The Wendels. At Home With Real Estate . . .
Nora & Peter Wendel
DRE# 01419846 | DRE# 00971482 

L.A. Times - Real Estate News

3/27/2024 10:00:37 AM +00:00

California officials say they expect the mortgage relief program for homeowners suffering pandemic-related financial hardships will soon exhaust its federal funding.

3/26/2024 5:33:02 PM +00:00

Under a $12-million settlement, L.A. County agreed to resolve allegations its PACE lending program saddled borrowers with loans they couldn't afford.

3/20/2024 11:00:50 AM +00:00

Hollywood real estate developer doubles down on plans for "the Star," a proposed office tower on Sunset Boulevard, designed by Norman Foster, with a $1-billion price tag.

3/20/2024 10:00:48 AM +00:00

The ordinance, five years in the making, would prohibit hosts to list second homes, accessory dwelling units or investment properties in unincorporated L.A. County.

3/19/2024 7:34:04 PM +00:00

A landmark agreement is going to shake up how real estate deals are done. Here's how the new rules will affect sellers, buyers and brokers.

3/18/2024 7:57:13 PM +00:00

A perfectly good office complex is being demolished to make way for a warehouse-distribution center in Santa Ana.

3/15/2024 6:18:40 PM +00:00

California's property insurer experiences enrollment surge, raising questions about its financial stability.

3/15/2024 3:48:00 PM +00:00

The National Assn. of Realtors said it will make changes to its commission rules in a deal that could reduce costs for consumers.

3/15/2024 10:00:14 AM +00:00

The home was one of the first in Echo Park. Lupe Breard and her sister have lived there for decades. But since their mom died, the family estate and a developer have tried to evict them.

3/11/2024 10:00:54 AM +00:00

In a novel bid to generate more affordable housing, Kern County is converting empty churches and blighted strip malls into apartment units for former foster youths at risk of homelessness.

3/8/2024 11:15:27 AM +00:00

The Federal Reserve is keeping interest rates high to tame price growth. But it's a shortage of homes in California and nationwide that's driving rising costs.

3/7/2024 11:00:21 AM +00:00

After years of back-and-forth, a court tells the affluent city of single-family homes to process an application for a housing development with 80 mixed-income units.

3/4/2024 11:01:19 AM +00:00

The city put forth ambitious programs to meet California mandates for affordable housing — and then weakened them by exempting single-family neighborhoods.

2/26/2024 11:00:34 AM +00:00

Architect John K. Chan designs a modern addition for a family of four that connects them to the Ivanhoe Reservoir in Silver Lake and saves a massive olive tree.

2/26/2024 11:00:27 AM +00:00

As spring approaches, so does the typically busy spring home buying season. If you want to buy a home in Southern California, here are some thoughts.

2/14/2024 11:00:12 AM +00:00

As agents hunt for business in Southern California's slow real estate market, some are trying out new ways of tracking down leads. Others are quitting the industry.

2/13/2024 11:05:48 AM +00:00

The fruit of this booming economy is almost all going to the wealthiest few, thanks to Reaganomics. Americans don't have to accept that.

2/13/2024 11:00:40 AM +00:00

Tenants who are behind on payments now face evictions, and landlords are likely to keep units empty for longer as they hold out for the most qualified applicants.

2/12/2024 11:00:15 AM +00:00

The state is again expanding its federally funded mortgage relief program to help more Californians. People who missed mortgage payments as late as Feb. 1 are now eligible for help.

2/9/2024 1:00:43 PM +00:00

Cities in the Los Angeles area are seeing lower rents as Orange County prices hold firm or even increase. Experts are calling for more tenant protections.

2/8/2024 7:00:22 PM +00:00

In Beverly Hills, construction is underway on a long-awaited condo and hotel complex valued at nearly $5 billion called One Beverly Hills

2/1/2024 11:01:54 AM +00:00

Mayor Karen Bass announced Executive Directive 1 as a signature policy to speed up affordable housing. But limiting it to multi-family neighborhoods is shortsighted.

1/31/2024 11:54:50 PM +00:00

Under state law, homeowners qualify for a modest property tax cut on their primary residence. Yet some 435,000 families in L.A. County don't sign up.

1/31/2024 7:30:56 PM +00:00

The future home of the MLB's Athletics will be built where the Tropicana first opened in 1957. The casino has been featured in several movies, including "The Godfather."

1/31/2024 4:19:54 PM +00:00

Tour more than 10 ADUs and meet the designers and homeowners behind them in a self-guided tour of garage conversions, new builds and prefab ADUs throughout Los Angeles.

