Ed Kaminsky's Real Estate Blog

I recently listed the first certified green, multi-unit development in the Beach Cities just outside of LAX. The builder chose to work aggressively within the Build It Green program and is nearing it's Green Point Rated certification. This has been an interesting project to market because it goes beyond being the gorgeous, custom, ocean view home you would expect in this area. Also because of the public's heightened awareness of all things "green", our team has dug in deep to learn just what it is that makes these homes such a smart buy.

Our marketing department literally had to digest over 100 pages from the Build It Green manual so that we were educated and ready to bring these homes to market with as much information available as possible. Prior to even obtaining the listing, our marketing team took a sampling of public knowledge, expectations and understanding of Green home ownership and turned up some very interesting results, such as establishing that over 73.7% of those polled believe that making a concerted effort to "go green" is important to buyers today. We also found that 72.3% polled believe that their decision to purchase a new home would be strongly influenced by the availability of "green" homes listed in current inventory--buyers would strongly consider the cost benefits and value built into a "green" home over that of a traditional home.

Hermosa Pointe Homes is a brand new townhome project being built by Urban Pointe Development, an acclaimed local development firm recognized for its reputation built on the quality and value of the homes they bring to the community. Urban Pointe Development is a member of Build It Green and through this program the project is working to become the first Green Point Rated  multi-family project of its kind in the Beach Cities.

Urban Pointe designed the homes to meet rigorous, environmentally-sound standards while also providing a "green" home that has the look and feel of a more traditional home. Henry Ruggeri, Vice President of Project Management says, "We thought it necessary to build a home for the individual or family seeking the benefits of an environmentally friendly residence, but who also wanted a more traditional feel to their home.  Our aim is to show people that ‘green' doesn't have to be a contemporary or urban styled design. These homes were built with a concern for the global environment while providing a comfortable private environment to enjoy the outstanding ocean views."

The project has met and exceeded CA Title 24 minimum of 15% by 21% to as much as 25% above the CA required minimum, and at least 50% of construction and demolition waste has been recycled.

Each custom home features the following features that either meet or exceed current green building practices for lifestyle enhancement or conservation practices in the categories of:

Hermosa Pointe Homes proudly boast:

Water conserving fixtures
Sensory lighting for energy conservation
Low-volatile/organic adhesives and interior paint
Carpets made of recycled materials
"Cool Roof" coating on rooftops
Energy Star rated appliances
Domestic, farmed hardwood flooring
Floor plans designed to maximize natural light and cross ventilation
SunCoat MAX enhanced low-E windows
AquaTherm/Hydronic coil heating system
Merv6 air filters
Concrete fibercement board exterior
Formaldehyde Free insulation
Dual peepholes in door
All main entrances are visible from the street
Landscaped with drought tolerant plants
Low flow sprinklers
Hydrozoned planting
Cool site walkways
30% or more recycled materials in concrete
Value engineered framing
Prewired for ceiling fans in all rooms
Individual water meters
Built in interior recycling collection
Environmentally preferable materials for interior finishes
Durable cabinets
Rain & waste water diversion system
Conduit has been provided & space planned for onsite electricity generation

You can learn more about the project at http://HermosaPointeHomes.com. Expected completion is Summer 2009, but the 1st model will be released by month's end. We are currently booking private tours while still under construction and the interest list is rapidly filling.

Great new marketing tool I discovered on Facebook this past week. It creates a quick eCard of your listing, takes like 10 minutes to do it. Adds so much character to the listing though--with music, animated fire in the fireplace, animated clouds in the sky, animated flowers and birds. Really cute and the sellers love them. Once you build one, it gives you just about every link and code you would want so you can integrate them in all your other marketing. I found it's really simple to attach a link to a Facebook update and it prompts a viewer to want to play the video card, rather than just sitting there as a boring old link. Pretty cool. Sellers like them because they can email them out to their sphere--and they do! Been getting great traffic with these things. Got over 387 views in less than 5 days on a new listing! Really inexpensive if you get the annual unlimited program.

http://www.ZingDing.com

Hi there!   I just wanted to make sure that you had the opportunity to successfully set up your agent account with the SportStar Relocation National Listing Service (NLS). I wanted to make sure that you were able to take advantage of the offer we have going where you can post unlimited listings for FREE for 60 days! After your 60 day trial, your NLS membership will be extended for a full year of unlimited listings for a one time charge of $99.00.   Please click on the link below for a brief introduction to setting up your account on the NLS.

