San Fernando Valley Real Estate

1021 N. Lima in Burbank - talk about multiples!

2012-05-22T16:02:00.000-07:00

This is 1021 N. Lima, Burbank 91505. It just went on the market a few days ago and it is the perfect "granny" house. By that I mean that it is original but spiffed up -- no bumped out kitchen, no weird additions, no redone floors (orange pile carpet in this one) but still in basic excellent shape. It's a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, about 1100 square feet, with a grassy back yard. It is being sold by a family trust for $429,900.

I am not the listing agent, but clients of mine made an offer on it. So did 14 other groups. 15 offers! Yes, buyers are back out in full force thanks to low interest rates. Alas, my clients did not get this. I am told it went out over $450k.

FHA may loosen condo restrictions -- this is huge

2012-05-20T11:56:00.000-07:00

Check out this article from Sunday's L.A. Times. FHA restrictions on condos may soon be reduced. This should help buyers who have limited funds available for downpayments but still would like to buy a condo. It should also help to limit short sales and foreclosures on many condos as it will expose those units to a broader group of buyers.

2410 Chandler in Burbank is open on Sunday, May 20!

2012-05-18T12:51:00.001-07:00

The 2 bed, 2 bath cottage by the Chandler bike path is open on Sunday from 2 to 5. (A video of the bike path is below.) In addition to me, Steve will be there with his semi-famous open house playlist. The home is an adorable 1407 square feet, with a gorgeous green yard but no garage. The house has been painted and spiffed up, and all appliances stay. If you need liquid refreshment after visiting the open house, Tony's Darts Away, featuring all-California craft beers, is just a few short blocks away.

3 closings this week and how they went

2012-05-09T16:48:00.000-07:00

The first property that closed this week was 1585 Knollwood Terrace in Pasadena (pictured above). It had been listed at $1,049,000 and closed for $1,010,000 -- all cash (what recession?). I loved this house and absolutely love the Linda Vista neighborhood that it's in -- old growth trees, nice architecture, open spaces, etc. The house originally went into escrow right after being listed, but those buyers backed out -- it felt too remote to them. The new buyer had seen it the first week it was listed and made the offer about a month ago. Cash? Sure!!! Everything went well, although Pasadena requires a pain-in-the-ass city inspection and the interior chimney was shot. [An aside about chimneys: they are more trouble -- and way more expensive -- than they're worth for the 10 fires per year that we all build in them.]

The next house is 2112 Hilton in Burbank and I represented the buyers here. The house is a "baby" Ben-Mar and closed at $549,000. It was a flip, and the buyers had an FHA loan. That means that the appraiser, in addition to the property inspector, goes over the property with a fine-tooth comb. This house turned out to look good, but to have several structural issues, including asbestos, that the seller needed to correct before the loan funded. It turned out to be a tooth-pull, but my clients were patient and the listing agent was a trooper. The house backs up to a hill and has about a bajillion fruit trees. This is great for Mr. Buyer as he studies horticulture. Thanks to stalwart Dana Dukelow, our lender on this, for getting this done.

The final closing was at 10417 Chandler in North Hollywood/Toluca Woods. You can spit to Burbank from this house. It's a 2+1 that sold for $376k to my buyers and yes, it is that cute. Everything when fine except the lender and the listing agent had several fights (I am always so glad when it's not me doing the fighting). And, at the last minute, Mr. Buyer was called out of town on business. Anybody who has purchased a home knows that the loan documents are voluminous and it's always good to be present with the lender or escrow officer so you know what you're signing. But to make the closing deadline -- this was part of a three-property-chain deal -- all the documents had to be overnighted to Georgia and a notary had to be found there. Mr. Buyer was a real trooper about this as was Mrs. Buyer.

The other great thing about these closings? I loved working with all three client sets. Yes, that's unusual and yes, I'm really lucky, although I'm also really exhausted.

Video of Burbank bike path and 2410 Chandler

2012-05-03T12:09:00.000-07:00

Have you wondered, "What is this Burbank bike path that I keep hearing about?" Wonder no more; this video will show you and will also show you the exterior of 2410 Chandler. The bike path used to be the railroad tracks. I think this is an excellent example of adaptive reuse and city planning.

Who is Dorothy Townsend and what does she have to do with real estate?

