Would you like to ride your bike more but feel intimidated by the dangers of riding through city streets? Try joining an outing sponsored by a bicycling organization. It’s safer to be in a group and you will learn how to ride safer on your own.

It had been a long time since I’d ridden my bike. But when I received an email inviting me to join an Urban Expedition exploring Highland Park by bike, I thought why not? It was only 7 miles and promised to visit some interesting sights, so what better way to ease back into cycling, have some fun and learn something?

From their website, www.cicle.org: Cyclists Inciting Change thru Live Exchange (C.I.C.L.E.) is a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles working to promote the bicycle as a viable, healthy, and sustainable transportation choice.

The Urban Expedition happens about once a month. There were at least 30 riders on this trip, several of whom were volunteers with bright yellow vests who helped guide and keep everyone safe. We met near the Arroyo Seco Stables and rode up the bike path in the LA River to the Audubon Center in Debs Park. Did you know that Debs Park is the 4th largest park in the city of Los Angeles? It has over 150 acres of largely wild hillsides with mostly native plants to hike and explore. The Audubon Center was opened in Debs Park in 2003, and was instrumental in making the park safer and more accessible to families and individuals.

Did you know that the Audubon Center is the first LEED-certified building in the country? (LEED = Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The director of the Audubon Center, Jeff Chapman, told us about the site and then led us on a hike on the butterfly nature trail.

DEBS Park Audobon Center

Jeff is a regular participant on these urban bicycle adventures and he rides his bike to work from his home in Eagle Rock. The Audubon Center is a very kid-friendly place, offering lots of fun ways for kids to learn about and play in nature. For adults, there is a Solar System Hands-on Training for Maintenance & Design class that meets the 3rd Saturday of each month. For $20 per class, you can learn how to better understand solar systems for your own use or even to work in the field. For all ages, they offer a free Friday film night preceded by a bird walk. Check out all the possibilities at http://ca.audubon.org/debs_park.php.

We rode on to the Milagro Allegro Community Garden (www.hpgarden.org), a project comprising 32 garden plots, monthly educational classes and workshops on gardening and other topics, and an after-school nutrition, cooking and gardening program (“LA Sprouts”) for elementary school students aimed at promoting healthy eating habits. Check out their website to read about the history of how the garden was acquired, named and constructed, all good stories.

Millagro Allegro Community Garden

What I love about this garden is that it is yet another example of the population of individuals in Highland Park who think for themselves to find ways to make their community better for everyone. In this case, they saw a way to make a community garden out of a city-owned vacant lot that was slated for public parking in a neighborhood where there was already plenty of parking.

We cycled on to Cafe de la Leche, a coffee house in Highland Park that features the first bike corral installed by the City of Los Angeles. The owners of this popular spot are living the urban localism dream, in my opinion. Matt and Anya Schodorf live and ride their bikes in Highland Park, saw a need for a good local coffee spot and have very successfully opened one. But they went further: they recently opened Schodorf’s Luncheonette in the same block where they offer yummy sandwiches and salads from 11 till 3 everyday. Matt and Anya exemplify the diverse creative look and spirit of Highland Park. Check them out atwww.cafedeleche.net, stop in at the 2 venues, live some of their dream. Maybe you’ll have one of your own!

Besides meeting some interesting people, learning about some cool places, and having a nice bike ride, I learned some better bike routes through Highland Park. We started off along the LA River bike path to Debs Park, then took a circuitous route over to the community garden. To reach Cafe de Leche, we rode up Avenue 56 from Figueroa towards York (a more level route than I would have done on my own), then parallel to the busy York Blvd on the much quieter Buchanan Street. Circling back to the start of our trip we rode in the bike lane that extends along much of York Blvd.

I really enjoyed this outing and plan to do more. Slowly, Los Angeles is becoming more bike-friendly through the efforts of groups like CICLE and more. Even the mayor is more sensitive to the needs of bicyclists (especially since he was in a bicycle accident) and has pledged to add more bike lanes at a greater rate than has been done in the past. The City of Los Angeles will never become a city like Davis where the bicycles outnumber the people, but who would have thought even 10 years ago that we would have the support of City government like this?

