Rodeo Realty Sponsors The Laurel Foundation's Golf Tournament, help children and families affected by HIV/AIDS

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Picture: Rodeo Realty’s Aaron Scott at The Laurel Foundation’s annual golf tournament.

This year, The Laurel Foundation celebrated its 20 years hosting their Golf Tournament.

Rodeo Realty took part in the annual event by being a sponsor of the tournament. As a sponsor, Rodeo Realty helped The Laurel Foundation’s fundraising goal of $100,000, which goes towards helping more than 500 inner city, at-risk children and their families affected by HIV/AIDS to attend The Laurel Foundation’s program.

Their programs tackle the emotional and social challenges of HIV/AIDS by constructing environments that support the mental and physical welfare of the participants. Their programs give participants the tools to build self-sufficient, productive, and healthy lives.

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Golfers, sponsors and volunteers at The Laurel Foundation’s 20th Anniversary tournament. Photo courtesy of The Laurel Foundation.

This year’s Golf Tournament was hosted at the elite El Caballero Country Club, one of the most exclusive golf clubs in Southern California.

The event started with a continental breakfast and proceeded with golfers being sent off on the par 71 championship course with their own personal caddy in a golf cart equipped with a GPS system.

At each hole, golfers were greeted by drink and food sponsors (vodka, tequila, beer etc.) and had a chance to win prizes at skills contests set up throughout the course.

The event ended with a fully catered after party with hosted bar, silent auction, and awards show.

Rodeo Realty is proud to help The Laurel Foundation and their mission.

Beverly Hills' Tregg Rustad and Peter Maurice list home of comedian/actor Richard Lewis

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Making headlines this week is a listing by Rodeo Realty’s Beverly Hills agents, Peter Maurice and Tregg Rustad.

Their $1.599 million listing is the recent home to its longtime resident, comedian/actor/author Richard Lewis. The home has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, People, Yahoo, Variety, and Mansion Global.

The hillside Mediterranean villa was also once home to actor Eddie Albert, along with various other screenwriters and directors. The home was built in the magical Hollywood year of 1926 – the same year the nearby Sunset Tower and Chateau Marmont hotels opened their doors to fame, glory and gossip.

Tucked away in a bedrock hill in Laurel Canyon, the pulse of Hollywood from Chaplin to Hendrix to celebs du jour, surrounds this home.

The property has an open-air living room with full wet bar, a spacious formal dining room, an eat-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances, and a magnificent media room/lounge. On its ‘penthouse level’ is a full master retreat with spectacular city views and separate office/sitting room. For visitors, there’s an additional, private first floor guest suite with an attached bath.

The home is located on a historic block at the end of a quiet cul de sac, yet within moments of the Sunset Strip.

For more information on the property, click HERE.

To read the Los Angeles Times article, click HERE.
People, HERE.
Variety, click HERE.
Mansion Global, HERE.
Yahoo, HERE.

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Economic update for the week ending November 5, 2016

U.S. employers add 161,000 new jobs in October – Unemployment rate at 4.9% – The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the U.S. economy added a slightly less-than-expected 161,000 jobs in October and the unemployment rate stood at 4.9 percent as investors got to digest the final payrolls report before Tuesday’s presidential election. Economists surveyed by Reuters had expected payrolls to grow by 175,000, so this was slightly below expectations. Wages exceeded expectations with average hourly earnings climbing 10 cents, reflecting a 2.8 percent annualized increase, according to the report. A broader measure of unemployment, that includes those who have stopped looking for jobs and those working part-time for economic reasons, fell to 9.5 percent, the lowest level since April 2008.

Stocks down this week – Stocks have fallen every day this week as investors grow cautious on uncertainty over the upcoming election. Oil prices fell this week as a report showed oil inventories are surging. The jobs report was very positive, especially with respect to wages,  which have finally began to rise after years of stagnation. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed the week at 17,888.28, down from 18,161.19 last Friday. The S&P 500 closed the week at 2,085.18, down from 2,126.42 last week. The NASDAQ closed the week at 5,046.37, down from last week’s close of 5,190.10.

U.S. Treasury Bond yields drop – While stocks dropped, investors moved money to bonds looking for safety. That caused bond yields to drop after several weeks of slight increases. The 10 year U.S. Treasury Bond yield closed the week at 1.79%, down from 1.86% last Friday. The 30-year U.S. Treasury Bond closed at 2.56%, down from 2.62% last week. Mortgage rates follow bond yields so we watch bond yields closely.

Mortgage rates slightly higher this week – The Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Survey released on November 3, 2016 showed that average mortgage rates from lenders surveyed for the most popular mortgage products were as follows: The 30-year fixed rate average was 3.54%. The 15-year fixed average rate was 2.84%. The 5/1 ARM average rate was 2.87%. I’d expect rates to be slightly lower in next week’s survey based on where we were at the end of the week. 

