Trust is a crucial ingredient in establishing a connection between a homebuyer and their real estate agent. And few tools can be as effective when building trust as a buyer agency agreement. By its very nature, a buyer’s agreement serves to protect the interests and efforts of agents and homebuyers alike. Yet, it’s common for […]
Category: Tips
How the Rise of the “New Listings Near Me” Search Changed the Game for Homebuyers
Perhaps it didn’t have the cultural impact of “new phone, who dis?” but the search phrase “new listings near me” flipped the way buyers search for homes on its… well, its roof. It’s a direct example of the effectiveness of location-based searching, a far cry from the newspaper ads and weekend open houses of yore. […]
Neighborhood Watch: Despite Its Selling Points, Competition Remains Lower for Encino Homes for Sale Than the Rest of the Valley
Featured image credit: JGKlein If you’ve been keeping up with our Neighborhood Watch series, you might get a taste of déjà vu from today’s focal point. But we assure you, Encino has its own distinct flavor, regardless of bordering both Reseda and Sherman Oaks, which we’ve previously covered. We didn’t mean to scrutinize so much […]
What’s the Difference Between Homeowners’ Insurance and Home Title Insurance? And Do You Need It?
If you’re in the market for a home in California, you’re at least passingly familiar with homeowners’ insurance. But home title insurance? That’s another story. And the fact that it’s another story may be news to you. A surprising number of people confuse homeowners’ insurance with home title insurance, mistaking them as synonymous. However, both […]
How Purposeful Real Estate Website Design Makes for a More Rewarding Experience
Computers have placed pretty much anything you can imagine at our fingertips. So why is it still so challenging to find the perfect house? While the digital world still hasn’t quite figured out how to make more housing inventory, a well-crafted real estate website does make house hunting easier than it was a few decades […]
Valley Relics Museum Collects Nostalgic Treasures from a Unique Culture
Featured image credit: ValleyRelicsMuseum.org The San Fernando Valley can feel like its own world… maybe even its own dimension. Is there anywhere else quite like it? It has its own identity, its own culture. For a time, it seemed to even have its own accent. While characteristics of the Valley come and go, one man […]
Okay, You’ve Passed the California Real Estate Exam! Now What?
The moment you pass the California real estate exam, you may feel that the last hurdle between you and success as a licensed real estate agent is finally behind you. And you might be right. But what comes next can often be a rude awakening for the novice agent. In most cases, the real estate […]
Get the Most Twang for Your Buck at the 11 Best Country Bars in Los Angeles
You might even find a few mechanical bulls mixed in. Featured image credit: Sassafras Saloon Let’s be honest: we don’t get a lot of people looking for an authentic hoedown in LA. It’s a place where the city slickers are extra slick; where the palm tree is greater than the prairie rose; where the emphasis […]
3 Obstacles Keeping LA from a Healthy Housing Supply – and What You Can Do About Them
There’s no way around it: Los Angeles has a housing supply shortage. You may not hear us talk about it much here at JohnHart. But that’s only because we invest in agents who know how to use conditions like this to your advantage. That doesn’t mean we’re working in an ideal market. Will supply ever […]
The Folk Art Masterpiece of the Watts Towers Inspired a Community to Build Up
Featured image credit: Levi Clancy This city (and, by extension, this blog) is no stranger to incredible feats of folk art. We’ve seen it in structures like Rubel Castle, the Mosaic Tile House, Zorthian Ranch, and even, to some degree, the Sam Maloof House. We explored it in installations like the Old Trapper’s Lodge and […]









