Covina and San Gabriel Valley Real Estate - For Sale

02/04/2021

7 Tax Benefits of Owning a Home: A Complete Guide for Filing This Year
What are the tax benefits of owning a home? Plenty of homeowners are asking themselves this right around now as they prepare to file their taxes.

Whatever questions you have, look no further than this complete guide to all the tax benefits of owning a home, where we run down all the tax breaks homeowners should be aware of when they file their 2020 taxes in 2021. Read on to make sure you aren't missing anything that could save you money!

Tax break 1: Mortgage interest
Homeowners with a mortgage that went into effect before Dec. 15, 2017, can deduct interest on loans up to $1 million.

"However, for acquisition debt incurred after Dec. 15, 2017, homeowners can only deduct the interest on the first $750,000," says Lee Reams Sr., chief content officer of TaxBuzz.

Why it's important: The ability to deduct the interest on a mortgage continues to be a big benefit of owning a home. And the more recent your mortgage, the greater your tax savings.

"The way mortgage payments are amortized, the first payments are almost all interest," says Wendy Connick, owner of Connick Financial Solutions. (See how your loan amortizes and how much you're paying in interest with this online mortgage calculator.)

Note that the mortgage interest deduction is an itemized deduction. This means that for it to work in your favor, all of your itemized deductions (there are more below) need to be greater than the new standard deduction, which the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act nearly doubled.

And note that those amounts just increased for the 2020 tax year. For individuals, the deduction is now $12,400 ($12,200 in 2019), and it's $24,800 for married couples filing jointly ($24,400 in 2019), plus $1,300 for each spouse aged 65 or older. The deduction also went up to $18,650 for head of household ($18,350 in 2019), plus an additional $1,650 for those 65 or older.

As a result, only about 5% of taxpayers will itemize deductions this filing season, says Connick.

For some homeowners, itemizing simply may not be worth it. So when would itemizing work in your favor? As one example, if you're a married couple under 65 who paid $20,000 in mortgage interest and $6,000 in state and local taxes, you would exceed the standard deduction and be able to reduce your taxable income by an additional $1,200 by itemizing.

Tax break 2: Property taxes
This deduction is capped at $10,000 for those married filing jointly no matter how high the taxes are. (Here's more info on how to calculate property taxes.)

Why it's important: Taxpayers can take one $10,000 deduction, says Brian Ashcraft, director of compliance at Liberty Tax Service.

Just note that property taxes are on that itemized list of all of your deductions that must add up to more than your particular standard deduction to be worth your while.

And remember that if you have a mortgage, your property taxes are built into your monthly payment.

Tax break 3: Private mortgage insurance
If you put less than 20% down on your home, odds are you're paying private mortgage insurance, or PMI, which costs from 0.3% to 1.15% of your home loan.

But here's some good news for PMI users: You can deduct the interest on this insurance thanks to the Mortgage Insurance Tax Deduction Act of 2019—aka the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act—which reinstated certain deductions and credits for homeowners.

"These include the deduction for PMI," says Laura Fogel, certified public accountant at Gonzalez and Associates in Massachusetts. (This credit is retroactive, so talk to your accountant to see if it makes sense to amend your 2018 or 2019 tax return in case you missed it in past years.)

Also note that this tax deduction is set to expire again after 2020 unless Congress decides to extend it in 2021.

Why it's important: The PMI interest deduction is also an itemized deduction. But if you can take it, it might help push you over the $24,800 standard deduction for married couples under 65. And here's how much you'll save: If you make $100,000 and put down 5% on a $200,000 house, you'll pay about $1,500 in annual PMI premiums and thus cut your taxable income by $1,500. Nice!

Tax break 4: Energy efficiency upgrades
The Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit was a tax incentive for installing alternative energy upgrades in a home. Most of these tax credits expired after December 2016; however, two credits are still around (but not for long). The credits for solar electric and solar water-heating equipment are available through Dec. 31, 2021, says Josh Zimmelman, owner of Westwood Tax & Consulting, a New York–based accounting firm.

The SECURE Act also retroactively reinstated a $500 deduction for certain qualified energy-efficient upgrades "such as exterior windows, doors, and insulation," says Fogel.