1/21/2024 11:00:27 AM +00:00

Buying a house in Los Angeles is almost unimaginable. Maybe that's the allure of home listings: They help us imagine a different life.

1/20/2024 2:00:31 PM +00:00

The state has reopened applications for its California Dream Shared Appreciation loans, but this time it's not approving the financing on a first-come, first-serve basis.

1/16/2024 11:00:18 AM +00:00

Data published by the city controller's office shed some light on 'cash for keys' agreements between renters and landlords across Los Angeles.

1/8/2024 11:00:38 AM +00:00

A legal exception let California's El Dorado County charge a $23,000 "traffic mitigation" fee for a single new home. Will the U.S. Supreme Court close the loophole?

1/5/2024 11:00:28 AM +00:00

Nuisance property laws and similar policies punish vaguely defined activities with eviction. They tend to increase homelessness, reduce safety and promote segregation.

12/29/2023 11:00:03 AM +00:00

Amid expansion of UCLA, UC officials are seeking to buy the former Westside Pavilion. Google had plans to build a massive campus at the shuttered mall, but those ambitions were never realized.

12/28/2023 11:00:08 AM +00:00

Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck and Mark Wahlberg all made the list of Southern California's top home sales this year.

12/21/2023 6:01:31 PM +00:00

Mortgage interest rates have fallen more than a percentage point since October. The drop relieves prospective buyers, but experts say rates are likely to stay high.

12/15/2023 5:26:12 PM +00:00

Celebrity real estate broker and 'Real Housewives' regular Mauricio Umansky has settled the lawsuit over his $70-million flip of a Malibu mansion.

12/14/2023 11:06:17 PM +00:00

The California attorney general sued MV Realty, alleging the firm targeted vulnerable California homeowners by locking them into 40-year contracts.

12/13/2023 8:53:58 PM +00:00

Southern California home prices fell slightly in November, but experts don't expect values to plunge because there's an extreme shortage of homes for sale.

12/11/2023 9:07:00 PM +00:00

A popular state program to help pay for the cost of building an ADU is back, but with lower-income limits for applicants and less money to award.

12/7/2023 11:00:52 AM +00:00

Gentrification is easy to spot if you know where to look. If homes in your neighborhood follow these trends, gentrification might be on the way.

12/7/2023 11:00:52 AM +00:00

Santa Cruz leaders say downtown high-rises would ease housing costs. Activists call the plan 'out of character' for the laid-back beach town and are fighting new construction.

11/21/2023 5:51:19 PM +00:00

Is vertical development a possible solution to the housing crisis? A slim, two-story ADU on a tight infill lot in Venice makes the case.

11/20/2023 11:00:37 AM +00:00

Simon Storey of Anonymous Architects has become the go-to for seemingly impossible L.A. lots. Building his own home on a Silver Lake hillside took some unexpected turns.

11/19/2023 7:59:07 PM +00:00

Deconstruction of the World War II-era hangar should be completed in the next day or two, Tustin officials said Saturday.

11/15/2023 6:33:46 PM +00:00

The Los Angeles Rams will move their practice field and headquarters from the Conejo Valley to the L.A. neighborhood of Woodland Hills.

11/11/2023 2:24:55 AM +00:00

A verdict has been reached in the lawsuit against Katy Perry over a Montecito mansion she bought for herself and fiance Orlando Bloom. A judge has ruled in favor of the celebrity buyers.

11/7/2023 11:00:06 AM +00:00

Elizabeth Hirschhorn, who rented a Brentwood guesthouse on Airbnb and stayed 570 days without paying rent, moved out on Friday. She said she had a right to stay.

10/30/2023 8:57:06 PM +00:00

Fill out our short survey and tell us if high interest rates are changing your plans to buy or sell a home. We may feature your story in an upcoming article.

10/25/2023 8:30:39 PM +00:00

An L.A. County judge has dismissed a suit challenging Measure ULA, ending a months-long legal battle from opponents looking to overturn the transfer tax.

10/20/2023 10:00:28 AM +00:00

Visitors to the Huntington Library can tour a restored 18th century Shoya House, a residence from rural Japan.

10/19/2023 6:11:56 PM +00:00

Travis Kelce, who is dating Taylor Swift, has upgraded his humble Kansas City abode by reportedly buying a $6-million mansion in Kansas to get more privacy.

