10962 Kittridge - amazing activity in North Hollywood

This is 10962 Kittridge, in North Hollywood.  It looks like a townhouse, but it is really a single family home and was built under L.A.'s small lot subdivision ordinance.  It closed yesterday for $575,000.

This home is newly built (2014) and has three bedrooms and three baths in over 1600 sf.  It has a double garage but no yard.  Since it isn't in the "nice" redeveloped part of North Hollywood (some people call this area No-No Hollywood) we weren't sure what the activity would be, and we priced it along with the comps -- at $530,000.

Within four days after listing, we already had seven offers, and the price started to climb.  In some cases, agents and their buyers were not even waiting for counter offers, they were just throwing new, higher offers at us instead.  The seller and I finally cut off all the bidding at $575,000 and accepted one of the offers.  Would their be an appraisal problem? Probably, but all of the high bidders had removed the appraisal contingency.  This means that even if they couldn't get a loan for the whole amount, they'd bring in the extra funds to bridge the gap between the loan and the sales price.  For what it's worth, we did not select a cash offer and picked one with a loan instead.  The buyers had written a very sincere letter to the seller -- yes! that helps -- and the lender was a known entity, so we did not believe there was a risk.  Who knew that No-Noho was so hot? I'm sure the buyers will be really happy in their new home, and needless to say, my seller was delighted with the results.

10962 Kittridge is live on the mls

Here’s the property you’ve been waiting for – stunning 3+3, 1600+sf stand-alone townhome in newer Noho development with low, low association fees. This beauty features a huge designer kitchen with a long bar and lots of cabinet space, newer appliances, wood flooring and newer, plush carpet, big secluded patio, attached two car garage, den/retreat upstairs, big master and tons of closet space.  Other features include gorgeous shutters, wiring for surround sound and two built-in ceiling speakers, Nest thermostat and Wink home monitoring system. Since the units stand alone with no common walls, the association fee is only $38! (No, that’s not a misprint.)  The location is close to all that Noho has to offer, including restaurants, a bike path, and the subway.  Here’s your opportunity to have the place of your dreams before Noho prices explode. Listed for $530,000. Call me for a showing or visit from 2-5 pm at the Sunday, 7/16 open house.

Are small-lot homes the solution to L.A.'s so-called housing crisis?

You may have seen these in Van Nuys, North Hollywood, Silverlake, Venice and elsewhere: small-lot homes.  L.A. City passed an ordinance allowing these kind of buildings about 10 or so years ago. These aren't "tiny" homes. Instead, they are a condo/single family home hybrid.  The unit is separate from its neighbors (but not by much), has a two-car garage, and usually a small yard.  There are no HOAs although there is usually a fee for common area upkeep (such as a shared driveway or trash pickup.) There are two to six on a regular residential lot, and there can be developments of 30 or more in outlying areas. Are these the solution to L.A.'s "need" for density?

Not everybody is a fan of these.  Personally, I think these are great ideas.  Now that Measure S has been defeated, what would you rather have -- four units on one lot on your residential street, or a three-story, 18 unit condo complex on the corner? If we must shoe-horn more and more people into residential areas (I'm not sure we do, but everybody else says we do), this can be a great option that preserves neighborhood character.  Just like the old-fashioned bungalow court apartment units.  Fun fact: none of my buyers want one of these, but I expect that may change as homes get more and more expensive.

Photo above: 2872 Allesandro, L.A., courtesy of TheMLS.com

Amazing house and deal in Valley Glen for $639,000

13506 Hartland Street in Valley Glen is now on the market!  This 4 bedroom, 2 bath, 1832 sf. home will capture your heart. Remodeled from top to bottom just five years ago, it features a huge, open kitchen with lots of cabinet space and a center island, open floorplan, beautiful hardwood floors, French doors to exterior in two rooms, redone fireplace and a huge, green backyard (the lot is 9258 sf). The master bedroom has door to backyard, too!  It also has a direct access garage, plenty of closets and a lovely covered patio with its own fireplace. This neighborhood is becoming hugely desirable – this is a great opportunity to get in now.  Please call for more details or visit the website at 13506Hartland.com.  

Coolest, most affordable house on today's caravan: 10400 McCormick in Toluca Terrace

On today's caravan, I checked out several homes for sale in Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Valley Village and the Toluca Lake area.  The coolest house, and the most affordable one at $759,000, is 10400 McCormick, located in tiny Toluca Terrace.  This home has lots of original charm, top-notch maintenance and upgrades, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, plenty of closets, a nice backyard, two-car garage, PLUS a complete guest house with 3/4 bath and kitchen, pictured below.  (I don't know about permits.)