Kudos to the bike activists! Here is a list of some of the resources, groups and events you can explore:

LA Bike:
www.la-bike.org

Sunday Funday rides and the annual LA River Ride:
http://www.labikepaths.com/

Mayor Villaraigosa’s Bicycle Plan:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/07/la-mayor-pushes-bicycle-plan.html

Lots of great how-to info plus calendar of events:
www.cicle.org

Bicycling in Highland Park

The Pasadena Wine Festival was an interesting event. They advertised 125 wines, food trucks, and music, and they delivered on all three. But the real attraction was the Los Angeles County Arboretum, which was in fine form. The day was stunning–hot, sunny, clear, then cooler and the sweet and herbal scents from the gardens mixed with the garlic fries, the sausages and the cheeses was heady and completely enticing.

It was a large crowd, the lines were present from about 3 o’clock on, expanding to just a bit too long about 6 pm. But we explored the Arboretum and found the lagoon where the Tarzan films were made, the Queen Anne Cottage that the builder of the Santa Anita Racetrack built, and thoroughly enjoyed the balmy, perfect evening. And we stumbled upon the hot air balloon for an added dramatic touch. How totally lovely an afternoon.

Tarzan's lagoon

Hot Air Ballon at the Arboretum

How perfect this day was: this is the view from the herb garden to Mt. Wilson.

Herb garden to Mt. Wilson

I love LA!

Can you believe this kitchen is in a townhome that’s listed for $1,600,000? One of 12 limited edition residences at 633 South Lake Avenue.

 These last two photos are from 309 Grand, South Pasadena. This very special Spanish estate is on a half acre and is listed for $1,995,000.

Posted via email from tracyslarealestate’s posterous

Every now and then in this hilly, older part of Los Angeles, we see a property that has settling to the point of obvious house/land movement. Several homes were red- or yellow-tagged after the 100-Year Rains of 2004/2005. A couple of them are still for sale as foreclosures with their asking prices continuing to drop as the houses edge closer to the abyss over the Arroyo. About 30 years ago and a couple of miles away, there were a few houses that did slip down a hill and were eventually torn down. A few here and there didn’t survive the 1987 or the 1994 earthquakes.
These are dramatic, expensive issues when the problem is obvious. But what if it’s not so obvious? What if it’s a little slippage, but nothing major? How do you decide what to disclose? What to do?
First rule: if the question “Should I disclose this?” occurs to you regarding a property you plan to sell, the answer is “Yes.”
Now we see before us a sea of gray. Ok, so you say the floor isn’t level. What does that mean? Almost any house experiences a little settling over the years. How much is normal? How much is acceptable?
“If I disclose that the floor isn’t level, will that scare buyers away?” It can. It’s a red flag. So what are you going to do about it? And, would you rather have this deter timid buyers before or after you accept an offer and take it off the market?
Some people at this point firmly decide that they don’t want to know anything they would have to disclose and would rather do nothing. This is certainly a fair choice. I have known attorneys who decided this about their own homes. Everyone has a different tolerance for each consequence. Most foreclosures and probates are sold with no pre-sale inspections as well. With a fixer, this path can lead to the property falling out of escrow a time or two or more, and it can lead to a much lower eventual sales price.
Second rule: You can have 5 different professionals give you an honest assessment of what they think should be done and you will get 5 different opinions costing 5 different amounts.
I once had 7 different floor guys give me 7 different estimates that went all the way from $1000 to refinish my hardwood floors to $15,000 to replace them. I had 5 different estimates to install copper plumbing that ranged from $1500 to $9,000 and they each specified exactly the same work!
So do you get the work done? Can you afford to? Do you want to? Here is how I would structure my decision-making process if I had this problem in my house and I was thinking of selling it:
1. Assume I’m going to live here for the rest of my life: what would I do about it? Would I feel safe and comfortable if I did nothing? How would I feel if I did the cheapest fix—or the most expensive one?
2. Assume I’m going to sell in the next couple of years:
a. What will it do to my property’s value if I do nothing and hope for the best?
b. What if I were buying this property? What would I expect the seller to disclose to me?
c. What if I bought this property and found out that there was a big problem afterwards, how would I feel? Would I call my attorney?
d. Who can I talk to about what to do next?
One comment I have heard countless times during inspections over the years is that drainage and water management can have a huge effect on foundations and on hillsides. One of the least expensive repairs can simply include installing gutters and diverting water away from the house. So don’t immediately expect you have a very expensive repair in front of you. Get the facts.

