OK, now that you may have zeroed in on an area, it is time to start looking. But first talk to a lender, talk to a lender a real live person.
The internet is a wonderful tool but when it comes to loans nothing beats talking to a real person. You can check out the loan calculator on our website www.ReedyandBruno.com to get an idea of how much home you can afford, but in order to start your search in earnest you have to talk to a lender. Because toward the end on the deal when you really need to talk/convince/light a fire under someone to take action because time is of the essence and you are running out of the essence -- nothing is more frustrating then not being able to talk to someone in real time. Someone who can actually run down to the basement (I always imagine the underwriter sits behind a file laden desk in the basement wearing one of those plastic green brims) pull the file and say "I need you to run this through ASAP!" And believe me I have had to coerce a loan officer to do exactly that on more then one occasion!
Anyway once you talk to a lender and they analyze your financial picture, you will know your price range, and what monthly payment you can afford. Armed with that info and a Letter of pre-approval you are ready to search for you home.
And the best way I know to search is to use a REAL ESTATE search engine. And the best of the engines that I have found is LISTING BOOK. I know my website has a Keller Williams home search tool and its not bad neither are Zillow and Trulia and Realtor.com but seriously the most up to date and easiest to use is LISTING BOOK so use it!
Actually in order to set it up you will need to give it your name and email address (BTW I totally safe-guard the privacy of your email) Then start by picking your number one and number two area choices -- those places where you would most like to live. Get a feel for the prices and types of homes. Then pick 6 you would like to investigate further or personally visit. Then call me or Reedy or email or text (go to ReedyandBruno.com for contact info) and we will set the appointment to see the properties. Need info faster then that? Call or text 818 439-3670
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Deciding where to live...
Burbank has a lot going for it. Surrounded by Los Angeles on 3 sides and Glendale on the other it is as oasis from LA. Having it's own fire department, police department, school system and electric power source, it does not act or operate like the big city of LA. Services seem to respond much quicker and tend to be friendlier. Of course some say the cops here are more renegade but I have never run into any that were anything but polite. And perhaps having that reputation is a good thing and bad for the troublemakers.
Moving on to North Hollywood -- close to Burbank and a lot of our buyers choose this neck of the woods when they fall in love with Burbank but can't quite afford it - yet! So first time buyers will find some really quaint homes here that are much less expensive, yet offer them everything they need. Which includes a fun live theatre district (NOHO) with great restaurants easy commuting into Hollywood and downtown LA via the public transit system and subway. Oh right, we have that reputation of no Public transportation - not true. USC to North Hollywood on the subway system takes no more than 20 minutes and you would be hard pressed to drive your car the same distance without spending an hour in traffic.
North Hollywood tends to be 'pockety' meaning one street is great and another not so great, so it pays to look around or rely on someone who know the area. We just sold someone a home in Valley Glen (though technically Van Nuys) it is right next to North Hollywood and the quiet cul de sac that she found would be envied by anyone in Burbank - 3 bedrooms 2 baths 2 car garage the friendliest neighbors (seriously) all for $429,000. That's what makes this business so much fun - finding these kind of gems. Not to mention the equity growth when the market goes back up.
If you are looking you should use this tool we Realtors have at our disposal. It's called Listing Book and lets you search properties - single family homes, condos, townhomes and 1 to 4 units just like an agent. Updated every 15 minutes it gives you the most up to date info and you can save a search and have the new homes that come on the market emailed to you 1st thing in the morning. I'm going to try and set up the link for it in this blog, if it works click on it and check it out. It's free - you just need to give it your email and I guarantee the email is never shared or spammed or whatever else can be done to it. I detest that happening to me or my friends so rest assured... If the widget appears it worked if not email me and I will send it to you.
Moving on to North Hollywood -- close to Burbank and a lot of our buyers choose this neck of the woods when they fall in love with Burbank but can't quite afford it - yet! So first time buyers will find some really quaint homes here that are much less expensive, yet offer them everything they need. Which includes a fun live theatre district (NOHO) with great restaurants easy commuting into Hollywood and downtown LA via the public transit system and subway. Oh right, we have that reputation of no Public transportation - not true. USC to North Hollywood on the subway system takes no more than 20 minutes and you would be hard pressed to drive your car the same distance without spending an hour in traffic.
North Hollywood tends to be 'pockety' meaning one street is great and another not so great, so it pays to look around or rely on someone who know the area. We just sold someone a home in Valley Glen (though technically Van Nuys) it is right next to North Hollywood and the quiet cul de sac that she found would be envied by anyone in Burbank - 3 bedrooms 2 baths 2 car garage the friendliest neighbors (seriously) all for $429,000. That's what makes this business so much fun - finding these kind of gems. Not to mention the equity growth when the market goes back up.
If you are looking you should use this tool we Realtors have at our disposal. It's called Listing Book and lets you search properties - single family homes, condos, townhomes and 1 to 4 units just like an agent. Updated every 15 minutes it gives you the most up to date info and you can save a search and have the new homes that come on the market emailed to you 1st thing in the morning. I'm going to try and set up the link for it in this blog, if it works click on it and check it out. It's free - you just need to give it your email and I guarantee the email is never shared or spammed or whatever else can be done to it. I detest that happening to me or my friends so rest assured... If the widget appears it worked if not email me and I will send it to you.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Where to live Burbank Valley Hollywood?
Deciding where to live Burbank vs The Valley vs Hollywood
Well let’s start with how much money you want to spend. Probably in order of price it will go Valley Burbank Hollywood. But then not really. Each of these major areas have neighborhoods and pockets within those neighborhoods so prices can vary from street to street. You have to check out each area to find your preference. But mainly it’s a comfort thing.
