Knockout Condo at the Blair House – A Must See!

Knockout Condo in Wilshire Corridor’s prestigious Blair House. 2Bedroom, 2.5 stunning bathrooms, impeccably done, hip, artistic, contemporary, sweeping views of the ocean, Little Holmby, Bel Air, very avant garde; on the cutting edge. Built-in office with Murphy bed. Redone kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances and breakfast banquette. Fabulous built-ins throughout. Clean lines, travertine floors, high ceilings, fireplace, two balconies, two parking spaces, wine storage.  Full service building, new Seline pool and spa, full gym, newly refurbished tennis court with night lights, sauna, large social room, private wine storage.

The Blair House is an incredibly desirable address on the Wilshire Corridor, offering the perfect combination of privacy, security, amenities and luxury.  No other building can make the claim of owning a separate parcel next door, allowing for additional parking and the largest pool deck on the boulevard. While most buildings are fortunate to own either a pool or a tennis court, The Blair House owns both, as well as an outdoor spa.  If condo living is in your future, you must come and see all of this for yourself.  Call today for a private appointment.

Stunning Condominium! The Mirabella, 10430 Wilshire Blvd. Unit #1904

Stunning, amazing, crafted to new levels of excellence. Quite simply the single most amazing condominium unit that you will ever see on the Wilshire Corridor. Decorated beyond belief, thought through in every way possible, views from the south and east exposures that are breathtaking every day, and all systems updated to the most recent technology. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a powder room, amazing kitchen and breakfast area. If you’ve seen the photos, you will agree that luxury and style have met in this condo and become partners in something anyone would love to live in.

August – A Quiet Month

August is normally a quiet month, and this month is no exception. Only two properties have closed escrow thus far, with 98 listed for sale up and down the Corridor, ranging from unit #405 in the Wilshire Holmby for $305,000 to the Two Penthouses at The Remington for $19M.  (Not bad if you don’t mind paying $6,934 in monthly H Dues!).  The two units closing were #702 in The Westholme for $410,000 and #1404 in The Remington for $2,512,000 ($857/sq ft), which is a solid number for a back-end unit, compared to the YTD Avg of $829/sq ft this year and $695/sq ft last year. Interestingly enough, for the same first 23 days of August in 2009, there were EXACTLY the same number of condos for sale, and eight sold in this period.

Tax Cuts

No one is talking yet about the pending tax cuts that are about to expire and return to their original high rates, in the MIDDLE OF A MAJOR DEPRESSION! Mr. Obama has signaled Capitol Hill that he will not move to extend these Bush-era tax cuts, which include the Inheritance Tax, the upper bracket of personal income tax, long-term capital gains tax and the elimination of the double tax on dividends. The government must make tough decisions to balance the budget, but allowing taxes to increase at all should not be one of them. Needless to say, an increase from 15% to 20% on long-term capital gains can only have a drastically negative impact on the recovery of the real estate market, starting sometime soon as home Sellers realize that escrows closing after December 31st will have a much different tax liability than those closing before.

Our Newest Site – WilshireCorridor.com

Welcome to our newest website, the newest and most comprehensive blog focused on The Wilshire Corridor.  I get a lot of questions, but the most common one is “Why are condo buildings rated “A”, “B” and “C” and who decides the criteria?  The answer is simple; it’s an arbitrary judgment call by each individual agent, but most agents basically agree.  “A” buildings include The Californian, The Wilshire, The Wilshire House, The Blair House, La Tour and the Carlyle.  “B” buildings include The Marabella, The Ten-Five-Sixty, The Wilshire Terrace, The Wilshire Thayer, The Wilshire Holmby, The Diplomat, the Westford and the Longford. The “C” buildings include The Marie Antoinette, The Wilshire Regency, The Regent Wilshire, and others.  Criteria includes the average $/sq ft, overall appearance, size of units, amenities available, HOA dues, lobby appearance, Management and financial reserves.

www.wilshirecorridor.com

New Listing – Downtown High Rise 31st Floor with Views!

I just listed the single most amazing residential high rise view in Downtown, Los Angeles. Located on the elevated portion called Bunker Hill, this unit overlooks the financial district, with exposures to the south and east. The only higher elevation ANYWHERE downtown is the floor above it, which is the Penthouse. And since no Penthouses are for sale (and rarely are), this is your opportunity to own the view. With over 1,400 sq ft of living space, this previous three bedroom unit has been professionally converted to a masterful one bedroom home for entertaining. It’s just something you have to see.  Easy to show.  For sale at $695,000 and for lease, at $3,500/month.  For more details visit www.800westfirststreetunit3104.com.