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Showing posts from June, 2009

Bulletproof Vest Not Included

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Address: 1780 W 25th St., 90810 Asking Price: $339,000 Year Built: 1977 Size: 7 beds, 3 baths, 2,224 sq. ft. $/Sq. Ft.: $152 Purchase price: $315,000 Purchase date: 4/2009 MLS#: R903780 On Redfin: 16 days Down Payment: $68,000 Monthly Payment: $2,000 Income Requirement: $97,000 Description: Nice Home in Nice Long Beach Area This Home Features 7 bedrooms , 3 bath ,2 car garage. Perfect for Large family At this price it willnot Last In high school, the Carl's Jr. in the Rossmoor Center was the hangout spot. We would hang out after school, take advantage of the free refills, and talk about the trials and tribulations of our teen years. Anyhow, there was a guy who worked there named Robert. He was mentally disabled but the management was really generous and gave him a job. His disability was such that he was limited to what duties he could perform but the one thing he ACED was delivering food and collecting those little A-frames with the order numbers on them (the kids with classic car

The Grenade on Granada

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Address: 341 Granada, 90814 Asking Price: $699,000 Year Built: 1923 Size: 3 bed, 3 bath, 1,650 sq. ft. $/Sq. Ft.: $424 Purchase Price: $415,000 Purchase Date: 4/2002 MLS #: P692837 On Redfin : 4 days Down Payment: $140,000 Monthly Payment: $4,000 Income Requirement: $200,000 Description: A Long Beach Landmark! This stunning Collision design home features 3 levels of living space with spectacular Lagoon views from almost every window. 1st level features a large kitchen, laundry room, formal dining room, large bedroom and a 3/4 bathroom. 2 nd level features large open living room area with tons of windows and light, optional 3rd bedroom and a bath. 3rd level features a huge master suite retreat with vaulted beamed ceilings, a balcony deck, large bathroom, and tons of light. The outside has been recently repainted to show the true uniqueness of this amazing home. The entire home features tons of natural light, wonderful open spaces, front courtyard area, and a 2-car garage. Weird. I was

New Terminology

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I'm in West Palm Beach currently, and last night I struck up a conversation with the bartender at the resort. It turns out she, until recently, was a used home salespers--ERRR, real estate agent . Apparently the resort (currently at only 50% capacity) is trying to sell some of the units as condos, starting from $900,000 and going all the way up to $3,000,000 for the four-bedroom ocean-view units. To no surprise, in this economic environment they haven't exactly been selling like hotcakes (Florida is arguably in worse shape than California, real estate wise). BUT, the bartender used a realtorese term I have never heard before when trying to justify egregious prices for unfinished condos sporting concrete floors and exposed drywall tape: "Decorator-Ready." LOL!

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

Every week when I sit down to write this update I spend a few minutes getting the absolute latest information from the MLS. It usually takes about 20 minutes, then I'm off and writing. Today, between finding properties that had just come on that were right for my clients and some intermittent e-mailing, it's been over an hour. Good news I think! There are currently 137 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service. Six are new this week. Three of them are re-lists - outskirts, lake rights and village - with new looks and/or new prices. There's also a gorgeous waterfront for 1.5M, a sweet village home with a rare under $275,000 price tag, and a country listing under $400,000. Is it allowed for me to say these prices seem reasonable? Three homes were marked contingent this week - a multi-family, a single family and a waterfront. We seem to be covering all the bases. We now have 38 closed homes so far this year. That compares with 19 last yea

The Benefits of Bottom Buying

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Address: 1334 E 1st St #1, 90802 Asking Price: $349,000 Year Built: 1955 Size: 2 bed, 2 bath, 1,030 sq. ft. $/Sq. Ft.: $339 HOA: $226 Purchase Price: $70,000 Purchase Date: 5/1996 MLS#: P691855 On Redfin: 5 days Down Payment: $70,000 Monthly Payment: $2,100 Income Requirement: $100,000 Description: Absolutely stunning Alamitos Beach home located just 1 block from the sand!This incredibly remodeled home offers a gorgeous new kitchen w/ granite counter tops,stainless gas appliances,new dark wood cabinetry w/custom pulls,recessed lighting,new tiled kitchen floors and more!The rest of the home offers impeccable upgrades that include remodeled bathrooms with granite counter top and custom bowl sink,crown molding,recessed lighting,designer paint,newer carpet,wood floors in the dining rooom,dual paned vinyl windows,tiled bathroom floors, all of which are immaculately maintained!This corner unit has walls of windows and only 1 common wall with oversized bedrooms and a nice sized living room to

