A.P.N. explained so everyone can understand by the Land Man Endre Barath,Jr. As most of my readers know my nickname in Los Angeles is the “Land Man” I earned this thru hard work and a lot of Land Listings and Sales. Quite frankly I would prefer having the nickname” The Ultra Luxury Realtor” I have sold vacant land from $8,000 to $1million. This is a lot of work for little money. If I was doing “Ultra Luxury Real Estate in Los Angeles” than my average sale would be around $15 million vs. $800k”. Now with that said, let me return to the title of this post! What is an APN? It is the Assessor’s Parcel Number. Most counties use a number system to identify a parcel for tax purposes. In California, the Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN) refers to the map book number and acts as the index for resea... 08/07/2012

Active Rain  & HomeFinder.com help to reflect, analyze  in a business makeover for many real estate agents and members. This post was inspired by my fellow AR Members to reflect, analyze and create a road map how to make over my own  Business. I have been reading a great many blog posts from agents on Active Rain reflecting, analyzing and telling us how they plan on doing a Make Over of their Business. These are all wonderful and interesting posts to read.  I found it even more interesting as to how they plan on achieving their goals. Overall I must give them kudos for sharing their internal observations of their short comings and how they plan on rectifying them. Their sharing has encouraged me to reflect as well.  Even though, I continuously reflect daily, nightly, weekly and monthly... 07/26/2012

D’Amore’s Pizza in Malibu is the Best Pizzeria in the area. The quest for finding a perfect Pizza in Los Angeles is not as easy as you think. If you are very particular and want only a Thin Crust Pizza that is Boston Style, then you need to search hard. We have been on the search and always managed to “settle”, during the past 15 plus year living here in Los Angeles we were always comparing every pizza we had with the perfect one we were used to in Boston, MA. I must admit we had inexpensive as well as expensive Pizza from super star chefs to no name chefs and the results were mixed at best. I have been driving on PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) for many years and I kept seeing this sign, Pizza by the Slice. I was starving one day and just pulled in to get a slice or two and quench my hung... 07/22/2012

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pie inspired by Pinterest   I was looking at pictures on Pinterest , trying to figure it out. Next thing I know I saw this great picture of a Strawberry Pie. So I decided to Pin it. Next thing I know is one of my friends on Face book commented on what a great picture and recipe this is. She knows I am a cook, hence she requested a pie or at least leftovers…. Hence this created a quest for finding a recipe on how to make Strawberry Pie.   I knew the most important part of making the pie is to have sweet, fresh & good strawberries. Then since making chocolate covered strawberry pie ones has to have good Chocolate, hence I believe to make the best you need to get the best. Hence I needed Ghirardelli Chocolate to complete the perfect Pie. So then after looking a... 07/17/2012

The Carbon House - Case Study #9   Broker's Open - Thursday 7/19 from 9:30am - 2pm Scott Gillen UNVARNISHED has done it again. California living takes on new meaning with this one-of-a-kind custom built bungalow by the sea. From the moment you walk in you feel at home. Embodying the truest sense of open living, this property is THE Malibu life, quality and grace. Offering over 6,200 sq.ft. including; massive great room with 15 foot ceilings and exposed beams, open kitchen and Breathtaking views through over sized windows in every room. Natural hand scraped aged oak floors, raised standing-seam metal roof, are just a few of the finishes you will experience as you visit this home. Wired for state-of-the-art entertainment and surveillance, outdoor BBQ, La Costa beach club rights. Don’t mis... 07/17/2012

Malibu California - Sun, Sand and Surf ..... the playground of the rich and famous. The Malibu Coastline is filled with beach homes that are owned by actors, celebrities and some of the most powerful players in the movie industry. It's therefore interesting to see just how many of these multi-million dollar earners are happy to rent out their homes during the Summer months for astronomical prices. The Real Estalker reports that "Pierce Brosnan has listed his newly built 13,000 square foot 4-Bedroom mansion (above) Malibu's star-lined (and quickly eroding) Broad Beach for $250,000 a month".     Leaonardo DiCapprio has put his Malibu Colony house up for a short-term lease at $150,000 per month.    Another high priced rental in Malibu include a 7-Bed 9.5-Bath home on Cliffside Drive for $1... 07/05/2012

Happy Saturday everyone. Here are the Malibu real estate statistics for the past 30 days: 95 New listings 20 New escrows 40 Sold properties Westside Properties is a full-service real estate boutique brokerage based in Venice 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 x411 or email mywestsidehomefinder@gmail.com           To preview the finest real estate and the best deals on the Westside of Los Angeles including Pa... 06/16/2012

