Home Insurance And Dogs

I just heard some interesting information that I had not heard before. It seems as if home insurance companies care about the type of dog you have. It may be possible that if you own a certain breed of dog, like a pit bull, that they could either deny you coverage or not cover you if your dog happens to bite someone. So maybe check with your home insurance company before buying or adopting a dog to see if this is true and if so, if it effects you.

Here is an article in Forbes about this topic http://www.forbes.com/sites/cateyhill/2012/05/30/11-riskiest-dog-breeds-for-homeowners-and-renters/




Please verify with your own home insurance company to see if this applies you to.

Farmers Markets In The Valley

I don't know about you but I love our Farmers Markets. Not only do I like to support our local growers, but I like grocery shopping outdoors in our beautiful weather. I made a list below of all the Farmers Markets in the valley, their time and location. These may change so check with the websites I attached to make sure.


Sherman Oaks
When: Tuesdays 3PM-7PM
Where: 14006 Riverside Dr
More info: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sherman-Oaks-Tuesday-Farmers-Market/217022984981269

Studio City
When: Sundays 8AM-2PM
Where: On Ventura Place between Laurel Canyon and Ventura Blvd
More info: http://studiocityfarmersmarket.com/

Encino
When: Sundays 8AM-1PM
Where: 17400 Victory Blvd. Van Nuys, CA 91406
More info:  http://encinofarmersmarket.org/

Burbank
When: Saturdays 8AM-12:30PM
Where: Third St and Orange Grove behind City Hall
More info: http://www.burbankfarmersmarket.org/

North Hollywood (New)
When: Saturdays 9AM-2PM
Where: On Bakman between Weddington and Chandler
More info: http://nohomarket.org/

Glendale
When: Thursdays 9:30-1:30
Where: 100 N Brand Blvd, Glendale, 91205.

Westlake Village
When: Sundays. 10am-2pm
Where: 2797 Agoura Rd Westlake Village, CA
More info: https://www.facebook.com/WestlakeVillageFM

Northridge
When: Tuesdays 10am-2PM
Where: CSUN 18111 Nordhoff. Northridge CA 91330
More Info:  https://www.facebook.com/CCFMInc

Calabasas
When: Saturdays 8AM-1PM
Where: 23504 Calabasas Rd. Calabasas CA 91302
https://www.facebook.com/CalabasasFM

FHA Regulations Regarding Condos Are Loosening

Have you been burdened by trying to buy or sell a condo because of the strict FHA regulations? If you own a condo, chances are you know about these. There are a lot of rules and guidelines that come with trying to purchase homes using FHA financing (which is the largest source of low-down payments on mortgages) In the past, in order to buy a condo using FHA, they have had rules that say things like: you can't buy a condo if more than 25% of the buildings' space is used for commercial or is not part of the living space of a condo. They've also put strict regulations on the owner to renter ratio in a complex saying that if a certain amount of the condos are rented, then the whole building can not qualify for someone who wants to use FHA financing to buy a unit in that building. This has been tough to work around for complex in cities that are becoming very popular called "mixed use" or "live/work" condos. This has also been a huge challenge in these hard financial times where people couldn't sell their condos when they lost so much equity in them, so instead, decided to rent them.  This made it hard for other owners that needed to sell their unit, but now had a lot of units in their building that were being rented.
Well, we are seeing some light at the end of this tunnel and here is what has been changing with FHA and condos:

*now, condo buildings can have up to 35% commercial use, and in certain circumstances even up to 50%

*In existing developments, one or more investors are now allowed to own up to 50% of the total units provided that at least half of the units are owner-occupied.

*and lastly, FHA had language written in their regulations that could potentially put condo board members at risk of being heavily fined or even face jail time by admitting, or not admitting, to conditions they knew about their building. This language has now changed and does not put board members of condo buildings in such a burdensome crossroads of liability with these things. 

