Looking for new ways to trim your budget, save time, and cut waste in your Los Angeles home?  Newspaper columnist

Aluminum foil:

• Remove rust from or polish chrome.
• Sharpen scissors.
• Hang in your garden to keep birds away.
• Use in the dryer in your Los Angeles home to eliminate static cling.
• Fix a broken connection between a battery and a loose spring.

Baking soda:

• Add to rinse cycle to clean heavily soiled clothes.
• Sprinkle in/on sports gear for odors.
• Clean floors, ovens, appliances.
• Use periodically to clean your septic system.

Olive oil:

• Polish shoes.
• Use as an emergency shaving cream.
• Add to dog food to reduce shedding.
• Clean pearls.
• Condition hair.
• Relieve an earache, bursitis, or a jellyfish sting.

Coffee filters:

• Clean windows and mirrors.
• Separate china plates.
• Apply shoe polish.
• Filter wine if you’ve broken the cork.
• Line a plant pot to reduce loss of soil when watering.

Cooking spray:

• Lubricate bike chains, roller skate wheels, or hinges.
• Dry nail polish.
• Prevent car doors from freezing.
• Remove soap scum from shower doors.

White chalk:

• Repel ants.
• Clean ring-around-the-collar.
• Add to your toolbox, silver chest, or jewelry box to prevent rusting and/or tarnishing.

Toothpaste:

• Clean chrome.
• Remove odors from your hands.
• Polish silver.
• Eliminate mosquito bite itch.

Waxed floss:

• Slice cheese or cake.
• Hang pictures.
• Remove cookies from the baking sheet.

Banana peel:

• Eliminate warts.
• Relieve swelling and irritation of mosquito bites.

For more complete information on these tips and hundreds of others, visit This Old House, Good Housekeeping, Greenopolis, Care2, and, of course, Wacky Uses

And yet another tip:  you might want to tape this list to the inside of a cabinet door as a handy reminder.

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Eileen Walsh has a reputation for tough, yet fair, negotiation, and for facilitating real estate transactions to a successful close. She has earned the loyalty of repeat clients who rely on her for all of their real estate needs. Eileen's goals are to ensure Los Angeles real estate sellers that they receive top net dollar for their properties in the shortest amount of time and to help Los Angeles homebuyers find the property which best meets their objectives at the fairest price. 

Empowered with the appropriate people skills, market knowledge, deal-making track record and dedication to her clients, Eileen has shown that she is THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE to represent you in your next Los Angeles real estate transaction.

For more information about buying or selling your Los Angeles home, please call Eileen direct at 310-738-3807 or via email at eileenwalsh.realestate@gmail.com.

Fannie and Freddie buy mortgage loans from primary lenders, pool them, and sell them with a guarantee that investors will be paid even if borrowers default. The two have helped people buy homes at affordable interest rates, but the government seized them in September 2008 after the mortgage market collapsed, and defaults and foreclosures of Los Angeles real estate piled up.  Because the bailouts of the two agencies have so far cost taxpayers roughly $150 billion, a figure which continues to grow, both Congress and the Obama administration have searched for ways to reduce the government’s role in the purchase of Los Angeles real estate.

Current reform proposals include the following specifics:

• Shrinking the size of the portfolio of mortgages held by government housing finance agencies by at least 10 percent a year.
• Creating an insurance fund for mortgages much like bank deposit insurance, supported by premiums paid by lenders.
• Winding down government subsidies of mortgages by raising the fees charged to cover the risk of default.
• Limiting the government’s role in housing finance to Federal Housing Administration backing of mortgages, turning most of the market over to the private sector.
• Phasing in a 10 percent down payment requirement for government guaranteed loans.

As one might expect, this economic matter is also a political issue. Many Republicans believe that the role of government should be dramatically scaled back without delay and argue that private lenders can adequately provide housing finance to any and all qualified buyers of Los Angeles real estate-- without interference from the government.  On the other hand, Democrats who support continued government involvement in mortgage lending believe that public support of housing finance is needed to guarantee access to affordable loans for the middle class. They counter that only government backing can ensure a steady flow of loans during hard times when private lenders pull back.

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Eileen Walsh has a reputation for tough, yet fair, negotiation, and for facilitating real estate transactions to a successful close. She has earned the loyalty of repeat clients who rely on her for all of their real estate needs. Eileen's goals are to ensure Los Angeles real estate sellers that they receive top net dollar for their properties in the shortest amount of time and to help Los Angeles homebuyers find the property which best meets their objectives at the fairest price. 

Empowered with the appropriate people skills, market knowledge, deal-making track record and dedication to her clients, Eileen has shown that she is THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE to represent you in your next Los Angeles real estate transaction.

For more information about buying or selling your Los Angeles home, please call Eileen direct at 310-738-3807 or via email at eileenwalsh.realestate@gmail.com.

Lets take a look at March figures.

