Beverly Hills, CA Real Estate News

By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
'The Outsider' by Frederick Forsyth a book reviewThis book is a fast read, provided you are not busy with Real Estate or other business. Sadly, it took me a longtime to read it, because of lack of time and too much drama. Frederick Forsyth is such a great author. I am sure you must have either read some of his books or seen the movies that were done based on his novels. Well let me give a refresher, just in case you can not think of one: The Day of the Jackal, The Devil’s Alternative, The Odessa File, The Fist of God, he has written about 15 or more books, each one is a page turner.So, when this book came out I had to get my hand on it. This is his autobiography, it was so interesting he just casually glances over his life small chapters and easy read and he connects the dots as to the ...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
I just got home from our Berkshire Hathaway Beverly Hills Holiday Party, another year and another raving success.  It is always great to get together with coworker who are gracious and nice. Our office has such a great chemistry which I have not seen anywhere else. Our Manager, the Berkshire Hathaway preferred  Escrow Officer,  our local Regional Attorney and the rest of the gang.It was fun as we talked about life, war stories about clients...the good, the bad and the ugly...we managed to agree that for every one bad client there are at the minimum three or four good ones...Honest I did not drink too much wine, but I saw Santa Clause walking his dog. OK if you do not believe me please see for yourself~~~~~~ The Beverly Hills Pet friendly Realtor Endre Barath, Jr. saw Santa with his dog!...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
The Real Estate Office of the Future is here in Beverly Hills, CA. read all about it….I was meeting clients today in our Berkshire Hathaway Beverly Hills Office. As most of you know, I seldom go into the office, since most of my business is transacted over the Internet and over the Phone. Now keep in mind, my clients flew into town from Australia. Of course, I suggested to meet them at their Hotel for their convenience. It was clear to me that they wanted to see, what our office looked like.As most of you know, we just recently moved to our new location, so I felt confident, they would be comfortable with the location as well as the look. Our office is of course a state of the art modern, open, hip, cool and trendy Real Estate Office of the future. The lights automatically dim when it i...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends, clients and anyone who has meet me over the years. I hope you had a wonderful day with friends and family.I am so grateful to have gotten to know many of you over the years and most of all I am so appreciative to all who have touched my life. Those who are gone, I wish I could thank you in person one more time. Clearly, I do not get enough opportunity to personally say “Thank You from the bottom of my heart” even though every day I am thankful to you.So, with that said, to all my internet friends close and far away, I would like to express my deepest appreciation and thanks for the trust and confidence in me.One of my favorite Roman Orators of over two thousand years ago, whom you might have me head quoting over the years has been Marcus Tullius Cic...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
There are so many people and things for me to be grateful for just by living in Los Angeles. I am so thrilled, that I have been a Realtor for over 20 plus years in the greater Los Angeles Real Estate Market. This is such a unique place, where you can run into Billionaires, Millionaires and actors and actresses who are famous and others who are infamous. The question is will you recognize them?Over the years, I had the opportunity to rent to celebrities, homes when they were making movies. Then I had the opportunity to sell some of them homes and in turn had the opportunity to sell some of their homes.Real Estate in the greater Los Angeles is unlike any other part of the country. Just think about it, you are holding an Open House and Cher pops in with her daughter (18+ years ago) but I s...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
Thankfulness is not just a state of mind it is reality: I am so thankful for having such an awesome company supporting me and watching out for my back.As most of you know it has been well over five years that I made the leap of faith and left a big box name brand Brokerage. Why did I leave? Well the list is long, and the post is short. Primarily the company was too ‘Corporate’ for me, decisions took many levels and a long time. In other words there were so many layers, such as local manager, regional manager, regional vice president, regional senior vice president and the list goes on and on to get anything approved… you get the idea.To add insult to injury all the corporate mucky mucks cared about was how the bottom line would be best serve them to get a pay raise of a promotion for th...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
Thank you to the original founders of Active Rain, I miss you guys and thank you for teaching me how to get the word out!Well it is hard to believe that, today is the fourth day of the Active Rain Gratitude Challenge and I am still in it. Work, life and relationships have not stopped me from completing another one of these posts. Today as the time chimes a little past 11:00 pm on the West Coast, I thought I would share how grateful I am for the friends, relationships and clients I have gained over the years, all thanks to Active Rain.  Most of all I would like to thank the Founders of Active Rain, where ever you might be now!Some of my virtual friends became real life friends. Not wanting to miss any of them, I will not name them, they know who they are. Many of them I have had lunch, d...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
