Search giant Google unveiled a new Web-based mobile applications store for smart phones powered under its Android operating system Wednesday.

The Android Market, which had only been available on Android smart phones until now, is now accessible through any Web browser. The portal allows users to easily search for and install apps that can be set up to automatically download to a user’s Android device.

“There’s no wires, no syncing with computers. None of that sort of nonsense. Everything is connected,” said Chris Yerga, Android’s engineering director, according to TechCrunch. Yerga announced the store’s launch at an event for Honeycomb, Google’s latest version of the Android operating system.

The following rankings come from the new store, which allows users to filter apps by popularity and price. There is no formal “real estate” category in the Android Market; these apps appear in a search of the phrase “real estate” on the site. All are free.

1. Zillow Real Estate: Search for rentals, homes for sale, Make Me Move homes (where an owner puts their dream price on their home without actually putting it on the market), and recently sold homes through typing or voice entry; see homes in Google Maps’ satellite or street view, and get directions; get home-value “Zestimates” for 95 million homes; view full-screen photos; and filter searches. The app launched in May 2010.

2. Realtor.com Real Estate Search: Search for homes near current location or by address; filter searches by price, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, building and lot sizes, age of home, and property type; draw a search area directly on a map with a finger; see property details and photos; view open-house information; save searches and favorite listings; and see recently viewed listings.

Also, share listings with family and friends through text message, e-mail, Facebook and Twitter; save private text notes and voice memos; contact a Realtor by phone, e-mail, a website link or an “Ask a Question” button; view a property and the area surrounding it via Google Street View; and see thumbnails of nearby listings through a home page widget without opening the app. The app launched in November 2010.

3. Homes.com: Search for nearby homes for sale or rent; filter search by price, property type or features; see results in list or map view; view property details and photos; and bookmark listings.

4. Real Estate 114: See apartment price trends and floor plans; conduct QR (”quick response”) codes searches; and use QR codes to contact a real estate agent.

5. HuizenZoeker: Search for real estate in the Netherlands; search nearby or by location, including postal code; filter results by price range; view property details, including price change history, photos, year built, property type and size. Includes listings from sites such as Funda, Huislijn and ERA.

6. Real Estate by Smarter Agent: Search for homes for sale, apartments for rent, and recently sold homes by city, neighborhood, school, address, ZIP code or multiple listing service number; view maps, photos, prices and other property details.

7. Real Estate Droid: Search for-sale and rental homes, foreclosures, new homes, rooms for rent and sublets; save favorites; see home valuations from Zillow; view neighborhood information; take and save your own notes and photos; use a mortgage loan calculator; and check out real mortgage quotes.

8. HOME’S: Search for rentals and for-sale properties in Japan; filter results by location, distance from present location and proximity to train lines; and view property details, including photos and size.

9. Funda Real Estate: Search for-sale, for-rent or new homes in the Netherlands; see results in map view, list view or through an augmented reality layer.

10. HotPads: Search for rentals, for-sale homes, vacation rental homes, and hotels nearby or by address; see detailed listings information and photos; get directions to listings; share listings through e-mail or Facebook; find contact information related to for-rent and for-sale properties.

By Inman News

Valerie Fitzgerald specializes in luxury residential real estate in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, Santa Monica and Malibu. Valerie has more than 20 years experience and is known for her solid reputation in the Westside Los Angeles real estate community. She’s also the author of the book published by Simon and Schuster Heart and Sold: How to Survive and Build a Recession-Proof Business.

To preview these properties contact Valerie at  info@valeriefitzgerald.com  call 310-285-7515 or visit http://valeriefitzgerald.com.

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The number of California homes going into foreclosure dropped again during the fourth quarter of 2010 to its lowest level in more than three years, the result of shifting market conditions as well as evolving lender and mortgage servicer policies, a real estate information service reported.

