Baldwin Hills, CA

Baldwin Hills is a bit of s "jaunt" for my Company, but we have Staged many homes for this developer and they called in the proverbial "favor". This lovely Baldwin Hills home was originally a 2 bedroom 1 1/2 bath, after the remodel it it now a full 3 bedroom, 2 bath and ready to SELL!

Here are a few before and after photos of this Baldwin Hills Home Staging.

Which would YOU prefer if you were a Buyer searching for YOUR next house?!

For more information on this listing or to see the full virtual tour, click here.

If you are located in the Los Angeles or Ventura County areas and would like call the ONLY Home Staging and Interior Design Company in Southern CA that is endorsed by Pottery Barn, then call Platinum Home Staging, Inc. 805.553.9952

I was involved in a Tragic Journey from a Short Sale to Foreclosure. I represented the buyer and another agent represented the seller. The seller had an Attorney, who had a successful track record of negotiating short sales.

The history: We have written at least eight or ten FHA Offers, without getting any accepted. We lost out to Conventional Loan buyers, Cash Buyers and buyers who had large down payments. Finally May 2009 we received the "good news"...." Congratulations your offer was accepted". Then the journey began.

We continued searching, writing offers with no results. The communications between agents, principals were way too many to mention here. They all started with "any news?" and all ended with "just be patient".

Fast forward to Friday the Thirteenth, August 2010. Another one of those questions from the buyer. The Seller's Agent broke the news "... I was about to call you..."

How did this happen? The Sellers accepted the offer, the paperwork submitted at least four to five times during a period of nine months. Then a Short Sale Negotiator assigned from the Lender, attorney back and forth communication and the Result: the lender wanted $20,000.00 from the seller. The lender would not accept $10,000.00 from seller and $10,000.00 from buyer. They wanted it all from the seller.

May 2010 Foreclosure postponed, June 2010 Foreclosure postponed again. End of July the sellers go away for a few days. They return home, the locks have been changed, their belonging rummaged thru....

Who is the winner here? No one wins; all are tragically in the short end of this transaction. The sellers have no home, they have their credit ruined. The buyers waited a year and a half, now are totally devastated and will rent until the wounds will heal.

The lenders have to spend money for upkeep, security, electricity, water, taxes, insurance, vandalism etc. The cost around $2000.00 per month and ironically it takes about three to four months to sell a home. Once in Escrow another month to two months before the buyer receives the keys and the financial loss to the bank: approximately $10,000.00.

The agents worked for free for about a year and a half. Tell me what you think of this turn of events on an unhappy story. Do we need to overhaul how decisions are made? What do we need to prevent this from happening again?

If you are a consumer who is considering buying or selling a home, investment real estate, vacation homes, or beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 (USA) or email me at homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at http://www.endrebarath.com Your Pet Friendly Realtor. I contribute a portion of My commission to Local Animal Rescue Organizations.

The bank forecloses on your home and then files a lawsuit against you. How is this possible? I was reading in RISMEDIA on June 8, 2010, about a home seller who has sold his home in a short sale. He sold it for approximately $200,000.00 less than the first and second mortgage he owed on the property. The Mortgage lender has agreed not to pursue further action to recoup their losses.

Evidently there are many home sellers who did not negotiate this clause into the transaction. Hence there are many lenders who file lawsuits and are going after foreclosures and short sales owners. Why you might say? The answer is, that lenders are trying to discourage bad behavior, such as angry homeowners who destroy kitchens, bathrooms and sell fixtures such as granite counter tops on e-bay to name a few.

Customarily mortgage companies will not sue homeowners who negotiate in good faith or those who default due to job loss or other catastrophic circumstances. Nevertheless I strongly encourage potential sellers who are underwater to get it in writing from the Mortgage Lender that they will not pursue further legal action once the transaction closes.

If you are a consumer who is considering buying or selling a home, investment real estate, vacation homes, or beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 (USA) or email me at homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at http://www.endrebarath.com Your Pet Friendly Realtor. I contribute a portion of My commission to Local Animal Rescue Organizations.

I have promised last week I will give ten more reasons for Title Insurance:

•1. An heir or other person who was presumed dead may appear and rover the property or show an interest in the property.

•2. A judgment reference the title may be voided, due to some defect in the proceeding.

•3. If you insure the title, you can eliminate delays, when passing your title on to someone else.

•4. Title Insurance will help speeding the negotiations, when you are ready to sell or obtain a loan.

•5. A deed or mortgage may be voided, if signed while the grantor was in bankruptcy.

•6. There may be a defect in the recording of a document upon which your title is dependent.

•7. Claims have risen drastically over the past 30 years.

•8. A deed or mortgage may have been procured by fraud or duress.

•9. Title Insurance covers attorney fees and court costs.

•10. Many attorneys protect their clients as well as themselves by procuring Title Insurance, should you?

This one reason I feel the urge to repeat from my original ten. : A title policy is paid in full by the first premium for as long as you own the property.

If you are a consumer who is considering buying or selling a home, investment real estate, vacation homes, or beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 (USA) or email me at EndreBarath@TheMLS.Com or visit one of my websites at http://www.endrebarath.com

Many first time buyers ask, why do we need Title Insurance? What are the benefits? In California it is customary that the seller pays the Title Insurance and if the buyer has a loan, all the buyer has to do is to pay the Loan Tie-in fee's portions. Here are ten very important reasons, why you need Title Insurance:

1. Title Insurance will protect you against a loss on your home or land due to a title defect.
2. A deed or mortgage in the chain of title may be a forgery.
3. Claims arise due to marital status and validity of divorces.
4. A deed or mortgage may have been made by an under-aged or incompetent person.
5. A deed or mortgage made under an expired power of attorney may be void.
6. A deed or mortgage may have been made by a person with the same name as the owner.
7. A child born after the execution of a will may have interest in the property.
8. Title transferred by an heir may be subject to a federal estate tax lien.
9. Title Insurance reimburses you for the amount of your covered loss.
10. A title policy is paid in full by the first premium for as long as you own the property.

I will come up with another ten more reasons next week. These ten reasons alone should be enough incentive to get Title insurance. If you are not convinced ask any Escrow Officer or Attorney what their advice would be. The answer will be unanimous, this is not where you would want to take a short cut in one of your biggest investments of your life.

If you are a consumer who is considering buying or selling a home, investment real estate, vacation homes, or beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu. Feel Free to give me a call at 310.486.1002 (USA) or email me at EndreBarath@TheMLS.Com or visit one of my websites at http://www.endrebarath.com