Why it's important: You can still save a tidy sum on your solar energy. And—bonus!—this is a credit, so no worrying about itemizing here. However, the percentage of the credit varies based on the date of installation. For equipment installed between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020, 26% of the expenditure is eligible for the credit (down from 30% in 2019). That figure drops to 22% for installation between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2021. As of now, the credit ends entirely after 2021.

Tax break 5: A home office
Good news for all self-employed people whose home office is the main place where they work: You can deduct $5 per square foot, up to 300 square feet, of office space, which amounts to a maximum deduction of $1,500.

For those who can take the deduction, understand that there are very strict rules on what constitutes a dedicated, fully deductible home office space. Here's more on the much-misunderstood home office tax deduction.

The fine print: The bad news for everyone forced to work at home due to COVID-19? Unfortunately, if you are a W-2 employee, you're not eligible for the home office deduction under the CARES Act even if you spent most of 2020 in your home office.

Tax break 6: Home improvements to age in place
To get this break, these home improvements will need to exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. So if you make $60,000, this deduction kicks in only on money spent over $4,500.

The cost of these improvements can result in a nice tax break for many older homeowners who plan to age in place and add renovations such as wheelchair ramps or grab bars in bathrooms. Deductible improvements might also include widening doorways, lowering cabinets or electrical fixtures, and adding stair lifts.

The fine print: You’ll need a letter from your doctor to prove these changes were medically necessary.

Tax break 7: Interest on a home equity line of credit
If you have a home equity line of credit, or HELOC, the interest you pay on that loan is deductible only if that loan is used specifically to "buy, build, or improve a property," according to the IRS. So you'll save cash if your home's crying out for a kitchen overhaul or half-bath. But you can't use your home as a piggy bank to pay for college or throw a wedding.

The fine print: You can deduct only up to the $750,000 cap, and this is for the amount you pay in interest on your HELOC and mortgage combined. (And if you took out a HELOC before the new 2018 tax plan for anything besides improvements to your home, you cannot legally deduct the interest.)

For more smart financial news and advice, head over to MarketWatch.

01/27/2021

This Is the Best Time of Year to Get a Mortgage?
YES! Here are the reasons why...
If you’re playing the waiting game with mortgage rates, you may not want to wait much longer.

A new study from Haus, the home-finance startup created by Uber co-founder Garrett Camp, examined what role seasonality, loan size, credit scores and other factors play in the mortgage rates that lenders offer borrowers.

The study found that much like the housing market itself the mortgage market ebbs and flows with the seasons. And January, as it turns out, is the best time of year to get a new home loan on average.

In January, lenders offer a discount of nearly 20 basis points compared to the time period between June and October when rates are typically the highest for the year. The cooler weather, in general, brings out lower mortgage rates, with December and February being the next-cheapest months based on the Haus study.

“While we can’t say for exact certainty why rates are lower in January than in the summer months, we can speculate that competition for customers matter,” Ralph McLaughlin, chief economist and senior vice president of analytics at Haus, said in the report.

“Since home buying and refinancing is seasonal, there is less mortgage origination in winter months, so it could be that lenders must lower their rates to stay competitive and attract business,” he added.

To produce the report, Haus analyzed loan data from Freddie Mac for more than 8.5 million mortgages originated between 2012 and 2018. When examining for seasonality in mortgage rates, the company controlled for other characteristics, including the borrowers, size of the loan and the property.

Nowadays, scoring the lowest rate possible can be akin to finding a needle in a haystack, McLaughlin noted. Although mortgage rates have risen from the record low set right before the New Year, they remain extremely low by historical standards. However, economists have warned that as the year goes on rates could rise, depending on the trajectory of the pandemic and the related economic recovery.

But the timing of when a prospective borrower applies for a new mortgage is just one factor that can save them money. The size of the loan is another consideration. Loans with balances between $350,000 and $450,000 typically fetch a 23-basis-point discount on the mortgage rate compared to mortgages under $100,000, Haus found.

The savings is actually a reflection of the cost for the lender to originate a loan. “The cost of paying someone to originate a loan is the same for a $500,000 mortgage as it is for a $100,000 mortgage, but the latter provides less of a return to the mortgage originator than the former,” McLaughlin said. “In order to help cover this fixed cost, lenders likely increase their rates for lower balance mortgages to compensate.”

Of course, borrowers can only control so much when it comes to the timing of when they apply for a loan or how large the loan is — especially if they are using it to buy a new home. As the study stresses, other factors can have an effect on the rate that’s offered. People with credit scores above 800, for instance, will receive mortgages with rates that are 42 basis points lower on average than borrowers with a score below 650.

