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Choose your favorite 2020 calendar cover cutie! Let’s face it: “Cute” can be hard to define. You just know it when you see it. With that said, we think you’ll agree that the contenders for our 2020 calendar cover model definitely qualify. So, who elicits the loudest “awwww” from you? Who do you think is the best choice for our 2020 calendar cover?    When Best Friends was founded in 1984, an estimated 17 million dogs and cats were killed in shelters every year. Today, that number is down to about 800,000, but that means nearly 2,200 dogs and cats are still being killed in shelters every day, just because they don’t have safe places to call home. Working collaboratively with passionate people like you, and alongside shelters, rescue groups and other animal welfare organizations, we are determined to bring the country to no-kill by 2025. The 2020 calendar helps spread the word about homeless pets and our lifesaving efforts. Want a calendar of your own? Just cast your vote, and we’ll tell you how to get one. Thank you for caring about homeless pets. Together, we can Save Them All.  BEST FRIENDS REGIONAL PROGRAMS: New York | Los Angeles | Utah | Atlanta | Houston NO-KILL PROGRAMS: NKLA No-Kill Los Angeles | NKUT No-Kill Utah OTHER BEST FRIENDS SITES: Save Them All | Best Friends Store | National Conference | Network Partners | Strut Your Mutt   Buying or Selling Real Estate? Contact Us Today! Brian Fitzburgh Real Estate Broker / Animal Lover 818-571-9712 [email protected] www.brokerstrust.com  Homes Fur All is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity organization dedicated to helping the people and pets of NELA.
BUILD VS. BUY - BLOG SERIES Since so many of our readers ask us about this topic, we decided to write a blog series! Step #1 - Buying a Good Lot! (Click to read Step #1) Step #2 - Getting Your Permits (Click to read Step #2) Step #3 - Part A: Contractors (Click to read Step #3 Part A) Step #3 - Part B: Financing <---------------- Step #4 - Let the Building Begin! Step #5 - Permanent Financing and Moving into your Dream Home  STEP #3 PART B: FINANCING Financing is not the most glamorous part of the process of building a home but it is indeed the most vital because you MUST have adequate funds to get you over the finish line = pass your final inspection and obtain your CofO (Certificate of Occupancy) SELF-FUNDING Maybe you haven't spent all of your personal savings on the vacant lot you purchased and all additional money that was spent on the "soft-cost" expenses that you needed to spend to get your permits. Maybe you have access to funds in a home equity line of credit and/or a business line of credit or maybe a retirement fund. These can be sources of funding that can either fund your entire construction cost or maybe allow you to reduce the amount you borrow from a lender. TRADITIONAL FINANCING: CONSTRUCTION LOANS With this type of lending, the financial institution will likely be willing to lend you 80% of the estimated value your home will have after your home is completely built. More specifically, your lender will order what is called an "subject to" appraisal where the appraiser will take a look at your detailed and approved construction plans and imagine that your home was already completed and using recent comparable sales information of nearby homes, will come up with an appraised value "subject to" the home being completed. Let's use some real numbers as an example: Purchase Price of Vacant Land = $250k Soft-Costs to get Permits = $100k Estimated "hard costs" for construction from beginning to end and CofO = $700k "Subject To" appraised Value of Completed Home = $1.4M Once your construction loan has been approved, the amount of principal that your lender will lend will be up to 80% of $1.4M appraised value = $1,120,000 Typically, what your lender will require a formal quote from a licensed general contractor showing that the total construction costs will be less than the amount that you are borrowing. Your lender wants to make sure that there will be adequate funds to complete the project because if the project is not completed, (i.e. your home is not completed with a CofO) then the lender does not have an asset that will cover the risk of lending. In fact, the lender might want to see a quote from a licensed general contractor that is 10% less than the amount you were approved for so that there is a 10% buffer for anything unexpected that might come up... AND IT WILL!! With a typical home loan that you might get to purchase a home, the lender "funds" you loan in one lump sum into your escrow account, you add your down payment funds. Viola! Now you have your new home and you start paying interest and principal payments starting the month after you close. In a construction loan, however, it's much different. Your construction loan is sort of like a credit card with a credit limit for the amount that you were approved for. Typically, in a construction loan you are required to make an "interest only payment" only on the amount that you have spent. For Example, let's go back to the numbers used above and imagine that you