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Laura Key 9/9/14 Laura Key 9/9/14

Los Angeles 2 Bed 1 Bath Attached Garage!

Laura Key 6/18/13 Laura Key 6/18/13

The Great BBQ Debate! Charcoal vs. Gas

It's an age old debate among BBQ lovers all over the country! Charcoal vs. Gas! Before your buy your grill - you should do a little research!

The debate over charcoal versus gas is one you don't want to get in the middle of. The one simple thing you need to know is that it is a matter of taste and convenience. To gain a broader view of the whole range of grills, add to this list electric grills, pellet grills and hardwood cooking as well.

Convenience: The best way to think about this problem is to remember that the more convenient a grill becomes the less smoke flavor it produces. An electric grill is the easiest to use, but doesn't have that real fire flavor, while hardwood fires give you the best flavor, they are the hardest to deal with.

Authenticity: The authentic smoky, off the fire taste of grilled foods is strongest with the original heat source, wood. As you move to electric units, there is very little of this flavor left. In fact, many electric grills add virtually nothing to the taste of foods. However, the simplicity of flipping a switch and grilling, can't be beat.

Taste: On the subject of taste, a study conducted a while back, participants were presented withhamburgers and steak cooked on gas and charcoal units. No one could tell the difference between the charcoal or gas when it came to the hamburgers, but they could tell the difference with the steak. The charcoal grilled steak had a distinct smoke flavor.

Space: To decide what kind of grill is right for you, consider where the grill is going to sit. A small patio or covered area is not the place for a large charcoal grill. Electric grills produce no flare-ups and are safer in smaller areas. Gas grills do produce flare-ups and need to be away from any structure to avoid those pesky house fires. Charcoal can be lit with an electric starter and therefore, used with virtually no open flame.

Grilling: Another thing to consider is how you plan to grill. If you want to come home from work and throw a couple of steaks or chicken breasts on the grill with virtually no hassle, then an electric or gas unit might be what you are looking for.

Cost: Finally, there is the issue of cost. Gas grills are generally more expensive than electric or charcoal; charcoal being the cheapest. If you don't want to spend a lot of money then charcoal might be the answer. However, charcoal is the more expensive fuel. You can easily spend $5.00USD a cookout on charcoal, while gas might cost around $.20USD per cookout. Charcoal won't save you money in the long run.

Ready to have your own BBQ Parties in your OWN backyard! Start your home search here!

Source: By Derrick Riches, About.com Guide

Laura Key 6/6/13 Laura Key 6/6/13

Living in Koreatown Los Angeles

Los Angeles is home to so many wonderful areas to live in. If you are interested in Koreatown, give me a call! Laura Key 310.866.8422 or just click the Koreatown Ball below!

Koreatown is a wealth of history and excitement! You can hardly take two steps without finding a new place to eat or shop! I must admit, after living here for almost two years I have not even scratched the surface of what is offered in this great area of Los Angeles until I saw the CNN Special with Anthony Bourdain Parks Unknown! Sometimes the boob tube can really spur you into action.

I decided it was time to visit some of the places shown during this special. My first adventure was trying Myung In Dumplings located at 3109 W. Olympic Blvd. The power of TV had already overwhelmed this place. The first time my husband and I visited they had sold out of most of their menu, so we attempted to fill our bellies on another day! On our second visit we were able to order the #1 which is meat and veggie dumplings. While we were in line waiting it was such a pleasure to watch the owners actually making the dumplings by hand. It's something about seeing loving hands prepare food. Reminds me of growing up in Kentucky and our Sunday dinners! For $7 we were given four nice sized fluffy dumplings filled with yummy delights on the inside! Along with our dumplings we were given a few kimchee delights!

Overall, it was a very pleasant outcome to my first new adventure of Koreatown! Join me on my next adventure in the near future!

Interested in living in Koreatown? Please visit my website to search for homes FREE! Just click the map below! Or...call me, Laura Key 310.866.8422

Laura Key 5/1/13 Laura Key 5/1/13

Does HUD Offer Financing On Their Homes?

Buying a HUD Home is not as difficult as you may think! I have helped many people purchase their 1st Home from HUD! Call me today for more details about the process! Laura.A.Key@gmail.com or Visit my website to sign up for FREE HUD Listings! http://www.KeyCaliforniaHomes.com

HUD does not provide direct financing to buyers of HUD Homes. Buyers must obtain financing through either their own cash reserves or a mortgage lender. If you have the necessary available cash or can qualify for a loan (subject to certain restrictions) you may buy a HUD Home. While HUD does not provide direct financing for the purchase of a HUD Home, it may be possible for you to qualify for an FHA-insured mortgage to finance the purchase.