Beverly Hills Real Estate Sales Statistics - Single Family Homes

Beverly Hills Post Office Real Estate Sales Statistics - Single Family Homes

Bel Air Real Estate Sales Statistics - Single Family Homes

Hollywood Hills East Real Estate Sales Statistics - Single Family Homes

Hollywood Hills West Real Estate Sales Statistics - Single Family Homes

West Hollywood Real Estate Sales Statistics - Single Family Homes

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Eileen Walsh has a reputation for tough, yet fair, negotiation, and for facilitating real estate transactions to a successful close. She has earned the loyalty of repeat clients who rely on her for all of their real estate needs. Eileen's goals are to ensure Los Angeles real estate sellers that they receive top net dollar for their properties in the shortest amount of time and to help Los Angeles homebuyers find the property which best meets their objectives at the fairest price. 

Empowered with the appropriate people skills, market knowledge, deal-making track record and dedication to her clients, Eileen has shown that she is THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE to represent you in your next Los Angeles real estate transaction.

For more information about buying or selling your Los Angeles home, please call Eileen direct at 310-738-3807 or via email at eileenwalsh.realestate@gmail.com.

1. Replacing the entry door to steel
Estimated cost: $1,238
Cost recouped at resale: 73 percent

2. Attic bedroom
Estimated cost: $50,148
Cost recouped at resale: 72.5 percent

3. Minor kitchen remodel (including new cabinets and drawers, countertops, hardware, and appliances)
Estimated cost: $19,588
Cost recouped at resale: 72.1 percent

4. Garage door replacement
Estimated cost: $1,512
Cost recouped at resale: 71.9 percent

5. Deck addition (wood)
Estimated cost: $10,350
Cost recouped at resale: 70.1 percent

6. Siding replacement (vinyl)
Estimated cost: $11,729
Cost recouped at resale: 69.5 percent

What projects should you avoid?  According to Bankrate and US News these six projects are not cost-effective:

1. Home office remodel: Property owners who remodel a home office recoup on average less than half of the project's cost when they sell.

2. Sunroom addition: Brings in only about 51 percent of the project's cost

3. Bathroom addition: Only about 60 percent of the project's cost is recouped when Los Angeles home owners sell their residence.

4. Backup power generator: Will bring on average a return of only 59 percent of the project's cost.

5. Garage addition: Los Angeles home owners who build a garage addition get back approximately 62 percent of the project's cost when they sell their home.

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Eileen Walsh has a reputation for tough, yet fair, negotiation, and for facilitating real estate transactions to a successful close. She has earned the loyalty of repeat clients who rely on her for all of their real estate needs. Eileen's goals are to ensure Los Angeles real estate sellers that they receive top net dollar for their properties in the shortest amount of time and to help Los Angeles homebuyers find the property which best meets their objectives at the fairest price. 

Empowered with the appropriate people skills, market knowledge, deal-making track record and dedication to her clients, Eileen has shown that she is THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE to represent you in your next Los Angeles real estate transaction.

For more information about buying or selling your Los Angeles home, please call Eileen direct at 310-738-3807 or via email at eileenwalsh.realestate@gmail.com.

Most first-time home buyers, and many existing home owners, have never given a thought to placing title to their Los Angeles home in a living trust. If you use a will to pass the home on to your beneficiaries after death, that will needs to go through the probate process in California so the court can supervise the distribution of your assets, including your home, to your beneficiaries.
 
There are substantial costs involved in the probate of a will, all of which can be avoided by having a living trust. What are those costs? For an estate of $750,000 (which INCLUDES the value of the home, easily reached here in Los Angeles County), fees could quickly climb to $38,000. Those fees include executor and legal fees (which are set by statute), fees to open and close the court file, petition fees, publication costs, and court-appointed appraiser fees, to name a few of the required elements of a probate. The cost goes up with an increase in the value of the assets (and, of course, down with a decrease). A million dollar estate, again, easily reached here in Los Angeles, could cost well over $60,000 to probate.
 
Living Trust

A living trust serves as a "repository" of your assets, including your home, whereby upon your death the home and other assets automatically go to your beneficiaries in accordance with the terms of the trust, without court supervision and without being made a part of the public record. If your house is in your name and not the name of a trust, anyone with a computer can discover where you live and what you paid for your home. To keep that information private, and for a myriad of other reasons partially described above, it's wise to place title to your house in a living trust.
 
Costs Involved

What's the cost of the trust? Most simple living trusts, holding just the home, will be about $1,500.00, a fraction of the cost of probating a will for the value of even a small condo here in Los Angeles. But bear in mind that other assets can be placed in the trust as well, which is advisable.
 
If you'd like to discuss placing your home in a living trust, call Eileen Walsh. Remember that in addition to being a Realtor, Eileen is a licensed attorney practicing in the State of California, specializing in the creation of living trusts for her real estate clients. Eileen established her trust practice so that she can more fully provide excellent services to her home buyers. Another reason why Eileen is the Intelligent Choice in Residential Real Estate.

Search all Los Angeles homes for sale.

