Los Angeles Living

Effective January 6, 2012 the price of Los Angeles traffic tickets is going up by $4 a ticket on already steep fines.  And be extra wary.  It is rumored that there is extra pressure on traffic officers to bring in more revenue.

Local agencies have even been authorized to attach cameras to street sweepers in order to catch parking violators.

Los Angeles Traffic Ticket Fines (Effective 01/06/2012)

• VC 12814.6 $214 Failure to obey license provisions
• VC 14600(A) $214 Failure to notify DMV of address change within 10 days Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction.
• VC 16028(A) $796 Failure to provide evidence of financial responsibility (insurance) Note: This fine may be reduced with proof of insurance on or after the violation date.
• VC 21453(A) $436 Failure to stop at a red signal.
• VC 22349 $214 Unsafe speed, 1 to 15 miles over the limit.
• VC 22350 $328 Unsafe speed, 16 to 25 miles over the limit.
• VC 22450 $214 Failure to stop at a stop sign.
• VC 22454(A) $616 Passing a school bus with flashing red signals.
• VC 23123(A) $148 Driving while using a wireless phone not hands free, first offense.
• VC 23123(B) $256 Driving while using a wireless phone not hands not free, each subsequent offense.
• VC 23123.5 $148 Driving while using a wireless device to send, read or write text.
• VC 23124 $148 Minor driving while using a wireless phone.
• VC 22500 $976 Parking in a bus loading area.
• VC 22507(A) $976 Violation of disabled parking provisions, first offense.
• VC 22507(B) $1876 Violation of disabled parking provisions, second offense.
• VC 26708 $178 Unlawful material on vehicle windows.
• VC 27150 $178 Adequate muffler required.
• VC 27315 $148 Mandatory use of seat belts.
• VC 27360 $436 Mandatory use of passenger child restraints. Note: This fine may be reduced by completing a court authorized child seat diversion program.
• VC 27400 $178 Headsets or Earplugs covering both ears.
• VC 27803 $178 Violation of motorcycle safety helmet requirements.
• VC 34506 $616 Commercial Driver – Log book violation.
• VC 4000 $256 No evidence of current registration. Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction.
•  VC 4159 $178 Notify DMV of change of address within 10 days. Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction.
• VC 5200 $178 Proper display of license plates. Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction.
• VC 9400 $178 Commercial weight fees due. Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction

Buying or Selling Los Angeles Real Estate

Buying or selling a Los Angeles home can be a daunting process in a city this size, especially if you’re new to L.A. Town. You’ll need a resident expert to show you around and help you narrow down the areas where you might like to live. I will help you find the perfect home in the right area to fit your lifestyle, budget and needs!

When I list and sell Los Angeles homes for my clients I strive to make the experience a pleasant one. My mission is to provide outstanding service while utilizing the best practices and systems available.

If you are an absentee owner, you’ll need someone to handle all the details that you can’t handle remotely. That’s where I come in – I’m there when you can’t be. I also specialize in lease property in Los Angeles.

Westside Los Angeles Real Estate, including, but not limited to:

• Westwood Real Estate - Westwood single family homes, Westwood condominiums, Wilshire Corridor condominiums, Century City condominiums
• Brentwood Real Estate - Brentwood single family homes, Brentwood condominiums
• Santa Monica Real Estate - Santa Monica single family homes, Santa Monica condominiums
• Beverly Hills Real Estate - Beverly Hills single family homes, Beverly Hills condominiums
• Culver City Real Estate - Culver City homes
• Silver Lake Real Estate - Silver Lake single homes
  
• Echo Park Real Estate - Echo Park homes

For more information on how I can best serve your Los Angeles real estate needs, don’t hesitate to fill out the contact form or give me a call at 310-473-6919.

Read more: http://www.homejane.com/new-los-angeles-traffic-fines-effective-january-2012-watch-out-california-needs-the-money.html#ixzz1jSWaJWpM

If you are looking for a Los Angeles rental property, you are in a lot of competition.  The better prepared you are to make an offer on the property you love, the better the chance you are of getting it, because the good ones go quickly.