Please make sure your computer speakers are ON.  

http://www.screencast.com/users/EdKaminsky/folders/Jing/media/f3d5dc59-9c68-4f3a-b1e0-1b411913bb1c

SportStar Relocation has developed the first and only listing service for realtors that target markets "athlete appropriate" or athlete-owned homes for sale direct to the most qualified buyers in today's marketplace. The site features an easy to follow, uploading tool, very similar to the MLS uploading systems you are familiar with and once loaded, your property will be incorporated into the SSR National Listing System (NLS) and will be singled out amongst the competition when it comes to athletes moving into your marketplace.

The NLS was developed with the relocating athlete as the end-user, keeping in mind that athletes are many times forced into a sudden and harrowing relocation process due to a draft or trade. Many times the athlete is unfamiliar with preferred suburbs/communities and are at a loss as to where to begin their home search. The SSR NLS allows an athlete to enter something as simple as the name of the airport they will most likely wish to reside closest to, or the name of the stadium/training facility where they will practice/play -- the search results will bring forward homes within the direct vicinity of where the athlete is most likely to be spending his/her time. This eliminates the athlete searching through thousands of homes on a standard IDX feed-type search--homes that come no where near to meeting their ideal criteria.

As an agent, this tool offers you to bring to your sellers a dynamic service. By additionally advertising their home on the SSR NLS, you are exposing their home to buyers from the NBA,MLB,NFL,NHL and more. Buyers who are qualified and who need a home--now. The SSR NLS removes your listing from the "haystack" and puts that needle on a pedestal for all to see. The system will plot your listing on a Google based map, and will also plot the stadiums, airports and training centers closest to your listing, with distances to these points of interest clearly defined, making it easy for an athlete to see why your listing is a must see and a strong consideration as their next home purchase.

Turn the sound on your computer on and click on the link below to quickly see the SSR NLS in action!

http://screencast.com/t/IGcBc3yDJn

THEN POST YOUR LISTINGS ON THE SSR NLS FOR 60 DAYS FREE!

http://www.SportStarNLS.com 

Provide your sellers with something your competition cannot--Your sellers will appreciate your outside-the-box thinking and aggressive marketing plan.

It's a no brainer for any agent with high end luxury homes located in markets with major sports teams. This was built by Realtors FOR Realtors and they want to help support home sales and keep them moving along by advertising athlete appropriate properties to some of the best buyers in the marketplace.

UNLIMITED listings FREE for 60 days!!

After 60 days it's only $99.00 to continue your unlimited membership for the year!

Our dedication to the confidentiality of our past clients prohibits SSR from openly publishing a Past Client list. If you would like to privately discuss SSR's past client list or obtain an SSR Client Referral document in order to verify the quality of our services and client satisfaction - please contact our corporate offices to obtain further information. Please be advised that a Confidentiality Agreement may need to be signed in advance of releasing requested information.

** Oh, and the JING thing--totally the COOLEST tool we learned to use this year. Intro version of it is free also.

We are currently using it to develop video tutorials that help guide sellers through filling out disclosure documents.

http://www.jingproject.com/

IMMEDIATE RELEASE! Seeking seasoned agents (30-50 deals experience) for multiple positions available in both the regular real estate & auction divisions within our company.

Looking for mutliple Real Estate agents, currently licensed & with experience (at least 30-50 transactions closed), for different positions within my regular real estate division operating under Shorewood Realtors ( http://www.ItzSold.com ) and/or my auction division (http://Premiere Estates Auction Company), both based in Manhattan Beach, CA. Interested parties should contact me via email and should provide a current resume, including transaction history. EK@ itzsold.com or fax to 310-798-8883.

I have been presented with a wonderful opportunity to market a multi-family "green" project--the first of it's kind in our area. Of course there have been a few single family spec homes and individual custom homes that have gone up recently, but this is the first luxury townhouse development to be constructed from the ground up in our particular market. The builders have partnered with Build It Green and have applied for the GreenPoint Rated process. It's going to be a fabulous project!

I was wondering if those of you out there as agents, buyers, and homeowners would help out by participating in an important survey I am conducting so that I can better serve not just the builder as a client, but future sellers and buyers as well. I really believe green building is the wave of the future and to serve all the interests of my clients successfully, your input would be greatly appreciated. Agents, any input you have outside of the survey with regards to how YOU may have been successfull with your marketing campaign of a similar project in yuor market--I would love to hear it!

I am offering the chance to win a $30 iTunes gift card to those who participate in the survey,s o be sure to at least include your email address so I can get ahold of you if yours is the name I draw when all the responses are in. The survey results will remain private and will not be shared with any outside sources.

