Search This Blog

Monday, January 31, 2011

Now open: Lanvin on Rodeo Drive | All The Rage | Los Angeles Times

Musings on the culture of keeping up appearances

All the Rage

« Previous Post | All The Rage Home | Next Post »

Now open: Lanvin on Rodeo Drive

January 31, 2011 | 10:31 am

LANVIN_Beverly_Hills_Facade

 
Right smack in the middle of awards show season, Lanvin has opened its first boutique in Los Angeles. Located on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, the store is 4,520 square feet, which makes it one of the French fashion house's largest in the world. It features the full range of Lanvin luxuries, including men's and women's apparel, swimwear, denim, jewelry and gift items, such as special heart-shaped Valentine's Day keychains, as well as notecards, notebooks and pencils decorated with whimsical drawings by Lanvin creative director Alber Elbaz.

From the mannequins with bright colored wigs holding balloons in the front windows, to the denim beach totes emblazoned with jeweled sunglasses inside, there's no mistaking Lanvin's sense of fun. And it's a welcome break from the sometimes stuffy Rodeo Drive experience. 

The Beverly Hills Lanvin location is the fourth in the U.S. It's more open than the New York store, and more inviting than the Las Vegas store. Inside, parquet floors, Art Deco antiques with leopard-print cushions, theatrical-looking drop can lights and vintage 1930s black-and-white glamour photos of house models on the walls lend an Old Hollywood feel.

The women's pre-spring collection is front-and-center with light-as-air clothes, including a $2,990 open-back rose-colored silk dress, a $5,135 khaki crinkled taffeta trench coat and a $1,090 khaki cotton sundress with a folded bow bodice. In the sportswear category, you'll find T-shirts emblazoned with Elbaz's stylish fashion drawings ($940 to $1,440), a $4,955 buttery black leather bomber jacket with ribbon trim, and $1,605 wide-leg, light-wash jeans with a grosgrain bow at the waist.

LANVIN_Beverly_Hills_Interior

 
There's plenty for the red carpet, from a $3,580 long-sleeved purple silk gown, to a $5,190 white strapless bias-cut silk gown gathered into a frill at the back. The white dress is from Lanvin's Blanche bridal collection, which has its own section in the back corner.

For men, the store is the first in the United States to offer made-to-measure suits (they take about six weeks to complete). There are also lots of casual chic pieces, including a sharp blue velvet jacket ($2,640), long sleeved polo shirts with grosgrain ribbon plackets ($350), and the house's signature capped-toe leather sneakers ($420), oversized bow ties ($310) and fabric flower lapel pins ($165).

The VIP shopping area, modeled after the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, isn't quite finished yet -- not that it's stopped the VIPs from coming in, according to the store manager.

An opening party is being planned for late March, when Elbaz will make the trip from Paris to celebrate.   

Lanvin, 260 N. Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, (310) 402-0580.

--Booth Moore

Photos of the Lanvin Rodeo Drive boutique courtesy of Lanvin.

Twitter: @latimesimage
Facebook: latimesimage


'); if (google_info.feedback_url) { document.write(''); } document.write('Ads by Google'); if (google_info.feedback_url) { document.write(''); } document.write("

' + google_ads[i].line1 + '

'); document.write(google_ads[i].line2); if (google_ads[i].line3 != null && google_ads[i].line3 != '') { document.write(' '); document.write(google_ads[i].line3); } document.write('

"); } // Google Adsense Configurations google_ad_client = 'ca-tribune_news3_html'; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '2'; google_ad_channel = 'latimes_blog_article'; google_ad_type = 'text'; google_safe = 'high'; google_page_url = document.location; google_last_modified_time = Date.parse(parent.document.lastModified) / 1000; google_referrer_url = document.referrer; //]]> // -->

Ads by Google

Style Files

Find Style Tips & Products To Keep You Current All Season Long!

www.Claires.com/StyleFiles

Designer Closeout Sales

Exclusive Designer Sample Sales. Up to 70% Off Top Fashion Brands.

BeyondtheRack.com

Verify your Comment

Previewing your Comment

Posted by:  | 

This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.

Your comment could not be posted. Error type:
Your comment has been saved. Comments are moderated and will not appear until approved by the author. Post another comment

The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.

As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.

Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.