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Laura Key 4/28/13 Laura Key 4/28/13

Do I Need An Appraisal On A HUD Home?

Buying a HUD Home is not as difficult as you may think! I have helped many people purchase their 1st Home from HUD! Call me today for more details about the process! Laura.A.Key@gmail.com or Visit my website to sign up for FREE HUD Listings! http://www.KeyCaliforniaHomes.com

It is not necessary to have a HUD home independently appraised, HUD offers an appraisal every 6 months. Your Lender may require a more current appraisal than the one provided by HUD. Ask your loan officer or HUD registered agent.

Laura Key 4/16/13 Laura Key 4/16/13

Making an Offer On A HUD Home?

Buying a HUD Home is not as difficult as you may think! I have helped many people purchase their 1st Home from HUD! Call me today for more details about the process! Laura.A.Key@gmail.com or Visit my website to sign up for FREE HUD Listings! http://www.KeyCaliforniaHomes.com

Buyers will want to make offers based on ‘as-is’ appraisals determined by HUD. HUD will accept no offers that are lower than 50 percent of their appraisal. If you offer more than the appraisal price, you will be required pay the amount of the over-bid at closing, as your lender will base their loan amount on the appraised value of the home. Also, the process is a bit different than a regular offer on property. Your offer will be submitted online and government forms will be used to conduct the transaction.

Laura Key 4/13/13 Laura Key 4/13/13

When Can I Bid on a HUD Home?

Buying a HUD Home is not as difficult as you may think! I have helped many people purchase their 1st Home from HUD! Call me today for more details about the process! Laura.A.Key@gmail.com or Visit my website to sign up for FREE HUD Listings! http://www.KeyCaliforniaHomes.com

Owner occupants can offer a bid on a HUD home during the first nine days. HUD will look at all bids on the 10^th day and decide based on which offer gives them the highest net profit. If there are two or more bids at the same net to HUD the offers will go into a lottery and the bid will be awarded based on chance. After the 10^th day if there aren’t any acceptable bids there will be an additional 20 days of bidding where bids are opened and reviewed daily for owner

Laura Key 1/28/13 Laura Key 1/28/13

Thinking of Buying A HUD Home? Part 1

Ok, so it's 2am and you can't sleep. You are flipping through mindless and endless infomercials trying to figure out why the sandman has not visited your home and you come across a commercial that says "BUY A HUD HOME FOR $1 - JUST SEND US $19.95 for a complete list of listings!" Ok, it sounds too good to be true, you figure $19.95 is not that much to spend and I was thinking I am ready to purchase home!

Let me save you the money and explain to you a little about HUD homes. There is no special list and there are homes available for a special price but buying a HUD home for $1 is a way to catch your attention and if there is one, believe me, it is only for a special group of people or organizations.

HUD homes are an excellent way to purchase your first home, heck you can even buy a HUD home if you have purchased before. HUD's are usually FHA approved which means you can obtain a loan with only 3.5% down. And in some areas, HUD runs a wonderful incentive for buyers by offering only $100 for the downpayment. Be aware, that program is not in all states and areas but it is out there! I have closed quite a few! But I digress....HUD homes are generally a good value, most of the time they are priced a little lower than the value in the area, but if it's been on the market a while and they have lowered the price a few times, you have magically walked into a bit of equity! (NICE PERK)

What is the difference between a HUD home and a foreclosure. Not much really...a HUD home is a home that was financed by a government loan and if someone lost a home, they buy it back from the lender so it becomes a government home. Foreclosures are generally, not not always, homes purchased with a conventional loan.

Buying a HUD is a bit different. There is a bidding period. You will need a registered real estate agent to perform the process for you. (Shameless plug....contact me at Laura.A.Key@gmail.com) You do not know how many bids are in the system and once the bidding process is done and you are determined the winner, you will be on a timeline to get the paperwork into the correct people.

But Laura, my Realty Goddess....what about the $1 HUD homes? There are special programs out there to help non-profits and special people who serve our community. The $1 homes (if any) are usually presented to the non-profits. The special programs are usually offered to the following: Police Officers, Teachers, EMT's and Firefighters. Those homes are won on a lottery bidding system.

*This ends Part 1 of "Thinking of Buying a HUD Home" tune in to the next episode where we will discuss the bidding progress and steps to closing the deal.

Contact me with any questions you may have! Laura.A.Key@gmail.com

www.KeyCaliforniaHomes.com

*By Laura Key, please do not use without permission.