All in all, these are positive steps in the right direction and will help more sales of condo units which is great news for both sellers and buyer.  You can find more information about FHA regulations and condos here: http://speakingofrealestate.blogs.realtor.org/2012/09/13/fha-eases-some-key-condo-financing-limits/

Multiple Offers City

The days of multiple offers is back. If you are a buyer and you feel like you keep "hitting the wall", as they say, with putting in offers on homes and being out bid, you are not alone. I just want to post this so that you are aware that there are a lot of homes that have 10, 20, even 30 offers in on them and most are over asking price. There are options of how you can work with this type of market, but it is very important that you are using a local realtor to work with you. The relationships we build between us can help when putting an offer in on a property. All things being equal with two different offers, if I know the realtor selling the home, and the other person's realtor is from somewhere else and they don't have a relationship with the selling realtor, they may choose to work with me just because they know me. Why you ask? Because I may have worked on deals with them in the past and they have the knowledge of how I work, whereas they are unfamiliar with the other realtor and that person could potentially be a bad business risk.  So, look for a local realtor during these times of multiply offers so that you have better chances of getting the home you put the offer on.

Looking For A Home With Room For A Office?

When looking to buy a home, many people say they would like 4 bedrooms when actually they are looking for 3 bedrooms but they need that extra bedroom for an office. Hopefully you are already working with a Realtor and they will know what to look for.  But if you are perusing online yourself or going to open houses, think about this....When a real estate agent lists a home for sale, the number of bedrooms they have to put in the MLS must be rooms that have closets in them. So, to call something a "bedroom", it must have 4 walls and a closet. Very often a house will have 3 bedrooms listed, and then a loft or a den as well.  A lot of times, lofts and dens make perfect offices and you don't really need a bedroom.  So even though you may think you need that extra "bedroom" for your office, you should still keep an eye out for houses that are listed as having one less bedroom than you need, then read the description of the house and look for the realtor to have written something like, "Has a den that can be used as a room" or "nice loft" and even sometimes you may see "Guest room in back of house".  A guest house or guest room off the back of the house may also be left off the number of rooms listed in the house so to help in your search, make sure you take these things into consideration when looking for your home.

Top 10 Things Home Owners Should Not Do When Showing Their Home

I just read this list in "Realtor" magazine and I thought I would share. I have experienced each one of these with clients and these things are easily avoidable. Take notes home owners....

1. Leftover home owners

By far, one of the top offenses cited by buyer’s agents was home owners still lingering around when agents arrived with clients to preview the home. Awkward encounters ranged from buyers finding sellers taking a shower, asleep in the bed, to even the “stalker sellers” who liked to follow buyers and the agent all over the home to see what they thought.
With the exception of the “stalker seller,” many of the home owners who were still at home blamed their listing agent for not giving them enough advance notice about the appointment prior.

2. Pets and their messes

Numerous agents also cited the not-so-friendly dog and kitty encounters as a top offense. Even pets left in a crate can pose a distraction since they might make noise the entire time others are in the house. Plus, if they seem mean, the buyer might not even step in the room.
Vicki Robinson, ABR, CRS, broker with Fonville Morisey Realty in Raleigh, N.C., says she recently was given showing instructions from a listing agent who told her the family’s “friendly dog” would be at home. But when Robinson unlocked the front door with her client for the showing, a pit bull was staring down at them from the top of the staircase, growling. “We closed the door and left!” she says.

3. Bad smells

A displeasing smell can really turn buyers off. Common offenses include cooking smells lingering around the home, such as garlic, fried bacon, or fish. Also, watch for cigarette smoke and animal smells, agents say.
“Sellers get immune to the smell that their pets have embedded on their property,” says Halina Degnan with Gables & Gates, REALTORS®, in Knoxville, Tenn. “Anyone opening the door will smell it immediately -- even if there are air fresheners trying to cover up the smell. If you have a pet, there will be an odor. Don’t send your buyers away: Paint and clean the carpeting. Take the odor seriously and do what is needed, even if it means replacing the carpet.”