Thanksgiving is right around the corner: time to reflect and be grateful for what we have....I have always been very appreciative and grateful for all life bought my way.  I have had the opportunity to attend the best schools. I also had the opportunity to travel the world, when I was an Officer in the US Army and the list goes on and on.Too often I heard people complaining and I would scratch my head and mumble to myself… what a waste of energy, they should see the good things that they have. But I am digressing…Twenty plus years ago, Diane had the opportunity to relocate and take an “Office Manager Position” for the law firm she worked for. The only catch was, it was not in Boston, MA rather it was in Los Angeles, California.I was just settling in and starting to become established in...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
Legacy of Spies, by John Le Carre’ : a book review by Endre Barath, Jr.  As a Beverly Hills Realtor, there are times I need a distraction from the everyday activities or should I say the twists and turns of real estate negotiations. I find that a book especially a Spy Book provides me with this distraction. Lucky for me ‘Legacy of Spies’ by John Le Carre’ just came out.Just to give a background, I have discovered John Le Carre’ when I was still a youngster, having left Communist Hungary and living in Austria during the middle of the Cold War. The book and subsequently the movie by the same name “The Spy Who Came in From the Cold” starring Richard Burton, made me a fan for life. Interestingly this was Le Carre’s second book. As the years flew by, his writing improved and I enjoyed his ch...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
Are you a János Háry Realtor in real life or just on the internet?You must be thinking what on earth is Endre Barath, a Beverly Hills Realtor talking about with a headline like that? Please bear with me as I give you a little Hungarian folklore and music history.There exists a folklore about a Hungarian peasant, who became a soldier and after he left the service, ended up as not your atypical veteran. He would sit, day in and day out in a tavern and tell tall stories about his own heroic exploits. Ultimately this folklore was made into an Opera, by the world renown Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodály.So, you might still be wondering, Endre what on earth does this imaginary character and Opera have anything to do with real estate? Specifically, what does it have to do with Realtors in Los A...
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By Inna Ivchenko, Realtor® • GRI • HAFA • PSC Calabasas CA
(Barcode Properties)
  If you want to find a  witch' lair during Halloween,  visit Beverly Hills. Just a few blocks North from Rodeo Drive sits the Spadena House, so-called Witch House. You'll love it! Thorns, spiderwebs, crows, warning signs, whimsical pointy roof, moat-like pond, intentionally aged unique design make the house look quite dirrerent amongst the fancy million dollar Beverly Hills mentions. Enjoy picking through the fance... just do not pic the berries!They say that the owner, Michael J. Libow, actually lives in the house. Check him talking about the house and some historical and post-renovations pictures:  If you are in the Beverly Hills area, especially during Halloween, do not forget to stop by:) 💡If you are thinking of selling a home in Beverly Hills or Los Angeles area, your timing could...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
If you are considering selling Vacant Land be sure to call Endre Barath and you will be glad you did....Vacant Land Marketing & Selling is a bit more challenging than, selling a Condominium or a Home. I know since I have been selling vacant land in the greater Los Angeles area for over 20+ years.Depending on the terrain most of the time, I will use the expertise of a professional Drone photographer. Based on the price and size of the land, I will even utilize the services of a professional voice over person to get the desired message out to potential buyers.Let’s be clear, most buyers in Beverly Hills and vicinity do not want to buy or lease Mountaineering Equipment to visualize what the views would be from the vacant land’s location. Hence the Drone Videos are the best alternative to v...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
Why are prices so incredibly high in Beverly Hills and in the greater Los Angeles area? This post was inspired by my latest Beverly Hills, CA Real Estate Market Report which generated a great deal of private emails as well as questions from all over the globe.This question is asked from me, not only by potential buyers and renters, but by the agents who try to refer me relocation clients from around the country: Why are the lease prices and the home prices so incredibly high in Beverly Hills as well as in the greater Los Angeles area? I could write volumes about this subject, so with that said let me address it relatively succinctly.The primary reason is very simple, there are way too many people from all over the Globe who want to live in our temperate climate. This high demand in turn...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