And perhaps the easiest way to save money is by shopping around. Haus found that there was a difference of 75 basis points between the most and least expensive large mortgage lenders across the U.S. “This means that, all else equal, the same borrower would get a 5% rate with the most expensive lender and a 4.25% rate with the least expensive lender,” McLaughlin said.

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01/25/2021

Any Matt Damon Fans?

Well, he is Selling Modern Pacific Palisades Estate for $21M!
The Academy Award-winning A-lister Matt Damon has listed his posh Pacific Palisades residence for a hefty $21 million.

That is certainly a pretty penny, but the property, at 13,508 square feet on 0.58 acres, is one of the largest available in the prestigious Upper Riviera neighborhood of Pacific Palisades.

But size isn't all that matters. The Zen-inspired residence built in 2004 is also a private and tranquil retreat. The architect, Grant Kirkpatrick of KAA Design Group, used warm woods and natural stone to give the seven-bedroom home an organic feel.

Full article on link:
https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/matt-damon-selling-pacific-palisades-estate/
By Lisa Johnson Mandell | Jan 25, 2021
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01/21/2021

New-Home Construction Activity Soars to Highest Level in Over a Decade, as Builders Rush To Produce Single-Family Homes!
The numbers: U.S. home builders started construction on homes at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 1.67 million in December, representing a 5.8% increase from the previous month’s figure, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Thursday.

Permitting for new homes occurred at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 1.71 million, up 4.5% from November.

Compared with December 2019, housing starts were up 5%, while permits were up 17%. It was the highest level housing starts and building permits have reached since 2006.

Both figures came in above analysts’ expectations, reflecting growth in the single-family sector. Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected housing starts to occur at a pace of 1.56 million and building permits to come in at a pace of 1.61 million.

What happened: Growth in the single-family sector drove the rise in both housing starts and building permits. On a monthly basis, single-family starts were up 12%, while single-family permits were up 7.8%. Comparatively, new construction on multifamily buildings fell 15.2% between November and December, while multifamily permits for buildings with five or more units slipped 2%. Permits for duplexes, triplexes and quadplexes dropped 11.5%.

On a regional basis, all parts of the country saw permitting activity increase except for the Northeast, where it fell some 7.2%. Though even in the Northeast, single-family permits were up on a monthly basis.

Similarly, the Northeast was the only region to see a decline in housing starts — both overall and for the single-family sector. The Midwest experienced the largest growth in housing starts, with a 32% increase.

The big picture: Demand among buyers might be cooling in the face of high home prices and a lack of inventory, but it still remains elevated compared to last year. That gives builders “strong incentive to keep building,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist for Realtor.com.

Overall, housing starts for 2020 were up nearly 12% from 2019, in spite of the slowdown this past spring sparked by the pandemic. Builders’ optimism might be waning slightly in the face of slowing foot traffic from buyers and rising costs associated with purchasing land and materials. But the underlying need for new homes is still there, which should keep the building sector busy for some time to come.

What they’re saying: “New mortgage applications are also rising again, perhaps to get ahead of higher interest rates. Despite slow population growth, residential construction remains well-supported by (so far) record-low mortgage rates, record-lean resale listings, and the migration of teleworkers to the suburbs,” Michael Gregory, deputy chief economist at BMO Capital Markets, wrote in a research note.

“Housing starts have recovered and were at their strongest pace in more than 14 years. Amazing, considering the COVID-related downturn in the spring. There aren’t enough homes in this country to go around, and we need a long-lasting surge of construction to meet demand,” said Holden Lewis, home and mortgage expert at personal-finance website NerdWallet.

By Jacob Passy | Jan 21, 2021

Article Link:
https://www.realtor.com/news/real-estate-news/new-home-construction-activity-soars-to-highest-level-in-over-a-decade-as-builders-rush-to-produce-single-family-homes/
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01/20/2021

8 Reasons People Can't Buy a Home,
That can be fixed this 2021!
Buying a home—especially if it’s your first—can be a lot like losing weight in the sense that people end up doing... some pretty silly stuff in the process. But while desperate dieters might waste money on “magical” weight-loss pills or crazy exercise equipment (remember the shake weight?), misguided home buyers could be doing far more serious damage—like undermining their ability to purchase a house at all.

