Ed Kaminsky’s impressive levels of sales production places him within the top ½ of 1 percent of agents nationwide. Ed’s experience and expertise is unsurpassed; selling over 100 properties per year while generating a sales volume of over $50 million dollars per year.

If Ed can be of any assistance regarding selling or buying your home, please email him, call him, or visit his website.

www.Itzsold.com Email Ed Kaminsky Call Ed at 310.798.1277

Million-dollar homes were once a sign of real affluence. Now, at least in California, they are getting to be a dime a dozen.

Nearly 49,000 homes in the state sold for at least $1 million last year — a 47% increase from 2004, according to data released Tuesday by DataQuick Information Systems, a La Jolla-based real estate research firm.

Adolph Rangel joined the $1-million-home club thanks to the state’s 6-year-old real estate boom.

In 2004, the 30-year-old mortgage bank branch manager sold his Yorba Linda house for $1.05 million, $300,000 more than he paid 12 months earlier. Last year, Rangel bought a new tract home there for $1.3 million and on Sunday he accepted an offer on it for $1.55 million.

His idea of a million-dollar house used to be “what you saw on ‘Dynasty,’ ” Rangel said. “I didn’t think it would be a million-dollar tract house.”

For full article, click here

Once you’ve determined that you’re ready to buy, it’s time to begin thinking about where you want to look. You’ll find there are many questions you must answer about the type of house you want to purchase. For example, are you interested in an older home or a new one? How big of a home do you need? Would you like to move closer to certain major roads or freeways? Your REALTOR® can answer many questions about the homes and communities you’re considering, and in the meantime, there are myriad resources available for you to begin your research.

Location Is Everything

Do you want to live in a particular city or neighborhood? If you’re a parent, you’re probably considering school districts and other child-friendly options like the proximity to parks. If you’re relocating to an unfamiliar area, you can contact the city or county government for information about the community. It’s a good idea to investigate crime statistics per neighborhood when you’re narrowing down the areas of your home search.

You can read the entire article here.

It’s the end of the year, and besides the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, what I love about the close of a year is the myriad of Top Ten lists that come out between Christmas and New Year’s. Of them, I found this list by real estate columnist, Bob Bruss to be a real find. I thought I’d pass it along to you because I’m sure some of you have made a New Year’s resolution to read more, and what hotter topic to catch up on than real estate?

THE 10 BEST REAL ESTATE BOOKS OF 2005 Topics cover investing, renovation, reverse mortgages

At the end of each year, it is my honor to select the 10 best real estate books out of the hundreds of realty books published that year. This article takes 52 weeks to prepare because I read at least one real estate book every week. These are the best of the best 2005 real estate books.

Selecting the top real estate books of 2005 was especially difficult because an unusually large number of new realty books were published this year. All these excellent real estate books are available in stock or by special order at local bookstores, public libraries, and www.amazon.com. Here, in no special order, are the 10 best real estate books of 2005, plus several honorable mentions:

1.) “Reverse Mortgages for Dummies,” by Sarah Glendon Lyons and John E. Lucas (Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, NJ), $16.99, 249 pages. This is the best of several excellent 2005 books about the pros and cons of tax-free reverse mortgage income for senior citizen homeowners 62 or older. Especially valuable are the details about the three major reverse mortgage types, the advantages of each, their costs, and when obtaining a reverse mortgage is not a smart decision.

2.) “Building Wealth One House at a Time,” by John W. Schaub (McGraw-Hill, New York), $18.95, 225 pages. Written by a very successful 32-year investor in single-family rental houses, this book reveals why investing in local houses is the safest long-term realty investment. The author explains how he buys without obtaining bank mortgages and how to select profitable houses that will attract quality tenants.

3.) “Start Small, Profit Big in Real Estate,” by Jay P. DeCima (McGraw-Hill, New York), $19.95, 216 pages. The theme of this book is investing in run-down residential groups of rentals, such as five units, which are a management headache for the seller. The author recommends buying properties with fix-up profit potential that most lenders won’t finance, thereby forcing the sellers to carry back mortgages on very attractive terms.

4.) “Trump Strategies for Real Estate: Billionaire Lessons for the Small Investor,” by George H. Ross (John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, NJ), $24.95, 221 pages. The author has been a successful New York real estate attorney, representing famous investors such as Harry Helmsley, Sam LeFrak, Bill Zeckendorf, and for the last 25 years, Donald Trump. The book is mostly about how Trump became wealthy thanks to his real estate strategies, but the author also shares first-hand insider stories and how he came to realize every problem has a price tag for its solution. This superb book should be required reading for every serious real estate investor.

5.) “Real Estate Dealmaking,” by George F. Donohue (Dearborn-Kaplan Publishing Co., Chicago), $19.95, 177 pages. Written by the president of the nation’s oldest real estate company (established 1866), this unique book explains winning real estate negotiation strategies for dealing with buyers, sellers, contractors, property managers, lawyers, and brokers. In this book, which cannot be recommended too highly, the author includes personal examples from his many years of worldwide real estate negotiations. He even shares a few of his negotiation mistakes.

6.) “What No One Ever Tells You About Investing in Real Estate,” by Robert J. Hill II, Esq. (Dearborn-Kaplan Publishing Co., Chicago), $18.95, 200 pages. This is the most unusual real estate book of 2005 because it is a collection of 112 mini-chapters about real estate investor personal experiences and the valuable lessons to be learned from them. Many of these true stores will make you laugh. Others will make you cry. Compiled by a Nashville real estate attorney and investor, these real-life stories show investor mistakes to avoid and how to take advantage of profit opportunities.

