San Marino California Real Estate Market ResourceSelling a Home | San Marino California Real Estate Market Resource

The Most Luxurious Estates sold in San Marino in 2009

irina — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 23:29:42 +0000

Interested in San Marino Real Estate? This year we have seen interesting movement throughout the real estate market. The most expensive estate sold in San Marino in 2009 sold at 4.5 Million dollars. Take a peak at the top 5 most Luxurious Estates sold in San Marino in 2009. We are hopeful and excited to see what 2010 will bring!

San Marino Luxury

#5) 1200 Old Mill Rd. San Marino, CA

5 Br/5 Ba 4,221 Sq.Ft. Sold at $3,499,800

This single-story contemporary home is located on one of San Marino’s most sought after streets, close to Lacy Park. Exquisitely reconstructed in 2005-06 with exceptional finishes, this elegant home is appointed with exquisite detail and state-of-the-art amenities.The elegant living room and the adjoining formal dining area boast fantastic views of front and back garden.The family room has a surround sound system with Crestron Music Server which provides music throughout the house including the back yard. State-of-the-art designer’s kitchen includes an eat-in area, center island and top of the line appliances. The luxurious master suite features his and her custom designed closets. Master bath features heated floors and towel warmer, with custom designed vanities. The professionally re-landscaped gardens include a heated pool, stone floor patio, cooking center with BBQ and fridge. This is truly a darling San Marino estate.

#4) 2205 Robles Ave. San Marino, CA

4 Br/6 Ba 4,221 Sq.Ft. Sold at $3,550,000

Exquisite, two-story Georgian on a beautifully landscaped half acre lot in the Library District. Offering the finest in architectural details, the home features high ceilings, exposed hardwood floors, panelled walls, custom doors and archways, bay windows and French doors. Master bath, pool/spa, 642 square foot pool house with kitchenette and rear landscaping all redone in 2005-06. Separate breakfast room; small bonus room on second floor – could be office, nursery or laundry room. Over sized basement and garage plus a 1400 plus sq. ft. floored attic provide abundant storage space.

#3) 860 Chester Ave. San Marino, CA

5 Br/6 Ba 6,172 Sq. Ft. Sold at $3,600,000

A Stunning Monterey Colonial; exceptionally large rooms, excellent floor plan, Saline salt water pool & spa, central air, three car garage, new kitchen & baths.This estate offers four upstairs bedroom suites, an electronic gated driveway, a Cedar Lite roof, and new landscaping. A remarkable San Marino find!

#2) Oak Knoll Ave. San Marino, CA

8 Br/8 Ba 5,841 Sq.Ft. Sold at $3,800,000

Nestled on 1.7 acres of magnificent park-like grounds framed by majestic trees in a prime west San Marino neighb0rhood adjacent to the renowned Langham Huntington Hotel, this stately Monterey Colonial estate features tall ceilings, crown moldings, hardwood floors & charming rooms with French doors to a glorious backyard. Situated about 200′ from the street, this comfortable home showcases an impressive foyer, grand LR, elegant DR, paneled den, 4 fireplaces, 2BR down & 6BR upstairs. Meandering bricked pathways lead to an inviting pool & spa, sprawling lawn, rose garden, fruit orchard, grassy meadow with fountain, gazebo, wisteria-covered terraces & 945sf pool house with fireplace, wet bar, two bathrooms & kitchenette. Four-car garage, workshop plus two huge storage rooms complete this fabulous gated estate. Convenient to #1 rated public schools, shopping, dining, downtown LA & Pasadena, this wonderful oasis is a special treasure!

#1) 920 Avondale Rd. San Marino, CA

4 Br/5 Ba 6,520 Sq.Ft. Sold at $4,550,000

Designed in 1929 by architect William McCay, 920 Avondaleis a stunning New Orleans style Colonial residence located in the desirable Huntington Library neighborhood of San Marino. With a splendid floor plan for everyday living & entertaining, this home has been superbly decorated & virtually all its systems have been updated. The 1st floor features a gracious entry w/ views to the back garden, a grand living room w/ fireplace, a black walnut paneled library w/ fireplace, an elegant formal dining room & a fabulous gourmet kitchen w/ breakfast area. The spacious family room has French doors opening to the back garden; there is also a bedroom suite w/ dressing room, bath & office. The upper level has a marvelous master suite w/ fireplace, dual dressing rooms & master bath. There are 2 additional bedrooms that share an attractive bath. Exterior spaces offer beautiful gardens, patio & lap pool w/ spa. A 3 car detached garage is finished to accommodate a catering kitchen for large events.

