On May 28th the Huntington Art Gallery will re-open after a $20 million renovation. Enjoy the Art Gallery along with the Huntington Library and Botanic Garden…a real Los Angeles treasure To receive more information about events in Los Angeles, click here to subscribe http://losangelesrealestatetalk.com/whats-rss/   To read the original article, click here:  A $20 Million Renovation! 06/04/2008

Jacarada is everywhere in City of Pasadena. Driving down streets of Pasadena, like Del Mar Blvd., and navigating through the residential neighborhood, you cannot take your eyes off the beautiful Jacaranda. I want to share the great photgraphs of this tree with beautiful blue/purple flowers; a sub-tropical tree native to South America. 05/30/2008

I am seeing several homes under/at $350,000 in Pasadena and Altadena. Pasadena - There are 11 condo/townhomes Lowest price - $225,000  736 N. Garfield #104 (2bd, 2ba) Highest price - $349,000  592 N. Mar Vista #2  (2bd, 2ba) Pasadena - There are 27 single family homes Lowest price - $275,000  168 Grandview St.  (2bd, 2ba) Highest price - $350,000  329 Stanton Ave.   (3bd, 1ba) Altadena - There are 2 condo/townhomes $ 284,900  2104 Raymond #10 (2bd, 2ba) $295,000   840 E. Mendocino #A6   (2bd,2ba) Altadena - There are 11 single family homes Lowest price - $284,900  617 Devirian Place  (2bd, 1ba) *worth checking out, large lot Highest price - $349,900 2350 Olive Ave.  (3bd, 2ba) Banked owned or short sales are some of the lower priced homes coming up in the market. *information provided f... 05/30/2008

National housing is down 14% . . . how does Pasadena fare? Here's the data for zip code 91107: Wow! There were 63% fewer closed real estate transactions in March of 2008, than March of 2007! Holy cow! That's quite a lot, isn't it? But the interesting thing to note is that prices were UP, not DOWN!!! Average home sales were up 9%, and the median home price was up 5%. OK, so you had to wait a little longer (63 average DOM), but prices are still going UP instead of DOWN. Just fewer people are risking it, I guess. Priced well, homes are getting multiple offers and selling within a couple of months. Not bad. The government is currently offering some great incentives, so if you're thinking of buying, don't wait! 05/29/2008

I hope you all had a nice holiday weekend . . . how national home prices fared we won’t know for a bit, but we did get some numbers for March. Prices have fallen over 14% from last year, reports the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index“ There are very few silver linings that one can see in the data,” says David Blitzer, chairman of S&P’s index committee. “Most of the nation appears to remain on a downward path.” In the index’s 10 major metropolitan areas, prices fell 2.4% from February to March and 15% year over year. As per usual, Las Vegas was the ugly duckling - prices down 26% in the last year. Additionally, new home sales plunged 42% in April, year over year, but were actually up 3% from March: the first new home sales up-tick in six months. So what happened over the same time period ... 05/27/2008

To continue with my series of FHA posts, today, we're going to look at advantages and disadvantages of getting an FHA loan.     ADVANTAGES:    LOW CASH OUTLAY - Pasadena buyers can get an FHA loan for as much as 97% of Pasadena home purchase price.  Only 3% down, not a bad deal. FHA LOANS ARE FULLY ASSUMABLE.  Yes, you read it correctly.  These loans are assumable as long as the new buyer qualifies and is not an investor. FHA LOANS DO NOT HAVE A PREPAYMENT PENALTY.  FHA loans do not have penalties for paying off all or part of the loan before the scheduled term. This feature also gives the FHA buyer the opportunity to refinance the loan to lower interest rates if rates decline (with some additional costs involved in refinancing). DISADVANTAGES:  READ HERE 05/24/2008

Yesterday, I outlined FHA NON Allowable expenses for a seller to be aware of when considering an offer from a buyer using FHA financing. READ MORE:  What Pasadena Sellers need to know about FHA Loans - Part I Today, I wanted to provide both the Pasadena sellers and Pasadena buyers with a list of items that FHA ALLOWS buyers to pay for.  So, with no further ado, here it is: BASE Escrow Fees Title Insurance ALTA FHA Appraisal Compliance Inspection Fee 1% loan Origination Fee FHA MIP premium READ MORE HERE 05/23/2008

