The Boutique Real Estate Group

Spanish Revival listed at $3.5 million is the priciest listing in Fullerton

An updated Spanish Revival-style estate in Fullerton, once owned by Bridgford Foods Corp. founder Hugh H. Bridgford, has hit the market for $3.5 million.

Currently, it’s the highest-priced home listing on the Multiple Listing Service in the city.

The 5,329-square-foot residence on more than a half-acre lot has five en-suite bedrooms, a media room and a rooftop viewing deck.

Constructed in 1927 and completely remodeled from 2013-15, the home at 401 Cannon Lane retains the look of the era at the same time that it takes a more modern turn. In one direction sits the living room, which features an original Markoff tile fireplace and a parabolic window. Its shape mirrors the arched doorways found throughout the house.  

Other interior features include a formal dining room, family room and large, eat-in kitchen, which boasts Wolf, Sub-Zero and Miele appliances and such designer finishes as Calacatta Gold marble and leathered granite.

There’s also a private office on the ground floor.

The house has two staircases.

Up the grand rotunda entryway’s spiral wrought iron staircase with inlaid Hispano-Moresque Spanish tiles are all but one of the bedrooms, including the 800-square-foot master retreat. It boasts dual Monterey balconies, a walk-in closet and a morning kitchen with a Sub-Zero under-counter refrigerator as well as a spa-like master bathroom with a freestanding tub and a steam shower with multiple heads.

In the backyard, there’s a saltwater swimming pool with zero-edge spa, an outdoor kitchen with a DCS grill, a courtyard and spacious patios, including one near a 12-foot fireplace.

The grounds also boast an expansive lawn and mature trees.

A state-of-the-art Russound sound system, solar power and whole-home Lutron lighting round out the listing.

Raj Qsar and Christina Boladian of The Boutique Real Estate Group hold the listing.

Bridgford, who died in 1992 at age 83, grew his foods brand from a Depression-era butcher shop he opened in San Diego.

The company, headquartered in Anaheim since 1943, specializes in frozen and refrigerated food products, from ready-to-bake bread to sliced salami.

But Bridgford was not the original owner of the Cannon house. According to the current owner, the house was built for the family of A.G. Wright, the owner of a crushing plant called the Orange County Rock Company, Inc.

Original Article via OC REGISTER

By SANDRA BARRERA | sbarrera@scng.com 

Is Listing Your Home During the COVID Outbreak A Good Idea?

Normally, spring in Southern California is an excellent time to list your home for sale.

It’s the time of year when people are ready for a new beginning and planning big life changes. 

Normally.

Right now, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to government orders that range from social distancing to sheltering in place, which has changed life as we know it. When the streets are empty and you haven’t even seen your neighbors in weeks, a big question for would-be sellers remains: Should I even bother to list my house for sale? Here are the pros and cons to consider in these unusual times.

Pro: Right now, homes are STILL ACTUALLY SELLING in all parts of Southern California.

And…they are still selling near, at, or above asking price for many price ranges. Even with showing restrictions in place and virtual open houses flooding the internet, buyers are making legitimate offers and moving forward. We are still poised to help sellers navigate these interesting times.

Pro: Right now, homes are mortgage rates are very low.

In an effort to stimulate the economy, mortgage rates have dropped to new lows — and they could fall even more in the coming weeks. This is good news for potential buyers who were on the hunt before the pandemic hit and might help them continue to feel confident about a home purchase. For sellers, this also could mean that the buyers who do make offers are the most serious about making a purchase. Looking for an amazing lender to assist you? Click Here

Pro: There’s more certainty now than there is about the future.

Economic reports are enough to make anyone feel anxious. However, what we know right now is that there’s a stimulus package coming, many are still working (albeit remotely) and that social distancing measures will be in place for at least the next month or so. Things could get better, or they could get worse and lead to further restrictions. Delaying your home sale runs the risk of potentially missing the window and ending up having to list when the market is down.

22750 Hidden Hills Rd, Yorba Linda, Ca 92887

Pro: Open Houses Are Available Virtually.