2012-04-30T09:14:00.001-07:00

Dorothy Townsend, an L.A. Times journalist from 1954 to 1986, was the first female staff writer to cover local news in a city room long populated only by men. Soon after demanding that the city editor assign her to cover the 1965 Watts riots, Dorothy and her all-male team won a Pulitzer Prize for reporting on the story. She continued to cover tough news assignments and many women journalists who came after Dorothy saw her as a pioneer. She recently passed away at 88.

Now, the Sherman Oaks home that Ms. Townsend shared with her husband, Richard Vanderveld, has been listed by me for sale by the couple’s trust. The address is 4167 Weslin, SO 91423. This classic traditional Sherman Oaks south-of-boulevard home needs some fixing and updating, but the stunning location, gorgeous landscaping and architectural details make it a wonderful, welcoming place to live. And two bedrooms plus den, 2 baths and full 1+1 guest house make this home a terrific value. Other features include generously-sized kitchen, two fireplaces, living room with stepped ceiling and view; dressing area in master, formal dining room, formal entry, covered deck with view, expansive lot with pool, terrace and covered patio plus a view of the surrounding hillsides. Guest house (permits unknown) has kitchenette, separate bedroom and ¾ bath plus separate entrance. Garage has 3 parking spaces. Listed for $640,000; sold “as is.” Specs: 1719 sf main house, 10831 sf lot, built in 1939. MLS #12-597141.

For more info, please contact me or see additional pictures on my website at www.judygraff.com.

(The market is back) and so are multiple offers

2012-04-27T17:21:00.003-07:00

...says the Wall Street Journal here.

The real estate market is back

2012-04-25T09:57:00.000-07:00

According to today's L.A. Times, the real estate market is back. Click here to read the front page story. How is this different from other reports that the market is on an upswing? This actually quotes housing economist Christopher Thornburg, who has been one of the gloomiest forecasters, saying that things are looking up. Corollary prediction: by the end of today, you'll be sick of hearing about how the market is back.

Teacher of the Year: Rebecca Mieliwocki from Burbank

2012-04-24T13:09:00.001-07:00

Check this UPI story -- Obama's teacher of the year is our very own Rebecca Mieliwocki from Luther Middle School. I keep telling you folks that the schools in Burbank are great...

New listing: 2+2 across from Burbank bike path

2012-04-23T14:42:00.001-07:00

This is 2410 Chandler, Burbank, and I just listed this for $395,000. Yes, you read that right. It has 2 beds, 2 baths, 1407 square feet on a 2780 square foot lot (yes, you read that right too) a big kitchen, grassy front yard, new paint, 2 fireplaces, new carpet, and lots of fix-ups. It has been exquisitely staged by Color Me Sold and is right across from the Chandler bike path. All appliances stay, along with the patio furniture. The floor plan is "flexible" -- either of the bedrooms could be home office space or a studio. The upstairs space opens on to the roof which could be turned into a fabulous deck. It's really close to everything, too, including Tony's Darts Away, (I guess you know where my priorities are), Handymart, etc., etc. It doesn't have a garage, though, which may make it ineligible for certain kinds of financing, such as FHA. It will be open Thursday night from 4:30 to 7:00 and Sunday from 2:00 to 5:00.

Palm Springs in Burbank

2012-04-20T20:16:00.003-07:00

Hot enough for ya? Cool off at this gorgeous post and beam at 3031 N. Lamer in Burbank. Designed by Boyd Georgi, AIA, it features 3 beds, 3 baths, 2127 square feet, an expansive view, and a rehab that preserves the original, indoor/outdoor midcentury design. Yes, it's just like all those Palm Springs getaway houses. And it's exceedingly rare in its hillside, custom-home neighborhood (which features outstanding schools, by the way). Why drive 150 miles through the desert to Palm Springs when you can get all that here? And be only 15 minutes from Dodger Stadium? And have the same gorgeous pool and party house?

Home prices going up?

2012-04-20T20:07:00.000-07:00

LATimes posted an article about rising home prices today. Click here for the link. Of course, the increases are miniscule and concentrated in the north of California. But still... Prediction: we are going to see more headlines like this, at least through the rest of the quarter. Inventory is short and a lot of buyers want to take advantage of the still-low interest rates.

Marilyn Monruff-ruff-ruff

2012-04-19T10:26:00.001-07:00

Update: Panda's short sale offer was accepted today! At least by the title holder. Stay tuned; BofA (our favorite bank) has the loans and we'll see how long it takes them to approve this.
This is my client, Panda, sitting on her butler's lap. I call her Marilyn Monruff-ruff-ruff because she is so beautiful. Panda has just made a great offer on a short sale -- cross your fingers that she gets it!

