Dana Graham

Archive for February, 2012

Short Sales — A to Z

Short sales have been in the news the last few years and I've handled some of them.  Whether you're selling or buying, there are a few things you should know before jumping in. Short sales are, by definition, sales made when the amount owed to lenders is greater than the market value of the property.  Given the decline in values the last few years, there are quite a few of them out there, as there were in the early 1990's under...Continue Reading!

Fire!

The recent fire off Chartres (Shart, like the French city, not Chart-ress as the media mis-pronounced it) Drive near Hawthorne and Crest reminded me that there has never really be a serious fire in PV, at least that I can recall in the last 64 years.  This one was between 15 and 20 acres and, as with all the previous ones, burned no homes.  If you just watch it on TV, of course, the news media does all they can...Continue Reading!

The Top Ten Reasons Escrows Fall Out

When I got into this business 35 years ago, my office couldn't help but notice that my escrows almost never fell out.  They were so impressed that they had me give a series of classes on the subject to the newer agents.  500+ escrows later, my escrows still almost never fall out.  What follows are the Cliff Notes on why that is, without giving away all my trade secrets. First, by way of general explanation, every contract provides a buyer contingency period...Continue Reading!

3701 Via Cardelina, PVE

This classic Valmonte home sits on a lovely, quiet corner on one and a half lots.  The house is a 2 bedroom 2 bath, well-maintained original 1947 home on only its second owner.  Asking $995,000, it sold in under 30 days. Continue Reading!

Is It A Good Time to Buy? A Good Time To Sell?

I get these questions all the time.  This is one of those times when I can honestly say that it's a good time for either.  I know what you're thinking, but hear me out: If you're buying:  Interest rates have not been this low since the Earth cooled.  4%?  Are you kidding?  They've been low for a while now (tho not this low), and we've sort of gotten used to them.  When I got into this business in 1984 the best 30-year fixed rate loan was...Continue Reading!

2110 Lincoln, Torrance

January, 2012:  This lovely condo in Old Torrance sold in less than a week.  I barely had time to get it on this site before it sold.  Why did it sell so fast?  The seller took my recommendations, it was realistically priced, the owner had it in immaculate condition (see pictures), and it was not a short sale or foreclosure.  2 bedrooms, 2 baths, high ceilings, private 2-car garage + storage room, laundry inside the unit, and convenient to schools, shopping, commuting. ...Continue Reading!

A Look Back at Hindsight

As an amateur historian, it has always amazed me how often other historians, let alone non-historians, engage in hindsight when assessing past actions and events.  This is so pervasive that I have decided that the various forms of this need to be categorized and named.  I have modestly christened this the Graham Hindsight Scale, which currently runs from 1 to 4, tho I reserve the right to modify or expand it as I discover examples of other types of hindsight. ...Continue Reading!