My other favorite features of McCormick include the kitchen table which folds into the wall (pictured below), outside fire pit, gorgeous quiet street and stellar location. Toluca Terrace is bordered by Magnolia, Chandler, Pass and Cahuenga.  If you're a home buyer looking for a combination of cool style, price, condition and location, McCormick might be for you.

Gorgeous 3+2 condo in Noho for $449,900

This beauty is 5227 Denny, #101 and it's in the rapidly developing area of North Hollywood Arts District. Features include a front-facing unit, huge kitchen that opens to the sunlit living room, long Caesarstone countertops, glass tile backsplash, bamboo floor, custom paint throughout, decorator window treatments throughout, high ceilings, fireplace, and big, sleek bathrooms with modern fixtures. 2 balconies allow for barbecuing and gardening. This unit has 2 dedicated, private storage rooms downstairs and the building has a bike room, too. Security bldg with guest parking, too. Close to the Red Line, Chandler Bike Path, cool restaurants...there is simply nothing like this unit in the neighborhood. Please call me for a showing.

7720 Goodland closed and multiple offers are no fun

7720 Goodland in North Hollywood closed last week for $31,000 over asking.  We had fourteen offers.  I know that multiple offers aren't fun for buyers, but they are not fun for sellers either.  Of the fourteen, half were cash and half required a loan.  Half were above asking, half were below.  I had about 25 individuals asking me if I would write an offer for them.  I said no, because I hate doing dual agency in that situation -- the folks asking me to write are just looking for an angle in order to get their offer pushed.

If you're in a multiple offer situation, here's what NOT to do:
- Come in with a low price if the comparables don't warrant that.  Unfortunately, sellers are more interested in dollars than they are interested in your pretty face.
- Turn in incomplete offers.  Please make sure your agent checks all the boxes.
- Don't provide enough proof of funds to close.  I was surprised at how many buyers turned in offers without proof of enough liquid funds to cover the down payment and closing costs.  Or turned in old financial statements -- please make them current.  Or turned in financials that didn't have any of the actual buyers' names on them.  Yes, I know your parents love you but I need to see money in your name, not theirs'. Yes, we Realtors do look at that and, surprisingly enough, most of us can count.

The transaction went...okay.  The agent turned everything over to an unlicensed, untrained assistant, so that was a challenge.  And the buyer wanted to do additional inspections after she had already removed her inspection contingency.  But the transaction closed.

And by the way, we did NOT take an all-cash offer -- we took one with 20% down and a conventional loan!

7720 Goodland in Noho is now on the market. 3+2 for $399,000. That's not a misprint.

Looking for the perfect home at an unbelievable price? Check out 7720 Goodland Ave., North Hollywood, 91605. How’s this for home features: stellar residential neighborhood, 3 bedrooms (could be four), 2 baths, 1509 sf (feels bigger), dining room, kitchen with eating area and plenty of counter space, big living room, beamed ceilings, fireplace, green backyard, separate 2 car garage, great vintage details – and priced at $399,000. That’s not a misprint.  This home has loads of original mid-century charm – either enhance the period details or re-do with your own decorating taste. Tax records show four bedrooms. One was converted to a dining room and can be converted back. This is a probate sale but no court confirmation is required -- call me if you'd like to know more.

Upcoming Noho listing is having an estate sale tomorrow. Here's your chance to see it before it goes on the market.

A few days ago, I mentioned an upcoming listing in North Hollywood.  You have an opportunity to see it tomorrow, Saturday, before it even goes on the market! The address is 7720 Goodland in North Hollywood and it's a 3+2.  It used to be a 4+2, but one bedroom was converted to a dining room.  It needs decorating and/or remodeling, but it's a steal at $399,000.  Large vintage kitchen, big living room with fireplace, sizeable master suite, beamed ceilings, separate 2 car garage, green backyard and a a lovely, quiet pocket of North Hollywood.

You can preview the listing at tomorrow's estate sale, conducted by estate sale manager extraordinaire Lara Nethery.  That's one of Lara's pictures above, and here's Lara's blurb:

This quaint home is all about vintage and mid century! Mostly art, furniture, electronics and collectibles. Please see my craigslist ad for more info and pictures. 

Hope to see you!! 

7720 Goodland Avenue

North Hollywood, CA 91605

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/gms/4859509160.html

Coming next month but I can show it now: North Hollywood 4+2

Early next month, I will be listing a 4 bed, 2 bath home in a really nice residential section of North Hollywood.  It has been in the same family for years and needs updating and decorating, but the rooms are spacious and the house is ripe for a new family's vision.  It has a covered patio, family room, fireplace, and big back yard.  Here's the best part: it will list for about $400,000.  With the new 3% down payments and low interest rates, here's a wonderful opportunity for folks who otherwise thought they might not be able to buy a home this year.  No pictures yet, but I can show it to qualified buyers.