Comments (0)


Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

Now open: Lanvin on Rodeo Drive | All The Rage | Los Angeles Times

Musings on the culture of keeping up appearances

All the Rage

« Previous Post | All The Rage Home | Next Post »

Now open: Lanvin on Rodeo Drive

January 31, 2011 | 10:31 am

LANVIN_Beverly_Hills_Facade

 
Right smack in the middle of awards show season, Lanvin has opened its first boutique in Los Angeles. Located on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, the store is 4,520 square feet, which makes it one of the French fashion house's largest in the world. It features the full range of Lanvin luxuries, including men's and women's apparel, swimwear, denim, jewelry and gift items, such as special heart-shaped Valentine's Day keychains, as well as notecards, notebooks and pencils decorated with whimsical drawings by Lanvin creative director Alber Elbaz.

From the mannequins with bright colored wigs holding balloons in the front windows, to the denim beach totes emblazoned with jeweled sunglasses inside, there's no mistaking Lanvin's sense of fun. And it's a welcome break from the sometimes stuffy Rodeo Drive experience. 

The Beverly Hills Lanvin location is the fourth in the U.S. It's more open than the New York store, and more inviting than the Las Vegas store. Inside, parquet floors, Art Deco antiques with leopard-print cushions, theatrical-looking drop can lights and vintage 1930s black-and-white glamour photos of house models on the walls lend an Old Hollywood feel.

The women's pre-spring collection is front-and-center with light-as-air clothes, including a $2,990 open-back rose-colored silk dress, a $5,135 khaki crinkled taffeta trench coat and a $1,090 khaki cotton sundress with a folded bow bodice. In the sportswear category, you'll find T-shirts emblazoned with Elbaz's stylish fashion drawings ($940 to $1,440), a $4,955 buttery black leather bomber jacket with ribbon trim, and $1,605 wide-leg, light-wash jeans with a grosgrain bow at the waist.

LANVIN_Beverly_Hills_Interior

 
There's plenty for the red carpet, from a $3,580 long-sleeved purple silk gown, to a $5,190 white strapless bias-cut silk gown gathered into a frill at the back. The white dress is from Lanvin's Blanche bridal collection, which has its own section in the back corner.

For men, the store is the first in the United States to offer made-to-measure suits (they take about six weeks to complete). There are also lots of casual chic pieces, including a sharp blue velvet jacket ($2,640), long sleeved polo shirts with grosgrain ribbon plackets ($350), and the house's signature capped-toe leather sneakers ($420), oversized bow ties ($310) and fabric flower lapel pins ($165).

The VIP shopping area, modeled after the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, isn't quite finished yet -- not that it's stopped the VIPs from coming in, according to the store manager.

An opening party is being planned for late March, when Elbaz will make the trip from Paris to celebrate.   

Lanvin, 260 N. Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, (310) 402-0580.

--Booth Moore

Photos of the Lanvin Rodeo Drive boutique courtesy of Lanvin.

Twitter: @latimesimage
Facebook: latimesimage


'); if (google_info.feedback_url) { document.write(''); } document.write('Ads by Google'); if (google_info.feedback_url) { document.write(''); } document.write("

' + google_ads[i].line1 + '

'); document.write(google_ads[i].line2); if (google_ads[i].line3 != null && google_ads[i].line3 != '') { document.write(' '); document.write(google_ads[i].line3); } document.write('

"); } // Google Adsense Configurations google_ad_client = 'ca-tribune_news3_html'; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '2'; google_ad_channel = 'latimes_blog_article'; google_ad_type = 'text'; google_safe = 'high'; google_page_url = document.location; google_last_modified_time = Date.parse(parent.document.lastModified) / 1000; google_referrer_url = document.referrer; //]]> // -->

Ads by Google

Style Files

Find Style Tips & Products To Keep You Current All Season Long!

www.Claires.com/StyleFiles

Designer Closeout Sales

Exclusive Designer Sample Sales. Up to 70% Off Top Fashion Brands.

BeyondtheRack.com

Verify your Comment

Previewing your Comment

Posted by:  | 

This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.

Your comment could not be posted. Error type:
Your comment has been saved. Comments are moderated and will not appear until approved by the author. Post another comment

The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.

As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.

Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.

