3 Creative Ways to Increase the Value of Your Condo

During the process of placing your condo on the market, there are many aspects to consider and tasks to be completed. Since it is such a competitive market, it is very important that your condo has updated features for buyers to fall in love with. Updated features are the best way to increase the value of your condo and keep potential buyers interested. Before you put your condo on the market through your local Beverly Hills real estate agency, here are 3 creative ways to increase its value and have buyers flock in by the dozen:

1. Carpet to hard surface flooring: Carpets are one of the first things within a home to show signs of wear and tear and can eventually be a minor health hazard. Carpets are notorious breeding grounds for dirt, allergens, and contaminants that can’t be reached with a standard vacuum. When left to fester for too long, the allergens and contaminants can affect the overall air quality within your home and start to harbor unpleasant odors. All of these factors can have a negative effect on the selling of your home. The last thing buyers want to walk into is a condo that smells a tad bit funky and with floors decorated with old, dirty carpets. Replacing the carpet in your condo with hard surface flooring is one of the best ways to increase its value and peak interest in potentials buyers. Hard surface flooring such as laminate, tile, and wood are much easier to clean and keep clean, do not emit odors and most importantly, are a great way to keep your condo looking updated. Everyone knows that updated homes are what buyers are searching the market for.

2. Scrape the popcorn ceilings: Take a good look at your ceilings. What do you see? If it’s popcorn, then it’s time to get rid of it. Popcorn belongs at the movies, not on ceilings, so grab the scraper or call a professional because it’s time to reveal those smooth-surfaced ceilings. This is a great way to increase the value of your condo because it will give your condo an overall updated look.

3. Neutral wall colors: Even though everyone has their own taste in color and decor, it’s best to paint your walls a neutral or earthy tone when the time comes to put your condo on the market. With a neutral pallet, buyers will be able to better envision the color scheme that they themselves would want the rooms to be in. Not to mention, neutral tones are a wonderful way to brighten up a room. Freshly painted walls are a guaranteed way update your condo and increase its value.

With brand new floors, smooth ceilings, and freshly painted walls, your condo will be any Beverly Hills realtor's dream to sell.  

Must-Have Luxurious Upgrades for Your Home

Whether you are in search for the perfect luxury home with the help of your Beverly Hills real estate agent or planning to do a little remodeling on your current home, be sure to add the following upgrades to your ‘must-have’ list:

1. Dual ovens: This upgrade is a must for families who love to spend time creating restaurant-worthy dishes in their personal kitchen. Dual ovens are found in most luxury homes and are great when you want to host a lavish party. You’ll be able to bake all of your decadent desserts at the same time as your savory dinner entrees. With dual ovens, you can bake your cake and eat it too.

2. Theater room: This feature is a big hit for little ones who love their Disney movies or for those who like to watch the game on a large screen. If you have children, theater rooms are a great space for them to hang out with their friends and are even better for family movie nights. Most theater rooms are installed with soundproof walls to keep the rest of the house nice and quiet.

3. Heated bathroom floors: If you tend to have cold feet, heated bathroom floors are exactly what you need. This trending system comes with a thermostat that allows you to set the floors to your desired heat. The thermostat also enables you to set the heat on a timer so you never have to walk on frigid floors in the morning.

4. Walk-in steam shower: This luxury spa-like feature is great for those who love a nice, hot shower. Steam showers are known to clear sinuses when you’re feeling under the weather and open up your pores for a proper skin detox. Combined with heated floors, this combo will feel like you checked into a spa for the day.  

Investing in these must-have luxurious upgrades is just another way to turn a house into a home and, of course, is just another excuse to have your friends and families over for dinner and drinks. These upscale features can be found in many Beverly Hills and Malibu luxury homes.

