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Michael Collins, a well-known specialist in homes, condos and other prime properties on the Westside. He has consistently received top accolades throughout his real estate career.

He is one of the most successful real estate professionals in Los Angeles.

His real estate career spans over 23 years in which he has continually achieved outstanding sales production and has earned an impeccable standing in the real estate community.

Direct Phone: (310) 281-3915

http://michaelhcollins.com

reBlog from David Findley: Los Angeles Dogs: Where to Enjoy the Beach with Your Dogs

I found this fascinating quote today:

Los Angeles Dogs: Where to Enjoy the Beach with Your DogsbyDavid Findleyon June 6, 2010David Findley, Los Angeles Dogs: Where to Enjoy the Beach with Your Dogs, Jun 2010

You should read the whole article.

A week in review

I have not blogged in some time, work has been steady and satisfying. A listing I had finally closed this past Friday, it had been on the market for over a year. I was put on the market as a conventional sale and as time went on and information came apparent, it became a short-sale, we had a very interested buyer who choice to stick it out for the long run and eventually this buyer got the property, he had a persistent and smart agent and my sellers had a strong negotiator who made the deal happen. A long and happy ending. I am also in the process of closing a deal with client who I have really enjoyed working with, they are selling these house and buying another, they were a referral from a gentlemen who bought my very first home, I don't know him all that well but he was kind enough to send these clients my way. I only mention this because these days of stressful deals, it is such a pleasure to work with nice, gracious and appreciative people, these guys are. These are stressful times in the real estate industry, we're all feeling beaten up but occasionally we have the opportunity to work with people who understand the pressure we're all under to perform and make good. I try to hold myself to a higher standard and go the extra mile, I always will. Happy Memorial Day to all.

How important a good reputation can be

Today I met a client at a new condo building that was opening for the first time today. My client had been following its completion for the past 3 months with great anticipation. We got there at 10am sharp in the rain and were both surprised at what a great project it turned out to be. The construction quality was beyond what I would have thought based on the price point and I think my client agreed based on the many properties he's seen over the past 3 months. What made it an even more pleasant surprise was the listing agent who I had never met seemed to know me and when I introduced myself to him and my client, he could not have been nicer and more accommodating to my clients questions and went on and on, to my discomfort on what a great reputation I have and how lucky my client is to be working with me.

That stuff aside, what matters to me most is that my client is well taken care of and I know that this made him feel good about the entire experience, so far. I really try to be a good person, treat people right and be kind and complimentary to all. Life is tough and we need to treat each other with kindness and respect, little to ask and easy to accomplish.

20 Cities Surviving the Recession

This recession has been a brutal one for many job-seekers. The job market has deteriorated in many parts of the country, but some cities were harder hit than others, and some cities are starting to emerge from the recession, offering new job opportunities.

Things do seem to be improving on the jobs front — at least in some places. Indeed, Forbes offers a list of cities where the recession is easing, based on data from the 40 largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas. Yahoo Hot Jobs also reports on cities that are offering expected job growth in 2010. Here are 20 cities where the recession is ending — and you might be able to find a job.

Washington, D.C.

The nation’s capital is on its way to recovery from the recession, and this includes Arlington and Alexandria in Virginia. Job growth is beginning, and home prices appear to be stabilizing somewhat. The government is hiring again, and that is helping matters for the D.C. area as well.

Austin, Texas

The Austin area has seen good job growth even during the recession, ranking number one in that category between 2007 and 2009. The capital of Texas has been somewhat protected from the effects of recession, and enjoys a solid three-year job growth forecast. Texas has been a good place to be this entire recession, and Austin is one of the leaders.

Minneapolis

The Minneapolis-St. Paul area is doing well, also, providing a beacon of economic hope in the Midwest. While the job growth potential isn’t as good as in some Texas cities, Minneapolis nevertheless shows solid progress in job creation, and offers a degree of stability in the housing market.

Dallas

Another Texas town, Dallas is offering some encouraging signs of economic recovery and job creation. Included in this area is Fort Worth and Arlington. While not as far along as Austin, Dallas still provides a number of opportunities for those looking to escape some of the ravages of recession.

