In my business it's imperative to know some fab home inspectors. If you're a buyer considering a house, I urge you to start with a general home inspection, and then move into the specialists where needed. (Specialists being mold, roof, electrical, drainage, structural engineer, etc.) I have worked with many inspectors, and they are not all created equal. They are not licensed, so pretty much anyone can call themselves a home inspector. To protect yourself, whoever you hire should have the following minimum requirements (don't be afraid to ask!!!):

1. Licensed General Contractor with an Active California License (contractor's license, there is no home inspector license)

2. Has Performed at Least 750 Inspections

3. A Current Member of NAHI, ASHI or CREIA

4. Have a Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance of at Least $500,000

5. Have General Liability Insurance of at Least $500,000

6. Have Written Proof of Current Insurance Policy

7. Inspector Must Have Client Sign a Written Contract Prior to the Beginning of the Inspection for Insurance to be in Effect.

8. Inspector Must Produce a Written Inspection Report within 48 Hours of the Inspection.

9. It is Strongly Recommended that the Inspector Take Photographs

10. The Inspector Should Not Start Inspection Until the Buyer or Realtor are on Site.

11. All Comments the Inspector Makes Should be Put in Writing in the Inspection Report.

12. Inspector Must be Able to Provide Published Evidence of Defects or Code Violations Listed in the Inspection Report.

13. Inspector Should Not Perform Any Other Service (otherwise it's a conflict of interest).

Above Information Courtesy of John St. George, of California Construction Consultants, 818.784.9900. John is one of the general home inspectors I recommend to my clients. Other general inspectors I have used include, but are not limited to: Mike Bashforth of MB Inspections, 310-519-9970. Lance Hudson, 323-665-5515.

Last week my husband and I ventured down to Marina del Rey to try out Kazunori Nozawa's new "fish for less" sushi restaurant SugarFISH. Located in a typical higher-end strip mall in Marina del Rey, SugarFISH is easy to miss, and not your typical destination restaurant. But the decor is clean, spare and modern, and the service is fast and friendly. In his famous "trust me" style, Nozawa has created a three menus to choose from, and displays them prominently on several flat screens above the bar. We went early so we could eat quickly and make it to the 7:20 showing of the Dark Knight at the Bridge (a perfect pairing: sushi and movie on a big screen in a theatre with reserve seating!), and we were one of three other parties. We got lots of individual attention from both our server and the manager. And the fish came flying out of the kitchen (which made my hungry husband VERY happy!). The sushi was fresh and flavorful. We had albacore, toro, blue crab...even edemame! (I didn't think Nozawa did anything green besides seaweed!) Still no sweets though...but hey, you're in a strip mall, I'm sure there's a food court somewhere nearby. Or you can do what I did, and get caramel corn for $6.50 at the movies...yum!

I have a new listing that I just put on the market in Brentwood. The house is on Stonehaven Way, in a sweet neighborhood south of Sunset Blvd. (Rumor has it that Gigdet grew up nearby, so you know that it has to be family-friendly). The 3-bedroom, 3.5-bath main house was built in 1947, but it has been substantially updated since then. It's currently owned by two British interior designers who have outfitted the place quite nicely with updates such as the new pool and glassed-in spa, skylights, wired for sound, alarmed gates/security system, high-def, and more... Though it's close to everything in Brentwood, it's also very private. It feels like a compound with an outdoor built-in BBQ, large patio for entertaining, 2-story guest house, converted windowed garage (without permits, but could easily be converted back), and large grassy landscaped garden with a variety of fruit trees and specimen palms. To see more photos, check out the website.