Have a great weekend!
Syd

Rodeo Realty's Beverly Hills agent Bruce Walker sells Historic-Cultural Monument #1103

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A Historic-Cultural Monument in Los Angeles has sold for $2,275,000. Bruce Walker of Rodeo Realty- Beverly Hills had the listing.

Originally constructed in 1912, the Sheldon-Graves House was designed by architect Henry John Knauer. This house is a contributor to the Wilton Place National Register Historic District, established in 1979.

This large Craftsman home includes many original Craftsman elements such as: a front gabled roof, exposed rafter tails and a wide front porch, just to name a few. Meticulously maintained and move-in ready!

Located in the subdivision; Ridgewood Park, this home is situated on an over 10,000 square foot lot plus a two story accessory structure (guest house) with workshop and garage.

Sophistication, character and “Old World” charm are manifested in this truly exquisite home. Large foyer entry with generous size living room windows letting in lots of natural light. Den with built-in bookshelves, office and formal dining also with hand crafted built-in cabinetry. Kitchen with hi-ceiling, breakfast area and powder room on first level. French doors off the living and dining rooms for easy indoor/outdoor access to a large patio with vine covered pergola.

Upstairs features a generous size master suite with adjoining office/work-out room and walk-in closet. Large center hall bath with 3 additional bedrooms and another full bath complete this gorgeous home of casual elegance.

Lushly landscaped private back yard with unique 2-story guest house. This large 1210 square foot guest house features: a hi-ceiling great room, full bath, kitchen and upstairs bedroom. The guest house bonus space accommodates a multitude of uses!

This historical masterpiece is ideal for entertaining yet has definite family appeal! A truly unique and special property.

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Beverly Hills' Barbra Stover and Rodeo Realty make donation to Face Forward

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The 7th Annual Face Forward Gala was held this year at the beautiful Vibiana in the historic downtown Los Angeles.

Rodeo Realty’s Beverly Hills agent Barbra Stover not only supported the charity by attending the event, but she also donated marketing materials and made a $2,000 donation to the organization. Rodeo Realty also contributed by donating 500 baseball caps, which were added to the gift bags that were handed out at the gala.

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Rodeo Realty caps in gift bags for gala. Photo courtesy of Face Forward.

This year’s theme was Havana Nights and featured a performance by Grammy-winning artist, Nelly. 14494809_10155360264494768_2284903752293954649_n

Money raised and donated to Face Forward goes towards facial reconstructive surgery and emotional support services for women, children and men who have been victims of domestic violence, human trafficking and other cruel acts of crime.

Stover is part of the Committee Board and has been with the organization for four years. She is not only a part of the nonprofit organization, but she is also a survivor.

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Rodeo Realty's Northridge agent Wendy Dern collects 1,000+ pounds of candy to donate to 'For Our Troops'

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Rodeo Realty’s Northridge agent Wendy Dern is collecting candy to donate to “For the Troops”. The non-profit organization is dedicated to providing members of the American military with “We Care” packages containing basic necessities, goodies, games and—most of all—a show of support.

For more than 10 years, the Realtor has been organizing candy collections to make sure “For The Troops” has an endless supply of candy on hand, and doesn’t fall short for even one box. Wendy enlists participation from local schools, including Cleveland Charter High School, Nobel Middle School, and Topeka Drive and Gridley Elementary Schools. Through community outreach, she has also garnered support from community members in her farm and local businesses. Striving to increase her success every year, Wendy’s collection now surpasses 1000 pounds of candy!

Thanks to Syd Leibovitch, Rodeo Realty is also taking part in helping Dern with her collection and have made a monetary donation to help “For The Troops”.

Dern will be collecting candy through the weekend and plans on delivering the donations next week.

For more information on ways you can support “For The Troops”, visit www.forthetroops.org

About For The Troops:

The organization has substantially grown in volunteers and donors, and has distributed more than 165,000 packages.  They ship year-round to American troops who risk their lives overseas every day—far away from the comforts of home.  Each care package is lovingly filled with a variety of items including hygiene products, dvd’s, games and puzzlebooks, magazines, comics, stationary, and more.  Candy is used as box filler, instead of packing materials, as an added treat in every box.

Home listed by Rodeo Realty's Sherman Oaks agent Derick Vallance featured in Curbed's Pricespotter

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Featured Thursday in Curbed LA’s Pricespotter is a property listed by Rodeo Realty’s Sherman Oaks agent, Derick Vallance.

To make things a bit more fun, the online site is playing the home price guessing game!

The objective is simple: Take a look at the four-bedroom, seven bath Encino home and tell them how much you think it’s asking. Leave your comments, and please, no cheating!

For more information on the property and to play the guessing game, click HERE.