10/19/2023 10:00:53 AM +00:00

The Redding Rancheria wants to build a nine-story casino complex along I-5. Are the tribes opposing the project protecting sacred land — or just jealous?

10/16/2023 8:41:39 PM +00:00

The new policy of the Federal Housing Administration intends to address the housing crisis and increase homeownership through the financing of ADUs.

10/14/2023 1:00:48 PM +00:00

A new law gives homeowners the option to construct ADUs and sell them like condominiums, increasing the prospects of homeownership.

10/12/2023 12:03:27 AM +00:00

For years, the California Legislature was divided over what labor standards for workers to include in new housing legislation. That changed with support from the California Conference of Carpenters.

9/29/2023 7:55:49 PM +00:00

A Koreatown apartment owner will pay $130,000 to settle allegations that one of its property managers sexually harassed tenants.

9/28/2023 10:01:08 AM +00:00

The 'house burden' metric that compares income to shelter costs goes a long way toward explaining Southern California's housing crisis.

9/25/2023 10:00:36 AM +00:00

Commercial landlords and businesses are scrambling to adjust to the changing world of transportation with new EV charging stations. What's next: autonomous parking garages, vehicle-friendly lobbies, rooftop air taxi entrances?

9/23/2023 12:00:58 PM +00:00

The Bay Area tech titans' plan to create a utopia in Solano County contains a kernel of wisdom about the kind of suburban growth the state wants and needs.

9/21/2023 10:00:05 AM +00:00

On the heels of his 95th birthday, the architect of L.A. landmarks looks back on his career and the ever-enduring myth that his Capitol Records building is intended to resemble a stack of records. (It's not.)

9/21/2023 10:00:04 AM +00:00

Explore the latest prices for homes and rentals in and around Los Angeles.

9/19/2023 10:00:26 AM +00:00

The Solar Futures House was quickly raised using 3-D printing technology and is highly efficient. It recycles water and is powered entirely by the sun's rays.

9/18/2023 10:01:15 AM +00:00

Thousands of short-term rentals are breaking the law. The city is leaving millions of dollars on the table by not enforcing the rules.

9/12/2023 1:13:13 AM +00:00

'The Brady Bunch' house in Studio City sells to historic home enthusiast Tina Trahan for $3.2 million, more than $2 million less than what it was listed at in May.

9/7/2023 10:00:35 AM +00:00

As L.A. deals with a housing crisis, new data show how the threat of eviction affects not only poor communities but middle- and high-income ones too.

9/7/2023 12:23:59 AM +00:00

The head of Los Angeles city planning said new studies found that the environmental impacts of the Bulgari Resort project "are far greater than initially anticipated."

9/6/2023 10:00:28 AM +00:00

Priced out of the Bay Area and South Pasadena, a couple bought a Spanish fixer-upper in Eagle Rock, assisted by the earning potential of an ADU.

9/5/2023 12:00:33 PM +00:00

As the city tries to crack down on short-term rentals, profits for Airbnb hosts are rising — whether their listings are legal or not.

9/5/2023 12:00:20 PM +00:00

The state Legislature is poised to take back half of the $50 million it provided in July for ADU financing. But a grant program that helps Californians build ADUs will still get funds.

9/5/2023 10:30:18 AM +00:00

Insurers pulled out amid wildfire losses. Now they're reportedly seeking a giveaway from the Legislature, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara.

8/31/2023 10:00:27 AM +00:00

The billionaires behind Flannery Associates have bought up more than 140 parcels in Solano County with dreams of 'a new city with tens of thousands of new homes.'

8/29/2023 9:42:50 PM +00:00

L.A. City Council has approved a $150-million spending plan for funds raised by Measure ULA, putting money toward rental assistance, tenant protection and other housing crisis initiatives.

8/27/2023 12:00:39 PM +00:00

Yes, Southern California needs more housing density, but we can put our sprawl to use without ditching our spacious vibe.

8/23/2023 10:00:15 AM +00:00

Under the arcane tax rule of possessory interest, thousands of California tenants in subsidized housing could face individual tax bills upwards of $1,000 a year.

8/21/2023 10:00:36 AM +00:00

Ditching concrete for wood, reinventing the court apartment, and rehabilitating old landfill as parkland show how designers are tackling climate change

8/17/2023 5:43:11 PM +00:00

Mortgage interest rates surpassed 7% this week, dealing another blow to potential homeowners who now face the highest borrowing costs since 2002.

8/17/2023 12:00:06 PM +00:00

The state is again expanding its federally funded mortgage relief program to help more Californians. People who missed mortgage payments up to Aug. 1 are now eligible for help.