* All information obtained from the Pasadena-Foothill Association of Realtors, Multiple Listing Service.

Find your San Marino home for sale, our feed is live and updated daily to bring you the most up to date information on San Marino Real Estate as well as the surrounding areas.

Interested in buying or selling your San Marino Estate? For a free consulation and comprehesive market analysis feel free to contact us. We can be reached at 626.629.VIEW(8439)

IRINA NETCHAEV & ASSOCIATES

San Marino Real Estate Agents

Pasadena, California

(626)629-VIEW(8439)

Additional Reading:

San Marino City Guide

California Real Estate Forecasts for 2010

San Marino Real Estate Market Update

irina — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:18:02 +0000

San Marino Home Sellers and Home Buyers have different views of San Marino’s real estate market.

Every Thursday is a Broker’s Open House day in San Marino. This is an opportunity for San Marino real estate agents to preview all the homes that were listed in San Marino for the week. This also gives an opportunity for San Marino sellers to showcase their homes and make sure that they are well presented to potential buyers and real estate agents.

Today, San Marino had a record 7 homes for sale open for broker’s preview (2 homes were price reductions):

Address	BR/BA	Price	Prce/Sq.Ft
2045 Sherwood Road, San Marino	3/2	$1,460,000	$803
2070 Lorain Road, San Marino	3/2	$1,285,000	$740
1870 Carlisle Drive, San Marino	2/1	$1,175,000	$698
2769 Gainsborough Drive, San Marino	4/5	$2,399,000	$664
2804 Carlaris Road, San Marino	5/3	$1,699,000	$568
2734 Monterey Road, San Marino	4/3	$1,298,800	$566	Price Reduced
1479 Vandyke Road	3/3	$1,350,000	$546	Price Reduced

A San Marino Real Estate Market Snapshot:

San Marino Homes for Sale 47 at $649/sq. ft. on average

San Marino Homes Under Contract 26 at $572/sq. ft. on average

San Marino Homes Already Purchased by San Marino Home Buyers:

Month	# of Homes Sold	Price Per Sq. Ft.	% of Sales Price to List Price
January-08	5	$612	101.86
February-08	6	$479	91.45
March-08	6	$668	107.03
April-08	7	$578	98.93
May-08	10	$589	102.35
June-08	11	$576	99.77
YTD	42	$582	100.51

Sellers, if these numbers

do not speak to you, let

me. You are OVERPRICING

YOUR HOMES!!!

The data is clear, San Marino Homes have been selling in the high $500s per sq.ft.
Current homes on the market are averaging almost $650 per square foot.
4 out of 5 new listings this week are over $660 per square foot.
Inventory is INCREASING
San Marino’s Real Estate market absorbs approximately 7 homes per month.
There are 47 homes on the market for sale.
This means that we have more than 6.5 months of inventory!

San Marino sellers, please understand San Marino buyers are looking at hard data. This information is being provided to them by their San Marino Realtors.

For those of you that love charts, here’re a couple from Altos Research, an independent real estate market statistics company.

These reports are updated weekly by Altos Research and I am offering them at no cost to my readers. A copy of this week’s San Marino report is available by clicking here – SAN MARINO REAL ESTATE MARKET REPORT If you would like to receive this report every week as it is updated, please email me at Irina@Irina4RealEstate.com.

San Marino California Homes for Sale: $1.2 Million to $1.4 Million
San Marino California Homes for Sale: $1 Million to $1.2 Million
San Marino California Homes for Sale between $500K to $750K

http://www.pasadenacarealestatehomes.com/003C86

When can LA County Assessor reassess my Pasadena Property Taxes

irina — Sat, 03 May 2008 16:16:31 +0000

Recently I wrote a post about how much property taxes in Pasadena are. I’ve received some questions about whether or not the LA County Assessor can reassess and raise property taxes.

