REW Blogs : Real Estate Webmasters Blogging Platform

Calculating the cost of commuting when purchasing a home

bnicolas — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 12:09:57 -0800

How many people truly do an accurate calculation on the costs involved in commuting to work? Unfortunately most don't. Commuting costs are real and they should be taken into consideration when evaluating the plusses and minuses of buying property in different cities.

Just like when you buy a condo you can't forget the HOA, when you buy a home somewhere with a lengthy commute to and from work (or to your kids school) those costs need to be evaluated. Buying a home is something you do to improve your quality of life. If you end up having to spend 2 hour a day driving are you really improving your quality of life?

For the Holidays: Low Interest Energy Loans for Los Angeles Property Owners from Energy Upgrade CA

bnicolas — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 19:26:13 -0800

Hello Los Angeles Home Owners!!

December 2012 is a great time to make simple home energy efficiency improvements and reap the many benefits that come along with upgrading. To help you, Energy Upgrade California in LA County's Energy Loans program is offering its 2% Financing through December. You are encouraged to take advantage of the extremely low interest rate currently offered and apply by the December 31, 2012 application deadline.

Read the 2% Financing closeout rules

To assist you now and in the future, Energy Upgrade's Energy Loans program has new, lower interest rates and payback periods, in addition to an increased maximum loan amount (up from $30,000 to $50,000).

The Re-birth of Downtown Los Angeles Real Estate

bnicolas — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 10:33:57 -0800

Owners of Downtown Los Angeles property have an amazing menu of cultural and recreation to choose from, all within walking distance from their homes. These include events at venues such as Staples Center, The Disney Concert Hall, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Mexican cultural row, Plaza Olvera, numerous art galleries and much more. Beginning in the 1990s, developers began seeing the potential of the area. They converted historic office space into thousands of housing units. There are now more than 40,000 people living in downtown Los Angeles property. As a result, new amenities continue to appear, including a Ralphs supermarket, exercise studios, dog walking services and more. More and more restaurants are also opening. Some of these are chains such as Mortons The Steakhouse but others are ones that reflect Southern California palates such as like Roys Hawaiian Fusion. Theres also old standbys like small, century-old Fugestsu-do, specializing in mochi, a Japanese rice-based snack on Historic First Street. While the Los Angeles Unified School Districts area schools are not top performers, its new Central Los Angeles High School #9 is being compared to New York City performing arts high schools. The high school building is as architecturally interesting as its neighbor, the Disney Concert Hall.

Rundown on City of Los Angeles Real Estate and Homes for Sale in Los Angeles CA

bnicolas — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 10:23:06 -0800

Los Angeles real estate offers the opportunity to live in a temperate climate near major employers and a great variety of recreation to pursue. Los Angeles homes benefit from the citys draw as the nations entertainment capital and its role as a leader in international trade, business and education. When Angelenos arent working, they have so many activities they can pursue, whether its ocean activities, mountain adventures or sightseeing with the tourists at area amusements including Universal Studios and the Santa Monica Pier. Los Angeles, located 135 miles north of Mexico and 430 miles south of San Francisco, is the second largest metropolitan area in the United States after New York City, with 12.9 million people. Each of its neighborhoods has a distinct character. Areas such as Chinatown, Thai town and Little Armenia demonstrate the regions

Great News for agents that are members of PWR in Los Angeles and Orange Counties

bnicolas — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:21:44 -0800

I was just on the phone with tech support for SoCal MLS and they said that their is a new & improved version of Tempo that is already being tested. It is scheduled to release prior to the end of 2011. I think Tempo is more than 10 years old, pretty old for a web-based application with so much data and so many users. Finally, no more pop-up windows...

Homes for sale in Historic South Los Angeles Neighborhoods

bnicolas — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 11:23:55 -0800

South Los Angeles property listings offer affordable options to home buyers who seek residences near downtown Los Angeles. The region is predominantly African-American in many areas, as it has been for years. In fact, Leimert Park has been likened to “the black Greenwich Village,” by filmmaker John Singleton. South Los Angeles property refers to the part of Los Angeles that lies south of the Santa Monica Freeway, east of La Brea Avenue and north of the Century Freeway (105). Some incorporated cities outside of L.A. city limits lying east of Alameda Street are sometimes considered part of South Los Angeles because of their urban qualities. South Los Angeles real estate lies in neighborhoods including West Adams, Jefferson Park, Leimert Park, Crenshaw, Hyde Park, Baldwin Hills and Watts. Many owners of South Los Angeles homes take advantage of their proximity to Exposition Park, which includes the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the California Science Center, a rose garden, a California African-American Museum, and a farmers market.

