This Saturday there are several fun events happening at some of the local businesses we love in Eagle Rock and Highland Park.  Check them out and support your small businesses!

You can live the classic California lifestyle in this 1959 midcentury – have your morning cup of coffee snuggled in your robe and slippers on your private patio, or entertain your friends on the front terrace with views of the Eagle Rock.

The open floor plan allows for great indoor-outdoor flow, with sliding doors from the living room to the front patio and from the dining area that opens onto the back patio.

The updated cook’s kitchen has quartz counters, a 5-burner gas cooktop, built-in oven & broiler, and a breakfast bar.

Step back in time to this 1921 Craftsman Highland Park home for sale with lots of modern upgrades and original charm.

As you enter the living room you'll see original wood floors, the decorative fireplace made of gray limestone and flanked by built-in bookcases. You can display your best china in the glass-fronted built-in buffet in the dining area. Central heat and air, dishwasher, tile floor in the kitchen and baths, dual pane windows are some of the modern touches you will find here. The family room is just what you wish for with high ceilings and a blank wall large enough for the big-screen TV of your dreams. 

Here is the first time buyer's dream - an amazing short sale deal in Tujunga! 6443 Day Street, located at the top of Tujunga near La Crescenta, is a two bedroom, two bath bungalow listed for a deal-price of $309,000.

This home has a bright living room with decorative fireplace. The dining area flows into the kitchen, providing a spacious area to dine, entertain, and hang out. There is access to a separate office or den. The updated kitchen includes a dishwasher, garbage disposer, stove, stove vent, refrigerator, breakfast bar, and a pantry.

Step back to 1938 with this captivating traditional home in the 111-year-old community of Hermon in Northeast Los Angeles.  Perched on a corner lot, the house features original and vintage details that will make you feel right at home--and better.

The spacious living room has a decorative fireplace and views of the mountains from each window. The dining room also has views of the mountains and sunset, and is open to the kitchen with a pass-through.

Cindy's Diner, an Eagle Rock neighborhood staple, has been closed up for several weeks with rumors flying that it was being sold or that it was just going to be used for filming from now on.  Well now the truth is out, and it's great news!

The folks behind the delicious Firefly Bistro in South Pasadena have taken over and will be bringing the diner back to life! 

Thank you to all who attended our Drink Wine, Save Puppies fundraiser on Thursday!  We had a great turnout and were able to raise $900 which allows us to sponsor three kennels for one year at the North Central Animal Shelter.  Each kennel is a $300 donation that directly benefits the animals and is not used for administrative costs.

Sparkling with personality and charm, this petite 1924 Eagle Rock home offers much more than the tax records show.

Besides the many original and period details, from the decorative fireplace, wood floors, light fixtures, doors, windows and their hardware to the office space in the full walkout basement, there are modernized systems as well.

Join us on Thursday, January 30, 6-8pm at Colorado Wine Company (2305 Colorado Blvd in Eagle Rock) for a wine tasting benefiting the North Central Animal Shelter. Flights of wine will be $20, with net proceeds going towards sponsoring kennels for cats and dogs at the shelter. We will be raffling prizes from local shops and restaurants (ticket $1 each, or $5 for 7), including Leanna Lin's Wonderland, Dave's Chillin-n-Grillin, Rock Dog and Cat, and Acorn .

Love the character of a 1905 Craftsman but wish you could have a modern home with updated systems as well?

Here is the answer to your dreams-the exterior is pure original Craftsman as built in 1905, but the inside was completely redone in 2011 because of a fire. There are new windows, insulation, electrical wiring with a 200 amp panel, copper plumbing, all new finishes inside from the dry wall to the built-in buffet in the formal dining room.

Yesterday we went on brokers' caravan to check out the new houses for sale in the Northeast Los Angeles real estate world.  Turns out it is the Week of Adorable Small Houses! We saw FIVE great homes for sale in the under-$500K range (plus one of our own listings) that would be great buys for the new year. Let's take a look:

In 1923 the Hollywoodland sign was erected, the Coliseum and the Biltmore Hotel downtown opened, and this sweet cottage was built high in the Highland Park hills.

Its peaceful vintage character continues with the wooden clapboard siding, the claw-foot bathtub in the master bath, the views across Highland Park, the quiet of the surrounding hillsides. But it has been expanded and greatly improved by the current owners, who have added modern conveniences such as central air and heat, a dishwasher, and updated kitchen and bathrooms.

Our latest newsletter, featuring an end-of-the-year real estate update, new loan information, and the latest businesses to join Northeast LA, is out now!  Click for a PDF version: December-2013-Newsletter.pdf

If you would like to receive this newsletter in the mail you can email us to be added to the list.  If you would like to stay updated by email, you can join our email list here.

To see newsletters from past years, click here.

Back when Hill Drive was considered the Bel Air of Eagle Rock, this midcentury traditional ranch was built to take advantage of western views and the marine breeze that gently blows through the neighborhood most afternoons.

Perched up from the street, once you ascend the 32 steps to the front door, you will find an easy one-story floorplan that flows through to a large, flat backyard.

Live the American Dream, Eagle Rock-style, in this 1937-built home located on the most sought-after street in town.

The spacious living room features a marble-faced fireplace, hardwood floors, and lovely neighborhood views. The formal dining room overlooks a den, perfect for family gatherings. The kitchen has ample room for cooking and storage, with access to the back patio. The bedrooms are spacious, with the master suite separate from the other two. 

On Friday HUD (the Department of Housing and Urban Development) announced that it would implementing new FHA single-family loan limits on January 1, 2014.

The new national-ceiling loan limit for the very highest cost areas (including our local market) will be reduced from $729,750 to $625,500.

While this will only effect 1% of overall FHA production it may have a significant impact on our middle priced areas in California.

Tucked away on a little-travelled street in a quiet part of Eagle Rock, this charming home presents you with the opportunity to live the good life now.

The spacious living room is highlighted by a Palos Verdes stone fireplace, large bay windows that open onto the oak tree-filled front yard, and plenty of room for family and friends to gather. The formal dining room is the center of the house. 

First time on the market in almost 60 years! This is an incredible opportunity to live in one of the best neighborhoods in Eagle Rock, on one of the best blocks on one of the best streets.

This 1922 Craftsman has good bones to start with.  The living room/dining room extends the width of the house and has the original hardwood floors. The large kitchen has two spacious pantries, plenty of cabinet and counter space, and room for a breakfast nook. 

The first nine months of 2013 provides some interesting real estate data to consider. We saw the number of homes on the market drop to its lowest point in my 24-year career by the end of the first quarter. The second quarter experienced an almost vertical climb in sales prices. Then the mortgage interest rates bumped up, inventory bumped up, and prices leveled out, with the average sales price staying at about $592,000 for the entire third quarter. Even with the leveling out, the average sales price increased by almost 25% from January to the end of September.