by Mark Rogo | Aug 2, 2024 | Latest Monthly Blog by Mark Rogo
There is so much flux in the marketplace and so many things we are unsure about. What we know is that NO ONE is buying or selling real estate unless they have to for these reasons: “Honey, I’ve been transferred to Westwood, CA. It’s a suburb of Los Angeles.” “Darling,...
by Mark Rogo | Mar 26, 2024 | Latest Monthly Blog by Mark Rogo
It’s been a busy few weeks in the world of real estate. Buyers are calling to ask when interest rates are rising, so they know how to time the trigger on a prospective loan. Sellers are calling to ask ask when to put their property on the market. I’m calling my...
by Mark Rogo | Jan 9, 2024 | 2024 Blogs By Mark Rogo, Latest Monthly Blog by Mark Rogo
The year 2023 was an exceptional year for a couple of reasons. First, my daughter got married to a wonderful man. Second, it was a recessionary year for real estate with a huge drop in units sold across the United States and volume (total dollar transactions). In...
by Mark Rogo | Oct 10, 2023 | Latest Monthly Blog by Mark Rogo
There are so many topics to discuss and confusing messages being sent that I’m going to try and tackle some of them in short form here. First, let’s start with some good news. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Lynn and I are experiencing the largest...
by Mark Rogo | Aug 7, 2023 | Latest Monthly Blog by Mark Rogo
Inventory, Measuring Wealth and the Racial Wealth Gap Two common themes concern many people I talk to about real estate. First, there is the question of why prices have not come down, and the answer is the low inventory on the market. Second, I find it surprising,...
by Mark Rogo | May 25, 2023 | Latest Monthly Blog by Mark Rogo
The government has ended the emergency mandates covering the COVID-19 virus, and slowly, we are returning to normalcy. But our new normal will never be the same as the old one. Offices remain empty with remote employment becoming more acceptable, the fallacy behind...
by Mark Rogo | Mar 8, 2023 | Latest Monthly Blog by Mark Rogo
Ah, the month of February. The 2023 year. So much to say, so much to be proud of, and so much to hope for will fade away in my memory. I’ve never seen a year like 2022, and 2023 is shaping up to be much of the same, with one big glaring exception; the upcoming wedding...
by Mark Rogo | Dec 13, 2022 | Latest Monthly Blog by Mark Rogo
So, are we having fun yet? We are rip-roaring knee-deep in correction territory, with the Federal Reserve’s commitment to taming inflation stifling the economy with higher interest rates. Rates permeate all segments of the economy, including car leases,...
by Mark Rogo | Sep 20, 2022 | Latest Monthly Blog by Mark Rogo
Do you want to know something about me? I’ll confess now that I’m a closet addict to Excel, spending numerous evenings just poking around the numbers, comparing data from one area to another, one period to another. I’m just trying to understand how...
by Mark Rogo | Jul 26, 2022 | Latest Monthly Blog by Mark Rogo
Real estate is a game of psychology. If you want to be a successful real estate agent and perform your best for clients, you need to master the art of negotiation and the mental prep required. Unfortunately, most agents are not the most excellent negotiators… So...
by Mark Rogo | Jun 28, 2022 | Latest Monthly Blog by Mark Rogo
Real estate is a hot topic right now. I know this because my phone has been the busiest it’s ever been over the last six months. We saw a surge in real estate transactions in January as buyers came forward to accelerate their plans before the future mortgage...
by Mark Rogo | Feb 8, 2022 | Latest Monthly Blog by Mark Rogo
Here we are, starting the 3rd year of this visit by Mr. Covid. The first question that comes to my mind is,“How does this affect my rugged good looks and fabulous physique”? But let’s go to the more important second question; “How does this effect the real...
by Mark Rogo | May 24, 2021 | 2021 Blogs by Mark Rogo
I have a topic to broach with all of my readers that I think you’ll find interesting. Here’s the question; why do the nerdy underwriters place more importance on an unreliable source of income such as a paycheck in a small firm, than a steady income backed up by...
by Mark Rogo | Mar 24, 2021 | 2021 Blogs by Mark Rogo
Wow, lots to talk about. But first, my favorite topic, the Los Angeles Dodgers. I must confess I am enjoying the thought that the Dodger organization is once again struggling with their greed. After lining their pockets many years ago signing an exclusive broadcasting...
by Mark Rogo | Feb 7, 2021 | 2021 Blogs by Mark Rogo
I’m sure we are all happy to see the year 2020 now in our rear-view mirror, saying good-bye to one 12-month stretch of time that saw a pandemic, focus on the historic friction between the black community and law enforcement resulting in riots in our streets, a...
by Mark Rogo | Dec 1, 2020 | 2020 Blogs by Mark
Real estate is both a lifestyle and an investment. The dual goals are not mutually exclusive, and present tremendous wealth building opportunities if you hear those opportunities knocking at your door. The key is to keep your ears open to the knocking. I believe we...