It's the beginning of May -- where are the L.A. area houses for sale?

If you are searching for a home in the SFV or elsewhere in the L.A. area, you may be wondering why there aren't more homes for sale.  Or you may be wondering where the homes for sale are.  You're right -- inventory is very, very short, except for condos and townhomes.  And many, many other buyers are looking for a home as well.  Here's what you can do: 1) consider a different area.  I know you want to live in Silverlake or Studio City, but why not consider neighborhoods in Glendale or North Hollywood? Prices will be lower there, too, and most neighborhoods offer lots of attractions that you may like. 2) If you don't have a family, consider a smaller home or a condo.  You can usually always add on to a single family home, and if you need a home office you might be able to convert your dining room or garage space (I bet 95% of garage spaces are used for storage and not for parking.) I know, I know; this is all so easy for me to say.

If you are thinking about selling your home, you are probably wondering: a) where you're going to go.  The homes you may move into are just as expensive as the house you're selling.  So there goes your profit. And b) you want to stay put for your commute or your kids' school or another good reason.  Selling and moving will be really tough.  I don't have suggestions here, except: home prices have come roaring back.  If you are considering making a life change, this year may present great opportunities for you, at least as far as home profits go.  Will home prices continue to increase? Nobody knows.  If you're thinking about selling, I'm happy to prepare a comparative market analysis for you that will show you what you may gain -- just call me.

5703 Troost, North Hollywood is sold and I get taught a lesson

5703 Troost in North Hollywood, listed in September for $495,000, sold this week for $512,000.  It had been in escrow for $515,000 but that got 'walked back' during the inspection process.  My sellers were wonderful, savvy clients who moved to get a shorter commute.

I met the buyers at the open house and it was immediately evident that they liked the property.  The buyers told me they were going to use an agent from a popular online site that we'll call Greenscale.  I told them this would put their offer in a bad light -- Greenscale chunks its tasks down so much that you never know what agent you'll be dealing with that day, or who said what to whom, or who has the paperwork, etc.  Because of that, they are quite difficult to work with and that's a material fact I would have to tell my sellers as they considered the multiple offers we received.

So the buyers picked a regular Valley agent instead.  Hurray -- but not so fast.  This Realtor is completely untrained on the internet or any electronic communication devices.  I should have known I was in trouble when I received a hand-written offer on forms that were six generations old.  Anyway, we wound up double- and triple-doing and communicating everything over and over again, which is exactly what I wanted to avoid with a Greenscale agent.  And I got taught a lesson about trying to make transactions easier.  But the transaction closed, and I will miss my sellers and their baby.

Would you buy a hoarder's home? Somebody will.

Yesterday's NY Times had a very interesting article about selling a hoarder's home.  Yes, it sold.  It was on Park Avenue in NYC and went for over a million dollars.  Click the link here for the article.

Over the years, I've had two hoarder listings.  In each, the hoarders were really lovely, intelligent people who were not distressed in any other way.

The first was in an apartment building for sale in North Hollywood, and the buyer-investor didn't care as long as the tenant-hoarder paid the rent on time.  The tenant had her stuff piled up very neatly and had made paths through it.  The "walls" on either side of the paths were so high that I could barely see over them.

The other place was owned by two very brilliant people who just couldn't see how much junk they had.  They were willing to work through it, though.  With the help of family, they actually threw stuff away.  They filled eight City of Glendale dumpsters from a 1200 ft. Glendale house.  It didn't hurt that they were moving out of state.

Is your loan broker or Realtor a sole practitioner? Yikes.

There are many, many wonderful mortgage lenders and Realtors out there who have only your best interests at heart.  There are some that are not so good, as well.  I'm sure that comes as no surprise.  I've been having lots of bad luck with sole practioner Realtors and loan brokers lately.  Why? Because they don't answer to anybody, not even you, their client.  They're in business for themselves for two reasons: they don't want to work with other people in the business (hey, we're all a little misanthropic sometimes, but...) and they want every. last. dime. for themselves.  Make sure that if you're interested in working with these folks, you check them out very, very carefully.  The neck you save may be your own.

Past = Future at 5703 Troost, North Hollywood

From this...

To this...

...at 5703 Troost Ave., North Hollywood

This delightful 3+2 home has been updated and enhanced for the 21^st century.  It began life as a bungalow for WWII workers in the 1940’s.  Over the years, generations of people raised families there and made improvements that suited their particular needs.  And North Hollywood changed and changed again.

