West Hollywood Condo Sales - March 2010 (February/January) Number of Units Sold: 24 (18/22) Average Days on the Market: 93 (130/125) Median Price: $507,500 ($522,500 / $510,000) Average List Price: $574,000 ($578,000 / $628,000) Average Selling Price: $558,000 ($544,000 / $599,000) Lowest Price Condo Sold: $249,000 ($250,000 / $270,000) Highest Price Condo Sold: $1,290,000 ($1,185,000 / $1,555,000) Total Sold in Dollars: $13,380,000 ($9,790,000 / $13,170,000) MLS Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Search The MLS: Stewart Penn - Realtor for homes, condos & lofts in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Santa Monica, Malibu, Brentwood, Century City, Westwood, Beverly Center, Miracle Mile, West Hollywood, Sunset Strip, Hollywood Hills, Hancock Park, Sherman Oaks, Studio City an... 04/08/2010

Eat Well - Very cool casual restaurant to try in the Los Angeles area Eat Well restaurants in Los Angeles are independently owned and operated.  I usually go to the Glendale and West Hollywood locations.  They have a very cool mix of food and atmosphere that is unique. Their menu items contain a winning mix of healthy vegetarian and popular dishes.  I usually order the Buddha Bowl about half the time when I'm there.  It's a great item for vegetarian patrons and it's priced very fairly at only $7.50 It is a very relaxed environment where all the silverware and setting items are in bulk at each table.  Many times you'll see patrons catching up on their reading of local Los Angeles newspapers while dining. And of course, you gotta love any place that has a Blue Plate Special on their menu.... 04/05/2010

Search The MLS - Stewart Penn - Realtor for homes, condos & lofts in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Santa Monica, Malibu, Brentwood, Century City, Westwood, Beverly Center, Miracle Mile, West Hollywood, Sunset Strip, Hollywood Hills, Hancock Park, Sherman Oaks, Studio City and throughout the greater Los Angeles area. 04/04/2010

Solar Panels at Sierra Bonita Apartments in West Hollywood. These solar electric panels are integrated into the facade of this new affordable housing development in West Hollywood. The panels are integral to the building envelope and the unused solar electricity will be delivered to the grid. The solar panels provide power to all of the common areas of the building in addition to providing energy for the building's hot water heating system. The "sculpture" of solar panels will create enough energy to save 200 tons of coal from being mined and 342 tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere over the 50 year projected life of the system. Sierra Bonita Apartments is a pilot project for West Hollywood's Green Building Ordinance. 04/04/2010

As with a lot of condos that I have been blogging about lately, Hancock Lofts was a former Hot Prop that I reviewed almost a year ago.  The lofts are a new construction project in the heart of the Boy's Town section of West Hollywood, on the corner of Hancock and Santa Monica Blvd. Unfortunately for the project, they launched at the absolute worst time (Spring 2009) and started at such high pricing that the building became a joke between both agents and buyers alike. At the time, their pricing matrix was roughly $817/sq ft for your basic, least expensive unit (a 1 brw/ approx 1095 sq ft). To put that into perspective, Beverly Hills proper was selling somewhere between $600-$700/sq ft (with 700 being very high for a comparable condo). The bad news for the developers (CIM Group) is that t... 03/29/2010

West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation  1060 N Sierra Bonita Avenue, West Hollywood, CA 90046 - A new mixed-use project Sierra Bonita Apartments, at the corner of Sierra Bonita and Santa Monica Blvd, has been specifically designed for people with Special Needs who qualify for "affordable housing". 1060 N Sierra Bonita is a mixed-use building with 42 one bedroom apartments (approximately 620 sq ft each) in addition to a commercial component on the street level. Built and owned by the West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation, this new building is a great example that an exciting, modern and interesting design need not be limited to high-priced condos. In addition to being an architecturally attractive addition to the neighborhood, this is a pilot project for West Hollywood's Gre... 03/27/2010