A total of 69,799 Notices of Default (NoDs) were recorded at county recorders offices during the October-to-December period. That was down 16.2 percent from 83,261 for the prior quarter, and down 17.5 percent from 84,568 in fourth quarter 2009, according to San Diego-based DataQuick Information Systems.

Last quarter’s activity was the lowest since 53,943 NoDs were recorded in the second quarter of 2007. It was just over half the record 135,431 default notices recorded in the first quarter of 2009.

“We don’t know how much of the decline is due to less household financial distress, and how much is due to shifts in lender and servicer foreclosure policies. The level of default activity would certainly be higher if it weren’t for alternative strategies such as short sales, or even lengthening grace periods,” said John Walsh, DataQuick president.

“The institutions that hold these loans in their portfolios will do whatever it takes to lessen their losses, including waiting. An additional factor is all the turbulence when it comes to the formalities of the foreclosure process,” he said.

While most of the loans that went into default last quarter were originated during the 2005-2007 period, the median origination quarter for defaulted loans remained third-quarter 2006. That has been the case for over a year, indicating that weak underwriting standards peaked then.

Most of the loans made in 2006 are owned and/or serviced by institutions other than those that made the loans.

The most active “beneficiaries” in the formal foreclosure process last quarter were Bank of America (16,199), Wells Fargo (10,287), Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, also called MERS (5,315) and JP Morgan Chase (5,258).

The “servicers” (or the Trustees in the formal foreclosure process) that pursued the highest number of defaults last quarter were ReconTrust Co (mostly for Bank of America and MERS), Quality Loan Service Corp (Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase), Cal-Western Reconveyance (Wells Fargo) and NDEx West (Wells Fargo).

California’s priciest zip codes collectively saw mortgage defaults buck the market-wide trend and rise slightly quarter-to-quarter, while their defaults fell less on a year-over-year basis than in the overall market. The state’s 82 zip codes with median sale prices of $800,000 or more in 2010 logged a 2.0 percent quarter-to-quarter increase in default notices and a 9.3 percent year-over-year decline.

At the other end of the price spectrum, zips with 2010 medians of $200,000 or less saw fourth-quarter defaults drop 22.2 percent from the prior quarter and drop 19.5 percent from a year ago.

But the concentration of defaults remains much higher in lower-cost areas: Last quarter, zips with medians of $200,000 or less collectively saw 11.3 default notices filed per 1,000 homes. That compares with just 2.8 default notices filed per 1,000 homes in zips with $800,000-plus medians, and 8.0 filed per 1,000 homes for all zips statewide.

On primary mortgages, California homeowners were a median six months behind on their payments when the lender filed the Notice of Default. The borrowers owed a median $16,368 on a median $325,775 mortgage.

On home equity loans and lines of credit in default, borrowers owed a median $3,759 on a median $66,653 credit line. However the amount of the credit line that was actually in use cannot be determined from public records.

San Diego-based DataQuick Information Systems monitors real estate activity nationwide and provides information to consumers, educational institutions, public agencies, lending institutions, title companies and industry analysts. Notices of Default are recorded at county recorders offices and mark the first step of the formal foreclosure process.

Although 69,799 default notices were filed last quarter, they involved 68,338 homes because some borrowers were in default on multiple loans (e.g. a primary mortgage and a line of credit).

Mortgages were least likely to go into default in San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo counties. The probability was highest in Madera, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. Those patterns are consistent with the historical norm.

Over half of the homes statewide that received an NOD in a recent 18-month period have since been foreclosed on or sold (e.g. short sales).

Of the homes that received NODs between January 2009 and June 2010, 39 percent have been foreclosed on and about 13 percent avoided foreclosure but were sold. The status of the remaining 48 percent of those NOD recipients isn’t clear, but would include those attempting short sales or who brought their loan payments current or got loan modifications, and those whose foreclosures are still in process.

At this point one year ago, looking back at the January 2008-through-June 2009 period, a higher percentage – 46 percent – of the homes that got NODs had been foreclosed on, and a lower percentage – 9 percent – had avoided foreclosure and been sold on the open market.