Virtual showings may be a great option for sellers and buyers who are serious about social distancing. An excellent agent will be able to make your home’s virtual presence as compelling as it is in-person. Whether it’s via FaceTime, a 3D virtual tour, or a Facebook Watch Party, a virtual open house may just be the perfect answer to showing off your home during the COVID19 crisis. Not only is it a safer option during this time, but it can also be more convenient for those not being able to make the short window that traditional open houses typically offer.

78731 & 78741 Deacon Drive East, La Quinta, CA 92253

Con: You’ll have to find a new place to live.

You’ll have the same issues facing your potential buyer, because you’ll be a potential buyer, too. Even if you do line up a new home, there are possible delays that might necessitate temporary housing (renting an Airbnb, seasonal home, or a short-term rental if you’re even able to) which was much easier to find pre-COVID than it will be right now. Then, there are the actual practical considerations of moving: Will there be movers available to help you out? Will you be able to easily shop for moving supplies (especially if there are travel curfews in place, or if home improvement stores experience delivery delays)? However, there is a silver lining: Some rental owners may be inclined to offer significant rental discounts as their short and long term incomes have also been affected.

Potential Con: Mortgage guidelines are changing more than ever right now 

With some of the potential uncertainty in the market, banks and mortgage brokers and their institutions are possibly changing approval guidelines for purchasers. What does this mean for you? This means you’ll need to be sure to vet the buyer and the lender on your transaction to ensure that no delays occur for your transaction.

The bottom line is that putting your home on the market right now is a calculated risk where the need to sell outweighs any anxiety you may feel about how COVID is affecting the market. With an experienced agent, you can find creative ways to keep your home sale running smoothly (and safely, observing all precautions). 

While we tried to cover the big pros and cons of listing your home during the COVID-19 pandemic… There might be info relevant to our market that can further affect your potential sale. Whether you need a sounding board or advice on how the market is adapting in real-time, we are here to listen to any and all of your concerns.

Give us a call at 714-482-6362 or email us at Info@TheBoutiqueRE.com

COVID-19 Orange County Real Estate Market Report

Our team at The Boutique Real Estate Group has been collecting data and information from the California Association of Realtors (CAR), and will continue to update our reports to help our clients and community better understand the impact of COVID-19 on a statewide and county level.

For the full press release from CAR click here

CA at a glance: March 2020

Statewide, existing, single-family home sales totaled 373,070 in March on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, down 11.5 percent from February and down 6.1 percent from March 2019.


Despite a dip in housing demand, the statewide median price rose from both the previous month and previous year.  March’s statewide median home price was $612,440, surging past the $600,000 benchmark for the first time in three months, moving up 5.6 percent from February and up 8.3 percent from March 2019.


The statewide Unsold Inventory Index was 2.7 months in March, down from 3.6 months in February and from 3.6 months in March 2019, making it the lowest inventory level in three months.

*The index indicates the number of months it would take to sell the supply of homes on the market at the current rate of sales.

OC at a glance: March 2020

In Orange County, the median sales price of existing single family homes in March 2020 was $882,000 increasing 0.2 percent from $880,000 in February 2020 and 9 percent from $809,500 in March 2019.

Gains in house sales for individual counties, which had been at or near double digits in February, also did an about-face in March.  Orange County posted a 1.6% sales gain, compared with a 34.7% increase in February. 

Yorba Linda mansion of race car driver Graham Rahal asks $8 million

The modern hilltop estate of IndyCar driver Graham Rahal has listed for $8 million in Yorba Linda. (Composite by Sandra Barrera, Southern California News Group; Inset: Getty Images file photo; House: The Boutique Real Estate Group)

IndyCar driver Graham Rahal has put his modern hilltop estate in Yorba Linda on the market for $8 million.

Perched atop one of Orange County’s highest peaks on a 3-acre lot with canyon, city and distant ocean views, the home — built in 2011 for Carlito Jocson, the corporate executive chef and vice president for Yard House restaurants — offers 8,320 square feet of living space with floor-to-ceiling windows, a restaurant-caliber kitchen and an open-concept floor plan.

A flush-mount fireplace warms the living room, which opens to the formal dining area with its multiple Edison bulb chandelier.

There’s also a breakfast room.

Other interior features include a billiards room, a 13-person home theater and a 1,200-bottle wine room.