FHA loans have been in the news recently due to the increase in the FHA mortgage limits, up to $729,750 for single family homes and the fact that buyers can get an FHA loan with a much smaller down payment - as low as 3% down. READ MORE:  Distressed markets and FNMA announcement       If you are a Pasadena home seller, it is critical to be aware of the following:       Pasadena home buyer with less than 20% down in almost all instances will need PMI insurance (Property Mortgage Insurance.)  PMI rates are going up quickly and making it more expensive for home buyers which in turn makes the home that they want to purchase NOT affordable.  Most home buyers are not aware of these changes in the lending/mortgage industry until they are already in escrow.  FHA Buyer will have to get MIP (Mor... 05/22/2008

Or, are you just listening to the white noise? As I was getting ready to go to work this morning, I overheard a news report that my husband was watching about the real estate market.  What struck me as odd was not that it was yet another "chicken little" report about the downfall of the Los Angeles real estate values.  Let's face it, there's nothing like fear to get viewership. No... what struck me as odd was that immediately after that dreaded real estate "for sale" sign, there was an image of a No Vacancy sign and a discussion about the difficulty renters are having finding good housing at a reasonable price. So let's see... the prices are going down and the rents are going up, does anyone see an opportunity here?  Savvy investors do. It's common sense, isn't it?  There's an opportuni... 05/20/2008

There are several events that take place in Pasadena, the Rose City, throughout the year.  Following are events worth checking out to learn about preserving our city's history and architecture. May 18, 2008 "Preservation Month - Pasadena Japonisme" A docent guided tour to discover influence of Japanese architecture and design on homes. The tour will  visit the oldest true Meiji garden in California, the Storrier Stearns Garden, and Tadashi Shoji Residence. July 19, 2008 "Celebration of the Colorado Bridge" Join to celebrate the preservation of the famous bridge.  There will be music, dancing, children's activities, food and drinks on the bridge. October 17-19, 2008 "17th Annual Craftsman Weekend" This is an opportunity to learn about the Craftsman-era homes, exhibits by antique dealers,... 05/17/2008

FNMA announced today that it's raising its Loan to Value (LTV) limits.  This means that home buyers can put a lot less money down to buy their dream home.  It all sounds great, right?  Fabulous news! NOT Really! Well it's not as it seems just like all the other announcements that have been made recently.  FNMA is trying hard, but we need to look at other factors. Yes... FNMA will allow you to get a loan with as little as 3% down.  Any loan amount or a combination of loans, if you're fortunate to find a bank that will offer a 2nd trust deed at this time, over 80% will require Property Mortgage Insurance (PMI). Word in the banking industry is that there are announcements from PMI companies indicating significant mortgage insurance retractions that impacted a host of programs - meaning tha... 05/16/2008

    What role does your credit score play in purchasing a home? Do you know what your Debt Ratio is? How much house can you afford? How can people with bad credit buy homes Join us on May 17th to learn the steps you can take to purchase a home. Order your credit scores and have unlimited access to a professional team, including an experienced financial advisor, real estate consultants, and a lender for FREE individual consultations to enable you to plan your first home purchase. Space is limited so register today! For more info, contact: Teri Barton 626.695.9179    *Call for our FREE Recorded message 626.204.3365 SEMINAR INFO:    Date: May 17, 2008                                              Time: 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.                     Location:       553 S. Marengo Avenue, Pasadena, C... 05/16/2008

Pasadena home values seem to be holding up better than my vegas home value. Anyone wanna buy a "Las Vegas Home with Pool in Great Neighborhood" ?. This is my first blog post. I'll try to write something more meaningful next time. 05/09/2008

Why a website about Pasadena real estate? Because I love what I do - helping buyers and sellers achieve their real estate goals!  Real estate has always been a vehicle for building wealth.  There is a lot of fear involved in buying or selling a home, condo or income property.  A fear of the unknown.  A fear of being represented by an unqualified or uneducated agent. My goal is to provide a website with on-line tools and information which will give power to the consumers in Pasadena and surrounding areas.  Knowledge is Power! My promise to my readers is to provide you with:    ~~~  A FREE Multiple Listing Search for Pasadena and the surrounding cities.  This tool will allow you to create personalized home searches and/or track the real estate market at your own pace.  You can create your... 05/08/2008

