Mary Cummins, Real Estate Appraiser, Real Estate Appraisal, Los Angeles, California, Mary Cummins.

Mary Cummins is a real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California with 38+ years of experience. Cummins provides real estate appraisals for banks, lenders, mortgage brokers, Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs), lawyers, Courts, factors and private parties for lending, lawsuits, probate, estate planning, divorce and all types of litigation. Cummins provides 1004, 1073, 1025 and other form reports, narrative reports and historical appraisals besides real estate research and appraisal advice.

Sunday, October 15, 2017

Thomas Brothers map Los Angeles, California, page, grid by Mary Cummins Real Estate Appraiser

The old Thomas Brothers Map,Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego County Foldout Map, Los Angeles, California, page, grid, Mary Cummins, Real Estate Appraiser, Real Estate Appraisal, 1991, Rand McNally, cartography, maps, Thomas Brothers Guide, Thomas Bros, index, guide

If you're an old school real estate agent, appraiser, heck, anyone who used to do a lot of driving before smart phones, you are familiar with the Thomas Guide maps. The Thomas Guide was started by cartographer George Coupland Thomas and his two brothers in 1915 to help travelers find their way around growing and frequently changing cities in the United States.

The Thomas Brothers developed a page and grid number system which they published in their yearly street guides. The page and grid layout is a national based tiling system. Map grids are 1/2 mile square, and are numbered from Grid A1 through Grid J7. The letters A to J are along the top of the map left to right and represent the columns. The numbers are on the sides of the map top to bottom and represent the rows. Below is a photo of one well used map page as an example.

The idea of the map grid system probably came from the US Government Survey System from the National Atlas. This is based on the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) which is the surveying method developed and used in the United States to plat, or divide, real property for sale and settling. It uses a similar system based on townships and sections though with a slightly different section numbering system than Thomas Brothers maps.

Below is a copy of the 1991 "Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego County Foldout Map" which I bought along with a spiral bound map book with laminated pages.* It's the index, key, guide for the map book. It includes parts of Ventura and San Bernardino Counties. I also included the other side of that map which has the rest of Orange County, San Diego County, Riverside County. The green squares with numbers in them represent detail maps in the Guide.

If you're looking for Thomas Guide Los Angeles, California map page and grid numbers for a specific address in the city of Los Angeles (city only and not the entire county of Los Angeles), input the address in the below links. Use Zimas first because it's quicker and easier.

Zimas http://161.149.40.71/ Click "Address/Legal" top left. Scroll down a little top left and you'll see "Thomas Brothers Grid."

You can also use Los Angeles City Building and Safety http://www.ladbs.org if Zimas is down. The direct page link https://www.ladbsservices2.lacity.org/OnlineServices/?service=plr Enter address then click on Parcel Profile Report for the address. Click the address which should be blue and underlined. Scroll down until you see Thomas Brothers Map Grid. The page and grid number is directly to the right.

*Disclaimer: I'm sharing these old parts of paper maps under the Fair Use of Copyright under the Copyright Act to talk about the old mapping system and its history in Los Angeles, California. This is a 1991 map which is totally out of date and not useful as a map especially in the digital age of smart phones which have free maps with GPS. There are copies of Thomas Guide maps for Los Angeles County, California in the Library of Congress which are copyright free. This map is the same age. While Thomas Brothers own the copyright to printed maps they do not own the actual maps, map numbering system or the map page and grid numbers.

Wall size glass framed Thomas Guide map of Los Angeles county in an old LA Fire Dept museum near Olvera Street. It's about 6-7 feet tall.

Mary Cummins of Cummins Real Estate is a certified residential licensed appraiser in Los Angeles, California. Mary Cummins is licensed by the California Bureau of Real Estate appraisers and has over 35 years of experience.

Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary, Cummins, #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit real estate, appraiser, appraisal, instructor, teacher, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Brentwood, Bel Air, California, licensed, permitted, certified, single family, condo, condominium, pud, hud, fannie mae, freddie mac, fha, uspap, certified, residential, certified resident, apartment building, multi-family, commercial, industrial, expert witness, civil, criminal, orea, dre, brea insurance, bonded, experienced, bilingual, spanish, english, form, 1004, 2055, 1073, land, raw, acreage, vacant, insurance, cost, income approach, market analysis, comparative, theory, appraisal theory, cost approach, sales, matched pairs, plot, plat, map, diagram, photo, photographs, photography, rear, front, street, subject, comparable, sold, listed, active, pending, expired, cancelled, listing, mls, multiple listing service, claw, themls, historical appraisal, facebook, linkedin

Mary Cummins

Mary Cummins of Cummins Real Estate Services has been in real estate since 1983, over 35 years. She is licensed by the Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers. Mary Cummins was an agent and broker licensed with the California Department of Real Estate selling residential income, commercial buildings, raw land and homes for Merrill Lynch Realty in Beverly Hills and Westside Properties in Los Angeles before concentrating on appraisals. Mary Cummins currently provides real estate appraisals, expert witness testimony, historical research, legal real estate research for mortgage brokers, banks, lawyers, factors, insurance companies, financial consultants and private individuals. Mary Cummins was born and raised in Southern California. Cummins attended Beverly Hills Good Shepherd Catholic School and Beverly Hills High School. Besides being on the Dean's list, Mary Cummins was a top ten national swimmer and competed on the men's water polo team. Mary Cummins began college at the age of 15 attending the University of Southern California on scholarship, majoring in Psychology/Sociology. http://www.animaladvocates.us http://www.facebook.com/AnimalAdvocatesUSA