There are only four events that can cause a reappraisal of your Pasadena home by the Assessor. They are:

A change in ownership. For example you sell your Pasadena home or inherit your Pasadena home.
Completed new construction.
New construction partially completed on the lien date (January 1)
A decline-in-value – READ MORE: Proposition 8

Change in Ownership Appraisalswill take place when a publicly recorded transfer occurs. The assessor will receive a copy of the deed and will then determine whether a reappraisal is required under the California State law.

Transfers of Pasadena property between husband and wife does NOT cause a reappraisal for property tax purposes. This includes transfers resulting from divorce or death. Also, the addition of joint tenants, whether related or not does not result in a reappraisal.

In most cases, transfer by irrevocable trusts are reappraisable. Keep this in mind if you inherited a property via trust.

New Construction Appraisals are done when an assessor receives a copy of building permits.

Rule of thumb:

New buildings, additions and other structures REQUIRE a reappraisal.

Structural repairs and/or replacements would NOT REQUIRE a reappraisal in almost all situations.

For more information, please visit the Los Angeles County Assessors Office or call them at 213.974.3211.

If I can be of any assistance with your Pasadena Real Estate needs, please do not hesitate to email me at Irina@Irina4RealEstate.com or call me at (626)627-7107. Thank you!

How is the real estate market doing?

irina — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 23:08:19 +0000

I hear that question all the time. What does the question really mean?

Do you truly care about what’s going on in Phoenix, if you live in Pasadena, CA? Do you care about how the market is doing in Pasadena, if you live in San Marino, CA?

As a real estate broker, the answer is yes… I care. As a seller or buyer, I couldn’t care less.

I just sold my house. It is located in San Gabriel, but has San Marino schools. The first thing I did when I was thinking of selling my house, is to learn what was going on on my street. How many homes were on the market now? Who will be my competition?

I wanted to know which 7 to 10 homes will I be competing against. I got into the car and visited all the homes. I knew how much they were priced at, how long they’ve been on the market and what kind of upgrades they had.

Now I knew my market and could price my home correctly to sell.

The market in my mind was the 1/4 mile radius around my home, preferrably homes with San Marino schools.

This market research, along with getting prepared by following a few simple steps like:

Getting a Physical Inspection – which allowed me to anticipate issues up front and address them prior to listing my home.
Curbside appeal – the exterior was painted and a landscape artist was invited to stage the front and side of the home.
Staging - my stager extraordinaire, Nickie Rothwell of Staged2Sell, used both my existing furniture and brought in additional furniture and accessories to make the home stand out.
Marketing – well… that’s my forte – here’s a quick sample of the personal home website, Realtor.com Featured Homes, numerous blogging platforms, emails to top agents in the neighborhood and targetted buyer mailings, amongst other things.

… helped me sell my San Gabriel home in less than a week.

So… how is your real estate market doing?

For information about Pasadena, please visit the following links:

Pasadena Real Estate Guide and FREE Multiple Listing Search (Everything you need to know to buy or sell a home in Pasadena)
Everything you ever wanted to know about Pasadena and more! (Important Information)
Looking for condos near Pasadena? How about Monterey Hills?(Great little gem of an area where you can still get great deals on condos and townhomes)
Pasadena’s Old Town – Restaurant Row
Pasadena’s DMV – On Line Service: No more standing in lines for you!
Pasadena Occupancy Requirements: What you need to know before you move in or out of Pasadena, CA.
South Lake Avenue Area Information
What are the costs associated with buying a condo or townhome in Pasadena?

For more information about San Marino, please visit the following posts:

About San Marino
Lacy Park – our hidden treasure!

Other interesting information:

If you need help with buying or selling a home in the Pasadena, San Marino or surrounding areas, please give Irina Netchaev a call at 626.627.7107 or email her at Irina@Irina4RealEstate.com

Pasadena, CA – Top 10 Seller Mistakes

irina — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 07:00:46 +0000

I have always believed that real estate is strictly a LOCAL business. To this day, I am flabbergasted by the local Pasadena news media writing and panicking about national real estate trends. What does that have to do with Pasadena home sales? Very little!

The real estate market in and around Pasadena, California has been pretty steady. It’s not as hot as it used to be, but we’re definitely seeing a shift to a more balanced market.

