As a young student, many summers ago I worked at city hall in Los Angeles.  I cannot forget those beautiful summer days in downtown L.A walking to work-five to six blocks from the parking lot to work. I walked passed old brick empty buildings, trashed out streets with fowl odors and stepped over and around the homeless lining the sidewalks. Wow, things are changing. Recently, I was traveling through downtown L.A. and crossed my old route. I was amazed at the regentrification of the entire downtown area.  It’s hard to believe the change. Downtown Los Angeles is in the midst of a renaissance. Land values and loft condominiums are increasing as developers continue to move into the market in order to create a brand new, revitalized city.  Buyers from all over the world are recognizing the progress of the city and are lining up to experience the new wave of… Read More »

Have you ever been on vacation, basking in the sun, sipping on your favorite cocktail and wondered what your friends were doing, better yet wondered what what would your friends say if you invited them to your new vacation home in some far away paradise. Stop, drink a little water, pick up your towel, drink some water and let the euphoric buzz come down. Before you get too jazzed about the idea. Take a few moments and let’s explore afew ideas that will assist in making a better decision. Since some of us love to travel more then others, before you fall too in love with a vacation spot for permanent residency ora second home. What is are your long term goals? Make sure YOUR lifestyle fits the location you want to move too. It always looks good when you are visiting. The grass is always greener on vacation; it… Read More »

Los Angeles, California- March 7, 2009 The FOX News interview with Butch Grimes, popular west coast real estate educator and talk show host, resembled a cordial tennis match between anchor and interviewee on the upsides and downsides of buying distressed homes. As the host asked questions about the first time home buyer frenzy, and other positive signs in the real estate marketplace, Grimes attempted to deliver a cautionary message that he never seemed to fully express, until after the show. When asked, after the FOX interview, about the distressed properties he sees daily Grimes said, “House rape is occurring daily and it’s impacting homeowners and potential homeowners. I’m seeing bidding wars on some cheaply priced homes. What no one realizes is that these foreclosed homes have often been pillaged for essentials like plumbing, sinks or carpeting. I’m just saying that folks should take signs of market improvement cautiously.”  While Grimes… Read More »

Dating and Real Estate Do the go together? After many year of being single, I didn’t realize there was a correlation between real estate and relationships.  It may sound crazy, but it’ true.  In today’s world, intimidation is a factor and real estate seems to have a great impact on DATING. Don’t laugh, it might happen to you.  Let’s take a look at statistics and you will see where I’m going with this.  Single-women homebuyers represented about 18% of all U.S. homebuyers in the first half of 2004, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Slightly more than one-fourth of them are 25- to 34-year-olds.  This is a great statistic for women in the housing market and for their financial security, but has not been good for their relationships. Every single person wants to find a mate that has it “GOIN ON”.  Excuse the slang.  However, there is a… Read More »

Selling Your Own Home? It’s not as easy as you think! Yes, the market is hot and properties are jumping off the sales boards at record pace.  Don’t get confused with success.  Selling your own home can be a pain in the _ _ _ _.  Posting a for-sale sign from your local hardware store in the front yard, holding an open house, and sitting back waiting for the offer to come in doesn’t always work.  Believe it or not the money that is paid out in commissions is well earned.  Some reading this article may say, “BUTCH IS BIAS BECAUSE HE IS A BROKER AND MAKES HIS LIVING SELLING HOUSES”.  Yes, I sell homes for a living, but also know what headaches and heartaches the real estate professional goes through to make sure their clients are happy.  Real Estate transactions are like spiders, they have many legs.  It only… Read More »