Below is a little about the home (for more details, check out the original blog post here)

The Home

Every once & a while a home comes along that charms my socks off. Okay, that sounded weird, but I think you know what I mean. A home that once you walk off the sidewalk & into the yard, you are in a different frame of mind. Every Tuesday, I’m previewing homes for buyers & keeping up on what’s going on in the neighborhood. This week, I was North of Montana in Santa Monica. I saw some gorgeous homes, a romantic Mediterranean, 2 large homes on 1 large lot, and a Craftsman that was a real trip….a good trip.
All of the mls info and photos are detailed in the rest of the blog, click here to read the rest. The home has been restored & expanded. This is the kind of home that has the best of both worlds: in the city & out of the city, all at the same time. Click here to see photo’s & property details.

The Numbers

As a buyer or seller of a home, the numbers are a key factor on how long the home will take to sell. How it is priced will have a major impact on the time a home is on the market. Priced fairly or even competitively will create more demand.

The absorption rate for this neighborhood is: 4 months. Meaning you have a 4 month supply of homes & the supply is greater than buyer demand.

Based on the current absorption rate for the neighborhood North of Montana, the adorable Craftsman home North of Montana should be sold within 4 months.

For more information on statistics for your home or living in Santa Monica contact us or call 310-737-8173, we’d be happy to provide you with what you need.

I’ve listed all of the mls info below for you, but wanted to include a few extra photos. The home has been restored & expanded. This is the kind of home that has the best of both worlds: in the city & out of the city, all at the same time.

Walking up to the home:

Looking out from the front porch:

You’ll love this, the backyard has a teepee with electricity that sits in front of a hidden walkway of pine trees:

703 16th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90402 (MLS # 10466233)

Very Special Craftsman home. Beautiful wood. Lovingly restored to its 1923 grandeur,only better. Warm and inviting.A to die for kitchen. Sea breezes. Large covered front porch/veranda.Spacious rooms. Original built ins and wavy glass windows. Custom stained glass. Spectacular architectural addition creating a secluded master retreat. Low water, low maintenance gardens with many native plants, fruit trees, berries,authentic Tepee, unique copper fence, fire ring, pine forest, beautiful pond and unique water features. Designed/ installed by Chuck Stopherd. Gardens featured in many publications inc'l Sunset and Horticulture, and garden tours and 30 MINUTE special on Japanese Public Television. A rare quiet,retreat within our bustling city. Entertain in a unique, magical environment. Walk to market,movies, shopping, yoga studio, library and restaurants.Close to UCLA and hiking trails.

Property Type(s): Single Family, Residential

Price History

Schools

Location

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Listed with Louis Plachowski, RE/MAX Alliance Group

(view all details for MLS # 10466233)

For insider information on real estate in Santa Monica, please contact Kim at 310-737-8173

  We made some time out of our hectic schedules & met for coffee one morning in Venice Beach. The meeting went longer than expected. With great insight for homeowners design projects; It was very clear that Laurie is a great resource, super talented, & one of L.A.’s best designers.

If you’re looking for inspiration or design solutions for your home, this interview with Laurie will get you started.

Kim: What are the latest trends in home design & remodeling you are seeing?

Laurie: LA homeowners are all about maximizing the spaces they’ve got. Whether it’s removing old clunky drawers and retrofitting in custom hampers, carving out a sexy bar space for a bachelor, or creating hardworking ‘mudroom’ areas for busy families, the jobs we’re doing are creating specifically tailored storage solutions that match how our clients live their lives. While resale is always a buzz word, today’s client is satisfying themselves by doing updates that make life easier now.

Kim: How is this reflected in what your client’s are asking for? For example, are you able to interpret trends to any budget?

Laurie: We have seen an uptick in the calls from homeowners in the $750k – $1.25 Million dollar home range who feel that this is the time to enter the market – they’ve waited as long as they can and want to spruce up their homes to be able to list at a competitive price. With some key updates to sad looking light fixtures, cabinetry, and paint colors – we can do wonders for a property entering the real estate market this Summer.

Upstream from that price range, we’re seeing clients who are using their savings (read:cash) to capitalize on the deals in contractors’ fees and products – lots of tank-less hot water heaters, counter-top replacements, appliance purchases, and full kitchen & bath remodels.

Interestingly enough, with recent earthquakes across the globe, many of our clients are exploring retrofitting their foundations and getting buttoned up in case of emergency. It’s not design, but we’ve had several requests this month to do proper Home Inventories for their peace of mind and insurance coverage. While it’s not sexy, nothing makes you sleep well at night like knowing you’re tail is covered!

