Milla Goldenberg joins Judy Graff Properties

I am thrilled to announce that Milla Goldenberg has joined me as a real estate agent. I've known Milla for nine years -- we both posted regularly on L.A. Times' late r.e. blog, LA LA Land.  Here's Milla's bio, in her own words and from her website at HouseHunterLA.com.

Like many people, for a long time I wondered what I wanted to be when I grew up. And like many more, I got it wrong with several different jobs before finally getting it right with real estate. The detours were often fun and interesting, including stints as a journalist for NPR, GEEK magazine and various entertainment publications, which took me to Comic-Con and landed my byline in "The New York Times." Other times, they were less fun, like those dreary 11 years I spent working in financial compliance.

 

It seems obvious to me now that real estate was my true calling and my biggest regret will be that I didn’t switch careers sooner. I also regret not becoming a homeowner sooner, as I truly believe homeownership is the best path toward financial security. When I did finally buy my little fixer in 2008, a foreclosure in Highland Park, I was a single woman with limited means up against a big bank that refused to negotiate. The entire experience was stressful and isolating, with tons of jargon I didn’t understand being thrown at me daily and the creeping suspicion that everyone involved was only interested in making money off me, my agent included. While lousy at the time, that experience helped shape my philosophy about the kind of real estate agent I promise my clients I will be: one who is patient, not pushy, puts their interests above everything else, is committed to excellence, and believes in total transparency.

 

It’s the promise I make to you as well, whether you’re looking to purchase your first home (and uneasy about the implications) or ready to sell and trade up. I promise to stay by your side every step of the way and do everything I can to ensure a stress-free experience. And as a native Angeleno (who attended both UCLA and USC -- go, Brojans!), I know Los Angeles well, particularly Northeast LA, and not just the neighborhoods, but the restaurants, coffee shops, art walk and community events as well. I'm happy to answer any questions about them while addressing all of your real estate needs. Call me today to get started.

Good news and bad news from L.A. Times

Yes, I'm back to being a clipping service.  First, the good news from the front page of today's L.A. Times: home prices in the Southland rose 4% in December.  And, most experts agree that even though the economy is soft, the worst is over for area housing.  I agree, as long as interest rates stay low.

Now for the bad news: restrictions on FHA loans have tightened.  A seller can no longer pay up to 6% of a buyer's closing costs -- the amount has been reduced to 3%.  Buyers will now need to come up with more cash at closing.  Required FICO scores have risen (actually, that's a good thing) and the upfront mortgage premium has risen to 2.25% of the loan.  It was 1.75%.  That will reduce the affordability of many FHA loans.

L.A. Times AND Daily News say home prices are up...

Our local papers are reporting that housing prices posted gains for the third month in a row. On a year-to-year basis from August 2008, our total decline is now a statistical 12% for L.A. I don't think this has to do with the $8k credit. Rather, I think it's because of historically low interest rates and very short inventory.

Two GREAT articles from today's L.A. Times

I know, this blog seems like just a clipping service for the L.A. Times. But today the Sunday business section has two great real estate articles.

The first is from Peter Hong and is titled Don't bank on the home as an ATM. It's full of all sorts of interesting statistics and facts about the housing market over the last several years. Personal story: I know somebody that bought a duplex with partners in 1994 for $200+k. She bought her partners out a couple years later. Two years ago she sold it for $1.1 million. But she had no profit as she had pulled every cent out of it by refinancing and spent it on god-knows-what. Don't be like her.

The second story is A primer for the first-time home buyer. Although it doesn't really pertain much to our home prices here, the advice is excellent.

Sunday reading -- from the L.A. Times and The New Yorker

The business section of today's L.A. Times contains two excellent consumer-oriented articles about foreclosure and loan modification. The first, Headed for Foreclosure? Here's What to Expect has definitions and a foreclosure timetable. The second, Common Loan Modifications Offered by Banks, delves into the types of loan modifications offered (warning: principal write-down is rare).

This week's The New Yorker offers one of the best articles on the mortgage meltdown crisis that I have read. It focuses on Florida, and is titled The Ponzi State, but the situations described are applicable to California and elsewhere. George Packer is the author. Unfortunately, you have to be a subscriber to read the article, but here's an abstract. The article is unique in that it profiles several different individuals that have been hurt by this downturn that haven't been much written about before, including folks that have never owned a home and state officials.

Say it ain't so, Pete!

Those of you who already read LALand know this already -- blog host Peter Viles will be leaving at the end of the week. Peter has been great for the LA Times, great for blogging (I have been a frequent commenter), and great for the local dialogue about real estate (well...lots of bitter dialogue, anyway). Good luck, Peter! You'll be missed.

Sunday morning reading

For Sunday morning reading, here's a good article from the NYT by Peter L. Bernstein. It's titled "Three Strikes Against Consumers" and discusses the housing/credit crunch, high oil prices, and high food prices. I'm happy to see a journalist from a major news outlet discussing food prices as the issue seems to have been given short shrift elsewhere.

Today's L.A. Times' Business section has an article about whether or not it's a good time to buy real estate. It's by Peter Hong.

Why am I not including a link to this? Because it's way too statistical. The figures it cites just don't jive with my boots-on-the-ground experience of the markets I serve. Nobody disputes that local housing prices have come down. But the article's blanket assertion that the county has come down 30% is just not true for all -- or even most -- zipcodes, and I think the numbers in the article really need to be better qualified. Or perhaps I should just title this post, "I don't care what John Carroll of Dataquick says."

Sunday Reading from the L.A. Times

Today's Sunday reading is actually a cartoon by Mimi Pond from the LAT's opinion section. It's about one of our favorite whipping boys, Americana!