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Home automation is growing in popularity, especially as digital technology evolves. The idea is to interconnect and remotely control electronic devices in a house,  such as lighting, air conditioning, security and other devices, from a centralized computer or Internet enabled telephone.

In its simplest form, home automation is convenient for the homeowner and cool for the tech hobbyist. He/she can do things like adjust the thermostat, or turn on music, well before arriving home. But some people also consider the technology to be a boon for energy efficiency and the whole concept of the smart energy grid. Actress Jennifer Aniston is even known for having incorporated smart home technology into her multi-million dollar California residence.

That said, Joe Babajian of Rodeo Realty and Bachir Oueida of Nelson Shelton & Associates just co-listed an 11,000 square foot architectural property in Pacific Palisades that has extensive smart home technology. You can manage  lights, media, fireplaces, AC/heat, and the home’s 12-foot Fleetwood pocket doors and screens with the touch of a finger.

The estate is on the market for $14,950,000. Joe Babajian can be reached at (310) 623-8800. Bachir Oueida can be contacted at (310) 722-7727.

Here’s a really fun architectural home that Tom Otero of Rodeo Realty recently listed. Located in Lake Hollywood Knolls, the home was designed by the late Lorand West, an award winning architect who designed L.A. restaurants such as Morton’s, The Ivy and Trumps, according to the L.A. Times.

West built the house in 1959 as his personal residence. In fact, the circular roof was originally designed to be a helicopter landing pad. The next owner, Marc Christian MacGinnis, worked with his partner to add the second story on top of what was once the landing pad. They also added the Frank Lloyd Wright inspired interiors.

The Los Angeles Times published a great story today about the high-end leasing market in the greater Los Angeles area. Cary Hoffman, manager of Rodeo Realty’s Encino office, and Carol Wolfe, top producing agent from the Encino office, were quoted.



Cary Hoffman



Carol Wolfe

Lease offerings priced at more than $10,000 a month were up 15% through the first part of April over the same period last year on the Combined L.A./Westside Multiple Listing Service, while those in the $7,500-to-$10,000 price range saw a 7% increase, said the L.A. Times. 

Tim Egan, Rodeo Realty’s graphic designer, is also a successful author and illustrator of 16 children’s books published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Following three months of sales gains, California home sales posted a weaker-than-expected performance and declined in February, according to data and a press release from the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.). 

Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 497,660 in February, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local REALTOR® associations and MLSs statewide. 

February’s sales were down 9.0 percent from January’s revised pace of 547,080 and down 4.0 percent from the 518,390 sales pace recorded in February 2010. 

The statewide sales figure represents what would be the total number of homes sold during 2011 if sales maintained the February pace throughout the year.  It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.

“With continued concerns about both the economy and housing market, consumers remain tentative moving forward with any home buying plans,” said C.A.R. President Beth L. Peerce.  “Nevertheless, current market conditions and loan rates at some of the lowest of all time continue to present attractive opportunities to those who are in a position to buy,” said Peerce.

The statewide median price of an existing, single-family detached home sold in California was $271,320, down 2.8 percent from a revised $279,140 in January and was down 2.5 percent from the $278,190 median price recorded for February 2010.  The February 2011 median price was the lowest since May 2009, when it was $263,440.

“The market pulled back in February, following three months of sales gains, when the ramifications of the robo-signing delays from last fall pushed sales into the period from November of last year to January,” said C.A.R. Vice President and Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young. 

“February’s sales drop indicates the effects of the foreclosure freeze are diminishing, and the market is returning to a more moderate sales pace,” she said.

Here are other highlights of C.A.R.’s resale housing report for February 2011:

• The Unsold Inventory Index for existing, single-family detached homes was 7.3 months in February, up from 6.7 months in January 2011.  The index was 6.0 months in February 2010.  The index indicates the number of months needed to deplete the supply of homes on the market at the current sales rate. 
• Thirty-year fixed-mortgage interest rates averaged 4.95 percent during February 2011, compared with 4.99 percent in February 2010, according to Freddie Mac. Adjustable-mortgage interest rates averaged 3.35 percent in February 2011, compared with 4.23 percent in February 2010.
• The median number of days it took to sell a single-family home was 64.4 days in February 2011, compared with 39.2 days for the same period a year ago.