Eileen Walsh has a reputation for tough, yet fair, negotiation, and for facilitating real estate transactions to a successful close. She has earned the loyalty of repeat clients who rely on her for all of their real estate needs. Eileen's goals are to ensure Los Angeles real estate sellers that they receive top net dollar for their properties in the shortest amount of time and to help Los Angeles homebuyers find the property which best meets their objectives at the fairest price. 

Empowered with the appropriate people skills, market knowledge, deal-making track record and dedication to her clients, Eileen has shown that she is THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE to represent you in your next Los Angeles real estate transaction.

For more information about buying or selling your Los Angeles home, please call Eileen direct at 310-738-3807 or via email at eileenwalsh.realestate@gmail.com.

HUD first proposed this regulation a year ago as part of its continued efforts to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in its core housing programs—programs that impact 4.4 million units of housing in the country.  The current bill went into effect on March 1^st.

In essence, the new rule:

• Requires owners and operators of HUD-assisted housing, or housing whose financing is insured by HUD, to make housing available without regard to the sexual orientation or gender identity of an applicant for, or occupant of, the dwelling, whether renter- or owner-occupied.
• Prohibits lenders dealing with Los Angeles real estate from using sexual orientation or gender identity as a basis to determine a borrower’s eligibility for FHA-insured mortgage financing. FHA’s current regulations provide that a mortgage lender’s determination of the adequacy of a borrower’s income “shall be made in a uniform manner without regard to” specified prohibited grounds. The rule will add actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity to the prohibited grounds to ensure FHA-approved lenders do not deny or otherwise alter the terms of mortgages on the basis of irrelevant criteria.
• Clarifies that all otherwise eligible families, regardless of marital status, sexual orientation, or gender identity, will have the opportunity to participate in HUD programs affecting Los Angeles real estate.

For the complete contents of the regulation, click here.

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Eileen Walsh has a reputation for tough, yet fair, negotiation, and for facilitating real estate transactions to a successful close. She has earned the loyalty of repeat clients who rely on her for all of their real estate needs. Eileen's goals are to ensure Los Angeles real estate sellers that they receive top net dollar for their properties in the shortest amount of time and to help Los Angeles homebuyers find the property which best meets their objectives at the fairest price. 

Empowered with the appropriate people skills, market knowledge, deal-making track record and dedication to her clients, Eileen has shown that she is THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE to represent you in your next Los Angeles real estate transaction.

For more information about buying or selling your Los Angeles home, please call Eileen direct at 310-738-3807 or via email at eileenwalsh.realestate@gmail.com. 

As the news cameras pan the remains of shattered Los Angeles homes and treasured items, do you ever think about your own possessions and the overwhelming task of filing an insurance claim for all of them? Living through a disaster is difficult enough without trying to remember, list, and evaluate each of your lost belongings during such a challenging time, so insurance companies urge you to take a detailed inventory now.  To help you accomplish this important task, there are numerous sites which offer both advice and tools.

There are three basic steps involved in this task. First, list all of the major belongings and furnishings both inside your Los Angeles home room by room—and don’t forget the garage, basement, and outside furniture. Record a brief description, any serial numbers, purchase prices and date, and current value. Attach any receipts and appraisals.  This sounds easier than it is, so use the detailed check sheets offered by State Farm and the Insurance Information Institute, which also offers a free online software program and helpful videos.

The second step is to back up your inventory list with photographs or video (adding oral comments is a good idea). Take photos or videotape every room, with closet or cabinet doors open. Note the date, contents shown, and location.

Third, store the inventory and photographs/videotape in a safe place away from your home, such as in a safe-deposit box in a bank. Keeping a copy of the list or tape at home is fine, but it is wise to keep the original inventory and receipts in a secure location in case a fire or natural disaster destroys your home.

If you are one of the diligent owners of a Los Angeles home and have already created a detailed inventory of your possessions, congratulations!  Do remember, however, the need to update that list at least yearly, especially if you have updated your kitchen or purchased a big-box item in recent months.

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Eileen Walsh has a reputation for tough, yet fair, negotiation, and for facilitating real estate transactions to a successful close. She has earned the loyalty of repeat clients who rely on her for all of their real estate needs. Eileen's goals are to ensure Los Angeles real estate sellers that they receive top net dollar for their properties in the shortest amount of time and to help Los Angeles homebuyers find the property which best meets their objectives at the fairest price. 

Empowered with the appropriate people skills, market knowledge, deal-making track record and dedication to her clients, Eileen has shown that she is THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE to represent you in your next Los Angeles real estate transaction.

For more information about buying or selling your Los Angeles home, please call Eileen direct at 310-738-3807 or via email at eileenwalsh.realestate@gmail.com.