Laura Key 1/27/13 Laura Key 1/27/13

Fountain of Youth Slows to a Trickle

The fallout from the housing crisis is still being felt today. One major casualty is the rate of homeownership in the country, which has fallen substantially. The picture is especially bleak for younger households, who comprise the bulk of first-time home buyers. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the biggest declines in homeownership were among households headed by those under 35 years of age. Rates for this demographic plummeted from a peak 43.6 percent in the summer of 2004 to 36.3 percent at the end of September 2012.

Meanwhile, households aged 35 to 44 experienced a decline in homeownership from 70.1 percent at the start of 2005 to 61.8 percent as of last year's third quarter.

There are two major reasons for the decline in homeownership among younger people. First, tight lending requirements and weak labor markets made homeownership unattainable for many in the younger age brackets. Second, foreclosures caused some of these homeowners to become renters or cease to be households entirely and move in with friends or family.

Also of concern is the fact that declining homeownership rates for younger households have broad ripple effects ranging from delays in marriage and having children to reduced wealth accumulation.

Buying a home is not like buying a car! Have someone who can help guide you through the curves, ups, downs and joys! Contact me today! Laura Key, Real Estate Agent Laura.A.Key@gmail.com www.KeyCaliforniaHomes.com

Laura Key 3/7/12 Laura Key 3/7/12

Underwater Sellers, what are your Options? Cash to Short Sell? Cash for Keys? Foreclosure?

We get these questions and would like to share our thoughts about this dilemma. Some home owners who are underwater may not know their alternatives. The “Cash for Keys” is a program that banks do for some home owners. The “new twist” you’ll be hearing more about is “Cash to Short Sale”. Lenders are figuring out that if there is anything they can do to make a deal happen, they need to do it. This apparently is what is starting to take place with people that are trying to “short sale” their homes. Instead of “Cash for Keys” to homeowners that lose their homes to foreclosure. This was not offered to home owners who were trying to short sale their home. Often the banks would basically give them a certain time to complete the short sale until they foreclosed.

Now because of tight lending practices, new buyers would take so long to qualify, it is often “too little, too late” to close escrow before foreclosure. When that happens it seems everybody loses. The lenders lost a willing & able buyer and the seller because, now, not only did they lose their home to a foreclosure, but also because a foreclosure was now on their credit report instead of a short sale. (It may be better to have a short sale than a foreclosure on a credit report?) Plus, the buyer may or may not wait until the home came back on the market at a later date.

Source: http://realtyworld-sierraproperties.com by Douglas Zeller

Laura Key 2/9/12 Laura Key 2/9/12

A List of My Favorite LA Things ... AND ... Not So Favorite

It's been six months now since my move to Los Angeles. Every day brings a new adventure and new things that take may take me a little time to get use to. I know every city has pro's and con's but I thought as a new resident I would share some of my list with you.

First let's discuss just a few of the PRO's.

LA has some of the most amazing sunsets! I work on the 29th floor and every evening when I am not out with clients I get to see the sky light up in the most amazing sky show ever. I once read a bumper sticker that read "God Does Good Lighting". I must agree.
LA has warm winters! I tend to be on the "chilly side" of life but all in all, we do not have snow and the most we need is a light coat to get through December and January. It's now February and it's 74°F! Gotta love that you need sunscreen all year!
You never sit and twiddle your thumbs and ask yourself "What is there to do today?" you sit and throw a dart at a list of things and say "THAT ONE". There is NEVER a lack of activity going on in Los Angeles. Shopping, shows, beach walks, walking in the sun, basketball games, Dodgers games, etc, etc, etc. The list never ends!
Diversity in culture! I am a people watcher and sometime just sitting in the park and watching people can be the best afternoon entertainment. Red and Yellow, Black and White, it's so precious to see this sight! The languages intrigue me and I love it.
FOOD - GOD HELP ME....The food is endless! Thai town, Korea Town, China Town, Sunset Strip, Melrose, Santa Monica. You can't take two steps without finding a new place to temp your taste buds! I have yet to try the famous Roscoe’s Waffle and Chicken but that’s next on my list. Which leads me to the perfect realization that I will need a GYM soon and there seems to be one on every corner as well!
As I have posted earlier in my blogs…the La Brea Tar Pits. It’s a childhood dream of mine and now I walk through the park almost daily. Ah, the fresh smell of tar in the morning. Nuf said!

There is so much more I can add to this list, but I will save those as we walk through this blog journey together. So, how you liking the journey so far?

