Jose Martinez RE

Your Friendly Neighborhood Realtor

Jose Martinez RE - Your Friendly Neighborhood Realtor

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

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

A House fit for the dude.

Came across this article thanks to the LA weekly.  Now I can totally understand if The Big Lebowski is not your kind of movie.  It was one of those films that you either loved or hated, but for a guy like me, it was truly something special.  I personally quote that movie at least once daily and if your like me you would love to own this place.  The Venice bungalows are now for sale!  Six 1 bedrooms cottages on sale for $2,295,000.  How much would you pay to live in a Hollywood location?  Let me know and if you happen to be the lucky one to purchase these homes make sure you find a rug that really ties the room together.

 

Your Friendly Neighborhood REALTOR

Jose Martinez

Do you live in a “walkable” neighborhood? Part 1

So some of you may have noticed that I was gone last week.  Last week I went down to San Diego for the Annual Comic Con International (I know I know but what can I say, Im a geek) and you know what we did, walk…..a lot.  Now this is nothing new.  My girlfriend and I have spent nights in LA walking from different shops and restaurants just exploring the city.  In fact some of our very good friends love living in areas like that for that very reason.  Just to be albe to leave your house and walk to the store or to grab a bite to eat is a major selling point.  Thats what caught my eye about this recent Curbed.com article. The 5 most and least walkable neighborhoods in LA.  How important is “walkability” to you?  Let me know and in the mean time im going to start walking some neighborhoods I find walkable.  Lets see what we can find hoofing it.

Your Friendly Neighborhood REALTOR

Jose Martinez

Hello and Welcome!

Hello everyone and welcome to the new and improved JoseMartinezRE.com.   For those of you who are new to this site let me take a brief moment to explain what we’re all about.  My goal is to make this website more then just numbers and listings.  I want people to come here and read about what it is like to live in Southern California, own a home, sell a home and how the Real Estate industry affects the world we live in.  Now obviously as a Realtor it is my job to help you buy or sell your home, but as you can see, I want this site to be about more then just that.  I want people to ask questions, start discussions and really think about what home ownership means to them.

 

Now, even though this web site is brand new and re-designed I will be constantly looking for things we can improve.  Get ready for a living web site that will be updated with new listings, info and blog posts as well as your ideas and questions.  We are at the beginning of something brand new and exciting here so Stay tuned!

 

Your Friendly Neighborhood Realtor

 

Jose Martinez