1. Do your research: It’s important to know what other homes in your area are selling for right now in order to get an idea of a price point for your own property, but you shouldn’t rely on that alone. An Automated Valuation Model, better known as an AVM, is a web-based technology that immediately generates home values based on data analysis of recent area comparable sales, tax assessments and price trends. Click here for free sites.
2. Find the right Realtor: Hiring the listing agent who quotes you the highest price isn’t always wise.  Interview at least 3 Realtors familiar with the area around your Los Angeles home and choose the agent who supports a suggested price with comparative market data. It is the job of your Realtor to know the current market and market trends inside and out, to be closely connected to the real estate market at large, and to be aware of other properties currently for sale in your particular neighborhood..
3. Cast emotions aside:   It’s important to remain as realistic and objective as possible when pricing your property. Although your home will most likely be invaluable to you, focus on the statistics from your research and on the advice given to you by your real estate agent for a satisfactory sale.
4. Avoid overpricing at the outset.  Because your property has the best chance of selling within its first seven weeks on the market, the longer it stays on the market, the less it will ultimately sell for.  In addition, you will lose out on savvy potential buyers who won’t even come by to look, and fewer knowledgeable Realtors will preview your Los Angeles home.  Lowering your price later will only result in delays and suspicions that something is wrong with the property.

Search all Los Angeles homes for sale.

Eileen Walsh has a reputation for tough, yet fair, negotiation, and for facilitating real estate transactions to a successful close. She has earned the loyalty of repeat clients who rely on her for all of their real estate needs. Eileen's goals are to ensure Los Angeles real estate sellers that they receive top net dollar for their properties in the shortest amount of time and to help Los Angeles homebuyers find the property which best meets their objectives at the fairest price. 

Empowered with the appropriate people skills, market knowledge, deal-making track record and dedication to her clients, Eileen has shown that she is THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE to represent you in your next Los Angeles real estate transaction.

For more information about buying or selling your Los Angeles home, please call Eileen direct at 310-738-3807 or via email at eileenwalsh.realestate@gmail.com.

The preservationist's answer to bulldozing a building and dumping the splintered remains into a landfill, deconstruction involves going room by room, handpicking features to be salvaged: millwork, crown moldings, leaded windows, still-sound kitchen cabinets, crystal chandeliers, and hardwood floors.  Items typically salvaged also include bricks, cabinets, windows, lighting fixtures, and countertops.

The eco-friendly construction and renovation business is growing in popularity not only among do-it-yourself consumers but also in the building and construction sector with contractors and architects. When it first emerged, green building was popular almost exclusively among environmentalists. But now those who want to save substantial dollars on building materials have joined those wanting to reverse the “throw away” trend.

The obvious advantages to such a program are the recycling of valuable resources and the decreasing impact on already over-burdened landfills.  Other positive impacts are the economic savings to the remodelers of Los Angeles real estate, the ease in procuring municipal permits, governmental training for deconstruction workers, and the cooperative efforts of contractors, suppliers, and homeowners.

Deconstruction stores are rapidly gaining popularity, with over 750 nationwide to date.  The inventory of these retail outlets consists of a large variety of items donated by those who are in the process of remodeling their Los Angeles real estate and surplus materials from distributors and/or manufacturers.

 Purchasers of used items generally save one third of the cost, and buyers of new merchandise can save up to one half of the retail price.  Other economic incentives for those who donate materials include not having to pay disposal costs (pick up of the items if free) and frequently a tax deduction if the store is charity-based.

Popular stores involved in the deconstruction movement are Habitat for Humanity's Re-store, Build It Green, Green Demolitions, ReNew Salvage, and EcoBuilding Bargains.  Check with your contractors to find others near to your Los Angeles real estate.

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Eileen Walsh has a reputation for tough, yet fair, negotiation, and for facilitating real estate transactions to a successful close. She has earned the loyalty of repeat clients who rely on her for all of their real estate needs. Eileen's goals are to ensure Los Angeles real estate sellers that they receive top net dollar for their properties in the shortest amount of time and to help Los Angeles homebuyers find the property which best meets their objectives at the fairest price. 

Empowered with the appropriate people skills, market knowledge, deal-making track record and dedication to her clients, Eileen has shown that she is THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE to represent you in your next Los Angeles real estate transaction.

For more information about buying or selling your Los Angeles home, please call Eileen direct at 310-738-3807 or via email at eileenwalsh.realestate@gmail.com.

COST: 

• The 50% rule:  Generally speaking, if a repair is estimated to cost 50% or less than the replacement value, it is usually better to have it repaired. 

AGE: 

• Check the average life expectancy of the appliance to determine if it still has enough service years in it to justify the repair.
• Be aware that old parts may be unavailable.  Check this site to locate those that are out-of-date or difficult to find—and instructions for installation.
• Consumer Reports suggests that if your appliance is eight or more years old, it usually it makes sense to buy a new one for your Los Angeles home.

ENERGY:

• An important consideration is energy-efficiency.  Energy Star-rated produced after 2001, e.g., use 40 percent less energy than those manufactured before that date, and that might have a bearing on your decision.
• If big-ticket items such as heating and cooling equipment in your Los Angeles home need frequent repairs and your energy bills are going up, it may be time to replace them with energy-efficient systems.
• Check out the ENERGY STAR website for product information.