Don't be one of them! We asked real estate agents to shed light on some of the dumbest reasons people can't buy a home. The good news? These flubs are easily avoidable. Read on and beware.

REASON No. 1:

Waiting to line up financing
Your first step in the home-buying process should be to meet with a mortgage lender to discuss your financing options, says Benny Kang, a real estate agent in Irvine, CA.

“You don’t truly know what you can afford until you meet with a lender,” says Kang. In other words, just because you think you can buy a $1 million house doesn’t mean you can actually get a loan to purchase a home that nice.

REASON No. 2:

Using a fly-by-night mortgage lender
The mortgage industry is rife with scams—including a slew of fake or unreliable lenders. Placing your trust in a bad lender can cause a deal to fall through. That explains why “sometimes sellers reject offers because of the buyer’s lender,” says Philadelphia real estate agent Kathy Conway. To make sure your financing is rock-solid, ask your real estate agent for lender recommendations instead of, say, just Googling it. And read up to know your mortgage basics.

REASON No. 3:

Getting pre-qualified rather than pre-approved
Pre-qualification and pre-approval might sound similar, but they’re not. Essentially, anyone can get pre-qualified for a loan, because it only involves having a conversation with a lender about the state of your finances (no documents are exchanged). Getting pre-approved, meanwhile, involves the lender gathering all necessary documentation—your tax returns, bank statements, pay stubs, and more—packaging the loan, and submitting the file to an underwriter for review. If everything checks out, the lender will issue you a written commitment for financing up to a certain loan amount that’s good for up to 90 or 120 days.

When you submit an offer on a home, you’ll need to include a pre-approval letter from your lender, says Conway.

“Educated sellers won’t even entertain an offer unless the buyer has a letter of pre-approval” from a reliable lender, Conway says.

REASON No. 4:

Shopping outside your price range
“It sounds obvious, but some home buyers just have trouble sticking to a budget,” says Kang. Therefore, resist the temptation to shop online for homes that are simply outside your price range (i.e., how much you’ve been pre-approved for).

REASON No. 5:

Making lowball offers in a seller’s market
You need to rely on your real estate agent to determine whether a house that you’re interested in has a fair listing price. (Your agent will do this by performing a comparative market analysis, which entails looking at recently sold properties that are comparable to the house that’s up for sale.) If a home is priced well, it might make sense to offer full price, says Kang. Moreover, “if you’re in a seller’s market, making a crazy lowball offer can p**s off the seller” and kill your offer, says Kang.

REASON No. 6:

Writing a bad personal letter to the seller
If you’re competing against other buyers, writing the seller a personal letter can help strengthen your offer. But Julie McDonough, a real estate agent in Southern California, says some home buyers are inclined to overshare, in which case a letter can actually hurt your offer.

“Stick to the fact that you love the house and the neighborhood,” says McDonough. “Don’t get into personal details” such as the fact that you’ve lost out on other homes or want to remodel the dated kitchen.

REASON No. 7:

Making a big purchase while in escrow
Some home buyers make the mistake of opening new credit accounts while they’re in the process of buying a house. But purchasing a big-ticket item like a car or a boat while you’re buying a house can jeopardize your financing. Why? Because your mortgage lender’s underwriter is going to re-evaluate your finances and recheck your credit report shortly before closing in order to determine that you’re still able to qualify for the loan.

“Even buying a fridge can throw off your credit or debt-to-income ratio,” says Conway. Translation: Don’t make any big purchases until after you close on the house.

REASON No. 8:

Not budgeting for closing costs
If you don’t have enough cash to cover closing costs, you won’t make it to settlement; and if that’s the case, you could lose your earnest money deposit. Thus, make sure to get an estimate from your mortgage lender of what your closing costs will be before making an offer on a property (currently, this is legally required—just make sure to read it).

Closing costs vary widely by location, but they typically total 2% to 7% of the home’s purchase price. So on a $250,000 home, your closing costs could come to $5,000 to $17,500. Both buyers and sellers usually pitch in on closing costs, but buyers shoulder the lion’s share of the load (3% to 4% of the home’s price) compared with sellers (1% to 3%), so you need to make sure you have enough cash on hand to pay your portion.

Take Notes, think on your next move, and Take Action on your Future!