Here are some options that seem reasonable to me:
1. Have a physical inspection done and see what a generalist thinks of what they see. And go a step further, tell them what you know so they know what to look for.
2. Depending on what you hear, you might want to consult various professionals including:
a. A geological inspector
b. A foundation inspector
c. A drainage expert
d. A landscape designer
3. After you have inspections, see where they point you and get some estimates.
a. If the general consensus is to repair, you can choose to fix it or leave it alone. Depending on the size of the expense and your pocketbook, you can make the best decision for your particular situation.
b. Remember, you have to disclose the issue whether you fix it or not.
c. If you decide not to fix it, make your information known to the buyer and price the house accordingly.
d. If you fix it, disclose to the buyer what you did.
If you haven’t been involved in a real estate transaction for many years, the laws and paperwork regarding the seller’s obligations to disclose have changed a lot. Every year we have a new form to complete, new questions to answer. Did you know that you are supposed to provide every report that you have on the property since you bought it? If you’ve owned a place for 20 years, that can be a lot of paperwork.
Oh, that’s overwhelming! Upsetting! Unfair! I’m selling “as-is! “ Fine, it’s already in the contract that all transactions are sold in their current condition subject to the buyer’s inspection rights. And “as-is” does not mean you can choose not to make disclosures. And no, a buyer can’t expect perfection in a 50-year old house. But again, put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. What’s fair now? Which leads us to:
Rule Number 3: Price cures all problems.
So maybe the eventual price is not what you want, but every house will sell at some price. Will you make back all the cost of your repairs? Maybe, maybe not. But here’s the final rule for today:
Rule Number 4: The houses that sell for the most money are the ones that offer the best condition, location, amenities and style for the price in the current marketplace.
It doesn’t matter what you paid, it doesn’t matter what you want to net, what matters is the perceived value in the eyes of the buyer. Which would be worth more in your eyes: a house that has a serious slant in the floor, maybe some signs of water intrusion or cracks around the foundation–or a house that doesn’t?

Homeowners, get the straight story on your property tax situation directly from the source: the Los Angeles County Assessor’s office. Here is the link to the Property Tax Portal: http://lacountypropertytax.com/portal/default.aspx . From this website, you can click onto all kinds of helpful information including:
• Property Tax Relief for Owners of Fire Damaged Properties.
• Information on Decline-in-Value Reassessments
• Has My Property Been Reviewed for a Decline-in-Value?
• Property Tax Postponement Program Suspension Statement
Your property automatically qualified for a 2009 decline-in-value review under either one of the following conditions:
The property is a single-family home or condominium purchased between July 01, 2003 (2000 in some areas based on economic conditions) and June 30, 2008.
The property is subject to annual review of a temporary decline-in-value reassessment granted for the prior assessment year (2008).
Owners of properties other than single-family or condominium (residential-income and commercial/industrial for example) may file a Decline-in-Value Reassessment Application on or before December 31, 2009.
If you need help (for free) finding sales to support your lower value, I’m happy to help. But there are a couple of dates you must be aware of:
1. You only have until December 31, 2009, to file for the 2008/2009 tax year. If you miss that deadline, you can file for a reassessment as of January 1, 2010. You cannot file for that date until after April 1, 2010, and the value will be based on sales between about January 1 and no later than March 31, 2010.
2. The value we are filing for now is based on the approximate value as of January 1, 2009. The Assessor’s office is looking at sales no later than March 31, 2009.
Timesaving Tip:  You can also file the Decline-in-Value application and not fill in the sales information. The Assessor’s office will still consider your application. Also, if you have been reassessed and you disagree with their number, you have missed the deadline to file. But you can file for the next tax year.
Thoroughly confused? Well, this is the government. The property tax system is intricate. The good news is that even if you miss the deadline, there is always next year. Hopefully, that will be the last of the price declines, but stay tuned.

Here is your chance to clean out all those old computers, monitors, TVs, any electronic waste, and for free! It’s local, too, right in front of the Carrow’s Restaurant on York Blvd. in Highland Park, this Saturday, August 1, 9 am-4 pm. Tell your friends! Print out this flyer and post it! Be green and forward it to everyone you know.
http://www.historichighlandpark.org/modules/agendax/?op=view&cid=11&id=1441

A named architectural for under $2 million? Built in 1966, this 2700 square foot home is tucked into a 12,000 square foot lot with peekaboo views of the ocean in the luxurious community of Rancho Palos Verdes. Pierre Koenig designed this for the Henbest family and the current owner bought it from the family trust in 2002.

In almost entirely original condition, the details of the space and the materials are as fresh and exciting as the day the certificate of occupancy was issued. Radiant floor heat works beautifully. With a peek-a-boo view of the ocean, air conditioning isn’t necessary. The terrazzo tile floors in the kitchen and baths are exquisite.  The space is open, with floor to ceiling windows throughout, and sliding glass doors to the Zen garden and the other outdoor spaces around the house.