Denver

Nestled high in the Rocky Mountains, it is easy, sometimes, to overlook Denver. However, this is a mistake if you are looking to escape the recession. The city might have been a little slow during the recession, but it appears to be coming out of the funk nicely, with a decent jobs growth forecast and a relatively stable housing market.

Houston

Again, the resiliency of Texas is seen in the Houston area. There is a good job growth forecast for the next three years, and Houston even saw a positive ranking during 2007 through 2009 — during the height of the recession. And it looks like Houston is ready to hit a period of economic growth running.

San Antonio, Texas

There’s just no escaping Texas. San Antonio has the distinction of being number one out of metro areas when it comes to the three-year job growth forecast. It was even number two on the job growth list for 2007-2009. If you are looking for a job to help you overcome your own personal recession, you might consider San Antonio.

Boston

The area that includes Boston, Cambridge and Quincy in Massachusetts is providing a nice Northeastern haven from the recession in some ways. Home prices are relatively stable, the city saw reasonable job growth during the recession. While the three-year forecast for job growth isn’t as impressive, the city nonetheless is showing signs of economic life.

Los Angeles

It may come as a surprise that Forbes considers L.A. on this list. However, the area including L.A., Long Beach and Santa Ana is showing some signs of rebounding. The metro area has a large gross domestic product, and the three-year job growth forecast is ranked 12, showing that improvement is on the way.

Kansas City, Mo.

Another Midwestern gem, Kansas City is showing that it is ready to climb out of the recession. The three-year job growth forecast in Kansas City is ranked 14. The city kept jobs reasonably well during the recession, and is now looking forward, with job creation and with stabilizing home prices.

Fort Hood, Texas

This Army base, and the surrounding areas of Killeen and Temple, provide jobs in the form of health care services and other services needed to keep the base running. There is also high demand for higher education jobs, and the fact that military base consolidation is going to Fort Hood means future opportunities.

Salt Lake City

This mountain city is known for its quality jobs and technology industry. The entire state of Utah saw minimal fallout from subprime lending, even though the local real estate market did fall. Cutbacks at the state level are modest, and there are good opportunities for growth in Salt Lake City.

Durham, N.C.

There are a number of industries that are helping Durham move out of its recession funk, including pharmaceutical, higher education and research. While prices fell during the recession, they appear to be stabilizing as population growth encourages demand for homes. Yahoo considers Durham a professional hot spot.

McAllen, Texas

This area includes Mission and Edinburg. Like the rest of the metro areas in Texas, McAllen is showing promise for the future. Employment growth has happened even during the recession, and there is demand for technology and business professionals. Service industries are also doing reasonably well in McAllen.

Lafayette, La.

Energy is one of the major industries in Louisiana, and Lafayette stands to gain as the economy improves. Recent increases in oil prices have been helping the city out of the recession. Lafayette shows future promise as it tries to develop additional industries that are less dependent on fluctuating energy prices.

Olympia, Wash.

With its state government jobs, the capital of Washington is attractive. Additionally, it is seeing job growth helping it out of the recession as businesses choose Olympia over the high costs in Seattle. Business growth has helped the city move out of the recession, but state government employment is expected to decline.

Raleigh, N.C.

Throughout the recession, Raleigh’s strong underlying business community and higher education community helped reduce exposure. This base is giving Raleigh, even though it did suffer during the recession, a strong foundation for recovery moving forward. There is special emphasis on the technology and services industries in Raleigh.

Huntsville, Ala.

The home of Space Camp is also known for an economy that is considered fairly diverse. There is a growing military base that should bring in new jobs, and the variety of jobs already there, including professional, research, technology and manufacturing, are creating a solid base for recovery from the recession.

The next two cities may not be completely ready for economic recovery, but they show promise since they are among those listed as good cities for green energy jobs. If you are looking to ride the wave of future jobs in green industries, you might consider the following cities as possible candidates.

Portland, Ore.

