Ever wonder what to do with your old electronics?

Most of us are surrounded by electronics in o­ur homes — computers, peripherals, MP3 Players, game consoles and countless other digital gadgets. And each time we upgrade to the latest model, we’ve got an electronic device on our hands that, as far as our own needs are concerned, is obsolete. So where does it go, if not to the growing pile of logoed plastic and metal in the basement? Why not just throw it out?

If you throw out your old electronics, not only are you taking up increasingly scarce landfill space with valuable resources like plastic, metal and glass that could be made into new devices using less energy than it takes with virgin resources, but you’re also putting potentially toxic materials in the ground. Lead, mercury and other substances can leech from old monitors and circuit boards into the air and ground water and possibly affect people’s health. In some countries and many U.S. states, particular electronic components are regulated as hazardous waste. And if that wasn’t convincing enough, its also ILLEGAL. According to California’s Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003.

The Good news is that tomorrow to help raise money for the school and part of Earth Week, there is a E-Waste Drive being held at Castle Heights Elementary School.

Attn: Potential Sellers — 2922 Castle Heights Now in Escrow 15 days on market – 16 offers!!!

Thinking about selling your house? Here’s a little motivation.

I  recently opened escrow on 2922 Castle Heights. Of the 16 offers, 13 buyers came back with a best and final. The winning bidder was way, way over the price, no loan contingency, paying some of sellers expenses as well. So there are many other serious buyers still looking to buy.

Let me know if I can help you do the same with your house!

Dan May
(310)739-8647

 

 

Neighborhood News:

Market Update: According to the MLS, a total of 9 homes sold in the Beverlywood and Adjacent area during the entire month of February 2013 compared to10 last month and 14 one year ago. The single family homes that sold were on the market for an average of only 29 days, compared to an average of 99 days the month prior, and sold for 99.62% of their asking price at an average of 515.06 per sq. ft. Currently, there are only 19 Single Family homes for sale, compared to 21 last month and 45 this time last year. The For Sale homes have been on the market for an average of 77 days at an average price of $846,879. The MLS shows there are now 38 Single Family homes in escrow making 10 of the last 11 months with more in escrow than on the market for sale in the Beverlywood and Adjacent area. This is also the first month that the price per square foot was over $500 in several years. Curious of your current value? Call, e-mail or text Dan for a confidential, honest and accurate Market Valuation. Local experience matters!

Hamilton Career Fair

Dear Neighbors,

Gary Garcia, Principal of Hamilton High School, asked us to help disseminate the information about their
Career Fair of March 13, 2013.
See attached flyer .

If you have professional experience in the areas listed, please consider volunteering a few hours of your time to share it with students.

Send an email to: HamiltonHSCareerFair@gmail.com before March 8.

It is a simple way to give back to the high schoolers in our community.

2012 Year in Beverlywood Real Estate – Most Sales Since 2005

Happy New Year!

In 2012 the Beverlywood HOA and Adjacent area of West Los Angeles had a marked increase in the sales of Single Family Homes. There was a 26% increase from 151 total homes sold in 2011 to 204 homes from Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2012 according to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The total of 204 homes was the most sold since 2005 when a total of 222 single family homes changed owners. By comparison there were only 126 total sales in 2008.

“Days on Market” measures how long it takes to find a buyer and in 2012 the average was 70 days, down from 79 days the year prior. In 2005 by comparison, the average days it took for a single family home owner to find a buyer was just 35.

Price Per Square Foot places a dollar value on each square foot of “Living Space” and is found by dividing the sale price by the square footage. There was not much change in the price when comparing 2012 to the year prior. In 2011 the average price per square foot of living space was $441.09 and in 2012 it came in at $438.93.

Average Price is learned by taking the total sales volume and dividing it by the number of homes sold. There was a 6.5% increase in the average price of a single family home in the Beverlywood HOA and Adjacent area from $811,291 in 2011 to $866,282 in 2012. More averages: the average square footage for the 204 homes that sold this year was 1,662 and the average lot size size was 6,044 square feet.

What’s in store for 2013? Given the historically low interest rates and the slowly improving domestic economy, the expectation for 2013 is for continued improvement in housing sales numbers and values. The biggest challenge is inventory. There are simply not enough homes available for sale for all of the buyers who want to move in to the neighborhood

Historic Low Inventory and Interest Rates for Real Estate

Housing inventory has sunk to levels not seen since the bubble years. The number of American homes with a “for sale” sign hit 2.5 million in April, the lowest number for an April since 2006, according to the National Assn. of Realtors.

The sharp drop in inventory along with rock-bottom interest rates have helped stabilize even some of the hardest-hit markets, including the Southland, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Miami. Some real estate professionals are concerned that the lack of inventory might turn off potential buyers, stifling the recent recovery in home sales.