Let’s NOW discuss just a few things from my CON list.

The sidewalks are nasty and dirty and I hate to even walk in my own house after being outside. I guess when you live in a place that has over 3,792,600 people (according to the US Census) it’s a little hard to keep a city sparking clean 24 hours a day.
I know this is not my home state of Kentucky, but I hate that people don’t really smile at you. I am use to looking people in the eyes and smiling and saying hello. I don’t always get that back. Oh well…that won’t stop me.
Traffic…OMG…I don’t think I need to say much more than that. If you think a drive should take 20 minutes, you better count on an hour! No logic for traffic at any time a day. It could be midnight and you can sit in traffic! Being a Real Estate Agent this can be a “LOO LOO” for appointments. It’s giving me the shivers as I type this.

So now you see at this point I have WAY more items on my PRO list than on my CON list. All in all I’d say I am a happy California girl!

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Yelp, Google+ and Foursquare! Maybe we can share some laughs and smiles along the way.

Laura Key 8/17/11 Laura Key 8/17/11

Tickling the Taste Buds

Well, it's been a few weeks and the dust of moving has settled a bit. I am only living out of a few boxes now and the furniture will be moved into the new place in just a week or so. For now, I have the needed items and I am taking the time to go through the boxes one more time to scale down my belongings.

My apartment is adorable. Hardwood floors, lots of space, a parking spot and only three other neighbors. I am trying to adjust to the sounds and lights that always seem to be swirling around me. It is SO different from living in your own free standing home.

It's been quite the "whirlwind". From the time I rolled into the city I feel like I am "ON" and the "OFF" switch is broken. So much to see, so much to do and so much to EAT! Where do you begin in this City of Angels?

My neighborhood is FULL of wonderful Korean Restaurants. Korean food is one of my FAVORITES, it tickles the taste buds with joy! The first Korean BBQ I tried was so wonderful I had to just sit in awe as I finished up my plate. $10.99 for a three meat BBQ feast that had my lips smacking. Each meat was seasoned so differently and marinated in pure delectable bliss. OH SO YUMMY! I cannot forget to mention the delicious Kimchi! Cabbage, spinach, radish, tofu....spicy, sweet, tart. MAN OH MAN!

A girl could lose her figure living here. Got to make sure that does not happen! Anybody got a good workout program!?

Just imagine, I just talked about ONE place in this post! It's going to be a beautiful life!

Until next time, peace, blessings and joy from the Realty Goddess.

Follow me on twitter, facebook, google+ and foursquare!

Laura Key 7/31/11 Laura Key 7/31/11

Los Angeles BABY....

I made it! Road dust behind me, new beginnings before me! I was one tired Realty Goddess there for a minute! I had the pups as my road warriors and we had some good fun but now we are now in "LaLa" land. Our first night was off to a bumpy start. When we arrived I had to find a hotel. I was surprised to see most of them charge up to $25 extra for each dog! REALLY??? They are Shih Tzu's people! Both of them together don't make one medium dog! We got past that hurdle...thank God for www.hotels.com!

After some really good rest and relaxation I was ready to hit the day. Time to find a place to live! I got up early, hit the craigslist posts and lined up my day! Going from homeowner to renter is quite the shock. Especially in LA where you pay more in rent than you do for your mortgage and you only get a fourth of the square footage.

First order of the day "Koreatown". I like the area but the parking situation is an eye opening experience. I found a few good places but how am I going to deal with two cars? Sigh...well, a couple of possibilities but no dice just yet.

Today is North Hollywood (NoHo) and West Hollywood (WeHo). We shall see what the day brings!

You always hear stories of the traffic in LA. Yes it's pretty bad, I was in traffic at 9:30pm on a Saturday night, but for right now I am cool with it. We will see how I feel about it when I have appointments to get to! We will save that story for another day.

I have been told by many people that I need to put my "LA" face on. Everyone who knows me also knows I have a soft heart and I still have the Prospect, Ky mentality. I don't really know what an "LA Face" is right now. I just know I hit the ground running and found I needed to still step up my speed a little bit! (smile)

It's alright, this Realty Goddess is protected by much larger hands than people know!

Peace, love and blessings from the Realty Goddess!

Follow me on twitter, facebook, google+ and foursquare! Maybe we can share some laughs and smiles along the way.

The Realty Goddess is Moving from Denver to Los Angeles (realtygoddess.wordpress.com)
The Other Side of the Coin...Realty Goddess Goes Landlord (realtygoddess.wordpress.com)
Countdown to Los Angeles...Going with Love (realtygoddess.wordpress.com)

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