The 2011 Festival of Books had a Legendary Chef: Thomas Keller at the Cooking Stage! Thomas Keller is not only a Chef's Chef, he is someone who deserves awe and he is very inspirational. I went to see him because he created "The French Laundry" ( http://www.thefrenchlaundry.com ), Bouchon" (www.bouchonbistro.com)  and "Per Se"(www.perseny.com) He is a perfectionist and he is a motivator, but mostly he is role model to look up to. He is a multiple James Beard award winning Chef. He is the only American Chef ever awarded the coveted Michelin three star rating simultaneously for two restaurants Per Se and The French Laundry. He gave me such inspiration and motivation by listening to him that I would have paid to hear him had I known what I was going to receive. The good news it was free. I... 05/13/2011

Yesterday, was a very busy day.  We left home at 5AM for an appointment at a hotel near LAX at 7AM.  After that, we had another appointment in Beverly Hills at 1:30PM.  We managed to have lunch, and had a little time to spare.  We stopped at the Nieman Marcus Store in Beverly Hills.  It is a lovely store full of buzz and innovation.  The buzz comes from the new products that they are encouraging customers to view and marvel at.  The innovation comes from their floral designers. Fresh flowers are beautifully arranged on every available spot.  We loved this vase of peonies.  Their stems are wrapped in banana leaves, and inseted in a tall glass vase. We found it an innovative way to display one of our favorite flowers.  We are taking it easy today, Happy Friday to all of you.  Cheers, Ron... 05/13/2011

I read Architectural Digest the way a sports enthusiast reads Sports Illustrated...I’m usually in a trance, affixed to the eye candy of the stunning abodes of the rich and famous.  Delish!  The majority of the homes are truly beautiful...but, there are a small handful that leave me breathless...and Jennifer Aniston’s mid century home in the Trousdales Estates section of Beverly Hills is one that I still remember.  In fact, the photo that caught my breath was the one taken standing outside the front door of the home looking inside...the entrance affords one a view that cuts through the home, past stone stacked walls and looks out towards the view from the deck at the back of the home.  Ahhh...be still my heart.  Aniston is reported to have recently bought an apartment in Manhattan, so no... 05/11/2011

Beverly Hills Condos - Market Report for April 2011: () March-February 2011 Number of Units Sold: 4 (9-6) Average Days on the Market: 56 (101-131) Median Price: $640,000 ($830,000-$717,000) Average List Price: $632,000 ($1,747,000-$810,000) Average Selling Price: $639,000 ($1,577,000-$774,000) Lowest Price Condo Sold: $530,000 ($472,000-$450,000) Highest Price Condo Sold: $746,000 ($6,600,000-$1,335,000) Total Sold in Dollars: $2,556,000 ($14,197,000-$4,644,000) Stewart Penn - Realtor for homes, condos & lofts in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Hollywood Hiils, the Sunset Strip and throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Now also selling Mid-Century Modern homes in Palm Springs. Stewart Penn - (310) 844-6515 | (310) 866-1818 Realtor | Broker  - Los Angeles Condo Specialist... 05/09/2011

Photograph taken in Los Angeles California by Robert Swetz 2011   If  “April Showers bring May Flowers” what’s going to happen to these beautiful flowers? I have been taking photographs of flowers for around 2 months now because I live in a climate where flowers come out early. Most areas across the country have flowers sprouting out, and then some areas may be a little late. So why doesn’t the saying go …   “March Showers bring April Flowers”?   Photograph taken in Los Angeles California by Robert Swetz 2011   Well how ever the saying goes all I can tell you is the Flowers are out and they are looking very Beautiful … “Have a Wonderful Weekend Everybody” from Vegas Bob in Las Vegas Nevada … ;o)   Photograph taken in Los Angeles California by Robert Swetz 2011 If April Showers bring Ma... 04/28/2011

I’m compelled to write a blog about the life of a “Renter” from my personal experience…especially after the conversations I’ve had over the past several months with homeowners that are mentally challenged about moving from homeownership to being a renter.  After reading the latest from Diana Olick, CNN Housing Reporter today I’m more convinced that now is the time to start typing! As a Real Estate Agent, my views and opinions are probably not going to go over well with all of my comrades. Things have changed for most Americans, especially those who had achieved the proverbial American Dream of Home Ownership.  Our economy is/has tanked and it’s not looking like sunny days are scheduled for years to come. It’s no secret that my husband and I lost our home to foreclosure in the early wav... 04/26/2011