Here's a teeny tiny image of the house I just sold at 917 Chautauqua in the Pacific Palisades, I'd love to show you more, but I'm having technical difficulties with the Multiple Listing Service. (Please feel free to check it out yourself, MLS # 07-225329). Suffice it to say, it is a beautifully-designed Cape Cod with 5 bedrooms and 5.5 baths. I wanted to share it with you dear readers, because it is just one example of the fact that real estate is alive and well on the west side. This house went on the market in early October. They had over 250 people in to see it at the first open house. By the next day they had 7 offers on the house, my clients' being one of them. It was a tough, but very fair fight, and I have nothing but nice things to say about the listing agent who handled a potentially difficult situation with aplomb. In the end my clients won the bid with a very clean and creative offer (not to mention a couple hundred thousand dollars over the asking price of $3,495,000). The escrow closed mid-December, and my clients are thrilled with their new home (that's SOME Christmas gift...if only I could have found a bow big enough...)

Since my Chautauqua deal, I've witnessed many other multiple bid situations, several of which have been in the Little Holmby area. (I have 4 buyers interested in that neighborhood now, and apparently they are not alone!) I have not personally been involved in any of the transactions, but I've monitored them for my clients. (Most recently, a fixer-upper at 542 Warner Avenue sold for $2,480,000, and the average days on the market for any listing in Westwood is just 22 days!) It's a surprising market.

On the other hand, there are two agents in my office who specialize in bank-owned foreclosures in the Los Angeles area, and right now they have over 100 listings. Granted, there aren't many on the west side (a couple in Culver City and Marina de Rey, that's about as close as they get), but the agents say that they're coming... A word to wise, careful of foreclosures, typically it's difficult to get more than 10% off market value, and they are sold "as is," as in the bank is not going to do any repairs. Allison Rogers, columnist at Inman News, wrote in her hilarious book Diary of a Real Estate Rookie, that foreclosures are "like a box of chocolates--you never know what you're getting--and the average Joe can't handle surprises."

Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday! When else do you get to be whoever you want, see the inside of all your neighbors’ houses, and receive tons of free candy? I love everything about Halloween: the costumes, parties, trick-or-treating, colors (orange and brown…how chic!), seasonal foods (pumpkins, squashes, apples, mushrooms), and smell of the air. Though Halloween has always appealed to me, experiencing it now through the eyes of my children is amazing. I love sharing the long-standing traditions established by my family, the penultimate of which is the visit to the pumpkin patch. When I was a child, this was a simple affaire. One afternoon, usually sometime during the week of Halloween, we would drive out to an empty parking lot that was “transformed” by hay and orange pumpkins. We would pick out our favorites (one each!), and head home to carve, and roast the seeds. Simple yet powerful, this is the stuff memories are made of… Times have changed slightly. Today, parents seem to be on the lookout for bigger and better experiences for their children, and I’m as guilty as the next type-A, over-achiever. I try to keep most urges under control…but I can’t resist the Underwood Family Farm Fall Festival.

Last year was the first year we visited the Underwood Family Farm in Moorpark. All it took was one visit, to create our own tradition. My children are hooked. They are in love. They cannot wait to go this year. And I don’t blame them—the place is amazing, and worth the 50 minute drive from our home in Brentwood. This year we’re going sometime on the 13^th or 14^th, because it’s Tractor Weekend at the farm. My three-year-old son is particularly excited about the antique tractor parade (which happens at 11 am, 1 and 3 pm on both days). If tractor parades don’t strike your fancy, don’t worry there is much else to do at the farm. During the festival you can walk through acres and acres of already picked pumpkins, gourds and squashes (and you can get a wagon or a wheel barrel to cart your selections), ride on kiddie rides, get your face painted, listen to live music, eat fabulous food (don’t miss the mini donuts—freshly fried!), and take a tractor-guided tour of the farm. If you’re more industrious, you can also pick your own produce. In October there are many crops to gather including the obvious pumpkins, squash and gourds, plus beefsteak tomatoes, Valencia oranges, green beans and salad greens. Most items that you pick are priced per pound. Oh, I almost forgot! This year they’ve added pig races and barnyard stories… Come on! That’s reason enough to check it out (I for one have never seen a pig race…and that’s something I’ve got to remedy…never seeing a pig race, is like leading an unexamined life!).

Hope to see you there! Sooweee!!!

