LA Digs - Northeast LA Real Estate Blog

The most important tip for transitioning from renting to buying is to Be Prepared.

Do two things first:

1. Talk with a good lender about the loan process and what you can afford to buy. You might be surprised--either happily or unhappily. If your credit score or income aren't as good as they should be to qualify for the loan amount you need to purchase your dream home, you might be looking at a longer time saving and paying off bills than you thought. There are good lenders who can actually have your loan fully underwritten and approved before you identify the home you want to purchase. This makes you look like a much stronger buyer to the seller who may be considering several offers as well as yours. Because, of course, if you love that home, you can bet others will, too.

Dreams come true at this sweet 1913 Craftsman bungalow, a prime example of the charming Garvanza real estate market. 

Fulfill the dream of your very own character home with modern updates like the open kitchen with breakfast bar, the built-in shelves and French doors off the dining area, the custom-tiled main bath, the wood floors, and the welcome surprise of the additional space of the laundry area, master bedroom and bath.

Sweet romance blossoms at this lovely updated Eagle Rock home in a peaceful neighborhood.

Simplify your life and move right in to this home complete with everything you need to enjoy your summer and on!

You'll have a terraced back yard for your al fresco dining on summer nights, and a fireplace in the living room ready for those crisp winter mornings. 

Hill Drive, the most prestigious street of Eagle Rock homes, is paired with a special 1926 Spanish beauty with great bones to create a very special opportunity for just the right buyer.

Have you dreamed of owning your own single level character home in a great location? Do you wish you had a swimming pool? Do you have a great design sense and yearn to express it within the original Spanish style?

It's all here, waiting to be rediscovered and fixed up a bit.

Annandale is a neighborhood found in the southwest area of Pasadena, CA. Annandale is hillside, suburban community that is quiet and lined with old, beautiful trees. This area has a public library, fire station, private children’s center and park with approximately 700 homes. The neighborhood of Annandale is south of Colorado Boulevard and west of San Rafael Avenue.

Annandale has its own business district near Colorado Boulevard and Avenue 64. The San Rafael Park is also located near Annandale’s business district. The neighborhood consists of upper-middle class houses built sometime between 1920-1930.

Because Annandale is located on the border of Pasadena, the neighborhood has its own original feel. The numerous amounts of big trees in addition to the small lake at the district’s center give Annandale a distinct character.

Life is easy when you start (or continue!) your Eagle Rock real estate empire with this cozy bungalow located at 5064 Floristan.

Hungry? Just nip around the corner to Trader Joe's or any one of the nearby cafes and bistros. Drop off your cleaning, take a yoga class, get your hair done, shop for clothes and gifts, have a massage-- all without having to use your car. 

And home sweet home is fun and cute and easy to love with eco-friendly bamboo floors, a tidy front yard and a sweet and private backyard with a patio for your al fresco dinner parties--even a pomegranate tree for all those yummy drinks you can make.

In 1950, the California Ranch was the style of the day. Today, this 1950 Rancher is a great opportunity for buyers to jump into the Eagle Rock real estate market. 

With much of the original style intact, there are also nice modern upgrades like custom cabinets and Silestone counters in the kitchen, central air and heat, a leased solar system, and a brand new roof!

The current owners have also updated the kitchen and bathrooms, buffed and polished the floors, and maintained the house with love and care for the 15 years they've lived here.

Every now and then, someone asks me to discuss what their home is worth as “price per square foot.” Fine, then. Here is my reasoning on why determining value by price per square foot is a myth.

Looking at value in terms of price per square foot is an attempt to make value an easily quantified number that is real. Example: the average price per square foot for sales of homes in the 90041 zip code over the last 3 months is: $504. Therefore, the home at 2014 Estes Road is 1735 square feet and the value calculates out to be $874,440.  

Great. Is that a real value? Should I list my home for, say, $869,000? Maybe, maybe not. Is it really “worth” that? I have a 14,000 square foot lot. Should I add in some value for that?  Or for my central air and heat? Or my view?

Here is your chance to create your very own special retreat—a lovely 1941 ranch style home in Eagle Rock with lots of original detail and some desirable upgrades. 

The third bedroom/den has a closet and is lined with paneling to continue life as an office/guest room if you like, or...?

The kitchen has been expanded into the former utility room to allow for a dishwasher and more counter space and the laundry is now in the garage below.

Charming 1927 Craftsman bungalow now available for LEASE, we have a home in Eagle Rock!

The hardwood floors, an Arts & Crafts tile fireplace, lots of original windows, built-in cabinets in the formal dining room all add up to character, style, and a simpler time. 

The kitchen has new countertop and cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and space for a breakfast nook. 

The tidy back yard is accessed from a deck off the kitchen with sunset views, and there is lawn and a space for gardening.