Buyers are being more cautious and are taking a little more time to find the home of their dreams. Sellers are begining to be a bit more realistic about how fast their home will sell and for what price.Is this a good thing? Yes!

Pasadena home prices could not have sustained the 20% to 25% increases in home values for much longer. The fact that the prices are stabilizing at more reasonable 5% to 7% increases is great for everyone involved.This list of the top ten mistakes are geared towards you, the potential seller. Selling a home can and still is quite profitable in today’s changing market.

So here you go… my list of the top 10 mistakes that I see sellers make today:

MISTAKE #1: FSBO (For Sale By Owner) – Can you sell your home yourself? Certainly… thousands of people across the country do it everyday. Can you sell your home for top dollar, with less hassles and ensure that all the paperwork is completed correctly and the required disclosures are provided to the buyer? Most likely not.

By trying to sell your home without the help of a professional agent, you automatically limit the exposure of your home. Let’s face it, most realtors will not show it AND as a FSBO, you will not have access the same resources that a professional real estate consultant has – Multiple Listing Services, Realtor.com, Trulia, LATims.com, Blogging platforms, etc. It goes on and on….
The number of forms/disclosures required to sell a home is mind boggling. Contracts are changed and updated annually by the California Association of Realtors. Each city has their own disclosure requirements. Realtors take continuous classes to stay on top of the most current legal requirements. Most of our files are 2 to 3 inches thick.
Negotiation – selling a home is not a simple matter of getting the buyer to offer the highest price. Great realtors understand that selling a home is a factor of PRICE and TERMS. We know that there are buyers out there that will come in with a high price and then try to negotiate at every step of the contract and wear you down. By the time, the escrow closes – if it closes – you did not sell your home for as much as you anticipated. The terms are critical – loan and appraisal contingency periods, down payment, physical inspection contingency, etc.

MISTAKE #2: Hiring an Out of the Area Realtor to sell your home – Yes… I know… you have a friend… you have a distant cousin… you have a name of someone who sold a home for one of your coworkers, BUT they work 45 minutes away. It’s okay. It’s just putting the home into the Multiple Listing Service, right? It is critical that you find a realtor that specializes in your neighborhood, knows the city requirements, understands and tracks the market trends on a regular basis and has a great reputation in the real estate community.There have been countless times, where I was able to get a great deal for my buyers because the Realtor representing the seller, placed information about the home in question in the wrong Multiple Listing Service or under a wrong area. Or, the realtor didn’t understand the intricacies of pricing the home properly given the schools or other area idiosyncracies.

MISTAKE #3: Hiring a SOLO Real Estate Agent to sell your home. I am not saying that you have to hire a Realtor that is part of a huge team. But, the Realtor that you hire should have a group of experts on THEIR team. For example, my team consists of a Accredited Certified Stager, Transaction Coordinator, a Marketing Director, a Title Representative, a Termite Inspector, a Contractor, an Inspector, a Buyer’s agent, and an assistant.

MISTAKE #4: Hiring a PART TIME Real Estate Agent – honestly… that’s even worst than selling your home For Sale By Owner – the agent will not have the knowledge and experience required to sell your home and will charge you for it. UGH! Shall I say more?

MISTAKE #5: Not having your home STAGED – Staged homes sell faster and for more money – period! I am a complete believer in staging. I bring in an Accredited Staging Professional for a consultation and a detailed report for each and every one of the homes I sell. It is critical that your home shows its best and is optimized to create the most positive response with the potential buyers.

MISTAKE #6: Not getting a physical inspection performed prior to putting your home on the market. By inviting a physical inspector, you are able to foresee and address potential issues down the road and avoid cancelled escrows.

MISTAKE #7: Putting your home on the market too quickly! - Putting a house on the market is an orchestrated event. It requires a lot of preparation and full and complete execution. You can not just throw the house into the Multiple Listing Service and then add on photos, marketing, announcements later. Think of it as a “roll out”, a “blitz”. You need to create excitement and anticipation for the buyers out there.