were approved for a construction loan in the amount of $1.120M and the interest rate is 5% No payments are due until you start spending money. Let's say that you finish the grading and on the contractor's quote that was used for your loan approval, the line item for grading was $30,000. Once the grading is completed and you have passed inspection, the lender will send out a representative to confirm that indeed the grading is completed. They will review the signed inspection card, and then approve the release of the $30k. If for some reason you don't need the entire $30k, by some miracle the contractor completed the work for less than the original estimate OR you might want to contribute some amount of your own funds, then you can request less than $30k to be approve to be "released". Once the $30k is released, you now have a balance of $30k on your "credit line" so next month you will need to make a payment of $30k x 5%/12 = $125 Keeping this example going- let's say that two months later the foundation is complete and that was $175,000 on the construction cost estimate. Now the total amount on your credit line that has been dispersed is up to $205,000 ($30k + $175k = $205k) and next month the amount you need to pay has increased to be $205 x 5%/12 = ~$854 This continues as you go through the process and at each milestone and with each successful inspection you pass, additional funds (per the amount on the contractor's estimate) will be released. FUND CONTROL The process of funds being released only after confirmation from a bank representative confirms that the work is actually done and the inspection passed is called "FUND CONTROL". NOTE: at the time your loan is originally approved, you can request some amount to be released in the beginning and although you will start incurring interest charges from day one, you will have funds that you might need to pay contractors as soon as they complete their work. From my experience, contractors like to get paid asap after their work is done. The process of FUND CONTROL will create a delay in time from when the contractor has completed their work and when you receive the funds to pay for that work. Most contractors will get very grumpy if they don't get paid right away so unless you have made an agreement that the contractor is willing to wait for FUND CONTROL delays then you probably need to have some source of money (think of it as a "slush fund") that you can draw from for immediate payments and then the FUND CONTROL will replenish when those funds are released to you.  TOO MANY DETAILS?? IS YOUR HEAD READY TO EXPLODE YET!!??? SORRY BUT WE AREN'T DONE JUST YET... Every time you fund a loan, there are typically fees associated with the process of funding so if you first obtain a construction loan there will be fees associated with funding your construction loan. After your home is completed, you will want to pay off the principal borrowed for your construction loan with "permanent financing" in the form of a 30-year, fixed-rate, fully-amortized loan of whatever other loan product you might prefer for your long-term permanent financing. OH, I think I forgot to mention that construction loans are considered to be "short-term" loans and are typically only 12 months to 24 months before they are due to be paid back in full. So, the idea is that you get your construction loan, build your home, then use funds from another loan (long-term financing) to pay off the construction loan principal and live happily every after in your new dream home! Keep in mind that when you fund your loan for permanent financing you will PAY ANOTHER SET OF CLOSING COSTS. THERE'S A BETTER OPTION! Instead of getting two separate loans (construction loan and then permanent financing) you can request a special type of construction loan that has "AUTOMATIC ROLLOVER INTO PERMANENT FINANCING" and with this type of loan, you only have one loan closing- your construction loan will automatically (and without the need to apply for and be approved a second time) "roll-over" into a permanent loan. What's great about this option is not only that you avoid the "closing costs" on the second loan but also you will typically lock-in the interest rate on your long-term loan at the time your construction loan is approved. What's great about this is that if interest rates increase from the time you start your construction until you have your CofO then you are loving it and your interest rate will make you smile and if rates go down then you can always refinance at the lower interest rate - yes there will be the additional closing costs on the new loan but if the interest rates are low enough then it would be worth paying the extra closing costs. FYI: Not all lenders offer construction loans but the last I checked, US Bank and Wells Fargo offered construction loan products. STAY TUNED FOR STEP #4: LET THE BUILDING BEGIN!   Buying or Selling Real Estate? Contact Us Today! Brian Fitzburgh Real Estate Broker / Animal Lover 818-571-9712 [email protected] www.brokerstrust.com  Homes Fur All is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity organization dedicated to helping the people and pets of NELA.
