SOLD - Penthouse Loft with Sunset Views to the West - Barker Block #505

True live/work penthouse loft in the Barker Block building with views of beautiful sunsets. This west facing loft features 1310 sf of living space, making it one of the more spacious lofts in the building. Designed by The KOR Group, the building boasts a lovely rooftop pool and gym--both with views for miles, courtyard areas and an art exhibition tunnel. Plus it's directly across the street from Urth Cafe, perfect for that morning coffee run. The stunning loft has beautiful polished concrete floors, 1 bathroom1 and 1 assigned parking spaces. Listed at $799,000. 

Pros & Cons of Buying During the Holidays

Do I wait til 2015 or do I take the plunge now? Some pros and cons to buying at this time of year. Surprisingly, it's mostly pros.

PROS

• Less competition with other buyers because many will wait until next year
• Interest rates are slated to increase in 2015
• Close before December 31, and get awesome tax breaks in time for 2014 taxes
• Spot things you might not otherwise see such as leaks due to rain
• Get deals on properties that have been sitting on the market
• Sellers can get desperate if they want to close before the end of the year

CONS

• Less inventory than say, spring or summer
• Properties may not initially look as good if the weather is drab or raining

SOLD - Immaculate Open Plan Industrial Loft - Barker Block #246

True live/work loft for lease in the Barker Block building. Designed by The KOR Group, the building boasts a lovely rooftop pool and gym--both with views for miles, courtyard areas and an art exhibition breezeway. Plus it's directly across the street from Urth Cafe, perfect for that morning coffee run. The open floorplan loft features a mix of concrete walls, dark hardwood floors exposed wood beams, open space kitchen and living area. Listed at $565k for 980 sf of livable, workable space. Includes 1 assigned parking space. Walk to Stumptown, Urth, Zinc, Blue Bottle, Wurstkuche, Little Tokyo, Pie Hole, Bestia, Church & State, Little Bear and more.

DTLA Properties Under 500k

First-time buyers to DTLA are often wanting to "try out" the area with an investment property first. Here are available condos/lofts under the 500k range. With rental prices averaging about $2.75 and up per square foot, you can have a tenant pay for your property if you've got 25-30% to put down on a 30yr fixed. And this includes prop taxes and HOAs.

Douglas Lofts - 700sf - $465k - (Front desk security, 1 assigned covered parking space)
El Dorado Lofts - 848sf - $478k - (Front desk security)
Mura Condos - 810sf - $499k - (2 assigned parking spaces, storage unit, pool, gym, concierge, BBQ)
1100 Wilshire - 670sf - 499k -  (2 assigned parking spaces, pool, gym, concierge, media room, BBQ)
Market Lofts - 754sf - $469,900 -  (1 assigned parking space, pool, gym, concierge, media room)
Higgins Lofts - 750sf - $430k -  (rooftop deck)
EVO Condos - 750sf - 495k - (1 assigned parking space, pool, gym, lounge, concierge, BBQ)

2015 Housing Forecast

According to Freddie Mac economists, the following projections in housing for 2015

1. Mortgage rates: Interest rates will likely be on the rise next year. By next year, Freddie projects mortgage rates to average 4.6 percent and inch up to 5 percent by the end of the year.
2. Home prices: Continued house-price appreciation and rising mortgage rates will dampen affordability for home buyers. Historically speaking, that's moving from 'very high' levels of affordability to 'high' levels of affordability.
3. Housing starts: Homebuilding is expected to ramp up in the new year, projected to rise by 20 percent from this year. That will likely help total home sales to climb by about 5 percent, reaching the best sales pace in eight years.
4. Single-family originations: Mortgage originations of single-family homes will likely slip by an additional 8 percent, which can be attributed to a steep drop in refinancing volume. Refinancings are expected to make up only 23 percent of originations in 2015; they had been making up more than half in recent years.
5. Multi-family mortgage originations: Mortgage originations for the multi-family sector have surged about 60 percent between 2011 and 2014. Increases are expected to continue in 2015, projected to rise about 14 percent.

Where Are the Grocery Stores in Downtown?

A common question from those who aren't familiar with DTLA. Here are just some of the grocery stores and food purveyors to choose from, nearly all within walking distance of each other.

1. Ralphs
2. Urban Radish (Locally grown veggies)
3. Om Nom Organics
4. Two Bits (Yummy cheeses!)
5. Instacart (They deliver from Whole Foods, Fresh & Easy, Super King, Ralphs!)
6. Belcampo Meats
7. DTLA Cheese at Grand Central Market
8. Woori Market
9. Marukai
10. Old Bank District Market
11. Jason's (Sodas, snacks)
12. Joe's Downtown Market
13. Nijiya Market
14. John & Pat's Promenade Market
15. Smart & Final
16. La Casa Verde at Grand Central Market
17. Sun's Produce at Grand Central Market
18. Torres Produce at Grand Central Market
19. Historic Core Farmers Market (Sundays 9am-2pm)
20. Arts District Farmers Market (Thursdays 5-9pm)
21. Buzz (Nice wine selection)

SOLD - Back on the market for under 300k! Little Tokyo Loft #407

Little Tokyo Lofts are a wonderful warehouse loft community, which also happens to border skid row. This is the main reason for the lower than average price per sf that this building consistently maintains. Regardless, values have steadily gone up in the building since 2009. The area, like many other areas of downtown, are getting cleaned up. The women's shelter nearby just opened a coffee shop/vintage shop/handcrafted goods shop, and this is only the beginning. Loft #407 which went into escrow fairly quickly, is now back on the market. Price has been lowered to $279k. 610sf of space, huge original casement window with views of mountains to the north and the skyline to the west, 1 assigned gated parking space, and amenities include a courtyard lounge, swimming pool, BBQ, dog run and gym. Plus you're a 5-min walk to Grand Central Market, Grand Park, Little Tokyo.

SOLD - Spring St Historic Pied a Terre Loft - El Dorado #707

Beautiful loft in the historic El Dorado building located in the Historic Core. Once the home of Charlie Chaplin, you can now view Spring Street and Spring Street Park from your private balcony. The south facing loft has been meticulously modernized with sleek hardwood flooring, Snaidero cabinetry in the kitchen, and exposed concrete touches. Walk to the Art Walk, Bar Ama, Springtime in New York, Skingraft, Baco Mercat, Grand Central Market, and many more. Parking is available for an additional fee. This is a Mills Act Building which provides significant property tax savings. 1 beds, 1 bath, 740sf. Offered at $505k.

 Courtesy of Agnes Ferreyra, John Aaroe Group

Go Ahead, Raise the Rent

Landlords out there, you know that many of the buildings in DTLA are free of rent control, right? Just wanted to make sure. Buildings that were converted into condominiums are not subject to rent control laws. This is one of the reasons why those who are looking to buy an investment property love downtown. For in-depth information on rent control: http://lahd.lacity.org/lahdinternet/rentstabilization/tabid/247/default.aspx

DTLA Has a Long Way to Go

This sounds unlike what I normally say. But I mean it in the best way. When I started buying properties in DTLA a few years ago, there was only a fraction of the development and places to go...there's more than triple of that now, with lots more in the pipeline. In my opinion, downtown is only about 15% at its potential. Buying now is getting in early. Just ask someone from San Francisco or NYC why they're buying here instead of in Brooklyn or The Mission.