This city is considered among the most sustainable in the U.S. A growing percentage of Oregon’s jobs are in green industries. However, Portland continues to struggle with high unemployment. But with the continued interest in green energy, especially as the economy improves, the city might find itself in a better position soon.

San Francisco

Like Portland, San Francisco is still reeling a little bit from the recession. However, the city shows signs of getting ready for a recovery, and part of that is due to green energy. Permits for LEED-certified buildings are up, and that means construction workers will be needed.

Finding a job in this economy is still difficult, even in some of the cities that are seeing a measure of recovery from the recession. The job hunt still requires that you get things in order, and that you persist in your efforts. Looking in certain cities, though, might help increase your chances of finding a job and overcoming your own personal recession.

Los Angeles Top 10 Best Walking Neighborhoods

his top 10 list is as scientific as it can be with one person compiling the facts from a sampling of some Los Angeles residents. (Read: those I come into contact with — a diverse, albeit narrow group.) So as with science, my findings are totally debatable.
So I present: The 10 Best Walking Neighborhoods in L.A., with a couple honorable mentions thrown in.

Got others? Let’s hear your opinions. Unlike stodgy scientists in labcoats, I can be swayed without Petri dishes, or excruciatingly long documentation in wording suitable for the SATs.

While the list is in numerical order, that’s only for the sake of order. I repeat, the numbers are arbitrary. No need for West Side Story-type rivalries to ensue. Los Angeles, let’s be neighborly….

1. Between the Ocean and Lincoln, Washington Boulevard and Just North of Montana.
If you think I’m going to slice and dice this area of Venice and Santa Monica, you’re nuts. The whole thing is great: Abbot Kinney, the Venice Canals, Main Street and Montana Ave. in Santa Monica, and all along the water. So I’m counting it as one. (The beach is like pizza, even when it’s not so good it’s still good.).

2. Bronson Canyon.
So many options — especially for a culinary outings. You can hike up the canyon or walk to the Bougeois Pig for a coffee. You can eat some really good chicken at Birds (and enjoy a divine Cadillac Margarita) or get yummy pre-prepared foods at Gelson’s Market. Pass a lovely evening at La Poubelle (even though in French it means “garbage bin”), or get some eggs or late night grub at 101 Cafe. For the post-meal walk, there are quiet streets with lovely homes. You even have the choice of an easy stroll or taking on some hills. Oh, and don’t forget the Scientology people-watching. (Why do they walk around in pairs looking at the flora and fauna?)

3. Charleville and Beverly Drive to Robertson and Olympic.
This part of L.A. has quiet, charming streets and lots of local shops to sample: salons, coffee shops, restaurants, etc. You can walk this area and enjoy the flowers, palms, manicured lawns and chirping birds. You live in Los Angeles for this — take advantage!

4. Vermont and Franklin.
You’ve got the great bookstore Skylight Books, the famous pies from House of Pies, and blocks of charming neighborhood to explore. You can even head up to Griffith Park if you are feeling particularly jaunty, or you can leave the car behind and walk up to the Greek Theatre for great summer shows. You can also hit Barnsdall Park with its amazing art program. This park with the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house makes a great picnic spot to enjoy a lovely day or find your inner Renoir. You won’t believe you are on Hollywood Boulevard. But back to the pies, don’t skip the pies. They are that good.

5. Larchmont and Beverly Boulevard.
You have blocks of quiet, gorgeous streets to roam and the lovely shops on Larchmont to sate your window-shopping habit. You can also venture up to Melrose for Hollywood-classic restaurant Lucy’s El Adobe or an Astroburger. Wander this part of Hancock Park for hours to enjoy winding avenues, old Hollywood homes and sunshine.

6. Fountain Between La Cienega and Fairfax.
This area has some of Los Angeles’ most unique homes, but it’s not for the faint of heart as it is on quite a hill. While not an easy walking spot, it is an enjoyable one. You have stores of every possible kind, tanning salons (a given), smoothie shops, hotels, dry cleaners, dog stores and more. Actually, this area dips to Santa Monica and up to Sunset, so you can really get your walk on. And there are unique places to find, like William S. Hart Park — a former ranch left to the citizens of Weho to enjoy when its cowboy-star owner passed away.

