Jose Martinez RE

Your Friendly Neighborhood Realtor

Jose Martinez RE - Your Friendly Neighborhood Realtor

Going the Distance

Real Estate is a tuff business.  We REALTOR’s have to find a way to separate our selves from the competition, make our selves more noticeable.  This is very important when you have a listing.  You want to make sure that people come by your open house and when they leave you want to make sure your house is the one they remember.  Any good agent will go the distance to make their listings memorable, thats just part of the business, but how far is to far?  Some people use food to draw in agents and buyers, some use botox and thai massage as incentive.  Take a look at this article from the LA Weekly.  Last weeks open house for an $8.5 million dollar mansion had poolside thai massage girls, Botox giveaways, a food truck and even Audis for you to test drive.  Is this going to far?  Is this appropriate since we are in the middle of a recession?   LA Weekly seemed to think this was pretty ridiculous and I cant say I disagree but what do you guys think?  Let me know!  Id love to hear from you guys.

 

Your Friendly Neighborhood REALTOR

Jose Martinez

conversation pieces

Now that fall has officially started it was only a matter of time before rain would make an appearances here in Southern California, but that didn’t stop me from going out and seeing at least a few homes.  We started off at the top of Canyon Blvd in Monrovia, and even with the rain coming down you can still see a lot of poetential in this back yard porche area.

 

Surrounded by trees, this back yard area is perfect for entertaining.  This large multi-level porch makes it perfect for BBQ’s and Party’s.  And since it is surrounded by trees and is facing up towards the foothills, this makes for an excellent private area.

Here’s a view of the second level.

On a sunny day I could see myself taking a nap out here, couldn’t you?  My only complaint about the house is that it dose feel a bit dated, but thats something that can be easily remedied.

 

This antique tub is a perfect example of something that could look dated in a home, however, with a little stylistic work, this vintage tub can become a real focal point for a home.

All in all, this 4 bedroom house with two baths makes for an excellent place to call home.  In fact, this house can be yours for $649,000.

 

 

A little down the hill in monrovia we have a great little house on May Street.

Lets take a look at the covered patio.

Another perfect area for entertaining guests even in the rain!  This 3 bedroom 2 bath room house is located just north of Foothill Blvd and is perfect for any family.  Its also priced well at $439,000, so it wont last long.

Take a look at the rest of the yard.

Perfect for a family with young children.

 

 

 

Last I leave you with an image I took while walking out a department store, one of the perks of living in Southern California.

Sunsets and Palmtrees.

 

 

 

 

 

Your Friendly Neighborhood REALTOR

Jose Martinez

Conversation Pieces

Fall is here, and even though most people wouldn’t dream of entering a pool, they are always a big thing to consider when buying a home.

This was taken from an upstairs bedroom that was being used as a den.  It was quite the nice little man cave.  This 4 bedroom home was located up in the hills of Monrovia and for $738,000 this view can be yours.

Another great Monrovia home came up just north of Foothill Blvd.

Featuring a open floor plan, jacuzzi and a master suite/office this 4 bedroom home had a really, really nice feel to it.  Character counts for a lot in a home, it can make a house feel just like a house, or it can make a house feel like home.  For

$688,000 you also get a nice little front porch to unwind on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lets travel east a little bit for our next home.

Located just north of the Rancho Duarte Golf Course, this lovely little 3 bedroom house had a pool, large 2 car garage and was located on a cul de sac.  Perfect for a family looking for a nice neighborhood.  Listed at $429,000 some lucky family will be very happy.

Lets finish this up over in Sierra Madre.

Located off of Grandview, this lovely little 2 bedroom home featured this awesome  outdoor patio.  A great place to spend an evening with friends or have a summer BBQ.  Listed at $529,000 this house is sure to sell fast.

Thats all for this week guys.  Check back in again next week for more great homes in the San Gabriel Valley.

Your Friendly Neighborhood REALTOR

Jose Martinez

Conversation Pieces

Welcome back to Conversation Pieces!  This week brand new homes and at great piece from Agentgenius.com.

 

How do you feel about fountains?  I think it comes down to one word. Placement, or to put it in Real Estate terms, LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION!  Fountains can add ambiance to a space, making it calming, open, sophisticated.  At the same time when placed at the entrance of home it can give a grand sensation, you notice it in front of old world castle and modern high end hotels.  The rest of the home followed suit with 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a guest house.  Kept of very nicely I still feel its a little high at nearly $1.2 Million but still a great house.

 

 

 

 

Here’s a picture of the guest house and pool in the back.  This  guest house offers a  great rental opportunity, or just a nice place for your family and friends to stay.

 

Moving on lets take a look at this home over in the Duarte Mesa (located in the hills above Duarte).  This area is a hot bed of high end homes with amazing views.  Lets take a look at one of those views now.

