The three biggest energy hogs in the family room are the plasma television, DVR/Tivo box, and digital cable box.    The fun—a video game console, TV, DVR, DVD, and stereo system—that your family room provides comes with a price. By reducing standby power, using rechargeable batteries in remotes, and replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents, you could save up to $130 a year in energy costs. And if you’re in the market for a new TV, you can save even more energy by being flexible on the type you buy.   1. Reconsider that plasma TV. The three biggest energy hogs in the family room are the plasma television, DVR/Tivo box, and digital cable box, says the nonprofit American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, which promotes energy efficiency to consumers and government pol... 08/13/2010

Pacific Palisades is a district within the U.S. city of Los Angeles, California, located between Brentwood to the east, Malibu to the west, Santa Monica to the southeast, the Santa Monica Bay to the southwest, and the Santa Monica Mountains to the north. The area currently has about 27,000 residents. It is a very affluent and primarily residential area, with a mixture of large private homes, small (usually older) houses, condominiums, and apartments. It has a small central business district on Sunset Boulevard--consisting of restaurants, stores, banks, and offices--known as the "village." It also includes some large parklands and many hiking trails. Palisades Charter High School serves the neighborhood. It is known as "Where The Mountains Meet the Sea." Notable shops in the village inc... 08/01/2010

Happy Friday everyone! I hope all are well and have survived the week. Now, let's get ready for the weekend!! It was a cold and gloomy(normal lol) morning in Santa Monica. Check out my video feed from this morning http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWMX6gkXagU You can also scroll down and click play on the youtube player. Here are just a few of the exciting activities on the Westside of Los Angeles: Santa Monica Bike Path - http://www.yelp.com/biz/santa-monica-bike-path-santa-monica#hrid:q4iSpBohsJ9d8My_hsRELg Fun people out for a little exercise or a leisurely stroll with the family!  I definitely recommend going at sunset.  You have a bit more room to move and you can take in a breathtaking view of the SM Pier with the ferris wheel and the mountains in the distance.  Nice place to work ou... 07/30/2010

Happy humpday everyone! I hope you are all enjoying this wonderful hump day and are now gearing towards the downhill to the weekend fun :) Josh and I had lunch at Fiesta Feast in Pacific Palisades. Here is the video.....   Westside Properties is a full-service real estate boutique brokerage based in Pacific Palisades serving the entire Westside of Los Angeles.  We proudly represent the finest properties throughout the Westside.We work as a team and combine our extensive real estate experience, powerful resources and connections to benefit you whether you are looking you buy or sell a home in today's exciting and lucrative real estate market. Call us now to get started on the road to buying or selling your next home. 310.459.8191 or email info@wsprops.com To preview the finest real estat... 07/28/2010

We love our lawns. Turf grass covers nearly 47 million acres in the U.S., according to the Lawn Institute. But that's not very green. The average household dumps 60 gallons of water per day on conventional lawns. Toxic lawn herbicides and pesticides run off into lakes and streams. Gas-powered mowers spew pollution. And then there's the watering, weeding, seeding, sodding, thatching, and mulching commitment.   If you're looking for an alternative, consider replacing some or all of your high-maintenance turf with innovative grasses that require little or no water or mowing once established, or ground covers that form walkable "carpets." In turn, you'll reduce the need for irrigation, stop washing harmful chemicals into the watershed, add depth and texture to your landscape, and spend your... 07/25/2010

'Batman Starts,' a film directed by Palisades High students Max Groel and Harry Keenan, was just one of 33 entries selected from 180 submissions for the Fifth Annual Santa Monica Teen Film Festival.   The triumph came when their film took three of the top honors, including Best of the Fest (overall winner), best live action and the Saturday Audience Choice award. For their efforts, t...more information and picture retrieved from Palisades Post. Article by Sue Pascoe, Staff Writer.     I thought this was great and wanted to share with my readers. When I ran our family restaurant, Palisades Garden Cafe formerly Palisades Bakery, in the Village I had an opportunity to meet so many families and amazing kids. Actually, I recognize a couple of faces from the picture! Good job students! Wests... 07/24/2010

When you’re facing foreclosure, it’s critical to reach out and ask for the foreclosure help you need to save money and trouble—and possibly your home. Recruit the following five pros onto your foreclosure team. 1. A foreclosure counselor Your first step to get foreclosure help should be contacting a foreclosure counseling agency approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “A foreclosure counselor should help you evaluate your current financial situation by looking at your bank statements, tax returns, and monthly expenses and income,” says Kimberly Allman, manager of homeownership preservation at the New York Mortgage Coalition in New York City. A foreclosure counselor also can help you understand the programs available through banks and government agencies and ser... 07/23/2010

