ve lived here my entire life, and I recognize [...]
Get your properties rent ready
Calling all landlords! Don’t neglect your vacant units and properties on a tenant turnover. Here’s your ten-point to-do list for getting your properties in tip-top shape and ready to rent. 1.Purge: Did the last tenant leave milk in the refrigerator? A sock in the closet? Garbage under the sink? Get rid of it all. A [...]
Consumer inflation and home prices are unrelated (and always have been)
Both home prices and the rate of consumer inflation have dropped dramatically in this recession, leading many skeptics to believe that the drop in inflation is attributable only to the drop in home prices. If the price paid for homes were excluded, they argue, we would actually see rising consumer inflation. A recent report from [...]
When to replace your roof
While your roof may not be leaking or missing shingles, many subtle signs tell you it’s time for an upgrade. Whether you’re planning to sell or remain in your home for quite some time, a roof’s condition weighs significantly on the value of your home. A few simple criteria will help you determine if it’s [...]
Weatherize your home this winter and save
As winter approaches, bringing with it bone-chilling drafts, follow these five simple, cost-effective steps, you will be more comfortable this season and reduce your utility bills. Step 1: Beware the draft A drafty window or doorway can increase your energy bills by 5% to 30%. Use weather stripping in window sills and door jambs where [...]
Make sure your home improvement projects are contractor scam-free!
Home repair and remodeling, whether in the aftermath of a natural disaster or to rehabilitate the years of wear and tear, is no trifling investment. Protect your home and your hard-earned money with these tips to keep your home improvement project scam-free: Finding your contractor 1.Before you go off on a blind hunt, get two [...]
How to pest-proof your home
Many species of insects and vermin are native to the neighborhoods of California. During extreme shifts in weather patterns (i.e. winter rain and summer droughts), many pests find shelter in the hidden or neglected areas of a home. Californians can prevent a majority of invasions by doing frequent maintenance checks and adopting precautionary habits. One [...]
Be prepared to stay. Be very prepared to leave.
September is National Preparedness Month so take the time now to get your household geared up. To get started you’ll need an emergency preparedness kit and a disaster plan. Emergency preparedness kit This list could be a lot longer, but remember, you need the vitals for survival, not the baggage of your life’s possessions. Create [...]
Home energy efficiency; save money by upgrading your property
Do your utility bills look more like mortgage payments some months? If your gas and electric bills keep growing, it’s time to consider updating your home’s energy efficiency. Replacing windows, a refrigerator or freezer, the water heater, or an HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) unit can greatly reduce utility bills, and at far less [...]
Foreclosure prevention specialists: preying on wounded homeowners
As mortgage delinquencies remain somewhat out of control, those looking to capitalize on California’s 2,500,000 struggling underwater homeowners are emerging from the woodworks. They hold in their hands a promise many have been waiting for: to prevent home foreclosure. However, behind their sweet-tasting words is a serpent’s tongue casting about for financially wounded homeowners’ money. [...]
Paying down a mortgage: not always the best thing to do
Have a low interest rate on your mortgage? Make sure you crunch the numbers before you pay down the principal. Would the money used to pay down the mortgage make more than 3.25% (the effective rate of interest on a 5% mortgage after tax savings on interest and deductions) elsewhere? With interest rates going up [...]
How to lower your property taxes in a market of declining property values
In times of stable and rising housing prices, county assessors may raise a property’s assessed value at the rate of consumer inflation, but not more than 2% each year. Conversely, during times of property value deflation, as we are now experiencing, county assessors are required to lower assessed values to the lesser amount of the [...]
What to look for when shopping for a condo
When you are shopping for a condominium unit, you are essentially shopping for a community. Living in a common interest development (CID) as a member of a homeowners association (HOA) offers certain benefits and requires specific responsibilities not otherwise present when owning a single-family residence (SFR). Before you commit to a CID, it is important [...]
How to stage your home
In a buyer’s market, the seller needs every advantage he can get. Home staging is an excellent way to highlight the property’s strengths. You can hire professional home stagers, or you can implement the following home staging tips yourself before your next open house. Make the buyer imagine himself in your home. It is important [...]
How to Prepare the Exterior of Your House for Sale
A few eye-catching improvements to your home’s exterior will make your home stand out. Seasonal flowers and a fresh coat of paint can draw buyers to your property, while patchy grass and a cracked driveway can make buyers drive away without getting out of their car. A few of the following tips will help you [...]
