New Year's resolutions

Happy new year, everybody! What are your resolutions regarding real estate? Here are mine:

• Have more fun with real estate,
• Help my clients have more fun and success with their r.e. deals,
• Visit more food trucks when they come to Studio City, Burbank and the San Fernando Valley.

2208 Willetta in Hollywood Dell closed

This is 2208 Willetta in Hollywood Dell (the small neighborhood across the 101 from the Hollywood Bowl). I brought the buyers for it and it closed last week.  I'd like to thank my personal Santa Clauses, Mike Napolitano (our Dilbeck manager) and Dana Dukelow of Prospect Mortgage for getting this closed.  And I'd especially like to thank and congratulate the buyers, R&E, for their forbearance, wisdom, patience, and good humor during this very difficult escrow.  These two are champs, and really hung in during one of the worst transactions* of all time.  I wish you all good things in this house, R&E!

*This was one part of a three-part transaction involving Morse (see below).  I can't go into detail here without risking legal action, but if you want to phone me, I might be able to give you details.  Hint: if you call me, ask me about the lender on Morse.

4552 Morse in Studio City is closing today

4552 Morse in Studio City is closing today.  It has been listed since May.  To put it in my slightly-skewed crazy cat lady perspective, the house has been listed since before we got our brand-new kitten, Gris-Gris.  And he's fully grown now.  I'm certain this escrow gave the sellers gray hair, but they hung in like champs.  Props go to our Dilbeck broker-of-record, Mike Napolitano, for his involvement in getting this closed.

More about this transaction in future posts.  It closed at $615,000.

An opportunity for Burbank businesses to go green

The Burbank Green Alliance is working with the City of Burbank to host 3 classes through the Team Business Training Series. Here's the info:

 

GOING GREEN-Business Lecture Series

These three distinct courses will help you save money and resources, design your green business blueprint, build customer satisfaction, and incorporate product stewardship in your purchases and services!

For more information on cost, location, and speakers visit www.burbankgreenalliance.org/events.html

Wednesdays, 6:30pm to 9:00pm

(It is not necessary to attend all three courses)

January 5^th     Greening Your Restaurant & Food Service

Speaker: Leslie VanKeuren, Founder, Sustain LA

January 12^th   Concrete Strategies for a Green Business 

Speaker: Brad Cracchiola, Senior Sustainability Engineer, BMW Group DesignworksUSA                          

  

January 19^th   Embracing Cradle-to-Cradle Concepts 

Speaker: Heidi Sanborn, Executive Director, California Product Stewardship Council

To Register visit www.teambusinessburbank.com or call (818) 238-5198

"Why can't my mortgage lender get my loan done?"

I'm hearing about problems with mortgage lenders more frequently these days.  I currently have my own horror story to tell, but I'm going to wait to expound on it until the new year. 

But there are excellent mortgage brokers out there who can get loans closed in a timely manner.  Two of my favorites can be found by clicking here, or visiting the "Local Partners" page on JudyGraff.com. 

From today's LAT: re-fi turns foreclosure nightmare

L.A. Times columnist David Lazarus has written an excellent article today about Lana Ashford, who attempted to re-finance her home with BofA and, through no fault of her own, ended up getting foreclosed instead.  Click here for the link, the title should work too.  I promise that you'll be even more scared to deal with the big banks after reading this.

If you've read this blog before, you'll remember my BofA refinance saga.  My husband and I tried to do a simple home refinance in January 2009.  We were immediately approved, but somehow it still inexplicably took six months to go through.

Here's my question, as a bank customer and also a Realtor who deals with short sales: why, two years into the lending crisis, haven't the banks ramped up enough to service their own loans in a timely, correct manner?  Have they just not hired enough people?  Are they stalling? What's going on?

Too cute for real estate - animals singing deck the halls

Okay, it's precious and twee, but it will lighten you up.