Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope you had a great evening and are ready for the day ahead. It's cold outside!! I read an interesting article regarding the 5 worst home fixes on Mercurynews.com and had to share it with you. Here is a snip from the article... It's the magic phrase uttered by almost anyone who's ever considered the cost of home remodeling: "We'll get it back when we sell." Unless you keep those projects practical, you might just be kidding yourself. For example: Steel front door: Good. Master suite addition costing more than the average American home: Bad. Every year, Remodeling magazine looks at the hottest home upgrades and calculates just how much owners get back when they sell. Upkeep is more popular than upgrades these days, says Sal Alfano, editorial director for Remode... 11/08/2011

George the Speed Sketch Artist Showcases Portraits inMinutes Using a Marker on the Venice Beach BoardwalkVenice California is home to Venice Beach and the Muscle Beach culture and boardwalk areaand every weekend there are thousands of visitors who come to see the long list of streetperformers and artists who come to showcase their skills.Check out George the Venice Speed Sketch Artist Video belowand watch him do an awesome portrait in about 4 minuteswith a magic marker. VIDEO LINKhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2VyQPEc66s See the video on this Santa Monica bloghttp://santamonicablogs.com/2011/10/29/venice-beach-speed-sketch-artist-uses-boardwalk-visitors-as-subjects/ 10/28/2011

Danny's Restaurant and Bar in Venice Beach ShowcasesVenice History and Charm Right Off the Boardwalk Danny's Bistro and Bar23 Windward AvenueVenice, CA 90291-4102Phone (310) 566-5610 Hours: Sun, Sat 10am–10pm;Mon-Fri 10:30am–10pmVIDEO LINKhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkhqPr4vTQk Check out the video of this super cool and fun place in Venice Beachto eat and drink - the food is great and the old hotel lobby bar areais a one of a kind showcasing some real Venice history and charm!Venice Beach places to eat!Find more things to do and what's going on in Venice Beach and Santa Monica atwww.santamonicablogs.com  10/28/2011

Tony Hawk and Other Skateboarding Pro's Tear it UpIn Venice Beach at Sonic's Genrations of SkateThe weather was balmy and chilly but the atmosphere was hot inthe ramps where some of skateboardings best pros skated atSonic's Generation of Skate Event in Venice Beach California.TONY HAWK / SONIC GENERATION OF SKATE HIGHLIGHT VIDEOFirst generation team members were Steve Caballero, Sergei Ventura and Kevin Staab. Second generations skaters were Pierre-Luc Gagnon, Andy Macdonald, Sandro Dias and Lincoln Ueda. Third generation skaterswere Mitchie Brusco, Adam Taylor, Elliot Sloan and Paul-Luc Ronchetti.www.santamonicablogs.com / photos and video by SoCal Beaches Magazine    10/24/2011

We hope you are enjoying the day off! Here are the recent blog posts from www.westsidehomefinder.com   The Value of Design Ever heard the story about the John Hancock Tower in Chicago? It goes something like this: In the late 1960’s, when the construction was far enough along on the 100-story John Hancock Center, the developer began strategizing about how to best sell, lease and rent the tower’s residential and commercial spaces. But there was a… Read More       Americans Still Hold Home Ownership King Americans continue to place a high value on homeownership, but qualifying for a mortgage and saving up for a down payment in an economy that won’t produce jobs keeps many uncertain. The results of the Hanley Wood’s Housing 360 Survey say 89 percent of owners and 59 percent of renters feel... 10/23/2011

The Venice Boardwalk in Venice CA I have written about Venice Beach, Venice Restaurants, the Venice Lifestyle and the Venice Library over the years. These are some of the pictures of that “lifestyle” I am referring to. They are well worth seeing. Venice is a unique beach community south of Santa Monica and north of Marina Del Rey. The history is very colorful as well as the visitors and the residents. Venice is a microcosm of Los Angeles. There are famous artists; some of the entertainment industry’s who is who, street musicians, and middle-class residents as well as left over hippies and flower children of the 1960’s. The Boardwalk is a great place to people watch any day but particularly on the weekends. It is a multiethnic and multicultural gathering of the you and  old as well as th... 10/20/2011

VENICE BEACH RENTALS: LUXURY RENTALS IN VENICE, CA FIND A LOCAL REAL ESTATE AGENT Location! Location! Location! Walk to Famous Venice Beach, Main St, Abbot Kinney, Restaurants, Shopping, Parks, and more! Gorgeous 3 Bedroom 3 Bath 2 Story Town house, upgrades throughout including stunning wood floors, fantastic gourmet kitchen with all stainless steel appliances, 2 small yards, luxurious bathrooms, washer and dryer hookups inside. Entertain outdoors on the outstanding Roof Top Deck! Huge 2 Car Private Garage! Super Bright Unit! Over 2000 Sq Ft of Living Space in Prime Venice Beach! Hurry! This one won't last long! To view more detailed information on this great property, click here: http://santamonica-realestateagent.com/idx/mls-11559775-broadway_street_venice_ca_90291 To View All Venic... 10/18/2011