Article Link:
https://www.realtor.com/advice/buy/dumb-reasons-people-cant-buy-a-home/
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01/11/2021

If a Sale doesn't go through, Who Pays the Appraisal Fee?

If you’re buying a home, one of the (many) things you must check off your list is hiring a professional to do a home appraisal to assess the property's value. But what if you check it off your list and then, for whatever reason, the home sale falls through—who pays the appraisal fee then?

Let’s take a look.

WHAT IS A HOME APPRAISAL ANYWAY?

A home appraisal is a professional assessment of how much a property is worth. Unless you’re paying for your home in cash, it’s a non-negotiable in the process. Most lenders require an appraisal before they’ll grant you a mortgage. Your home is their collateral, and if you can’t pay your mortgage, they want to make sure they can get back as much of their money as possible. An appraisal also helps protect you from buying an overpriced property.

The appraiser will take an unbiased look at a home, the condition it’s in, any repairs it needs, and other factors, and will also likely compare it to other similar properties in the area before providing an estimate of what they think it's worth. An appraisal goes deeper than the comps your real estate agent likely gathered and presented to you when you were first considering the property—but not as deep as a home inspection, which you’ll also want to have completed in most cases before the sale is final.

If the appraised value is higher than the cost of the home you want to purchase, good for you! You’re making an investment that’s paying off from the get-go. If, however, the appraised value is lower than the price of the house, then you have a variety of options—including negotiating with the seller, challenging the appraisal, and/or getting a second one. Or, of course, you could walk away from the deal completely.

The cost of a professional appraisal varies depending on where you live; but in general, you can expect to pay somewhere around $300 to $400 for one.

Who pays the home appraisal fee when a deal falls through?
In most cases, even though the appraisal is for the benefit of the lender and the appraiser is selected by the lender, the fee is paid by the buyer. It may be wrapped up into closing costs, or you may have to pay it upfront. There are some cases, however, in which a seller will offer to pay the appraisal fee to make the deal more attractive.

So, back to the original question: When a sale falls through, who’s on the line for the fee? In most cases, it’s still going to be the buyer.

“The buyer is usually required to pay the appraisal fee upfront, and it is owed even if the lender does not move forward with a loan,” says Lee Dworshak, a real estate agent with Keller Williams LA Harbor Realty in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. “While the seller may have agreed to pay all closing costs, if the closing does not occur and the property is not conveyed, the seller is not required to pay your appraisal fee.”

If a buyer doesn’t pay the appraisal fee upfront and instead rolls it into the rest of her closing costs, that doesn’t mean she's off the hook if she doesn’t close.

“It has nothing to do with the seller; it is ordered by your lender, and payment is due regardless of the outcome,” says Maria Jeantet, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker C&C Properties in Redding, CA. “It is typically paid by the buyer unless specifically negotiated ahead of time to be paid by the seller.”

Having a home sale fall through is usually a bummer for both the seller and the buyer, and having to pay for an appraisal on a home you’re not going to buy adds a bit of insult to injury. Just know that while the appraisal fee can sting, it can save buyers from a much bigger financial wallop that comes with buying an overpriced home.

In the grand scheme of things, it’s a small price to pay when it comes to finding the right house at the right price.

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By The Realtor.com Team | Jan 11, 2021

12/23/2020

The DO’S and DON’TS after Applying for a Mortgage...
Read On
Once you’ve found the right home and applied for a mortgage, there are some key things to keep in mind before you close. You’re undoubtedly excited about the opportunity to decorate your new place, but before you make any large purchases, move your money around, or make any major life changes, consult your lender – someone who is qualified to tell you how your financial decisions may impact your home loan.

Below is a list of things you shouldn’t do after applying for a mortgage. They’re all important to know – or simply just good reminders – for the process.

1. DON'T Deposit Cash into Your Bank Accounts Before Speaking with Your Bank or Lender.
Lenders need to source your money, and cash is not easily traceable. Before you deposit any amount of cash into your accounts, discuss the proper way to document your transactions with your loan officer.

2. DON'T Make Any Large Purchases Like a New Car or Furniture for Your New Home.
New debt comes with new monthly obligations. New obligations create new qualifications. People with new debt have higher debt-to-income ratios. Higher ratios make for riskier loans, and then sometimes qualified borrowers no longer qualify.

3. BIG NO-NO to Co-Sign Other Loans for Anyone. When you co-sign, you’re obligated.
With that obligation comes higher ratios as well. Even if you promise you won’t be the one making the payments, your lender will have to count the payments against you.