Hancock Lofts to be Auctioned - 901 Hancock Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069 Surprise, surprise .... The Hancock Lofts in West Hollywood will be auctioned off on Sunday April 25, 2010. I first blogged about these units in May 2008. At that time prices were unavailable. In May 2009 I blogged about these units again, commenting that at $900 per sq ft, I felt the prices were "lofty" and that it would be interesting to see how the market would respond. With prices starting at $895,000 for a one-bed one-bath unit, buyers were not enthusiastic about these units and they languished on the market unsold. I repeatedly left messages for the on-site sales representative .... but never had the courtesy of a return call. I received one random email a few months ago saying the prices were being reduced.... 03/26/2010

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is one of the most respected and trusted health care centers in the country. It's therefore relevant to note that Cedars-Sinai, in response to the increased demand for healthcare, is building a new 450,000 sq ft pavilion to house additional patient-care and research facilities. A particularly good aspect of the design is that six of the building's eleven stories will be for parking ... and elevators will have direct access to patient-care floors. The building has a sustainable green-design and architects HOK have made provision for the use of natural light and recycling of water for landscape irrigation. Groundbreaking ceremonies took place in January 2010 and the center is expected to open in Summer 2013. I've had first-hand experience of being treated at Ce... 03/25/2010

Having had a sister who passed away when I was very young, I have a special place in my heart for organizations that work with sick children to help them live as normal a life as possible. Of those organizations, Locks of Love (www.locksoflove.org) is one of my all time favorites. Locks of Love's mission statement as follows:  "Our mission is to return a sense of self, confidence and normalcy to children suffering from hair loss by utilizing donated ponytails to provide the highest quality hair prosthetics to financially disadvantaged children. The children receive hair prostheses free of charge or on a sliding scale, based on financial need." What I love about this organization is that the donation is something more than just cash (although that is equally appreciated) - it's someone s... 03/24/2010

Petit Ermitage - 8822 Cynthia Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069 This hotel claims to be the fashionable alternative to Chateau Marmont and The Sunset Marquis. Petit Ermitage is an eclectic, untraditional hotel, intimate and elegant. Tucked away in a residential neighborhood, the hotel blends in with the surrounding condos and apartment buildings. The hotel is styled with antique-style recylcled/aged wood furniture, exotic fabrics and Venetian plastered walls. There's a choice of four suites: The Little Lovely (A Demi suite), The Lovely (a Junior Suite), The Lovelier (Executive Suite), and the Loveliest (Studio/One-Bedroom Suite). The Petit Ermitage is ideally situated in West Hollywood, close to clubs, bars, restaurants and coffee shops. 03/22/2010

Sunset Marquis - 1200 Alta Loma Rd, West Hollywood, CA 90069  "A private sanctuary for Hollywood's A-list elite ..... a haven for the famous, the infamous and the nearly so." The Sunset Marquis is another well known luxury West Hollywood Hotel that has a colorful and interesting history. It's particularly popular with the music industry since there is a recording studio in the basement. The Sunset Marquis originally opened in 1963 and over the years has been expanded to include garden villas. The hotel has a great restaurant - simply called "Restaurant" - and a laid-back bar and patio - "Bar 1200". 03/22/2010

9040 Sunset Blvd - Sunset Doheny Hotel Approved The West Hollywood City Council unanimously approved a mixed-use hotel-condominium project at 9040 Sunset Boulevard. The developer - WN Sunset LLC -  plans to develop an 11-story mixed-use building including 148 hotel rooms, 20 condo units, a restaurant and a retail component. But there's some real-life Hollywood drama going on with the project ..... According to WehoNews.com, The project "ran afoul of revelations that a partner in the project is under investigation for fraud and currently going through bankruptcy." 03/20/2010

It's sophisticated, luxurious and elegant - The Sunset Tower Hotel on the Sunset Strip. Sunset Tower - 8358 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 The Sunset Tower is a Hollywood Landmark, reflecting the sophistication and fantasy of it's infamous past. This elegant art deco building was designed in 1929 has always been a favorite among Hollywood celebrities, including Howard Hughs, John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra and even Bugsy Siegel. The hotel was called The Argyle for a while until it was renovated and restored to being called The Sunset Tower. The hotel offers a choice of standard guests rooms, junior suites, townhouse suites and the penthouse. The hotel is "Pet Friendly" and offers pets mini-Sunset Tower beds, bowls and treats. Truman Capote stayed at th... 03/19/2010

