Consumer confidence had been very low for the last six months and consumers’ attitudes about the nation’s economy and their own personal financial concerns rose greatly into positive numbers this past month.

The national consumer confidence index soared up 14 points to its highest level in almost nine months just in the past 30 days alone. That jump is incredibly important for the future of home buying and selling. With this change hopefully people will no longer be staying on the sidelines and will finally decide that now is the perfect time to buy.

The second indicator for the improved consumer confidence came from the National Association of Realtors’ monthly home sales report which showed that sales of single family homes including townhomes, condos, and Co-op’s rose close to three percent this past April.

New home building permits and starts are also on the upswing after many months in negative territory. California’s new home starts increased by almost 22 percent in April over the previous month which was the largest jump since October of last year.

With the monthly increases in sales, builders are beginning to clear out inventories that have been sitting stagnant for quite some time and are now building again.

Old beliefs about marketing:

Most people think of marketing as aversive and painful. They make comments like, “Why can’t I just do my work and have the clients come to me? I hate marketing.” This is because most people have old beliefs about marketing. Some of these are:

- Marketing is phony

- Marketing is begging

- Marketing is pushy

- Marketing is drudgery

New beliefs about marketing

Since our beliefs create our reality, it makes sense for us to reprogram any beliefs that would interfere with our success.

Here’s some way to think of marketing that will actually make you feel passionate about marketing.

- Marketing is an authentic expression of who you are. If you are doing what you love, then expressing what you do with others is authentic.

- Marketing is actually the opposite of begging. It’s a gift. If you give a presentation to a group, write an article or take a prospect to lunch, you are giving.

- Effective marketing is not based on being pushy. It is based on the Law of Attraction. Imagine yourself as a magnet, drawing appreciative clients for your services.

- Marketing is not drudgery. In fact, it is a great way to meet new people, an adventure into new friendships, and connections.

–

Maya Bailey, Ph.D.,author of, Law of Attraction for Real Estate
Professionals, integrates 20 years of experience as a psychologist and
12 years as a business coach with her expertise in the Law of
Attraction. Her powerful work creates a success formula for real
estate professionals ready to double and triple their incomes. Get Dr.
Maya’s free report, 7 Simple Strategies For More Clients in 90 Days,
by visiting www.90DaystoMoreClients.com.

Consumer confidence had been very low for the last six months and consumers’ attitudes about the nation’s economy and their own personal financial concerns rose greatly into positive numbers this past month.

The national consumer confidence index soared up 14 points to its highest level in almost nine months just in the past 30 days alone. That jump is incredibly important for the future of home buying and selling. With this change hopefully people will no longer be staying on the sidelines and will finally decide that now is the perfect time to buy.

The second indicator for the improved consumer confidence came from the National Association of Realtors’ monthly home sales report which showed that sales of single family homes including townhomes, condos, and Co-op’s rose close to three percent this past April.

New home building permits and starts are also on the upswing after many months in negative territory. California’s new home starts increased by almost 22 percent in April over the previous month which was the largest jump since October of last year.

With the monthly increases in sales, builders are beginning to clear out inventories that have been sitting stagnant for quite some time and are now building again.

A tear-streaked Tracy Orr sat in the back row of a foreclosure auction watching bidders in the front row vie for her 4-bedroom home in Pottsboro, Texas at a much-reduced rate from when she bought it back in 2004. Orr, who lost her job only months after the purchase, has struggled to keep her beloved home ever since, finally losing her grip after having sold some land to satisfy arrears. Her last-ditch effort was to make the 80-mile drive into Dallas for the auction with an investor friend, who cancelled the plans at the last minute, so Orr sat at the back of the auction with her family, her home in the catalog without even a photograph in the listing, fighting back her tears.

That is when Marilyn Mock sat down beside her, asking Orr if she was there to buy a home. At this point, Tracy Orr lost her battle with tears that now flowed freely as she explained: “That’s my house.” On the blind, Marilyn Mock jumped into the bidding action and bought the home that was once bought by the Orr family at $80,000 for the bargain of $30,000. Mock, a business owner who deals in flagstone and other rocks in Rockwall, Texas, decided to guarantee the sale with one of her dump trucks as collateral. She had come to the auction with her 27-year-old son to purchase his first home and once finished, stumbled upon Tracy Orr.