The Pros and Cons of Living Near a School

Looking for a Beverly Hills real estate agency? There are many different facets to looking and buying a new home, especially when there’s the possibility of starting a family in the future. Is it a safe neighborhood? Am I close to shops and eateries? Are we near a good school system? Does this community have HOA’s? These are some of the many questions that are asked by prospective homeowners. For families with young children, the quality of a school system is an important factor in their quest for a new home. Isn’t living near a school the optimal choice when toting small children? Let’s take a look below at the pros and cons of living near a school:

Pros

There are many benefits to living nearby a school. The most obvious benefit to residing near a school is the easy access you and your family will have to that establishment. The rush of getting everyone out the door and on time is virtually eliminated with the school’s close proximity. Mornings with little ones become a little more enjoyable and a lot less stressful. Another great aspect is the quality of the neighborhoods; the neighborhoods are significantly safer since you’ll be residing amongst other families with young children. There are also plenty of police officers that monitor the neighborhoods surrounding schools; school zones are closely surveilled for the safety of the children. Living near a school also means that your property value is much higher than average. In the event that you and your family move, you will be able to attain a higher resale value when you sell your home.  

Cons

Though the property value of a house located near a school is much higher, especially with Malibu luxury homes, it could also mean that it is much harder to sell; quite a perplexing concept. Many buyers, especially ones who do not have children, have little interest in living near a school or find it questionable. Unfortunately, living near a school also entails quite a bit of traffic when the school day begins and ends. There are also many buses traveling down the streets en route to the designated stops. These factors create a lot of congestion on the roads leading up to schools during the mornings and late afternoons. Lastly, living near a school also calls for the occasional noisy day. From practice fire drills, recess time, school bells, and sporting events, the once quiet neighborhood can be filled with a lot of noise (Source).  

What You Should Know Before Hiring a Tree Care Professional

Homeowners, you may have a big branch that needs to be cut or a tree trunk that needs to come out of the ground. Doing it yourself could be potentially dangerous. It is time to call in a tree care professional. What should you look for?

Safety

Safety is the most important aspect of tree work that needs to be considered when hiring a tree

company. With the dangerous nature of the business, a culture and tone of “safety first” in a tree

company is critical (Source).

Licensure and Recommendations

Ask for an up-to-date certificate of insurance and a copy of their work contract. You want to ensure that the company is properly insured and that you will not be held liable for damages, accidents, or injuries. Secondly, you’ll want to look for recommendations and credentials. Three notable credentials are:

• International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) - certified arborist
• Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) - accredited business
• Certified Tree Care Safety Professional (CTSP) - individual license

(Source).

Price

Will they give you a detailed estimate (along with time to completion)? Get written estimates from three equal companies to compare prices and understand the scope of the job. This way you can leverage them against each other, getting the best price from the tree care professional you are most comfortable with.

If you live in Malibu, California or Beverly Hills, California and have a particular treescape problem, be sure to speak to a real estate agent first. Malibu realtors and Beverly Hills real estate agents can point you in the right direction and help you make the right choice!

Final Walk-through of Luxury Home: Things to Keep in Mind

 

 

 

 

 

The final walk-through of a home is oftentimes the end of a long journey. You’ve jumped through hurdles in order to decide what home is the best investment for you and your family, shopped and compared multiple agents, negotiated with the seller, and delivered all the paperwork necessary. Yet before you get ready to put your feet up and settle in, consider these last important elements when doing a final walk-through of a luxury home.

The purpose of a final walk-through is to check that everything is in the same condition it was when you made the offer. Your objective is to check to make sure everything that was agreed upon in the home is still there, including fancy faucets and showerheads, art, built-in speakers, furniture, appliances, chandeliers, and window coverings.

• Be sure to check for damages the seller and/or movers completed whilst moving out for you are entitled to the cost of fixing such issues.
• Check under rugs for damage to tile (Source). Were there any other defects that the seller tried to conceal?
• Bring your phone and charger to the walk-through and test all the outlets. It’s a quick and easy way to make sure all the outlets work. (Source).
• Run all the appliances as if you were using them - for you will be using them in the very near future.
• Flush all the toilets and observe any leaks.
• Run the hot water as well as the air conditioning.