TECHNOLOGY:

• It so often happens that soon after you purchase an appliance, a newer, more advanced model with desirable features comes on the market.  If the item you’re considering repairing or replacing falls into this category, it may be worth your while to invest in the improved appliance rather than repair the old one.
• Experts seem to agree that it is probably wiser to replace electronics than to repair them.  But don’t throw the old ones away; recycle them!  Don’t know just how to do that?  Greener Gadgets can help you.

Search all Los Angeles homes for sale.

Eileen Walsh has a reputation for tough, yet fair, negotiation, and for facilitating real estate transactions to a successful close. She has earned the loyalty of repeat clients who rely on her for all of their real estate needs. Eileen's goals are to ensure Los Angeles real estate sellers that they receive top net dollar for their properties in the shortest amount of time and to help Los Angeles homebuyers find the property which best meets their objectives at the fairest price. 

Empowered with the appropriate people skills, market knowledge, deal-making track record and dedication to her clients, Eileen has shown that she is THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE to represent you in your next Los Angeles real estate transaction.

For more information about buying or selling your Los Angeles home, please call Eileen direct at 310-738-3807 or via email at eileenwalsh.realestate@gmail.com. 

A recent study by the Mortgage Bankers Association warns that this practice may well have dire negative consequences on Los Angeles real estate markets and points to widespread media coverage as the reason for the continuing growth of strategic defaulting.  “Recently, the overwhelming media coverage of the current financial crisis has made homeowners aware -- or at least alerted them to become aware -- of their equity position in their home," said Michael Seiler who headed the study for MBA.

"While the merits of such a choice can and will continue to be debated, what is indisputable is that the possibility to strategically default has certainly been brought to the attention of current homeowners like never before, with potentially negative consequences for housing markets," said Seiler.

For owners of Los Angeles real estate who are experiencing or facing and underwater loan situation, the temptation to strategically default is often very powerful. After deciding not to make payments any more, the borrower can live free of the costs of a mortgage payment until the lender forecloses, which may take from several months to a year and may use this time to pay off or negotiate other debt.

There are, however, several negative consequences—on the owner and on the community-- for taking such action.  Personal repercussions include, but are not limited to, damage to one’s credit rating, inability to obtain another mortgage for a long period of time, and legal action by the lender to collect monies owned by the defaulting homeowner.  However, the consequences of strategic default are not limited to the borrowers. Their neighbors are affected as well. Foreclosures cause the value of all the homes in a neighborhood to decrease simply because they will end up being sold at rock-bottom prices. Once that lower value is established as a recorded sale, it drags down appraised values for future sales. This is why strategic defaults can quickly be detrimental on a larger scale and should be considered a moral/ethical decision as well as a financial one.

Search all Los Angeles homes for sale.

Eileen Walsh has a reputation for tough, yet fair, negotiation, and for facilitating real estate transactions to a successful close. She has earned the loyalty of repeat clients who rely on her for all of their real estate needs. Eileen's goals are to ensure Los Angeles real estate sellers that they receive top net dollar for their properties in the shortest amount of time and to help Los Angeles homebuyers find the property which best meets their objectives at the fairest price. 

Empowered with the appropriate people skills, market knowledge, deal-making track record and dedication to her clients, Eileen has shown that she is THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE to represent you in your next Los Angeles real estate transaction.

For more information about buying or selling your Los Angeles home, please call Eileen direct at 310-738-3807 or via email at eileenwalsh.realestate@gmail.com.

NAR’s Housing Affordability Index rose to a record high 206.1 in January, based on the relationship between median home price, median family income and average mortgage interest rate. The higher the index, the greater the household purchasing power. An index of 100 is defined as the point where a median-income household has exactly enough income to qualify for the purchase of a median-priced existing single-family home, assuming a 20 percent downpayment and 25 percent of gross income devoted to mortgage principal and interest payments.

NAR projects the affordability index for all of 2012 will be at an annual high, with little movement in mortgage interest rates or home prices during the year.

What does affordability look like in our local real estate market? Take a look at February figures.

Beverly Hills Real Estate Sales Statistics - Single Family Homes

Beverly Hills Post Office Real Estate Sales Statistics - Single Family Homes

Bel Air Real Estate Sales Statistics - Single Family Homes

Hollywood Hills East Real Estate Sales Statistics - Single Family Homes

Hollywood Hills West Real Estate Sales Statistics - Single Family Homes

West Hollywood Real Estate Sales Statistics - Single Family Homes

Search all Los Angeles homes for sale.

Eileen Walsh has a reputation for tough, yet fair, negotiation, and for facilitating real estate transactions to a successful close. She has earned the loyalty of repeat clients who rely on her for all of their real estate needs. Eileen's goals are to ensure Los Angeles real estate sellers that they receive top net dollar for their properties in the shortest amount of time and to help Los Angeles homebuyers find the property which best meets their objectives at the fairest price. 

Empowered with the appropriate people skills, market knowledge, deal-making track record and dedication to her clients, Eileen has shown that she is THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE to represent you in your next Los Angeles real estate transaction.

For more information about buying or selling your Los Angeles home, please call Eileen direct at 310-738-3807 or via email at eileenwalsh.realestate@gmail.com. 