Views sell homes, thats a fact.  I have had clients (as have most Realtors) who only want to see homes with views.  They are so important that its one of the search filters on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service).  Now I know this picture dosent do the view justice (it was very foggy that day) but you can get a sense of the view from here.   At $650,000 this is a pretty good deal but the house is in need of some updating.  Some of you may wonder what it means when people say a house is dated.  Let me give you an example.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now there is nothing wrong with these rooms, the styling just comes off as a little old fashioned.  This is what we mean when we say a home is dated.  Wallpaper and Shag carpeting were popular in the (Add date here) but are now, well, Dated.  A little updating and you could have a modern home with a great view and some lovely neighbors.

 

 

 

 

Deer love shade.

Before I leave you guys I wanted to mention this blog post I came across.  As it turns out the American Dream of owning a house is not dead!  We get hit with a lot of doom and glom when we watch the news but remember this, human beings are highly adaptable, and rather than give up on the idea of owning a home people have just shifted the idea of what home is.  Have a great week!

 

Your Friendly Neighborhood REALTOR

Jose Martinez

 

 

Conversation Pieces

So we have come to another week and I have decided to switch up the format of these caravan blogs.  I really didn’t like the cold nature of the old ones, too many numbers and not enough conversation.  My plan from this point on is to make this more about the things that make a home interesting.  You will still get prices and cities but it wont look like a spread sheet.  This is going to be more about what makes a home interesting.  Now just bare in mind that these are the homes that are on caravan in the Arcadia Association of Realtors weekly meeting so I cant take pictures of everything.  This is just a little taste of what we see when we are in the field, if you want more information about a home or have questions about something you see, you can always click the contact me button at the top.

Pools are a big Part of Southern California living, and like houses they come in all shapes and sizes.  This northern Monrovia home featured a pool with stone affects all around and a waterfall for added atmosphere.  The home was in a great location and had an excellent floor plan and a giant walkin closet.  Priced right at $799,000 considering everything you got.

 

 

 

 

Now if you are looking for something a little bigger this Sierra Madre home had a hot tub/pool that was HUGE!  Located East of Santa Anita this $6.6 Million dollar home featured a library, 2 theaters (one was used as a game room) and tennis courts. I’ll be honest, even with all these things, I feel this house is overpriced but still a great home for someone looking for a palatial estate.  Remember there is always room for negotiation.

 

 

 

Now lets say you are in the market for something a little more on the modest side.  Sometimes the best part of a house is its potential.  This Duarte home is located south of Duarte road and is in need of some TLC.  This hot tub looks like it could be something you would make wine in, but if the right buyer gets a hold of it this could come out great.  Remember there are all types of buyers out there.  I can’t tell you how many calls we get from people looking for homes they can fix up.  These are either investors or people looking to make a home truly theres. At around $200,000 investors and home buyers alike have a great opportunity with some interesting conversation pieces.

 

So lets step away from the pool area and head inside.  Southern California is also known for some of its more eccentric personalities.  Perhaps you or someone you know likes new age living.

 

This is a Japanese style meditation room, complete with sliding doors and raised floor.  Perfect for when you want to come home and get away from it all and reflect within.  Located in the hills above Arcadia this house also featured a huge library and an elevator.  On top of that you have your back to the foothills and the front has a great peaceful view.  Check out the picture below to see the view.  For $2.6 Million this house is kind of hard to price.  Its unique and as much as I love this room I’m not sure if everyone else will.  What do you think?

 

 

Here is the view from the bedroom.

I think I might see a deer.

 

 

 

 

 

So what did you guys think of some of these houes?  Love it? Hate it?  Please leave your comments below.  Of course if you are interested in seeing any of these homes in person just click the Contact Me button at the top of the page.  I leave you guys this week with the first Motorized Mail box I have ever seen.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your Friendly Neighborhood REALTOR.

Jose Martinez

Caravan 8/31/2011

Alright it’s time yet again, for a new Caravan blog.  Let’s begin with my Apologies for the lack of updates last week.  I am currently brain storming and trying to come up with new ways to present this information so as not to seem formulaic and boring, which brings me to today’s blog post.  In the past several weeks I have been giving you Caravan blogs that are basically just numbers and cities.  It got a point across but was’nt all that interesting.  So this week let’s try something new.  I am going to pick 3 houses that were on Caravan and give a short explanation on them.  So without further adieu here are 3 homes that were on caravan this week with the Arcadia Association of REALTORS.

822 N Olive in Alhambra 

This 3 Bedroom Bungalow is right off Atlantic Blvd.  It’s a great little craftsmen style home below Huntington Blvd.  I don’t see very many homes from Alhambra on our Arcadia Caravan so this one kinda stuck out for me.  I love Craftsmen style homes and this one has character is spades.  Check out the link above to get some info or just drop me a line.  Currently Listed at $525,000.

