When you’re designing apartment buildings, you need to resolve the following tension: You want the units to be cool enough to attract tenants today, while making them timeless enough to attract tenants for decades to come. We have settled on what I like to think of as “authentic Socal minimalism”: “Authentic”, because we avoid using … Continue reading “How we think about apartment design”
Category: Rehabbing
Finishing up a five unit
Just finished a cool five unit building in an area we know really, really well. It’s actually the third building we’ve done on the same block! To be honest, we knew this deal was a great one the moment we got it under contract… it was so good that the broker tried to chase us … Continue reading “Finishing up a five unit”
One unit left at our brand new complex on Ave 50 in Highland Park
Think we still have one unit left at the small building we just built on Ave 50, right near all the cool stuff in Highland Park. It’s a 3/2 with two parking spaces, laundry, AC, etc. for around $3000. Figueroa there is probably the most interesting retail corridor in the city right now… loads of … Continue reading “One unit left at our brand new complex on Ave 50 in Highland Park”
Competing with cowboys
We spend a lot of time looking at rental listings to ascertain market pricing for apartments of various types in different neighborhoods. Recently, we’ve seen a lot of renovated product come onto the market. Out of interest, I often check to see who owns the buildings and whether they’ve pulled the relevant permits for the renovations. Very, very … Continue reading “Competing with cowboys”
4424 Burns is done
Yet another renovation project. This one is walking distance to Virgil Village / Sunset Junction. The building is a mix of 3 bed / 2 bath and 1 bed / 1 bath units. The 3/2s, pictured below, are really impressive. I think they’re the best 3 beds we’ve ever done… great ceiling height, great windows, all the … Continue reading “4424 Burns is done”
What chutzpah!
Have been following a listing in Highland Park for a little while and wanted to share it with you all.* It’s a decent-size deal in a good area at a somewhat reasonable price. So, what’s the big deal? If you dig into the listing info, you will see that the building has an underground parking area, which is … Continue reading “What chutzpah!”
363 S Leslie is fully leased
You may remember 363 S Leslie, a 4plex we recently completed in Highland Park. Here’s a pic to jog your memory: Am happy to report that leasing is done. Better yet: Our rents came in materially higher than we originally pro forma’d. So, instead of the 6.3% unlevered yield we expected out of the property, I … Continue reading “363 S Leslie is fully leased”
Another new one in Highland Park
Just finishing up another building in Highland Park that I think might interest some of you. Unlike many of the apartment buildings we renovate, this one was built by someone who cared about the people who would live there. The ceilings are pretty high, the units have a ton of light, there is parking and … Continue reading “Another new one in Highland Park”
Now leasing: 363 S. Leslie Way
Thought you would appreciate seeing some pics of our latest project, 363 S. Leslie Way, a fourplex we just finished renovating in Highland Park. Now, obviously, doing fourplexes is not an efficient way for us to put out capital. But our partner was in a 1031 exchange, the clock was ticking, and we liked the deal. … Continue reading “Now leasing: 363 S. Leslie Way”
Some thoughts on windows (zzzzz….)
Today, I want to talk about windows. Still here? Good. Windows are a controversial part of the repositioning process. Replacing them is pretty expensive (on the order to $400-500 / window) and, while new windows open / close easily and look nice, no one ever rented an apartment because of the windows. Still, we intend … Continue reading “Some thoughts on windows (zzzzz….)”