Category: Real Estate Resources

Echo Park Landmarks

Echo Park Landmarks

Echo Park is an area of Los Angeles that is steeped in history. The area boasts many famous landmarks that make Echo Park a wonderful and historical place to visit. Echo Park’s must-see spots include those of cultural, historical, and architectural interests. After enjoying these staples of Los Angeles, cap you adventure off by a trip to the newly renovated Echo Park Lake and enjoy the famous lotus beds.

The Edendale film studios harkens back to a day before Hollywood was equated to movie making. The studios hosted several famous silent movie stars, such as Mabel Normand and Fatty Arbuckles; one of the Edendale studios (Mack Sennett Studios) was the location of Charlie Chaplin’s first film and the first classic silent movie pie-in-the-face skit was also performed here.

angelino heights real estateIf you fancy something less synonymous with Hollywood but still historical, the Angelico Heights suburb is sure to thrill. Angelino Heights is located in the same business district as Echo Park and is a portal into the past. Founded during the boom of the 1880s, the suburb reflects the opulence of the time and contains more than fifty Victorian style homes and carriage houses. The 1300 block of Angelino Heights is a must-see as it is listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places and upwards of ten of these homes are listed as cultural historic monuments by the city of Los Angeles.

The Echo Park Clubhouse is also of significant historical value, although little was known about the structure until very recently. Today, it has the distinctions of being the oldest recreational building in Los Angeles. The Clubhouse was built in 1908 and used as a center for children. It exchanged hands various times and was even threatened with demolition. In 2002, the small building was sold to the Saint Paul Episcopal Center, who still uses it today. The Echo Park Clubhouse can be found at 1004 Echo Park Avenue.

The landmarks above are just three of the many interesting sites to see in the Echo Park Area. Of course, Echo Park Lake, its lotus beds and the park’s stairways are also must-sees on any trip to the area.

August Smart Lock

All Los Angeles real estate home owners know just how important safety is nowadays. There are a number of ways to ensure that your home is fully protected. Security systems just keep getting more complicated as technology advances. Perhaps one of the most important examples of this is the August Smart Lock.

August-smart-lock-1-thumb-620x447-60115Los Angeles real estate owners know that having a smart home is crucial. This is because it helps homeowners manage their household without actually being there. The August Smart Lock gives users a unique keyless lock system. This innovative product works through wireless technology and offers its users an alternative means to gain access to their homes.

The August keyless lock system is hooked onto the dead bolt you have at your home. Once it has been installed, homeowners will gain the ability to easily lock or unlock the house doors by making use of the mobile application. The main principle behind the August smart lock is granting homeowners full control over who gets to enter their space.

August-Smart-Lock-exploded-thumb-620x275-60134For instance, the keyless lock system can grant temporary and conditional access to anyone who needs to enter the house. This will certainly come in handy once the cleaning lady swings by your place while you aren’t there. The smart lock also helps homeowners keep track of who enters and leaves the house at any given time. Aside from being able to fully control who has the ability to access your home, homeowners will also have the ability to invite people through their Facebook connections.

August-smart-lock-1-thumb-620x447-60115While it has a number of important perks, perhaps the most important feature of the Smart Lock is that it eliminates the need to connect to a Wi-Fi network. This is because the device relies on Bluetooth low energy technology. This means that your control over who gets to enter your home is not limited by your access to the internet.

The August Smart Lock is projected to set homeowners back at least $199 and is said to only take around 10 short minutes for the product to be installed. When you think about it, the $199 price tag is most certainly worth it. Make sure to give this new product a try.

You can preorder the August Smart Lock here.

What direction should you install hardwood floors

direction-to-install-hardwood-floors

Even the finest pieces of Los Angeles real estate need some home remodeling done from time to time. These home improvements are done in order to let the place better reflect the owner’s personality or to increase the property’s value. Fortunately, there are a number of easy projects that homeowners can do themselves.

Installing Hardwood Floors

Perhaps one of the most popular home improvement projects is installing hardwood floorboards. While it may seem like a challenge, we assure you that it most definitely is not. It is surprisingly simple, and gets easier as you go through the whole process.

One of the main things you need to consider as you undertake this type of project is the direction you want to install the hardwood floors. The following are some factors that directly affect the installation process.

  • Design Purposes – Installing the floor boards in various directions can have dramatic results in terms of the whole room’s design. Of course, homeowners are still given the option of installing it in a straight direction. However, this will do nothing for you in terms of enhancing the room’s floor design.

Homeowners have the option of running the boards in a diagonal fashion. There is also what design experts refer to as the herringbone pattern. These patterns go a long way in terms of creating an interesting floor plan for your precious piece of Los Angeles real estate.

  • Room Light Source – The room’s light source is another thing you have to keep in mind as you install hardwood floorboards. For instance, if the room relies mainly on natural light, then it is advisable that you install the floorboards following the light’s direction.

This is done in order to create a uniform look for the room’s floor. If you choose to run the floorboards perpendicular to light, then you will notice that the boards will cast a shadow if there are any minor height differences.

If you are looking for ways to improve your LA home, then there is no more need to look any further. Home improvement projects such as installing hardwood floors will go a long way in terms of creating a unique look for your home. Make sure to give this project a try.