Trustees Deeds recorded (TDs), or the actual loss of a home to foreclosure, totaled 35,431 during the fourth quarter. That was down 21.9 percent from 45,377 for the prior quarter, and down 30.6 percent from 51,060 for fourth-quarter 2009. Last quarter’s total was the lowest since 31,676 TDs were recorded during fourth-quarter 2007. The all-time peak was 79,511 in third-quarter 2008.

In the last real estate cycle, Trustees Deeds peaked at 15,418 in third-quarter 1996. The state’s all-time low was 637 in the second quarter of 2005, DataQuick reported.

There are 8.6 million houses and condos in the state.

As with mortgage defaults, the filing of Trustees Deeds tended to fall the most in the lower-cost areas, where foreclosures had soared in recent years. Collectively, zip codes with medians of $200,000 or less saw the number of homes foreclosed on drop 25.6 percent from the prior quarter and 33.8 percent from a year earlier. That compares with a 16.1 percent quarter-to-quarter drop and a 17.1 year-over-year drop for California zip codes with $800,000-plus medians.

But just as with mortgage defaults, foreclosure concentrations remain far greater in the lower-cost areas: Zips with $200,000-and-below median sale prices logged 9.5 foreclosures per 1,000 homes last quarter. That compares with 5.4 foreclosures per 1,000 homes across all zip codes statewide and 1.0 foreclosures per 1,000 homes for the group of zips with $800,000-plus medians.

Foreclosure resales accounted for 37.5 percent of all California resale activity last quarter. It was 35.5 percent the prior quarter, and a year ago it was 40.6 percent. It peaked at 57.8 percent in the first quarter of 2009. Foreclosure resales varied significantly by county last quarter, from 11.3 percent in San Francisco County to 57.4 percent in Merced County.

On average, homes foreclosed on last quarter took 8.8 months to wind their way through the formal foreclosure process, beginning with an NOD. That’s up from 8.7 months for the prior quarter and 7.0 months a year earlier. The increase could reflect, among other things, lender backlogs and paperwork problems and extra time needed to pursue loan modifications and short sales.

Of the 282,643 homes foreclosed on statewide in an 18-month period ending September 2010, about 77.0 percent have been resold. At this point a year ago, the comparable number was about 85.0 percent. It cannot be determined from public records how many of the unsold foreclosed properties are currently for sale, not for sale or have been made rentals (and therefore shouldn’t be expected to sell anytime soon).

At formal foreclosure auctions held statewide last quarter, an estimated 22.1 percent of the foreclosed properties were bought by investors or others who don’t appear to be lender or government entities. That was down from 22.7 percent the previous quarter and 25.0 percent a year ago, DataQuick reported.

Notices of Default (first step in foreclosure process)
houses and condos

 includes additional counties

Trustees Deeds Recorded (signal homes were lost to foreclosure)
houses and condos

* includes additional counties

Source: DataQuick Information Systems

Valerie Fitzgerald specializes in luxury residential real estate in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, Santa Monica and Malibu. Valerie has more than 20 years experience and is known for her solid reputation in the Westside Los Angeles real estate community. She’s also the author of the book published by Simon and Schuster Heart and Sold: How to Survive and Build a Recession-Proof Business.

To preview these properties contact Valerie at  info@valeriefitzgerald.com  call 310-285-7515 or visit http://valeriefitzgerald.com.

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The U.S. homeownership rate continues to decline as the housing bubble deflates further, new Census Bureau data show.

And the rate is falling fastest in the West.

The national homeownership rate — the proportion of households that is owner-occupied — fell to 66.5% in the fourth quarter, down from 67.2% a year earlier and the sixth straight annual decline.

That puts the rate back where it was in 1998 and down from the all-time high of 69.2% in 2004.

In the foreclosure-ridden Western states, the homeownership rate fell to 61.0% in the fourth quarter from 62.3% a year earlier. That drop of 1.3 percentage points was the largest among the country’s four regions.