Kim: Where do you seek inspiration & beef up your design skills?

Laurie: Some of my finest inspirations come out of deep sleep. I keep a sketch pad by my bed and have woken up on more than one occasion with the answer to a particularly stubborn issue. For external inspiration you just can’t beat design blogs and Open Houses. I like a set-dressed home in a magazine just as much as anyone else, but seeing how real people live is where it’s at.

Also, my contractors are a wealth of creative design ideas. They’ve been around town and have seen and worked on some of the most drop-dead beautiful homes in the coolest neighborhoods. I love to watch them work!

For a giggle, check out this blog: Design Blahg

Kim: How do you approach helping a client prepare to sell their home?

Laurie: I always like to keep an eye on the home’s true character, and help clients understand how to work within a style to express their own taste. You can still imprint your home with your personality but keep the longest lasting elements (floors, windows & doors, tile, countertops) a little more neutral for an easy transition into a Sale Ready home.

I explore a home about to go on the market with a slightly different mindset: I’m looking for barriers to sale. What’s going to be a total deal breaker to most people? What needs to be returned to working condition or stripped of personality to entice the most buyers? Sure, you can’t read minds, but those looking to sell should have a fresh set of professional eyes (not your BFF or your Mom!) walk through and give you painfully honest feedback about what jumps out at them. Don’t dismiss their advice!

Also, nothing increases the sale price of a home like a brutal de-cluttering if your home will be occupied while you’re on the market – or a professional staging. I like to change out older light fixtures and all dated switches and outlet covers too – it’s a subtle thing, but most buyers will turn on a light switch in your home at some point while walking through. Why not give them a tactile impression that you’ve updated your systems?

You never know what exactly will be the tipping point for a buyer deciding to invest in your home, but a thorough cleaning, de-cluttering, careful repair & updating, and good professional staging are never a waste of money!

Kim: Are your clients finding you online or through social media?

Laurie: Since our style of project management is new to the marketplace, we spend a lot of time educating clients on what’s possible when working with us. Using an online forum for these discussions is just plain smart – and energy efficient.

My team just finished a full gut and remodel in Los Feliz for a client that found us online. He’d seen a comment I’d left on a Real Estate blog and called me directly. He found my phone number from my Twitter background. Our clients ‘lurk’ on our blog Improvemental and explore images, articles, and often even chat with us on Twitter before hiring us! Social media gives us a great opportunity to engage our clients in what we’re all about in unique ways.

Let’s face it: I’ve got a lot of energy – much of it goes to turning clients on to what resources are available to them as they take on the trials and tribulations of being a homeowner. Houses don’t come with instruction manuals – (would anybody even have time to read them if they did??) With many of our home prices well over a Million dollars, this is no small matter. We’re here to help.

Next month Improvemental kicks off a series of fun, informational chats with industry insiders to explore all angles of staying sane while taking care of your home, surviving remodeling without strangling your spouse, and dynamite home improvement service providers in LA. For us, social media is here to stay!

Kim: What’s the best way for our readers to find you?

Laurie: We’d love to hear from you! Visit us at www.improvemental.com or on Twitter at @EvangelistaLA

Top 3 Reasons Why Homes Don’t Sell

1. The marketing exposure to find the right buyers.

2. The location and how the property shows.

3. The price.

Which one will you allow to stop your home from selling?

To find out how we sold this home when another agent couldn’t, we’d be happy to show you.

Kim & Kristine : 310-737-8173

info@KimAndKristine.com

We’re going to straighen this economy out, one seller and one buyer at a time. Let’s start with you.

Call 310-737-8173 for a confidential call.

*Traditional Sales

*Mortgage Modifications

*Short Sales

*Foreclosures

Prudential CA Realty, Santa Monica

If your home is listed by another broker, this is not intended as a solicitation. DRE#01761439

Many homeowners are down sizing & some just want a clean simple space.  This video has great furniture that creates space, provides function, & looks gorgeous!

For help finding your perfect space, call Kim 310-737-8173

Adelaide was home to the founders of Santa Monica & my favorite home, the Weaver House, was built by the Milwaukee Building Company, where the infamous craftsman architect brothers, Greene & Greene started out. This street, among a few others, I keep very close watch on what’s going on. Right now, there are 2 homes for sale. One is listed just under $8,000,000 and the other is for $3,500,000. Why such a huge gap in price? One is much larger, is like an Italian Villa & has unobstructed Pacific Ocean views. The other is Colonial, has limited views, but the upside is that it’s on a flat lot with a pool. Both homes are quite remarkable.

