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Boutique Real Estate: How Stephen Finfer and Others Are Revolutionizing the L.A. Housing Market

by The Diva



Villa
Villa

 

Boutique real estate agencies offer far more than property listings and scheduled showings for their client lists. These real estate professionals are increasingly involved in creating and designing unique solutions for the needs of their elite clientele. This integrated approach that combines design and structural components with the expected array of realty services allows top-end boutique real estate companies to attract a loyal cadre of clients in the challenging Los Angeles housing market.


What Is Boutique Real Estate?

The boutique real estate market caters to clients looking for a specific set of attributes in their new home. Boutique realty companies provide added services that may include custom photography and house stagings for sellers and furnishing, decorating and landscaping arrangements for buyers. Boutique properties can be defined as homes, apartments and buildings that offer added amenities and stylish extras for their residents and owners.

It All Starts With the Right Property

In the Los Angeles area, boutique real estate specialists may also identify prime locations in need of renovations and updating and transform these ugly ducklings into beautiful swans for their elite clientele. Los Angeles real estate development professionals like Stephen Finfer can provide expert renovations and development strategies to support the services provided by boutique realtors. Finfer is a top name in the sale and rental renovations market in Los Angeles, and has built his reputation on creating beautiful and livable spaces with his own unique style and flair.

Building Beauty from the Ground Up

Many of the properties revitalized by L.A. developers are designed specifically for upscale living in the most desirable areas. These exclusive rental and private-family residences, however, can fall victim to persistent neglect and a failure on the part of owners to maintain their properties and update them as styles and preferences change. Visionary developers like Stephen Finfer and others can restore these homes to their former glory and can create a brand-new paradigm that encompasses green-friendly construction methods, unique architectural features, and all the smaller accoutrements that can turn a Los Angeles residence into a showplace.

The Little Touches that Set Boutique Living Apart

Stephen Finfer and other boutique real estate developers provide more than architectural design and general renovation construction services; they also ensure a wide range of conveniences, services and available amenities for their residential clients. Concierge and house cleaning services can be arranged for some properties; others can be designed around a specific focal point to create a stunning visual impact on guests to the residence. By taking even the smallest elements in design and comfort into consideration when creating an integrated plan for renovations, developers can ensure the true boutique experience for buyers in the competitive Los Angeles housing market.

The increasing popularity of exclusive boutique real estate services and customized property development projects is expected to continue in the Los Angeles area. This demand for added value in the housing market will prove remunerative for real estate agents and developers like Stephen Finfer and will provide plentiful opportunities for expansion and growth for savvy entrepreneurs and renovation specialists.

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Filed Under: Featured, Real Estate Tagged With: apartments, architectural design, Boutique Real Estate, decorating, furnishing, homes, house stagings, housing market, L.A. Housing, Landscaping, property listings, renovation construction, Revolutionizing, Stephen Finfer

The Home Inspection Industry Is Thriving in Today’s Real Estate Market

by The Diva

Do you think that starting a business related to real estate should be avoided? You’re not alone. Many who suffered the effects of the real estate crash would never dream of becoming involved in a related business. However, starting a business that’s connected real estate can be extremely lucrative. One such business is the home-inspection industry.

The downturn in the housing market didn’t mean decreasing business for home inspectors. Real estate agents and other businesses involved in real estate took a hit when housing values dropped, but home inspectors kept going strong. The reason is largely due to the increasing number of foreclosed houses on the market. Many of these houses are old and in poor condition. Others have been abandoned and on the market so long that their condition is unknown. Investors and typical home buyers looking for a good deal are snapping up these bargains and creating lots of welcome work for housing inspectors.

Most houses must have an inspection before they can be bought or sold. Mortgage companies won’t lend money on a house with serious structural problems. People who want to buy these houses need an inspection so they’ll know whether it will have to be a cash purchase or if they will have to skip buying the house altogether. Sellers often seek a home inspection so they can learn whether they need to do any repairs before a bank will finance their home for a buyer. The more foreclosures an area has, the more business its home inspectors are going to get.

This is why Bill Redfern moved his A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections company headquarters from Nova Scotia to South Florida shortly after the real estate crash. He knew that all of those foreclosures would mean big business for him. Florida has some of the highest foreclosure rates in the United States right now, and it shows no sign of changing any time soon. Busy home inspectors can complete 300 to 500 inspections a year.

However, the demand for home inspections is far greater than that right now. That’s why Bill Redfern turned A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections into a franchise. This way, the company can reach more active markets and meet the growing home-inspection needs of those areas.

Being a franchise is a win-win situation for A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections. The parent company takes a small percentage of the sales of each franchise and the franchise owners get to make a substantial income working for themselves in a business that shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, the company now has 30 franchises in the United States, 130 in Canada, and several more in Europe, South America and New Zealand. There are plans for expansion into more countries soon, and there is still room in the Florida market for more franchises to grab their share of business.