• LOWER MONTHLY PAYMENTS:  FISERV (Financial Services Technology) has recently announced that mortgage payments on Los Angeles real estate are nearly 40% cheaper than they were in 2006, with a mean of $700 now compared with $1140 then.  Price declines and low mortgage rates have resulted in a ratio of monthly mortgage payments to median family income that is one of the lowest on record. 
   
• NEW AID FOR UNDERWATER OWNERS:  In a recent speech in Las Vegas, President Obama outlined a new overhaul of the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) that will make it easier for owners of Los Angeles real estate whose mortgages are federally guaranteed to refinance at ultra-low rates of near 4%.  Approximately one million borrowers could now be eligible for the program and could save as much as $2500 a year.  Some previous restrictions have been eased, lower rates are available, and there is no limit to the amount owed.  To be eligible, owners must not have missed any payments in the last year, and their loan must have been taken out prior to June 1, 2009.  More complete details are available in The Huffington Post.
   
• GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS FOR LOS ANGELES REAL ESTATE INVESTORS AND RENTERS:  According to the October Core Logic U.S. Housing and Mortgage Trends, renters now spend five percent more of their household budgets on housing costs than do homeowners, and the difference is growing as rents rise.  Since 2005 homeowners’ expenditures for housing have risen from 31.9 percent of their household budget to 33.2 percent, but renters’ costs have risen even more, from 35.6 percent to 38.4 percent.  In the last twenty-five years homeowners have increased their housing expenditure allocation by 12 percent, while that of renters increased by 22 percent.  Here are more statistics.
   
• FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS HANG TOUGH:  Despite rumors to the contrary, first-time buyers of Los Angeles real estate are alive and kicking, buying houses at virtually the same pace as they were before the first-time homebuyers credit first stimulated demand two years ago.  For the first seven months of this year, the first-time buyer market share has been remarkably steady, ranging from 32 to 36 percent of existing home sales through the spring and summer buying season, according to the National Association of REALTORS® monthly survey of 1300 members.  Even though the first-timers are saddled with higher down payments, tougher credit requirements, and mortgage approval delays, those are not the deal killers that they are often thought to be. 

Search all Los Angeles homes for sale.

Eileen Walsh has a reputation for tough, yet fair, negotiation, and for facilitating real estate transactions to a successful close. She has earned the loyalty of repeat clients who rely on her for all of their real estate needs. Eileen's goals are to ensure Los Angeles real estate sellers that they receive top net dollar for their properties in the shortest amount of time and to help Los Angeles homebuyers find the property which best meets their objectives at the fairest price. 

Empowered with the appropriate people skills, market knowledge, deal-making track record and dedication to her clients, Eileen has shown that she is THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE to represent you in your next Los Angeles real estate transaction.

For more information about buying or selling your Los Angeles home, please call Eileen direct at 310-738-3807 or via email at eileenwalsh.realestate@gmail.com.

It seems that every week some new and improved electronic gadget comes on the market, be it an iPhone, iPad, tablet, GPS system, computer, gaming device, or the like.  If you’re one of the millions of Americans who are unable to resist the urge to upgrade, your Los Angeles home may have become a holding tank for numerous discarded, but still useable, e-items.  What to do with them?

Environmental watchdog groups urge that you not throw “e-waste” away since doing so contaminates the atmosphere with toxic metals—and because, they point out, most of those gadgets are still worth money—either for you or for a charitable organization.   Instead, they suggest these four viable options:  trade in for cash or gift cards, donate, recycle, and reconsider your need to upgrade.

• Trade in your used items.  Many large companies offer programs in which they evaluate and accept your item and give you cash or a gift card in exchange for it.  Participating stores include Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Best Buy.  Online sites such as Nextworth and Gazelle will quote you the price they will pay in cash for your discarded equipment before you mail it in to them from your Los Angeles home.  Or you can simply sell the electronics you no longer need on sites such as EBay and Craig’s List.
• Donate:  Many nonprofit organizations such as the March of Dimes, Keep America Beautiful, and Call to Protect collect cell phones for their missions.  Also, Goodwill’s Reconnect program accepts computer equipment, erases all stored personal information, and either sells or responsibly recycles the items.  In addition, you can help Operation Gratitude in their efforts to send care packages to U.S. troops overseas. GRC Wireless Recycling will contribute up to $30 (or more) to Operation Gratitude for each donated cell phone.
• Recycle:  Unsure where to recycle?  Gcycle will find recycling locations near to your Los Angeles home if you supply your zip code.  Best Buy and Staples will also accept electronic equipment for responsible recycling.
• Reconsider:  Before you upgrade to a new cell phone or other device, take a good look at the item you are about to stop using. Do you really need the latest model or does the one you have now do the job? Curbing some of your impulse buys will help keep even more e-waste out of our landfills. 

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Eileen Walsh has a reputation for tough, yet fair, negotiation, and for facilitating real estate transactions to a successful close. She has earned the loyalty of repeat clients who rely on her for all of their real estate needs. Eileen's goals are to ensure Los Angeles real estate sellers that they receive top net dollar for their properties in the shortest amount of time and to help Los Angeles homebuyers find the property which best meets their objectives at the fairest price. 