So, what do you need to know?

As soon as your realtor sends you a property close to your needs and desires, be prepared to go see it.

Believe me, you are not the only person looking for Los Angeles rental properties right now and generally it is a first-come first-served situation.

Most leases are for a minimum one year term.

There are some exceptions, but most leases will require you sign a contract for a minimum of one year.

Be prepared to pay three months’ rent up front.

There are exceptions to this rule also, but most leases are going to require that you pay two months’ deposit  on signing and the first month’s rent up front.

Run your credit report.

When you find that property you are going to have to fill out a Rental Application form and submit it with your credit report.  The credit report must be a full report from all three bureaus.  A good service to use is CreditScore.com.  You will probably also need to provide proof of funds which will show that you are able to cover a full year’s rent.

If you do not have good credit and low funds, then you should seek out a co-signer for the lease.  It can be a family member, friend or your employer may sign for you, especially if you are being relocated.

Once the terms have been accepted a lease will be drawn up by the landlord’s agent.

You will review this lease with your Realtor® and if you agree to the terms of the lease you will sign and enter into a lease contract.  Upon signature you will be required to pay the deposit and first months’ rent, usually by cashier’s check or wired funds.

Walk through.

You will generally get a chance to walk through the property with your agent and the landlord’s agent to go over items that may need repair, and you will also have a previously agreed-upon number of days to inform the landlord of any deficient items, although generally the landlord is responsible for fixing items in disrepair.

If you are ready, willing, and able to follow the process above, then you will be successful at beating out the competition for those hard-to-find L

Sample West Los Angeles Properties for Rent

Showing properties 1 - 15 of 129. See more West Los Angeles Properties for Rent. 
(all data current as of 12/15/2011)