8/15/2023 10:00:04 AM +00:00

Condo owners in La Habra's Coyote Village have been waiting years for reconstruction of a collapsed flood channel that cuts an ugly gash across their complex.

8/14/2023 5:00:52 PM +00:00

Joni Rogers-Kante, founder of the SeneGence marketing firm, has sold her Irvine mansion for $25 million, making it the priciest sale ever in the city.

8/14/2023 10:30:16 AM +00:00

California's median home price is near $750,000. The most promising prescription for the housing shortage is undoing single-family zoning and increasing density.

8/11/2023 12:00:43 PM +00:00

Natural disasters devastate certain pockets of Southern California on a regular basis. So why don't people leave?

8/6/2023 10:00:15 AM +00:00

Studies, and my Venice neighborhood, offer proof: Below-market rents in the corner apartment building don't preclude a pricey mansion across the street.

8/4/2023 10:00:29 AM +00:00

Reality television personalities Tarek and Heather El Moussa are evicting rent-controlled tenants to build new apartments. Tenants say they're owed more because their landlord committed arson.

8/1/2023 10:00:34 AM +00:00

Zillow data show the median list price for homes in Los Angeles fast approaching $1 million. The top 10 major metropolitan areas in America for median listing price in June were all in California, according to a Times analysis.

7/31/2023 9:24:18 PM +00:00

Aug. 1 is the deadline to pay unpaid rent from March 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021. Here's what tenants should know about the deadline and some resources.

7/30/2023 10:01:12 AM +00:00

We were first-generation Latina home buyers seeking to get our family out of a crowded 450-foot apartment. Here's how our housing search went.

7/30/2023 10:00:19 AM +00:00

L.A. is poised to pass tougher regulations for building in the hillsides between the 101 and 405 freeways. Gwyneth Paltrow is among the measure's opponents.

7/28/2023 10:45:48 PM +00:00

L.A. implemented eviction moratoriums and rent control throughout the pandemic. We want to hear how the extended rent freeze has affected landlords.

7/28/2023 6:52:48 PM +00:00

L.A. implemented eviction moratoriums and rent control throughout the pandemic. We want to hear from tenants about how the rent freeze has affected them.

7/28/2023 3:02:33 AM +00:00

The value of all L.A. County property is at a record $1.997 trillion, with $20 billion in taxes funding public services, including schools and medical care.

7/27/2023 9:43:55 PM +00:00

It's the third time in recent years that a statewide initiative to repeal rent control restrictions will be on the California ballot.

7/21/2023 8:14:46 PM +00:00

The judge said Lee's crimes — bribing an elected official and then falsifying his record of that payment — merited a sentence that would serve as 'a warning to others.'

7/19/2023 12:00:55 PM +00:00

The suites will be closer to the action than existing luxury boxes and cost tens of millions. Holders and their guests will enter through the players' tunnel.

7/19/2023 12:00:39 PM +00:00

Gardening novice Brian Bautista confronted his 'climate change anxiety' by tearing out his lawns and planting California native plants.

7/18/2023 12:00:49 PM +00:00

In the hills of Malibu, a celebrity rehab center visited by stars such as Britney Spears and Charlie Sheen is hitting the market for $19.95 million.

7/17/2023 10:30:47 AM +00:00

The California Environmental Quality Act, known as CEQA, blocks housing and climate-friendly infrastructure. But the governor's recent reform falls woefully short.

7/17/2023 10:01:45 AM +00:00

Douglas Emmett plans to kick out residents in all 577 occupied units of our rent-stabilized Westside building. That's unnecessary and will worsen L.A.'s housing crisis.

7/13/2023 12:00:13 PM +00:00

Questions mount in the wake of the land movement in Rolling Hills Estates, a city that many residents assumed was safe from such disasters.

7/12/2023 10:24:54 PM +00:00

As a Rolling Hills Estates hillside further collapses, homeowners without special coverage are unlikely to get any financial assistance from their home insurers.

7/11/2023 7:40:47 PM +00:00

San Diego had the third most expensive rental market in June, with an average monthly price of $3,175, exceeding San Francisco's rent at $3,168.

7/11/2023 7:35:57 PM +00:00

As State Farm and Allstate hit pause on writing new policies in California, Farmers says it won't pick up the pace.

7/11/2023 12:00:03 PM +00:00

David Cooley, owner of West Hollywood institution the Abbey, a gay bar and nightclub, has listed the business for sale after 32 years.