The Sherwood House Becomes a Historic Monument

Los Feliz Has More History per Square Mile Then a Ken Burns Film

The L.A. Historic-Cultural Commission has set aside the Sherwood House in Los Feliz as designated historic monument. The house is located at 3435 Amesbury Road.

This is a classic Tudor style home that was designed in 1929 by Charles M. Hutchison. It was originally part of the F.P. Fay Company's “Los Feliz Hills” planned subdivision.

The first owner's name was Lucile Sherwood. Even though she only lived there for a few years, the name stuck. It was then the home of James J. Cline, in 1930, who was a UC Berkeley running back during the 1923 and '24 seasons. Although Cline was a star of the team, the team had an atrocious record during his time with the team. The only posted 2 wins in two years. Cline was the founder of Cline Lumber, an LA staple for generations of home builders.

Then the home passed to Tobias Kotzin, who was a clothing manufacturer in Los Angeles. He lived in the home from 1944 to 1976. His wife, Bessie, stayed there until her death in 1989.

The current owners have lived there since that time.

The length of stay of the owners, particularly the Kotzins and the current owners speaks to the comfort of the home, encased in the stunningly executed Tudor style drawn by Mr. Hutchison. The home was a part of the Revivalist Movement that was in vogue during the '20s through the '40s.

Mr. Charles Fisher, a local historian, represented the current owners in their bid to get the home listed as a Historic Monument. This status will afford the home certain protections to help preserve the heritage of Los Feliz.

You can, of course, drive by the home, but bear in mind that it is occupied. I love this home because is an extraordinary example of a classic style that has passed out of fashion in the US. Too bad, because I, personally, miss the time when every house on the street had a different look and personality.

Check it out. I would love to hear your impressions.

Making Money in Los Feliz: Short-term Rental as an Income Generator

Little Dom's - one of the many reasons that Los Feliz makes is a good place for a vacation rental

Los Feliz is awesome. It's safe, beautiful and close to downtown LA.

Did you know that you can make some extra money from your Los Feliz home while you're out-of-town?  It's called short-term rental. You rent your home to vacationers coming to Los Feliz and Los Angeles.

They pay you handsomely. You get to take a vacation of your own.Short-term rentals in Los Feliz can range from about $1,000 for a week to over tens of thousands for a month.

That's a lot of money to simply let someone stay in your house for a little while.

The best way to arrange this is to use a website that provides you with a reliable system for renting.There should be a rental agreement that provides for damages, etc. Also, you should, as with any other rental, know to whom you are renting or get some form of deposit.

There are lots of great websites that will allow you interact with potential renters.It's not legal everywhere – Although not a problem in Los Feliz, there are places where this isn't legal.  Before you rent, you should check local ordinances to make sure.

There are no guarantees, maybe – Some rental sites, like AirBnB, have begun to include “host guarantees.” At AirBnB, it's $1,000,000! It still won’t replace your home owner's insurance, but it's worth knowing.

Check with the neighbors -If you're out-of-town and your renters end up hosting a kegger, it's your neighbors who will be bothered by it. You might find one who will call you, if there is a problem. You should definitely make sure they all know and have information to get a hold of you.

Tell your insurance agent – Whether your in good hands or have a piece of the rock, your agent is going to need to know what you're doing. If something goes wrong and they don't know, you might end up footing some expensive repair bills all by yourself.

Relax and Have Fun – Once you have made all the right and smart decisions, relax.

There have been millions of short-term rentals and a very small handful of problems. Short-term renting has become a great way for folks to make a bit of extra income from their homes and it provides visitors from your area to be part of the community, rather than staying in some sterile hotel. This is especially important when they are traveling with large families.

Selling Your Los Feliz Home? Best to Get the Price Right From the Start.

If you want to sell your Los Feliz home in the shorterst amount of time, for the best possible price, it only makes senses to get the price right when your home hits the market fo rthe first time.  Let's look in to the reasons why.      

Los Feliz agents that are working with buyers, whether in the luxury market or in the condo market, are always searching the MLS (especially these days with inventory being so tight), looking for new properties - often we have our clients and ourselves set up to automatically receive new listings.  If we haven't found the perfect home, but have seen everything on the market, we are looking for what is NEW.  When the agent sees the new listing they will examine the photos  which are critcal to have the minute your listing goes live, read the description, look at house and lot size, bed and bath count, condition, neighborhood and price. If the home looks promising, they will schedule a showing or preview the home at the broker's open house - if it REALLY looks promising, we will bring our client to the broker's open to get a jump on things.   As a result, a home for sale will often see the most activity in the first couple of weeks after it comes on the market.

It’s true that those first buyers may not be “the ones,” but if your home makes a good impression on the local agents who show it, they’ll be back with other buyers. On the other hand, if they believe it is over-priced, they’ll avoid showing it. Agents don’t want to waste their  clients' time.  Los Feliz is a unique market, a wonderful area for a family, an executive relocating, and high-profile sports and entertainment figures.  

Both buyers and agents search within price ranges. Buyers who can pay up to $2,000,000 generally don’t even look at homes priced at $2,300,000, nor do their agents. And buyers searching for higher priced homes may want more square footage, more amenities, or a different location.

So while sellers may have the idea that they can price high and come down when there’s an offer, chances are there won’t be any offers.  An overpriced house is simply being seen by the wrong buyers. And overpriced homes become stale  if they've been on the market for a while.

Lst high and reduce the price later? Not a good idea either.  We agents hear ALL the time from a buyer, “How long has this house been on the market?” Everyone has a preconceived idea that if real estate has been for sale for quite a while, there’s something wrong with it. The result is that they either won’t want to see it, or they’ll view it as a house on which they can make an offer well below market value.
The sad truth is that homes first listed above market value often sell for below market value – and only after an extended listing period.

That’s why I take my time and do careful research when preparing a market analysis. The price analysis I give you might not be what you’d like to hear, but it will be an accurate estimate of your home’s market value on the day it goes on the market.

​And is this market, you all most can't price a home too LOW.  The news you hear is true, multiple offers, and cash offers, are the once again the norm in Los Feliz - from The Oaks to Laughlin Park to Franklin Hills, to the best streets above the Blvd.