4. Critters running wild

Wild animals and pests roaming around is a surefire way to send buyers running. Agents described worms crawling on the floor and bats and raccoons lounging in the attic. “I showed a house in Utah once with a baby alligator/crocodile [in a cage] in the dining room,” Kristi Hutchings, ABR, SFR, with the Wendy K Team The Real Estate Group in Utah.

5. Odd home makeovers

Do-it-yourself disasters were also prevalent, like doors opening the wrong way or unprofessional paint jobs. Also, rooms not being used for their intended purposes can confuse buyers, such as an office being used as a bedroom even though it has no closet, says broker Elaine Byrne with Elaine Byrne Realty in Austin, Texas.

6. Dirt and clutter

There were a number of offenses cited when it came to cleanliness: Dirty laundry piles, unflushed toilets, dishes on the counter or in the sink, unmade beds, clothes scattered about, soiled carpets, dirty air conditioner filters, and overflowing trash cans.
“One of the worst things I have seen is piles and piles of clothes in every room,” says Chris Leach, ABR, with Medel & Associates Realty in Riverside, Calif. “It was like an obstacle trying to walk around the mess.”

7. Personal information left in plain sight

Sellers should be careful not to leave in plain sight important documents that may pique buyers’ curiosity. Some agents say they’ve seen personal information like bank and credit card statements—even mortgage payoff notices—left on the kitchen counter.
“Buyers are nosey,” says Christopher Handy, ABR, GREEN, broker-associate with Bosshardt Realty Services LLC in Gainesville, Fla. “I’ve even seen the contract for the sellers’ next purchase sitting on the kitchen countertop or ‘final notice’ bills.”

8. Too dark

Dark or dimly lit houses aren’t showing the home in the best light.
“Particularly [homes lit with] CFL bulbs,” says Yvette Chisholm, ABR, CRS, associate broker with Long & Foster Real Estate in Rockville, Md. “By the time [the bulbs] light up, the buyer is gone.” Energy efficient bulbs need time to warm up before they are at their brightest, so staging professionals usually recommend agents arrive early to a showing to turn on any light fixtures with CFL bulbs at least 10 minutes prior.

9. Keys missing from lockboxes

All too often, agents arrive at a listing appointment with their client only to find there’s no key to get in. “I actually had a [seller’s] agent who wanted me to open the door for my clients by going through the dog run as a large dog barked like crazy,” says Hutchings.

10. Distracting photos

Watch the photos displayed on the walls too, agents warn. Tara Hayes, ABR, e-PRO, with Rector-Hayden, REALTORS®, in Winchester, Ky., recalls showing a family a home that had life-sized, nude photos hanging, which left her clients racing for the door covering their eyes.
Similarly, Angela Gandolfo, ABR, SFR, with Citywide Real Estate & Investment in Phoenix, recalls showing a home to a client, who was staring at a painting in the master bedroom of a woman in lingerie. “Isn’t that the owner?” the client asked. “She was also the real estate agent!” Gandolfo says.

Who says that nude photo is offensive? Maybe it's the selling point of the house:) 

Why Do My Offers Keep Getting Outbid? And What Does The Real Estate Market Have In Store For Me In 2013?

It's December 20, 2012 and the real estate market here in LA took a sharp turn. If you have been in the market to buy a home in the past 6 months, you will have definitely seen this change. Have you put offers in on homes and been outbid? Have you even put the full asking price in on a home and still not gotten it? You are not alone. Far from it. There are many people out there that are looking to purchase a home and have not been successful with their offers. Here is what is going on with the market as of today. It is true that prices are on the rise. According to the MLS, the average single family resident home's sold price in Valley Village from 11/1/2011 to 12/1/2011 was $589,250 compared to the average sold price from 11/1/2012 to 12/1/2012 which was $784, 552. And in North Hollywood from 11/1/2011 to 12/1/2011 the average home's sale price was $326,104 compared to 11/1/2012 to 12/1/2012 which was $345, 891.  One thing you can not do is look at where the market was six months ago and expect those prices. The market is always changing and when the market is on the rise or is falling, you can only compare prices to a month or two ago.

