Matt Sweeney

I haven't done a Twittering Tuesday Broker's Open is quite some time. Just to clarify, Broker's Open aka Caravan happens every Tuesday from 11am-2pm and is where agent's launch all of their new listings for fellow agents to preview. This is where Twitter comes in especially handy. I can alert you when I see a best buy and it gives you the chance to check it out before most of the general public has the opportunity to! You can follow me on Twitter here or you can just look to the side of my blog which is also linked to Twitter updates.

As of late, there has been an influx of well priced single family homes as well as condos hitting the market. With the exception of new construction condos, I had not seen a lot of property that I have been excited to share with you for a while. Below are the properties that I am anxious to check out. I will tweet after I preview each one and let you know if it's a Hot Prop or not. My favorites will be showcased later this week with detailed descriptions and additional photo. Again, if you are on a buying deadline and see something that gets favorable marks, you might want to check it out before 2pm today to get a head start on everyone else! Without further ado, here are today's selected properties:

1416 Havenurst Drive, Unit 4B, West Hollywood, CA 90069 - 3br/2.5ba, Roughly 2242 sq ft - $2,095,000 - This was Bette Davis' old condo before it was completely renovated. Not that I am one of those gays who is obsessed with Bette Davis, but come on, she's a legend. That aside, the updates look slick as hell and I can't wait to check this place out. Dark hardwood, built ins, original details fused with modern design - I'm all over it. I'm not sure how I feel about price - more to come. Listed by Keller Williams

9016 Wonderland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046- 2br/2.5ba+office, Roughly1800 sq ft - $1,349,000 - I am really excited about this mid century masterpiece on Wonderland. It has all the ingredients of a perfect house: great location, minimal, but well thought out, impeccably kept (at least from the pics) and views. It's priced at about $750 sq ft - let's see if it is worth the price. Listed by Sothebys Sunset

8607 Wonderland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046 - 2br/2ba - $850,000 - This seems like a great deal for this small, gated Spanish style home on Wonderland. It looks updated from the pics - this could be a best buy for someone looking for a condo alternative. It will really depends on how much work needs to be done or if it's move in ready.

8611 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90069- 3br/3ba, Roughly 2578 sq ft - $1,499,000 If you want views for days, this looks like it could be the perfect home. Light, airy, substantial in square footage, and priced well at $581/sq ft this could be a great value. Listed by Hilton and Hyland

1353 Fuller Ave, #106, Los Angeles, CA 90046- 3br/2.5ba, Roughly 1500 sq ft - $629,000 - This looks like a well done condo with Hollywood sign views. It's substantial in size, right below Sunset, decent neighborhood. I am interested to see if the unit lives up to the photos. Listed by Gibson and Associates

637 N. Fairfax, Los Angeles, CA 90036- 1-2brs, From $379,000-$469,000 - These are the new units on Fairfax and Wilshire. I have hear mixed reviews, but I am looking forward to checking them out with an open mind. The exterior looks like Blu Apartments in Beverly Hills on steroids. This could be a good deal for a buyer who wants new construction in a central area, but is looking for a deal under $500,000. Listed by Platinum Properties

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There are so many stunning homes in The Bird Streets that I know that all of my rich kids would love that I could blog exclusively about this neighborhood all day long and never get tired of it! Since I haven't showcased a home in this area for a while, I thought I would offer you a refresher course on The Bird Streets. This uber chic neighborhood off of Doheny, north of Sunset is some of the most sought after and prized real estate in all of Los Angeles. Named after, you guessed it...birds... these streets feature some of the best views and high profile residents in the city. You will pay a premium to fly with this flock, but for the rich kid with no limits there are few better placed to call home.