How did yesterday's Burbank open house go?

2012-04-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I held a very well-attended open house at 3031 N. Lamer in Burbank. This is not the first open house -- that occurred during a rain storm and attendance was, understandably, pretty poor. But yesterday's festivities drew about 106 people. Although that's not a record for me, it's quite a nice turnout. Here's how it broke down.

Of the 106, about 35 were kids. Of the remaining folks, there were many who just don't "get" midcentury modern homes (this one is a show piece). Then, there were the "museum goers" -- people who LOVE midcentury architecture and were coming to see the design, but weren't buyers. And people coming to check out the view (pictured above). (Observation: men and kids love the airport view; women don't.) And, of course, there were open house guests who just followed the signs because they were in the neighborhood but had little else to do.

However, there were a few groups there that were home buyers AND were interested in this particular house. Will we get another offer this week? Stay tuned.

In keeping with the Titanic meme, here's a mailing piece of mine from when the movie was out

2012-04-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

Nobody got it then, either. By the way, I look exactly the same as I did then.

West Hollywood condos -- what I saw

2012-04-12T15:53:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to view several West Hollywood condos for a client over the weekend. All of the units were under $350,000 (yes!), had an HOA fee of under $500, and had just one bedroom. All were in high-rise buildings.

You expect me to bash, right? No! All of the units were lovely and clean, although small by current standards (700 to 800 square feet). All of the buildings were stunningly well-kept up (as the former president of an HOA, this is not as easy as you'd think) and the common entries were as clean as operating rooms. The pools were sparkling, the patio furniture new, the plants were groomed and green...

Here's what you don't get, however. Most units were too small for a washer/dryer, although all of the buildings had common laundry rooms. Oh, and you can't have any friends visit you, ever, unless they walk to your house, bike to you (dangerous) or parachute in, because parking is so extremely limited everywhere in West Hollywood. I did manage to turn my car off close to my destination four times, which I understand is some kind of record. But still, if you can manage to get around, there's no better area for cool restaurants and other destinations.

Los Angeles, Easter Sunday, -- what I saw

2012-04-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to be several places in L.A. this past Sunday and only a few of them were real estate-related. However, all of the places made me realize why I love Los Angeles.

First, there was Lake Hollywood and the Lake Hollywood Park. It was a beautiful day in a fabulous urban setting, and one of Councilman Tom LaBonge's staffers (Silvan?) was handing out Griffith Park hiking maps. LH park is an off-leash dog park and several animals were enjoying the warm weather with their human companions.

Later, we drove through Elysian Park on our way downtown. This is the best way to get downtown, IMO, unless there's a Dodger Game. Then, traffic really chokes up. Anyway, there were thousands and thousands of people and families enjoying barbeques and picnics throughout the park. The smell of grilling meat wafted around, and in addition to people and cars, there were lots of volleyball nets, bounce huts, ice cream trucks, small soccer games... It was more crowded than I've ever seen it; the picture above is NOT a good representation.

When we arrived downtown, several streets were blocked off. Oh no! Crime scene? Terrorist activity? Laker victory? But no -- it is the annual Sikh new years' celebration parade.

Not to gush, but where else can you go to find this kind of weather, scenery and culture?

Realtors: real or fake?

2012-04-10T17:14:00.000-07:00

I have not sent out any neighborhood flyers for my listing at 3031 N. Lamer in Burbank, nor have I gone door to door in the neighborhood to promote it. (I'm using electronic marketing, obviously.) Imagine my surprise when a neighbor told me that "the listing agents" had knocked on the door recently and asked to come in. The neighbors say this couple was very professional, but insisted on looking at the entry to the house, the flooring, etc. for "comparison." They even had a flyer. No, the neighbors didn't keep the flyer.

I don't know anything about this and don't know who this could possibly have been, and I'm suspicious. Sure, some Realtors go door-to-door, but you'd think I'd know about it if they were advertising my listing. Were the couple really Realtors, or were they using that excuse to gain admittance for nefarious purposes? Yes, I called the Burbank PD watch commander. Keep your doors locked during the day, folks.

