Divorce Buyout Refinancing Explained   It's a sobering fact that nearly 50% of married couples will decide to go their separate ways each year. But what happens when there's jointly owned real estate involved? And what if that home has a mortgage on it as well? What's the process for one spouse "buying out" the other and how can any couple best plan for this division? Obviously, a marital separation is stressful enough.  The short video below aims to make it a little less so, at least when it comes to understanding the home loan options.  Oh, and we rock some Frontiers-era Journey while we're at it...   Ready to take a journey with us and rock the divorce buyout process?  Please give me a like or subscribe on YouTube!  Break those chains that bind you,  Rob SpinosaSVP of Mortgage Lendin... 02/17/2022

Let’s look at the cost to buy a home in Santa Monica over the past year. We will look at the median price of a single family home and condo and compare it to the same period last year. We will break it down by zip code and take a look at the price per square foot. The median of 318 single family homes sold in Santa Monica as a whole over the past year is $3.323M with an average price per square foot of $1,379. The median price of 598 condos sold is $1,125M with an average price per square foot of $948. Since each area of Santa Monica is unique, let’s break down the sales by zip code: 90401 7 SF homes sold for a median price of $5.1M with an average price per sq. ft. of $1,750. 28 condos sold for a median price of $1.104M with an average price per sq. ft. of $981. 90402   144 SF homes so... 10/27/2021

Speechless Sunday: Don't Grow UP!!!  Wishing you a safe Wishing you a safe and healthy life and I look forward to your comments. If you are looking for a knowledgeable, focused and goal-oriented Realtor in the Beverly Hills area who will help you achieve your Real Estate goals, please reach out to me directly! If you are looking for a pet friendly Beverly Hills Realtor who can handle and sell the most difficult properties that no one else could, please reach out to me directly!! If you are considering buying or selling a home, a luxury home, luxury investment real estate, luxury vacation homes, or luxury beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu, feel free to contact me at 310.486.1002 ( ... 07/11/2021

Santa Monica, CA : Another destination city for tourists and movie buffs from all over the Globe. Would you believe it, Santa Monica  is less than eight miles to Beverly Hills? Most tourists head to the Santa Monica Pier to get their first viewing of the Pacific Ocean. Then from there they start branching out to the various directions. In case you did not know this is where Route 66 ends, that is at the Santa Monica Pier.I always bring our friends and visitors to the beach, but we do it in the form of visiting Shutters on The Beach and/or Casa del Mar the sister Luxury Hotels. They are the only two hotels in Santa Monica that have the beach as their back yard. Just as an interesting trivia many years ago, as in about three decades ago before it became Casa del Mar, it was the home to th... 04/30/2021

Today I was at the dentist again... go figure last Monday I was there so you might say I had nothing better to do than go today.... well yes and no...with that said check out this message I saw while I was waiting for my next appointment:))   what a powerful message. In today's Fear induced environment: JUST Breather:))Wishing you a safe and healthy life and I look forward to your comments.If you are looking for a knowledgeable, focused and goal-oriented Realtor in the Beverly Hills area who will help you achieve your Real Estate goals, please reach out to me directly!If you are looking for a pet friendly Beverly Hills Realtor who can handle and sell the most difficult properties that no one else could, please reach out to me directly!! If you are considering buying or selling a home, a... 10/26/2020

Not your ordinary summer day at the Santa Monica beach thank you Covid -19 and California Politicians..... Wishing you a safe and healthy life and I look forward to your comments.If you are looking for a knowledgeable, focused and goal-oriented Realtor in the Beverly Hills area who will help you achieve your Real Estate goals, please reach out to me directly!If you are looking for a pet friendly Beverly Hills Realtor who can handle and sell the most difficult properties that no one else could, please reach out to me directly!! If you are considering buying or selling a home, a luxury home, luxury investment real estate, luxury vacation homes, or luxury beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Marina Del Rey, Venice or M... 07/30/2020

Let's look at the Santa Monica real estate market for April 2019 and compare it to the same period in 2018.   The number of single family homes sold in April compared with the same month in 2018 rose 31%. Condo sales dropped 27.5%.  Inventory of single family homes increased by 25%. Condo inventory increased by 4%.  The median price for single family homes dropped 24% and 21% for condos over the previous year.  The average sales price of homes compared with the list price increased 2.7%. Condos dropped 1%. However the sold price in both categories is still over list price.  The average number of days that homes sat on the market increased 10% and dropped by 28% for condos.Less than 5 months = sellers' market | 5 to 7 months = stable market | Over 7 months = buyers' marketInventory is up... 05/29/2019

