Blog

Are you thinking of investing in the Long Beach, CA real estate market?  Who could blame you?
Long Beach and the surrounding area are right between Los Angeles and Orange Counties in the
heart of some of the best real estate opportunities on earth. 

Southern California isn’t just the perfect spot for vacationers year-round and is home to a booming
tourism industry. It is also a hub for a buzzing job market, an incredibly high demand for 
<... read more >>

In 1906, a banker named Stephen Green and his wife Josephine moved from Seattle and built an ornate Queen Anne Victorian residence in their new hometown of Long Beach, California. Now known as the Bembridge House, it sets on the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historic Resources.

Walking through it today you can feel what they must have been like. This magnificent home is much more than a specimen of late Victorian architecture. It stands as an example of what a community can do working together in the name of local pride, preservation and heritage.... read more >>

Just like tenants, California law, (CA Civil Code 1940-1954.05) gives landlords a bevy of rights. Key among them being the right to evict a tenant for lease violations. The following guidelines describes this process under non-Covid circumstances.

Since the Covid epidemic, the state of California, and many local jurisdictions have enacted tenant protections that supersede normal eviction proceedings. These Covid-related tenant protections are everchanging and we highly recommend you seek legal coun... read more >>

Not all tenants in California who sign a lease stay to the end. Unpredictable things can get in the way and the tenant may be forced to break their lease agreement. Now, depending on the reason for breaking the lease, a tenant may or may not be liable for penalties. Not being liable for penalties also means you can't make any deductions to the tenant's security deposit to try to cover lost rent.

Unjustified Reasons for Breaking a Lease in California

When your tenant doesn&rsqu... read more >>

Imagine, if you will. You got that great job offer in Nashville you were hoping for. However, you live in Long Beach, California. Moving out is a no-brainer, and you’re excited at the options you can afford.

But, what to do with the Long Beach home you own? Should you sell it? Should you keep it as an investment?

We get this question all the time. Especially in the Los Angeles/Orange County area. All concerns seem valid: the fear of not being able to afford a comeback, after selling your home. Two, your attachment and affection to your home. Or you consider renting out you... read more >>

In Long Beach, ORCA stands for Ocean Residents Community Association. It’s the neighborhood association that runs along Ocean Blvd.

One of the most meaningful changes we have seen in local communities over the last couple of decades is the growing popularity of neighborhood associations.

Downtown Long Beach has a group of neighborhood associations, including ORCA, members of an organization called the Downtown Residential Council.

ORCA is one of the most active and impactful neighborhood associations in all of Long Beach. Jim Gooden, the current President of Ocean Re... read more >>

Renting out a property isn’t without its fair share of risks. Your tenant could:

• Lose their job and become unable to make their monthly rent paymentsread more >>

What do an open bar, taco trucks, community building, and closing costs on a real estate transaction have in common?

They all help build a community within the AQUA condominium, one of the biggest complexes along the ocean corridor in downtown Long Beach.

How does it work? AQUA unit owners have a mandatory private transfer fee. When a property sells at the complex, the buyer pays ¼ of 1% of the purchase price towards the Community Service Organization, commonly referred to as the CSO.

For an $800,000 condo, the CSO fee would be $2,000.

Wh... read more >>

California real estate law states that a lease agreement exists when an oral or written agreement is reached and the tenant begins to pay rent. At this point, both California landlords and California tenants obtain certain rights and responsibilities that do not change, no matter what is specified on any rental agreements.

California tenants, for example, have the right to live in conditions that ... read more >>

Imagine, if you will – you’re about to sell your home. You’re speaking with local agents you are familiar with, asking them about the closing costs of the sale. They list insurance, escrow fees, transfer taxes, and… commissions.

They list a commission between the 5 or 6% range. Come to think of it, your home is valued roughly at a million dollars - that’s $50,000 in commission. Your home is great and should be an easy sell. You’re an astute business person and ask yourself; what value do real estate agents offer, and why are the commissions so high... read more >>