Downtown Lofts For Sale – Three Most Common Mistakes To Avoid Before Buying

When looking for a good deal in Downtown Los Angeles, there are three common mistakes that we see buyers and renters making routinely over the past six months.

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More than half of prospective buyers make these unfortunate mistakes that lose them thousands, tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Now that Downtown loft and condo prices have risen substantially in the past three years, most buyers either give up too soon, wait too long to get serious, or fail to look at all of the possibilities.

It’s always ironic when we hear someone say that prices have gone up too much and therefore it is not a good time to buy.  We’ve been hearing people say that prices have risen too much for the past two years. During the past twelve months, we saw the prices again go up another 7% in Downtown. The naysayers again lost out.

Another losing philosophy that we’ve been seeing over the last two years are the procrastinators who realize that they should not have waited to buy over the last three years.  They come to realize that they should not have waited, and then they take a failing strategy based on trying to get yesterday’s prices today. Too bad for them; yesterday is gone, and yesterday’s prices are also gone. They get desperate and then try to buy properties that are already in escrow or already sold.  These backward-looking strategies don’t work. New times require new strategies.

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The prospective Downtowners then make the third mistake and fail to realize how many opportunities there are to find an amazing home and get a great deal. They think that their friend or relative who is a real estate agent can do a great job at finding and negotiating a Downtown loft. What they don’t know is that they do not have access to 45% of the best deals in Downtown. They don’t know that the properties that are not on the internet, not listed to the public, not on the brokers Multiple Listing Service, selling before the public sees them, or selling without the public ever knowing that they sold. These are the best deals in Downtown, and most would-be buyers miss them completely. And boy, do they miss out!

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With off-market properties, the deals and possibilities are endless! Here’s just one of the latest examples, an amazing 3-level upgraded, pet-friendly Alta loft that may be coming soon as a pocket listing. It’s not on the internet. The beautiful upgrades include glass panels, designer modern kitchen, upgraded lighting and bathroom tile, upgraded bath tub and scraped I-beams with intumescent paint (the photo shows a non-upgraded unit). Three levels: living room on the bottom with a 2nd entry door, giant warehouse-style rollup-door containing a wall of windows and natural light, upgraded kitchen, bathroom with laundry on the 2nd level, and extended bedroom with integrated custom closet, full upgraded bath on the third level. This property will be listed to the public in the upper $500,000s, but could potentially sell off-market first for less than $500,000.

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LOFT & CONDO LISTINGS DOWNTOWN L.A.  [MAP]

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Copyright © 2015 This free information provided courtesy L.A. Loft Blog and LAcondoInfo.com with information provided by Corey Chambers, Realty Source Inc, BRE#01889449 We are not necessarily associated with the home owner’s association, seller or developer. For more information, contact (213) 880-9910 or visit LAcondoInfo.com Licensed in California. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Properties subject to prior sale or rental. This is not a solicitation if buyer or seller is already under contract with another broker.

FRAUD ALERT – CRAIGSLIST SCAMS CONTINUE TO STEAL IDENTITIES OF DOWNTOWN L.A. RENTERS

The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department last week confirmed that at least one case of Craigslist rental fraud has resulted in the identity theft and credit theft from at least one victim, a Downtown rental applicant, in the ongoing rental fraud problem.

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The lease scams continue to grow today. All Craigslist rental posts with prices several hundred dollars below market price are a SCAM until proven otherwise.  NEVER give a payment or personal information to anyone other than a manager, agent or owner whom you meet in person first.

HERE IS THE LATEST FRAUD THAT IS LIVE ON CRAIGSLIST TODAY:   $1500 / 2br – 1010ft2 – traditional New York style apartment for rent (315 E 8th St, Los Angeles, CA)  Traditional New York style loft in the historic Textile Lofts building. Corner unit with one neighboring wall. Lots of original windows with high ceilings. Custom built closet runs full length of hall for plenty of storage. Large bath with soaking tub and washer/dryer included. One bedroom area is separate the second bedroom would be included in the main living space (there are no walls for bedrooms). Comes with one assigned parking space under Santee Court. Also comes with one storage unit in the basement. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Textile Building is a 12-story, 69-unit Gothic Revival Landmark overlooking the Fashion District. As part of the Urban Community of Santee Village, Amenities include Rooftop Pool, Spa, Fitness Center, and Gourmet Market. Blocks to the best Restaurants, Nightlife, and Shopping in Downtown; Short Walk to the Metro and LA Live.

While $1,500 might seem expensive enough, the real value of 1,010 sq foot in this building is around $2,400 per month.  Any offer less than $2,200 is a scam to rip off the applicant’s money or identity until absolutely proven otherwise by an in-person meeting and third-party vertification.

Any time that you see a rental posting that is an extra low price, the posting is likely a scam.  Click the prohibited link on Craigslist and then report the scam to the police.

 

LOFT & CONDO LISTINGS DOWNTOWN L.A.  [MAP]

button        button (1)        

SEARCH LOFTS FOR SALE UNDER $400,000  |  $800,000,  |   $30,000,000
Browse by Building  |  Neighborhood  |  Size  |  Bedrooms  |  Pets  |  Parking

ASCENDING ORDER (low to high)    |    DESCENDING ORDER (high to low)

Copyright © 2015 This free information provided courtesy Corey Chambers, Realtor, Realty Source Inc BRE#01889449 We are not necessarily associated with the owner or management. For more information, contact (213) 478-0499 or visit LAloftLease.com.  Licensed in California. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Properties subject to prior sale or rental. This is not a solicitation if buyer, seller or renter is already under contract with another broker.