7. Melrose and La Cienega.
Now I don’t mean that particular intersection, but if you are on these blocks, head away from the main roads and you’ll discover lovely streets to roam. There are also tons of coffee shops, restaurants and now, high-end stores as well. But really, the homes and streets around here are the draw. Most people think of this area as where to go for Urth — or what you drive through to get to Sunset or Beverly Hills. They are missing out. It’s so lovely for a walkabout.

8. Silver Lake.
The area around the lake is so charming and relaxing, you won’t believe you are seconds from Downtown. Stroll the lakeside, detour up some hillside lane and get lost in the maze of micro-neighborhoods. You’ve got streets and local spots to explore, amazing homes to find (the architecture of some is crazy) and a variety of people and styles. Added bonus: amazing views when you get to higher ground.

9. Echo Park.
C’mon, people, this area even offers walking tours! And yes, I am talking about the actual Echo Park and area surrounding it. It’s got Los Angeles history (you’ll feel like you stepped back in time here), Hollywood history (Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and “Gilligan’s Island” were shot here) and good, fun things to see and do. In the summer there is a paddleboat competition (genius) and it’s a nice place to roam. Surprise find: Santa Monica isn’t the only place with great stairs to climb, either.

10. Baldwin Hills.
People love to run from other parts of L.A. over to this part of town to get in a great workout and enjoy one of the best views of Los Angeles. This plot of land was the site of the first Olympic Village in 1932, when the Summer Games were held in L.A.. And you know that back then they could have picked pick anywhere, so that’s saying something. Baldwin Hills has often been called the Black Beverly Hills as Ray Charles, Tina Turner and more recently John Singleton lived in the area. The neighborhood’s big, old homes always make me feel like I’ve stepped back into the ’50s. And the views and history of the area (its Baldwin Hills Village complex is a National Historic Landmark) make it one of L.A.’s best.

Honorable Mentions:

Hollywood Dell.
Not many people know about it, which is why it’s so lovely. The area is a hilly collection of roads, and when the reservoir was open it was a great several-mile loop with great views of Hollywood estates. After the rains a few years ago it closed, but it’s still worth the walk around the neighborhood and what is, to my mind, the best view of the Hollywood sign.

Little Tokyo in Downtown L.A.
There are great gardens, Buddhist temples, museums (including the Geffen Contemporary), restaurants and more to explore. Walking tours, too. It’s an L.A. cultural gem.

So, fellow Angelenos, did i miss anything?

Mission Accomplished

Today I had an opportunity to go on a listing meeting that was originally not granted to me. This seller called me, asked me to come over to his home to take a look and discuss pricing and marketing. I was not available for a few days so we scheduled it out two days. He then called me the next day to say that he wanted to cancel the meeting, he had hired another agent. (a message) I called him back and got his cell VM, I thanked him for the call and suggested that I would still like the opportunity to meet with him, if only for a few minutes. I did not hear back from him for over a week and assumed that he had signed a contract with the other agent. He called me this morning and asked me to come over to meet with him, I did not ask any questions, went prepared and had a really nice meeting with him. It turned out he thought about it and was not happy with the energy level of the agent he met and wanted someone younger (I love that) and with more energy. I learned two things from this experience, one always follow-up with a call or a note, be nice and wish people well and two, never delay a meeting, when someone wants to meet, do it as soon as possible. Don't give them time to meet others. Let them meet you first.

Picasso and Real Estate

Some mistresses are more valuable than others. On Tuesday night, Christie's New York sold Pablo Picasso's bold 1932 portrait of his lover Marie-Thérèse Walter, "Nude, Green Leaves and Bust," for $106.5 million, making it the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction.

"I think the Picasso illustrates what has been true in good and bad economic times — the very best works of art continue to sell at a premium," said Marc Porter, chairman of Christie's Americas. He said the nine bidders active after the opening bid of $58 million "came from all over: Asia, the U.S., and Europe, including the former Soviet republic."