1. $2,650 : 1920 Beverly Glen Blvd, Los Angeles
   
   2 beds, 2.5 baths

   Home size: 1,541 sq ft

   Lot size: 818 sq ft

   Year built: 1992

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 3
    
2. $3,000 : 10787 WILSHIRE BLVD, Los Angeles
   
   2 beds, 2.5 baths

   Home size: 1,459 sq ft

   Lot size: 309 sq ft

   Year built: 1962

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 3
    
3. $3,200 : 10390 LA GRANGE AVE, Los Angeles
   
   2 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 1,550 sq ft

   Year built: 2008

   Days on market: 3
    
4. $4,450 : 10593 KINNARD AVE, Los Angeles
   
   2 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,750 sq ft

   Lot size: 6,500 sq ft

   Year built: 1939

   Parking spots: 4

   Days on market: 3
    
5. $2,700 : 1730 Sawtelle Blvd., West Los Angeles
   
   2 beds, 2.0 baths

   Year built: 2010

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 4
    
6. $5,750 : 10660 ROCHESTER AVE, Los Angeles
   
   3 beds, 2.5 baths

   Home size: 1,902 sq ft

   Lot size: 6,500 sq ft

   Year built: 1938

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 6
    
7. $1,400 : 1629 VETERAN AVE, Los Angeles
   
   1 bed, 1.0 baths

   Year built: 1968

   Parking spots: 1

   Days on market: 7
    
8. $4,250 : 1844 Glendon Ave 101, Los Angeles
   
   4 beds, 3 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 2,400 sq ft

   Lot size: 6,751 sq ft

   Year built: 2002

   Parking spots: 4

   Days on market: 7
    
9. $5,200 : 351 NORCROFT AVE, Los Angeles
   
   2 beds, 2.0 baths

   Home size: 2,304 sq ft

   Lot size: 9,150 sq ft

   Year built: 1966

   Parking spots: 3

   Days on market: 7
    
10. $3,495 : 10709 AShton, Los Angeles
    
    3 beds, 2.0 baths

    Home size: 1,800 sq ft

    Parking spots: 2

    Days on market: 8
     
11. $2,400 : 10337 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles
    
    1 bed, 1 full bath

    Home size: 1,010 sq ft

    Lot size: 13,506 sq ft

    Year built: 1935

    Parking spots: 2

    Days on market: 9
     
12. $4,500 : 1852 BENTLEY AVE, Los Angeles
    
    3 beds, 2 full baths

    Home size: 1,547 sq ft

    Lot size: 5,445 sq ft

    Year built: 1936

    Parking spots: 2

    Days on market: 9
     
13. $4,550 : 12016 TEXAS AVE, Los Angeles
    
    4 beds, 3 full, 1 part baths

    Home size: 2,295 sq ft

    Lot size: 2,069 sq ft

    Year built: 1998

    Parking spots: 4

    Days on market: 9
     
14. $2,000 : 10655 KINNARD AVE, Los Angeles
    
    1 bed, 1.0 baths

    Home size: 733 sq ft

    Year built: 1963

    Parking spots: 2

    Days on market: 10
     
15. $2,695 : 10630 EASTBORNE AVE, Los Angeles
    
    2 beds, 2.0 baths

    Home size: 1,267 sq ft

    Lot size: 762 sq ft

    Year built: 1990

    Days on market: 10
     

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Search Los Angeles Homes for Rent

Buying or Selling Los Angeles Real Estate

Buying or selling a Los Angeles home can be a daunting process in a city this size, especially if you’re new to L.A. Town. You’ll need a resident expert to show you around and help you narrow down the areas where you might like to live. I will help you find the perfect home in the right area to fit your lifestyle, budget and needs!

When I list and sell Los Angeles homes for my clients I strive to make the experience a pleasant one. My mission is to provide outstanding service while utilizing the best practices and systems available.

If you are an absentee owner, you’ll need someone to handle all the details that you can’t handle remotely. That’s where I come in – I’m there when you can’t be. I also specialize in lease property in Los Angeles.

Westside Los Angeles Real Estate, including, but not limited to:

• Westwood Real Estate - Westwood single family homes, Westwood condominiums, Wilshire Corridor condominiums, Century City condominiums
• Brentwood Real Estate - Brentwood single family homes, Brentwood condominiums
• Santa Monica Real Estate - Santa Monica single family homes, Santa Monica condominiums
• Beverly Hills Real Estate - Beverly Hills single family homes, Beverly Hills condominiums
• Culver City Real Estate - Culver City homes
• Silver Lake Real Estate - Silver Lake single homes
  
• Echo Park Real Estate - Echo Park homes

For more information on how I can best serve your Los Angeles real estate needs, don’t hesitate to fill out the contact form or give me a call at 310-473-6919.

Read more: http://www.homejane.com/looking-for-a-los-angeles-rental-property-be-prepared.html#ixzz1gd9qLMbo

There are some common misconceptions when you are buying a Los Angeles home that you can either do a better job yourself in sourcing a home for sale,  or that you are going to get a better deal if you approach the listing agent directly.  As I said, these are misconceptions.

Let’s paint a picture of a Los Angeles home buyer  trying to find a home on his own.  We will call him Mr. Homebuyer, HB for short:

HB starts his search online looking at every imaginable site out there.  I can already see the stress mounting.  

HB cannot find the phone number of the listing agent and when he does trying to get a callback can be challenging.  Imagine trying to get 10 different listing agents to show him their properties and lining up appointments……

HB may call only to find that the property is no longer on the market.  Many of these online sites are not up-t0-date.  He may have wasted time looking at properties that are not available.

HB may be sophisticated enough to recognize a property listed as a short sale and understand the ramifications of buying one of these properties, but many other Los Angeles home buyers don’t.

HB may approach the listing agent on purpose thinking that he is going to get a deal by going directly because the listing agent does not have to split his commission.  But let’s remember who is paying that commission.