Diesel Book Store in Malibu,CA    Diesel Book Store is one of the few Independent bookstores that are left in California. The owners are John Evans and his partner Alison Reid, they started their first bookstore in 1989. Currently they have three stores:  one in Brentwood, one in Oakland and one in Malibu.   There was a time in 2011 when it looked like Diesel would not be in Malibu any more. There was a landlord tenant dispute, which turned out to be a short eight month void in Malibu. Now Diesel is back with a vengeance. Very close to the previous location, but better. They are housed in a Spanish Revival commercial building with a central courtyard. It has a nice spill-out area, and they hold the book signing and reading events in the courtyard. This place is quaint and more conducive... 06/09/2012

Four steps to buying a house in 2012 – Home buyer basics Q: I am on a mission to buy a home. I’ve wanted to own a home my entire life, and thought I would miss the opportunity to buy while the market was down, because I had no real savings when the market crashed. I think I’m ready, though, and prices still seem low. What should… Read More     Debunking the “instant equity” myth Q: If I buy a home that previously sold for more than $400,000, but I pay only around $200,000, doesn’t that mean I have instant equity? A: In a word? No. Here’s the deal. In real estate, we think of equity as the difference between what your home is worth and what you owe on… Read More     Barn House Eelde / Kwint Architects via ArchDaily The task of conceiving a private home in the countryside south of Eelde ... 06/06/2012

Lloyd Cullen Real Estate is a local Malibu Short Sale Realtor. As a Malibu Short Sale Company that specializes in short sales, you are assured the highest standard of professionalism and can always count on our Malibu Short Sale Realtor to help answer any questions you have in regards to Malibu Short Sales. Malibu Short Sale Realtor Lloyd Cullen is a local Malibu Short Sale Expert with experienced Malibu Short Sale Agents here to assist you.   Malibu Short Sale Realtor We specialize in Short Sales for Malibu and Surrounding Areas If you reside in Malibu and are going through a short sale, your best bet is to get the proper guidance on the short sale of your home. No two situations are the same so it is ideal to speak with a Malibu Short Sale Specialist to assist you in making decisions ... 05/28/2012

Former Yahoo! Boss Lists for $50M on Malibu’s Carbon Beach Here is a Malibu dream compound owned by former Yahoo! boss… Location: Malibu, Calif. Price: $50,000,000 The Skinny: Former Yahoo! CEO Terry Semel earned plenty of criticism from shareholders for the excessive compensation he received during his tenure as the company’s chief and now we know where some of it went: to a Michael Graves-designed waterfront mansion on Malibu’s Carbon… Read More 05/23/2012

We all know rodents, insects and other pests can damage your home and cause illness to you and your family. Here are some helpful tips to make it difficult for them to find their way in. Mice and rats are usually in search of food and water and can find a way into your home through any opening. Once inside, they can chew on wires, eat through food packaging and crawl into heating equipment. They can also spread diseases such as Lyme disease, salmonella or hantavirus. To keep them out, fill any siding or foundation holes &fract14; inch or larger with mortar or copper wool. Cover dryer vents with a tightly woven metal mesh like hardware cloth, and keep garbage cans tightly covered and away from the house. If you must set traps with poison, be sure to keep them clear of children and pets. ... 04/17/2012

There has been a dramatic drop in the number of properties that have been sold at trustee sales/foreclosure auctions. California’s foreclosure sales are down 16.7% from February 2012 – March 2012 and are down nearly 53% from March 2011. Of the nearly 90,000 sales scheduled for California, 80% were postponed and nearly 10% were cancelled. Just over 80,000 sold. Third parties accounted for nearly 40% of the properties that did sell in California. Large increases in foreclosure starts occurred in California, Nevada and Washington. Even with this increase, the volume of new foreclosures remains down year over year.        04/13/2012

Malibu Short Sales Actives | Looking for Backup | Pending (as of April 9, 2012)   ACTIVE           Type Address LP Br Ba SF LSZ SFR 30245 Pacific Coast Highway $5,250,000 4 4 4,000 145,490 SFR 2878 Hume Rd. $2,850,000 4 4.5 3,138 49,222 SFR 27091 Sea Vista Dr. $2,500,000 4 5 5,000 28,994 SFR 520 Costa Del Sol Way $1,395,000 5 5 3,931 228,254 SFR 6754 Dume Dr. $1,300,000 3 3 2,557 8,712 SFR 4262 Aveninda De La Encinal $1,200,000 3 3.5 3,875 20,038 SFR 20374 Seaboard Rd. $1,195,000 4 3 2,751 11,517 SFR 26200 Lockwood Rd. $879,000 3 3 2,061 11,330 C/C 3601 Vista Pacifica #14 $750,000 3 3.5 1,810 - LND 3963 Encinal Canyon Rd. $395,000 - - - 100,397 LND 26349 Fairside Rd. $250,000 - - - 12,646 LND 0 Decker Canyon Rd. $159,900 - - - 753,649 LND 26347 Ingleside Way $120,000 - - - 87,120      ... 04/09/2012