Comments (0)


Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

Sunset Plaza in the Sunset Strip. Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-luxury estates-homes for sale-listings-Realtor-Real Estate- http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

Sunset Plaza in the Sunset Strip. Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-luxury estates-homes for sale-listings-Realtor-Real Estate- http://www.ChristopheChoo.com
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

View of downtown from the Hollywood Hills. Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-luxury estates-homes for sale-listings-Realtor-Real Estate- http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

View of downtown from the Hollywood Hills. Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-luxury estates-homes for sale-listings-Realtor-Real Estate- http://www.ChristopheChoo.com
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

The Secret Scrolls - From The Secret Daily Teachings

The Secret Scrolls - From The Secret Daily Teachings

Secret Scrolls Newsletter Logo

A 

Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
Creator of The Secret and The Power 

From The Secret Daily Teachings

If you find yourself in a negative situation with someone in your life, take a few minutes each day to feel love within your heart for that person, and then send it out into the Universe. Just doing this one thing helps to remove any resentment, anger, or negativity towards that person.

Remember that feeling resentment, anger, or any negative emotion attracts it back to you. Feeling love attracts love back to you. What you are feeling for another, you are bringing to you.

May the joy be with you,


Rhonda Byrne
The Secret and The Power... bringing joy to billions

Visit TheSecret.tv  |  Watch The Power Book Trailer  |  Store  |  Contact Us





Copyright 2010 TS Production LLC. All rights reserved

Please note that replies to the Scrolls are not monitored.
If you have a question or comment for The Secret Team, please write to us at Contact Us



Prime Time Productions
Suite 3, 25-31 Argyle Street
Fitzroy 3065 Australia 

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?TKwMHOyctMxsHIzMLKxstEa0HJwsbCyMbA==

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-Hollywood Hills-Luxury Estates-Celebrity Homes-Homes For Sale-Listings-Realtor-Real Estate – http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

 Soho House's screening room in West Hollywood

Hollywood’s swooning for 
Soho House’s new screening room 


The West Hollywood outpost of posh private club Soho House became a see-and-be-seen citadel for industry types from the moment it opened last March. Now the elevated enclave on the top floors of a Sunset Strip high-rise near Doheny has opened a state-of-the-art screening room for its movie-colony membership. And unlike tired local standbys like the Aidikoff and Harmony Gold, Soho House’s 50-seat cinema is super-stylized, featuring swank plush-velvet club chairs, tableside cabaret lamps and cashmere throws (designed by The Elder Statesman’s Greg Chait) hidden in each seat’s accompanying ottoman—not to mention a roving candy trolley.

“So many screening rooms are overly spare,” says Soho House founder Nick Jones. “I wanted a glamorous, Old Hollywood feel for our own.”

Which isn’t to say the space is merely superficial: It’s got 3-D capability, as well as the ability to handle 16mm and 32mm prints. “We can show Andy Warhol’s films in the original format,” says staffer Julia Taylor-Brown. The club has already hosted a pre-release screening of indie darling Tiny Furniture, as well as intimate Q&As with the likes of Babel director Alejandro González Iñárritu. It’s also proving popular with members as a rental option, especially as a sort of showbiz Switzerland in a town often arbitrated by you-come-to-my-place power games. Explains Jones: “We’re neutral territory.”

Location, Location, Fixation!
Hosting an awards-season 
screening of your own? Here are four more L.A. theaters with private-booking va-va-voom. –Rose Curiel

Billy Wilder Theater
Designed by architect Michael Maltzan, the Westwood venue exists right off the Hammer’s modernist courtyard, where Summit Entertainment held after-parties for its last two Twilight film premieres.
THE SEAT COUNT 295
THE PERK There’s no film format it can’t handle, from the variable speed projection required for early silents to the latest in digital projection. 310.443.7030.

Smogshoppe
This former smog-check center and LEED-Platinum candidate at the center of Culver City’s gallery row brings new meaning to the term “green screen,” utilizing 100 percent solar energy to power the 20-footer.
THE SEAT COUNT 100
THE PERK The vertical garden-bedecked patio can be utilized for the after-party.
310.837.3610.

Silent Movie Theatre
Built in 1942, this restored Art Deco hall in the Fairfax District gives guests something to talk about with modern touches, like a screen wired to run everything from talkies to Guitar Hero jam sessions.
The Seat Count 170
The Perk A concession stand stocked with such gourmet grub as Crumbs cupcakes and Milk ice cream.
323.655.2510.