Art Exhibit: Overdrive at The Getty

laa_tall_banner“Overdrive: L.A. Constructs the Future, 1940-1990.” is being featured at the Getty Museum Los Angeles from April 9 to July 21, 2013. The term ‘overdrive’ refers to the rapid growth of real estate in Los Angeles during the postwar years. It was a great contribution and willingness of its curators Christopher James Alexander, Wim de Wit, and Rani Singh. Thousands of visitors enjoy paintings, photography, sculptures, architectures, film, photography, and many more.

The exhibition is big, sprawling, and rich. It showcased plenty of work by the renowned and emerging artists. The art of urban landscape and diverse architectural innovations are put on display at the Getty Center, Exhibition pavilion. All pieces clearly showed the rapid growth of the Southern California after World War II. Different forms of art and architecture wonderfully depicted how Los Angeles evolved into the most populous and influential hub of industry, economics, and creative during 1940-1990. Drawings, photographs, models, films, animations, oral histories, and ephemera illustrated the complex dimensions of Los Angeles’s rich culture.

The show at the Getty museum portrayed all major topics such as politics, cars, aerospace, education, pivotal landmarks, religion, sports, shopping, public housing, movies, and more. The illustrator Carlos Diniz shined like a star in the exhibition through his outstanding contributions. The architect Ray Kappe displayed his unique work covering the era of 1970 and 1980. However, there were many lesser known artists and architects who contributed with their own unique and innovative pieces of art. The quality of drawings, designs, models, and photographs was remarkably high.

highways_5Modern architecture captured the attention of the visitors. It was backed by powerful institutions including the University of California system, television and movie studios and aerospace companies. The architecture of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics was very close to reality. The art pieces that earned praise included a drawing showing a wide cross-section of Jon Jerde’s Universal CityWalk and a picturesque view of A. Quincy Jones’ Annenberg School at USC. A model that captured my attention for a long time was of Anthony Lumsden’s impossibly smooth design for the 1984 Tillman Water Reclamation Plant in Van Nuys.

We must admire the great efforts of exhibition’s curators who illustrated the prosperous years of Los Angeles through various forms of art. This exhibition got worldwide recognition and people of all walks of life appreciated it. Indeed, these healthy activities in the city boost creativity and help planning innovative ideas.

Real Estate Appraisal: Is it possible to get the appraisal without paying a penny?

A home appraisal is actually the written estimate of the home’s market value by a licensed appraiser. Well, the appraisal can be determined on various factors. These factors are inclusive of the location of your home, recent sales of the similar property in the locality. A home appraisal is required when a real estate property is sold, taxed or to get online mortgage insurance. Therefore, when you’re planning to put the house on sale, make sure you get a real estate appraisal without paying a penny.

Here are some of the points that you need to consider when you plan to get a free real estate appraisal:

1. Approach a real estate agent for a marketing analysis: Your real estate agent may provide free real estate appraisals to know about the market values of the home. Therefore, if you find that the market value appropriate, you can sell your property. Avoid market analysis if you’re not selling the property in near future.

2. Ask the bank or credit union: Make sure you ask the bank or credit union if they can help you to provide a good bargain. There are many banks that provide free real estate appraisals for people.

3. Check with different websites: You can check with the websites like Zillow, Homegain or getmyhousevalue.com for a free online home appraisal function that can help you estimate the home value. Well, this site may just give an approximate property calculation. This website may help you provide a general idea of what your home is worth.

4. Place a conversation deed on the property: Try to contact a local land trust in order to put a conservation deed on your property. However, these conversation deeds are monitored through independent and not for profit organizations. The independent body may keep the real estate appraiser as an employee, contractor or volunteer. The appraiser may perform a real estate appraisal after you place a conservation easement on your property to determine the actual value of the property. But there can be a subsequent decline in value of the property due to the placement of the conservation deed.

5. Contact a real estate appraisal school: You can visit a real estate appraisal school and ask them if they’re interested to use your home for practice appraisals. But you need to keep your door open for the students for their analysis for at least a day or two. But it can be a great way to acquire a free property appraisal.

How To Choose An Accent Wall

How To Choose An Accent Wall

echo park real estateThere are always good reasons to make a special wall that stands out with color. Choosing an accent wall is not that difficult for a room of your home or office. You can make this choice easily. You’ll see that real estate in Los Angeles has a great trend of accent walls with bright or cool colors.

If you are in a situation where you need to choose an accent wall, here are some tips you can follow:

 

  • Choose the focal point: Focal wall is the one that draws your maximum attention. It will give you the most impact. Look around your room with a relaxed mind, and see if there is any wall that catches your eye immediately.
  • Move into the room: This is another easy way to find an accent wall that pulls people into that room. Walk into your room, or ask a friend to enter your room, and quickly tell which wall attracts his or her eyes first. Indeed, this is the “special” wall in your room that will have dramatic impact.
  • Size of the wall also determines an accent wall. You should rule out very large wall because 20 feet long wall doesn’t give a pleasant feeling as you paint it with bright or cool color. los angeles real estate

Be mindful that you don’t choose an accent wall that is occupied with heavy art work, big moldings, or bearing many design elements.

Real Estate Unlimited is an amazing Los Angeles real estate agency making your experience of buying and selling real estate painless.