Now the home has been refreshed for the new century and future life styles.  Enjoy the gorgeous new kitchen built for today’s and tomorrow’s chefs. Program the A/C, security system and sprinklers from your smart phone.  The innovative new double-pane windows are super energy efficient, as is the tankless water heater. Charge your electric car from the universal, dedicated charger (the electric rate is discounted).  Don’t want to drive at all? The Redline and Orange line are close by, as are all the new attractions that NoHo has to offer.

Need a little old school charm with your future?  This home still has lots of its original character. The hardwood floors gleam, the 1960’s vintage screened patio is perfect for parties, and the huge yard has just been re-landscaped and sodded. And how about the old school price of $499,000?

This house embraces all good things from the past and becomes the future. Future of Los Angeles homes and life style? Future for you?

Please contact me for more details.  The first open house will be Sunday, Sept. 15, from 2:00 to 5:00 pm.

5703 Troost Ave. North Hollywood 91601 is coming to market soon!

A simply terrific 3+2 will be listing next Monday at 5703 Troost Ave. in North Hollywood.  This home has been updated for the 2000's with all sorts of things, including a brand-new kitchen.  Stay tuned for details and pictures, of course -- list price will be $499,000.

News of the week: 5227 Denny #101 is still available! And more...

Do you know anybody looking to buy in Noho? Or anybody that simply wants a gorgeous three-bedroom condo? Consider 5227 Denny #101, pictured above.  Yes, it's 3 beds, 2 baths, fireplace, big newer kitchen, bamboo floors, 2 extra storage spaces, 2 patios, and much more in one of L.A.'s coolest neighborhoods.  It is listed for $420,000 and the HOA fees are $261/month.  I can usually arrange a showing with just a bit of advance notice.

In other news, prices are still going up and inventory is still down.  It looks like small (under 1,000 sf) homes across the east San Fernando Valley are hitting the $500,000+ mark now.

And Realtors are continuing to list properties low and then entertain multiple offers and bidding wars.  One client set has been waiting a week now to hear about their offer, which they increased from the original price.

Stansbury is in escrow.

In more upbeat news, I will likely have a small house listed in Burbank soon, along with a 3+2 in Noho that's currently being fixed up.  These may be on the market later this month; just not sure yet.  There may be one coming in Valley Glen, too.

I met a friend and former client at the lounge at Amarano last night and it was swinging! With a chic, younger (than me) set, of course.  Amarano is a boutique hotel right on the border of Burbank and Toluca Lake.  It's a really classy place and we had lots of fun.  My only criticism is that they could improve their house Cabernet.

Open Sunday, 7/21, from 2 to 5: 5227 Denny #101, North Hollywood

If you're looking for a gorgeous condo, you owe it to yourself to see this one.  Three beds, 2 baths, single story with no steps, huge kitchen, new since 2009, bamboo floors, big closets, fireplace two patios, faces the street, and wheelchair-accessible (see post below).  It also has two extra, dedicated storage rooms and the building has a bike room.  It's very close to the Noho Arts District and public transportation, too.  Listed for $420,000; the building's HOA fees are a low $261.  Steve and I will be there from 2 to 5 today.

Need handicapped-accessible or age-in-place housing?

If you, or somebody you know, is looking to own wheelchair-accessible or age-in-place housing, consider 5227 Denny #101 in North Hollywood.  This 3-bed, 2-bath ground floor condo has no steps, a ramp to the building, and extra-wide doorways.  It may be ADA-compliant, too.  Plus, it's gorgeous.  The building was built in 2009 and the unit has a huge, "done" kitchen, living room with fireplace and sunny exposure, two patios, laundry in unit, lots of closets plus two extra storage spaces in the garage.  The decorating is gorgeous with chandelier-type lights and decorator-drapes plus bamboo floors.  It's listed for $420,000 and the HOA fees are a low $261.  The building is a few blocks from the Red Line, Orange Line, and all the attractions this developing community has to offer.  See more pics at JudyGraff.com or contact me for more info.

Coming soon: 5227 Denny #101, North Hollywood

This beautiful 3-bedroom (yes, 3) condo is coming back to market at the end of this week.  If you didn't see it when it was on the market in the spring, you owe it to yourself to see it now.  It's about 1300 square feet and was built in 2009.  It has a huge kitchen with stainless steel appliances including a wine refrigerator, two elegant full baths, in-unit laundry, front-facing balcony, 2 extra storage units in the garage, and a low hoa of $261!  It's in the up-and-coming North Hollywood Arts District and the city is busily working on widening and landscaping Magnolia Boulevard in the area. Perhaps best of all, it is listed for only $420,000.  The first open house will be July 21; call me for a showing before then.