Westside Properties is a full-service real estate boutique brokerage based in Pacific Palisades serving the entire Westside of Los Angeles.  We proudly represent the finest properties throughout the Westside.We work as a team and combine our extensive real estate experience, powerful resources and connections to benefit you whether you are looking you buy or sell a home in today's exciting and lucrative real estate market. Call us now to get started on the road to buying or selling your next home. 310.459.8191 or email info@wsprops.com To preview the finest real estate and the best deals on the Westside of Los Angeles including Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, Malibu, Brentwood, Bel Air, Beverly Hills, West L.A., Marina Del Rey & Mar Vista please visit our website: http://www.westsideh... 07/17/2010

Investing in a fruit tree is a win-win-win-win proposition. You'll save money on your grocery bill; you'll improve the health of your family by assuring an ample supply of healthy produce (which you can grow organically if you want); you'll enhance your landscape with a pretty spring-flowering tree; and you'll have the satisfaction of growing your own food. As a bonus, the whole family will learn a delicious lesson about nature and gardening.   "With fruit trees, the return you get on your input is quite a bit," says Ron Perry, a Michigan State University professor of horticulture who specializes in fruit trees.Your investment is minimal; figure $20 to $30 for a young tree and perhaps an hour to plant it. From that point, you'll also need patience. Most fruit trees take three years to s... 07/13/2010

dear homebuyer, Thank you for considering to sign up to receive email updates of new real estate listings from Westside Properties (http://www.westsidehomefinder.com). Your Property Organizer provides a convenient way to: Save Current Listings that you are interested in Manage your Email Update service View all properties that match your email update settings Save your Property Search criteria for later use Keep track of interesting properties to share with family members and friends Click here to activate your Property Organizer To use your Property Organizer, you may: Enter directly from here Login on the Website Click on any property in an Email Update Click the "Modify" link in any Email Update Search for properties and click "Save" on any property listing you are interested in. Te... 07/12/2010

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend! Here is today's breakdown: Westside Weather Pacific Palisades, CA 69°F Current: Partly CloudyWind: SW at 7 mphHumidity: 68% Malibu, CA 81°F Current: Partly CloudyWind: W at 7 mphHumidity: 50% Santa Monica, CA 69°F Current: Partly CloudyWind: SW at 7 mphHumidity: 68% Beverly Hills, CA 76°F Current: Partly CloudyWind: S at 5 mphHumidity: 54% Brentwood, CA 80°F Current: Partly CloudyWind: S at 5 mphHumidity: 48% How to of the Day Forget Frisbees. Challenge your friends to a discus throwing competition: Just in Case: 7 Methods for Fishing Without Fishing Gear Top Stories via Google News BP oil spill: Barack Obama's investigators take cautious first steps - The Guardian Gunman kills 2, then himself in Albuquerque office shooting - Los Angel... 07/12/2010

Today, My business partner, Josh, and I had the opportunity to attend the technology seminar provided by NAR. Max Pigman spoke about everything from FaceBook to iPads. Here is our list of technology do's: Facebook Twitter Linkedin REALTOR.com renren Although Westside Properties already are members of most of these services, there is always room for improvement! Please post a comment with any sites that you enjoy for social/business networking. Thanks Westside Properties is a full-service real estate boutique brokerage based in Pacific Palisades serving the entire Westside of Los Angeles.  We proudly represent the finest properties throughout the Westside.We work as a team and combine our extensive real estate experience, powerful resources and connections to benefit you whether you are ... 07/09/2010

President Obama signed a bill this morning extending the closing deadline for the federal home buyer tax credit to Sept. 30, 2010. The bill is retroactive and covers the lapse period from June 30, 2010 to the date of enactment of the extension. Congress passed the bill earlier this week. Nearly 180,000 home buyers would have missed out on the tax credit had Congress and the president not taken action to extend the deadline to close escrow. Estimates from NAR show as many as 17,700 home buyers in California would not have received the tax credit without the extension. More info: http://www.realtor.org/home_buyers_and_sellers/2009_first_time_home_buyer_tax_credit Westside Properties is a full-service real estate boutique brokerage based in Pacific Palisades serving the entire Westside of... 07/08/2010

