 I bought the ugliest home in Palos Verdes ... At least
that's what I told my friends in Florida upon returning from my house
hunting adventure in Los Angeles over twenty years ago. They thought I
was kidding, but when they saw the photos they nodded in silent
agreement.  You can imagine how excited the agent on duty was when I walked into
the Palos Verdes real estate office and informed her I was here for four
days (two already spent in Malibu, Pacific Palisades and Pasadena) and
planned to make an offer before leaving LA. The agent called for backup
and requested an hour to set appointments. I returned to her
office after a quick lunch and we set off to find a million dollar
home. Sounds easy, but I needed five bedrooms, a big yard for a big dog and
easy freeway access. I wanted the best schools, clean air and a safe
neighborhood. It was a long list and only a short list of homes made
the cut. I looked at all of them day one and fell for none of them.
Okay, this was not going to be an emotional decision.  I was faced with a timeless buyer's dilemma--the houses I liked I
couldn't afford, and the houses I could afford I did not like. I
arrived back at my hotel discouraged, but determined. I scattered all
the flyers and brochures on the floor and began imagining my family
living in each house. Some were easy to eliminate, others were tough to
let go but price dictated the decision. By 2:00 AM there was only one
house standing. It was ugly, but the location was good, it had the
required number of bedrooms and a big half-acre lot. The pool was a
bonus and the price left $100k for a much needed facelift--we spent
$200k, but who's counting? On day two I returned to the house I could not wait to leave the
previous day. It was still ugly, but this time I opened the heavy
drapes and saw wonderful views from most of the windows, and they were
plentiful so natural light was abundant. The floor plan was good with
plenty of space for my four children. I walked the grounds and adored
the stone walls and meandering paths. This could work. Sometimes a house deserves a second chance at being "the one". Norma Toering & Team RE/MAX Palos Verdes Realty (310) 493-8333 / Office Phone: (310) 831-0800 Nominated by Relocation.com as one of the top ten Los Angeles area real
estate blogs. Chosen by MovingCost.com as one of the best Los Angeles
realty blogs. Awarded 5 out of 5 stars by Lender411 blog review. Ranked
by Technorati in the top 1% of all blogs. As seen in the Daily Breeze
newspaper. South Bay Los Angeles cities I sell real estate, property, houses and
homes in: Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates,
Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Long Beach, Torrance, Lomita, Redondo
Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach. |