Belmont Shore CA Real Estate: Upscale Long Beach Waterfront Properties for Sale

bnicolas — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:27:33 -0800

Belmont Shore property owners often wonder whats the point of going on vacation. They enjoy the beach and a lively shopping district on Second Street all year long. The businesses on this street organize numerous events throughout the year including a Christmas parade, stroll-and-savor evenings and trick-or-treating at shops on Halloween. Belmont Shore is located at the southeastern corner of Long Beach, just two miles from the Orange County border. Its flanked by the Pacific Ocean to the South, Bayshore Avenue to the east, Livingston Drive on the west and Broadway on the north. Belmont Shore Real Estate is lined with beaches that allow for wind surfing, kayaking, and swimming. The Belmont Pier attracts fishermen from around the city. The community hosts a municipal olympic pool used for regional aquatics competitions. Shopping includes chain retailers including the Gap, Banana Republic and Body Shop, as well as locally-owned stores that sell unique items. Restaurants include Bonos, owned by Chastity Bono, the daughter of singers Sonny and Cher. Belmont Shore real estate listings include a variety of properties. Many of them are white with red, Spanish-tile roofs and all are walking distance to the beach.

Beautiful Bellflower CA Real Estate Overview

bnicolas — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:41:49 -0800

Just 15 miles south of Los Angeles, the city of Bellflower offers prospective home buyers the possibility of home ownership at a low price. Bellflower, with a population of 73,000, is bordered by Downey on the north and northwest, Norwalk and Cerritos on the east, Lakewood on the south, Long Beach on the southwest, and Paramount on the west. The city offers numerous outlets for recreational activity including tennis and dance lessons. A paintball park in the city is one of the top facilities in Southern California. The private park also offers rock climbing, a skateboarding facility. The city is often considered part of the culturally diverse A-B-C region, formed by Bellflower and neighboring Artesia and Cerritos. The citys 77,000 residents are 42 percent Latino, 46 percent white. Bellflower property is served by the Bellflower Unified School District. Many of its schools have scored well on the Academic Performance Index

Looking for proximity and value? Properties in Inglewood CA suburb of Los Angeles offer both

bnicolas — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 17:46:06 -0800

Inglewood homes are conveniently located near Los Angeles International Airport and the Los Angeles Harbor, and comprise a culturally diverse city that attracts big businesses. Inglewood, with more than 100,000 residents, is located between the Harbor Freeway (110), Glen Anderson Freeway (105), the Santa Monica Freeway (10) and the San Diego Freeway (405). Lennox and Hawthorne border the city to the south, Ladera Heights lies to the north while Huntington Park and South Gate lie to the east The Hollywood Park Racetrack features concerts on its North Park lawn while its Great Western Forum also hosts concerts by major bands. These attractions make Inglewood home listings attractive to buyers. Known as the City of Champions for three high school natives who won Olympic medals in the 1920s, Inglewood grew from an agricultural community in the early 1900s to an urban center. Its population is nearly half African-American and half Latino.

Overview of Hawthorne CA, Home of the Beach Boys

bnicolas — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 11:07:45 -0800

Hawthornes proximity to downtown Los Angeles and Los Angeles International Airport, coupled with its modest average home prices, make it a great place to look for a bargain on your next real estate purchase. Hawthorne is just five miles from the airport and nine miles from downtown Los Angeles. Hawthorne homes average in the low $200,000s to mid to high $300,000s. The combination of factors is astounding for homebuyers who want to reduce commute times and find prices considerably lower than surrounding areas. The city has some large retailers for shopping while it runs numerous park facilities offering a wide range of programs. A city swim team practices year round. The senior center offers educational programming for older residents. A camping facility in the Angeles National Forest of the San Bernardino Mountains in Wrightwood is available for residents to rent year round. City schools are offered by six school districts giving parents a wide selection of schools and teaching styles to chose from.