What use to be a hidden town secret is now becoming a local household name on the Westside for traditional Mexican food. Kay 'n Dave's Mexican food is absolutely amazing! Here is some information I gathered from their website: We Began in 1991 when Dave bought a run down cantina on P.C.H. in Malibu.  Other locations followed:  Pacific Palisades in 1992; Brentwood in 1995; and Culver City in 2009.  Before starting this business, Dave was a lawyer who didn't enjoy wearing a tie, sitting behind a desk, or dealing with stacks of papers.  So he decided to give business a try.  Within a few months of leaving law and taking over the Malibu spot, he ran out of money and maxed out his credit cards.  He also realized he had no talent for waiting tables or managing staff.  So he focused on his cus... 07/08/2010

Happy Thursday everyone! I hope you are enjoying the shortened week. Friday is right around the corner. Here are the hotsheet links for the areas of your choice. These are up to date listing details. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or requests. PACIFIC PALISADES - SANTA MONICA - MALIBU - BRENTWOOD BEVERLY HILLS - WESTWOOD/CENTURY CITY - MARINA DEL REY VENICE - TOPANGA - CULVER CITY - PLAYA DEL REY - PLAYA VISTA WEST L.A. - BEL-AIR - BEVERLY HILLS PO - BEVERLY CENTER/MIRACLE MILE Westside Properties is a full-service real estate boutique brokerage based in Pacific Palisades serving the entire Westside of Los Angeles. We proudly represent the finest properties throughout the Westside. We work as a team and combine our extensive real estate experience, powerful reso... 07/08/2010

4th of July Concert and Fireworks in the Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles! If you're looking for somewhere to watch fireworks tonight, head on over to Palisades Charter High School for a concert and fireworks show that is sure to knock your socks off! Event Details: Date & Time:      Sunday, July 4, 2010      Gates Open 6:00 p.m.     Entertainment Begins at 6:30pm     Fireworks 9:00pm Location:       Palisades Charter High School Admission:      $2 per person. Proceeds to benefit the Palisades Charter H.S. Music Department. Enjoy! -- Danny   07/04/2010

  WHAT IS AN REO? What is it? REO stands for "Real Estate Owned". These are properties that have been through foreclosure and are now owned by the bank.The REO property did not find a buyer during foreclosure auction.  The bank will see to the removal of tax liens, evict occupants if needed and generally prepare for the issuance of a title insurance policy to the buyer at closing. What to look out for REO's may be exempt from normal disclosure requirements. In California, for example, banks are exempt from giving a Transfer Disclosure Statement normally requires the sellers to tell you about any defects they are aware of with their property Banks always sell REO properties "as is", you should include an inspection contingency in your offer that gives you time to check for hidden damage ... 07/03/2010

What makes a community walkable? Dan Burden, founder of Walkable Communities, has developed a 12-step checklist for defining, achieving, or strengthening a walkable community. Among the items on his list: a welcoming public space where people can gather and socialize, speed-controlled key streets, pedestrian-centric design, and a town center with a wide variety of shops and businesses. Examples of walkable communities include Pacific Palisades, CA; Santa Monica, CA; Venice, CA; some areas of Malibu, CA; Marina Del Rey, CA     Westside Properties is a full-service real estate boutique brokerage based in Pacific Palisades serving the entire Westside of Los Angeles.  We proudly represent the finest properties throughout the Westside.We work as a team and combine our extensive real estate e... 05/30/2010

Pacific Palisades hotsheet: There are 1 New Listings on the market today that match your parameters. There are 3 Changed Listings that now match your settings. Click Here to View All Matching Properties New Listings 900 LACHMAN LANE, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 List Price: $1,729,000 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2372 sq. ft. Single-Family Residence     View the property flyer.   Unobstructed panoramic views of the city, ocean, coastline, Catalina & surrounding canyons from this original mid-century Upper Marquez home. A classic 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom 2,372 sq ft home on a 10,380 sq ft lot. Enjoy the views from living room, kitchen, master bedroom & large enclosed sunroom. Sunroom opens to flat yard with room for a pool. Inside laundry, 2 car garage, gated courtyard entry from street. Owner ... 05/30/2010

Happy Monday everyone!! I hope you all had a great weekend. Westside Properties had a great May mixer...we are still recovering from the Merlot and Stellas :) A special thank you to my wonderful wife for being the best party liaison!! We couldn't have done it without you. I had to share this article with you....   Freddie Mac: Mortgage Rates Hit Yearly Low May 21, 2010 By J.W. Elphinstone NEW YORK-U.S. borrowers can get the cheapest mortgages this year, thanks to worries over European debt, and that could keep homebuyers active even after the expiration of a tax credit designed to lift sales. Mortgage rates fell to their lowest level of the year this week as yields on U.S. government securities fell, Freddie Mac said Thursday. Fixed mortgage rates tend to follow the yield of 10-year Tre... 05/24/2010