The Problem with Peak Purchases

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Address: 353 N Colorado Pl #205, 90814 Asking Price: $345,000 Year Built: 1976 Size: 2 beds, 2 baths, 892 sq. ft. $/Sq. Ft.: $387 Purchase price: $350,000 Purchase date: 5/2007 MLS#: S578872 On Redfin: 1 day Down Payment: $69,000 Monthly Payment: $2,000 Income Requirement: $100,000 Description: Beautiful atrium setting in small, quite, secure, end of cul-de-sac complex. 1 car private garage, blocks to beach. New harwood floors;almost new appliances, great shape. Walking distance to stores, shops, restaurants. Shows well. Cool ocean breezes; pet friendly building. YOUR CLIENTS WILL LOVE THIS ONE IN A GREAT AREA (EQUITY SELLER)...3% COMMISSION. "harwood"? Let's start with the sales history: Jun 20, 2009 - Listed $345,000 May 30, 2007 - Sold $350,000 Mar 24, 2007 - Listed Jan 12, 2007 - Sold $416,839 Aug 05, 2006 - Listed Aug 06, 1998 - Sold $87,000 After living in this apartment for eight years (pretty much to the day), the 1998 buyer put it on the market. He only paid $87,

"Up"

Saturday, after three days of rain, we went to the movies. "Up" was playing in 3-D at Shoppingtown Mall on the east side, so we had dinner at El Canelo - I wish they hadn't left Grant Ave.! - and then window-shopped for shoes for me for the wedding. "Up" was amazing. It wasn't just a 3-D movie but a grand story that happened to be in 3-D. I thought it would have something to do with the play we had seen at Syracuse Stage this spring, about a man who tied balloons to his lounge chair and flew up into the clouds. Same title - vastly different story, much, much better. I am still under its spell. But I won't ruin it by telling the story - just urge you to go see it. One part that made me spin was the "passage of time" segment. You know - like when the candle burns down and indicating several minutes or hours have passed. In this case it was a mailbox. I remembered other mailboxes. I have a good friend from high school who painted his box a

For the Love of Money

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For a small piece of paper it carries a lot of weight, Oh, that mean, mean, mean, mean, mean green. Almighty Dollar! Talkin' bout, talkin' bout - cash! I know that money is the root of all evil, Do funny things to some people. Give me a nickel, brother can you spare a dime? Money can drive some people out of their minds. For the love of money. No good, no good, no good. For the love of money. Don't sell ya soul for the money - no, no. -The O'Jays, For the Love of Money Address: 5216 E. Vista, 90803 Asking Price: $729,000 Year Built: 1941 Size: 3 beds, 1 baths, 1,243 sq. ft. $/Sq. Ft.: $586 Purchase price: $225,000 Purchase date: 10/1993 MLS#: P684522 On Redfin: 62 days Down Payment: $146,000 Monthly Payment: $4,200 Income Requirement: $208,000 Description: This 3 bedroom 1 bath fixer property is in heart of Belmont Park. Walking distance to many restaurants, shops, just minutes from the beach and the marina. Hardwood floors throughout, 1/2 block to Lowell Elementary LOL

The Patron Saint of Greed

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Address: 312 Saint Joseph, 90803 Asking Price: $649,000 Year Built: 1923/2003 Size: 2 beds, 2 baths, 1,000 sq. ft. $/Sq. Ft.: $649 Purchase price: $355,000 Purchase date: 2/2002 MLS #: P682877 On Redfin : 72 days Down Payment: $130,000 Monthly Payment: $3,600 Income Requirement: $185,000 Description: All new construction completed in 2003, this beautiful Spanish 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom home has beautiful cherry hardwood floors throughout, new vented gas fireplace, and romantic back yard. Dual function dual-pane Marvin windows. All new bathrooms, custom tile/glass block shower and deep jetted tub. Skylight over tub operates by remote. Ceiling fans in all rooms and solar tubes in living room and kitchen. Customized kitchen cabinets and pull out shelves with Silestone counter tops. Antique stained glass in kitchen. All new kitchen appliances including dual fuel stove, refrigerator, trash compactor, and Franke stainless sink and Moen faucet. Private rear decks off kitchen and master bedro

Back From Kentucky

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Regular(ish) updates will resume soon, but in the meantime I want you to see what you can get for under $350,000 in Lexington, KY : And in Long Beach, CA ?

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

Good news, bad news, sad news - it's all out there. I went in to this blog update without anything in mind as far as further exploration, but I ran across a small fact that will turn itself into an editorial before I'm done. But first the facts! There are currently 136 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service. Three of them are new this week. I had a chance to see one on brokers' open - upper $500,000s in the town on a gorgeous lot. Pat made her chocolate covered strawberries and they draw me to her homes every time! There's also a lovely, lovely "new" - think 2006 - waterfront on the market for well over one million dollars. The third listing is actually a re-list of a very wonderful home built and remodeled for someone who likes views and contemporary architecture. There were no homes marked contingent this week, but hold on, they're coming! Two homes closed. One was originally priced in the mid $200,000s and slowly