Today's Hot Prop is a stunning redone mid century set on a lot with extensive landscaping and foliage for ultimate privacy, yet not overpowering the the extensive views that span from city lights to the ocean (on a very clear day). What I really love about this home is the open floor plan with floor to ceiling windows throughout. It gives you that indoor/outdoor feeling from every room. Although I am not a huge fan of marble, when used tastefully, can provide for a super swank effect. If you have ever viewed the townhomes at my listing on Croft, The Luminaire, you will understand what I mean. I love the contrast of the large carrara marble fireplace with the dark hardwood floors and white beamed ceilings. The entire house screams minimalist chic, allowing the house to speak for itself without being overpowered by large fixtures and overly done kitchens/bathrooms. When you step outside to the massive deck, it's almost as if you are in treehouse (albeit a very expensive one), while you look out to views of the city. You can tell that the owner has exquisite taste and an extreme pride of ownership with every detail carefully thought out.

1529 Oriole Lane, Los Angeles, CA 90069 - 3br/3ba, Roughly 2,677 sq ft - $2,950,000

AMAZING MID-CENTURY ARCHITECTURAL THAT IS SET IN WOODED PRIVACY IN THE COVETED BIRD STREETS. THIS HOME FEATURES FLOOR TO CEILING WINDOWS THAT FRAME WONDERFUL CITY TO OCEAN VWS, DUAL MSTR SUITES; ONE W/A FRPL & CITY VWS & THE OTHER W/A PRVT PATIO IN A WOODED SETTING. THE OPEN FLOOR PLAN INCLUDES EXPANSIVE DECK W/VWS, BEAUTIFUL CARRERA FRPL, CLEAN LINES, DARK HRDWD FLRS THROUGHOUT & AN ABUNDANCE OF NATURAL LIGHT. A THIRD BEDROOM & ADD'L BATH COMPLETE THIS RESIDENCE - Listed by Coldwell Banker Beverly Hills East by one of the coolest and kindest agents I know!

I feel like this is Oprah's "My Favorite Things Week", but instead of giving you the latest Dustbuster (do they even make thoseanymore) or Panini Maker, I am treating you to some of my favorite streets/neighborhoods that you may not be aware of. This is especially for the newer rich kids who haven't discovered these hidden gems of residential living in the heart of everything.

Much like Nichols Canyon, Marmont Ave/Lane is a mish mash of smaller homes in the 1-2 million dollar range as well as large, architectural properties that can price at 3 million and up. The streets of Marmont lie right behind the famed Chateau Marmont, a fabled Hollywood landmark. Affairs to remember, overdose related deaths we wish to forget, and everything in between have happened at this hotel. It's a wonderful place to grab dinner on the outside terrace or have a drink by the pool. It's old school Hollywood glamour at it's best.

What I like about this area is that again, it's somewhat hidden yet in the midst of everything. In contrast to Nichols, Marmont has less of a woodsy vibe to it and is more of a traditional Hollywood Hills neighborhood. Right now there are currently four active listings ranging from $1,097,750 for a 22oo sq ft fixer that is in probate to a 3,500 sq ft - 4br/4.5ba, well done Mediterranean for $4,495,000. Right now the average days on the market for these listings are about 3 months. Two of these have been on the market for 200 days each, with a cost per square foot of $1284 and $1032. These homes are definitely priced on the very high end of the spectrum and rival an updated home in the Beverly Hills flats at these prices if not higher. Side note - if you are on the market for more than 6 months with the same list price and you haven't sold, with all due respect to the sellers/agents - it's time to reduce and relaunch!

The streets behind the the Chateau have always in high demand because of the views they offer, as well as the close proximity to the best parts of Sunset Blvd. There have been two sales thus far on Marmont Ave/Lane since January 1, 2009. A partially updated tudor style ranch with 2119 sq ft for $949,000 and then a slick, gated mid century compound with pool and 2640 sq ft of living space for $1,856,650. The average days on the market for these two homes was just about two months, which for 2009 is exceptional. When pricing a home for a client or figuring out what to offer with a buyer there are premiums and intangibles that go into it that magic number besides just price per square foot, but this is always a good place to start. The blended average of these two sales was about $575/sq ft.