The Beverly Hills Luxury Real Estate Market Report is published…There are very few Real Estate Markets like the Beverly Hills one anywhere else. Every time I write a Market Trends Report, I feel obligated to repeat myself for those who see it for the first time. In good conscience, you cannot combine it into simply one market report.I break the report out into four different Median Price Points to be able to give a more realistic Real Estate Market Report for Beverly Hills, CA. for everyone to see and understand.So, with that said let’s look at the four Market Segments:Median Price    Living Sq Ft      Lot Size        # of Bedrooms  #of Bathrooms  and  Days on Market (DOM) $2,750,000.00     2,960        .25 acres or less           3                               3                       ...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
Pricing advice to Property Sellers in the Beverly Hills, CA 90210 and vicinity.... To most sellers and agents one of the challenging aspects they face and must come to terms with in the Real Estate process is the correct pricing of their home or their investment properties. This fact is underscored by many pricing discussions on the various social media platforms. I decided to participate in a Challenge on Active Rain to help demystify and explain how to correctly price  vacant land in Beverly Hills and vicinity.  The lack of understanding of how to price a property by sellers as well as agent often makes me wonder. (Now that is clearly food for another post).First and foremost, price is secondary, I love to compete against agents who focus mostly on Price. If that is all they bring to ...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
Value Proposition of a Beverly Hills Vacant Land Specialist: Endre Barath, Jr. RealtorWhat makes me unique in the greater Los Angeles area is, that I am one of the few Full Service Vacant Land Specialists from Malibu to Mount Washington areas. There are only a handful of land listing agents in my market place, who specialize in this niche market.Considering the fact, that there are over 15,000 real estate practitioners in the greater Los Angeles area, you might wonder why there are only a handful of Realtors who take on this specialty. The answer is easy, first it is very hard to sell vacant land and then to boot, over the past twenty years it has become even harder to sell land, all thanks to Hillside Restrictions as well as neighborhood activists.Unlike, selling Condominiums in Los An...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
Habits: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly...In fairness to disclosure, one of my favorite Spaghetti Western movies is “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly”. So, with that said I am providing a link to the sounds track portion of the theme song…. The Good, The Bad & The Ugly  (2.42 min) when the movie came out I was too young to see this movie, because  it was rated 16 years or older.  I told my parents to go and ever since that time, my mother had a quiet love/ infatuation with Clint Eastwood.When I saw the Active Rain Challenge of our friend Debbie Reynolds    I knew I had to participate just based on the Title, the friendship just the sealed the deal.The Good Habits:Since it is time for true confessions, let me share with you, that I am a creature of habit and not a big fan of change. I basical...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
Market Observations by Endre Barath a Beverly Hills RealtorAs we head into Labor Day weekend, I had a little time to reflect.As most of you who are regular readers of my posts know, that I seldom write Market Observations. Primarily, I do not want to influence the Real Estate Market one way or another in the greater Los Angeles area. I prefer to let the market fall where it does and buyers and sellers can act accordingly. Now with that said, I do give my observations in private, in order that my buyers and sellers can have a competitive advantage over others who are considering buying or selling their properties. This way my clients can make intelligent buying or selling decisions in the greater Los Angeles area.At times, I cannot help myself and must speak up. The media has painted suc...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
Breaking News Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices has been named by J.D.Power and Associates Highest in Customer Satisfactions!!!   Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices being named the #1 choice of repeat home sellers in the latest J.D. Power U.S. Home Buyer/Seller Satisfaction Study.This prestigious nationwide study–included more than 5,000 evaluations from 4,170 clients who bought and/or sold a home between March 2016 and April 2017–determined that:“Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices ranks highest and performs particularly well in the agent/salesperson, marketing and closing process factors.”The graph below shows how we placed among our competition. “…You deserve major congratulations for helping Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices attain this level of confidence among clients. It shows me once again...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
This post was inspired by my Active Rain friend   Jim Cheney  he asked us to write about the human side of us. In other words, not the standard “Beverly Hills Realtor Top Producer Persona” that everyone is exposed to, just to use as an example. I had to think hard, since those of you who have been following my blogs over the years knows the human side of me already: The Pet Friendly, book loving reader/collector, Gourmet Food & Wine connoisseur and cook Endre Barath.So, what could I share, that might not have been shared before? Well as I kept procrastinating about the human side of me, many things happened, the hard part was to decide which one to write about.Diane and I support numerous Animal Rescue Organization financially and she also Volunteers not just helping the animals, but pa...
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