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Santa Monica, CA Real Estate News

By Kim & Kristine Halverson, Sisters, Realtors
(Sotheby's & Knipe ERA)
Short Sale Question:  "If I Do A Short Sale Can I Buy Again?" Santa Monica, CA A lot of homewoners are concerend that if they do a short sale they can never buy again.  It's a valid question since most homeowners are not making their mortgage payments when doing a short sale.  They wonder if the banks will ever lend to them again.  The answer is, "Yes!" you can buy again.  Let me share with your our experience and what our clients are doing after the short sale.  We started doing short sales in late 2007.  At that time homeowner's would have to wait 6 months before buying again.  Kind of odd, right?  Only 6 months.  We had clients that would do a short sale, and live with family for a few months while looking for another home.  However, now the wait period is 22-24 months before a bank ...
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By Kim & Kristine Halverson, Sisters, Realtors
(Sotheby's & Knipe ERA)
Is Silicon Beach Real Estate Flourishing? According to Ron McElroy, Silicon Beach is exploding with activity from tech companies old and new. But that is in terms of companies.  In terms of real estate, yes commercial space is in demand. Residential homes, condos, and rentals are in demand to house the people and talent fueling Silicon Beach companies. With low interest rates, and prime location the demand for real estate was high on the Westside even before Silicon Beach became to be. In order to ride this wave, Silicon Beach real estate is serving up...get clear on what your budget is and talk to your local Realtors Kim & Kristine 310-737-8173   Check out this article from SoCalTech.com, Ron has a great perspective Why Silicon Beach Is Flourishing from Ron McElroy   Silicon Beach, as ...
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By Kim & Kristine Halverson, Sisters, Realtors
(Sotheby's & Knipe ERA)
SOLD, Over List Price! West of Lincoln, Wilshire-Montana, Santa Monica Virtual Tour Urban Beach Condo in Santa Monica Sold Over List Price Overview Maps Photos Market Stats $599,000 Condominium Main Features 2 Bedrooms1 Bathroom Location 1041 2nd St#4Santa Monica, CA 90403USA To get updates on open home dates and other property events, please click the "Like" button below: Kim & Kristine Halverson Prudential(310) 430-3948info@kimandkristine.comhttp://www.KimAndKristine.com   Listed by: Kim Halverson, Prudential CA Realty Our recent listings Playa Vista CondoThis Condo Checks All The Boxes! Subscribe to our listing feed Nearby properties for sale
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
Enterprise FISH Co in Santa Monica & Santa Barbara, CA If you are looking for a casual and fantastic Seafood  Restaurant, the answer is clear to me” Enterprise FISH Co” in Santa Monica, CA. They have been around since 1979 and are still busy as ever. They also have a nice Wine Selection by the Glass as well. The Restaurant has an East Coast Feel to it, since there is a long bar, where you can actually eat not just drink.  Diane & I have often visited this casual Dining Establishment! The food is very well prepared and the serving portions are more than enough. Once you leave you will not feel that you did not eat enough. The portions are very generous! The other day, we stopped in for a late lunch after we saw our Accountant. (As you know it is getting close to Tax Time) and I had a Cup...
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By Melinda (Mel) Peterson, The Savvy Broker - ABR, CRS
(Grants Pass, OR)
The Comeback Kid.  Yesterday was the 28th Annual Los Angeles Marathon.  The 26-mile course stretched from Dodger Stadium through the streets of Los Angeles to the finish line on Ocean Blvd in Santa Monica, CA.  Upwards of twenty-six (26K) thousand runners competed in the days event.  My son-in-law, Alex Suarez, was one of them. Alex trained for several months before the event so he could be in the best possible physical shape to run along side the other marathoners.  This kid guy is a stud muffin!  After battling cancer a few years ago, getting the Swine Flu last year, and having been recently diagnosed with epilepsy... Alex is definitely The Comeback Kid!   What a glorious day it was... with his own private cheering section lining the streets of LA with homemade posters, Alex finished ...
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By Endre Barath, Jr., Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002
(Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties)
Santa Monica Airport Art Walk: more than 60 local artists & performers The Seventh Annual Santa Monica Airport Art Walk was held from noon to 5pm. This was a Free event to all those who came. Not only was entrance free, even the parking was at no cost. This was created to showcase the local artist and allowed the public to visit the Studios where they actually create the artwork. Diane wanted to go, needless to say it was an easy arm-twisting for her to get me going, and having had a Grandfather and Mother who used to paint therefore I am partial to looking at other artists’ creations. The Museum of Flying was also open, featuring the historical exhibits as well as Docents explaining the art of flying in the Flight Simulators and actual Cockpit of one of the Fed/Ex planes.( see one of m...