The much-predicted foreclosure wave that was expected to dump more homes onto the market has not materialized. Fewer borrowers are entering default, and banks are better managing the properties they do have on their books.

In addition, professional investors bankrolled by private equity firms and hedge funds are pouncing on bank-owned homes, often turning them into rentals.

The inventory problem has been exacerbated by the plunge in home prices since the go-go years. Many people who bought at the top of the cycle are so deeply underwater, they can’t get the price they need to sell and are therefore not bothering to put their homes on the market.

The lack of available homes is maddening for those consumers who thought 2012 would be the year to buy. In Southern California, inventories have plunged over the last year. The number of homes listed for sale in April fell 35% in Los Angeles County and was down 42% in Orange, 39% in San Bernardino, 42% in Riverside, 53% in Ventura and 43% in San Diego counties.

The number of days a home sits on the market has also decreased, meaning properties are selling faster. For the entire six-county Southern California region, the median number of days a home sat on the market fell to 53 last August from 67 the same month a year earlier.

In the Beverlywood Area of West LA, there are 23 single family homes available for sale as of Dec 1, 2012, compared to 56 homes in 2011 a 220% decrease. Currently in Cheviot Hills/Rancho Park there are only 6 Single Family Homes for sale! With the Presidential Election behind us and the holiday season approaching, inventories are expected to increase slightly in the New Year and should peak in the summer.

Market Update October 2012 Beverlywood Real Estate Sales

According to the MLS, a total of 32 homes sold in the Beverlywood and Adjacent area during the entire month of October 2012 compared to 16 last month and 14 one year ago. The single family homes that sold were on the market for an average of 46 days, compared to an average of 54 days the month prior, and sold for 102.45% of their asking price at an average of $416.58 per sq. ft. Currently, there are 32 Single Family homes for sale, compared to 35 last month and 64 this time last year. The For Sale homes have been on the market for an average of 72 days at a median price of $789,000. The MLS shows there are now 39 Single Family homes in escrow making 6 of 7 months with more in escrow than on the market for sale. It’s also the first month this year where homes sold for over 100% of asking price
on average, confirming strong demand and low inventory.

Where to Go During an Earthquake

A great article I thought I would share, especially with the recent rumblings in Beverly Hills…

My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International (ARTI ), the world’s most experienced rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an earthquake. I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings. The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under its desk. They could have survived by lying down next to their desks in the aisles. It was unnecessary.

Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a space or void next to them – NOT under them. This space is what I call the ‘triangle of life’. The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured.

TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY

1) Most everyone who simply ‘ducks and covers’ when building collapse are crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are crushed.

2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position. You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct

3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake. If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created.
4) If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed.
5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a sofa, or large chair.

6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be killed!

7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different ‘moment of frequency’ (they swing separately from the main part of the building). The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other until structural failure of the stairs takes place.
8) Get near the outer walls of buildings or outside of them if possible – It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the interior.
Spread the word and save someone’s life…

Dan May Real Estate is Sponsoring the Reynier Village Community Yard Sale

I am sponsoring a community yard sale for the Reynier Village Neighborhood Association. RVNA neighbors will sell your their treasures in their front yards. In the past when I have done this type of neighborhood event, it has been quite popular.

This is an excellent opportunity to free up some space and make a few bucks before the holidays as well as positively interact with your neighbors and the community. It’s going to be time well spent and very fun! I look forward to seeing you there!

Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012
9:00 am to 1:00pm

If you are a resident of the Reynier Village Neighborhood Association and wish to participate, contact me at 310.739.8647 or fill out the form below:

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BEWARE! TRAFFIC ALERT!

National Blvd Down to 1 Lane Due to Expo Line Extension Construction

Please be advised that National Blvd, West bound under the 10 freeway just West of Vons, is going to be restriped down to a single lane (the east bound lane will remain 2 lanes) to accommodate Expo Line construction. The right lane will be a right turn only (onto Manning). It will open back up to 2 lanes past the bridge where National becomes Palms, and right turns on National will still be allowed. Expo construction management expects this change to last approximately 12 months, and will begin as early as this Monday, August 20, 2012.

This information was reported to us this week.

It is expected this will cause substantial traffic issues, particularly in the morning. Bagley (which will also be closed at points due to Expo construction) to Venice or getting up to Pico may be West bound options you should consider during the morning rush hour. This will also cause significant traffic issues East bound, as the left turn onto Manning will become even more backed up than usual.

If you would like to spearhead advanced traffic mitigation solutions for the neighborhood (organize community meetings, get input, propose changes to mitigate traffic over the next year, and interface with our councilman’s office), please let us know. Some ideas have included closing National North of Palms (to allow West Bound Traffic to flow without the stop light), making the Westbound traffic light longer, close the left turn onto Manning (though this will move traffic into our neighborhood streets), and other ideas.

More information can be obtained at

 

www.buildexpo.org, but the information on this work / phase is not complete.