Although I focus a lot on slick, contemporary properties, I am also a huge sucker for traditional Spanish style homes with tons of character. I was driving the streets of Marmont one caravan last April with no real goal other than to pull over to talk my best friend off a ledge due to her dramatic relationship with her boyfriend. I stumbled upon 8265 Marmont and instantly fell in love. I made it a Hot Prop of the Day back then (click on the address for a detailed review and the rather funny story) and is still in my mind as a property that I would one day love to purchase. It just feels so special from the inside and out - it's hard to describe. You just know when you love a property. For whatever reason, it expired from the market with a subsequent reduction to $1,550,000 ($100,000 less from when I wrote the blog entry). I'll leave you with the pictures of this property and the hope that we will see it on the market again sometime soon or that it sold to someone who loves it as much as I do!

Lately I have had a lot of interest in the Nichols Canyon section of Hollywood. This has always been a favorite area of mine and one that I have spent a lot of time showing clients various properties. Nichols Canyon is located off of Hollywood Blvd between Laurel Canyon (the turn off is right where Crescent Heights turns into Laurel) and La Brea. For those of you who are new to the area, this is an extremely residential section of Hollywood Blvd boasting Palm tree lined streets with large homes and well kept multi family dwellings. What makes Nichols Canyon so wonderful is that it has a very woodsy, natural vibe right in the epicenter of the West Hollywood/Hollywood area.

Nichols consists of an eclectic mix of mid centrury homes tucked away off the street in the low 1 million range as well as stunning architectural properties that can start at $5,000,000 plus. The streets off of Nichols like Astral and Solar command some on the most spectacular canyon and city lights views town.

Since September 1, 2009 to the time that I am writing this entry, there have been five closed escrows ranging from $1,229,500 (short sale) for a 3br/2ba semi-fixer with a pool to $2,825,000 for 3br/3.5 ba classic Smather's Spanish colonial also with pool. These listings have had an average days on the market of roughly three months with a blended average cost per square feet of $596.20. Homes is this area are selling fast and definitely retaining their value. There are currently 7 homes on the market as of now with a best buy on neighboring street Willow Glen for $999,000. Because Nichols Canyon is off the beaten path, I've found that there are wonderful deals to be had for all levels of buyers. It's a nice alternative for those looking for location and convenience in the hills, but want more bang for their buck.

If you have not yet had the chance to explore this area, I highly recommend a long drive up Nichols followed by a scenic hike up famed Runyon Canyon. This is one of my favorite ways to spend a rare day off in the fall! One of my favorite homes ever is a property on 2222 Astral that I had a client for a few years back who was very much of the fence of purchasing. He optedfor a different property, but this house remains one of my all time favorites, so I thought I would treat you to some pictures. It sold for $3,800,000 in June of 2007 . This is the ultimate rich kid living and the epitome of the LA good life!

For all you rich kids who are currently in escrow on new construction and don't have a finite close date or for those of you who are still looking for the perfect pad, this extension is the news that you have been looking for. There had been rumors for a while that they would indeed extend the credit, but nothing had been passed until a couple of days ago. What's even more exciting is that there is now a $6500 credit for repeat homebuyers who have owned their home for at lease five years. Here are the details as reported by the Associated Press for MSN:

"WASHINGTON - Senators agreed Wednesday to extend a popular tax creditfor first-time homebuyers and to offer a reduced credit to some repeat buyers.

The tax credit provides up to $8,000 to first-time homebuyers but is set to expire at the end of November.

Senators agreed to extend the existing tax credit for first-time homebuyers while offering a reduced credit of up to $6,500 to repeat buyers who have owned their current homes for at least five years, said Regan Lachapelle, a spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. The tax credits would be available to homebuyers who sign sales agreements by the end of April. They would have until the end of June to close on their new homes, said a congressional aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss the deal. "

Check out this site for more info on the federal housing tax credit. Now get out there and buy!