The real estate downturn couldn’t have been better news for the home-inspection industry. While there was always a need for this service when the market was up, that need has exploded since the market has been down. The home-inspection business is one of the few where market conditions are no barrier to success.

Filed Under: Real Estate Tagged With: Business, foreclosures, Home Inspection, housing market, Real Estate, Real Estate Market, structural problems

Top Tools That Will Help You Choose Your Real Estate

by Trish

Choosing real estate is one of the most important decisions you will ever make – probably just behind deciding on who you’re going to marry. Not only is this an incredibly expensive purchase and one that you hope will be a good investment, but it’s also a decision that will impact on your day-to-day life moreso than perhaps every other. The distance you travel to work, the options available for your entertainment in the evening, the comfort you feel when you relax in the evening… all will be dictated by your real estate.

Which is why you shouldn’t rely on just your instincts alone to choose your property. Of course you need a good estate agent and a good surveyor, but likewise you can also fall back on tools and gadgets that can help you too. Read on to see which devices will help the most and how you can take advantage of them.

Computer

The first job of a computer when choosing real estate is to help you browse the various homes available and to find an estate agent. Thanks to the marvels of the digital age, it’s no possible to replace ‘leg work’ with ‘finger work’ – you can have done the vast majority of your hunting before you have even left the house.

Phone

Your phone of course is also a crucial device, and the one you will use in order to call up and make bookings so that you can view various properties – as well as to hire all the other services you will use. If you have a smartphone (who doesn’t these days?) then you can even set reminders in your calendar to ensure that you never miss a viewing. What makes a phone most useful of all though, is almost undoubtedly the camera. This will allow you to take snapshots of the place you’re looking around to look back on later. This is a great strategy, because it will allow you to remember much more clearly what each place looked like and also to show it to friends and others who might be able to give you advice.

Tablet

If you want a bit more space to work with, then a tablet can be a useful device for running full-screen apps to let you plan layouts, take photos and schedule appointments. Plus they make you look and feel like a pro…

Notepad

It may not be particularly high tech, but the notepad should never be underestimated. Not only will it enable you to take notes on the places you are looking around, but you can also use it to write down questions that you want to ask your real estate agents. This way you can make sure that you don’t go to view the property with a million questions, only to come away realising that you haven’t actually asked any of them.

Meanwhile notepads can also be used in order to sketch things out, to take measurements, to write down phone numbers and more. A smartphone might be very handy then, but sometimes it’s the old fashioned gadgets that are the best…

Attached Images:
  •  License: Creative Commons image source
  •  License: Creative Commons image source
  •  License: Creative Commons image source
  •  License: Creative Commons image source

Kevin Preston, the author of this post, is a part time blogger and a real estate agent. He has many years of experience in the field and People consider him one of the best brains in the field of real estate. He likes swimming and playing football in his spare time.

Filed Under: Real Estate Tagged With: calendar, computer, Estate agent, help, layouts, Notepad, phone, Property, Real Estate, schedule appointments, snapshots, tablet, Top Tools

5 Tips To Ensure Your House Is As Beautiful On The Outside As It Is On The Inside

by Trish

home exteriorWith the property market stagnant many homeowners have opted to improve their existing homes rather than endure the stress and inconvenience of selling and buying. However it is often too easy to concentrate on improving the interior of your home and, if you are one of those seeking to sell your current home and to move, the importance of creating the right impression on the outside cannot be underestimated. Whether you are looking to sell your property or simply to give it a facelift, the warmer weather and longer daylight hours create the ideal time to concentrate on renovating the outside of your home for maximum kerbside appeal.

Smarten up the entrance

It’s the focal point of any home so it needs a little care. Front doors are unwelcoming if they are dirty, paint-peeling or faded so apply a coat or two of paint or varnish (and don’t be afraid to experiment with vibrant colours, unless you live in a street of period properties where a neutral black be more befitting). Polish the door furniture or better still replace it and ensure house numbers are visible, sparkling and straight.

Upgrade the windows

Window technology is improving all the time and if your existing windows suffer from rotting woodwork, leaking draughts or the unsightly aluminium frames of the 1980s, then now could be an ideal time to upgrade with modern uPVC replacements. New windows will not only offer improved sound and heat insulation but will also give your property an immediate facelift. Do take care to choose a style in keeping with the age of the house; the position of the glazing bars is crucial. With a wide range of windows at Wickes and expert advice on hand, you can be confident of choosing the perfect design to add a touch of class to your home.

Brickwork and Cladding

In older properties in particular the mortar between the bricks may need repointing to give your home improved protection against the elements and also a fresh appearance. Small areas can be completed by a competent DIYer but large expanses should be tackled by an expert who will also ensure the mortar is colour-matched to the brickwork.