A Face Only a Flipper Could Love

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Address: 5571 E Vernon, 90815 Asking Price: $670,000 Year Built: 1952 Size: 7 beds, 5 baths, 3,675 sq. ft. $/Sq. Ft.: $182 Purchase price: $155,500 Purchase date: 11/2000 MLS#: S568175 On Redfin: 87 days Down Payment: $134,000 Monthly Payment: $3,900 Income Requirement: $191,000 Description: UPGRADED!! Beautiful two story house, upgrades throughout including granet, hardwood floors and covered patio. "Granet"? Oh I get it, those "UPGRADED!!" counter tops must be from France. I mean, what is this place? Ugh, this monstrosity is just about the ugliest house I have ever seen. And although some dough was clearly spent on the interior, it's still not my thing. I don't know how you guys feel about crown moulding, but I am firmly in the less-is-more category. Otherwise you start applying that crap to staircases: Next thing you know you're unwittingly applying it to mailboxes and bathtubs. The worst is when slanted roofs create awkward application and the air co

The Low Offer

For the past couple weeks I've been working with a couple to buy a home. I won't go into specifics for reasons that will become obvious later, but although we didn't get the home they wanted, the process was a pleasure all around. There are several homes on the market in the area west of Syracuse that have been available for a while. Every town has them. For whatever reason, they have not sold and have become "stale" on the market. Some started too high - "We might get lucky" or "They can always make an offer" - and then the real estate market fell apart in that price range. Others had problems in the cosmetic line, should we say. The cost of painting, updating appliances, removing that green and orange shag rug that roamed throughout the entire house, taking down the huge tree that blocked the view of the lake became overwhelming in an economy that did not guarantee jobs. The structure of the home might have prevented it's sale - in

Dawson's Crock

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Address: 531 Dawson Ave, 90814 Asking Price: $349,900 Year Built: 1923 Size: 2 beds, 1 baths, 764 sq. ft. $/Sq. ft.: $458 Purchase price: $424,658 Purchase date: 7/2008 MLS#: P686838 On Redfin: 34 days Down Payment: $119,000 Monthly Payment: $3,600 Income Requirement: $170,000 Description: What a gorgeous Craftsman! This property still features the built in cabinetry in the living area! Do not miss out on this opportunity to own a piece of history at an affordable price. This property features and updated bath with tile everywhere, wood flooring, baseboarding, an updated kitchen with what appears to be granite counters, small loft area, laundry hookups and a covered rear porch can be used as a carport. Priced to sell! I don't know about owning "a piece of history," but this is definitely a piece of something ... From what I've been able to gather, the bank took back this little buddy last July and has been sitting on it ever since. I guess the lender was waiting for t

Scout's Honor!

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Address: 3618 E 7 th St., 90804 Asking Price: $595,000 Year Built: 1923 Size: 2 beds, 1 baths, 768 sq. ft. Purchase price: $155,500 Purchase date: 11/2000 MLS #: P672892 On Redfin : 139 days Down Payment: $119,000 Monthly Payment: $3,600 Income Requirement: $170,000 Description: Cute little 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom California bungalo with detached one car garage. Mixed use residential and commercial zoned, corner lot. Price per square foot: $775 Dude, by my estimation you're juuuuuuust about finished with a softball-sized crack rock if you honestly believe this house is worth 600 grand. Really? You're entitled to $404,500 in bubble profits? REALLY? Don't get out much, do you? You see, pal, while you've been stuffing your face with mini corn dogs and watching American Idol (wait, that Lambert dude is gay?! GET OUTTA TOWN!), the country you live in has been hit by the worst economic crisis since The Great Depression. No, seriously! And I'm not sure if you've loo

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

Stay tuned for a quiz - you get the guess the most expensive homes sold in the following areas: Skaneateles, Marcellus, Camillus, Elbridge and Onondaga. Think about it now, write down the numbers, and I'll reveal the answers at the end of the update. Currently there are 141 active listings of single family homes in the Skaneateles area as defined by the multiple listing service. There were seven new listings this week - 5 having waterfront somewhere within reach/access of the property. Only two were re-lists, which must mean that homes are selling rather than being re-listed. Two of the re-lists are waterfront well over one million dollars. There's a new one close to that, but not going over. Two others have lake rights and are priced under $500,000. If you hurry, a village Victorian is for sale, similar to my 11 Onondaga from last year, both in size, vintage and price. And then there's a tiny house with a smaller price in the low $100,000, a re-list with a reduc

Cracking the $100,000 Threshold

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Address: 2507 E 15th St #213 Asking Price: $99,900 Year Built: 1988 Size: 2 beds, 2 baths, 842 sq. ft. $/Sq. Ft.: $119 HOA Fee: [UPDATE FROM CARL]$442 Purchase price: $230,000 Purchase date: 12/2004 MLS#: P685972 On Redfin: 7 days Down Payment: $20,000 Monthly Payment: $1,050 Income Requirement: $28,000 Description: End unit with upgraded bathrooms and flooring. Laminate wood flooring from the entry to living room and hallway. Ceramic tile flooring in the bathrooms. Indoor laundry. Balcony with a view of Signal Hill accessing to and from both bedrooms and living room. Complex has recreation room, community spa and BBQ. New painting of exterior in progress. You have to love that cut-and-dry property description typical of short sales. Even the listing agent is rolling back his eyes and asking, "Ah, what's the point?" "Condo. Has floor and roof. Toilet and shower. Bah, fuck it." I mean, check out this tell-tale Waving the White Flag photo: "Meh, whatevs."