886 Fallen Leaf Road in Arcadia

Coming in on the high end for this weeks caravan, Fallen Leaf is a giant property with the home coming in at over 5,000 square feet and the lot itself coming in at over 34,000 square feet!  Complete with Pool and Tennis Courts, this 4 Bedroom house is just waiting for the right buyer.  Located in North Arcadia this home is currently listed at $2,498,000.

53 North Oak Ave #6 in Pasadena 

Ending this weeks Caravan with a Condo, 53 North Oak is a 3 Bedroom 3 Bath condo with style.  Looking like something you would see in an episode of Entourage, this  1,600 square foot home is perfect for working professionals who want to live the high life.  With a rooftop terrace and Tuscan garden out front it would be hard to not love this place.

 

There you have it.  If you would like a complete run down of this weeks caravan, email at Jose@JoseMartinezRE.com or click the Contact Me button at the top of the page.

Ohh and one last thing, let me know how you like the new format.  Your input is always welcome!!!

 

Your Friendly Neighborhood REALTOR

Jose Martinez

Caravan for August 17th 2011!

Hello everyone!  Another week another caravan!  Check out this weeks breakdown of homes for sale in the San Gabriel Valley!

 

Alhambra has one on for $698,000

Arcadia coming in with 11 listings ranging from $480,000 to $2,588,000

Duarte had one on for $425,ooo

El Monte Has a new listings up for $558,000

Monrovia coming in with five listings ranging from $300,000 all the way up to $1,299,000

Monterey Park has a new one listed at $593,000

San Gabriel has one for $478,000

San Marino has three for you big spenders starting from $2,388,000 to $3,150,000

Sierra Madre has three listed from $799,000 to $1,275,000

South Pasadena has one up for $1,180,000

and finally Temple City has 2 going from $818,000 to $1,290,000

Well thats it for the breakdown this week.  Next week I will be trying a new format so stay tuned!

Your Friend Neighborhood REALTOR

Jose Martinez

 

Wednesday Caravan 8/10/11!!

Hello Everyone!!  We have a new Caravan for this week. Now unfortunately due to a prior commitment I was unable to check out any of these great homes, but here is your weekly break down!  I know this is a shorter post then you are all used to but dont worry.  Next week we will have full caravan coverage!  See you all next week.

Alhambra has 2 Listings from $334,999 to $390,000

Arcadia has 7 listings from $378,000 to $1,528,000

Duarte has 3 listings from $318,000 to $369,000

Monrovia has 4 listings from $335,000 to $629,000

Pasadena has 1 going for $649,000

Sierra Madre has 2 from $519,000 to $775,000

and Temple City has 2 from $425,000 to $568,000

Caravan for August 3 2011!

Sorry for being late on this one guys but my week got pretty busy.  This Wednesdays caravan went off without a hitch and also featured yours truly pitching my listings in Duarte, Whats that mean?  Ill tell you!  Basically every home thats on caravan for the week gets a short sales pitch.  We get up in front of the room and start talking about our listing.  This is a great way to learn about a listing because often times the agents will go into details that maybe aren’t on the listing sheet.  A good pitch can get an agent interested enough to go view the property in person and as you probably know, the more people see a property, the more likely it is to sell.  Without further adieu here is your weekly breakdown and after Ill share some pics of my listing in Duarte.

Arcadia had 12 listings ranging from $428,000 to $4,288,000

Duarte had one AMAZING LISTING for $259,000

Glendora had one at $1,075,000

La Canada had one at $1,648,000

Monrovia had 8 listings from $248,000 to $644,900

Pasadena had 2 from $489,000 to $4,888,880

San Gabrial had 1 for $598,000

Sierra Madre had 5 from $625,000 to $1,180,000

Temple City had 2 from $498,000 to $628,000

and Walnut had 1 for $535,000

Last but not leaset here are a few photos of my listing in Duarte.  Check it out

Your Friendly Neighborhood REALTOR

Jose Martinez

 

Modern Vs. Traditional…the debate continues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So lets take a look at this home.  This is a 100 year old Craftsman home in Echo Park and just from this picture alone you can tell it a great older home with a lot of character.  Check it out here (and if you are interested let me know).  If you have been following me on Facebook or are a regular reader of this blog then you probably know I like having this debate.  The Modern home Vs. The Traditional home.  To be honest with you Im not quite sure what side of the fence I fall on, and before you point out my old blog post here, understand that I’m not sure what my dream house would look like.  That being said it would be easy to call a place like this home.  Old homes tell stories, and while modern homes have sleek styling, modern amenities and a slew of cool new features older homes have certain personality.  Like a classic car or an old guitar, older homes just have some sort of charm them that you cant quite put your finger on.  So let’s hear some feedback, what side of the fence do you fall on?  Let me know.

 

Your friendly Neighborhood REALTOR

Jose Martinez