The new rates for the three other regions: South, 68.5%, down from 69.1% a year ago; Midwest, 70.5% versus 71.3%; and Northeast, 64.1%, a slight increase from 63.9%.

From LA Times

Valerie Fitzgerald specializes in luxury residential real estate in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, Santa Monica and Malibu. Valerie has more than 20 years experience and is known for her solid reputation in the Westside Los Angeles real estate community. She’s also the author of the book published by Simon and Schuster Heart and Sold: How to Survive and Build a Recession-Proof Business.

To preview these properties contact Valerie at  info@valeriefitzgerald.com  call 310-285-7515 or visit http://valeriefitzgerald.com.

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This weekly post encompasses ALL new residential single-family home listings from prior Monday to current Monday, all price ranges in these areas:

Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills Post Office, Sunset Strip, Bel Air, Westwood, Brentwood, West Los Angeles, Sheviot / Rancho Park, Beverlywood, West Hollywood, Venice, Marina Del Rey, Mar Vista, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Mid Los Angeles, Mid Wilshire Corridor, Hancock Park, Miracle Mile, Hollywood, Silver Lake, Los Feliz Hollywood Hills, East Malibu, Malibu Beach.

Download Below: Westside Los Angeles Residential Real Estate New Listings: Jan 24 to 31

Valerie Fitzgerald specializes in luxury residential real estate in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, Santa Monica and Malibu. Valerie has more than 20 years experience and is known for her solid reputation in the Westside Los Angeles real estate community. She’s also the author of the book published by Simon and Schuster Heart and Sold: How to Survive and Build a Recession-Proof Business.

To preview these properties contact Valerie at  info@valeriefitzgerald.com  call 310-285-7515 or visit http://valeriefitzgerald.com.

Follow Valerie…

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WeeklyNewListingsForBlog-Jan24toJan31.pdf (72 KB)

This weekly post encompasses ALL home sales from Friday, January 21 to Friday, January 28 to all price ranges, single family only, in these areas:

Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills Post Office, Sunset Strip, Bel Air, Westwood, Brentwood, West Los Angeles, Sheviot / Rancho Park, Beverlywood, West Hollywood, Venice, Marina Del Rey, Mar Vista, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Mid Los Angeles, Mid Wilshire Corridor, Hancock Park, Miracle Mile, Hollywood, Silver Lake, Los Feliz Hollywood Hills, East Malibu, Malibu Beach.

DOWNLOAD BELOW: Westside Los Angeles Residential Real Estate Sales: Friday, January 21 to Friday, January 28

Valerie Fitzgerald specializes in luxury residential real estate in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, Santa Monica and Malibu. Valerie has more than 20 years experience and is known for her solid reputation in the Westside Los Angeles real estate community. Coming September 2011, Valerie’s team will be featured on HGTV’s new show Selling L.A. The show is about her team, how they do business and represent properties in Los Angeles. She’s also the author of the book published by Simon and Schuster Heart and Sold: How to Survive and Build a Recession-Proof Business.

To preview these properties contact Valerie at info@valeriefitzgerald.com call 310-285-7515 or visit http://valeriefitzgerald.com.

Follow Valerie…

   

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Sales of new single-family homes rose almost 18% in December 2010 to the highest rate since last spring, but builders in 2010 still suffered through their worst year since record-keeping began in 1963.

Sales jumped to an annual rate of 329,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis, with almost three-quarters taking place in the West, according to the Commerce Department. Economists polled by MarketWatch had predicted sales would rise to 299,000.

The market might have gotten a jolt from a tax credit in California that expired at year end, some economists say.

“The impressive increase in new home sales in December is mainly due to the rush to beat the deadline of a tax credit in California,” the firm Capital Economics said in a report. “Without that boost, new sales would have been broadly unchanged.”

Whatever the case, new home sales in 2010 ended up at the lowest level on record. The government estimates that sales fell 14% last year to 321,000 from 375,000 in 2009.