Happy Cinco De Mayo: The Victory Party of the Battle of PueblaMost people celebrate Cinco De Mayo and have no idea that this “Party” is in honor of the winners of the “Battle of Puebla” the Mexican Army beat the French Army. Despite winning the Battle they lost the War and Mexico remained under French control for another five years. This is probably one of the main reasons this event is not as popular as here in the United States.The reality is for most people it is just a great excuse to have a “party” at their home with friends and family. We have been going to the same party year after year and always had a good time, good food and good music. The hostess is a wonderful person and we have been friends for well over two decades. If you are looking for a knowledgeable, focused and goal... 05/05/2019

We went to a Cinco De Mayo function in Santa Monica, CA 20+ blocks from the ocean and I saw this house. It was difficult to see, but it was clear that it was a heavy fixer, borderline tear down. Now with that said can you make a guess what this property is worth? I will give you a hint it is little more than 1300 sq ft of living space.... clearly a developer's dream property...If you are looking for a Tear-down or just land please reach out to me directly!Now if you are looking for a Pet Friendly, Book & Vine loving Realtor in the Greater Los Angeles area, please reach out to me directly. If you are looking for a knowledgeable, focused and goal-oriented Realtor in the Beverly Hills area who will help you achieve your Real Estate goals, please reach out to me directly!If you are looking ... 05/05/2019

Having Your OREO and Depleting It Too Asset-backed or asset qualifying mortgages are not endangered species around here.  Not a week goes by where we don't field an inquiry from a home buyer or homeowner seeking a mortgage but devoid of the typical income qualifying requirements; paystubs, W-2 forms and tax returns that show what they really earn in any year.  So using assets to qualify for a mortgage has become a viable alternative for those who have strong credit and who have demonstrated the ability to save and invest.  These individuals can often parlay their (liquid) net worth into qualifying power, and maybe the best part is that they do not need to sell or otherwise touch those assets.  Asset depletion, asset utilization, asset amortization or asset-backed loans --- whatever you ... 04/25/2019

As I was driving in Santa Monica, CA on Lincoln Blvd traffic was a bit of a Challenge. So with that said I looked to my left and saw there was a very freshly painted building. Well check it out:   If you are looking for a knowledgeable, focused and goal-oriented Realtor in the Beverly Hills area who will help you achieve your Real Estate goals, please reach out to me directly!If you are looking for a pet friendly Beverly Hills Realtor who can handle and sell the most difficult properties that no one else could, please reach out to me directly!! If you are considering buying or selling a home, a luxury home, luxury investment real estate, luxury vacation homes, or luxury beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Marina De... 03/10/2019

The Santa Monica, CA Condominium Market Trends Report has similar statistics as the Single Family Market Trends Report with the exception of one category! Normally I do not "peek" ahead, but I just finished analyzing the Single Family Market Trends in Santa Monica, hence I could not help but look ahead.... Interestingly inventory of Condominiums in Santa Monica have increased dramatically in the past couple years month over month.Number of Sales have decreased as well. Hence it is imperative that Sellers need to focus on acurate pricing of their Condominiums and Townhomes in Santa Monica if they want to get it it sold and not chase the market down and sell it for less. Although per cent wise the Days on Market look scary but realisticly it is still a fast market. Hence this is where the... 03/09/2019

The Santa Monica Market Trends Report for Single Family homes is very telling. Sellers and potential sellers need to look at this report. Over the past few months you have heard me say and write about the shift that has taken  place in the  local Real Estate Market. There is an old saying "Don't kill the messenger, just because you do not like the news being delivered" with that said instead prepare and handle the situation with good information.As you can see the trend has been an increase of inventory year over year, month over month.When inventory increases, but sales remain the same, then the answer is very clear: buyers have more properties to chose from hence it will have a direct effect on the sales prices as well as the Days on Market statistics.Not a surprise, since the above s... 03/09/2019