If anything is found, Beverly Hills real estate agents and Malibu realtors - some of the best realtors in the business - highly recommend that you fill out and sign a walk-through-inspection-form. Put your requests in writing and notify the seller of the changes that need to be made. This form, which should be signed by both parties, as well as the realtors involved, is to document how the items should be returned or repaired.

It can be difficult to restrain one’s excitement, especially when the sought after luxury home is finally in front of you. Not being vigilant and thorough enough at the final inspection is one of the biggest mistakes new homebuyers make. However, holding on a little bit longer, and making it through inspection day with a wary and watchful temperament will ensure that you are receiving the full home you signed and paid for.

Housing Trends in 90210: Beverly Hills

 

During the summer months, real estate markets are often their most active. This has been the case for Beverly Hills real estate agents selling Los Angeles real estate to would-be Angelenos. The active summer season continued to draw in HNWI sellers and buyers of residential property in Beverly Hills.  

Average Price Per Transaction: Luxury Beverly Hills Homes

This report, courtesy of Westside Estate Agency, lists the housing market trends for July 2016. The average price per transaction for a Beverly Hills luxury home reached an all-time high of $7,189,327 in July 2016. Just a year before, it was more than $1 million less, with a value of $6,126,597. This represents a 17 percent increase between July 2015 and July 2016.

One can compare this $7 million + price to a low of $5,638,235 (which was the average price per transaction in July 2014) and find that Beverly Hills luxury property is experiencing an upswing in value in Los Angeles.

Average Number of Sales

WEA’s July 2016 report showed lower sales when compared to the same month in the previous year. In 2015 there were 31 houses sold in the famous 90210 zip code, compared to 26 houses sold in July 2016. Still, this is an increase over the July 2014 numbers (17 homes), July 2010 (10 homes) and July 2007 (9 homes).

Final Word

Although the housing prices continue to steadily rise, co-founder Stephen Shapiro encourages sellers not to overprice their homes. “Homes that are priced too high stay on the market for much longer, have multiple price reductions, and risk getting stale due to market time,” says Shapiro (Source). The best bet for Angelenos wishing to sell their home with a Beverly Hills real estate agency: “begin with a lower list price,” that way there will be multiple offers, and there will be competition among buyers to purchase your home. Comparably, buyers are urged to remain patient and dedicated throughout their search.

Housing Trends in 90027: Los Feliz

 

Los Feliz is a vibrant and diverse community located east of Hollywood Hills, and situated under the historical Griffith Park at the foot of the Santa Monica Mountains. Los Feliz is a walkable neighborhood with a trendy business district, and access to one of the largest urban parks in the United States. Read below for May 2016 market data information on Los Feliz real estate.

As of May 2016, the average price for a home in the zip code of 90027 was $1,422,900. This is a decrease of 4 percent from the May 2015 average price of $1,488,389. However, between May 2014 to May 2015, there was a 29 percent increase and the average price of a Los Feliz home went from $1,150,542 to $1,488,389. The highest number of sales ever recorded by WEA’s June Marketing report occurred in May of this year. There were 15 sales in May 2016, 9 in May 2015, 12 in May 2014, and 5 in 2010. The Los Angeles Times reported that renters occupied 75.5 percent of the housing stock, with owners occupying the rest.

The mansions that dot the hillside south of the Santa Monica Mountains are being sold for well over the $2,000,000 mark. Homes on the flatter land at the base of the hills can be found around $1,500,000 or less, although these deals are becoming harder and harder to find. HouseHunt.com reports that the average time a Los Feliz home stays on the market is just 22 days (Source). For the month of May, it certainly looked like a seller’s market, although the difference between listing prices and closing prices caused a majority of homes to remain on the market for longer than expected.

Redfin.com reports that the number of homes for sale has decreased 6.6 percent (Source). Malibu realtors and Beverly Hills real estate agents that choose to work in the quaint and charming neighborhood of Los Feliz note that, as usual, Los Angeles real estate demand exceeds supply. The trend is likely to continue, especially as the amount of new residents continues to outpace the number of new homes developed and the number of listings placed on the market.