Not only are home prices rising but as of today, the number of homes on the market for sale is less that the number of buyers looking to buy a home. So the supply of homes for sale is short.  Also, there are still a lot of investors out buying homes with the hopes that they can buy a home today, fix it up, and sell it in a few months while the market is still on the rise. You may have heard that you were outbid by an "all cash offer".  A lot of times investors use all cash to buy a home and sometimes the seller feels more secure about selling their home to an all cash offer rather than someone who uses a loan to get a home. Loans are not always guaranteed and could fall through, even with the best of the best people looking to get them. Okay, so knowing all this, what do you do now? Well, one option is to raise your budget so you can get the home you would like. Although the market is rising we still have amazing prices from where the market was at a number of years back. We also still have fabulous interest rates available and those won't be around forever either. But maybe you are already at the top of your budget. Another option is to look for something different. Maybe try a different area, or a smaller house or look at some great condos. Another thing you can do when making an offer on a home is ask your real estate agent to write a very nice cover letter about you, informing the seller of how interested you are in their lovely home and what your plans are for their home. Not everyone selling is looking for top dollar. Remember, these are people's homes and people have fond memories made there and personal touches they worked hard on in their homes. They have neighbors they have formed friendships with and some people truly want a nice person that will take care of their home when they leave. It is also possible that your agent can present your offer in person to the seller and hopefully tell them many great things about you and your plans for their home. I know this market can be discouraging for those of you out there that are feeling like none of your offers are working for you but there are options and as always, make sure you are working with a realtor that is on your side and really cares for you as a person and professionally as a client. And when you are looking to buy or sell, please give me a call and I will be more than happy to help with all your real estate needs www.amberdolle.com

What is a Probate? And What is a Trust?

When my client's are looking for homes, sometimes they use internet search sites such as Realtor.com and Zillow and then I get questions about terms they find on these sites or hear from other sources.  One of the big questions I hear a lot is "What is a Trustee Sale?" and "What is a probate sale?".   Without getting into too many specifics I will try to answer this for all of you wondering the same thing.


First off, every state has very different laws and regulations in regards to real estate.  So this may not pertain to you if you are looking to buy or sell in a place other than California. Now, to be clear, there is a large difference between a "trust sale" and a "trustee's sale".  A trustee's sale, here in California, simply put, is a foreclosure. I believe what most people are really asking about, when it comes to these terms, has to do with probates.

I have included the following information that is written on the California Association of Realtor's webite CAR.ORG

Q 1.  What is probate?

A "Probate" is the court-supervised administration of a decedent's estate. The procedure begins with the filing of a petition with a probate court for the probate of a decedent's will or for letters of administration if there is no will.

The probate proceeding involves "proving the will" (if there is a will), appointing the personal representative, determining the decedent's assets which are subject to probate, determining and paying the decedent's debts and taxes, and transferring title to the beneficiaries (if there is a will) or to the heirs at law (if there is no will).

Q 2.  What property is subject to probate?

A The probate proceeding, generally, is required only for property to which the decedent directly held title at his or her death, and not property which is indirectly held, property owned by contract, or which passes by operation of law to another at the decedent's death.

Q 3.  What property is not subject to probate?