Marrakesh House
This midcentury-styled abode with a Moroccan design motif in Culver City is equipped with three screens and countless sustainable design elements, including fences constructed from reclaimed barn wood and organic gardens.
The Seat Count 100
The Perk A teahouse converts into a hookah room for those who prefer tobacco to tea leaves.
704.576.9766.

Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-Hollywood Hills-Luxury Estates-Celebrity Homes-Homes For Sale-Listings-Realtor-Real Estate – http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

New this week in Beverly Hills! - Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-Hollywood Hills-Luxury Estates-Celebrity Homes-Homes For Sale-Listings-Realtor-Real Estate – http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

New this week in Beverly Hills! - Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-Hollywood Hills-Luxury Estates-Celebrity Homes-Homes For Sale-Listings-Realtor-Real Estate – http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

Community Events Newsletter

Week of January 31st Beverly Hills, CA   Change email preferences
Good Morning Christophe,

Here's this week's newsletter for Beverly Hills! It's your first stop to learn what’s going on, happening and coming up around town.

Remember, your group’s activities, events and news can be part of it. Add an upcoming event to the Beverly Hills Calendar or an announcement to the Community Corner today!

Please let others in the community know about AmericanTowns by linking to our site from yours. Thanks in advance!

Businesses:
Make it easy for your Beverly Hills customers to find you. Be a part of the local Beverly Hills community site today!

Community Resources (new!)

Real Estate
Homes for Sale
Mortgages
Local Jobs
Things to Do
Yellow Pages Search
Restaurants
and more...
Beverly Hills Community Calendar
01/31 Rotary Club Of Beverly Hills Meeting 12:00pm
02/02 Beverly Hills Bar Association Announces Inaugural "Litigation Section Dinner" 5:30pm
02/02 Israeli, Arab, American: Questions of Identity 6:30pm
02/03 Planning Commission Meeting 6:30pm
02/04 Staff Development Day
02/06 Overcoming Anger & Stress: Buddhist Meditation Classes in West Hollywood 10:30am
More Community Events in and around Beverly Hills
Event Categories:
Business and Professional
Clubs and Organizations
Government and Politics
Health and Fitness
Real Estate
Religion and Spirituality
Restaurants
Schools and Libraries
Sports and Recreation
Shops and Stores
Arts and Entertainment Calendar
01/31 The Paley Center for Media : One-Year Membership 10:00am
01/31 Steel Panther (West Hollywood) 8:00pm
01/31 Steel Panther (West Hollywood) 9:00pm
02/01 The Paley Center for Media : One-Year Membership 10:00am
02/01 Melee (West Hollywood) 7:30pm
02/02 The Paley Center for Media : One-Year Membership 10:00am
02/02 Cage 9 - Murder FM - Betawolf (West Hollywood) 7:15pm
02/02 Butcher Babies (West Hollywood) 7:30pm
02/03 The Paley Center for Media : One-Year Membership 10:00am
02/03 Soultre presents MLKM - Elevaters - Davey G Project (West Hollywood) 8:00pm
02/03 FELIX AND THE KATZ (West Hollywood) 8:00pm
02/04 The Paley Center for Media : One-Year Membership 10:00am
02/04 STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9) (West Hollywood) 8:00pm
02/04 T. MILLS (West Hollywood) 8:00pm
02/04 2 Day Pass: STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9) (West Hollywood) 8:00pm
02/04 STS9 (West Hollywood) 9:00pm
02/05 The Paley Center for Media : One-Year Membership 10:00am
02/05 Conspirator (West Hollywood) 8:00pm
02/05 STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9) (West Hollywood) 8:00pm
02/05 STS9 (West Hollywood) 9:00pm
More Arts and Entertainment in and around Beverly Hills

Community Corner

Clubs and Organizations
Flo Wheatley's story started nearly 30 years ago when she met a homeless man who helped her and her son. It was when Flo and her son Leonard were resting after one of...
AmericanTowns.com, Ruane Street, Fairfield, CT 06824
To unsubscribe from future email messages, please click here.