MISTAKE #8: Not using the internet to the fullest – Over 70% of all buyers start their search on the internet. Multiple photos, Virtual Tours, Personal Address websites, Blogs – all these SELL YOUR HOME! Make sure that your agent utilizes the most advanced technology. Make sure that your home is entered in every local Multiple Listing Service in your area – most areas have several. In the Pasadena area, there are 4 Multiple Listing Services that your home shoudl be in! Make sure that your Realtor has Featured Homes on Realtor.com in your area (Featured Homes on Realtor.com generate 500% more hits to your home’s information). Make sure that they post your homes information anywhere and everywhere! It’s critical.

MISTAKE #9: Ignoring your neighbors – always, always invite your neighbors… make them feel special… involve them in the selection of the new buyer. Chances are that your neighbor knows someone – a friend, a family member – that wants to live next to them. Have Twilight Open Houses for neighbors only. Send out special invitations for them and their loved ones. Let them know that they’re welcome to visit and to tell all their friends about your home.

MISTAKE #10: Overpricing your home. Many sellers are under the wrong impression that if they start out high, they will eventually sell at the price they want. That is a fallacy. A home needs to be priced correctly the moment it hits the market. Work with your Real estate Consultant and review the current market condition for your area. Take a look at your competition, as well as the closed sales.

To sum this all up an appropriate pricing and marketing strategy coupled with staging and an experienced real estate consultant will help your home stand out and sell quickly and for more $$$$$s.

Good luck in the sale of your home!

What does a Real Estate Agent do for YOU?

irina — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 06:52:36 +0000

Sellers what do you expect from your Real Estate Agent?

Most sellers will say to sell my home at the highest possible price with the least inconvenience.

But, how do Real Estate Agents differ?

We all have different approaches and views on how to accomplish our seller’s goals. When you are interviewing a Realtor for the job of selling your home, I would urge you to first LISTEN to what the Realtor says:

Is he or she trying to identify what’s important to you in selling your home?

Is the Realtor’s approach more consultative vs. “salesy”?
Do you feel like there’s a connection between the two of you?
Do they understand the market trends in your local area? Can they intelligently predict, based on hard data, the pricing trend in your area?
Do they know the inventory and how many months of inventory is there on the market currently?

Here’re some of the questions to ask:

How will you market my property? A good Realtor will have a nice mix of internet, “snail” mail, e-mail, paper/magazine advertising. She will also market to top agents in the area, neighbors and current sellers that could fall into the move-up category for your home.
How will you keep in touch with me throughout the process? A Realtor should be updating their clients via phone at least once a week and should be able to provide access to a personal website where you’ll be able to track activities on the sale of your home. If you like using email, is your agent email savvy? How often do they check it? Do they have set times for returning their voicemails daily?
Do they have an assistant or helper for when they’re out of town or unavailable?
Do they have a full blown campaign ready to go the moment the listing is ready to be put on the market with custom color flyers, personal websites, 800 number (IVR) technology? It usually takes at least 7 to 10 days to line everything up so that your home is marketed correctly on day 1. The first 2 weeks of putting your home on the market are the most critical. Make sure that everything is perfect and not rolled out “piece-meal”.
Will they stage your home? A staged home will sell for more money and in less time than a home that is not staged. Click here for more information on staging.
Does he/she have Showcase homes on Realtor.com? Featured Homes? Only very few Realtors have Featured Homes. These spots give your home unprecedented exposure with hundreds of hits daily.
Are there tracking reports available for all activities on my listing? A good Realtor will provide you with weekly stats.
How often will you reevaluate the market and my competition? It’s critical to make sure that you and your Realtor know what your competition is so that an appropriate strategy is used.
What kind of pricing strategy would be best used for my home? There’s a fixed price and a Value Range Marketing Price. A good Realtor will be able to discuss the best pricing strategy and recommend the one that is right for you.
How many Multiple Listing Services (MLS) are in my area? In the Pasadena area, there are 2 distinct MLSs and another 2 that are on the border. To get the maximum exposure, your home should be listed in ALL of them.
Where does most of the Realtor’s business come from? You want to hear – REFERRALS! What a great indication of them doing a spectacular job if their clients refer them to more.

Don’t be afraid to ask for names and telephone numbers of past clients. Your home, in most instances, is your largest investment. ASK, ASK, ASK and LISTEN!

All Realtors are NOT created equal! Do your homework and Good Luck!