There are way too many things that can go wrong when HB tries to buy a home by himself.  I will point these out by showing what can go right if HB uses a Los Angeles buyer’s agent.

Let’s see the benefits of using a buyer’s agent:

HB sits down with a Los Angeles Realtor® and together they discuss the criteria for the search.  However the first thing that the Realtor® will ask is that HB talk with a lender and get a pre-approval.  Without this nothing can be accomplished.  The Realtor® will know the limits of the search and HB will not be disappointed by having set his heart on homes he cannot afford.

The pressure is off HB.  His Realtor® will build a search that will update at least daily and send out new listings to him which should not include homes that have been sold.  And trust that most everything that is on the market will be on the MLS so HB doesn’t have to worry that he is missing something, although I am sure he is still going to peek.

And HB can just make himself available to visit the homes at appointment times that the Realtor® has set up for him.

If any of the homes are a short sale, the Realtor® can find out the background.  How many liens are on the property; what kind of experience the listing agent has with short sales; has the process been started; all important things to know in order to decide whether making an offer on the property is viable.

Finally, and maybe most importantly, HB’s Realtor® is going to be representing him and him alone.  When a listing agent is representing both sides of the transaction impartiality is a problem.  Remember who is paying the commission – the seller.  Put yourself in the position of someone trying to negotiate both sides of the deal while not divulging to one party what they know about the other one.

And above all, HB, hiring your own agent is going to cost you nothing. Using buyer’s agent is the best money you will never spend.

The Message to Buyers is Clear

Agents all across the country agree that having your own buyers agent is critical when buying a home:

Atlanta | Charlotte | Las Vegas | Nashville | Newport Beach CA | Portland OR | Wellington FL

Buying or Selling Los Angeles Real Estate

Buying or selling a Los Angeles home can be a daunting process in a city this size, especially if you’re new to L.A. Town. You’ll need a resident expert to show you around and help you narrow down the areas where you might like to live. I will help you find the perfect home in the right area to fit your lifestyle, budget and needs! When I list and sell Los Angeles homes for my clients I strive to make the experience a pleasant one. My mission is to provide outstanding service while utilizing the best practices and systems available. If you are an absentee owner, you’ll need someone to handle all the details that you can’t handle remotely. That’s where I come in – I’m there when you can’t be. I also specialize in lease property in Los Angeles. Westside Los Angeles Real Estate, including, but not limited to:

• Westwood Real Estate - Westwood single family homes, Westwood condominiums, Wilshire Corridor condominiums, Century City condominiums
• Brentwood Real Estate - Brentwood single family homes, Brentwood condominiums
• Santa Monica Real Estate - Santa Monica single family homes, Santa Monica condominiums
• Beverly Hills Real Estate - Beverly Hills single family homes, Beverly Hills condominiums
• Culver City Real Estate - Culver City homes
• Silver Lake Real Estate - Silver Lake single homes
• Echo Park Real Estate - Echo Park homes

For more information on how I can best serve your Los Angeles real estate needs, don’t hesitate to fill out the contact form or give me a call at 310-473-6919.

Enough of the jokes.

L.A. is number one on the list of cities that take care of their carless citizens.  Yes, you heard me, L.A.  Los Angeles!

This per a study conducted by the Brookings Institute which compared 100 of the largest cities with the most residents without cars and access to public transit.  Then it ranked them as to the ones that effectively reached those residents and delivered them to their destination.

Surprisingly, Los Angeles offers the ability for people to get on a bus and get to work quite easily.

The report doesn't say that it will get you to work quickly.  In fact, 36% of residents will be stuck in the gridlock for which L.A. is best known.  

Wonder why L.A. beat out New York.  It was a percentage thing.  While many more New Yorkers don't own cars than Los Angeleans, the percentage who are reached by the public transit system is 98.7% as compared with Los Angeles where it is 99.1%.

Residents in cities like Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, Atlanta and St. Louis, can't even get on a bus.

So, New York.  Put that in your pipe and smoke it.