Empowered with the appropriate people skills, market knowledge, deal-making track record and dedication to her clients, Eileen has shown that she is THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE to represent you in your next Los Angeles real estate transaction.

For more information about buying or selling your Los Angeles home, please call Eileen direct at 310-738-3807 or via email at eileenwalsh.realestate@gmail.com

If you are one of the millions of Americans whose home has lost value in recent years, despair not.  Whether you’re trying to spiff up your Los Angeles real estate for resale, to raise its appraisal, or just to keep current with updating and maintaining what you currently have, there are many relatively easy and budget-worthy steps you can take.   Some of these minor projects designed to increase value are quick fixes while others may require a weekend’s worth of work, but all will certainly revive the look of your property.

Exterior improvements:

• Keep shrubs and trees neatly pruned.  Plant new trees for energy savings and aesthetic value.
• Add low-voltage lighting for pathways
• Pay attention to the front door of your Los Angeles real estate.  Does it need new weather stripping?  A fresh coat of paint? Updated (or at least polished) hardware—knockers, knobs, hinges, and light fixtures?
• Spend $10 to test your lawn for needed nutrients.
• Attend to the garage door.  Use a mixture of one part bleach to three parts water and a soft-bristled brush to give it a thorough cleaning.  Still dirty or stained?  Rent a power washer for about $60.
• Check for faded or peeling paint.  Sand and apply a fresh coat.

Interior improvements:

• If you can’t replace the water heater in your Los Angeles real estate with a tankless model, wrap the one you have in fireproof insulation.
• Install modern light switches and outlets throughout your home.  Add dimmer switches.
• Insulate windows.  (Easy-to-follow instructions.)
• In bathrooms replace dated towel racks, light fixtures, sinks, toilet seats, and hardware.  Purchase a low flow toilet.  Re-grout where needed.  Display matching towels.  If the floor is in poor shape, consider putting easy-to-install vinyl tiles right over the old one.
• Add crown moldings, wood trim, and/or cornices to give room a look of quality.
• Update your kitchen inexpensively by replacing fixtures, faucets, and hardware.  Consider pendant lighting.  Refinish cabinets rather than replacing them.
• Clean and organize all closets.  

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Eileen Walsh has a reputation for tough, yet fair, negotiation, and for facilitating real estate transactions to a successful close. She has earned the loyalty of repeat clients who rely on her for all of their real estate needs. Eileen's goals are to ensure Los Angeles real estate sellers that they receive top net dollar for their properties in the shortest amount of time and to help Los Angeles homebuyers find the property which best meets their objectives at the fairest price. 

Empowered with the appropriate people skills, market knowledge, deal-making track record and dedication to her clients, Eileen has shown that she is THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE to represent you in your next Los Angeles real estate transaction.

For more information about buying or selling your Los Angeles home, please call Eileen direct at 310-738-3807 or via email at eileenwalsh.realestate@gmail.com. 

Be sure to read IRS consumer web pamphlets on real estate taxation at www.irs.gov.  

Go to 'Forms and Publications', then scroll down to download or view tax publications by number:

• 521: Moving Expenses
• 523: Selling Your Home
• 530: Tax Information for Home Owners
• 544: Sales and Other Disposition of Assets (1031 Exchanges)
• 551: Basis of Assets
• 587: Business Use of Your Home
• 936: Home Mortgage Interest Deduction

Search all Los Angeles homes for sale.

Eileen Walsh has a reputation for tough, yet fair, negotiation, and for facilitating real estate transactions to a successful close. She has earned the loyalty of repeat clients who rely on her for all of their real estate needs. Eileen's goals are to ensure Los Angeles real estate sellers that they receive top net dollar for their properties in the shortest amount of time and to help Los Angeles homebuyers find the property which best meets their objectives at the fairest price. 

Empowered with the appropriate people skills, market knowledge, deal-making track record and dedication to her clients, Eileen has shown that she is THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE to represent you in your next Los Angeles real estate transaction.

For more information about buying or selling your Los Angeles home, please call Eileen direct at 310-738-3807 or via email at eileenwalsh.realestate@gmail.com. 

Search all Los Angeles homes for sale.

Eileen Walsh has a reputation for tough, yet fair, negotiation, and for facilitating real estate transactions to a successful close. She has earned the loyalty of repeat clients who rely on her for all of their real estate needs. Eileen's goals are to ensure Los Angeles real estate sellers that they receive top net dollar for their properties in the shortest amount of time and to help Los Angeles homebuyers find the property which best meets their objectives at the fairest price. 

Empowered with the appropriate people skills, market knowledge, deal-making track record and dedication to her clients, Eileen has shown that she is THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE to represent you in your next Los Angeles real estate transaction.

For more information about buying or selling your Los Angeles home, please call Eileen direct at 310-738-3807 or via email at eileenwalsh.realestate@gmail.com. 