The first home, listed at $7,995,000 with 5 bedrooms & 6.5 bathrooms. On a large hillside lot, the 4 levels are terraced, giving almost every room an ocean view. It’s twice the size & well over twice the price of the home down the street. The views are some of the best you can get.

The second home for sale on Adelaide had 4 bedrooms & 3 bathrooms. The livable space is 3,102 square feet & the lot size is 12,490. It’s on the market for the first time in over 30 years. This traditional home would be great for someone who works at home & wants to keep an eye on the kids. There is a home office, lovely balconies, a pool & cabana.

For more information on these homes or selling your home. Please contact Kim at 310-737-8173 or info@kimandkristine.com

The first home is on 11st St & a few doors up from Montana. Here are the details: built in 1941, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 1,668 square feet of living space, & a lot size of 7,500 square feet.  At first glance, the home looks very simple on the exterior.  

What you don’t see is that is has been updated inside. The kitchen, bathrooms, landscaping, &  have been updated. The deck & backyard all support indoor-outdoor living.

 The kitchen is on the smaller side, perhaps due to being close to Montana & all the great restaurants? If you love Santa Monica & want to be in a walking area, this is the place to be. 

Next house, take a drive up PCH, go through the Palisades Village,  drive to the end of Palisades Bluff to Via de las Olas (where the ocean views are spectacular) turn the corner to Friends Street & voila…your there. First off, this house has great views of the canyon as well as ocean views. 

This is where you ask yourself, am I still in L.A. ?

Yes, you are in quite possilby the best & most idealic part of Los Angeles. Back to the house.

The house was built in 1997 has 4 bedrooms & 3.5 bathrooms is 3,400 square feet with a lot size of 6,600 square feet. What’s great about this home & all of the updating has been done. Every surface & fixture is up to date. The architecture is Cape Cod style & the interior is traditionally modern. The picture above is of the backyard which has ample room for a pool & plans in place should you want them.

As you can see the kitchen has been updated, in addition to a formal dining room, there is a breakfast nook off the kitchen. Quite possilbly the best part of this home is the master bedroom. Walk in & you’ll see a full on ocean view. Imagine laying in bed, watching the sunset…that my friends is pure luxury to me.

You see all that blue out the window? That’s your ocean view my friends.

In conclusion, if either of these homes inspired you; let me know.

For more information about your home please visit www.santamonicahouseprices.com or call Kim at 310-737-8173.

Watch this quick video to find out about where to go and what to avoid. Also, the best kept secret in the school system.

More information about Sarah, visit: http://MarVistaMom.com/

As promised community links:

The Mar Vista Community Council – http://marvista.org/
The MVCC Green Committee – http://marvistagreengardenshowcase.blogspot.com/
The Mar Vista Farmer’s Market – http://marvistafarmersmarket.org/

This past Sunday, I was in Pacific Palisades with a buyer who wanted to be near the Village. Despite a Laker game, their were plenty of open houses to check out. Their was one house he really wanted to see on Hartzel. So we went to see it. As we drive down the street, their were 3 homes all very close to each other. Ranging from $2,395,000 to $1,269,000. Hmmm, why such a big gap in pricing? Great question.

The higher priced home was built in 2003 has 4 bedrooms & 3.5 baths. Is a traditional style, so the home seems current & up to date.

The 2nd was built in 1924 has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms & priced at $1,595,000

Finally, the 3rd home priced at $1,269,000 has 4 bedrooms & 1.75 baths:

Based on what I’ve seen, the clear reason for the large gap in price is due to age & function. The newer, more expensive home is larger, could easily fit a family of 4-5 & would be easier to maintain. However, my favorite home with the most charm is the mid-priced home. The grounds were professionally landscaped & the home has the character of a California  Bungalow. With a front porch, hardwood floors, built-ins, & a studio in the back this home felt like a home with charm & history.

If you’re familiar with the Pacific Palisades, you know it is quite possibly the best place in Los Angles to raise a family or feel part of a tight knit community. With the weekend Farmer’s Market, park, tennis courts, & ocean climate, you feel untouched by the hustle of city life. At the same time, you are minutes away from Santa Monica’s 3rd St Promenade, Malibu, & the beach.

For more information on your dream home in Pacific Palisades, contact us at 310-737-8173.