What happens immediately after you buy

One of the issues that’s been popping up for me lately is how buyers handle the transition to owning once the deal is done. When you buy the kind of buildings I favor, the ones with low-paying, rent-controlled tenants in them, there is inevitably deferred maintenance that needs to be addressed. The kinds of things … Continue reading “What happens immediately after you buy”

Sometimes what I do feels like public service

We’re in the diligence process on an interesting, mid-size project in Silver Lake. The units are pretty great. But there are a load of shitheads who hang out in front of the building drinking beer all afternoon, every day. Periodically, we drive by and see one or more of them zooted on something much stronger … Continue reading “Sometimes what I do feels like public service”

Warning: Tough plumbing inspector on the prowl

If you’re rehabbing in the Silver Lake / Echo Park area, beware! There is a really tough plumbing inspector handling all commercial (5+) unit inspections right now. We had an inspector two years ago who delayed us on four separate projects (and took years off my life!). Among his greatest hits were: Running a ruler … Continue reading “Warning: Tough plumbing inspector on the prowl”

Why can’t LA be more like Santa Monica?

Regular readers know I have a major beef with LA’s insane parking requirements on new developments. Without getting into all of the specifics, the key point is that the amount of parking required by the municipal code pretty much guarantees that you get either suburban style retail (surrounded by huge parking lots) or generic monstrosities … Continue reading “Why can’t LA be more like Santa Monica?”