The Hollywood Hills separate Burbank and the Valley from Hollywood itself. These Hills create a buffer zone keeping the ocean breezes on the Hollywood side thus keeping Hollywood approx. 10 degrees cooler. Some consider this a major plus as the summers can get pretty hot. And the difference between 100 deg in the valley and 90 deg in Hollywood is quite noticeable. On the other hand those really, really hot days only last for a couple of weeks and the rest of the year it is great no matter where you live.
When high hills separate two populated areas and the only way to get from one side t’other are through narrow passes or the 101 freeway you get – you guessed it – GRIDLOCK! And it can get pretty gnarly in the morning and evening. So to beat the traffic people leave earlier in the morning and get home later at night. Or they choose to live close to where they work and/or hang out.
So let’s look at location and how it effects price. Hollywood has a historic significance and it is reflected in the price. The Hollywood Hills extending into Los Feliz and down to Silver Lake have some architectural designs that rival world class builds. Prices reflect this and will range from 700,000 to over 7 mil. As you move down into the flat part of Hollywood you will see more of the classic California bungalows and price will hover around 500 to 800 thousand range. Again there are neighborhoods and pockets that will jump in price. People love Hollywood because of the history, the trendiness, the hip residents the fashions, the big city vibe, the new groundbreaking restaurants, etc.etc. etc. And if you are employed by the studios like Paramount ABC CBS Sony and a myriad of independents the commute is easy.
Burbank is a small town surrounded by a big city . With a population of just over 100,000 it gives off that Midwestern vibe. It is pretty much self contained. If you didn’t feel a need you could live in Burbank without ever setting foot outside its borders. People including actors and studio execs can choose housing that ranges from 400,000 in the flat part to 6 mil in the hills. There is a celebrity house for sale now in Toluca Lake (a neighborhood in Burbank/North Hollywood) for 7 mil. BTW Toluca Lake has housed many a famous celebrity not least of which was Bob Hope himself. After his death the Burbank airport was renamed - The Bob Hope Airport. Back to the point… people working in the entertainment industry don’t have far to travel if they live in Burbank and the Valley which includes North Hollywood, Studio City, Valley Glen, Valley Village, the more rustic horse country Shadow Hills and Sunland Tujunga, while further east into the Verdugo Pass you get into La Crescenta and pricey La Canada. All are neighborhoods that deserve a closer look because they share an easy commute to work on the north side of the Hollywood Hills – that is if they are employed by the likes of Warner Bros., Disney, NBC, ABC, or Universal Studios not to mention The Cartoon Network, Yahoo, Nickelodeon.
more to come…
Well let’s start with how much money you want to spend. Probably in order of price it will go Valley Burbank Hollywood. But then not really. Each of these major areas have neighborhoods and pockets within those neighborhoods so prices can vary from street to street. You have to check out each area to find your preference. But mainly it’s a comfort thing.
The Hollywood Hills separate Burbank and the Valley from Hollywood itself. These Hills create a buffer zone keeping the ocean breezes on the Hollywood side thus keeping Hollywood approx. 10 degrees cooler. Some consider this a major plus as the summers can get pretty hot. And the difference between 100 deg in the valley and 90 deg in Hollywood is quite noticeable. On the other hand those really, really hot days only last for a couple of weeks and the rest of the year it is great no matter where you live.
When high hills separate two populated areas and the only way to get from one side t’other are through narrow passes or the 101 freeway you get – you guessed it – GRIDLOCK! And it can get pretty gnarly in the morning and evening. So to beat the traffic people leave earlier in the morning and get home later at night. Or they choose to live close to where they work and/or hang out.
So let’s look at location and how it effects price. Hollywood has a historic significance and it is reflected in the price. The Hollywood Hills extending into Los Feliz and down to Silver Lake have some architectural designs that rival world class builds. Prices reflect this and will range from 700,000 to over 7 mil. As you move down into the flat part of Hollywood you will see more of the classic California bungalows and price will hover around 500 to 800 thousand range. Again there are neighborhoods and pockets that will jump in price. People love Hollywood because of the history, the trendiness, the hip residents the fashions, the big city vibe, the new groundbreaking restaurants, etc.etc. etc. And if you are employed by the studios like Paramount ABC CBS Sony and a myriad of independents the commute is easy.
Burbank is a small town surrounded by a big city . With a population of just over 100,000 it gives off that Midwestern vibe. It is pretty much self contained. If you didn’t feel a need you could live in Burbank without ever setting foot outside its borders. People including actors and studio execs can choose housing that ranges from 400,000 in the flat part to 6 mil in the hills. There is a celebrity house for sale now in Toluca Lake (a neighborhood in Burbank/North Hollywood) for 7 mil. BTW Toluca Lake has housed many a famous celebrity not least of which was Bob Hope himself. After his death the Burbank airport was renamed - The Bob Hope Airport. Back to the point… people working in the entertainment industry don’t have far to travel if they live in Burbank and the Valley which includes North Hollywood, Studio City, Valley Glen, Valley Village, the more rustic horse country Shadow Hills and Sunland Tujunga, while further east into the Verdugo Pass you get into La Crescenta and pricey La Canada. All are neighborhoods that deserve a closer look because they share an easy commute to work on the north side of the Hollywood Hills – that is if they are employed by the likes of Warner Bros., Disney, NBC, ABC, or Universal Studios not to mention The Cartoon Network, Yahoo, Nickelodeon.
more to come…
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