At press time, the buyer, who had placed the winning bid of $95 million (which, including buyer's fees, amounts to $106.5 million) by telephone, was not identified.

The painting came from the estate of Frances Brody, the Los Angeles arts patron who died last year at age 93. Her husband Sidney, a real estate developer, died in 1983. The estate consigned this Picasso to Christie's along with some 80 other artworks. The most valuable pieces, including sculptures by Alberto Giacometti, went up for auction Tuesday night; the remainder are slated for Wednesday morning.

The previous world record for a work sold at auction was held, albeit briefly, by Giacometti's 6-foot-tall sculpture "Walking Man I." Sotheby's London sold the bronze earlier this year for 65 million pounds, or $104.3 million.

While a handful of paintings reportedly have changed hands privately for amounts surpassing $100 million, only one other painting has broken this ceiling at auction. It was also by Picasso.

In 2004, Sotheby's sold "Boy With a Pipe," the artist's 1905 Blue Period masterpiece, for $104.2 million, including buyer's fees. In 2006, Sotheby's approached this benchmark with Picasso's edgy 1941 portrait of another mistress, Dora Maar, known to be more emotionally and intellectually challenging. It sold for $95.2 million.

The Brodys originally bought "Nude, Green Leaves and Bust" in January 1951 from Paul Rosenberg's New York gallery for $19,800 (about $166,000 in today's dollars).

The painting is a colorful, sensual image of Walter, whom the artist had originally picked up outside the Paris department store Galeries Lafayette when she was 17. When this painting was made, she was 22 and Picasso 50.

Not like his wife

Picasso's portraits of his wife at the time, the Russian ballerina Olga Khokhlova, are often dark in palette and relatively restrained formally. His portraits of Walter, who was blond and athletic, tend to be more exuberant, bursting with foliage and sunny colors.

He painted Walter frequently in the first months of 1932, a feverish period in which he was preparing for a retrospective at Galerie Georges Petit in Paris.

He painted her asleep in an armchair in "Le Rêve," now owned by Steve Wynn. He depicted her looking ripe if not pregnant in "Girl Before a Mirror," which has been in the Museum of Modern Art collection almost as long as there has been a collection.

The founding director of the MoMA, Alfred Barr Jr., once described this series of portraits as "unlike anything he had done before in their great sweeping curves, which are echoed in several paintings with philodendron leaves."

Reached before the sale, Christie's Impressionist/Modern art head Conor Jordan said that the significance of these related works helps to establish the importance of "Nude, Green Leaves and Bust."

But he also thought the work stood on its own. "It's such a spectacular painting about love, lust, obsession, possession," Jordan added. "I haven't shown it to anyone who has not been totally bowled over by it." He had placed an estimate on "Nude, Green Leaves and Bust" of $70 million to $90 million.

Christie's was literally banking on a sky-high price in one respect: It had offered the Brody estate a "guarantee," ensuring a minimum price for some artworks regardless of outcome. The practice — really a tool for auction houses to win material away from competitors — has become less popular in the industry recently because of the economy.

"After the downturn of 2008," Jordan said, "we said guarantees would cease to be everyday business. But we knew we would make an exception when something exceptional comes along."

New York economist Michael Moses, who has developed indexes tracking sales at auction, calls the Brody Picasso "a good example of a wealth preserver."

"Here is an artist who has been famous for nearly 100 years, and he's still outperforming the rest of his market," Moses said. "So a collector parking a lot of money into a Picasso painting feels pretty confident that he will not lose money on it."

Will provisions

By the terms of Frances Brody's will, a portion from the sale of her estate will go to the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, where she served on the board of overseers for 20 years.

Huntington President Steven S. Koblik said the exact amount would not be known until both Christie's auctions are completed and the Brodys' home in Holmby Hills, which A. Quincy Jones designed in 1949, has been sold. Linda May and Jade Mills of Coldwell Banker in Beverly Hills put the house on the market this week with a listing price of $24.95 million.

Koblik would not comment on whether Frances Brody's will gives the Huntington a flat percentage of the house and art proceeds or uses a more elaborate formula. "I am not able to give you specific numbers," he said, "but I can say we are a major heir."