Beverly Hills, Home of World-Class Shopping Visitors love Rodeo Drive & other famous shopping nearby If shopping in Beverly Hills seems a bit nostalgic...well, it should! The Beverly Hills shopping district was developed many years ago, before malls were "invented." Shopping on Main Streets throughout the country was just "what people did."   A lot of "yesterday" remains in the Beverly Hills shopping district today...which adds to the charm of the area. Do you remember what it was like before malls and superstores came along, extending shopping hours until 9 pm...or even later? Stores used to close in the late afternoon...which is still the practice in many Beverly Hills stores, which close around 5 to 7 pm.   Do you remember when saving change to feed parking meters was something that... 04/19/2011

The Importance of using a Reputable, Respected & Trusted Title & Escrow Company The Importance of using a Reputable Respected & Trusted Title & Escrow Company has become more important than ever. It made me think how critical a Trustworthy Escrow & Title Co. is in our everyday transactions. As I was reading The FBI's (Federal Bureau of Investigation's) Baltimore press- release dated April 08, 2011. I was just floored by the headline:  "Title Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud in Connection with Mortgage Scheme Involving Losses of Over $2.2 Million Was a Fugitive for Almost a Year". Wow now that is a headline which says it all.  Daniel E. Fink, Jr. age 44 operated Homemaxx Title & Escrow LLC (Homemaxx) in the Middle River and Parkville Maryland area. Fink was defrauding lenders du... 04/15/2011

Beverly Hills Condos - Market Report for March 2011: () February 2011 Number of Units Sold: 9 (6) Average Days on the Market: 131 (131) Median Price: $830,000 ($717,000) Average List Price: $1,747,000 ($810,000) Average Selling Price: $1,577,000 ($774,000) Lowest Price Condo Sold: $472,000 ($450,000) Highest Price Condo Sold: $6,600,000 ($1,335,000) Total Sold in Dollars: $14,197,000 ($4,644,000) Stewart Penn - Realtor for homes, condos & lofts in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Hollywood Hiils, the Sunset Strip and throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Now also selling Mid-Century Modern homes in Palm Springs. Stewart Penn - (310) 844-6515 | (310) 866-1818 Realtor | Broker  - Los Angeles Condo Specialist Penn Properties - "An Independent Real Estate Brokerage" Informati... 04/08/2011

I've often told friends that part of what makes me love real estate is the Los Angeles real estate market.  There's nothing else like it.  You never know what kind of house you're going to see, who's house you're going see, or what you're going to find in a house once you're there.  Just yesterday on caravan, we saw a listing in a fairly non-descript house, but the owner obviously had led sooooome kinda life, because there were framed photograph's of him with everyone who has been anyone during the past 30 years.  He and Liz Taylor, he and Al Pacino, he and Matt Damon, he and Cher, and many dozens more.  The walls were covered with them, many of them autographed to him.  I love going into homes and just being able to feel old Hollywood.  So yesterday the hot new listing on everyone's a... 03/30/2011

"Be courteous to all, but intimate with few; and let those few be well-tried before you give them your confidence." George Washington   03/28/2011

Beverly Hills Housing Market Report – February 2011 Are you thinking of buying or selling a Beverly Hills home, check out how the market is doing.  Overview of Beverly Hills single family home sales over past year to February 2011 The statistics to take note of are, in this case February 2010 vs February 2011 as these take seasonality out of the equation: February 2010 had one 18 – February 2011 had 11.  December 2010 had the highest number of sales – 30 Average days on the market of  Beverly Hills homes sold is down from 86 to 74 The median list price is up 15% from $2,995,000 to $3,450,000.  The median sold price is down 47% from $3,200,000 to $1,685,000.  This indicates that sellers’ and buyers’ expectations are way out of balance. Number of  Beverly Hills homes for sale in any give... 03/21/2011

Do you know what a QR Code is? Do you know what a QR Code is? The "QR" is an abbreviation for "Quick Response". Are you familiar with its history? The odds are that you have heard of it. If you are like me, more than likely you have seen it and did not think much of it. Well let me give you the history of it here:  1991 the Swiss Magazine Antrazit publishes an article about a new invention which will simplify putting your website onto Mobile Phones. They claim this can be done in less than five minutes. It is like child's play and the best part is that it is free. They claim that the Time is ripe for the mobile Internet. 1994 a two -dimensional bar code is created by a Japanese corporation (Denso Wave) for the logistical purpose of marking and tracking various building parts such as aut... 03/19/2011

Aw Snap!  Just when there was so much good info coming from Obama.  So Cal is getting slapped with the harsh reality that home buyer consumers are educating themselves to the fact that with increased inventory…more choices…the next in line is banks lowering their price expectations for their grossly obese number of homes in their inventory. So what? We’re located in LA and we saw the drop in interest…our listings were sitting with little to no activity from December to Early March. Activity has picked up since the harsh  ”rainy season” ( LOL) has subsided…Mid March…we’re dropping prices of our inventory every 3 to 5 days to spur interest… *****This is the secret in todays market…Sellers…your home must be the lowest priced home on the market (Look a Likes, sold comparisons) to get the a... 03/18/2011