by Mark Rogo | Oct 22, 2020 | 2020 Blogs by Mark
We are at an incredible crossroads in real estate. The Corona-19 virus has decimated complete businesses, we are experiencing all-time low interest rates, there’s a change in social norms resulting from working virtually from home, that has resulted in increased...
by Mark Rogo | Aug 14, 2020 | 2020 Blogs by Mark
We’re now all accustomed to our masks and personal space but, I wonder if you also recognize a sense of peace during this crazy time in our lives. One of the most interesting new discoveries has been my ability to stay home and enjoy it. I never thought I’d see the...
by Mark Rogo | Jun 16, 2020 | 2020 Blogs by Mark
On my last blog, we talked about the initial changes in the marketplace as Mr. Covid was making his appearance. Now with sufficient time under our belts, we can see the those changes quantified in actual reported closings to The MLS. I have broken up our time periods...
by Mark Rogo | Apr 21, 2020 | 2020 Blogs by Mark
Mr. COVID and Real Estate We are all seeing our “normal” change every day. (No, this is not another policy statement or restatement of the news). How does this ever-shifting “normal” translate into fundamental economic changes that are the cornerstones of our way of...
by Mark Rogo | Mar 27, 2020 | 2020 Blogs by Mark
Are we having fun yet? How about some fun numbers to put everything into perspective. 92,000 – Highest number of new unemployment claims filed since March of 2005 (Beacon Economics) 215,000 – Number of new unemployment claims filed week ending March 21st 2020 (Beacon...
by Mark Rogo | Feb 14, 2020 | 2020 Blogs by Mark
Our country is entering what promises to be a fascinating year. We are in an exciting election year, our country has a 60-year low rate of employment (although I question the quality of the employment), interest rates remain at historic lows, the tariff wars seem to...
by Mark Rogo | Nov 22, 2019 | 2019 Blogs by Mark Rogo
Lynn and I just rounded our 90th day as Compass agents. In that period of time we have closed nine escrows, five are in the hopper coming up on the market, three leases were finalized and two referrals. That was a rush of business at the same time we were tackling the...
by Mark Rogo | Sep 6, 2019 | 2019 Blogs by Mark Rogo
I’m back! Did you miss me? INTRODUCTION My inbox is full of data and information that I want to share with you, but I have to be brief. So let’s talk about our new home at Compass and what it has to offer, some data on a changing market and an introduction to...
by Mark Rogo | Apr 30, 2019 | 2019 Blogs by Mark Rogo
In a number of past blogs I’ve talked about the declining inventory and the artificial support of high values in the market. We’ve also talked about how it trickles through the entire westside. But real estate is a strange animal, and although my world is largely west...
by Mark Rogo | Mar 21, 2019 | 2019 Blogs by Mark Rogo
Rent Control, Discount Brokers and the $5.0 Million+ Market RENT CONTROL The voting citizens of California did the right thing; they defeated Proposition 10 which would have established a state mandate for forced rent control on all municipalities statewide. But the...
by Mark Rogo | Mar 4, 2019 | 2019 Blogs by Mark Rogo
Dear Friends, The New Year has started and is well on its way in real estate. With only two months under our wing, we have discovered three truths; (1) inventory remains at historic low figures but is slowly trending upwards nationally as more properties hit the...
by Mark Rogo | Jan 6, 2019 | 2019 Blogs by Mark Rogo
It’s the Economy! Yep, it sure is. The National Association of Realtors reports that the sharpest drop in three years in existing-homes just took place in November/December as the nationally annualized rate of 4.99 million homes fell an unexpected 6.9%. This is after...
by Mark Rogo | Nov 6, 2018 | 2018 Blogs by Mark Rogo
“Them Thar Rich Celebrities” Many of you know that I spent the first 25 years of my adult life as a used machinery dealer, working for my father in the family firm until I eventually bought the company. Life was different and my career was certainly different,...
by Mark Rogo | Oct 6, 2018 | 2018 Blogs by Mark Rogo
Dear Friends and Neighbors, It’s official; the market has turned and we are in a correction. It’s the topic I’ve mentioned numerous times and that everyone asks me about. Now it’s no longer a topic of conjecture but rather an item of fact. The U.S. economy is in an...
by Mark Rogo | Aug 6, 2018 | 2018 Blogs by Mark Rogo
Dear Friends and Neighbors, Real estate remained busy and active the first half of the year. No matter what happens in the rest of the country, real estate on the west side of Los Angeles remains lively, to say the least. August, however, seems to be quiet, and I get...
by Mark Rogo | Jul 6, 2018 | 2018 Blogs by Mark Rogo
Declining Inventory, New Tax Rules, Discount Real Estate Brokers and My New Job in Rotary There’s a lot to talk about, but let’s start with real estate. It’s no secret that the last few years have seen a steady decline in real estate parcels put up for sale. This has...
by Mark Rogo | Jun 6, 2018 | 2018 Blogs by Mark Rogo
Dear Friends, Lots of stuff to bring you up to date on. All of it is very interesting. 1. According to Realtor.com “The Top 20 Hottest Markets in the United States in April” were; I might be missing something, but do you see Beverly Hills? Bel Air? Brentwood? Palo...