A  The following property is not subject to probate administration:

1. Property held in a trust (Cal. Prob. Code § § 5000, 13050, Estate of Heigho (1960), 186 Cal. App. 2d 360, 364-365);
    
2. Property held by decedent as a fiduciary or as trustee for another (e.g., Totten Trust) (Cal. Prob. Code § § 80, 5000);
    
3. Property held in joint tenancy (Cal. Prob. Code § § 5304,  13050);
    
4. Property held in a multi-party account (Cal. Prob. Code §§ 5304, 13050);
    
5. Property which is a life estate (Cal. Prob. Code § 13050);
    
6. Property held as community property with the right of survivorship (Cal. Civ. Code § 682.1);                                                                                                                                             
   
   Okay, so you don't want your property to go through probate? Then something you can do is put your property into a "Trust". This next bit of information was also taken from CAR.org
   
   In an attempt to avoid probate costs, court supervision, and public access to private information, many people put title in their property into a revocable living trust.
   First, the trust document needs to be created designating the names of the trustors, trustees, and beneficiaries.
   Second, title of all real (and personal) property needs to be placed into the trust in the following way:
   

   “We, John Smith and Mary Smith, husband and wife, quitclaim to John Smith and Mary Smith, co-trustees of the Smith Family Trust, the real property…”

   Furthermore, unless the trust instrument expressly provides other wise, community property that is transferred into a revocable living trust remains community property during the marriage, regardless of the identity of the trustee, if the trust provides that the power to modify the trust may be exercised only with the joinder or consent of both spouses.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       I hope you this answered questions you have about probates and trusts. Always consult your Realtor or an attorney when you have questions regarding your property. And feel free to call me when you are ready to buy or sell www.amberdolle.com          

What Is The Difference Between A Listing Agent And A Buyer's Agent?

This could very well be my shortest blog ever. The question I hear all the time is "what is the difference between a realtor who is a listing agent and one who is a buyer's agent?" The answer quite simply is Nothing. Nodda. Zip. Zero. A realtor receives his or her license in the same manner as the next realtor.  All experience being equal, an agent who works with listings knows and does the same things as an agent working with buyers. Most agents just simply refer to themselves as Real Estate agents either working with residential real estate or commercial real estate.
You may, on occasion, hear an agent refer to themselves as a "Listing Agent". Here's the scoop with that....some agents may prefer to mostly work with selling homes or "listing" them. The reasons can range from personal preferences to a professional persona one may want to put out to others. When you list a home, having your name on the sale sign out front is instant advertisement. Also, some may think that if you do a good job selling the house, that hopefully you will be able to help the sellers now buy their new home as well. Also, word seems to spread more quickly when an agent sells a house and that can lead to more business for that agent to sell more homes. And when you work with listing a home, it is most likely that the people selling their home are serious about doing so, whereas people buying a home may not be. Therefore, some agents would prefer to work with clients that are more likely to follow through with a transaction.
 Every agent, including myself, has worked with a lot of people who are looking to buy a home and for one reason or another, they don't end up purchasing one. Sometimes we can work with buyers for months, and even years, showing homes, sending listings, calling and scheduling showings and then nothing comes of it. It can be a lot of work and cost a lot of money since we don't make salaries, only commissions when we sell. Whether an agent is listing a home or helping someone buy a home, all the things they do for that client come from our personal funds. The photography of the homes, advertising, driving clients to and fro, our websites, the funny flyers you get in the mail with our lovely info and photos on them, our cell phones, computers...everything is on our dollar and we are independent contractors so we don't receive income unless we sell a home. So long story short, some prefer to sell a home, because like I said before, sellers are typically more serious about making a move than buyers. But in real estate, that is just the way things go.
I really hope that if I show you houses for weeks or years, and I do a good job, whether you buy a home or not, that you will come back to me and work with me again. I also hope that you will tell your friends and neighbors about me and that they will work with me as well. So, yes it can turn out to be a lot of hard work to work with buyers, and it may not pay off with that particular client, but hopefully it may, in the future, turn into something else. If you do happen to meet an agent that says they only work with listings, and you are looking to buy something, then you wouldn't want to work with someone who doesn't seem to want your business, and that's when it's time to pick up the phone and call me. I am always more than happy to help you with whatever you need whether it's buying, selling or leasing!
....and I guess this wasn't so short after all.