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Economic update for the week ending October 29, 2016

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Stocks mixed for the week – While a better than expected U.S. 3rd quarter economic growth figure was released, other news dragged down stocks this week. Mixed quarterly results came in for the third quarter. While financial and health care companies reported better than expected profits, energy companies had disappointing results. Exxon took a huge write down of nearly 20% on new oil reserves based on lower oil prices. Oil dropped as well after several weeks of gains. Fears of higher interest rates weighed heavily on stocks and bonds as investors felt that the 3rd quarter economic growth, lower unemployment, and other data would cause The Federal Reserve raise its key interest rates at the December meeting. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed the week at 18,161.19, up from 18,145.71 last Friday. The S&P 500 closed the week at 2,126.42, down from 2,141.16 last week. The NASDAQ closed the week at 5,190.10, down from last week’s close of 5,257.40.

U.S. Treasury Bond yields rise on better economic news this week – The 10 year U.S. Treasury Bond yield closed the week at 1.86%, up from 1.74% last Friday. The 30-year U.S. Treasury Bond closed at 2.62%, up from 2.48% last week. Mortgage rates follow bond yields so we watch bond yields closely.

Mortgage rates just slightly lower this week – The Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Survey released on October 27, 2016 showed that average mortgage rates from lenders surveyed for the most popular mortgage products were as follows: The 30-year fixed rate average was 3.47%. The 15-year fixed average rate was 2.78%. The 5/1 ARM average rate was 2.84%. Rates rose late in the week, so rates will definitely be higher in next week’s survey.

California employers add 30,000 new jobs in September – The Employment Development Department reported that California added 30,000 net new jobs in September. The state’s unemployment rate held steady at 5.5%, as more workers entered the workforce. Employers in Los Angeles County increased their payrolls by 19,400 employees. The unemployment rate in Los Angeles County actually increased slightly to 5% as more workers began the job search. Year over year the unemployment rate is down significantly from 6.2% last September. The labor force now has reached 5.2 million people which is the largest it’s been in 15 years in L.A. County.

American economy grew at 2.9% annualized rate in 3rd quarter – The Commerce Department reported that the U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of 2.9% in the 3rd quarter toping analyst’s expectations of a 2.5% increase. While this was the best quarter in 2 years, it followed just a 1.1% increase for the first 2 quarters (January to June), the slowest first half since 2011.

Existing pending U.S. home sales up in September – U.S. Pending home sales were higher in September after dropping in August according to The National Association of Realtors. The pending home sale index, a forward indicator of future closed sales is based on new contract signings. The number of new contracts signed to purchase an existing home in The U.S. increased 1.5% from August’s figures. It was also up 2.4% from September 2015. It has now risen on a year over year basis for 22 out of the last 25 months.

Existing home pending sales rise in California – The California Association of Realtors released their pending home sales report which showed both month over month gains, and year over year gains in the number of pending sales. Statewide pending home sales were up 5.3% in September from August’s seasonally adjusted level and up 10.5% from last September. Pending home sales include new contracts signed for existing single family attached and detached homes. September’s pending home sales in the Southern California region were down 4.6% from August’s figures, but up 15.3% from last September.

Have a great weekend!

Syd

Rodeo Realty holds pumpkin patch event for the community

Rodeo Realty’s Pumpkin Patch was a great success! The annual event was held outside of the Pasific Palisades office October 15.

Residents stopped by between 12 – 3 p.m. and enjoyed free In-N-Out lunch and also received a free pumpkin! Parents and children also enjoyed cupcakes, cookies and candy!

Below are photos of the pumpkin patch event.

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Rodeo Realty proudly supports Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Fund and congratulates the 2016 Damn Gala honorees

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Cyndi Lauper, the True Colors Fund, and some pretty awesome people came together in October for an unforgettable evening filled with revelry, music, food, and performances!

Rodeo Realty is proud to have taken part in the event that focused on raising money to support the True Colors Fund’s efforts to end homelessness among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth in America. The non-profit organization, co-founded by Cyndi Lauper in 2008, has striven to provide a safe space in which LGBT youth could feel free to express themselves. Through community organizing work, public engagements, public policy, research, and youth collaboration, they hope to not only end LGBT youth homelessness, but to also prevent it from occurring.

Among various supporters, Rodeo Realty was one of the sponsors for Cyndi Lauper’s Damn Gala. Together, President of Rodeo Realty Syd Leibovitch and his wife Linda donated a total of $7,000 to the organization and its event.

The event was held at The Hollywood Athletic Club. Network and Los Angeles LGBT Center were this year’s honorees.

Rodeo Realty proudly supports Cyndi Laurper’s True Colors Fund and congratulates the 2016 Damn Gala honorees.

About True Colors Fund:
In America, up to 40 percent of the 1.6 million youth that are homeless each year identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Yet, only up to seven percent of the general youth population is LGBT. The most cited reason for this disproportionate rate is family rejection due to the young person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.