Jodi Summers

VENICE IS 3^rd ON FORBES 10 BEST “SUBURBS” TO SELL A HOME

Prices in Berkley are up 9% this year, making Santa Monica’s kin city top on Forbes’ Ten Best Suburbs To Sell A Home. Our fair Venice is third on that list, with the Dallas suburb of Bedford, Texas in 2^nd position. Kennesaw, Georgia and Montclair, NJ, round out the top 5.

Berkeley was selected as Forbes’ 2008 best suburb to sell a home because Properties are sitting on the market for 73 days on average, the lowest of any area with positive price trends within the confines of the country's 75 largest Census-defined metro areas. Only 37% of sellers have been forced to reduce their prices, one of the lowest rates in the country. Prices are up 9% this year with homes selling for a median price of $790,986.

Forbes notes that the only housing-market problem Berkeley seems to have involved four protesters who illegally occupied a tree from the beginning of the year through September. Authorities finally cut off the tree huggers food and water supply, forcing them from their oak home.

Venice is considered a suburb because it’s located 16 miles west of Los Angeles.

The impressive details as noted by Forbes:

Median home price: $1.5 million

Median days on market: 95

Current inventory: 94

Year-over-year price change: 14%

Percent of sellers decreasing prices: 43%

Altos Research analyzed information about the suburbs in the country's 75 largest Census-defined metro areas based on the last 90 days of sales activity. Since a metro area can contain hundreds of suburbs, the analysis was narrowed it to those cities with an inventory of at least 75 homes on the market.

Info courtesy of

http://www.forbes.com/2008/11/06/homes-sellers-suburbs-forbeslife-cx_mw_1106realestate.html?partner=alerts

http://www.santamonicapropertyblog.com/?p=569

Slide show @

http://www.forbes.com/2008/11/06/homes-sellers-suburbs-forbeslife-cx_mw_1106realestate_slide_3.html?thisSpeed=15000

CALIFORNIA ENDORSES STATEWIDE GREEN BUILDING CODE + LOOKS TOWARD 2010

When it comes to green building, California continues to lead the way in adopting environmentally-friendly building codes. Most recently, the California Building Standards Commission has taken the opportunity, along with other state agencies, to develop green building standards that will establish California as a leader in the efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from structures. This is part of an ongoing evolution of how California will build.

The recently amended California Green Building Standards Code, CCR, Title 24, Part 11 now includes mandatory features with a delayed effective date for housing, and voluntary standards for hospitals and other non-residential occupancies. The Commission will continue to work with state agencies and the many stakeholders as we develop a comprehensive set of mandatory provisions in the 2010 edition of the California Green Building Standards Code.

"California continues to lead the nation and I commend the hard work of the Building Standards Commission to adopt the first-in-the-nation statewide

green building standards,” proudly observes our Governator. "Cars and buildings are two of the leading users of energy – we’re already addressing cars, and these new building standards will ensure that California remains at the forefront of reducing our carbon footprint and conserving valuable natural resources while also protecting our economy," he concludes. "We have already committed to making our state-owned buildings more green and energy efficient and this statewide code will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency and conserve water in all new buildings."

New York City topped a new list of America's most expensive cities, with our lovely Los Angeles coming in second place, according to Forbes magazine's study of the world's most expensive cities.

Location has a lot to do with why New York and Los Angeles top the list. L.A. remains expensive in part because of people's desire to live in the city's warm, Mediterranean climate, and because of our long, expensive commutes.

Out of 253 major metropolises around the world surveyed, New York ranked 22,and L.A. ranked 55.

Orignal post from: http://www.santamonicapropertyblog.com/?p=370

For the whole story go to:
http://www.forbes.com/home/2008/07/23/cities-america-expensive-forbeslife-cx_ls_0724expensive_us.html

CALIFORNIA ENDORSES STATEWIDE GREEN BUILDING CODE + LOOKS TOWARD 2010

When it comes to green building, California continues to lead the way in adopting environmentally-friendly building codes. Most recently, the California Building Standards Commission has taken the opportunity, along with other state agencies, to develop green building standards that will establish California as a leader in the efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from structures. This is part of an ongoing evolution of how California will build.

“By adopting this first-in-the-nation statewide green building code, California is again leading the way to fight climate change and protect the environment. This is literally a groundbreaking move to ensure that when we break ground on all new buildings in the Golden State we are promoting green building and energy efficient new technologies," notes Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The recently amended California Green Building Standards Code, CCR, Title 24, Part 11 now includes mandatory features with a delayed effective date for housing, and voluntary standards for hospitals and other non-residential occupancies. The Commission will continue to work with state agencies and the many stakeholders as we develop a comprehensive set of mandatory provisions in the 2010 edition of the California Green Building Standards Code. "California continues to lead the nation and I commend the hard work of the Building Standards Commission to adopt the first-in-the-nation statewide green building standards,” proudly observes our Governator. "Cars and buildings are two of the leading users of energy – we’re already addressing cars, and these new building standards will ensure that California remains at the forefront of reducing our carbon footprint and conserving valuable natural resources while also protecting our economy," he concludes. "We have already committed to making our state-owned buildings more green and energy efficient and this statewide code will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency and conserve water in all new buildings." http://www.bsc.ca.gov/prpsd_stds/default.htm

http://www.socalgreenrealestateblog.com/?p=157

SANTA MONICA REAL ESTATE IS IN CALIFORNIA THE TOP 10

Oddly...the news is not all bad real estate in Southern California. Although the median price of single-family detached resale homes in California dropped 32% while home sales rose 2.5% year-over-year in April, according to the California Association of Realtors 0f California. In April, Santa Monica made the top 10 list of highest median home price in the state.

HIGHEST PRICE HOUSING IN CALIFORNIA

•1. Saratoga, at $1.48 million

•2. Manhattan Beach, at $1.37 million

•3. Los Gatos, at $1.34 million

•4. Santa Barbara, $1.07 million

•5. Cupertino, $918,500

•6. San Carlos, $885,500

•7. Danville, $829,000

•8. Redwood City, $817,500

•9. San Clemente, $809,500

•10. Santa Monica, $780,000

Get the whole story @ http://www.inman.com/news/2008/05/27/california-median-home-price-falls-32#comment-5379

http://www.SantaMonicaPropertyBlog.com

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Jodi Summers

Sotheby's International Realty, Santa Monica

jodi@jodisummers.com

listing websites

http://www.2542manchesterblvd.jodisummers.com/

http://www.2340manchesterblvd.jodisummers.com/

http://www.3619motorave.jodisummers.com/

http://www.3760motorave.jodisummers.com/

blogs +

http://www.SoCalInvestmentRealEstate.com

http://www.SoCalIndustrialRealEstateBlog.com

http://www.SoCalOfficeRealEstateBlog.com

http://www.SoCalGreenRealEstateBlog.com

http://www.SantaMonicaLandmarks.com

http://www.SantaMonicaPropertyBlog.com

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