Venice Neighborhood Council supports street reconfiguration! Breaking News the Venice Neighborhood Council voted to support the DOT’s (Department of Transportation) proposal to reconfigure Main Street between Santa Monica and Venice. The plan that they had in mind is to transform the street by removing one travel lane in both the north and south directions. Essentially this would create a central two-way road and add a bike lane in both directions. This would not affect street parking. It would provide a safer way for motorists and bicyclists. I am constantly annoyed and concerned every time I drive, because of the less experienced Bicyclists who are clearly creating a hazardous condition for themselves as well as the motorists. Hence I applaud the council’s support in this street reco... 10/03/2011

Good everyone, happy Hump Day! We hope you are having a great day and gearing up for the evening ahead! Here is today's Venice and Marina Del Rey hotsheet for Real Estate sales and rentals: 17 N Venice - In escrow 2605 Grand Canal - Price reduction to $2,199,000 815 Nowita Pl - Price reduction to $2,189,000 125 Breeze Ave - Sold! 1016 Rose Ave - New listing! 858 Nowita Pl - New listing! 2354 Ocean Ave - New listing! 5000 S Centinela Ave #245 - Back on market 13700 Marina Pointe Dr #1602 - Back on market 24 Buccaneer St #2 - Price reduction to $1,190,000 615 Hampton Dr #B103 - looking for backup 4115 Glencoe Ave #111 - Price reduction to $569,900 13650 Marina Pointe Dr #305 - Back on market 3111 Via Dolce #904 - Sold! 4314 Marina City Dr #1020 - New listing! 13218 Mindanao Way - In escro... 09/21/2011

Whether it's a buyer's market or a seller's market, all homebuyers have one thing in common: they don't want to get ripped off. But how do you know if you're getting a fair deal on the home you're prepared to place an offer on? Read on to find out how to evaluate the price of any home so you can make a sound investment decision. SEARCH HOMES FOR SALE IN VENICE Research Recently Sold, Comparable Properties A comparable property is one that is similar in size, condition, neighborhood and amenities. One 1,200-square-foot, recently remodeled, one-story home with an attached garage should be listed at roughly the same price as a similar 1,200-square-foot home in the same neighborhood. That said, you can also gain valuable information by looking at how the property you're interested in compar... 09/17/2011

  What is going on with down payments, do buyers have to make larger down payments? Recently I was interviewed by an Internet Mortgage website and they asked me this question. So I figured I will give you my answer here. This had me wonder how would your answer been different from mine?(http://www.mortgagerates.com/real-estate/qa-with-endre-barath/) My Answer was, tha the reality is  there are still VA loans and FHA 3.5% loans out there and buyers and sellers are entertaining offers with Pre-Approval Letters. These types of loans are not prevalent in the Greater Los Angeles’s Affluent parts of town such a Brentwood, Hollywood Hills/Sunset Strip area, Beverly Hills Post Office area or Bel Air. The down payments are more 10-20% of the purchase price in the higher end market. Congress is i... 09/16/2011

Good afternoon everyone! We hope you are having a great weekend and gearing up for the week ahead! Here is today's Venice hotsheet for Real Estate sales and rentals: 539 Venice Way - Price reduction to $964,000 818 Milwood Ave - Back on market 214 5th Ave - In escrow 9 Paloma Ave - New listing! 5000 S. Centina Ave #245 - Back on market 13240 Fiji Way #A - New listing! 13700 Marina Pointe Dr #425 - Price reduction to $499,900 310 Washington Blvd #107 - New Listing! 310 Washington Blvd #201 - New Listing! 310 Washington Blvd #202 - New Listing! 310 Washington Blvd #505 - New Listing! 310 Washington Blvd #506 - New Listing! 40 29th Ave - Price reduction to $3,000 monthly 1346 Abbot Kinney Blvd - rented! Westside Properties is a full-service real estate boutique brokerage based in Venice, C... 09/11/2011

Good morning everyone, HAPPY FRIDAY!! We hope you are having a great work day and gearing up for some fun this weekend! Here is today's Venice hotsheet for Real Estate sales and rentals: 57 Windward Ave - Price reduction to $14,000,000 448 Howland Canal - Sold! 5005 Via Dolce - Price reduction to $1,525,000 35 20th Ave - Price reduction to $1,390,000 120 Spinnaker - New listing! 821 Superba Ave - New listing! 618 Oxford Ave - New listing! 4346 Redwood Ave #A-104 - In escrow 4150 VIA DOLCE #126 - New listing! 605 VERNON AVE #1 -Price reduction to $899,000 13650 Marina Pointe Dr #305 - Back on Market! 4150 Via Dolce #324 - New listing! 4748 La Villa Marina #M - Price reduction to $429,900 4340 Glencoe Ave #3 - Price reduction to $549,900 510 Pacific Ave - Price change to $1,480,000 13700 ... 09/09/2011