                                                               

Things To Do For The Holidays In The Valley

I don't know about you but I love this time of year. I love Christmas lights, the smell of fireplaces and I love the cold winter nights (and for all you folks that don't live in SoCal, "cold" means below 60 degrees). I also love all the things that are happening around town so I wanted to put together a few fun things I know about and pass them along to you. My husband and I will be taking our daughter to a few of these things so if you see me at one, come say hi!

First, this coming Friday, November 30, 2012 in the NoHo Arts district they are having their first annual Holiday Open House. It will be at the corner of Lankershim and Magnolia where the Pitfire Pizza is located from 5PM-9PM. They will have music, poetry, dance, holiday choir, Santa and a tree lighting. Find out more at www.midtownnoho.org

On Saturday December 1st from 5PM-9PM, Studio City will be having a holiday street fair in the Tujunga Village. It's located where the famous Vitello's Italian restaurant is on Tujunga Ave. There will be lots of fun things for kids and adults. Santa will also be making a visit here and Vitello's will be having their annual holiday kick-off big band concert. This event is always fun and very popular with the locals. I couldn't find an official web page for it to add here but the banners are hung in the village with all the information there.

This next thing may not be filled with holiday events but this is a fun winter time for all.  Ice Station Valencia's Snow Day Sundays are a fun opportunity for the entire family to Play in Snow, Ice Skate, Drink Hot Cocoa, meet Santa, and have a fun family holiday experience. They will be offering FREE beginning ice skating lessons at 2:00pm and 3:30pm each day. The Snow Day Sundays will also feature Special Skating performances from 3:15-3:25pm.  Adults are free to play.  If you want more info you can go to their website at www.icestation.net or call them at 661-775-8686.

And have you ever seen the Magical Christmas Caroling Truck? It's been going on for many many years and it is quite the thing to see. It is a 62 foot tractor trailer decorated with thousands of lights and has over 200 singers and dancers and it parades it's way through Toluca Lake and North Hollywood on Christmas Eve. A must see for all! http://www.christmascaroling.org/

Woodland Hills is having a "Jingle in the Jungle Holiday Festival" Their Chamber of Commerce presents the 2012 Village Walk Jingle in the Jungle Holiday Festival. The event is from 4-7pm with the tree lighting ceremony at 6:30pm, followed by a drawing for a few $500 Village Walk shopping sprees. They will have Live music, photos with Santa and live reindeer, face painting, holiday arts and crafts, and complimentary holiday desserts. Parking is free in the parking lot beneath Whole Foods/TJ Maxx. http://www.woodlandhillscc.net/event_details.php?events_id=2146

And of course we have the Americana at Brand in Glendale that is always a beautiful place to go and just walk around, especially this time of year with all the lights and decorations they have up. They also have an hour of snow each night so we can really feel like we are in the North Pole while still having our lovely weather keeping us nice and warm. That happens from 7PM-8PM and Santa has a fancy smancy house recently built at the Americana where you can visit him and get some great photos as well. http://www.americanaatbrand.com/glendale/promos/promo_page.php?id_promo=59&section=events

And last but not least, the houses here in the Valley can really be done very well. So get in the car and just take a drive through Burbank, Toluca Lake, Valley Village, North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino and Van Nuys and see the creativity that Hollywood has to offer right on their front lawns.  