 Facts About Me PETEY Breed: Chihuahua/Italian Greyhound Mix Color: Tan/Yellow/Fawn Age: 2 years old, Adult Size: Small 25 lbs (11 kg) or less Weight: (current) 10 lbs Sex: Male Petey is a chihuahua Italian greyhound mix that weighs 10 lbs. Someone saw him loose on the street being attacked by a big dog. The big dog broke his leg. The owners could not be located so the good samaritan posted his story on Facebook. One of our volunteers offered to take him in. He’s super sweet, very out going and gives kisses to everyone he meets. He’s great with other dogs, including big ones, even though a large dog attacked him. He’s all healed up, neutered, up-to-date on shots and micro chipped.     Buying or Selling Real Estate? Contact Us Today! Brian Fitzburgh Real Estate Broker / Animal Lover 818-571-9712 [email protected] www.brokerstrust.com  Homes Fur All is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity organization dedicated to helping the people and pets of NELA.
 CASH-COW! OXY STUDENT HOUSING! 1432 ARMADALE AVE, HIGHLAND PARK 90042 List Price $1,200,000 This 6-bedroom home with converted garage has room for 7 people Location, Location, Location! A mere 210 yards from the Occidental College campus makes this home perfect for Oxy student housing! Today's market rent is $1,000 per bedroom so what does that mean? It means that this cash-cow could bring the lucky new owner $7k per month (=$84,000 per year)! GRM = 14.29 and delivered VACANT at COE. Not only is this home super close to the Oxy campus, it is also super-close from the epicenter of all that is "hot and happening" in Highland Park Only 4-1/2 blocks from "York Park" and the intersection of Avenue 50 & York Blvd- you can't beat that! Don't miss this incredible opportunity in red-hot NELA near the Oxy campus!  6 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 2,710sqft of living space BONUS: Garage converted into additional living space LOT: 7,176sqft Year Built: 1925 Spanish Style APN: 5476-020-030 Zone: Single Family Residential (R1-1) Occidental College Adjacent (a mere 210 yards from the Oxy campus) Only 4-1/2 short blocks from "York Park" and Avenue 50 & York Blvd- the epicenter of all that is hot and happening in Highland Park DELIVERED VACANT AMAZING cash-flow opportunity PERFECT housing for Oxy students       Buying or Selling Real Estate? Contact Us Today! Brian Fitzburgh Real Estate Broker / Animal Lover 818-571-9712 [email protected] www.brokerstrust.com  Homes Fur All is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity organization dedicated to helping the people and pets of NELA.
BUILDING VS. BUYING - BLOG SERIES Since so many of our readers ask us about this topic, we decided to write a blog series! Step #1 - Buying a Good Lot! (Click to read Step #1) Step #2 - Getting Your Permits (Click to read Step #2) Step #3 - Part A: Contractors <---------------- Step #3 - Part B: Financing Step #4 - Let the Building Begin! Step #5 - Permanent Financing and Moving into your Dream Home!  STEP #3 PART A: CONTRACTORS Okay, so you found a great lot and you worked hard to design a home that's just perfect for you and your family AND you even managed to survive the gauntlet of "plan check" with the building and safety department and you actually have your permits and entitlements! Congratulations! This is a real milestone but you are not home just yet! Now you need to decide how your home will get built and how you will finance the construction or "hard costs" Regarding how you will get your home built, there are a couple of main options: 1) Hire a general contractor 2) Build the home yourself as an "owner-builder"  GENERAL CONTRACTOR If you decide to go the general contractor route, just be forewarned - you've heard the stories, there are a lot of general contractors who will make lots of promises and offer to do the job for a price that seems too good to be true and you will be very tempted to hire such a contractor. Be careful, what seems to be too good to be true just might be. Often the contracts are poorly written, vague, ambiguous and may not include all sorts of details that should be included and that offers the contractor an opportunity to add all sorts of costs and fees and change orders and the like and you can end up paying MUCH MORE than you ever thought would be possible and it's not just the extra money spent but also the disappointment, stress and maybe worse. How do you find the best general contractor to work with? It's unlikely to go with the lowest price quote. The best advice I can give is to really take your time, check references CAREFULLY and, of course, verify that the contractor's license is current/valid and that there are no complaints or violations with the Department of Consumer Affairs Contractors State License Board Contractors State License Board (http://www.cslb.ca.gov/) ALSO be sure that the contract is clear and includes language is not vague or ambiguous AND if your permitted plans are well detailed you can include language in your contract that assures that the scope of work is to build the home per the