4. DO NOT Change Bank Accounts.
Remember, lenders need to source and track your assets. That task is significantly easier when there’s consistency among your accounts. Before you transfer any money, speak with your loan officer.

5. Apply for New Credit....DON'T EVEN
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a new credit card or a new car. When you have your credit report run by organizations in multiple financial channels (mortgage, credit card, auto, etc.), your FICO® score will be impacted. Lower credit scores can determine your interest rate and maybe even your eligibility for approval.

6. DON'T Close Any Credit Accounts.
Many buyers believe having less available credit makes them less risky and more likely to be approved. Wrong. A major component of your score is your length and depth of credit history (as opposed to just your payment history) and your total usage of credit as a percentage of available credit. Closing accounts has a negative impact on both of those determinants of your score.

IN CONCLUSION

Any blip in income, assets, or credit should be reviewed and executed in a way that ensures your home loan can still be approved. If your job or employment status has changed recently, share that with your lender as well. The best plan is to fully disclose and discuss your intentions with your loan officer before you do anything financial in nature.

Hope this was helpful and you think about these DON'Ts while your mortgage process goes on, till' next time and stay SAFE!

12/21/2020

ARE YOU FEELING STUCK..??
IF THE ANSWER IS YES...🤔

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Not everyone has what it takes but it's also a lack of direction.

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12/14/2020

PAINT JOB CRIMES..!!

Didn't Stop a Buyer From Grabbing This $1.1M Nashville Home
By Claudine Zap | Dec 14, 2020

Within days of coming on the market, the infamous home in Nashville, TN, known as "The Fashion House" was under contract. The property landed on the market in late November, with a list price of $1.1 million. The final closing price isn’t yet known.

The listing bills the residence as a "fully furnished designer-themed home."

While those words sound like a high-end dream, the reality is more of a crimes of couture nightmare, with designer logos running amok on the interior walls.

A huge bash at the party pad made headlines in August, provoking the ire of public health officials. It was denounced as a potential super-spreader event during a pandemic and drew its fair share of jeers from social media.

Now, the keys to the house with the garish decor will wind up in the hands of someone new. But will the next owners want a new look for the house?

If they want to take it back to "white box" status, that will entail a lot of paint. The black and dark-colored walls are spattered with haute couture logos that drip down the walls. But the new owner can easily bring the place back to basics—at a price.

Anyone wanting to get the interior walls back to standard white can count on spending about $9,500, according to one Nashville-area painter, Joshua Ryan Regan, who owns the business Truly Professional Painting.

He notes that the job will be "labor-intensive," because of the bold hues and designs, and will require two coats of primer to adequately cover the dark colors.

Let’s take a look inside. The 3,046-square-foot interiors are done in “a tribute to the high-end fashion designers and iconic brands we’ve grown to idolize,” according to the property’s Instagram account, which is private.

The home features four bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. Modern and sleek, it has walls of glass, a terrace, and an open kitchen and living space.

However, you might overlook those attributes, because the interior decor takes center stage.

A new owner could complete the home with a rooftop lounge, by adding stairs from the the balcony and railing.

Priority No. 1, though, involves painting over the walls designed to serve as the backdrop to tiresome Instagram influencers.

The entry sets the tone, featuring melted Chanel-type logos with white paint dripping down the black walls and stairs, and onto several ancient TV sets.

No, this isn't vandalism: It appears to be someone's vision of a fashion-forward entry.

Heading upstairs, the logo theme continues in the living area, with deliquescent Louis Vuitton-type logos covering the walls in the living area and the kitchen. A giant, floor-to-ceiling, golden LV sculpture stands in the middle of the room.

The LV theme is repeated to nauseating effect in the open kitchen.

According to the listing, the layout features “hand-painted designer bedrooms,” including a master suite with a sitting area and a mural, sliding doors to the balcony with downtown views, an en suite bath, and custom built-in closet.

There's no escape from the paint job, not even in the bathroom.

The listing suggests that the home offers an "investment opportunity." Certainly, the notoriety and street style could make that a possibility as a themed short-term rental—so perhaps the buyer will keep everything as is. Stranger things have happened in the housing world.

But new owners are advised to hold off on any bashes until the end of the pandemic.

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Crimes of Couture Paint JobWe