Marilyn Mock is one who loves people, never giving up the opportunity to speak with others around her. She claims that you can always find out interesting things when you are open to people, and in striking up a conversation with Tracy Orr, she felt she HAD to do something to help. As for payment for the house, Mock is willing to see how much Tracy Orr can pay for the house so she can have it back with a comfortable payment arrangement. When Mock went home and told her husband that she just bought a house for a complete stranger, her husband did not flinch. He is used to her Good Samaritan nature. She cannot walk past a homeless person on the street without offering at least something.

Tracy Orr was in shock at the turn of her luck in several seconds’ time. Her restored faith in life and humanity has given her the strength to keep going and hold her head up high. Her house is located near a popular Texas fishing spot and Mock’s passion for fishing is satisfied for life, for she has a lifetime friend with a home to stay in on all future angling trips.

The virtual tour sparked interest a few years back but lost traction during the real estate boom when properties seldom stayed on the market long enough to warrant creating the tour and posting it on the web. However, lately some agents have revisited the use of virtual tours in hopes of standing out in a sea of listings.

Approximately 80 percent of home buying begins on the internet, and information about a home, including the virtual tour, helps prospective buyers to become better prepared in the event that they make an offer. According to the most popular real estate website, www.realtor.com, listings that provide a virtual tour generally receive 150% more visitors than the listings that do not. But just how effective is the virtual tour as a boiler-plate resource? What about the case of a downtrodden fixer-upper whose appeal lies more in its affordability and potential than in its current aesthetic? The agent and seller’s discretion should determine whether or not a virtual tour would enhance the listing for a particular house.

One should consider that the image quality and lighting in a virtual tour will make or break the practical use for the tour itself. Case in point: if the lighting is blown out or too yellow, chances are that the virtual tour is not accentuating the details and positive attributes of a property, thus defeating the purpose. In short, if the tour is not well-produced, perhaps it is unwise to expose something that does not show well in this format. Specialized software that includes music, text, and even voiceover capability is available for a monthly fee to agents at www.visualtour.com. Additionally, there are professional virtual tour production companies whose sole purpose is to produce the most seamless and attractive tour possible, and they tend to be reasonably-priced. For the higher-ticket listings, it may be worth your while to employ one of these companies that guarantees their work and will deliver a tour that only enhances the listing to a polished perfection.

These homes have the kind of stuff you thought of as a kid. Like movie theaters and secret trap doors that lead to them. The other stuff is super-modern and adult friendly. Simple, computer protocols operate self-heating pools, walkway lighting and security systems. You can listen to satellite radio while you shave or shower and get weather and news updates on screens stationed throughout the house.

Of course at this point the average Joe or Jill must continue dreaming. However, luxury homes like these are great testing grounds for the inevitable day when some really cool and convenient modern concepts and technologies will be affordable and commonplace for the everyday citizen’s home. Who knows? Maybe someday you’ll be able to take a shower while JAMES, the home computer system, keeps an eye on the pot roast and the lawn mows itself.

Perhaps inspired by such television shows as “Date My House” and “Sleep On It,” home sleepovers are becoming a real-world phenomenon in the modern real estate transaction. It makes sense if you consider that most buyers visit a home upwards of four times before making an offer. In the case of a sleepover, a buyer is seeing the house from all angles and at all times of day. He can even experience just how quietly the house settles in at night, what neighborhood activity there might be, and all pros and cons of the house from the point of view of actual inhabitance.

Not all sellers and agents are amenable to this sort of arrangement, however, citing that in spite of a prospective buyer being able to take in all the positive attributes, there is the chance that negative aspects could reveal themselves as well. And of course, even if the buyer falls madly in love with the house after the overnight, there is still a chance that it isn’t enough to make the sale. Whether or not this unconventional means of home selling is for you or your client, it is advised that, as always, some sort of written agreement is in place before engaging in an overnight stay arrangement. Both insurance broker and legal counsel should always be consulted to help create or just reinforce the infrastructure of such an agreement.

Since almost the beginning of 2009 many people in their 20’s are now making offers on properties. With record low interest rates along with the available money from not only the federal government, but the state as well, agents have been working overtime processing offers for this Generation Y group.

President Obama’s tax credit, part of the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is available to those who buy their first home in 2009 provided the purchase is completed by Dec. 1st of this year.