The spacious master suite boasts his and hers walk-in closets and a spa-like bathroom with a large shower and a separate sunken tub. Floor-to-ceiling windows slide away and pocket into the walls to offer access to the zero-edge infinity swimming pool flanked by two glass-tiled fire pits in the backyard.

According to the design firm DKY Architects, the house was designed to promote “a true indoor-outdoor living and entertaining experience.”

In addition to the pool, there’s a full-size kitchen with ample bar-seating and a wood-fired pizza oven, a basketball court and a meditation garden lined with olive trees.

The drought-tolerant grounds offer plenty of room for a helipad.

A four-car garage, expansive car park and whole-home Crestron system complete the offerings.

Raj Qsar and Christina Boladian of The Boutique Real Estate Group hold the listing.

Rahal, 31, is the son of former racing champ-turned-team owner Bobby Rahal. He’s been driving since 2007. The six-time NTT IndyCar Series winner is married to former drag racing star Courtney Force.

The Rahals are asking 31.3% more than the $6.095 million they paid for the five-bedroom mansion in November 2017, the escrow statement shows.

When they bought their hilltop estate, it was the most expensive home ever sold in the city.

That title now belongs to a hilltop mansion dubbed Satsang, once the location for a shampoo commercial starring Jennifer Lopez. It sold for $9.8 million in February 2019.

By SANDRA BARRERA | sbarrera@scng.com | Los Angeles Daily News

Original link to article: https://www.ocregister.com/2020/04/14/yorba-linda-mansion-of-racecar-driver-graham-rahal-asks-8-million/

10 Questions with Raj Qsar

With so much panic and uncertainty in the world today, I figured there was no better person to interview for this week’s 10 Questions series than my good friend, Raj Qsar. Raj is the owner of The Boutique Real Estate Group based in Orange County, CA. Not only is Raj one of the leading minds in real estate innovation, but he’s not too proud to share everything he knows with the industry he loves to challenge us all to find new ways of doing things. His marketing is a step above the rest (just check out one of his videos) and when it comes to just about anything – I know Raj not only has everyone’s best interests at heart but delivers with a laugh and a smile. Get to know more about Raj here.

With a new “smart” something coming out almost every day, what products amaze and astound you?

Raj-Alyssa.jpg

I am pretty sure you know my answer to this… TikTok. It is not just a dancing app where you are being silly. It truly is addictive. And the skills an individual can learn from mastering the app will carry on for years to come. What you can simply do on TikTok used to take a team of five people to pull off 5 years ago. It also gives you some insight into what is trending and relevant in today’s world.

With a million things happening at any one moment, how do you manage your time?

I am a huge believer in having a schedule and time-blocking chunks of the day. My routine is pretty much the same everyday (for work and my personal life). The details of what I am doing may change, just like a real estate transaction, but the core is the same.

What is something you’re really proud of? Why?

Probably the fact that back in 2008 I decided to take a leap and shoot a video. And not just a video but an actual movie on a listing. This was back before any of us knew how to shoot video on anything. I wanted to be different. I wanted to stand out. I wanted to give our clients the best chance of success on selling their home (which they tried to do several times before they met me). We had no idea of what we were doing or how to cut or edit the video but it was one of the most critical “ah ha” moments in my real estate career.

What’s the best and worst thing about getting older?

Worst – The fact that you are getting older and realizing that you can not control time.
Best – You truly realize who your tribe is over time. The people that stick with you, love you no matter what and want to do time with you. You also realize that life is full of moments with people (not things).  And every moment is what you make of it and is irreplaceable.


How do you relax?
Ever since I was a kid I have loved the ocean. I am not sure why because my parents really do not love the water. I mean my Mom does not know how to swim? But at an early age, they got us all into swim lessons and started taking us to the beach. In Orange County, I love to relax (in the afternoon) on any beach and watch the sunset.

What kind of projects would you like to do more of?
I think there is a huge need in our industry for true camaraderie, especially in leadership. CEO’s helping CEO’s navigate the waters we sail every day. Our industry is so complex and slammed with “what if’s” that it can sometimes be difficult to have a standard way of doing things. So to answer the question, I would love to be able to reach out to more CEO’s and give my time and see where I can assist and have a CEO sounding board where you can throw stuff and see if it sticks.