Happy Holidays everyone and when you are ready to buy or sell your house in 2013, give me a call! www.amberdolle.com

Breaking Out of The Habit of Getting Our Cars Broken In To

Last weekend I went hiking up Fryman Canyon in Studio City with some friends just like I do every weekend. We met there early in the morning and as we were walking in the parking lot, there were multiple police cars parked and a few police officers walking around the empty cars. I stopped and asked one of the officers if everything was okay. He told me that there have been a lot of reports of cars getting broken into while people were hiking. He also said that they were walking around looking into these parked cars and he was seeing that people were leaving valuable items in clear view inside their car. He pointed to the 2 cars that were parked right where we were standing and told me to take a look.  The car on the right had cash just laying on the passenger seat and the car on the left had a cell phone in the cup holder. Thieves don't have to think twice about which car to break into when they see these things in plain site. While most of us consider the valley to be a relatively safe area to live, we still live in a large city and things are bound to happen. If we would like to cut down on crime here, we are going to have to put effort into not attracting into our neighborhoods, public parks and other areas. The holiday seasons are here now as well, and criminals are looking for opportunity. When we park our cars, please remember to hide and remove anything valuable. Even diaper bags that may not contain anything of value can look like loot to a thief. Remember to also put your shopping bags and boxes in your trunk and out of site. Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks is another place that thieves lurk around looking for people to leave things in their cars. So this holiday season, and all other times as well, be safe and keep your car clean and everything out of site of potential thieves.

Helping East Valley High School in North Hollywood by Donating Coupons

It is November 12, 2012 and our local North Hollywood Senior Lead Officer, John Catalano, just sent out an email asking neighbors to help with collecting and giving coupons to families of East Valley High School. The North Hollywood Police station has worked hard to build a relationship with East Valley High and has helped to also lower the crime there as well. They are now on a new venture to help the students and their families with their grocery bills. It is really a very simple and great idea. The North Hollywood Community Police Station now has a collection box at the front desk for all of our unused coupons. They are going to sort and distribute these coupons to the families of the students at this school to help them save money on their shopping. This is so easy and doesn't cost a thing so let's bring in all our coupons and really support our local police station who have worked so hard to better our community with all that they do. My family and I are huge coupon cutters so they will be receiving a lot from us! I hope to see you there too.

New Ralphs grocery store in Sherman Oaks

Finally! Grand Opening is Thursday April 10th! It's been a long time coming but I'm sure everyone is happy that opening day is just around the corner

So many of us have seen our Ralphs on the corner of Ventura Blvd and Hazeltine taken down to make room for the new Fresh Fare Ralphs.  The original Ralphs was rebuilt after the 1994 earthquake but now it's time for a larger and more updated grocery store in this side of Sherman Oaks. Some of our neighbors are happy about this and others thought that it wasn't necessary. One thing is for sure though, and that is that the construction near this intersection can be a hassle for those of us that use this route to get to and from home on a daily basis. Not only do we have a new and improved grocery store coming in, but there is also a new, very large complex being built on the same side of Ventura just one block West. This complex and the construction around it, isn't helping the commuting traffic either.  But, we always seem to have a road or building being worked on around here and this is nothing new for us to see.  But when the Ralph's is completed, which the Sherman Oaks home owners association thinks that this should be in the summer of 2013, it will indeed be bigger and better. It was cover over 65,000 square feet of interior space. There will be underground parking with the street level of the complex to include shops that will be accessible by Ventura blvd. The Ralph's grocery store itself boasts that it will have a very large produce section, a deli that will be competitive to any other in the area, and a full bakery that should test all of us that are on diets. So that is the skinny that I have on our local grocery store and I will keep you posted on all things real estate and neighborhood related.

Update: As things are moving along for this new grocery store, we now know that the summer 2013 is not going to be the opening date (since that has come and gone) but it looks like we will see the doors open here in the fall. I'm curious to see how it will effect traffic since it looks like there are only entrances on Hazeltine and Moorpark. But on the other hand, I'm excited to not have to drive all the way to the Ralphs in Studio City if I need a large selection of things.
2nd Update as of January 2014:  Well, it looks like someone's prediction for this store opening was a long shot. We first heard of the opening in Summer of 2013 and here we are in January 2014 and it still looks like it has some work to be done before opening. Luckily the construction isn't causing too much traffic hassle, but maybe we are so used to what we have been dealing with on Coldwater for so long that any other construction seems to pale in comparison. I spoke with someone at the Sherman Oaks neighborhood council and they said the projected opening date is now March...I guess we will wait and see. 