Many people are making offers now rather than later because this large influx of young buyers has created a one to two month lag time between the initial offer and the closing of escrow.

The current tax incentive is designed so that the money does not have to re-paid as long as the homeowner stays in the house for a minimum of 3 years which was not the case for the $7,500 tax credit that came out in 2008.

Last Tuesday the National Association of Realtors released a report that stated pending home sales in April were up nearly 7% from March which was the largest monthly increase since October 2001.

It’s expected that real estate activity will increase in the months ahead now that economists are seeing encouraging signs that the demand for housing is coming back. It should be noted that mortgage rates are beginning to rise which will begin to make homes less affordable for many young borrowers if they don’t jump in soon.

At the beginning of this week the average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was at 5.3% compared to last week when it was at 5%.

With the U.S. housing market just one key factor in the economy, as sales begin to recover, prices may take longer to stabilize because of a large inventory of unsold new homes. One thing that is in the favor of today’s young buyer is that prices will most likely not increase until foreclosures begin to decline which most likely won’t happen until the end of 2010.

Recent loan activity has indicated that close to 50% of today’s mortgages are for first-time buyers which can be credited to the latest government tax incentive.

Offered at $244,900

Bank Owned REO in need of a fair amount of work. FHA 203K program would be ideal. When complete, it could be a very desirable home in an area near schools and close freeway access. There are 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms upstairs. Down stairs are the main public rooms to include a family room, dining room and living room with fireplace, in addition to a bedroom and half bathroom,  and two car garage.

4 plex with 50% vacancy in great condition with 4 car garage and storage. 2 story building located on corner lot, with large sq footage of approximately 5136sq ft, with a lot of 6882sq ft. each unit is two bedroom, one bathroom, living & dining rooms, high ceilings, each with laundry hook-ups. The vacant units have hardwood floors and original tiled bathrooms. The occupied units have long time renters under rent control. The rents are actual at $850 & $859. Four car garage. Located near the intersection of Pico & Fairfax. Needs some TLC. Great opportunity.

Beautiful built 2006 Newer home in well maintained gated development near golf course and other newer communities. Features inlcude: two story home, four bedrooms, three bathrooms, open kitchen with center island  to family room, with front and back yard, approximately 1974 sq.ft. HOA dues are low at apprx. $108. Attached two car garage. This home has been well maintained. Great opportunity.

Charming Traditional Style house on corner lot features three bedrooms, one full bathroom updated with pedestal sink & tile, refreshed kitchen, with gated backyard and two car detached garage. Nice curb appeal and interior is in good condition. Great opportunity!

REO townhouse on second level 3 bed/2.5 bath,apprx 1220 sq ft, Pool, spa and clubhouse. Has mountain views and high ceilings in living room as well as a small deck off off master bedroom. This home just needs some imagination & paint. Great opportunity to own your own home in a great area!

http://guests.themls.com/profile_page.cfm?mls=08-333805&tab=search

Four-plex with potential. Front house features two bedrooms, one bathroom, large living area, eat-in kitchen and seperate fenced in front yard.. Three seperate stucture homes sit behind main house. Each with living, kitchen, bath & bedroom. Needs TLC. Only one unit occuppied. Main house and two rear units vacant. Great opportunity.

Spacious home on cul-de-sac featutres 4 bedrooms, two baths, open living and dining area with vaulted ceilings, eat-in kitchen, den with fireplace, two car attached garage, fenced and gated. Needs TLC.

REO Vacant Triplex in fair condition 1738 is 1bd/1ba, 1738½ is 3bd/1ba and 1740 is 1bd/1ba. near corner of Western and 82nd. Great opportunity, live in one or rent out all three. These tri-plex is all vacant. Good curb appeal. The interiors need some TLC. Long driveway and cement pad to park several vehicles. This property is on a good street with other well maintained homes.

http://guests.themls.com/profile_page.cfm?mls=09-337533&tab=search

$799,000.

Executive  large condo in exceptionally equiped complex with luxury ammenities, including club house, lap pool, pool & spa, excercise room. End Unit is spacious, great condition, ready for move in. Cook’s Kitchen with stainlees steelapliances, granite counters-center island, washer/dryer in unit, travertine & carpet floors, 3 patios/1 balcony with French doors. Baths have dual vanity. 3 firplaces. MAster suite has seperate tub and shower, two walk-in closets, two vanities, seperate water closet.2 parking spaces. 3rd Bedroom used as office/den. Unit has been completely painted. Looks updatd and clean.

http://guests.themls.com/profile_page.cfm?mls=09-346875&tab=search

Two story home features 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, open living room with fireplace, eat-in kitchen, lots of windows, spacious backyard, den area, two car attached garage, large rear yard, fenced and gated.