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By Kim & Kristine Halverson, Sisters, Realtors
(Sotheby's & Knipe ERA)
  The L.A. Marathon will take place on Sunday, March 17th, starting from Dodger Stadium in the morning, going through Downtown L.A., & west through Hollywood & Beverly Hills to Santa Monica. While eastern areas should be clear by 1pm, streets along the route from West Hollywood to Santa Monica may still be closed. Mainly the Northern part of Santa Monica to Ocean Ave.  See Course Closures to the right, for each city affected Street by Street. Click below for a more detailed map of street and freeway closures with times.http://www.lamarathon.com/community/street-closures/
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By Kim & Kristine Halverson, Sisters, Realtors
(Sotheby's & Knipe ERA)
Spring Home Selling Season is Here (Almost) The Spring home selling season in Santa Monica is almost here. With a shortage of inventory, motivated seller's are getting their home ready for the spring selling season. March 20th is the official first day of Spring. Here are a few tips to prepare your home for sale that will help increase curb appeal, ease buyer's minds, and help with a smooth home inspection. Trim branches so they are 10 feet away from your roof. Touch up peeling paint. Have your air conditioning unit serviced and make sure that leaves and debris are removed. Seal any leaks around doors and windows. Have all of these taken care of? Want top dollar for your home? Contact us for a complimentary consultation. We will share with you how we get our sellers top dollar for thei...
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By Kim & Kristine Halverson, Sisters, Realtors
(Sotheby's & Knipe ERA)
Where is Silicon Beach? Silicon Beach, located on the Westside of Los Angeles, started in Santa Monica, Venice Beach, heads west into Playa Vista, and then down into El Segundo. Silicon Beach is fueled by tech companies, and entrepreneurial start ups. According to Jeff Solomon of Amplify/LA, the appeal of Santa Monica and Venice Beach is the ability to walk out the door and have access to 25 different choices for food. Culver City is quickly fueling the appeal for great food choices. With the exception of Google, most tech companies do not have an all-inclusive campus. Most tech company entrepreneurs and talent want to live within 15 minutes of work. Residential communities of Silicon Beach are Santa Monica, Venice Beach, West Los Angeles, Brentwood, Marina del Rey, Mar Vista, Culver Ci...
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By Kim & Kristine Halverson, Sisters, Realtors
(Sotheby's & Knipe ERA)
I'm Doing A Short Sale, Can My Lender Take My Retirement? One of the top questions we get asked is what happens to the retirement accounts when doing a short sale? Here is the info. 401ks, 403bs and Pensions Your lender is not permitted to "raid" or liquidate employer-sponsored 401k, 403b or pension plans thanks to ERISA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. In fact, other than the IRS or former spouses, these accounts are protected from all creditors. It is never considered advisable to liquidate or borrow against your retirement savings to save your home. If you recently rolled over money from an employer-sponsored plan into an IRA, that money is protected as well. Be sure to save your account statements that show the rollover.  
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By Ralph Gorgoglione, California and Hawaii Real Estate (310) 497-9407
(Metro Life Homes)
Want to do well on ActiveRain?  Take your "shy" and throw it out the window!! I just wanted to reach out to some of our new members, and even existing members for that matter. It seems I hear this question quite often:  "How do I get ActiveRain to work for me?" My answer to that is:  You Don't. That's right. Nothing "works" for anyone in this business.  There is no magic bullet.  No magic button.  On ActiveRain, there is no "hidden secret" to success. It's just like anything else:  You have to WORK! What ActiveRain does do for you, however, is provide a platform and an opportunity like no other.  I've been on ActiveRain for about 4 years now, and I just closed my 9th deal through a referral from ActiveRain.  Click Here Why?  Quite honestly, because I've been out here blabbing and blowin...
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By Kim & Kristine Halverson, Sisters, Realtors
(Sotheby's & Knipe ERA)
When Should I Sell?  Market Info For North Of Wilshire, Santa Monica 90403 The time to sell is when the inventory is low and demand is high.  Inventory is at an all time low as indicated on the chart below for homes in Santa Monica's North of Wilshire 90403 area.  This chart reports the number of for sale properties by month from Feb. 2012- Feb. 2013.  The number of for sale properties is down -64%.  If you want to know more  buyer demand for your home.  We offer a report that is tailored to show how many buyers are looking for a home like yours.  Please contact us and we will provide the report complementary, 310-737-8173, or info@kimandkristine.com.  
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By Melinda (Mel) Peterson, The Savvy Broker - ABR, CRS
(Grants Pass, OR)
You Are My Sunshine.... Recently, while visiting LA, I had the lovely pleasure of accompanying my grand-daughter to the Santa Monica Pier Kid's Aquarium.  It's a great place for kids to explore and see marine life critters up close and personal.  Being the curious little soul that she is, my little sunshine put her fingers in the tank to touch the starfish ;-)  Magical.   The end of a gorgeous winter day in LA... just when we were both running out of steam! You Are My Sunshine - Mel Peterson
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By Kim & Kristine Halverson, Sisters, Realtors
(Sotheby's & Knipe ERA)
Is Something (Still) Wrong with Santa Monica Real Estate? Don't you just love infographics? They are visually appealing, tell a story, and strike up conversations. The one below caught my eye, and got me thinking. How does this translate to Santa Monica real estate? Across the board, it is pretty similar to what is happenning in Santa Monica real estate. The undercurrent we are experiencing here is the new and fast growing Silicon Beach community fueling buyer demand. Many renters who have been waiting for the market to decline are realizing it's time to buy before interest rates go up, and values continue to increase. Seller's who price their home aggressively, market their property well, and have the property accessible for buyers are seeing multiple offers. Many homeowners have been ...