Sales plunged during the recent recession, and with millions of homeowners threatened with foreclosure, the housing market continues to struggle to recover.

Economists expect sales to accelerate in 2011 as the U.S. economy improves and buyers are attracted by low prices and ultra-low interest rates. Yet the rate of growth will depend largely on how fast the nation’s high 9.4% unemployment sinks.

The lack of work has hurt many homeowners, and the fear of losing a job has scared off prospective buyers, creating a surplus of available homes. Builders have reacted by slowing new construction.

In December, for example, the supply of homes at the current sales pace dropped from 8.4 months to 6.9 months, the lowest level since last spring. And at the end of 2010, about 190,000 homes were available for sale, the fewest on the market since 1968, according to the Commerce Department.

The median price of new homes, meanwhile, climbed to $241,500 in December from $215,500 in November. Fluctuating home prices can have a big impact on sales. If sellers think prices will continue to rise, for example, they might hold off on selling. Or if buyers think prices will fall, they might wait to purchase a new home.

Since data for tracking sales in new homes is volatile and subject to frequent change, economists tend to look at several months of data to gauge market trends. Over the three-month period of October to December, new-home sales averaged 296,000.That’s about one-third the rate of sales in normal economic times, however.

From RIS Media

Valerie Fitzgerald specializes in luxury residential real estate in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, Santa Monica and Malibu. Valerie has more than 20 years experience and is known for her solid reputation in the Westside Los Angeles real estate community. Coming September 2011, Valerie’s team will be featured on HGTV’s new show Selling L.A. The show is about her team, how they do business and represent properties in Los Angeles. She’s also the author of the book published by Simon and Schuster Heart and Sold: How to Survive and Build a Recession-Proof Business.

To preview these properties contact Valerie at info@valeriefitzgerald.com call 310-285-7515 or visit http://valeriefitzgerald.com.

Follow Valerie…

Sales of new single-family homes rose almost 18% in December 2010 to the highest rate since last spring, but builders in 2010 still suffered through their worst year since record-keeping began in 1963.

Sales jumped to an annual rate of 329,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis, with almost three-quarters taking place in the West, according to the Commerce Department. Economists polled by MarketWatch had predicted sales would rise to 299,000.

The market might have gotten a jolt from a tax credit in California that expired at year end, some economists say.

“The impressive increase in new home sales in December is mainly due to the rush to beat the deadline of a tax credit in California,” the firm Capital Economics said in a report. “Without that boost, new sales would have been broadly unchanged.”

Whatever the case, new home sales in 2010 ended up at the lowest level on record. The government estimates that sales fell 14% last year to 321,000 from 375,000 in 2009.

Sales plunged during the recent recession, and with millions of homeowners threatened with foreclosure, the housing market continues to struggle to recover.

Economists expect sales to accelerate in 2011 as the U.S. economy improves and buyers are attracted by low prices and ultra-low interest rates. Yet the rate of growth will depend largely on how fast the nation’s high 9.4% unemployment sinks.

The lack of work has hurt many homeowners, and the fear of losing a job has scared off prospective buyers, creating a surplus of available homes. Builders have reacted by slowing new construction.

In December, for example, the supply of homes at the current sales pace dropped from 8.4 months to 6.9 months, the lowest level since last spring. And at the end of 2010, about 190,000 homes were available for sale, the fewest on the market since 1968, according to the Commerce Department.

The median price of new homes, meanwhile, climbed to $241,500 in December from $215,500 in November. Fluctuating home prices can have a big impact on sales. If sellers think prices will continue to rise, for example, they might hold off on selling. Or if buyers think prices will fall, they might wait to purchase a new home.

Since data for tracking sales in new homes is volatile and subject to frequent change, economists tend to look at several months of data to gauge market trends. Over the three-month period of October to December, new-home sales averaged 296,000.That’s about one-third the rate of sales in normal economic times, however.

