Do you ever wonder how, exactly, Adaptive makes money? Figured I’d break it down for you. Today, let’s talk about our investment funds. These are discretionary investment vehicles. That means a group of people with capital to deploy commit a certain amount of money (say, $100-250k) to the entity. Then, we, as managers of the … Continue reading “How a fund manager gets paid”
Category: Development
Why our infrastructure is falling apart
The NY Times had an interesting piece over the weekend about LA’s failing infrastructure. It focused, as all these pieces do, on the age of our pipes, sidewalks, etc., plus on CA’s general tax-aversion. What it left out was any discussion of the role our zoning code plays. Here’s the deal: If, as a city, … Continue reading “Why our infrastructure is falling apart”
Lyft, Uber and America
Regular readers know I’m a major fan of ride-sharing companies. They’ve totally changed the way that I, and many other Angelos, get around our city. And, as I’ve written before, I think the changes are sufficiently profound to eventually reshape the built environment here, too. But today I want to focus on what I regard … Continue reading “Lyft, Uber and America”
Highland Park gentrification response
Hat-tip to Curbed for linking to this really fascinating piece on Highland Park gentrification. Before I get into my problem with the article, I want to congratulate the author on what I think is a fair, reasonable account of the changes taking place in Highland Park. Now, to the problem. Here’s the money quote: “These [renter] … Continue reading “Highland Park gentrification response”
The two economies
If you’re reading this, you probably don’t know about LA’s Other Economy. How do I know? Because you can read English, and the Other Economy is not, for the most part, English-speaking. What is the Other Economy? It: Comprises mainly immigrants and their American-born children Is conducted in Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Khmer, and other languages Is … Continue reading “The two economies”
Amnesty for illegals (apartments, that is)
Per the LA Times (and via Curbed): Landlord and tenant groups in LA are uniting around an initiative to allow landlords to legalize non-conforming apartments more easily. Right now, if the Housing Department catches a landlord with an illegal apartment, here’s what happens: LAHD cites landlord for un-permitted unit, orders her to either get it permitted … Continue reading “Amnesty for illegals (apartments, that is)”
What’s wrong with this picture?
I usually avoid giving design advice on this blog, mostly because my partner Jon is the design expert at Adaptive. I mostly do the numbers. That said, I thought I’d draw your attention today to a classic error that landlords make when renovating apartments. Look at this picture: Can you see what’s wrong? The owner … Continue reading “What’s wrong with this picture?”
Off with the security bars
How can you tell that Silver Lake and Echo Park weren’t always so nice? The window bars. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, both neighborhoods had plenty of shootings, burglaries, etc. People naturally responded by “up-armoring” their homes with strong doors, fences and window bars. Now, both neighborhoods are very safe. It’s not that there’s no … Continue reading “Off with the security bars”
Interesting piece on the history of LA zoning
I recognize that my continued harping on our antiquated zoning code is not the fastest way to build readership (to put it mildly). However, I am not going to stop writing about it, because zoning shapes LA in ways of which most people are not at all aware. In any case, today I want to draw … Continue reading “Interesting piece on the history of LA zoning”
An email filter I’d like
Can someone please figure out how I can block solicitations from brokers who want to sell me “turn-key” assets? “Turn-key” is broker-speak for “No value left to add”. Don’t misunderstand: There is a large group of investors for whom turn-key deals make a ton of sense, including everyone who has bought deals from me over the … Continue reading “An email filter I’d like”