Top 10 Signs You are Being Scammed with Mortgage Fraud

 If any individuals or companies:

1. Want money upfront for mortgage assistance. 
2. Offer to fill out paper work for you.
3. Claim to be doing a "forensic audit"
4. Ask that payment be made directly to them rather than to your bank
5. Promise to modify a mortgage or prevent foreclosure, no matter the circumstances.
6. Advise you stop making mortgage payments.  
7. Suggest you lease your house and buy it back over time. 
8. Require payment in the form of cash, cashier's check, or wire transfer. 
9. Advise you to transfer your property deed or title to them. 
10. Ask you to give them power of attorney.

 I found this list on CAR.com which is a great resource for all things real estate related here in California.
If you feel you are being scammed call the Consumer Financial Protections Bureau at (855) 411-CFPB or (855) 411-2372 or go online to http://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/

Pinterest and Buying or Selling Your Home

Pinterest is an amazing. Let me say that again...amazing! And no I don't own stock in the company.  There are so many things you can do with this online pin board including help in buying or selling your home. How you ask? Well that is what this blog is all about.

So let me start at the basics for those of you who are not familiar with Pinterest. Have you ever used the "Bookmark" setting on your web browser? So you know, when you find a page you'd like to go to again and have the computer remember if for you, you "Bookmark" it right? Well Pinterest is similar in that it "bookmarks" or "Pins" things that you can find on the internet or you can download your own images, then you can share them with other people such as friends, family, or people that are following you in the same manner that works with Twitter. So, for example, lets say I find a picture of a beautiful garden somewhere on the internet. I can "Pin" this website that has the photo by going to the top right of my screen on Pinterest and hitting "Add". That will take me to the next page where I have the option to "Add a Pin". Once I choose that then I copy and paste the web address from the site where I found the beautiful garden into the space provided on Pinterest and it "Pins" it to my site. I can then add it to my "board" or category that I named "Ideas for my yard". I can even add a little personal note below it that could say something such as "I enjoy this yard because of the flower arrangements but I would prefer a white wooden fence". Then everyone who is following you will see that you pinned this. Then this goes onto Pinterest and other people also on Pinterest may see this photo and have the same thought you did about how nice that garden looks and then they will "Repin" it which just means they are Pinning it to their own board on their personal sight.
How does this help in buying a house? Well sometimes as Realtors we hear our clients say things like, "I want an updated house" or "I want a house with character". These things mean something different to each and every person. So why not "Pin" some things you like about homes on Pinterest and share them with your realtor? Or lets say your significant other travels a lot for business (as a lot of people here in LA do). You could make a board for all the homes you see either from your own personal photos you upload or from internet sights that show the listed home. Then you can add your own person comment to the photos for the home like "smaller than we like but terrific neighborhood".  Then your partner can just go onto Pinterest and look at all the photos with all the comments all at once without having to get separate emails with the photos or links.
What about selling my home? First off, the more advertising done on your home the better and this can be just another form of advertising.  But also, if your home is on Pinterest and someone Pins it, everyone that is on that person's following list will see it as well. Also, if you pin pictures of your home and label it with things such as "Original Spanish tiles" or "dreamer's pool", then people who are already on Pinterest looking for home ideas could find yours based on what they are looking for. And from a Realtor's point of view, if my past clients are following me on Pinterest, they too will see your home I listed and find it interesting or pass it to others that maybe interested. It's like a big web that can catch and hold a lot. And even if you aren't in the market to buy or sell, it can be fun to Pin ideas such as your dream master bathroom or a cute idea to make the best of a small space in a laundry room. So once you are on Pinterest, come find me and see what I've been pinning!
http://pinterest.com/adolle/