                                           April              vs            YTD# Units Sold84243Dollar Value$58,061,141 $183,351,741 Average List Price$725,432 $783,820 Average Sold Price$691,204 $754,534 Average Days On Market8480Average Square Feet16261685Average Price/Sq. Ft.$425 $448 % of List Price95.28%96.26%This information is provided to all of the Keller Williams Realtors in our Pasadena Office. I thought I'd share this with all Realtors across the United States so you'll know what the housing market is like - out West! 05/05/2008

The Pasadena Police Department will conduct a DUI Enforcement Check Point tonight between 7 p.m. to 3 a.m., said a spokesperson in a news statement. Of course, the location is under wraps...as it should be.Clearly, the Pasadena Police Department's goal is to remove impaired drivers from our streets and this program has shown to be a proven and effective tool. What I don't understand is that funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  Shouldn't this just be part of their regular schedule for holiday or special event celebrations?  Maybe the cities just don't have enough people (or money) to man these checkpoints. ???? It just kind of surprised me that the city had to get a gran... 05/05/2008

Now's your chance to meet our local Firefighters. On Saturday, May 10th from 10am to 4pm you can visit any one of the following fire stations that will be open to the public:Fire Station #32, 2424 E. Villa St. Fire Station #34, 1138 E. Del Mar Blvd. Fire Station #36, 1140 N. Fair Oaks Ave. Fire Station #37, 3430 E. Foothill Blvd. Fire Station #38, 1150 E. Linda Vista Ave. Fire Station #39, 50 Avenue 64Fire Stateion #31, 135 S. Fair Oaks Ave.At Fire Station #33 at 515 N Lake Avenue, some of the Pasadena firefighters will demonstrate life saving techniques that include extinguishments, rescuing someone from a vehicle and aerial ladder operations. Fire engines and other equipment will be on display and there will be hot dogs and other refreshments as well as entertainment.For more informat... 05/03/2008

Broker's Open House/Caravan - May 1, 2008I saw number of homes today and here is a great English Cottage I like to introduce.A Charming English located on 2064 Queensberry Road, Pasadena.  Home is price at $689,000. 2 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms. 2 car garage. It has a white picket fence and a walkway with vibrant colored flowers.  The property is built in 1934.  Highlights commented by the listing agent are:  wood beamed ceilings, beautiful picture window, period wall scones, fireplace, formal dining room, gourmet kitchen, farmhouse sink, custom glass cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, cute breakfast room and more.  A picture perfect home in NE Pasadena, CA. 05/02/2008

When it comes to buying real estate, Pasadena, CA. has become a really popular location in the last few years.  Why is that?  First, Pasadena is situated perfectly surrounded by main cities like, Glendale, La Canada, Arcadia, San Marino, Eagle Rock.  It takes roughly 15-20 minutes to go to Downtown Los Angeles.  The Metro Rail makes it very convenient for those who wish to take the public transportation.   For those who love to shop, there is the South Lake Shopping, The Paseo Colorado, Old Town Pasadena, Hasting Ranch Shopping area. Plus Arcadia Mall has added many more restaurants and shops.  Nearby South Pasadena on Mission St. has and unique boutiques.  There is a Farmer's Market in South Pasadena and Pasadena.If you enjoy the city life, there are number of new constructions going o... 05/01/2008

Earlier today, I had an appointment with a home seller in Pasadena.  He had his home listed on the market and in the period of two months had only a few showings.  His listing expired and he is now in the process of interviewing to find a Pasadena real estate agent that he can trust to handle the sale and marketing of his home.  A very smart move on his part given the diversity of experience in the Pasadena real estate market place. His previous real estate agent entered his home in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).  Thats great, right?  NO¦  The problem is that his real estate agent added his listing in the wrong MLS.   The Multiple Listing Service that provided listings of home in Los Angeles NOT Pasadena. Pasadena Home Seller Tip: When interviewing your Pasadena real estate agents ... 04/28/2008