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Home of the week: A secluded oasis in the Hollywood Hills -Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-Hollywood Hills-Luxury Estates-Celebrity Homes-Homes For Sale-Listings-Realtor-Real Estate – http://www.ChristopheCh

HOME OF THE WEEK

A secluded oasis in the Hollywood Hills

Owners have updated this 1935 Spanish home in Outpost Estates while maintaining its original flavor. The gated compound boasts a sprawling backyard and panoramic views.

&nbsp

The 1935 Spanish-style home in the Hollywood Hills is listed at $4,199,000. (Everett Fenton Gidley)

By Dinah Eng

January 30, 2011

This updated 1935 Spanish home in Hollywood Hills' Outpost Estates features a sprawling backyard with a pool, patios for entertaining and a panoramic view from downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Ocean.

But perhaps most important for this neighborhood, the gated compound, which sits on more than half an acre, is landscaped for privacy with king palms, queen palms, carob trees and numerous fruit trees. The area is known as a celebrity enclave and has been home to residents such as Ben Stiller, Charlize Theron, William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman.

"We purchased this house from Howard Hesseman ['WKRP in Cincinnati'], who had owned it for 25 years," says Pam Callander, an interior designer who owns the home with her husband Jim Hoitsma, an independent investment advisor. "We love fixers, and fell in love with the property, which is like an oasis."

The couple have maintained the original flavor of the home, opening up the arched doorways, adding period chandeliers and updating the hardwood floors in the living room with Brazilian cherry when no match could be found for the original Filipino mahogany.


The front entrance opens to a tiled foyer that leads to a step-down living room with a marble fireplace and views of Hollywood. Patio doors open to a terrace for entertaining, also accessible from the dining room. Off the foyer are a powder room and a den with a fireplace.

The dining room flows into a breakfast nook with a built-in bench and views of the backyard. A small bar area leads into the barrel ceiling kitchen, which has white custom-made cabinetry that hides the appliances.

Beyond the kitchen is a pantry, a laundry room, a bathroom and an office that can be used as a bedroom.

A winding staircase with wrought-iron banister leads upstairs, past original stained-glass windows, to a bedroom suite that includes a dressing area with a closet, a bathroom with separate tub and shower, and an outdoor deck.

Another bedroom suite features original cabinetry with mirrored closet doors in the dressing area, and a bathroom with separate tub and shower.

The master bedroom suite has a built-in entertainment center, a double-sink vanity in the master bath, with separate tub and shower, and a skylight. A master walk-in closet has built-in shelving, and the suite opens to an outdoor deck.

The house features surround-sound speakers indoors and by the pool area outside. A terraced walkway leads to an entertainment lanai with a seating area next to the guesthouse in back.

The guesthouse is a studio apartment with a fireplace, kitchen, bedroom/living room area, bathroom with a shower, and an outdoor deck.

To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send high-resolution color photos on a CD, caption information, the name of the photographer and a description of the house to Lauren Beale, Business, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Send questions to homeoftheweek@latimes.com.

Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times

Comments (0)

Add comments | Discussion FAQ

Currently there are no comments. Be the first to comment!

Home of the week: A secluded oasis in the Hollywood Hills -Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-Hollywood Hills-Luxury Estates-Celebrity Homes-Homes For Sale-Listings-Realtor-Real Estate – http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

Lux Millionaire: Bulgari's Beverly Hills Fundraising Benefit -Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-Hollywood Hills-Luxury Estates-Celebrity Homes-Homes For Sale-Listings-Realtor-Real Estate – http://www.Christoph

Lux Millionaire: Bulgari's Beverly Hills Fundraising Benefit -Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-Hollywood Hills-Luxury Estates-Celebrity Homes-Homes For Sale-Listings-Realtor-Real Estate – http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

Private Gated Celebrity Compound on 7.6+ acres off the Mulholland Corridor a few hundred feet from Beverly Hills, California 90210 - Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-Hollywood Hills-Luxury Estates-Celebrity Hom

Private Gated Celebrity Compound on 7.6+ Acres off the Mulholland Corridor a few hundred feet from Beverly Hills, California 90210 - Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-Hollywood Hills-Luxury Estates-Celebrity Homes-Homes For Sale-Listings-Realtor-Real Estate – http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Hazy view in L.A. Today. Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Celebrity Homes-luxury estates-homes for sale-listings-Realtor- Real Estate- http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

Hazy view in L.A. Today. Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Celebrity Homes-luxury estates-homes for sale-listings-Realtor- Real Estate- http://www.ChristopheChoo.com
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

5 Tips to Get the Best Deal on a Mortgage | Zillow Blog - Real Estate Market Stats, Celebrity Real Estate, and Zillow Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-Hollywood Hills-Luxury Estates-Celebrity Homes-Homes For Sa

Home mortgage shopping is not an innate skill; it is not taught in school and is definitely not second nature to the majority of Americans. It is, however, a very important skill to have — especially if you’re buying a home and want the best possible deal on your home mortgage. And the good news is, it’s easy to learn.