Large corner lot of approximately 2.2 acres with traditional style home. Home features 3 bedrooms, 1.75 baths, living with fireplace,eat-in kitchen, bonus den area, two car attached garage. Needs TLC. Lots of potential.

Bank Owned REO Traditional style home has 3 Bedrooms and 2 Baths, with a pool. Large living with fireplace opens to covered patio with views of pool. Large open eat-in kitchen. There are some upgrades and some that need to be finished. There is a  detached two car garage.

 Bank Owned in good condition with bonus rooms. Agents Call for lockbox combo. Read Private remarks for other instructions. This is a home that is larger than the tax records reflect. Main home is 2BR/1BA, laundry area, large kitchen, and recent uprdates. Also has a bonus room, garage, carport, storage room and many citrus trees and yard

Bank Owned REO in fair condition fixer with potential with 3 BR, 1 BA and Bonus rooms and basement. No garage, long driveway, front and back yard. Central location near Sunset Blvd/Junction.

BANK OWNED REO, Fresh NEW paint inside each unit. DUPLEX, Front unit is a 1BR, 1BA wall, a/c, and carpet. Side unit is 2BR, 1BA with tiled floors and one BR is extended. HAS ONE CAR GARAGE. Laundry room by garage. Both units vacant. Great potential.

Bank Owned REO Duplex. 1 BR/1BA each side with two 1 car garages and yard. Additional off street parking. Both units have laundry rooms and there is a small basement for storage. Units are large in size and have separate living rooms and dining rooms. Lots of original detail. Near Mid-Wilshire.

Bank Owned REO Hollywood Duplex in fair condition. Craftsman style. Front house is a 2BR, 1BA unit with hardwood floors and front yard. Back unit is a 1BR/1BA with basement. It has wood floors and in fair condition. Two car garage in fair condition. Tenant occupied.

Bank Owned REO in newer development built in 2006. Large home with two stories, 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, apprx 2833 sq ft, and loft office area with built-ins. This home is in great condition with large rooms and large three car garage.

Bank Owned REO in good condition. Spanish Duplex Located in central area with fruit trees and gated. Both units are one bedroom one bath each. One unit has laundry hookups. Vacant and ready for occupancy. Sold As-Is.

BANK OWNED 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom in move in condition with newer paint and carpet. Has stove and repaired windows. Bathroom has been updated. Kitchen has dining area. Laundry area located outside. Property does not have any parking off street. Only home that sits on small lot, no yard. Great rental property. Located near Coliseum

Councilman Frank Fenton will also be installed as Vice Mayor. Although installation ceremonies are usually held under a tent at Crescent Drive outside of City Hall, thousands of dollars were saved on the tent rental and street closures this year by locating the event at the high school.

Brucker is expected to address the City’s General Plan, environmental sustainability, and fiscal accountability during his speech. For more information on the organizational meeting, which is open to the public, call 310-285-2400, or go to www.beverlyhills.org.

(Source: Beverly Hills Courier)

According to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Trader Joe’s is about to open a third location near the former Virgin Megastore building at Sunset and Crescent Heights.

When the third store opens, just about everyone in West Hollywood will have a TJ’s within walking distance, yet another reason to love living there.

• Alexander McQueen
• Ports 1961
• Vera Wang

As if that weren’t enough, Catherine Malandrino is soon to open a 6,000 square foot space a short distance across the street on La Cienaga.

West Hollywood on Melrose has definitely been experiencing a gentrification for some time now. Being so close to Beverly Hills’ tony Robertson shops, is it any wonder that the stardust is drifting west?

• 36 properties in pre-foreclosure
• 13 properties to be auctioned
• 14 properties are bank-owned
• 3 are for-sale-by-owner properties
• 2 are resale homes

To learn more about these properties and other REOs in the Los Angeles area, contact Richard Burt.

A small mudslide in the late evening caused minor damage in the Hills earlier this month. Luckily, a home adjacent to the slide was unharmed, but with weather conditions being affected by rain and recent wildfire damage, it’s important local residents stay on guard.