From RIS Media

Valerie Fitzgerald specializes in luxury residential real estate in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, Santa Monica and Malibu. Valerie has more than 20 years experience and is known for her solid reputation in the Westside Los Angeles real estate community. Coming September 2011, Valerie’s team will be featured on HGTV’s new show Selling L.A. The show is about her team, how they do business and represent properties in Los Angeles. She’s also the author of the book published by Simon and Schuster Heart and Sold: How to Survive and Build a Recession-Proof Business.

To preview these properties contact Valerie at info@valeriefitzgerald.com call 310-285-7515 or visit http://valeriefitzgerald.com.

Follow Valerie…

You’ve probably seen those depressingly cheery home-themed TV shows: a couple needs to sell their house, they have an outdated kitchen, and a designer comes in and proceeds to convince them to renovate the kitchen into a stainless-steel-clad shrine to culinary greatness—for tens of thousands of dollars. In an ideal real estate market, that would add value, but in today’s market, expensive pre-sale renovations, for the most part, aren’t worth it. The numbers bear this out: In general, a home remodel will cost quite a bit more than you’ll get back when you sell; remodels done in 2010 will only recoup 60% of their price when the house is sold, according to Remodeling magazine’s 2010 Remodeling Cost vs. Value survey, done in partnership with the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).

Two of the areas that potential buyers are often most pressured to remodel before selling are the kitchen and bathroom. Here, we’ll tackle both of those rooms, and let you know what to do—and what to avoid—when considering a pre-sale renovation:

Kitchen
-Don’t put in expensive professional-grade cook’s appliances. You may choose a tricked-out, $10,000 Wolf stove, but the buyer may be a loyalist to Viking. Or, even worse, the potential buyer might be a take-out addict.

-Do, however, service the appliances you have, so that they work perfectly. And, if you have seriously outdated appliances that can be replaced for $1,000 or less (like swapping a dingy old fridge for a basic new one), that’s a good idea. Similarly, if there are any appliances that you lack, which most buyers consider essential, it makes sense to buy one (like a dishwasher—you can get a nice model for under $1,000).

-Don’t replace your cabinetry entirely—even if it’s a little outdated. It’s just too subjective. You might think sleek, white Scandinavian cabinets are the way to go, but you’ll be in a bind if your potential buyer prefers dark wood.

-Do invest in cabinet refacing if your cabinets are extremely outdated. Many refacing companies will give your cabinets a fresh façade for well under $2,000, and it’s a good investment in creating a positive impression of the room without doing a pricey knock-down.

-Don’t go granite crazy. Or marble. Or etched-Murano-glass-accented tile. Spending thousands of dollars on a new countertop and backsplash is downright dangerous, as there are so many different options these days, it’s impossible to find one that will please most people.

-Do hire a professional cleaning company to come in and make what you have sparkle. While this won’t magically make your tile look magazine-spread-worthy, it will certainly make it look a lot better, as discoloration from age often makes tile look even worse.

Bathroom
-Don’t do expensive tub/shower repairs or replacements. Just like with the big-ticket kitchen fixes, this is a matter of taste. If you put in a round jetted tub, what if the buyer wants square? And is an amethyst-crystal steam shower really something everyone will love?

-Do replace dated bath and shower fixtures; this can be done generally quite inexpensively. For instance, if you have a 30-year-old, tiny showerhead, replacing it with a large, rainwater-style model will lend a subtle spa-like quality without costing a lot.

-Don’t replace your smallish vanity with a new, built-in model. A lot of remodelers emphasize the intrinsically relaxing qualities of having all your toiletries, towels and even reading material beautifully organized in one big unit made of high-end wood, marble and chrome. And it is certainly beautiful. But it’s also a risky choice, and a matter of taste.

-Do freshen up the vanity area. Invest in a big mirror and put bright lights over it. And a few hundred dollars spent on a nice faucet is well worth it, as, like the showerhead, it’s a true basic—and updating the basics, in most homes and markets, is all you should be focusing on.