specifications and details in the permitted plans. Here are two different types of contracts that you might be considering: "Cost Plus" and "Fixed Price" In the "Cost Plus" situation, the contractor will charge you whatever his costs are "plus" an additional amount for the general contractor's fee- a typical "cost plus fee" is about 20% of the costs. While this might seem like a good idea, there is no incentive for the contractor to keep costs in check. In fact, in the cost plus scenario, your contractor is incentive to rack up as many costs as possible and this can create a situation where costs get out of control. The fixed price contract might be a better approach so that you are aware of the price you will need to pay and there really isn't wiggle room for your general contractor to escalate the costs at your expense.  BUILD YOUR HOME AS AN OWNER-BUILDER The other option "build your home as an owner-builder" can be an amazing experience and education but it is a very serious undertaking and should not be entered into without careful consideration. Yes, there is an opportunity to save quite a bit of money if all works out well; however, if you do not have experience in construction or as a project manager you might find yourself over your head. Without a certain amount of experience, you might not have the ability to know that the work being done is not being done correctly until it's too late and then things have to be 'undone" and then re-done again. Also, do not underestimate the time commitment that will be required.  On a personal note, I built two homes from the ground up, one right after the other. For the first home I made all the mistakes, I hired a general contractor that seemed great but the contract was poorly written and I didn't carefully check references and it wasn't too long before I realized that this contractor (despite his claims to the contrary) had absolutely zero experience building a hillside home. Needless to say, things went south quickly and the contractor I hired hardly ever showed up at the site and his workers didn't really know what they were doing. So I ended up being on the job every day and doing my best to keep the project moving forward. I made it through to a successful completion but it wasn't easy. I was saved by someone who has become a dear friend over the years, a very experienced home builder, that took me under his wing and mentored me and really saved my butt! On the second home, with some experience under my belt, I did not hire a general contractor, instead, I was an owner builder and dedicated about two years of seven days a week and 16 hour days to build the second home. Summary, might not be your best choice to take on the job as an owner-builder unless you have the temperament, experience, and TIME to be on the job every day, plan for what's needed next for many hours each day after the workers have left for the day, and are up for a high-stress environment for months and months on end. I don't mean to be all doom and gloom but realistically I want you to be prepared for the reality of what it really is to embark on such an undertaking. STAY TUNED FOR STEP #3 - PART B: FINANCING!   Buying or Selling Real Estate? Contact Us Today! Brian Fitzburgh Real Estate Broker / Animal Lover 818-571-9712 [email protected] www.brokerstrust.com  Homes Fur All is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity organization dedicated to helping the people and pets of NELA.
 CASH-COW! OXY STUDENT HOUSING! 1432 ARMADALE AVE, HIGHLAND PARK 90042 List Price $1,200,000 This 6-bedroom home with converted garage has room for 7 people Location, Location, Location! A mere 210 yards from the Occidental College campus makes this home perfect for Oxy student housing! Today's market rent is $1,000 per bedroom so what does that mean? It means that this cash-cow could bring the lucky new owner $7k per month (=$84,000 per year)! GRM = 14.29 and delivered VACANT at COE. Not only is this home super close to the Oxy campus, it is also super-close from the epicenter of all that is "hot and happening" in Highland Park Only 4-1/2 blocks from "York Park" and the intersection of Avenue 50 & York Blvd- you can't beat that! Don't miss this incredible opportunity in red-hot NELA near the Oxy campus!  6 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 2,710sqft of living space BONUS: Garage converted into additional living space LOT: 7,176sqft Year Built: 1925 Spanish Style APN: 5476-020-030 Zone: Single Family Residential (R1-1) Occidental College Adjacent (a mere 210 yards from the Oxy campus) Only 4-1/2 short blocks from "York Park" and Avenue 50 & York Blvd- the epicenter of all that is hot and happening in Highland Park DELIVERED VACANT AMAZING cash-flow opportunity PERFECT housing for Oxy students       Buying or Selling Real Estate? Contact Us Today! Brian Fitzburgh Real Estate Broker / Animal Lover 818-571-9712 [email protected] www.brokerstrust.com  Homes Fur All is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity organization dedicated to helping the people and pets of NELA.