by Mark Rogo | May 6, 2018 | 2018 Blogs by Mark Rogo
May 2018 Dear Friends – this is an important issue to our neighborhood. If you don’t want to have UCLA students making decisions that impact our neighborhood and quality of life, you need to vote in the May 22 election! We need every single NO vote to defeat this...
by Mark Rogo | Apr 16, 2018 | 2018 Blogs by Mark Rogo
The perfect income property configured in the perfect floor plan for today’s high tech movement into Silicon beach. These are all single bedroom units, making them ideal for young techies and/or young techies + significant...
by Mark Rogo | Apr 16, 2018 | 2018 Blogs by Mark Rogo
Huge front facing luxurious 2 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom + den in a highly desirable area of Beverly Hills, north of Burton Way. This rare offering is located on a quiet tree-lined street, close to all Beverly Hills has to offer. At 2,784 square feet of living space this...
by Mark Rogo | Apr 6, 2018 | 2018 Blogs by Mark Rogo
April 2018 Living with Disruption During the Subway Construction This blog is for all of you that commute in and out of Westwood, specifically along Wilshire Blvd. And if you live on the Wilshire Corridor, even more so. The Purple Line subway extension is about to hit...
by Mark Rogo | Apr 3, 2018 | 2018 Blogs by Mark Rogo
Living with Disruption During the Subway Construction This blog is for all of you that commute in and out of Westwood, specifically along Wilshire Blvd. And if you live on the Wilshire Corridor, even more so. The Purple Line subway extension is about to hit you square...
by Mark Rogo | Mar 15, 2018 | 2018 Blogs by Mark Rogo
Real estate is a very geographically focused business that requires utmost attention to events that can change values in an instant. A cursory review of MTA plans for our Purple subway line are already impacting commercial values in the immediate vicinity of...
by Mark Rogo | Mar 6, 2018 | 2018 Blogs by Mark Rogo
Dear Friends and Neighbors, Real estate is a very geographically focused business that requires utmost attention to events that can change values in an instant. A cursory review of MTA plans for our Purple subway line are already impacting commercial values in the...
by Mark Rogo | Jan 6, 2018 | 2018 Blogs by Mark Rogo
Dear Friends and Neighbors, Happy New Years! May the New Year bring Blessings of health and happiness to you and your loved ones. As my grandfather said, “Your Health is Your Wealth” This past year is behind us and the numbers are in. I can’t imagine a more...
by Mark Rogo | Jan 5, 2018 | 2018 Blogs by Mark Rogo
Happy New Years! May the New Year bring Blessings of health and happiness to you and your loved ones. As my grandfather said, “Your Health is Your Wealth” This past year is behind us and the numbers are in. I can’t imagine a more fascinating year with this new...
by Mark Rogo | Nov 27, 2017 | 2017 Blogs by Mark Rogo
We all are wondering what the Republicans are doing about the 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act and how it will affect us. I’ve done some research and spent time reading up on the subject; this is my take. If you want a copy of the 77 page summary from the House Ways...
by Mark Rogo | Aug 21, 2017 | 2017 Blogs by Mark Rogo
A lot of you have asked me to clarify the hysterics in the media talking about this sizzling market, but in statistical terms so you can translate hysterical English into quantifiable numbers. Good suggestion. Adjectives can be ambiguous but numbers cannot....
by Mark Rogo | Jul 21, 2017 | 2017 Blogs by Mark Rogo
Dear Friends and Neighbors, What is going on? Last year, 33 properties on the westside were sold for $20M or more. So far this year, 31 have closed escrow and we have six months to go! In the $10M and higher properties, 160 closed escrow in all of 2016 and yet there...
by Mark Rogo | Nov 4, 2016 | 2016 Blogs by Mark Rogo
“Who is in the Top 5% and what will this election do to real estate?” I’m getting asked both questions daily now, and it just seemed appropriate to address them in my final blog before the November 8th election. Before I start, one strong piece of advice. No matter...
by Mark Rogo | Jun 20, 2016 | 2016 Blogs by Mark Rogo
One of the interesting things about this current real estate economy are the creative ways agents are able to bust their listings through the edge of the envelope. Even though prices continue to rise, buyers are not stupid, and properties that are priced beyond the...
by Mark Rogo | May 17, 2016 | 2016 Blogs by Mark Rogo
My Friends, Real estate continues to march forward, as we all expected. Our weekly office meeting today included over 60 of the 208 agents, and had a review of the current state of the market from our Sr. Vice-President Beth Styne. Listings are down, pending sales...
by Mark Rogo | Apr 17, 2016 | 2016 Blogs by Mark Rogo
My Friends, It’s an election year, a time when most Americans are concerned about the direction of the country and prefer to put off major decisions until after the election, such as buying or selling a home. It is in our nature to protect our biggest asset during...
by Mark Rogo | Feb 17, 2016 | 2016 Blogs by Mark Rogo
This past year was another banner year for real estate, the agents and the investors. While most of the country wallowed in indecision, there was no such animal around when it came to west side real estate. Beverly Hills to the ocean once again proved to be an...