7.) “The Pre-Foreclosure Property Investor’s Kit,” by Thomas J. Lucier (John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, NJ), $19.95, 249 pages. This ultra-complete book reveals virtually everything necessary to profitably acquire foreclosure distress properties without making costly mistakes. The author includes the forms he uses when acquiring foreclosures, along with details of how he uses the Internet to locate distressed owners, find property records, search state foreclosure statutes and timetables, plus many other valuable websites, mostly free. Especially valuable, the author shares many personal experiences in this “how to buy foreclosures” book.

8.) “Profit by Investing in Real Estate Tax Liens,” by Larry B. Loftis, Esq. (Dearborn-Kaplan Publishing Co., Chicago), $19.95, 235 pages. For those who are interested in real estate profits but don’t want to actually own property, which requires management, this detailed book reveals how to profit by investing in tax liens, just as major banks do, with safety and risk avoidance. The author not only explains the procedures in every state offering tax lien sales, but he shares many personal experiences of his bidding for these high-yield safe investments.

9.) “What No One Ever Tells You About Renovating Your Home,” by Alan J. Heavens (Dearborn-Kaplan Publishing Co., Chicago), $18.95, 208 pages. In a likeable, self-deprecating way, the author shares his many personal home renovation experiences, as well as those of homeowners he interviewed. Emphasis is placed on when it’s best to hire professional contractors, and when to do the work yourself. “Never spend money if it won’t boost your property value,” is the book’s theme.

10.) “Every Landlord’s Tax Deduction Guide,” by Stephen Fishman, Esq. (Nolo Press, Berkeley, CA), $34.99, 250 pages. This unusual book makes tax tactics actually interesting, whether you are a novice or a serious full-time investor. The author uses many lively examples and charts to make potentially boring topics understandable and interesting. The book heavily emphasizes maximizing depreciation deductions.

Happy New Year to all!

HOT PROPERTY
By Ruth Ryon, LA Times Staff Writer
December 18, 2005

Jumped on it in Manhattan Beach

It was a slam-dunk when Zeljko Rebraca, backup center of the L.A. Clippers, first laid eyes on his future home in Manhattan Beach.

He bought it for close to its $2.7-million asking price. The house, built in 2004, has five bedrooms in 4,500 square feet. It is Craftsman-style with cathedral ceilings, a deck, two butler’s pantries and four fireplaces, including one outdoors. But the most unusual feature, given its beach location, is its large, grassy backyard.

Rebraca, 33, signed as a free agent with the Clippers in August 2004. Nicknamed “Z” or “Zelly,” he was born in then-Yugoslavia. He is married and has three children.

Ed Kaminsky of Shorewood Realtors, Manhattan Beach, had the listing.

HOT PROPERTY
By Ruth Ryon, LA Times Staff Writer
December 18, 2005

Jumped on it in Manhattan Beach

It was a slam-dunk when Zeljko Rebraca, backup center of the L.A. Clippers, first laid eyes on his future home in Manhattan Beach.

He bought it for close to its $2.7-million asking price. The house, built in 2004, has five bedrooms in 4,500 square feet. It is Craftsman-style with cathedral ceilings, a deck, two butler’s pantries and four fireplaces, including one outdoors. But the most unusual feature, given its beach location, is its large, grassy backyard.

Rebraca, 33, signed as a free agent with the Clippers in August 2004. Nicknamed “Z” or “Zelly,” he was born in then-Yugoslavia. He is married and has three children.

Ed Kaminsky of Shorewood Realtors, Manhattan Beach, had the listing.

The answer has been the same for the last 6 years. It seems right after Superbowl ,the local real estate market takes off and climbs straight up right through May. The big question is what will 2006 bring? Most economists and futurists believe 2006 will meet with a significant slowing in real estate appreciation. One thing for sure is there are always less homes available this time of year than in the spring. So if selling now is important don’t fret, there is less competition and only the serious buyers are out looking right now. It is actually a good time to be on the market, plus homes show better when decorated for the holidays. If you think you’d rather be selling early next year rather than now, our analysis team, headed by Ed, personally believes we still have some strength left in the local market. With developers paying more than ever for land, inventory still relatively low and an apparent pent up demand for good homes, prices should hold strong in 2006.

For an in depth analysis of your property and timing, call 800-784-7559 and enter code 9608 for our free instant fax contact information sheet and market report about the so called “Housing Bubble”.

Not the store, but what this home represents. It’s not just the views of the great blue Pacific, or the wonderful, private decks and ocean breezes flowing in from the west, it’s the location of this prime downtown Manhattan Beach home! Think about it. Did you just watch the fireworks last week? How many laps did you make until you found a place to park? How far did you walk to the pier? Wouldn’t it have been nice to throw your feet up and just soak it all in from the wide open upper deck of this Manhattan Beach townhome and then throw a little gathering for your friends who had to wait out the traffic rush? Sounds nice to me. Now, imagine the fourth of July. . .

In a home this big, keep track of those kids, guests, in laws and more with the built-in intercom system that allows you to get everyone to the dinner table without leaving the kitchen! The system also feeds music throughout the entire home, with volume controls in each room. A great way to fill this magical Manhattan Beach Tree Section home with wonderful holiday music!