Take the Green House survey now

I am extending an invitation to you. . .

I wanted to invite my local realtor and buyer community to visit the first public open house of this incredible new listing at 1184 2nd Street, Manhattan Beach, CA, today, Sunday, Jan. 11, 1-4 p.m. This home was built in 2005 but has been cared for LIKE NEW by it's original owners. It has a fabulous floorplan and many custom features throughout. I hope that you will visit this property and then compare it against the competition--you will easily see that at $1,669,000 this home offers an amazing value to whomever it lucky enough to become it's new owner. I don't often reserve a single posting for a listing, but when a great deal comes along, I want to make sure the world knows about it!

So, this was a fun interview with The Today Show, where they explored "White Elephants" in today's Real Estate market. Given the amount of work I do with pro athletes and luxury estate homes, I definately see this on a daily basis--as I just built one myself--some of the images in this segment are of the house I just built in Manhattan Beach. Though it would be considered a white elephant by most standards, I truly love it and have set my 2009 goals to ensure that I can properly "feed" it!

click to watch Today Show "White Elephant" segment

We just started marketing a beautiful condo project in Koreatown, Los Angeles, California. Stay tuned for the exciting details and opportunity.

As the President of Premiere Estates Auction Company (PEAC), I'm excited to announce another opportunity to purchase brand new construction at the Oxford Plaza Builder Closeout Auction! For those of you who missed out at the Maplewood Villa Auction back in October, here's your second chance to own or invest in a Koreatown (Los Angeles) condo for a fraction of its original listing price.

Located at 332 Oxford Avenue (Western and 3rd) in the heart of Koreatown; the Oxford Plaza is walking distance to Korean markets, restaurants and businesses. Sixteen (16) units will be auctioned in the on February 7th at the Oxford Palace Hotel at 12:00pm. Co-listed with agent, Sun Choi of A-Ju Realty, the suggested opening bids on the remaining units (a 22 unit development) average a reduction above 30% the original listing price. Visit www.PremiereEstates.com for individual unit information, bidder & broker registration forms, terms & conditions, disclosures and more.

For those of you who plan to attend, here's a rundown of what you'll need to do before auction day:

1. Participating brokers/agents: Register your buyers for full compensation.
2. Buyers: Do your due diligence. Remember there are NO CONTINGENCIES when buying at auction.
    a. Submit a Bidder Registration Form to PEAC.
    b. Complete all inspections.
    c. Review all documents: terms & conditions, disclosures, etc.
    d. Be sure you're qualified to bid up to your maximum price. Prequalification isn't required, but highly recommended.
    e. Calculate the Buyer's Premium into your maximum bid amount.
    f. Bring all required documents to the auction (Cashier's check, personal check, prequalification documents and ID).
3. Remember - At PEAC auctions you get a new title policy, all debts on the property are paid and all taxes are prorated. It is no different than buying in a normal transaction.

Stay tuned for information on additional auction opportunities!

I was recently invited as a guest speaker at the first Beach Cities Real Estate Symposium which will launch on January 21st at 6:30 p.m. at the Manhattan Beach public library. I'm very excited to be a part of this event. The purpose of the symposium is to bring industry leaders to a public forum to discuss how to make the most of a troubled market in 2009.  I will be joining Audrey Stansbury of Edward Jones, Scott Cohen of Senior Advisory Services, Ron Goodlin of Platinum Capital, and Gary Poltasah of Property Tax Advisors as we come together to provide an opportunity for community members to interact with local industry professionals, touching on topics of concern and interest in subjects relating to the 2009 real estate and financial markets. In this ever-changing economy, we hope to provide invaluable resources that will give you the advantages you need to make the most of your money in the years ahead.         

Topics of discussion will include:

Real Esate in '09--How to maximize sales value in a declining market

Lender Forecast for '09--Which way are rates really going?

Property Tax--5 tips on how to lower your property tax

Investment Perspective--Why long term investing still works

Senior Living--How to tap into your equity without paying Uncle Sam

Please visit the website to learn more about this event as well as future dates. I hope to be invited back after this first seminar in January as I am honored to have been called upon to offer my expertise in managing Real Estate holdings throughout 2009. I believe it is one of the best ways I can give back to my community. The website is http://www.BeachCitiesRES.com.

By going to the site now, you can pre-register for the symposium and receive a FREE entry code--a $25 value! You can also call 310-525-7438 or email: BeachCitiesRES@gmail.com for more information.

Hope to see you there!