Christina Aguilera Puts Beverly Hills Home on Market for $13.5 Million Source: IMDb More Photos   Christina Aguilera has been a trending name for headlines in the first few months of 2011, but not for the Grammy-winning voice that made her a star. A lyrical twist of the national anthem at the Super Bowl, tumble at the Grammys, highly publicized divorce, and a public intoxication arrestis the unfortunate string of events Aguilera has encountered, all of which have gone anything but unnoticed by tabloids. Her real estate portfolio hasn’t been a source of good luck either. Aguilera’s Hollywood Hills home is still on the market, taking two price cuts since it was originally listed at $7,995,000 in April 2008. It was re-listed in January 2010 and currently holds an asking price of $5,995,00... 03/18/2011

Mid-Century Home with Pool in Trousdale Estates 470 Castle Place, Beverly Hills 90210 $3,125,000 I love Trousdale Estates.  It's an under appreciated part of Beverly Hills, I think.  There are many Mid-Century Homes in the area, and most have really great views.  This home is on over half an acre and has 3 bedrooms and 3.5 baths in 3158 square feet of living space.  It was originally built by Walter Lantz, who created the cartoon character Woody Woodpecker. Not many homes come up for sale in this tony neighborhood, and it's rare to find one that has not been altered significantly.  The owners of this home had it for many years and it's remained unchanged and retains its original character.  If you're looking for a home to restore or remodel in a gentle way, this place is ideal. The 1962... 03/13/2011

Thanks to Kerrie and ActiveRain for inspiring me to do this.  Jane Peters, from Los Angeles, CA is a dear friend and has managed to capture international attention through her ActiveRain blog.  You just never know who's reading your blogs! Jane Peters, Los Angeles REALTOR® appears on local NBC affiliate news.     Jane Peters is a Los Angeles real estate agent who specializes in helping absentee owners, out-of-town buyers, and those needing extra assistance with their most personal of transactions. Beginning her real estate career with Keller Williams, Jane is now, and has been for the past 3 years, an independent agent, providing her own brand of service to her clients.  This brand is to treat her clients as she would like to be treated and to make sure that all of their needs are cover... 03/13/2011

Beverly Hills - Market Report - February 2011: Number of Units Sold: 6 Average Days on the Market: 131 Median Price: $717,000 Average List Price: $810,000 Average Selling Price: $774,000 Lowest Price Condo Sold: $450,000 Highest Price Condo Sold: $1,335,000 Total Sold in Dollars: $4,644,000 Stewart Penn - Realtor for homes, condos & lofts in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Hollywood Hiils, the Sunset Strip and throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Now also selling Mid-Century Modern homes in Palm Springs. Stewart Penn - (310) 844-6515 | (310) 866-1818 Realtor | Broker  - Los Angeles Condo Specialist Penn Properties - "An Independent Real Estate Brokerage" Information obtained from The MLS is deemed accurate but not guaranteed. Figures rounded for ease of comparison. 03/12/2011

You want to buy a home in Beverly Hills but you don't want to spend millions of dollars. Unfortunately you will not be buying a single family home in Beverly Hills under $1 million. You can, however, find 40 condo units available right now for under $1 million. Prices for these Beverly Hills condos range from $319,000 for a 1 bed, 1 bath, 606 sq. ft. unit to $985,000 for a 2 bed, 2.5 bath, 1,767 sq. ft. unit. Search condos for sale in Beverly Hills under $1 million Now, if you can stretch your budget to $1.5 million, you will find 5 Beverly Hills single family homes for sale. These range from a 2 bed, 1 bath, 1,157 sq. ft. house for $1.195 million to a 3 bed, 2 bath, 2,326 sq. ft. house for $1.449 million. Search single family homes for sale in Beverly Hills under $1.5 million Are you ... 03/06/2011

    So you need a quiet serene place to escape to from everyday life, why not spend the day at the Virginia Robinson Gardens in Beverly Hills, California! The Virginia Robinson Gardens is the first luxury estate that was built in Beverly Hills in 1911. The Virginia Robinson Gardens was owned by the retail giants of the Robinsons Department Stores, Virginia and Harry Robinson. This exquisite place is a wonderful historic estate as well as a jewel that lets the tourist step back into time and witness the birthplace of Beverly Hills, California. Tours are available for this magnificent national historic place of serenity, peace and history! For more information regarding the Virginia Robinson Gardens please visit the link below: http://www.robinsongardens.org/ What a fantastic place to in... 02/25/2011