Bank-Owned/REO | Short Sales | Foreclosure Search •  REO Offer Instructions   •  REO Offer Worksheet  Bank-Owned / REOs Coming Soon to Market      Address B/B Sq. Ft. LSZ LP Status 3601 Vista Pacifica #7 Malibu, CA 90265 3B/3.5B 1,799 - $797,900 ACTIVE 4935 Serrania Ave. Woodland Hills, CA 91364 3B/2B 1,584 6,615 TBD COMING SOON 5709 El Canon Dr. Woodland Hills, CA 91367 3B/3B 2,752 11,413 TBD COMING SOON                     MALIBU Bank-Owned / REOs  Active | Looking for Backup | Pending (as of April 9, 2012)   ACTIVE           Type Address LP Br Ba SF LSZ LND 0 Pacific Coast Highway $3,350,000 - - - 153,331 LND 33400 Pacific Coast Highway $2,895,000 - - - 27,442 SFR 5944 Filaree Heights $1,500,000 3 2 1,584 47,480 LND 6140 Galahad Rd. $850,000 - - - 34,717 LND 6327 Gayton Pl. $299,000... 04/09/2012

One of the largest investments you will make in your life is buying a home. To protect your investment, you need a homeowner's insurance policy.  More importantly, you need to know how to choose one that meets your particular needs.  You can get homeowner's insurance to cover a multitude of situations. A) The standard policy will usually cover things like fire, smoke, frozen pipes, ice, snow and theft. It also provides coverage for liability claims and legal or medical costs if you find yourself in a lawsuit. For example, if your dog bites the mailman, or your kid's friend falls from a tree on your property and breaks his leg, your insurance will cover the medical expenses. The most common liability coverage is $100,000 but it is important to consider whether that amount is sufficient f... 03/26/2012

  According to the California Association of Realtors, low interested rates along with improvements in the overall economy help lift home sales in California from both last month and a year ago last month. Signs of stabilization are starting show after the median price dipped.   It is reported that February sales were up about 2.1% from January and up about 5.5% from last February.  The statewide median price of an existing, single-family detached home dipped 0.6 percent to $266,660 in February from January’s $268,280 median price.  The median price was down 1.7 percent from the revised $271,370 median price recorded in February 2011.   The California Association of Realtors resale housing report for February 2012 also reported that California’s housing inventory declined in February. T... 03/15/2012

There are many things to consider as you prepare to list your home for sale. First, you should always consult a local, reputable Realtor who is familiar with your neighborhood and current market conditions. They can offer you data on homes that have recently sold and that are listed which will be invaluable when deciding on your final price and sale terms. In addition, here are some basic tips that will help get you started.Most real estate professionals agree that it is a good idea to get a pre-listing home inspection. No matter who ends up purchasing your home, they are going to ultimately conduct an inspection anyway. Purchase contracts are written up "subject to" a satisfactory property inspection in most cases. As the seller, you should know if there are any problems ahead of time ... 03/12/2012

Crumbs Bake Shop of Malibu, Beverly Hills, New York & Chicago Do you ever discover something or some place that has been in front of your eyes, but did not notice it before? Well yesterday we did that exactly. We were strolling in Malibu at the Cross Creek Mall. Had a great sandwich (food for another blog postJ) so we saw this sign to Crumbs Bakeshop, we wanted a cup of good coffee. I am not a big fan of the Chain Coffee shops so I am always on the search for small good coffee establishment. So with that my eyes were perked up when we saw this sign. Turns out it is a Cupcake Establishment and Coffee is just an Oh BTW we do that too. As we were there mesmerized by the huge selections and various size of Cupcakes needless to say we walked out with two Lattes and two Cupcakes. Turns out th... 03/04/2012

NEW LISTING Open Saturdays & Sundays   1812 Manzanita Park Ave. Malibu, CA 90265 • 3B/2B  • Short Sale  • Secluded Corner Lot • Hardwood Floors • $785,000 Property Website COMING SOON Open Sunday   26335 Lockwood Rd. Malibu, CA 90265 Santa Monica • 1B/1B • 2 Fireplaces • Tranquil Environment • $3,000/mth (Weekly Rates Available) •  Property Website   02/22/2012