The ground in some areas are becoming heavily saturated due to the heavy rainfall all of Los Angeles has been receiving lately. Even after the storms subside, the water saturation could still contribute to a mudslide.

While many of us immediately think of homes and roadways being endangered, mudslides also pose a potentially life-threatening threat because of boulders which may be displaced.

Already this year, a portion of Pacific Coast Highway west of Trancas has been closed because of a collapse beneath the roadway shoulder. A lane has been closed for repairs which may take several months to complete.

To stay safe, visit the Los Angeles County website  for information on protecting property from storm-related weather. The site has detailed information on the use of sandbags to mitigate damage.

Stay Safe!

Even Councilmember Jeffrey Prang seemed uneasy with the act. "While I like the project," he said. "In approving it, we opened up about 49 other properties to increased height of 62 feet. We didn’t increase zoning, per se, but we expanded density potential with no independent review, debate, or public process."

Consequently, those properties have an unfair advantage over other applications which must still conform to the original 45 foot limit. This could have been avoided if taller height districts had been implemented instead, but this would have required more time and local input.

The pair bringing the suit have hired John B. Murdock to represent them. Murdock was also involved in Playa Vista and the Lincoln Place (Santa Monica) land use suits.

The City submitted a grant application for mortgage assitance funds for 35 units in September of 2007 on 339 West Doran Street. 24 of those 35 units were slated for low-to-moderate-income households.

Then, in October, city housing officials were authorized to negotiate an agreement with the developer of the project to include the parcel on 331 West Doran Street that the City had purchased earlier.

As the terms of the development agreement are finalized with the developer, Community Development Housing officials are expected to go before the State Housing Authority to request an additional $390,000 in mortgage assistance funds to cover the extra 16 units included in the expanded Doran Gardens Project.

The State Building Equity in Neighborhoods Program provides down payment assistance loans of $30,000 per affordable housing unit. If ownership of a unit changes hands, the money would be paid back ot the city and placed into an account for reuse as mortgage assistance for other low-to-moderate-income first-time home buyers. After 45 years, the affordability period of the unit sunsets, and the loan is forgiven.

The project has received favorable attention from the development community for its groundbreaking use of federal New Market Tax Credits. Glendale and Pasadena pooled approximately $7.5 million to purchase tax credits which were subsquently sold to Washington Mutual Bank for a 39% reutrn of $3miliion. This money provided the development capital for the project.

Applications for the Doran Gardens Project will be available starting January of 2009 according to the Community Development and Housing Department.

Mortgage Rates

By long term trends, 2007 interest rates were extremely low. The Federal Reserve Board lowered rates an aggressive half-point in September to 4.75% "to foster price stability and sustainable economic growth." The pool of home buyers is smaller but more qualified to make good on their loans.

Housing Demand

While 2007 didn’t match 2005 and 2006 in housing sales volume, it was still the fifth best housing sales market in history. Houses were being bought and sold while solid mortgage loans were being made throughout the year.

The Economy

Unemployment held low and steady at 4.6% for the previous two years. To put that fact in context, that’s better than all but three years in the last 30. U.S. personal income held steady in 2007.

There were definitely great things happening in the real estate market in 2007. Here’s to an even brighter 2008.

From October 26 through November 11, the Greystone Mansion will host the American Society of Interior Designers event presented by the STYLE Network, and its grounds will be transformed into "green" and sustainable works of art for the first time. The sponsors/conributors this year include Smith and Hawken and The Garden Gallery in Beverly Hills.

This year’s theme was inspired by the growing world environmental crisis. The event will inspire us to reduce the use of non-renewable resources and add fuel to the growing green design concept. Exterior Designers have been challenged to use their creativity to harmonize beauty with sustainability.

The renowned Exterior Designers included in this year’s event are:

• James Alexander, Alexander Exterior Design
• Kristi Blicharski, Flora Bella Garden
• CJ Forray, Cottage Garden Design
• Yu-Chien Liao
• Paula Henson
• Maria Kane Garden Design
• Brent Green
• Joan Grabel, Park Slope Design
• Paul Langh Garden Design
• Alfonseo Melior, Melior Creative Gardening
• Jay Rodriguez
• Pacific Outdoor Living.

For more information on this event, please go to the Beverly Hills Garden and Design website.