A survey commissioned last year by Zillow.com and Harris Interactive found that borrowers spend twice as much time researching a car purchase than they do their home loan — 5 and 10 hours, respectively, yet the average home costs five times more than the average car. This disparity can cost a borrower thousands of dollars in the long run.

To avoid losing out on your hard-earned dollars, here are a few tips to help you take control of the mortgage shopping process:

1. Be prepared. Before you even start mortgage shopping, take a deep look into your finances.  Determine what you can afford.  As a rule of thumb, the total cost of your mortgage payment — including any taxes and insurance — should not exceed 30% of your take-home pay. You’ll also want to get a good ballpark estimate of your credit score. Your credit score impacts your interest rate as well as your eligibility to get any loan. Currently, one-third of Americans cannot get a home loan because their credit score is below 620.

2. Know what mortgage type is right for you. There two main types of mortgages: Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARM) and fixed-rate mortgages.  Adjustable-rate mortgages have fixed rates for a short period (usually 3, 5 or 7 years) and then readjust.  These loans are generally considered riskier because the interest rate and payments can increase when the loan adjusts.  However, if you are only planning on living in your house for a shorter period, these loans may make sense for you, especially because you’re likely to obtain lower rates.  A fixed-rate mortgage is just that — fixed.  The interest rate stays constant throughout the period of the loan.  With both fixed and adjustable-rate loans you can select various repayment periods.   The most common term is 30 years, but if you can afford the higher monthly payments of a 20- or 15-year term loan, you will save money with the lower rate and quicker payoff period. The most important factors in selecting your loan type is the length of time you plan on staying in your home and your risk tolerance.

3. Remember your 30-day window. There is no such thing as too many loan quotes. Borrowers may shy away from getting multiple loan quotes, fearing their credit will be impacted when multiple parties check their credit within a short period of time. However, you have 30 consecutive days in which multiple pulls of your credit score, or “rate shopping,” won’t affect your credit. With that in mind, take advantage of the 30-day window and get as many loan quotes as possible to get the best rates and terms.  Note that in order to compare quotes apples-to-apples, it is important to get quotes from lenders around the same time as rates can change daily. You can shop anonymously online on sites like Zillow Mortgage Marketplace where you can receive multiple quotes instantly using an estimated credit score.  It is always wise to double-check the rate you get from a single broker or bank to make sure you really are getting a good rate and that you find a lender that you trust.

4. Use your time wisely: Getting loan quotes from multiple sources and comparing those quotes to choose the best loan seems time-consuming.  But it doesn’t have to be. Much like what Kayak.com does for travel, there are many websites that allow you to enter your loan request information once and get loan multiple quotes back from unrelated parties, increasing the number of quotes you can get with just a click of a mouse.

5. Check the reputation of lenders and brokers you are interested in working with. Whether you have already received loan quotes or are researching lenders to contact, do your homework by checking their background. Have they been in the business a long time? If found online, are they accessible? Do they have any third-party reviews and ratings? Reviews and ratings can be an invaluable resource because you can get unbiased feedback from people who have worked directly with the lender. Zillow Mortgage Marketplace was the first mortgage website to allow borrowers to provide public feedback of lenders in the form of ratings and reviews. To date, there are nearly 7,000 reviews and ratings of lenders on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace.

Good luck and remember that shopping for a mortgage could save you thousands of dollars. And, who wouldn’t want to do that?

> Shop for the lowest rates on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace.