By Jori Finkel, Los Angeles Times

May 5, 2010

The Listing Meeting

Today I had a listing meeting with a potentially new client. What made today unique is I had been referred this seller by an agent in my office, the owner is a very close friend of the owner, very close friend, they travel together and spend a great deal of time together. I think the seller wanted to put some distance between there biggest asset, there home and there close friend + the agent in my office is not selling real estate full-time anymore and the seller wanted someone who works in real estate 24/7. The seller is a delightful, smart, funny and informed person. We had, what I thought a great meeting and connected on many different areas. The seller was very candid about the other agents met in the process of interviewing candidates; also very candid about there observations of these agents and there individual presentations. I am always very curious to know what the public thinks about us as we bare our souls in the listing meeting, praying we say the right things, we get the price right, we compliment them on the right things and that there is a "connection" I think it went well....time will tell.

Being Appreciated

Today we closed an escrow of a property we had listed late fall 2009, then took it off the market in November and relisted it again in February of this year. We thought it was smart to give it a rest from Thanksgiving to Spring of the new year. We brought it back on $50,000.00 less the second round, the market was doing a little better and there seemed to be a little more consumer confidence in the air. Soon after we relisted the property an agent in our office brought this really nice young woman through the house and finally it was love at first sight, she saw it, brought her mom back for a 2nd look, she loved it and the deal was made. I have to admitt that these days it's rare when a buyer is really in love with a property and has to have it. Most buyers seem a biot ambivolant and not really attached to the deal. The buyer, buyers mom and sellers became fast friends and it was one of the nicest, smoothest deals we've done in a long time. I got the following email from the sellers today and wanted to share it with you, only because it is nice to be recognized for ones hard work, it feels good and in my business does not happen enough.

May 2, 2010

"Any home sale is emotional but it was especially so during the recent financial crisis. Michael proved to be both realistic and effective while encouraging us to be patient and wait for the perfect buyer. When the buyer arrived, Michael was also very helpful in fostering a relationship between us and the person purchasing our home. It turned out to be a sweet and memorable transaction that both sides were very happy with. Michael's professionalism, honesty, and good attitude had a lot to do with everyone coming out of the deal feeling that they had been well-served."

Compliment those who do good deeds, tell them that you appreicate what they have done for you. A simple act of kindness goes a long way.

Houston, Texas

I've been in Houston, Texas for the past 4 days....a very different world from Los Angeles. My partner owns some real estate here and stays on top of the Houston real estate market, very different and most encouraging if you live and work here. We looked at many homes over this trip and the price per sqaure foot, the lot sizes and the architecture are really quite incredible. The area we looked at is call The Heights, it is a historic neighborhood with some homes dating before the turn of the century, these homes have soul and character, some are large sitting on 1.5 to 3 lots. huge porches, gable roofs, raised foundations, gas lights. There is a feeling of history and days gone by. The Heights is located 10 minutes out of the busseling downtown area and a wonderful repose after a hard days work. I am not sure I could live here, especially after experiencing 4 days of heat and humidity but I can tell it's a nice way of life, you can really buy a nice home for $350,000.00 and I promise you, it feels like a real home. Back to Los Angeles tonight.

Relationships with People

A seasoned agent friend of mine told me 20+ years ago that you can only gain a reputation once. This has always stuck with me and when I conduct business with colleagues, vendors and friends, I am always very conscious on how I treat them, I slip occasionally but when I know I've been rude or short with someone, I call them back and apologies. This is not at all about how perfect I am, this is about trying to be aware of how I treat and interact with others. I mess up all the time, get worked up over something and say stupid, sometimes nasty things. It probably also stems from me wanting to be liked by all. However I got there, it really feels bad to me to be mean to others, I do it, I hate that I do it and I try to correct. I think I've gotten nicer and more patient over the years but time will tell.

