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Real Estate Link Love: March 2017

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Boom! In escrow. This renovated homesteader cabin is in Twenty Nine Palms, near the border with Joshua Tree on 2.5 acres of land. It’s completely renovated and it has a number skylights and a million outlets because previous owner planned to use it exclusively as an art studio. It is totally open on the interior, with just a walled off bathroom. It has a brand new IKEA kitchen and bathroom and is ready to move in. Now it just needs a swanky patio, shade structure and some hammocks!

LA real estate up 7% in last year, median home price $525k
More than 1/2 of all LA homes sold for more than 1m in February
Airbnbs in Los Angeles are the most profitable in California
The asian supermarket in Echo Park is being converted to lofts and retails
On my bucket list… I want to build a house with a conversation pit
Silver Lake reservoir is being filled early due to our wet winter
8 mid range furniture companies to check out when you get sick of IKEA
Boyle Heights multi-family for sale for 1.6m… I remember when it was for sale a couple of years ago for a lot less
Guess who made the list of sexiest places to stay in Joshua Tree?!!
I have been thinking a lot about silence lately
High desert emerging as an arts destination, go see Desert X
Artist replaces billboards with images of landscapes they are blocking
Midcentury desert house for $250k
Mindset you will need to thrive in the future of work
Budget kitchen remodels – what can you do for 10-15k?
How to make your kitchen look more expensive – my tip, add a beverage/wine fridge
Caesarstone and Silestone counters are now more popular than granite
East coast Eichler for $490k
Altadena post and beam time capsule house
Why millennials are really into plants


Sick and tired of your landlord? Worried about rising interest rates?
Want to own a little piece of LA?
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coffee and talk about your life

See more: Case Studies, Link Love, News

Real Estate Link Love: February 2017

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In escrow! Duplex in Boyle Heights. This property has two one-story houses on a corner lot, with each house facing a different street. The houses each have their own driveway and fenced yard, so it really doesn’t look like a duplex. They just look like any other two neighboring houses on a street. One house is vacant and my clients plan to renovate it and owner occupy it. The second slightly smaller house (shown in the photo) is tenant occupied. The houses need some TLC, but they have great craftsman bones and details. There is an extra wide parkway and lots of trees. I can’t wait to see how they fix it up!


My next 1st Time Home Buyer Q + A is March 5th – invite your friends!

How the Trump administration may impact home buying in 2017

Emily Henderson’s Glendale house on the market

More 2017 real estate predictions: Forbes, Washington Post, USA Today

White House suspends Obama administrations reduction in mortgage Insurance – FHA

2017 rents still rising in LA

Interest rates going up slowly

Why westsiders moving to NELA? Median home price in Venice 2m

CA renters now allowed to install electric car charging stations

LA to acquire G2 land to build park – great news for Cypress Park and Glassell Park

A desert pre-fab for sale in Yucca Valley

Why hasn’t MacArthur Park gentrified?


Thinking about buying a place in LA?
Not sure if better to buy or rent? Worried about interest rates?

Let’s get coffee and talk about it.

See more: Case Studies, Just Sold, Link Love, Market Updates, News

Real Estate Link Love: January 2017

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JUST CLOSED! So excited for my clients. They were renting in Angelino Heights and loved the neighborhood and being close to Echo Park Lake and and the nearby restaurants. You won’t believe this but we found them a home 5 doors down from where they were renting! I was joking they could just walk all their stuff down to the new house. It’s a cosmetic fixer, it doesn’t have the best street appeal now, but just check back in 6 months. This place is going to be stunning. And it has an amazing deep terraced backyard. And views of the DTLA skyline from the kitchen!

My next 1st Time Home Buyer Q + A is March 5th – invite your friends!

Hot neighborhoods: Glassell Park and Cypress Park (prices up 25% in 2016)

Choosing paint colors for your house can turn into existential crisis

Neighborhood guide: Leimart Park, West Adams

New state laws may make it easier to build “in-law” units in LA

How to build a high end kitchen on the cheap

Investor says NOT buying a home the biggest mistake by millennials

Rare cave house in Utah for auction

Trying to change your life? Creative Visualization will help make it happen


Thinking about buying a place in LA? Confused? Need Caffeine?
Let’s get coffee and talk about your life.

See more: Case Studies, Just Sold, Link Love

Joshua Tree House Hunting – Part 1

Joshua Tree can be a great place for people in NELA to have weekend homes. It’s a 2 hour drive from DTLA during the middle of the day or at night, when you can avoid traffic. A variety of mid century home can be found between $50k and $150K. And newer modern architectural homes between $200-350k+.

There is a cool, creative scene growing in the area. If you haven’t already seen it… read the recent Vogue article by Lilly Stockman.

Joshua Tree Village is right at the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. The landscape is stunning and other worldly. You kind of feel like you might be on Mars. It’s a place you can commune with the stars, hike, paint, write, and detox from social media. It’s the kind of place where you just might have time to listen to records, read books or write.

Jonathan and I love going out there and have decided we want to buy a weekend house in Joshua Tree. We have started spending more time out this year, Airbnb-ing places and house hunting.

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A popular rental we came across driving down a dirt road.

P1060467A geodesic dome hidden in the boulders

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We turned around a corner on a dirt road and found this supervillian house hidden in the boulders.
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In Jtree high and low are mixed together. This house was made of three old train cars stacked next to each other.
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A cute mid-century flip in Joshua Tree Village.

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Joshua Trees up closeP1060526

Another geodesic dome – Buckminster Fuller would approve.

P1060545This place looks pretty defendable.

P1060578 P1060584 P1060588Lots of mid-century homes that need some TLC.P1060648P1060590 P1060606 P1060609 P1060613

It’s keeps getting more civilized out in Joshua Tree. You can do yoga, get coffee and order dish pizza on this block of the highway.P1060621 P1060626

Crossroads Cafe is one of our favorites. Vegan friendly cafe. Try the spicy seitan tacos.
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This was one of the properties we looked at just outside of Joshua Tree Village. I love the western stage set feel.
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P1060653Checking out the backyard boulder situation.
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A big part of my fantasy about having a house in Joshua Tree is having an art studio where I can work on collages and drawings in peace and quiet. Here I am checking out the garage/studio of a property. I liked this place but it was overpriced and needed a lot of work. We are going to go back in a October and look at more places. I’ll keep you posted.

 

See more: Case Studies, Diary, Neighborhoods