 Facts About Me SUPER EVIE AGE: 4 YEARS YOUNG Gender: Female  Extraordinary Powers: Howdy folks! Tiny Evie ready to be in a forever home. I am the gal pal everyone needs because I love to be around people and dogs, so I would like a home with other pups. Although I'm petite (I can literally fit in your purse), that does not stop me from going on a fun road trip. I'm a terrier mix but I'm mellow. PLUS: Potty Trained and Spayed    Buying or Selling Real Estate? Contact Us Today! Brian Fitzburgh Real Estate Broker / Animal Lover 818-571-9712 [email protected] www.brokerstrust.com  Homes Fur All is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity organization dedicated to helping the people and pets of NELA.
 In case you all didn't know it, I am a HUGE FAN of the TV show "Shark Tank" If you are not familiar about the show, Shark Tank, think American Idol but for inventors and business ideas. The show is about giving a 60 second pitch to investors to see if you can get any of them to invest in your business and help you take your idea to the next level! FYI: In a past life, before I became a real estate broker, I was a consulting engineer and always loved to tinker with inventions and actually have about 4 or 5 US patents issued in my name (you would think I would know exactly how many patents I have but I'm really not sure - lol! But I digress... Back to Shark Tank!  I think I was watching an episode of "The Bachelor" (don't judge!) and I saw a commercial that there was going to be a casting call for SHARK TANK at Morongo Casino on March 14th. WELL, I couldn't resist the chance to go for it so with less than two weeks to get ready we put together a 60-second pitch (we were informed that the pitch has to be no more than 60 seconds) Oh, wait! I forgot to talk about the idea that I wanted to pitch! What you all probably know already is that for the past 2-1/2 years, The Fitzburgh Realty Team has been promoting fostering of rescue pets at our open houses and community events and while it's been great that we are doing our part to help grow the foster volunteer community, we wanted to do more so we decided to create a national coalition of realtors who are animal lovers who want to promote fostering and grow the foster volunteer community. Instead of just The Fitzburgh Realty Team, what about thousands of real estate agents across the country helping to save many, many thousands of rescue pets? So basically, the idea I wanted to pitch was our next venture: REAL ESTATE AGENTS TO THE RESCUE www.RErescue.org RErescue.org is a National Coalition of Real Estate Agents and Animal Lovers who promote fostering at their open houses and community events. Our mission is to GROW THE FOSTER VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY AND HELP SAVE THE LIVES OF HOMELESS ANIMALS! Well, I prepared a script with all the content that I wanted to convey but it was taking me about 2 minutes to read through it all. So after about 50 re-writes (yes, at least 50 re-writes!) I finally came up with a script that I could get through in about 57 seconds! I practiced and practiced until I felt that I really had it down. I thought I was totally ready! So off to Morongo Casino (near Palm Springs) I went with my wonderful sister-in-law Eliter and my amazing nephew Alex (their job was to dress up in a mascot costume of a doggie and a kitty and look all adorable while I gave my pitch) and we all drove off to the desert! With a little traffic the drive was about 2-1/2 hours and I absolutely tortured Eliter and Alex the entire trip because I kept reciting the script over and over and over and over again until they were going insane! To me the trip seemed to go by in the blink of an eye- but to them the car became a complete torture chamber with Brian going on and on and on with the same script. Hey- I needed all the practice I could get! Okay, we arrived at the hotel and tried to do our best to get the lay of the land and to strategize on how to get at good spot in line the next morning. Well, it was a confusing process! It seemed that each person we talked to had a different idea of how it would all work the next morning on (3/14/2019). So after getting all sorts of different stories we decided to go with a tried and true strategy - get up at the crack of dawn! Click here to learn more about www.RErescue.org  That's what we did, but even still, we ended up being #137 in the line but that was better than being at the end of the line. There were about 600 or 700 people total that showed up to audition. Click here to learn more about www.RErescue.org  Even though it was cold and there was a fierce wind to make it feel even colder, the comradery amongst the hopefuls was great. Sharing stories about their journey and what their idea was. It was very powerful to be in the midst of so many people that have all worked very hard and dedicated so much time and energy (and money!) to try to achieve something great- really great! In any case, after waiting in line for hours, I was finally issued our #137 wrist band and told to come back and stand in line again starting at 12:00 noon. Cut to the chase, we ended up giving our pitch at about 2:45pm and only a few minutes before being called for our audition I decided to "ditch the pitch" and instead of acting out the pre-prepared pitch that I had worked so hard to perfect and perform, it just seemed that speaking from the heart was going to be best. So that's what I ended up doing- with my doggie and kitty mascots by my side we walked up to the table where we were to be given our 60 second shot and I simply engaged our judge in conversation and instead of only having 60-seconds our judge let me go on for about five minutes. I took that as a sign of encouragement. FYI: we were all informed that there will be about 30,000 people who audition and apply to be on next season's show and that there are only 88 people who will make it. I might be overly optimistic but somehow, even with such daunting odds, I think we have a good shot at making it to the show! Let's see what happens! FYI: we were told that if we make it through to the next round of auditions that we will hear from the show by April 1st... Stay tuned for an update in about two weeks!! :) Click here to learn more about www.RErescue.org    Buying or Selling Real Estate? Contact Us Today! Brian Fitzburgh Real Estate Broker / Animal Lover 818-571-9712 [email protected] www.brokerstrust.com  Homes Fur All is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity organization dedicated to helping the people and pets of NELA.