Good afternoon everyone! We hope you had a great work day and gearing up for some family time! Here is today's Venice hotsheet for Real Estate sales and rentals: 2551 Walnut Ave - back on market  819 Nowita Pl - New listing 2420 Bryan Ave - New listing 806 Appleby St - New listing 2446 Louella Ave - In escrow 2010 Alberta - Price reduction 615  Sunset Ave - Back on market 608 Westminster Ave #3 - Rented 736 Marco Pl - Rented 935 Indiana Ave - Rented 811 Amoroso Pl - New rental listing - $6,500/month Westside Properties is a full-service real estate boutique brokerage based in Venice, CA  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 an... 09/07/2011

Good Morning everyone! We hope you had a great holiday weekend! Here is today's Venice hotsheet for Real Estate sales and rentals: 341 6th Ave - back on market Westside Properties is a full-service real estate boutique brokerage based in Venice, CA  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 includ... 09/06/2011

Happy Labor Day!! We hope you are enjoying this holiday morning and are gearing up for some good times and family fun! Here is the Venice real estate hotsheet: 2232 Walnut Ave - house for sale - In escrow! 853 Flower Ave - house for sale - Sold for $1,600,000 865 Warren Ave - house for sale - Back on the market 57 Market St - house for sale - New listing! 1157 S. Lake St - house for sale - Price reduction 700 Main St. #6 - condominium for sale - Back on the market 235 Main St. #222 - condo for sale - New listing! 1514 Oakwood Ave - Rental - Price reduction to $2,800/month 220 3rd Ave. #1/2A - Rental - Price reduction to $1,495/month 1035 Vernon Ave - Rental - New listing! 34 Park Ct - Rental - New listing! For more information on any of these listings, please contact my office 310.459.8... 09/05/2011

Happy Sunday everyone! We hope you are enjoying the beautiful morning and gorgeous weather! Here is what's happening in Los Angeles: Birdie's Playhouse in Concert - Topanga  Dusty Blue Socks Concert - Los Feliz Yoga on the Santa Monica Place Deck - Santa Monica Santa Monica Pier Aquarium - Santa Monica Pier The Venice Beach Boardwalk - Venice Beach 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... 09/04/2011

Happy Wednesday everyone! We hope you are surviving the week and enjoying the beautiful summer weather...especially the coastal areas! Here is today's Venice real estate hotsheet: 2904 Beach Ave - In escrow/looking for backup offers 2202 S. Dell Ave - New listing! $1,049,000 12 29th Ave #2 - rented! $4,000 2909 1/2 Ocean Ave - rented! $1,900 408 Brooks Ave - New Rental Listing! $5,800 806 Amoroso Pl - New Rental listing! $4,300 Not too much activity to report today. I will follow up tomorrow with the Venice Real Estate hotsheet series.  We have decided to get in the spirit of the Abbot Kinney District and help promote First Fridays! Click here for more information: http://www.abbotkinney1stfridays.com/ Stay tuned for more information regarding artists and exhibit times. Here is Westside... 08/31/2011

We have decided to get in the spirit of the Abbot Kinney District and help promote First Fridays! Click here for more information: http://www.abbotkinney1stfridays.com/ Stay tuned for more information regarding artists and exhibit times. Here is Westside Properties information: Westside Properties www.westsidepropertiesLA.com 2814 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Venice, CA 90291 (310) 459-8191 info@wsprops.com Abbot Kinney & Venice Events, 1st Fridays, Venice Art Openings, Venice Art Crawl, Venice Nightlife, Venice Restaurants & Venice Networking Events. Sponsored by Jagmedia, Venice Creative Agency.   To find the best foreclosures in Los Angeles, please contact my team of REALTOR professionals or simply click to the newest foreclosure, REO and Bankowned listings:  http://www.westsidehomefinder.c... 08/30/2011

Good afternoon everyone! We hope you had a great work day! Here is today's Venice hotsheet for Real Estate sales and rentals: 2304 OAKWOOD AVE  - Price Change 2028 PENMAR AVE  - New Listing 334 VENICE WAY  - Price Change 909 LUCILLE AVE  - New Listing 610 OXFORD AVE - Looking For Backup 2433 BOONE AVE - Looking For Backup 2208 S Dell AVE - Price Change 2202 S DELL AVE  - New Listing 1043 ABBOT KINNEY  - New Listing 119 PALOMA AVE  - Back On Market 25 HORIZON AVE  - Price Change 646 Flower Avenue #3 - Price Change 660 Harbor St #1 - New listing 408 Brooks Ave - New listing 433 HOWLAND CANAL  - Back On Market 2909 1/2 OCEAN AVE  - Sold! Westside Properties is a full-service real estate boutique brokerage based in Venice, CA  serving the entire Westside of Los Angeles.  We proudly represen... 08/30/2011