Los Angeles Real Estate & Homes for Sale

Audition to buy Kara DioGuardi’s house
Also: Joe Sebok and Kristan Cunningham design over Twitter, Facebook; TV writers Krista Vernoff and Kevin Maynard list in Los Feliz; former Robert Redford home in Malibu for sale.

Prolific songwriter and " American Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi's Spanish-style home in the Hollywood Hills is on the market at $1,649,000.

Posted: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Contemporary serenity in Bel-Air
Sweeping views and passive green elements set apart the contemporary design by Hermosa Beach architect Patrick Killen.

A sweeping view of the Getty Center and the Santa Monica Mountains can be seen from a contemporary home in Bel-Air that features a passive green design.

Posted: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

IRS tells homeowners how to get tax relief if a lender forgives part of their debt
Reduction of mortgage principal, usually considered taxable income, is expected to become more prevalent as the Obama administration and banks seek ways to prevent foreclosures.

With the Obama administration and private lenders actively considering mortgage-principal-reduction programs to help financially distressed homeowners, the Internal Revenue Service has issued an advisory to taxpayers who receive -- or seek to receive -- such assistance if it's offered.

Posted: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Home of the Week update
Craftsman meets modern

Posted: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Permanently modified mortgages grow by 45%, government says
In February, the number of homeowners with permanently reduced monthly payments grew to 168,708, the Obama administration reports, and 91,483 more trial modifications are approved.

The Obama administration Friday said its mortgage modification program continued to make progress, with the number of homeowners receiving permanently reduced monthly payments in February increasing by 45% to 168,708.

Posted: Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Average 30-year mortgage rate drops to 4.95%, Freddie Mac says
The average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 4.95% this week from 4.97% last week, Freddie Mac said Thursday.

Posted: Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Fewer homes enter foreclosure process in February
Some experts say the 2% drop from January stems from banks' efforts to keep owners in their homes.

The number of homes caught up in some stage of the foreclosure process in February fell 2% from the previous month to 308,524, a real estate firm will report Thursday.

Posted: Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Interest in buying state offices in California is building
The 24 buildings being offered, including two in L.A., are drawing global investors. The sale is also being criticized for the loss of long-term capital assets in favor of short-term gains.

Efforts to sell 24 state office buildings have drawn lots of interest from potential buyers -- as well as the ire of some former public officials who labored to get them built years ago in the belief that public ownership of the buildings would bring long-term financial benefits to taxpayers.

Posted: Mon, 8 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

KB Home backdating case has high stakes for prosecutors
They seek to punish ex-CEO Bruce Karatz, but also to improve the record of a massive stock-options crackdown that so far has yielded few convictions.

Two months after the federal government's criminal cases against Broadcom Corp.'s top executives collapsed, the U.S. attorney's office is taking aim at another stock-options backdating target: former KB Home chief Bruce Karatz.

Posted: Mon, 8 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Braving a dismal apartment market
Depressed apartment market attracts adventurous investors

It's a cold winter for apartment investors in Los Angeles County: Rents are down, prices have fallen and vacancies are way up.

Posted: Sun, 7 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800