Click here to learn more about www.RErescue.org SAT & SUN, MARCH 16 -17: Spring Over To LA Animal Service Centers For Discounted Adoption Fees!3/13/2019 SPRING 'EM This Weekend! The Pet Care Foundation and LA Animal Services Team Up With Discounted Adoption Fees  Los Angeles, March 12, 2019 - This March 16th and 17th you can bring home a new furry family member with four paws! Saturday and Sunday, SPRING 'EM will be taking place at all LA City Animal Services Centers - locations can be found at www.laanimalservices.com. This event is sponsored by the Pet Care Foundation and adoption fees will be reduced by $50 on kittens, puppies and dogs. Cats over four months have fees waived through a generous grant from the ASPCA. You can view all adoptable pets in our six LA City Animal Service Centers at http://www.laanimalservices.com/adopt/. Visit the one closest to you to meet hundreds of wonderful pets just hoping to become your new best friend and have a home of his or her own. Bill Crowe, director of the Pet Care Foundation said, "LA Animal Services Centers have an incredible variety of pets that you could possibly want: young, old, big, small, cat, dog - you name it. This is a perfect opportunity to not only save a life, but save a little cash in the process!" "Spring is a wonderful time to welcome a furry friend into your heart and home," said Brenda Barnette, LA Animal Services General Manager, "Stop by one of our six services centers and bring home a new furry companion this weekend. Not sure about the commitment? That's okay. You can always become a foster volunteer first and see if you are ready to make the big adoption leap." LA Animal Services pets are vaccinated, spayed or neutered and microchipped. City of Los Angeles residents are required to pay a $20 license fee for dogs four months or older. Los Angeles Department of Animal Services is one of the largest municipal shelter systems in the United States with six services centers serving approximately 60,000 animals annually and responding to 20,000 emergency calls involving an animal or person in danger. LA Animal Services promotes and protects the health, safety and welfare of animals and people. The Pet Care Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of homeless pets in the Los Angeles area. For more information contact: [email protected], www.petcarefoundation.org, or call 310-247-8469.   Buying or Selling Real Estate? Contact Us Today! Brian Fitzburgh Real Estate Broker / Animal Lover 818-571-9712 [email protected] www.brokerstrust.com  Homes Fur All is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity organization dedicated to helping the people and pets of NELA.
Homes Fur All Rescue Pet Spotlight: SUPER BLESSING  Facts About Me AGE: 5 YEARS YOUNG Gender: Male  Extraordinary Powers: Empathetic sweetheart looking someone to love. I was found on the streets with a thirst and a hungry tummy. I'm very easy going and I'm the good boy everyone seems to be asking about.  At 30 pounds, I'm in excellent shape and can walk great on a leash. I'm a corgi mix, lancanshire heeler pup ready to meet my forever family with tiny humans and fur babies. But I do prefer if your fur babies are my size. Come and pet me! I love good belly rubs and good head scratches. PLUS: Potty trained  www.loemrescue.org   Buying or Selling Real Estate? Contact Us Today! Brian Fitzburgh Real Estate Broker / Animal Lover 818-571-9712 [email protected] www.brokerstrust.com  Homes Fur All is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity organization dedicated to helping the people and pets of NELA.