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By Kim & Kristine Halverson, Sisters, Realtors
(Sotheby's & Knipe ERA)
What's Happening in Santa Monica, North of Wilshire? Condo sales for 90403 have come to an early start in 2013. Multiple offers are driving condo buyers crazy in the Wilshire-Montana neighborhood of Santa Monica! Overall, there were 6 single family homes that sold and 20 condominiums that sold. Last year, only 2 homes sold and 19 condos sold during the same time frame. Compared to 2012, there has been a 200% increase in single family home sales North of Wilshire! For more information about North of Wilshire and Santa Monica real estate, call Kim at 310-737-8173  Listed below are all of the condo sales for 2013 in 90403 North of Wilshire in the neighborhood of Wilshire/Montana.   Condos Sold North of Wilshire (Jan 1-Mar 4, 2013)   Address Bedrooms Bathrooms Square Feet Sale Price Days on...
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By Kim & Kristine Halverson, Sisters, Realtors
(Sotheby's & Knipe ERA)
Doggies In The Window, I mean fence.   We finished showing properties and instead of parking in our office garage.  We parked in the neighforhood.  These cute doggies greeted us as we pulled up. Their tails were wagging and they kept moving their heads around to see us.  They were so cute and playful. It just made our afternoon. Wordless Wednesday.    
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By Kim & Kristine Halverson, Sisters, Realtors
(Sotheby's & Knipe ERA)
What's Happening in Santa Monica, North of Wilshire? Home and sales for 90403 have come to an early start in 2013. Overall, there were 6 single family homes that sold and 20 condominiums that sold. Last year, only 2 homes sold and 19 condos sold during the same time frame. That is a 200% increase in single family home sales compared to last year! Listed below are all of the home sales  for 2013 in 90403 North of Wilshire neighborhoods Northeast Neighbors, and Wilshire/Montana.To discuss recent sales and how it relates to your home, please contact Kim at 310-737-8173     Homes Sold North of Wilshire (Jan 1-Mar 4, 2013)     Address Bedrooms Bathrooms Square Feet Sale Price Days on Market Lot Size 1. 856 FRANKLIN ST 5 4.50 3,991 $3,650,000 14 9,840 2. 1125 YALE ST 4 3.50 3,483 $2,300,000 8...
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By Kim & Kristine Halverson, Sisters, Realtors
(Sotheby's & Knipe ERA)
How To Enter All of You by MIKE on MAY 20, 2012 in APPLIED PHILOSOPHY There are three doors to enter all of you. Any door enters your center. Body ∞ Mind combined creates Energy. Body ∞ Mind combined is Energy. Pick one, train in it to it’s potential and it will connect you to the others. The end creates the beginning. How can that be? Because at the beginning everything is possible, and at the end everything is possible. So when you connect the beginning and the end, you connect all possibilities. It’s a false sophistication that blinds you to that truth. It’s as if sophistication is the big deal, when, in fact, it is the “aha”. It’s not the idea, it’s the experience. That’s all it is, the “aha”. Pick a door, no shortcuts to all of you, all of your potential. Any door you enter leads t...
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By Kim & Kristine Halverson, Sisters, Realtors
(Sotheby's & Knipe ERA)
Santa Monica Village, Ocean Avenue South   The Village is the first major development on Ocean Avenue in two decades, linking downtown Santa Monica and the Civic Center with affordable housing and LEED Silver Certified design. The Village offers modern amenities and breathtaking views of the world-famous SoCal coastlines just steps from the beach and within walking distance to the Promenade, Main Street and all the amenities Downtown Santa Monica has to offer. The Village will have luxury condos and affordable rental apartments paired with twenty thousand square feet of retail and restaurants all situated on three acres of beautiful walkable sustainably landscaped gardens. Steps from the beach, Ocean Avenue South is an urban mix of 318 luxury condominiums and affordable rental apartment...
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By Kim & Kristine Halverson, Sisters, Realtors
(Sotheby's & Knipe ERA)
Silicon Beach, TechJobsLA’s Spring 2013 Job Fair & Free Mobile Workshops Start:  March 9, 2013 12:00 pmEnd: March 9, 2013 4:00 pmVenue:  Cross CampusAddress:  820 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA, 90401, United StatesRSVP for the Tech Job Fair, early bird tickets free, regular tickets $6.12.Great location and company for entrepenuers at Cross Campus, to find a job, learn something new and netowork. TechJobsLA is created for the tech community by our SoCal tech community. Silcon Beach LA’s and OC's leading user and meetup groups have joined together to design this event as a way to help members on their career path. LA's largest Meetup groups like LA PHP,LA UX (IA-55), LAdobe, OC UX, HTML5 LA, SoCal WordPress, and more have joined forces for this job fair!Top companies like Amazon, Artisan Cre...
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