This is a pristine mid-century perfect for the true mid-century buff. There are 3 bedrooms, an office that could be a 4th bedroom, plus a spacious entry, a powder room with the original Asian inspired wallpaper, a living room large enough for a grand piano at one end, a formal dining room with a passthrough to the kitchen which is open to the family room that extends the depth of the house. There are two bedrooms at one end of the house with a bath between and the master with its own bath at the other side of the house with the office/guest room.

The garage is large enough for two cars plus storage. The yard is very private, located mostly in the front behind the privacy fence. The teahouse and koi pond are original and there is an outdoor dining area that has views of the garden.

Open for viewing Saturday, May 16, 3 to 7:30 pm.

When times get tough, some of the underemployed become more creative. Here is another small sting to watch out for from the Title Compliance Board, Department of Records Retrieval. For a mere $79.00, they will send you a certified copy of your deed from the County Recorder’s office. Great. They probably will send it to you, but you can order it for yourself for only $6.00!

Just go to the link: LA County Recorder for complete instructions.

But the real question is, why? Your deed is on record with the County Recorder. If you decide to sell your house, the title company verifies your ownership during the escrow process. You don’t need to show anyone such records. Why else might you be required to prove your ownership? After a fire or some other disaster? Your insurance company already knows you own the property. In the off chance that you don’t have insurance (which is a problem you need to address), your only recourse is a Federal agency and they will verify your ownership. It’s not a bad idea to have the documentation on your property, but you received it when you bought the property. If you can’t find it, you can get a copy from your title company. Ask your Realtor who that was. Or ask me and I can look it up for you.

Asking for a small amount like $79 is the easiest kind of scam to succeed at. They are providing a service, they are just creating a need that isn’t real for a document that is easy and cheap to obtain. It’s not illegal, really, just unnecessary.  I’m sure you can find something useful to spend $79 on. Or put it in your piggy bank to add to your down payment fund.

I received a letter today from this company which says they will file for your property tax reduction for a fee of $179 per property. Folks, you might as well flush $179.00 down the toilet! My letter said the deadline to reply is January 7, 2009. According to the real Los Angeles County Tax Assessor’s form RP-87 (the real official form to use, not this bogus letter) – This form MUST be filed by December 31, 2008. Applications received after that date will not be processed. For assistance, please call 213.974.3211 or 1.888.807.2111.

The bogus letter looks very official, but if you read the fine print on the backside, it says that “Property Tax Reassessment is not a government agency and at no time should the service fee be construed as mandatory unless you wish Property Tax Reassessment to perform services on your behalf.” Interestingly, they say if you don’t pay by January 7, you will owe $209.00. That makes it look official, doesn’t it?

Don’t be fooled. If you are one of the property owners whose market value is now less than your assessed value, you can file for the reduction yourself, or contact me and I will help you for FREE. But the deadline is December 31, 2008, which means you should mail the application by December 29. So you need to start on this right away or ask me now if you want my help. I gave you complete instructions in a previous blog post. It’s not difficult if you know what to do, which I do.

I stumbled across the Twitter moniker for the official Blog of the US Environmental Protection Agency. Called Greenversations, you can check it out here.  Also, I saw on Yahoo that the EPA has a website for its 23 most wanted fugitives, www.epa.gov/fugitives.

The blog has information on what the government is doing regarding climate change, sources for funding for school projects, news releases, contact info. It’s user friendly, fast, and interesting.

You can also use the mobile access, www.m.epa.gov and read the blog there, look up issues by your zip code, connect to other government websites on your phone.

Back to Greenversations, check out the Question of the Week. This week’s was “What do you do with unused over-the-counter or prescription drugs?” Best answer: Discard in a Hazardous Household Waste event near you. Do not flush down the toilet as this can eventually affect drinking water and wildlife when the meds leach into the aquifer.

If there is no event near you, they suggest that you can discard in the trash, preferably by mixing the prescriptions with dirt, cat litter or some other substance to render the drugs unavailable to consumption. But there is quite a discussion about the eventual leaching into the aquifer through the landfill, so this is not the best solution.

For a list of Household Hazardous Waste Disposal events near you, go to http://www.lacsd.org/info/hhw_e_waste/default.asp.

If you are in my neighborhood, we have a permanent location at 4600 Colorado Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039. Phone is 800-988-6942. They are open every Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 3 pm, and they take a whole list of waste from electronic to motor oil. It’s a tricky place to find, so map it before you go.