I'm often asked by clients and friends to recommend Hotels in West Hollywood and neighboring Beverly Hills. One of my favorite hotels in West Hollywood is Chateau Marmont. The hotel has a rich and colorful history due to the many celebrities who have stayed at, or simply visited, this classic Hollywood location.  Chateau Marmont Hotel and Bungalows - 8221 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 Chateau Marmont (built in 1927) is described as an "infamous hideaway" in West Hollywood. Harry Cohn, founder of Columbia Pictures said in 1939, "If you must get in trouble, do it at the Chateau Marmont." The hotel, which is on the list of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments, offers a choice of rooms, suites, garden cottages and hillside bungalows. Guests can also reserve the one or two-bed pe... 03/17/2010

The City of West Hollywood has finally launched it's new website. For years I wondered why such an exciting and interesting city had such a boring and dull website. Fortunately, that's now changed .... The new website features bright colors and clearly labeled menus enabling visitors to the site easier access to information about City Hall, useful information for residents and businesses, practical advice for visitors to the city, as well as details about city services. The new site also features a great calendar of city events, relevant news items as well as top stories. Check it out and explore this progressive and innovative city. 03/13/2010

This is like deja-blog week! All these great units that I loved in 2009 have popped up again, but priced even better than before! I had already written the entire blog post before I realized I had blogged about this same unit in October 2009. Have I really seen every condo on the market that I am coming back to properties that are being relisted? Maybe, but at the prices I was seeing this week, it bears repeating! In my defense, they redid the flooring and removed the staging which is why I didn't recognize this one when I saw it again. Anyways, since I have already used my creative genius to write a whole new post on this unit, I am going to leave it as it stands... I have a love/hate relationship with 999 Doheny. Located on Sunset and Doheny just on the border of 90210, you don't get ... 03/11/2010

In real estate, it seems that well priced/done resale condos (and homes for that matter) come in waves. We had hit a dry spell for a while, but this week there was a nice selection of inventory and I wrapped up caravan yesterday excited about all the great property that is now on the market. This week, there are three Hot Props that I will be showcasing.  The first being this short sale. Ironically, I had posted about this property literally almost one year ago to the date. At the time, it was listed at $575,000.  It's interesting to see that now they are in a short sale position. Last year was the worst year to sell, but I imagine they hung in there as long as they could and now need to unload ASAP. The description hasn't changed, so here's the skinny (this a recap from my original pos... 03/10/2010

Last month I wrote about several major developments going up in and around West Hollywood.  One thing I'd left out and meant to get back to but hadn't yet, was the House Of Blues site on Sunset Blvd.  Well I may as well cover it now, as Curbed LA is reporting that the West Hollywood Planning Commission just gave it's approval for a massive new development by Kanner Architects that'll add 149 MORE hotel rooms, as well as 35,000 square feet of commercial/retail space including a new 6,200 square foot music venue.  In addition, the project will include 40 condos and 5 affordable housing units, plus another 22 of them offsite at 990 Palm Ave.  And much - I'm sure - to the chagrin of local residents, the building will be wrapped in a giant moving video screen that wraps around the top and s... 03/08/2010

There are so many stunning homes in The Bird Streets in West Hollywood that I know the majority  of my rich kids would love that I could blog exclusively about this neighborhood all day long and never get tired of it! Since I haven't showcased a home in this area for a while, I thought I would offer you a refresher course on The Bird Streets. This uber chic neighborhood off of Doheny, north of Sunset is some of the most sought after and prized real estate in all of Los Angeles. Named after, you guessed it...birds... these streets feature some of the best views and high profile residents in the city. You will pay a premium to fly with this flock, but for the rich kid with no limits there are few better places to call home. The key word for today's Hot Prop is views. The architect who des... 03/03/2010

West Hollywood Condos Sold in February 2010: (January) Average Selling Price: $544,000 ($599,000) Average List Price: $578,000 ($628,000) Median Price: $522,500 ($510,000) Total Sold in Dollars: $9,790,000 ($13,170,000) Number of Units Sold: 18 (22) Lowest Price Condo Sold: $250,000 ($270,000) Highest Price Condo Sold: $1,185,000 ($1,555,000) Average Days on the Market: 130 (125) MLS Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Photo courtsey of the CLAW MLS. 03/01/2010