So close to hip York Blvd, yet tucked away from the bustle of the edgy vibe of Highland Park.  This bungalow is one of the charminghomes in Highland Park ready for a new owner to make their own.

Imagine a life where you've worked in your studio/office all morning and take a lunch break--stroll the 20 steps to your kitchen and set out the meal on your table on the back patio.

Wander out front and listen to the birds sing as they splash in the birdbath and flit among the herbs and wild flowers in the yard.

The dream:

to own a home in Eagle Rock, sipping drinks on the deck with friends and family, watching the sun set behind the hills at the far edge of Eagle Rock and the tall buildings in downtown Glendale.

The fun continues on the huge patio below big enough for a quick basketball game and/or major alfresco bbq party—or maybe you’d rather play some soccer on the grassy lawn—

Today I want to share a story from Scott Groves with Movement Mortgage, a lender we work with frequently.  One of the big questions we get from buyers when they start their home search is "Who has the best rates?" And the truth is - picking a lender is a lot like picking a real estate agent.  Rates will change, however choosing someone you trust that can kind you through the (very complicated) process is something that will make a big impact in your home buying experience.

From Scott:
"I have to admit that I fell for it.  As a home-owner, even though I work in the industry, I am NOT immune to good advertising.  This week I was enticed by a radio ad promising the rock-bottom / lowest-rates available in all the land at NO fees.  I was borderline offended that Movement Mortgage didn't have the best rate in town and I checked out the website of one of my competitors. 

Here is what I found about the 30 year fixed rate at 3.625% the radio ad had promised:

Yearning to live in a simpler, more gracious time but still want a great floor plan, a master bedroom retreat and great neighborhood?  Have it all in this 1905 Craftsman home, new to the South Pasadena real estate market.

Step back in time with hardwood floors, wainscoting, built-in buffet, period-style fixtures. 

The floor plan flows and has become what today's homeowner dreams of: an open kitchen/dining area, a family room with original fireplace, a formal dining room with fireplace, a cozy living room that welcomes your friends coming in from the wide front porch.

The love affair with this Eagle Rock home for sale begins as you step through the wooden gate into the front garden and walk across the wide front porch into the living room.

While modernized for today's homeowner, the character of this Craftsman home has been both preserved and enhanced with new hardwood floors, dual pane windows installed inside the original window frames, a spiral wooden staircase up to the bedrooms on the second floor.

Further upgrades to the systems include copper plumbing, updated electrical, newer sewer line to the street, central heat & air and a bolted foundation.

Rare opportunity to own your own church! 

It's not every day you see a property like this come on the Garvanza real estate market.

Complete with two large and beautiful stained glass windows, high vaulted ceilings in a huge open space, and a kitchen in the large basement.

Homes in Pasadena are considered very desireable, and this 4 bedroom, 2 bath home is no exception.

Located in Garfield Heights Neighborhood Association area, known as the crown jewel of Northwest Pasadena, this graceful Craftsman home was restored and beautifully remodeled by a master cabinetmaker just before it was purchased by the current owners.

The wide front porch invites you to stop by and visit. 

In a recent Sunday Los Angeles Times, the discussion regarding the Zillow Zestimate of home values continued, as it does on Facebook and in almost every conversation that includes the question "What is my home worth?"

I love Zillow, because it embodies the essential truth of home valuation--no one really knows what a home is worth. What does Zillow know about your home? It knows the public record of its square footage, bedroom and bath count, and where it is on a map. That's about it. It doesn't know that you legally added 1500 square feet of exquisitely appointed master bedroom suite including spa bathroom and vast walk-in closet that somehow hasn't shown up on the tax records yet. It doesn't know that the house down the street that sold for $200,000 less than you think yours should was a tear-down. 

This is a great opportunity to make a piece of Eagle Rock real estate your own - this could be your own mini-lodge in the heart of the neighborhood!

Behind the 1936 Spanish facade, find a cozy updated cabin with all the modern conveniences-central air and heat, Jenn-air range, dishwasher, white granite counters, updated bath, and special space-saving features that make life in a small space special and fun.

There are built-in bookcases on either side of the wood-burning fireplace, lots of closets, a fold-up butcher block leaf to add counter space in the kitchen, a basement for the laundry and more storage shelves, plus a spacious 1.5 car garage.

All you self-employed, small business ownrs, entreprenuers, and nontraditional career works - take heart! Privlo, a new mortgage startup, just launched in California last week and they cater specifically to small business owners, entrepreneurs, Millennials with nontraditional career paths, or seasonal workers with spiky incomes - namely people with complex incomes that can't be proven on a tax return or W2, and are increasingly turned away by their banks even though they may be creditworthy.

It's an option that self employed homebuyers haven't truly had until now, as Privlo takes into account a far wider range of alternative documentation and credit criteria than a traditional lender. Here's their press release along with more info.