Miracles of miracles! An amusing shop for children, where the high-quality merchandise is artfully arranged (but still inviting…it’s okay, go on, pick it up!), and the staff are attentive and knowledgeable. (Voted Best Children’s Furniture Store in 2006 by LA Parent Magazine.) Once a tiny alcove of a store, Wonderland a Child’s Place took over the space next door and carries a wide variety of inventory, including toys, clothes, books, gear and furniture. It’s a great place for outfitting your entire nursery or just picking up a simple gift. 

Brands include:  Baby Luxe, Bugaboo, Graco, Manhattan Toy, Mustela, Medela, Britax, Maclaren, Fleurville, Peg Perego and many others. In addition to the goods, Wonderland provides many services including gift selection, wrapping, car seat installation, and CPR classes (contact the store for more information).

If you live in the neighborhood, drop by the shop for story time every Wednesday at 3:30. And if you’re not local, don’t worry, you can still partake in the miracles, Wonderland’s website is quite robust…you can purchase to your heart’s content. Now that’s my kind of fairytale!

Despite all of the negative real estate press and the recent mortgage market upheaval, the West Side of Los Angeles is still hot. Due to tight inventory, the most desirable properties (homes that are priced well, turnkey, or have potential for upside) are even more competitive! Imperfect or over-priced properties, however, remain on the market until they are reduced. Multiples on the "good" properties are still the norm. Both of my recent sales were multiple situations. Case in point: my listing on Cresta Drive in Beverlywood sold in 5 days; but from day one I was fighting off the offers (as my clients were out of town).  

In this market, it is crucial to be able to act quickly, and have a good agent who can help you bid strategically in order to succeed in a multiple bid situation.

Happy house hunting!

MY RECENT SALES:

9017 Cresta Drive (3 Bedroom Single Family Home in Beverlywood)  - $1,259,000; Represented both buyer and seller; multiple offers.

151 Tigertail (Estate in Brentwood) - $3,600,000; Represented buyer; multiple offers.

My daughter is a shoe fiend. She's on track to beat me in terms of sheer numbers. On last count she had 40+ pairs of shoes, and she's only 4 (almost 5). Who buys all these shoes for her??? Okay, perhaps I'm guilty. I love shoes too!!! And I only have one daughter, and she'll only have sweet-sized feet for so long. (My mother-in-law is a little guilty too. But we love her for it!) In my opinion, Europe has the best shoes for children. But it's often difficult to find European brands in LA. Never fear daughter of mine, for I've recently discovered Ruby Slippers in the Brentwood Village. The selection is not huge, but they have some lovely styles, and the folks who work there are SO helpful. Also, kids love going there because there's a playhouse, and cheerful Wizard of Oz decorations scattered about. Ruby Slippers happens to be part of the Brooks Shoes for Kids chain, but it doesn't feel like a wheel in a cog. And more importantly my daughter will be outfitted now that we've found it!

Ruby Slippers

171 S. Barrington Pl.

Los Angeles, CA 90049

310.476.0699

I wanted to share some good news: I sold a gorgeous house in Brentwood.

Because they were willing to do a bit of work, my clients got an exceptional deal. The house had a lot of deferred maintenance, and needed some updating. The "lower" price keeps their property taxes down, and after updating they will have the exact finishes that they want. (Not to mention they will substantially increase the value of their home.)

Representing these buyers was a terrific experience—I love real estate, finding deals, and imagining the end result: a home with character and style for my happy clients. If you have a moment and are curious: check out the website for the house:

http://www.108southwoodburndr.com/

One of my friends, interior designer Molly Luetkemeyer, recently e-mailed me some of her favorite shops in Los Angeles. Though I must admit I have not yet been to any of her suggestions, I completely trust Molly -- she is extraordinarily talented and has exceptional taste. I just scheduled a day of shopping and plan on visiting all of her recommendations. I sense a follow-up post will be coming soon...

Direct quotes from Molly:

Ige - 7382 beverly blvd.  Gorgeous, well curated things.  Lots of unique pieces designed by the shop owner, Helene.  Don’t miss the kick ass silk-screened pillows and tee shirts...

Zelen – 8055

beverly