New CA real estate disclosure: Marijuana

2012-04-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

The California Statewide home buyers and sellers advisory is a required disclosure document on all residential real estate transactions. It now contains a disclosure about Marijuana (it also contains another disclosure stating that you might be hit by a stray golfball. Connection?). Where else but in CA, I ask you? It discloses, among other things, that the Feds don't view pot as legal, and it might cause mold or moisture problems if you cultivate it. Gosh, that's important to know when you buy or sell a house. It also discloses that brokers have no expertise in this area, so please don't ask me anything about this.

Residents of Burbank's Rancho neighborhood

2012-04-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, your horse can graze in your front yard in Burbank's Rancho neighborhood. The horse's name is Lightning, the dog is Tuzi.

Great article on ranch home design genius Cliff May

2012-04-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

Today's L.A. Times has a great article about ranch home design giant Cliff May. Title should link; if not, click here. Among other elements, May and his contemporaries popularized our indoor-outdoor home design. If you'd like to see a home that represents this kind of style, please visit me today, April 1, from 2 to 5 pm, at my open house at 1585 Knollwood Terrace in Pasadena.

Beer, potatoes and chocolate -- even dearer to our hearts than real estate.

2012-03-31T11:10:00.000-07:00

It can’t be all sell-sell-sell, we have to stop for food and drink sometime, right? So this is a recap of our recent trip to Golden Road Pub and Brewery. The restaurant and brewery are in three old warehouses painted yellow, red and blue off San Fernando Blvd., in a unique location next to the train tracks on industrial land. It’s right about where L.A. meets Glendale, close to the 134 and 5 fwys. Talk about creative repurposing! Golden Road is brought to you by the same visionary people who brought you both Tony’s Darts Away in Burbank and Mohawk Bend in Echo Park. Thanks, guys.

The pub has an all-around great space. There’s an outdoor patio (dogs welcome) on an old loading dock, and a huge open-space interior with high ceilings, long wooden tables, a welcoming atmosphere and a Munich beer garden feel (there's a sarcastic Hitler joke in here someplace but I can't find it). The night we went, it was populated with after-work-ers, families including kids, late middle aged folks (that would be us) and hipsters. How’s the beer? Great. First, there are many different kinds to choose from and some of them are brewed right there, of course. The bartenders are extremely knowledgeable and only too happy to give you samples. Lots of samples. I was a little buzzed before I even decided on one. It’s cheap, too – prices range from $4 to about $9 per glass.

The food was good, impressive and unpretentious, too. Just like at Tony’s and Mohawk, the menu has both vegan and non-vegan selections with lots of sandwiches and side dishes. My 2nd favorite item: fingerling potato salad. Absolute favorite: freshly made chocolate truffles – 4 plus candied walnuts for $5. O yes, trust me on this: chocolate absolutely DOES go with beer. All in all, it’s a great addition to our area’s growing list of fun bars and restaurants.

Fifteen minutes from Dodger Stadium. Walking distance from the Rose Bowl. And open this Sunday.

2012-03-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

Just in time for baseball season’s opening day, 1585 Knollwood Terrace in the Linda Vista area of Pasadena will be open for prospective buyers this Sunday, April 1, from 2 to 5. This gorgeous 4+3 with pool features a view and a secluded location that’s just minutes from all that the L.A. area has to offer. Check it out on line by Googling 1585 Knollwood Terrace or visit my website at JudyGraff.com for more pictures.

Open Sunday: turnkey home in a private Linda Vista location

2012-03-28T17:52:00.000-07:00

Ever wanted to live in a verdant setting but not be too far from civilization? 1585 Knollwood Terrace in Pasadena will fit the bill. This 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath beauty is in a hillside cul-de-sac with open space right behind it and features a pool, a view, big kitchen, 2 fireplaces, gorgeous hardwood floors, big French doors -- and it's 10 minutes from downtown Pasadena. You can walk to the Rose Bowl or Art Center. So close and yet so far...and nobody but the local wildlife will know that you're home. The property is listed for $1,049,000 and I'll be holding it open on Sunday from 2 to 5. Famous dj Steve will be there spinning his tunes, too. If this sounds like your next home, come enjoy the beautiful spring day and the view this weekend.

Because we just can't get enough of this Mad Men stuff...

2012-03-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

Our friends at Curbed LA have just published a guide to Mad Men filming locations in Los Angeles. Title should link; if not, click here. No, 3031 N. Lamer is not on the list.