 Thanks to Eagle Rock's Key Club President, Athicha, for organizing a tshirt drive that turns old tshirts into doggie toys for the rescues! Athicha and her fellow Key Club members have been HUGE supporters of Homes Fur All from the beginning! They have volunteered their time in helping with both our Bark and Meow events: Eagle Rock Bark and Glassell Bark.  These selfless students have been a tremendous help and we wouldn't be where we are today without their dedication and support. THANK YOU EAGLE ROCK HIGHSCHOOL KEY CLUB!    Buying or Selling Real Estate? Contact Us Today! Brian Fitzburgh Real Estate Broker / Animal Lover 818-571-9712 [email protected] www.brokerstrust.com  Homes Fur All is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity organization dedicated to helping the people and pets of NELA.
After many months of looking for a new home for our donated doggie wheelchair, we found Auggie "The Deaf Frenchie"!  Auggie is a 10 year old French Bulldog that was born deaf. The black and white speckling gene also carries the deafness that is common in white dogs. About a year ago Auggie started walking with a wobble that eventually led to the loss of his hind legs. Not to be hindered, his humans got him a dog cart, which wasn’t optimal, but was at it was least functional. Now equipped with the top of the line in Dog carts, a used set of Eddie’s Wheels, which were donated to Homes Fur All that belong to a corgi, Auggie can now zoom around at the pace he’s accustom to. The larger wheels and sturdier frame match Auggie’s zest and verve for life. Auggie is a special guy! He’s a chapter in a children’s book providing the arc of the storyline in “Bubba Heard A Whale trying to Sing” (available on Amazon) about celebrating our differences. Auggie has also been the star of a LaMarca Prosecco print Ad campaign featured in Elle Magazine and also an Apple Ad for iPhone in Europe. Most of the time you can see him going for rides and walks locally in NELA and Pasadena and making people smile that catches his eye. Follow Auggie on Instagram @Auggie_The_Deaf_Frenchie Or Friend him on Facebook www.facebook.com/auggie.dominique   Buying or Selling Real Estate? Contact Us Today! Brian Fitzburgh Real Estate Broker / Animal Lover 818-571-9712 [email protected] www.brokerstrust.com  Homes Fur All is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity organization dedicated to helping the people and pets of NELA.
 Facts About Me AGE: 8 YEARS YOUNG Gender: Male Extraordinary Powers: Allegiant core  I am calm and affectionate guy with the purpose to serve my human family. I rarely get distracted by other things (squirrels or dogs) because my focus is to follow my human around and see what they are up to.  At 60 pounds, I might look like a hefty pup but I just like to have fun. This is why I bonded with Clipper at the shelter, because nobody understood our personality because our exterior. We were so close to go to the room where no one comes out, but LOEM believes there's more to us! PLUS: Potty trained and crate trained  www.loemrescue.org   Buying or Selling Real Estate? Contact Us Today! Brian Fitzburgh Real Estate Broker / Animal Lover 818-571-9712 [email protected] www.brokerstrust.com  Homes Fur All is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity organization dedicated to helping the people and pets of NELA.
BUILDING VS. BUYING - BLOG SERIES Since so many of our readers ask us about this topic, we decided to write a blog series! Step #1 - Buying a Good Lot! Step #2 - Getting Your Permits Step #3 - Contractors & Financing Step #4 - Let the Building Begin! Step #5 - Permanent Financing and Moving into your Dream Home!  STEP #2: GETTING YOUR PERMITS Okay, so you closed on your vacant lot and you are super excited, now what?! SOFT COSTS If you're ready to keep moving forward, now it's time to get your permits. Be forewarned, the process might just test your patience! The list below is what are sometimes called your "SOFT COSTS". Soft Costs are the costs you will incur from after you purchase your vacant land until you have your permits. Soft Costs are all of your costs to obtain your "entitlements" before you start any actual grading or construction work. Most likely the lot you will purchase will be within a designated "hillside area" so you will need the following:
 AND THERE IS MORE but the above list gets to the majority of what you will have to go through. BUDGET? Depending on whether or not you will need a variance, and whether or not you will need a "B PERMIT" and how expensive your architect is, you might be looking at about $100k for all of the above. LADBS PLAN CHECK With all of the above listed steps, reports and plans, you will be ready to submit your package into LADBS PLAN CHECK. Once in plan check, depending on how complete your plans are and how many corrections your assigned City of Los Angeles "plan checker" has to make, the entire process from submission to having your permits "READY TO ISSUE" or "RTI" it could be from 3 months (very unlikely) to up to 18 months. Most of the time you should be able to get everything done (if you are diligent with pressing forward) and be RTI within a year.  NOTE: I recommend that you take your time with your architectural plans to make sure that you have a floor plan that you will love. It's just as expensive to build a home that has an awful floor plan that you will be disappointed with as it is to build a home with a floor plan that makes you smile for years to come. If you are not so adept at visualizing a 2-dimensional blueprint, you might consider hiring a contractor that can model your home and let you view the interior of your home with realistic graphics. This is a great way to be able to understand how it might feel to be in your home after it is built. Don't be afraid to make any changes that you think will improve your home. This is your dream home! A 3D model of your home might be a great investment to make sure that when your home is completed, it is all that you had imagined it would be. GOOD LUCK! Getting through the above will not be easy and there are sure to be challenges along the way but once your plans are RTI you will be able to get your construction loan and you will ready for the construction to begin! STAY TUNED FOR STEP #3 CONTRACTORS & FINANCING!   Buying or Selling Real Estate? Contact Us Today! Brian Fitzburgh Real Estate Broker / Animal Lover 818-571-9712 [email protected] www.brokerstrust.com  Homes Fur All is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity organization dedicated to helping the people and pets of NELA.
We are speechless by the amount of donations that came in after only 2 days of starting our Amazon Smile Charity Wish List! HOMES FUR ALL THANKS YOU!!  The packages were delivered anonymously so we don't know who to thank. But please know that we are incredibly grateful for you and are humbled by your generosity! Homes Fur All's Charity Wish List on Amazon! Buy Pet Food and Supplies From Our Wish List and Amazon Will Ship It Directly To Us!      Homes Fur All is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity organization dedicated to helping the people and pets of NELA.
3 LOTS IN GLENDALE Listed for $275,000 1719 Gladys Drive | 705 Luring Drive | 706 Luring Drive  Amazing opportunity awaits! Nestled in the highly sought-after "College Hills" pocket of Glendale you will find three vacant lots with magnificent downtown LA views. Having 3 separate lots gives you options. You can build 2 or 3 smaller homes or combine the lots together and build one grand estate. It's all up to you! Only a short distance to the quaint cities of Montrose, La Crescenta, and Pasadena with all of their great shops, dining and entertainment "so close to home". The Glendale Americana, Glendale Galleria and Downtown Glendale are all conveniently close as well as Chevy Chase Country Club, Glendale Community College, Woodrow Wilson Middle School & Verdugo Park. Nearby homes have recently sold for over $1.2M and $500/sqft to $600/sqft.  Listing includes all three lots sold together with 19,888sqft combined size of all three parcels: LOT#1: 1719 Gladys Dr, 5,304sqft (apn:5665-015-019) LOT#2: 760 Luring Dr, 8,592sqft (apn:5665-015-004) 750 Luring Dr, 5,992sqft (apn:5665-015-005)  WATCH THE VIDEO!    Buying or Selling Real Estate? Contact Us Today! Brian Fitzburgh Real Estate Broker / Animal Lover 818-571-9712 [email protected] www.brokerstrust.com  Homes Fur All is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity organization dedicated to helping the people and pets of NELA
Homes Fur All Rescue Spotlight of the Week JOY  Facts About Me Breed: Chihuahua/Dachshund Mix Color: Tan/Yellow/Fawn - with White Age: 1 year old, Young Size (when grown): Small 25 lbs or less Joy is a chiweenie who is 1 yrs old and weighs about 9 lbs. Mom was a chihuahua but we don't know what the Dad was.  We rescued Mom from a high kill shelter in San Bernardino. We didn't know she was pregnant, then 2 weeks later she gave birth to 5 puppies. Joy and the rest of the puppies are all very sweet but a little bit shy on first meeting.  All the puppies are house trained and taught to go on fake grass those potty patches. Joy is spayed and has had all of their shots. We would like to see her adopted into a home with another playful small dog or one of her siblings named Faith.    Buying or Selling Real Estate? Contact Us Today! Brian Fitzburgh Real Estate Broker / Animal Lover 818-571-9712 [email protected] www.brokerstrust.com  Homes Fur All is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity organization dedicated to helping the people and pets of NELA.
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