Other tips for redoing your kitchen and bathroom frugally

Kitchen:
-Declutter your counters. A disorganized kitchen is a buyer-deterrent. Clean up the counters and pare down countertop items to the essentials—toaster, microwave, coffee pot and not much more than that.

-Keep your pantry and cabinetry clutter-free too. You don’t have to alphabetize your cereals—just know that potential buyers will probably open those cabinets, so they won’t want a ladle falling out on their head.

-Give your kitchen table or breakfast bar some life. It’s simple—placemats, a colorful vase or two and a tasteful flower arrangement will reinforce the idea that the kitchen is the heart of the home.

Bathroom:
-If you want to add a little life to the wall, try a simple, straight-lined wood or stainless-steel floating shelf with a few candles on it. It’s an elegant, boutique-hotel touch that doesn’t cost much.

-Toss down a colorful floor mat. Bathrooms are often devoid of color; this is a great way to add that color, and a little warmth.

-Again, clear clutter. Even your beauty essentials shouldn’t be on the counter if you’re in the open house stage.

From RIS Media

Valerie Fitzgerald specializes in luxury residential real estate in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, Santa Monica and Malibu. Valerie has more than 20 years experience and is known for her solid reputation in the Westside Los Angeles real estate community. Coming September 2011, Valerie’s team will be featured on HGTV’s new show Selling L.A. The show is about her team, how they do business and represent properties in Los Angeles. She’s also the author of the book published by Simon and Schuster Heart and Sold: How to Survive and Build a Recession-Proof Business.

To preview these properties contact Valerie at info@valeriefitzgerald.com call 310-285-7515 or visit http://valeriefitzgerald.com.

Follow Valerie…

This weekly post encompasses ALL new residential single-family home listings from prior monday to current monday, all price ranges in these areas:

Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills Post Office, Sunset Strip, Bel Air, Westwood, Brentwood, West Los Angeles, Sheviot / Rancho Park, Beverlywood, West Hollywood, Venice, Marina Del Rey, Mar Vista, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Mid Los Angeles, Mid Wilshire Corridor, Hancock Park, Miracle Mile, Hollywood, Silver Lake, Los Feliz Hollywood Hills, East Malibu, Malibu Beach.

Download Below: Westside Los Angeles Residential Real Estate New Listings: Jan 17 to 24

Valerie Fitzgerald specializes in luxury residential real estate in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, Santa Monica and Malibu. Valerie has more than 20 years experience and is known for her solid reputation in the Westside Los Angeles real estate community. Coming September 2011, Valerie’s team will be featured on HGTV’s new show Selling L.A. The show is about her team, how they do business and represent properties in Los Angeles. She’s also the author of the book published by Simon and Schuster Heart and Sold: How to Survive and Build a Recession-Proof Business.

To preview these properties contact Valerie at info@valeriefitzgerald.com call 310-285-7515 or visit http://valeriefitzgerald.com.

Follow Valerie…

Download now or preview on posterous

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Inventory grew at a steady pace year-over-year for the first eight months of 2010, and December was up 11.2% compared to a year ago, based on combined Multiple Listing Service (MLS) data from these 26 areas surveyed by ZipRealty. Las Vegas, San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego saw more than 50% growth from the same time last year.

Other highlights from ZipRealtys December Housing Inventory Index include:

-The combined number of MLS-listed single-family homes and condos within all 26 major U.S. markets in December totaled 595,922, down from 629,086 in November.

-All but one survey market experienced declines in inventory in December as compared to November. Markets that experienced sharp decreases included Boston (14.4% inventory decline), San Francisco Bay Area (12.8% inventory decline) and Washington DC (8.5% inventory decline).

-Overall market inventory for the 26 areas surveyed peaked in September 2010 with 675,872 homes listed for sale.

-The Las Vegas market was hit severely by foreclosures in December and total inventory was 17,090, up from 11,391 in December 2009.