5 Tips to Get the Best Deal on a Mortgage | Zillow Blog - Real Estate Market Stats, Celebrity Real Estate, and Zillow Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-Hollywood Hills-Luxury Estates-Celebrity Homes-Homes For Sale-Listings-Realtor-Real Estate – http://www.ChristopheChoo.com -

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

Pending Home Sales Continue Uptrend | RISMedia -Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-Hollywood Hills-Luxury Estates-Celebrity Homes-Homes For Sale-Listings-Realtor-Real Estate – http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

RISMEDIA, January 29, 2011—Pending home sales improved further in December 2010, marking the fifth gain in the past six months, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator, increased 2.0% to 93.7 based on contracts signed in December from a downwardly revised 91.9 in November. The index is 4.2% below the 97.8 mark in December 2009. The data reflects contracts and not closings, which normally occur with a lag time of one or two months.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, credits good affordability conditions and economic improvement. “Modest gains in the labor market and the improving economy are creating a more favorable backdrop for buyers, allowing them to take advantage of excellent housing affordability conditions. Mortgage rates should rise only modestly in the months ahead, so we’ll continue to see a favorable environment for buyers with good credit,” he said.

“In the past two years, home buyers have been very successful, with super-low loan default rates, partly because of stable home prices during that time. That trend is likely to continue in 2011 as long as there is sufficient demand to absorb inventory,” Yun said. “The latest pending sales gain suggests activity is very close to a sustainable, healthy volume of a mid-five million total annual home sales. However, sales above six million, as occurred during the bubble years, is highly unlikely this year.”

The PHSI in the Northeast increased 1.8% to 73.9 in December but is 5.3% below December 2009. In the Midwest, the index rose 8.0% in December to 84.6 but is 5.1% below a year ago. Pending home sales in the South jumped 11.5% to an index of 101.9 and are 1.7% above December 2009. In the West, the index fell 13.2% to 105.8 and is 10.7% below a year ago.

For more information, visit www.realtor.org.

RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com.

Have you heard about RISMedia’s Real Estate Information Network® (RREIN)? RREIN is an elite network of leading real estate companies dedicated to providing consumers and their agents with leading real estate information, and committed to the belief that Information Share Equals Market Share. Having only launched this past June 2010, the RREIN network is already comprised of 40 leading brokerages, which make up 575 offices, 30,000 agents, 167,000 closings and represents over $41 billion in transactions. How can RREIN help your recruiting efforts and differentiate your company today? For more information, email rrein@rismedia.com.

Copyright© 2011 RISMedia, The Leader in Real Estate Information Systems and Real Estate News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be republished without permission from RISMedia.

share

Pending Home Sales Continue Uptrend | RISMedia -Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-Hollywood Hills-Luxury Estates-Celebrity Homes-Homes For Sale-Listings-Realtor-Real Estate – http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

Friday, January 28, 2011

It is always so crowded here at Villa Blanca. Worth the wait I assure you! Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Celebrity Homes-luxury estates-homes for sale-listings-Realtor- Real Estate- http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

It is always so crowded here at Villa Blanca. Worth the wait I assure you! Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Celebrity Homes-luxury estates-homes for sale-listings-Realtor- Real Estate- http://www.ChristopheChoo.com
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

Another gorgeous sunny day on Rodeo Dr. in Beverly Hills, California 90210. Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Celebrity Homes-luxury estates-homes for sale-listings-Realtor- Real Estate- http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

Another gorgeous sunny day on Rodeo Dr. in Beverly Hills, California 90210. Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Celebrity Homes-luxury estates-homes for sale-listings-Realtor- Real Estate- http://www.ChristopheChoo.com
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

Estate of Oil Mogul's Family in Beverly Hills on the Market for $28.5 million -Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-Hollywood Hills-Luxury Estates-Celebrity Homes-Homes For Sale-Listings-Realtor-Real Estate – htt

A Beverly Hills, Calif., estate owned by descendants of oil magnate Edward L. Doheny has hit the market for $28.5 million.

Photos: Private Properties

The estate comprises two lots spread across three acres. There's a 7,000-square-foot, four-bedroom, seven-bath house and a swimming pool. It's near the Greystone Mansion, which was also built by Mr. Doheny in 1928. (The Greystone has been the site of films like "Spider-Man.")

Michael Niven, age 70, is the great- grandson of Mr. Doheny. He and his siblings own the property through their late mother's estate. Mr. Niven and his siblings, who include science-fiction writer Larry Niven, have decided to sell because they can no longer maintain the home. "Every time I go up and look at it, it pulls the heart strings," Michael Niven says.