Occasional Local Attractions in Los Angeles: What to do in the middle of Winter? This question comes up so often, in Los Angeles, while many of our friends are not only complaining with reason that this Winter is brutal and extremely cold. What should we do? As Angelinos we have a habit of complaining that we are “Freezing”Let’s put things in perspective: I have talked with  Debbie Reynolds       who happened to be at the Inman Conference in New York City and was telling me about the sub-zero temperatures. I can not even repeat it how cold it was.I have also talked with our friend  Bob "RealMan" Timm  and needless to say the location was totally different but the temperatures were comparable. What I would cold brutally cold and my thoughts were with both of them.Many of you who read thi... 01/31/2019

We decided to  have brunch at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel's Restaurant in Santa Monica, CA with my Transaction Coordinator Lou Nanquil. This was preplanned six months ago and hard to believe it felt like yesterday when we planned it.We have so  many things in common, such as good wines and good food for starters. Then to boot she has two cats, so you can imagine, that there was lots of laughter, fun and great conversation. Today we had a short brunch, only three hours long. We only left because we noticed the waiters were setting up the tables for dinner.Keep in mind we do this twice a year and we have already planned the next brunch date and even the location. I am going to keep that quiet in this post. Food for a future post. Talk about amazing coincidences, Lou and I were making arran... 01/27/2019

The Santa Monica, CA Annual Condominium Market Trends are published... I must admit every one knows Santa Monica or at least has heard of Santa Monica, CA. Hence I have been receiving private messages when will I publish the report...Santa Monica, CA, for just about every one is on the list of  " loves and/or wants to visit" not just live there. Hence per dollar to square feet, the average buyer get less living square feet than if they purchased in  places like Playa Del Rey, or even Marina Del Rey to name a few places. The desirability factor  clearly translates in the purchase price.If you have been to Santa Monica, CA than you will know, that virtually all year it is a huge tourist  destination place. Over the years a great many new Condominium Developments were built and they range ... 01/12/2019

As many of you read my post back in October how disgruntled I was with the local politicians not regulating the various "Toys" and their users Marina Del Rey, West Los Angeles and Santa Monica to name a few is littered with these "new toys". Their users are inconsiderate and block Handicapped Access, literally just drop them off anywhere blocking pedestrian areas and even access to apartment buildings to name of my complaints. Anyway in case you missed it here is my post from October  (Bird, Lime and others.... )Well the other day had business in Santa Monica and was pleasantly surprised that since October there are now painted "parking areas aka drop off locations" well see for yourself in the pictures. I find this is a good start. Never the less the Politicians need to drive around an... 12/15/2018

The Santa Monica, CA Condominium Market Report is published....Santa Monica, CA ins a Global Magnet not only do tourist visit this beach city, but many dream of wanting to live here. Hence the desirability factor has been here for decades. Some of you might remember Boston's famous Mobster Whitey Bulger was hiding in plain sight in Santa Monica until the FBI finally caught him... but that is another story... As you can see the inventory is back to 2016 numbers, that I consider a great sign because  that allows us to have buyers that can actually buy something.The Days on Market tells me that it is still an extremely fast market when a property comes on the market is virtually sold as soon as the buyers find out about it.Hence it will be an easy guess for me that the prices have increase... 10/14/2018

Bird, Lime, Lyft, Jump and the list is growing day by day. It was not that long ago that I wrote a post about "Bird" & "Lime" and how the local governments need to regulate them. Some of you who read my posts consistently know how dismayed I have been with the various “toys” that have been introduced in my market. These “toys” are not just a convenience, rather they are a nuisance at the same time.First, they are affecting, taxi cabs, Lyft drivers, Uber Drivers, Limo Drivers and the list goes on and on. In all fairness that is a “disruption” some people can live with. What many casual observers might miss out is the “littering” that is taking place all over the West Side of Los Angeles.The politicians are talking, but not acting on this nuisance. I see many of these “toys” laying on the... 10/07/2018

The Santa Monica, CA COndominium Market Trends Report is published! Needless to say Santa Monica, CA needs no introductions. It is a global destination place to visit and or live here.There has been an increase in inventory compared to last year, but if you look and compare it to 2016 it is minimal when it comes to the number of buyers who are considering a Condominium Life in Santa Monica CA. Yes sales are down year over year as well as fewer sales compared to 2016. Needless to say if we looked at how many more Real Estate Practitioners joyned the greater Los Angeles area. This figure clearly shows that fewer agents are selling and making a living off the Santa Monica Condominium sales.When I see increase in the days on market I immediately want to check out how the sales price points ... 09/23/2018