 What did you want to be when you were a kid?
As you know I went to medical school. So pretty much from college on that’s what I wanted to do, but life does take some interesting turns. I found out by going to medical school it truly was not my calling. It’s a long story on how I eventually landed in real estate but, for now, it is where I belong.

Why do you believe having mentors is so important?
Sometimes I think the world puts people in front of you for a reason. There are some really good people out there and these are the folks you need to cling to. When starting a business there are people who have run your race and finished the course and are willing to share their experience with you. Whether they take on the role of “mentor” or simply “friend” it is these opportunities that make you and your business better. No one business person has all the answers, it is humanly impossible.

What gets you fired up/energized?
It has become a trend that most people in our industry will do the least amount of work possible, put in the least amount of time and try to have the biggest rewards. Our team has become know in Orange County as the cleanup kids (and we are not kids anymore). But basically, when a listing does not sell due to over promises and under delivery, we get the call. This is not a business where your brothers, daughters, next-door neighbors dog sitter who just got licensed should be navigating the sale of someone’s most valuable asset should come into place to save x%. So coming into a listing that has not sold, charging the same amount and delighting our clients is what gets me the most fired up. We recently took a listing that had been listed 5x by 5 of the top brokers in Orange County and we sold it for full price. We truly care and every single listing matters.

Original Post via https://alyssahellman.com/blog/10-questions-with-raj-qsar

To our family, friends, clients, and colleagues.

A Message from Raj Qsar.
 
First of all, we want to send our support & love during these uncertain times. The global COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most difficult scenarios we’ve had to face as a company, industry, and community. When I started The Boutique, my dream was to develop a culture where everyone is considered family. My intention in doing so was to create something better, not only for our agents, staff, and clients but for our industry as a whole. This dream remains our companies driving force as we move forward each & every day.
 
To our most valued clients, please know that during this time, we will continue to serve you with support, knowledge, and care. Now more than ever, The Boutique family will come together to communicate and collaborate, as we work safely on your behalf.
 
Our agents will remain available, providing online and video conversations, live streaming property tours and sharing updates on all our social media channels. We work in a completely digital office and can manage all documents online. We will pick up food for you, grab groceries for you, drop off medicine for you or just simply call you to check-in. We will continue to monitor the guidelines set forth by our local, state and national governments, as well as our real estate industry associations.
 
We are here to help & support you in every way possible and are committed to providing you with the utmost service and guidance moving forward.
 
On behalf of The Boutique family, we send our love, prayers and best wishes for the health of you and your loved ones. We will get through this, together and come back stronger than ever.
 
Raj Qsar, CEO / Owner
The Boutique Real Estate Group

The Bridgford House
401 Cannon Ln, Fullerton, Ca 92831

COVID-19 Response

Dear clients, family, and friends,

During this time, we want you to know that we’re here to help…

💕 Our hearts go out to our families with children with schools shut down, our parents, grand-parents & great grand-parents, our seniors in assisted living, our neighbors at the hospitals, our local businesses struggling and anyone impacted by this pandemic.

🍊 TBREG was born here in The OC in 2013 and many of our agents were born and raised here as well. We are fortunate to know people who may be able to help you out for a trip to the grocery store, watching children or just someone to speak with to get the facts.

😊 You’ll be surprised how many good people are here locally who are happy to help you. They WANT TO HELP! Its time for our community to rally for good.

📲 Call or email us if you need anything. We can be reached at 888-917-8267 or info@TheBoutiqueRE.com. We can see if we are able to assist in some way or know someone who can help. To see how our business and team are operating for the time being, please visit our Instagram or Facebook page.

These are crazy, unprecedented times. Together, we will get through it.

Please stay safe and healthy.

Regards,

The Boutique Real Estate Group 🏡

Lic 01933510

Helpful Links:

CDC – Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

WHO – World Health Organization

NIH – National Institutes of Health

‘Sanitizer and power of attorney’: How luxury is bracing for the virus

In the most extreme example, some clients with private jets have begun asking about buying homes on islands and in other isolated areas that they can flee to in case of disaster

As some uber-wealthy homeowners stock up on hand sanitizer and hire cleaners for every showing, others are giving family members power of attorney to ensure a sale in case of quarantine.

The impacts of the coronavirus, the novel respiratory disease that began in China but has spread into an international pandemic with over 140,000 cases around the world confirmed, are just starting to reverberate across the real estate sector. Brokerages have had to close for deep cleaning after some of their agents became exposed to the virus while people in some of the hardest-hit parts of the country are isolating themselves voluntarily and holding off on all buying for the time being.

According to NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun, 11 percent of agents surveyed earlier this month saw less buyer traffic while 7 percent reported lower seller traffic thus far.Luxury real estate, which is generally considered to include homes worth between $5 million and $30 million, follows different rules. In 2018, high-end homes sat on the market for an average of 506 days compared to only 80 for an median-priced home. That said, this segment of the industry has not been immune to the fear and financial impact surrounding the novel disease.

Senada Adzem

Senada Adzem, a Douglas Elliman broker working with homes worth as much as $30 million in Boca Raton and other parts of South Florida, said some of her wealthy clients are especially hesitant to hold showings and require much more detail about who is coming into their home.

“We had to convince the seller to allow us to show and register every person who was coming in,” Adzem, whose eight-agent branch has cancelled all open houses until the outbreak stabilizes, told Inman. “After we were done, they had a cleaning team come in and wipe everything down.”

As a result, Adzem’s team has had to screen whom they show houses to not just by the standard ability to afford the property but also by travel history and whether they are showing any visible signs of illness, such as coughing or a fever. Adzem, who fled the war in Bosnia during the 1990s, said that crises like these cause people of all financial and social classes to panic.

She has been striving not only to reassure her clients but work around their fears. In the most extreme example, some clients with private jets have begun asking her about buying homes on islands and in other isolated areas that they can flee to in case of disaster.

“When people are in a panic mode, they think differently and make a different set of decisions,” she said. “As agents, we have to take it seriously and not just pretend it’s not going to impact our business.”

Raj Qsar

Still, the outbreak is not impacting all parts of the country equally. Raj Qsar, the CEO of the Boutique Real Estate Group in Orange County, California, said members of his team have held 20 open houses last weekend and have seen them packed with people each time. They have another 15 open houses scheduled for this weekend and do not expect a lot of changes in traffic due to the coronavirus.

This could be due to Orange County being a particularly hot market. In the area, median sales prices rose by 7.2 percent year-over-year in December while sales inventory is down 36 percent. According to Qsar, many people are so desperate to invest and tap into the market that a national pandemic hasn’t slowed them down — particularly when the stock market is responding to the cancellation of flights and adjustments to the typical workday.

“If people have funds in a 401K and those funds go down, those funds may not be there anymore,” Qsar said. “This is a 30-year opportunity for a three-month incident.”

The California Association of Realtors expects the virus to have some impact on the luxury market as people hold off on buying second homes and investment properties in the face of uncertainty. Qsar has seen both buyers and sellers who are in the escrow process and need to travel transfer power of attorney to a family member or other trusted person. Rather than the fear of contracting the virus, some fear a quarantine, not having access to WiFi and allowing a sale to fall through their fingers

“They may put their masks on, they may bring hand-sanitizer with them but they’re still going to walk into that open house,” Qsar said, adding that he does not expect serious buyers to be deterred by the coronavirus.

McKenzie Ryan

New York City real estate has been particularly responsive to market effects from the virus — the state has seen more than 200 cases of coronavirus and, subsequently, 13 percent of open houses had no traffic at all last weekend. According to CNBC, average open house attendance fell 27 percent in the last week alone —  from an average of 5.6 people to 4.1 peopleper event.

McKenzie Ryan, a Compass agent working on high-end properties in Manhattan, said that the New York real estate market is particularly affected by daily headlines. And while that’s having real-world effects, some wealthy buyers are also capitalizing on the situation. She’s seen billionaire clients who normally spend a large portion of their time traveling get landlocked in New York and, as a result, use the extra time to arrange private showings.

“I think people are going to stay focused on their long-term goals and take precautions to keep themselves safe in the interim,” she said.

BY VERONIKA BONDARENKO via https://www.inman.com/2020/03/13/sanitizer-and-power-of-attorney-how-luxury-is-bracing-for-the-virus/ || March 13, 2020