.  This “once-every-four-years” term describes a year containing one additional day in order to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year.  Because seasons and astronomical events do not repeat in a whole number of days, a calendar that had the same number of days in each year would, over time, drift with respect to the event it was supposed to track. By occasionally inserting an additional day into the year, the drift can be corrected. A year that is not a leap year is common year.  So now you know…and are you ready to leap into spring at your Los Angeles home.  How?  Read on for some suggestions….

Indoor Gardening:      

• Bulbs.  Pre-planted bulb pots are available in the grocery stores now.  Pick up a few pots and brighten up your Los Angeles home. Or, if you are ambitious, carefully dig up and pot the bulbs that are just emerging in your yard.  Be sure to leave a good amount of soil around them when you dig them up.  Keep the pots cool, slightly moist, and out of direct sunlight to enjoy the longest flower show.
• Houseplants.  Treat them to a shower in your sink and re-pot ones that are in need!
• How about adding some new scented houseplants to the collection in your Los Angeles home?  Hoya is an old-fashioned plant that’s making a comeback and doesn’t need a lot of sun.  If you  have a nice sunny spot, Sweet Bay, Cuban Oregano, Eucalyptus and Scented Geraniums are all great choices.

Outdoor Gardening:

• Deadhead camellia blossoms and pick up fallen blossoms to prevent disease.
• Prune roses and deciduous fruit trees. Spray them with horticultural oil to prevent insect problems in the future.
• Prune evergreens and liriope and continue doing so through April.    
• Do NOT prune spring blooming (flowering) plants! Wait until after bloom is over.
• Tools: Clean and fix them now! Sharpen lawnmower blades, change the oil, and clean or replace the filter.  Clean pruner blades with rubbing alcohol. Oil hinges.
• Now is a great time to design and plan the spring and summer plantings for your Los Angeles home. Think about adding some vegetables for you and a row for a food bank.

Ready?  Get set and LEAP into spring!      

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Eileen Walsh has a reputation for tough, yet fair, negotiation, and for facilitating real estate transactions to a successful close. She has earned the loyalty of repeat clients who rely on her for all of their real estate needs. Eileen's goals are to ensure Los Angeles real estate sellers that they receive top net dollar for their properties in the shortest amount of time and to help Los Angeles homebuyers find the property which best meets their objectives at the fairest price. 

Empowered with the appropriate people skills, market knowledge, deal-making track record and dedication to her clients, Eileen has shown that she is THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE to represent you in your next Los Angeles real estate transaction.

For more information about buying or selling your Los Angeles home, please call Eileen direct at 310-738-3807 or via email at eileenwalsh.realestate@gmail.com.

With rents rising faster than last year, the picture for residential real estate investors is getting even better than it already was as a result of once-in-a-generation prices and low interest rates, according to Greg Rand, founder and CEO of OwnAmerica, who downplays concerns over near term price declines and urges investors to take a long view of the opportunities.  “This is a long term investment,” says Rand, who differs with what he calls the “get rich quick” approach to investing. “Rents are a steady return on your investment through the years, leaving you with an attractive asset when prices improve. And they will. The best profits in real estate accrue to long term investors who take a long term view.”  You might also consider investing in apartment buildings, although with 1.4 million new renters this year, apartment construction can’t keep up with demand. Tenants, especially former homeowners forced from their homes because of the economy, are increasingly turning to single family homes owned by investors, especially in high foreclosure markets.

A survey by Realtor.com in April found that by a three to one margin, investors (including those looking to purchase Los Angeles real estate) plan to be more active in their local markets compared to typical homebuyers in the next 24 months, and 69 percent of investors say it’ll be easier to find properties in the near future.  Most investors are newcomers. Fifty-nine percent (59%) said they’re new to real estate investing, with 33.5 percent considering their first investment purchase and 8.5 percent in the process of buying and selling their first investment property. Another 17 percent said they just completed their first transaction and plan to make more. Only 36.5 percent have experience in more than one property transaction.

Where to start?  You can begin by consulting with a Realtor who is familiar with the Los Angeles real estate market and is savvy about owning rental properties.  You can also go online for a myriad of sites offering tips, advice, and strategies for the new property investor.  Click these particular offerings for a good guide for beginners or for an extensive variety of articles and videos covering just about everything you want to know about beginning your investment venture. 

Search all Los Angeles homes for sale.

Eileen Walsh has a reputation for tough, yet fair, negotiation, and for facilitating real estate transactions to a successful close. She has earned the loyalty of repeat clients who rely on her for all of their real estate needs. Eileen's goals are to ensure Los Angeles real estate sellers that they receive top net dollar for their properties in the shortest amount of time and to help Los Angeles homebuyers find the property which best meets their objectives at the fairest price. 

Empowered with the appropriate people skills, market knowledge, deal-making track record and dedication to her clients, Eileen has shown that she is THE INTELLIGENT CHOICE to represent you in your next Los Angeles real estate transaction.

For more information about buying or selling your Los Angeles home, please call Eileen direct at 310-738-3807 or via email at eileenwalsh.realestate@gmail.com.