Cladding was fashionable in properties from the middle of the last century and requires considerable and regular maintenance in the form of staining. One alternative is to replace them with a uPVC equivalent which will offer durability as well as being attractive to the eye. Cladding half of your home with horizontal cedar boards is a current fashion trend but consider whether your property would stick out like a sore thumb if your neighbours’ homes are more traditional.

Grow some plants

The modern trend for lawns to be uprooted and replaced with hard standing or ornamental stones can be sterile and unattractive. Simple borders or flowering beds can add a vital splash of colour, window boxes can add an instant homely touch and planters with leafy shrubs will help to enhance your home. Such improvements need not cost the earth but can transform a tired exterior quickly.

Clear up the clutter!

It may sound so simple that it’s almost daft but clutter around the outside of your property is unsightly. Find a new home for the bins and endless recycling boxes, put the kids’ toys and bikes in the garage and sweep the drive. It’ll make a world of difference!

Improving the exterior appearance of your home needn’t break the bank and with a little time, effort and well-planned budgeting your property can be as attractive on the outside as the rooms within.

For more inspiration visit http://www.channel4.com/4homes/build-renovate/building-renovating-advice/transform-your-homes-exterior or http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/renovatinganddiy/6254848/Kerb-appeal-10-ways-to-improve-the-appearance-of-your-property.html

Attached Images:
  •  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-16674940-contemporary-colonial-home.php

John is a freelance feature writer based in London, England.

Filed Under: Home Improvement, House and Home, Real Estate Tagged With: Beautiful, brickwork, clutter, Ensure, entrance, Front doors, homeowners, house, improving, inside, mortar, outside, plants, uPVC replacement, windows

Renovation Tips That Will Increase The Value Of Your House

by Trish

Selling or renting out your house may not always be easy, especially if it is old. Other than the attachment that you have to it, the house may be too worn out to catch a buyer’s attention. Old houses are harder to sell, since most people assume that they are not as stable as they were. If you are looking to sell your house, you need to make sure that it is in the right condition to be sold. This will help you to sell it for a higher value that it would have sold for, before being refurbished.

Should I renovate my house?

Renovation is a must! One of the most important factors to consider when you make the decision to sell your house is how to make it attractive to potential clients. A customer will only take a product that they feel is better than the last one they saw.

Your home therefore, needs to stand out from others on sale so that people literally keep lining up for it! With this in mind, the following tips will help you find out how to change the outlook of your home to make it look modern and appealing. It will also play a big role in making the value of your home go up.

  • Thorough repairs

If you want people to be attracted to the house you are putting on sale make sure they can tell that the items in your home are new. Fix every sink, faucet, cabinet, surface, counter or any of the spots you know have been broken down for years. When potential buyers come to see the house, they will scrutinize every part of the house to make sure they are not getting less than what they are paying for.

Use affordable, new and modern appliances or parts that will draw people’s attention and make them have more faith in the new house. If they see new parts and well done remodeling, they will definitely be enticed into buying or renting the house. It will also help you have more selling points to use to convince them.

  • Create more rooms

The best way to sell your home for a higher price is to emphasize the amount of square feet that you are selling by creating another room. This may be expensive though if you reinvent a room you stand the chance of selling the house for a higher asking price that you would have. It simply means that you may be able to recover more money than what you will use to create the room.

The cheapest way to do so is by using space that already exists. For instance, you could convert the attic into a self-contained bedroom in order to fetch more money for your home. This is cheaper since you will not need to build an entire room rather you will only be making installations and changes to an already existing space in your house. You can also convert a garage into a guest room if there are enough parking spaces outside. This will also give you the option of renting it out or selling it as a separate entity.

  • Be strategic

When remodeling, pay as much attention to the outer parts of the home as you would to the inner ones. People will be attracted to your house from what they see outside first. Make sure all the paint is fresh and the environment is clean with attractive elements such as flowers, a patio, side porch or veranda. It is also important to consider outer elements like the doors and windows. These will attract people even before they enter the house and give them an expectation on what they will be getting inside when they buy it.

You can use inswing or outswing doors, bars and door grids, molding, the jamb or stile designs in order to draw attention to the design of your home. Doors can also come in many designs like steel, wood or fiberglass depending on the setting of your house. When it comes to windows, you can use several replacements on your home improvement approach like vinyl wood or aluminum. Windows can also be a sales point because of the colors and designs they come in. Make sure the outer part of the house is just as great, if not better than the inner one.

Emma Parkes shares useful tips on home improvement. She works for Windows and Doors which excels in improving home energy efficiency of their clients. You can get her insightful tweets on Twitter by following her.

 

Filed Under: Home Improvement, Real Estate, Renovating Tagged With: Appliances, attractive, buyers, doors, fix, flowers, landscape, modern, old, paint, patio, renovate, Renting, repair, selling, stand out, value, windows

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