Closing the deal

Today I closed two very long escrows, one client that started looking at homes almost a year and a half ago. Initially they started looking to lease something here in town, they live part time in New York and spend a lot of time lately in Los Angeles. After looking at a lot of property, the finally decided they should buy a home here, that search took over six months and interesting thing about them, husband and wife, they both thought they were on the same page about what style and type of home they were interested in but in the end, they both had very different ideas about what they really liked. It was complicated but in the end worked out. I think they picked out a lovely home in the perfect neighborhoood, quiet, private and secluded.

The other deal was a large condominium in Century City, my partner Daniel and I were the second agents to get the listing, the seller an older gentleman, needed to sell in order to maintain his lifestyle as he grows older. His daughters were basicaly in control of the deal and orchestrated the final deal. It was emotion packed, very sad and tough watching he and his daughers interact, I am sure it brought up old family feelings and rememberance of the loss of his wife, there mother and how life just moves so quickly and our immortality.

I am glad they are both done, took a lot of work and energy but I think the end result was good for everyone.

The Uncertainty of Appraisals

Today I met an appraiser at one of my listings. He was an odd fellow, said very little and ask few questions. I offered to help him in any way I could but he refused. I talked up all of the wonderful points of the property; view, size of rooms, outdoor area, pool and guest house. He remained completley unemotional. When he was done I walked to his car and offered to email him comparible sales (comps), he said he would contact me if he felt he needed them. OH WHAT A FRUSTRATING process this is, relying on people you do not know, hoping they are educated about the area they are appraising, hoping they "get" the value of the property and waiting for the final result via the lender. I guess I understand how cautious these people need to be after the devastating damage done over the past couple of years based on inaccurate and trumped up appraisals. I uncomfortable with the unknown.

The perfect marriage

Today I spent most of my morning at inspections at my listing at 2366 Astral Drive off of upper Nichols Canyon (www.2366AstralDrive.com) The buyers and the sellers were all in attendance, many agents get uncomfortable with such meetings but I feel that in many cases that when both parties meet and have a little love fest it helps reinforce the deal. In this case I have the most wonderful sellers and the buyers are a lovely young couple about to have a baby who are in love with the house. One of my sellers is the architect who designed the house and I felt that he could answer many of the inspectors questions while on site and possibly defer any concerns the buyer might have. It worked like a dream and it was and will be the perfect marriage of the right buyers for the right house and I truly beielve that it will also help the deal move along easier as the sellers and buyers now have a face and are no longer the other side negotiating with each other, now there is a personal connection. This is one of the parts I like best about my job.

Friday's Breakfast

I have breakfast with my friend Jude every Friday morning at Il Forneio in Beverly Hills, she is a very old friend of mine and also a colleague, she is a Title Rep for Equity Title Company. We catch-up on the past weeks events and because of our history we speak about mutual friends as well. This mornings topic was communication and our frustration with people not returning calls & emails in a timely manner. I am festidius about returning all calls and email the same day I receive them, even if that means at 11:59pm, Jude is the same. The real estate business moves so fast and is such a instant gratification type business, clients and agents want to know now and with Blackberry's and IPhones, there is really no excuse not to get back to people quickly. There is something very comforting about knowing you have a weekly standing breakfast date with a good friend + we have our favorite waiter Rudy and the food is delicious.

First Day of Blogging - April 21, 2010

Welcome to my first day of blogging. I was at first resistant to the idea of doing this but I was at a friends birthday party this past Sunday night and and the host who I am friendly with and I struck up a conversation anout social media and how important it is to let people know what you do and how you do it, he suggested that it is important to blog and not only write what is going on in my business world but to tell it honestly and candidly. So here I go. I am just finishing up closing a large deal with some wonderful clients of mine, there business manager is in NY and as you may or may not know, selling real estate in New York is done completely different then in California. They do not use an escrow company to transact the deal, they use attorneys who has the deal out and close it. We've had a few miscommunications over the past 45 days, our way of selling homes is so different, this business manger is a very nice man and very smart, he is also very protective of his clients. I have enjoyed working with him for the past year + and now as we come to the end of this process, I sense his frustration with the deal and I am sure with me as well. It will close next week but the last 10% of the deal have been frustrating for all.