Joyce Rey of Coldwell Banker Previews International has the listing.

Yankee's Teixeira Takes Texas Home Off the Market

New York Yankee Mark Teixeira has taken his Westlake, Texas, home off the market in a one-year lease-to-purchase agreement. A tenant will pay Mr. Teixeira $13,000 a month and has exclusive rights to buy the property during the year of the lease. The home originally came on the market in 2007 for $5.75 million. It most recently listed for $4 million.

In a gated community in a suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth, the 8,600-square-foot house, built in 2005, is on just over an acre and overlooks a small lake. "While we have had interested parties walk through the house, the depressed market has not produced any acceptable offers," Mr. Teixeira says in an e-mail message. The family who has rented the home "will undoubtedly enjoy the house as much as my family did."

Jeff Watson of the Michael Group had the listing.

Hollywood Director Rob Cohen Lists His Home in Malibu

Film director Rob Cohen, whose titles include "The Fast and the Furious" and "xXx," has listed his six-bedroom, 6½-bathroom house on California's Point Dume for $5.95 million.

Mr. Cohen, 61, and his wife, Barbara, 39, bought the home for $5.3 million in 2008. They extensively renovated the 4,234-square-foot Mediterranean-style home, adding a 15-person screening room, Brazilian mahogany floors and skylights.

"The front of the house is very unassuming, but it's like a Swiss Army knife, it keeps opening up and surprising," says Mr. Cohen. He says he's selling because his wife would like a property closer to horse trails. Lily Harfouche of Coldwell Banker— Malibu West has the listing.

—Candace Jackson and Alexandra Cheney—Email privateproperties@wsj.com

Estate of Oil Mogul's Family in Beverly Hills on the Market for $28.5 million -Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-Hollywood Hills-Luxury Estates-Celebrity Homes-Homes For Sale-Listings-Realtor-Real Estate – http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

Thursday, January 27, 2011

The world famous home of Zsa Zsa Gabor & Prince Frederic Von Anhault in Bel Air. Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Celebrity Homes-luxury estates-homes for sale-listings-Realtor- Real Estate- http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

Quick preview of the world famous home of Zsa Zsa Gabor & Prince Frederic Von Anhault in Bel Air. According to Zsa Zsa this was also once the home of Howard Hughes and Elvis Presley and rumor has it John Elgin Wolf was the architect. Lot's of history at this Grand Dame.

Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Celebrity Homes-luxury estates-homes for sale-listings-Realtor- Real Estate- http://www.ChristopheChoo.com
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

California home sales hit 7-month high in December |Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-Hollywood Hills-Luxury Estates-Celebrity Homes-Homes For Sale-Listings-Realtor-Real Estate – http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

California home sales rose in December to their highest level since May, according to a report Friday from the California Association of Realtors, as the inventory of unsold homes dwindled.

December’s sales were up 5.9 percent from November’s revised figure of 491,590 but were down 6.8 percent from the revised 558,840 of December 2009.

The unsold inventory index for existing, single-family detached homes was 5 months in December, down from 6.2 months in November but up from 3.8 months in December 2009. The index indicates the number of months needed to deplete the supply of homes on the market at the current sales rate.

Statewide, the 10 cities with the highest median home prices in California during December were: Beverly Hills, $2.18 million; Los Altos, $1.30 million; Calabasas, $1.17 million; Laguna Beach, $1.10 million; Manhattan Beach, $1.8 million; Newport Beach, $1 million; Santa Monica, $921,000; Cupertino, $904,500; Rancho Palos Verdes, $849,000; Los Gatos, $840,000.

Statewide, the cities with the greatest median home price increases in December compared with the same period a year ago were: Beverly Hills, 54.3 percent; Calabasas, 39.1 percent; Poway, 25.5 percent; Ridgecrest, 23.3 percent; San Juan Capistrano, 19.2 percent; Compton, 17.5 percent; Laguna Hills, 15.7 percent; Santa Cruz, 14.1 percent; Gilroy, 14.1 percent; La Habra, 13.2 percent.

California home sales hit 7-month high in December |Los Angeles-Platinum Triangle-Beverly Hills-Bel Air-Holmby Hills-Sunset Strip-Hollywood Hills-Luxury Estates-Celebrity Homes-Homes For Sale-Listings-Realtor-Real Estate – http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale