Mary Beth was fantastic to work with not only with selling the property on Roscomare, but being extremely helpful in keeping it rented for 20 plus years. I never expected that we would be able to get the price we did and with 20 offers in about a day, selling above the asking price with a very short escrow was amazing!

Mary Beth has always been very prompt in keeping in touch with me during the many years the property was rented and made sure we had great tenants.

Following the sale of Roscomare, she assisted me in finding a property in Pasadena, closer to my home. She did her research and we found the perfect place within a few hours one afternoon. It was such a great property, it even rented before it was listed! I would highly recommend her to everyone, as I can’t imagine anyone doing a more perfect job. She’s terrific!

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Mary Beth is the best realtor I’ve ever worked with. She is a consummate professional who provides superb client service. She is extremely knowledgeable about the neighborhoods she focuses on. Mary Beth is a great listener who is responsive to her clients needs. She provided information, guidance and direction without pushing me in any direction. Rather she focused in on my requirements and preferences. Mary Beth crafted a successful marketing strategy for my home that she executed beautifully with great results. I have and will continue to recommend her highly.

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After moving cross-country with her husband, Mary Beth Woods was in search for her next professional challenge. She’d left behind a career in social work, but soon fell in love with the process of home-hunting. “I knew I loved houses and working with families,” she remembers. Naturally, she earned her license. Now, more than forty years later, Mary Beth has built a long legacy defined by a proven track record, and professionalism with a personal touch.

Today, Mary Beth serves clients across Los Angeles’ Westside and Malibu areas. Under the banner of Coldwell Banker, she works in conjunction with her daughter and broker, Darby, and an assistant. Over the course of her career, Mary Beth has driven a significant contingent of her business through repeat and referral clientele who trust her experience, knowledge, and local insight.

“Clients know that I really care about them and achieving the best results,” she says. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get them there. Until we find the right fit, we’ll work at it together.” Likewise, Mary Beth prioritizes educating her clients, equipping them with all the information and resources they need to make astute decisions. “An educated buyer is a better buyer,” she says. In fact,
Mary Beth’s colleagues and past clients praise her tact, communication skills, and ability to streamline the transactional process throughout, which is for a smooth, open, and communicative transaction.”

When listing properties, Mary Beth focuses on curating presentations before launching exposure campaigns. “A picture is worth a thousand words,” she says, “and we need to maximize a buyer’s attention. The best way to do that is to be visually strong from the beginning.” She uses drone photography and videos to enhance social media campaigns. Then, optimal visibility is achieved across social media and the leading online listing platforms.

All told, Mary’s high-end marketing is very customized for each property, for all involved. “It’s been a privilege working with Mary Beth for over twenty-five years,” said one vendor. “Mary Beth has always provided us with information in the beginning of the transaction, as well as throughout, which is for a smooth, open, and communicative transaction.”

When listing properties, Mary Beth focuses on curating  presentations before launching exposure campaigns. “A picture is worth a thousand words,” she says, “and we need to maximize a buyer’s  attention. The best way to do that is to be visually strong from the beginning.” She uses drone photography and videos to enhance social media campaigns. Then, optimal visibility is achieved across social media and the leading online listing platforms. All told, Mary’s high-end marketing is very customized for each property, and all listings benefit from word-of-mouth
buzz amongst her broad professional circle. “I keep the big picture in mind every step of the way,” Mary Beth says, “from the sale, to inspection, to closing—I’m conscious of every detail.”

Beyond the office, Mary Beth has given back to various organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, City of Angels Hospice Care, Sisters of Social Service, and Regis House. She has also contributed pro bono work to many of these organizations, in addition to contributing to various Jesuit school boards across the city. In her free hours, she most enjoys time spent with her extended family and loved ones, especially her grandchildren. In the summer, Mary Beth’s family often gathers at their summer place, where she also enjoys hiking and reading.

Going forward, Mary Beth intends to exceed her clients’ expectations and help them achieve all their real estate goals. Now, with more than four decades of experience, Mary Beth Woods considers what she enjoys most about her extensive career. “I love working with clients to accomplish a goal,” she says. “There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing everyone happy after a job well done.”

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The Brentwood (Los Angeles Westside) Area Report offers insight into residential real estate sales activity and regional trends. It gives a broad look at the real estate market.

The market summary below lets you see sales activity for the prior month and year, along with current and past year-to-date statistics. The graphs cover several different aspects of the real estate market. Note how some of the graphs break out trends by price increments. Read on and let the trends be seen in real numbers. Please contact me if you would like more information.

As you can see in the in the Real Estate Snapshot, the number of sales and average days on market in Brentwood for 2019 slightly surpassed 2018. New listings, however, jumped over 53%. Median and average sales prices remain stable while median and average list prices declined fractionally.

In the Full Market Summary we see an over 53% increase in new listings and 7% more sales, 2019 over 2018. Median listing prices have declined 8% while median selling prices have declined less than 2%. Importantly, median days on the market have declined by almost 44% to an average of 27 days. Average days on market is up 3% and the list/sell price ratio is less than 2%.

In the Sold and New Properties graph we see ever increasing volume of both categories with 2019 showing the widest disparity with 880 sold properties versus 414 sold properties.

In the Median Sales Price and Number of Sales graph from October 2016 to September 2019, but for a price spike in early 2017, we see level and stable trend. Note August of 2019, we see a decline in prices that may show more of a run on lower priced properties. This is something to track over the next few months.

In the Average Sales Price and Average Days on Market graph from October 2016 to September 2019, but for a price and days on market spike in early 2018, we see level but climbing average sales prices while days on the market is lower.

In the Sales Price as a Percentage of Original Price graph from October 2016 to September 2019, but for a vast decline in early 2018, we see level and stable trend, excluding August and September 2019 where prices declined quite a bit.

In the Average Sales Price and Number of Properties for Sale graph from October 2016 to September 2019, but for a few spikes that seem to indicate a slight price trend upward, excluding August and September 2019 where prices declined quite a bit compared to the trend for all of 2019.

In the Properties For Sale and Sold Properties graph from October 2016 to September 2019, we see a huge price jump starting in early 2019 with a decline in August and September 2019. This is a trend worth watching.

These are interesting times and well worth tracking.

The statistics presented in the Area Report are compiled based on figures and data generated by IDC Global and Datafloat and may not be completely accurate. All information should be independently verified for accuracy. Properties may or may not be listed by the office/agent presenting the information. Not intended as a solicitation if your property is already listed by another broker. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the Company.

©2019 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

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When the time comes to sell your home, you can maximize your selling price and even make the sale happen sooner by doing some things to make you home show better.

Sellers need to determine the cost effectiveness of each planned improvement. One must judge the potential return based upon what they need to do to add value. Not all home improvements add enough value to justify doing them. Ask your real estate agent if you are unsure.

Here are some projects that can add value to your home:

• Paint the interior
• Paint the exterior or pressure wash if the paint is good
• Remove any popcorn ceilings
• Upgrade or paint the garage door and make sure it works nicely
• Fix the driveway
• Trim and groom your landscaping. Fertilize your lawn and foliage.
• Clean in and around the home thoroughly including windows and frames
• New exterior and/or interior lighting
• Replace or thoroughly clean carpet if it is still in good condition
• Remove carpeting and refinish any existing hardwood floors
• Update kitchen – new appliances and/or sink if it’s in bad shape
• Refinish kitchen cabinetry
• Rejuvenate your bathroom
• Do any necessary electrical work to avoid home inspection problems
• Clean your swimming pool and make the water crystal clear
• Stage with attractive furnishings

The list above includes most of the important facets of home preparation for sale. Some of these items may not apply to your situation. Other items may not be deemed cost effective. Only you and your real estate agent can determine what is best in your situation.

First Impressions

Nothing is more important than the first impression and that starts with curb appeal. When a prospective buyer arrives at the house you want them to love what they see upon first look. That means landscaping, driveway, garage door and the home’s exterior.

When they enter the home they should already have a good feeling about what they saw while walking up to the door. You must create an attractive look throughout the home so when they enter they get that warm and fuzzy feeling.

Make it Clean

Your home should be spotless inside and out. Hide all personal items and store them neatly away. Everything should be clean and in place as you might find in a nice hotel room. The kitchen should be spotless with all appliances wiped and shiny and everything put away. The windows should be crystal clear, and you might consider refraining from cooking food that leaves smells in the house for prolonged periods of time.

Be sure to dispose of any odds and ends that you may have stored around the exterior of the house.

Ambience

Ambiance in the home is important. You might open windows if the weather is nice. Clean your skylights and remove any old curtains that might block light and look unattractive. Replace any old ceiling lighting fixtures. Some are not expensive and will look a lot better than some legacy chandeliers. Remove all eyesores and maybe add a modern ceiling fan. Your agent will know best how to spend money toward a faster sale and better outcome.

Landscaping

Always remember that curb appeal starts with your landscaping and garden and improvements there will benefit you over the long term. Maintain your yard by:
• Watering regularly
• Using fertilizer to make growth vital and colorful
• Brush off cobwebs everywhere
• Rake leaves
• Remove weeds
• Trim trees and foliage

If you don’t have a regular gardener, consider hiring one for the duration of the sale, especially during seasons when leaves are dropping regularly and your grass is growing quickly.

Think green when it comes to your landscaping. Plant low-maintenance landscaping and native drought-tolerant plants. Buyers look for these details.

Uncover Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors are very popular now and many homes have them. Often, they were covered up by a prior owner or by you. Tear out that old wall-to-wall carpeting and let the hardwood floors shine through. Sometimes they need refinishing which might look a whole lot nicer than a re-cleaned carpet. Often, in older homes, the hardwood used decades ago is nicer than almost anything you can buy now.

If you don’t know what you have, you can pull up a corner of the existing carpet to determine what is under there and its condition. If you are handy and willing you might do this yourself, but it is not for the faint of heart. The result will surely help the value of your home while helping it sell fast.

Paint

There is nothing like fresh paint. It covers dirt, stains and cracks and adds tremendously to the curb appeal. It goes a long way when getting your home ready to sell. It is one of the most cost-effective home improvements and a fresh coat of paint, both inside and out, will add value to your home by providing a clean and updated look. Consider a neutral color so it will appeal to a larger number of buyers.

If your existing paint is in good shape, then you might want to pressure wash the house to make it like new. Pressure washer rentals can be found in most cities and towns.

Update Your Kitchen

Nothing adds more value than an attractive, well-equipped kitchen. This can get pricey so you must use a value equation to determine how to go about this. Upgraded dishwashers, microwaves, refrigerators and stoves will increase the value of your home. Stainless steel is very popular now and is a neutral color for potential paint color changes by the buyer.

Electrical Work

Don’t overlook your home’s electrical wiring and outlets when thinking of selling. A healthy home electrical system is crucial in order to pass a home inspection. If you suspect something out of the ordinary, it’s often less expensive, and wiser, to have your own electrician do the work. This will avoid any bad marks on the home inspection that can slow down the sale. Check your appliances, your sprinkler system, doorbell and exterior lights. Fix any non-performing item. Some repairs can be done yourself.

Bathrooms

Nice bathrooms are a close second to a nice kitchen in adding value and speeding sales. Buyers adore clean, bright bathrooms.

Outdated, dull and leaky bathroom fixtures can really detract from the overall look, style and feel. A bathroom refresh is often something you may do yourself. But no matter who does it, be sure your bathrooms are as fabulous as you can make them. Change fixtures, knobs and pulls, fix leaky faucets, poor drainage and corroded drains and chrome. Consider re-finishing cabinet doors and fronts as well as re-grouting your shower or installing a tile backsplash. These fixes always add value to your home.

Remove Popcorn Ceilings

Who invented these? Popcorn ceilings are universally disliked. They may not ruin your sale, but they tend to date and devalue a house. You can do it yourself with online videos to watch or have a pro do it.

Caution should be taken if the ceiling contains asbestos. Have a professional take a look before you begin any removal.

Stage

Home staging is more and more popular because it can increase the value of your home and help it sell faster. Your agent can help you with this. Your home will be more appealing to a wide range of buyers. A staged home can make a big difference in how much a buyer will offer. Do it yourself or have a professional take care of it. It often pays off in the end.

Removing personal items, rearrange furniture to open up a room, hanging neutral-looking artwork and bring in some flowers.

Your attention to these details will have a great impact in your home’s sale and price. e time of selling your home. If you must move fast, choose time-effective items. If you have a few months, do all you can to maximize your selling price.

Call Mary Beth to learn more. 310-571-1358

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