My Mom, My Mentor and My Role Model 👩‍👧 Real Estate Blog

345 N Orange Drive is a rare architectural character Spanish designer remodeled townhouse style duplex unit with 4 bedrooms!  The formal entry with a powder room (+ storage closet under the stairs) opens to a step-down character formal living room with beams, built-ins, striking stained glass windows, and a statement fireplace.   The chic new kitchen has stone counters, stainless steel appliances, and a pot filler!  Two downstairs bedrooms share 1 new remodeled bath and two very large upstairs bedrooms are suites with walk-in closets. I love the magical Spanish tiles on the risers up to the second floor. There’s brand new HVAC (with a Nest thermostat), plumbing, and electrical, abundant closet and storage space.  Interestingly, the tenant in the townhouse unit attached to this available unit, just gave notice that they’ll be moving in 30 days.  If a potential tenant wanted to rent the entire building, that would be a possibility now; both sides are fully renovated and absolutely beautiful. The owners of this unit are special because they’re our clients who have done the most transactions with us for all time.  We could not recommend the owners more highly as people and as landlords.

I’m excited that 527 N Cherokee closed this week! The property was listed from Jan 6, 2023 to July 26, 2023 with another agent.  The owner called us as neighborhood experts about two months after his listing expired to analyze for him why his property didn’t sell when it was listed with another company, and what he might do to get it sold. Once he decided to relist the property with us, he asked us to name a price and a very short time period in which we could guarantee the property would be sold.  We chose 3.6M but we were reluctant to name a time period in this uncertain market.  He insisted on a short time period.  So we said 3,600,000 and 2 weeks to get the house sold.  We listed the house for 3.6, it went into escrow in 1 week, and it closed exactly on time 30 days later.  It was an absolute honor to work with Tori Horowitz of Canyonhaus, a consummate real estate professional, on the buyer side.  I’m excited to work with the seller for the third time at the end of January when his next spectacular remodel project will be complete!

Congratulations to Berel on closing 15200 Rayneta Drive!  I’m excited for David that he got offers immediately on his listing at 3328 187th Place! I’m also excited for Oliver on his listing at 5007 Morrison going into escrow really quickly with multiple offers.  David, Bryan, and Berel all removed contingencies on their buyers’ purchases this week!  Nechama’s deal will close soon as First American Title resolves their cybersecurity hack issue!  Team meetings in our office are so fun when everyone has deals and workings to discuss and share!

Interest rates are down!  According to Citibank’s latest email blast on Friday, 30 yr fixed is 6.125% (before relationship discounts) and the 10 yr ARM is 5.875%.  We got a preapproval letter from a buyer with a 5.5% 30 yr fixed rate this week!  With interest rates down, and the Fed’s announcement that interest rates will go down multiple times next year, there was a very noticeable uptick in activity in December.  General industry sentiment is that in 2024 real estate will pick up again.  Lots of buyers are starting to think it makes sense to buy a house now and refinance at the end of 2024 after the Fed’s planned successive interest rate drops rather than wait to act until interest rates go down and prices go up, when there will likely be increased supply and increased demand.  All of this activity is very welcome…we love what we do and we love when it’s busy!

I was at Fish Grill on Thursday night when a woman 2 tables over shared with me that she thinks about My Mom all the time.  She loved to run into My Mom and admire the way she dressed, the kind way she spoke about people, and her curiosity and interest in passionately engaging in conversation.  She said my mom inspired her.  My Mom’s 11th Yahrzeit was during Chanukah.  This year, My Mom’s Brother, My Uncle Bozi, passed away during Chanukah.  Two of My Mom’s close friends, Rochel Grossman and Ellen Grabie, also passed away this year during Chanukah.  My Mom’s older brother Bozi was an artist.  When he would come to our house from NY to visit, My Mom would make a stiff chocolate + chestnut mousse out of Belgian chocolate + fresh roasted chestnuts and Uncle Bozi would shape the mousse into a tree stump.  He would spend hours creating knots, lines, burls, and bumps, using melted chocolate to create depth of color so that when he finished, his tree stump cake was a true work of art.  Rochel Grossman and My Mom loved animated philosophical discussions…and they also loved to shop for deals, especially at Loehmann’s that used to be on Third St near Fairfax.  Ellen Grabie and My Mom were both very spiritual and they also loved to go out for fun.  When I got engaged on Seth’s birthday almost 30 years ago, I baked Seth a birthday cake that was Ellen Grabie’s delicious chocolate mousse recipe. It’s fascinating to me that even 11 years after My Mom died, so many people in the last two weeks have spoken to me about missing My Mom’s charisma, recipes, fashion sense, humor, kindness, and love for others.  What I learn is that cool + interesting people who are authentically + truly kind, honest, caring, generous, warm and loving are impactful and remembered forever.  Even 11 years after she died, My Mom is My Mentor and My Role Model!

Wishing everyone a wonderful last week of the year!