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Real estate cycle Gentrification, Revitalization by Mary Cummins Real Estate Appraiser Los Angeles

What some call "gentrification" is actually just a real estate cycle. There are four cycles through which an improved property will pass in its lifetime. The cycles are caused by ordinary physical deterioration and market demand. Those four stages are as follows:

1. Growth - When improvements are first made and property demand expands.

2. Equilibrium or Stability - When the property undergoes little change.

3. Decline - When the property requires an increasing amount of upkeep to retain its original utility while demand slackens. Rents and property values decline.

4. Revitalization or Rehabilitation - When demand increases for any reason serving to stimulate property renovation. Demand generally increases when people are priced out of adjacent areas and need more affordable nearby housing.

The first three stages of a property's life cycle are also termed development, maturity and old age. The principle of growth, equilibrium, decline and revitalization can also apply to entire neighborhoods.

Los Angeles’ neighborhoods are ever changing. One example of this is downtown Los Angeles. It’s gone through many cycles of change. It currently is nearing a peak with all the new construction and rising interest rates. Read this article as of today’s date of April 5, 2017.

In a year or so there may be an oversupply of luxury apartments, condos and lofts (happened October 2017 with 12% vacancy rate for luxury units) like there was during the great recession which started November 2007. The great recession was caused by a real estate bubble bursting while at the same time poor quality home loans were made and sold on the derivative market. Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) properties went down just a little over 50%. Some luxury loft projects which weren’t finished at least six months before this date were foreclosed upon. HOAs even went bankrupt. Some luxury loft buildings became rentals instead.

A real estate cycle which irks renters in the DTLA areas is “revitalization.” They like to call it “gentrification.” Gentrification is defined as “the process of renovating and improving a house or district so that it conforms to middle-class taste.” People living in say West Los Angeles can no longer afford the rent or cost of a home in West Los Angeles because their wages have been stagnant. They seek out cheaper up and coming areas to rent or buy such as Boyle Heights. It's about money.

Current renters in Boyle Heights are upset that the area has improved, new luxury condos were being built and more importantly their rents have risen or they’re being evicted so the building can be renovated or torn down and a larger, newer one built. They feel their rent should stay the same even though the landlord’s property tax, utilities, interest rates, repair costs ... have risen significantly. There’s also new development, new stores, boutiques, coffee shops, more people and more demand for housing. The area has improved so market rent will of course be higher. Rents correlate directly with property values. In 2020, 2021 home values increased 15% or more a year. So did the corresponding rents.

Some of these lower income renters go so far as to say it’s wealthier whites pushing out poorer Hispanics, Blacks and their culture. They even broke the windows of and vandalized a new coffee shop and book store to hopefully “scare” away the newcomers. One of the coffee shop owners is Latino. They don’t realize that before Boyle Heights was a Hispanic community it was a Jewish and Chinese community. Before that it was Mexico. Before that it was part of Spain. Before that the land belonged to the Native Americans. These people are only upset about “their” rents rising. They don’t care about the people who own the buildings with rising costs who are generally also Latino or Black. They didn’t care about the people who were there before them whom they pushed out. These people are actually guilty of and benefiting from what they call "gentrification." They took someone else's home. If the area were not improved, it would still be unimproved farm land, vacant land or small run down single family residences. They would not want to live there. The rent they are paying supports revitalization. And the people moving in aren’t all whites. They’re also Hispanics, African Americans, Asian.... The main difference is income.

The main change in the race, color, ethnicity ... of an area has to do with changing socio-economic factors such as income, buying power, marital status, single mother household with young children under 18, credit scores ... The more income you have, the more wealth you have, the more expensive home you can buy, own or rent. Research has proved that whites make more money than blacks and Latinos. This is the cause of the wealth gap between most whites, blacks and Latinos. For this reason whites buy, own and rent more expensive homes than blacks, Latinos. Below is Tobias Peter and AEI's report which shows this. If the government wants to end the white black/brown wealth gap, they need to end the income gap and help people increase their income and buying power.

https://www.aei.org/economics/special-briefing-the-impact-of-race-and-socio-economic-status-on-the-value-of-homes-by-neighborhood/

It’s never the property owners who complain about their property values going up. It’s a few maybe 3% of very low rent people who intentionally moved to the area to take advantage of the low rents in a debilitated area. Some of these “artists” living in “lofts” even have the nerve to state they are the reason why the area improved in value. They think they attracted new businesses. They are never the reason why the area improved. They merely took advantage of then low rents during that cycle. Or maybe they are long time renters who took advantage of the rents staying low because the area declined.

97% of the people in the community, property owners, business owners, tenants paying market rents, cities, counties, states getting increased taxes are happy about revitalization. There is more income to pay for lower income programs and low rent projects not to mention community improvement projects like cleaning, beautification, parks and improved schools. Should we stop revitalization to make 3% of the lowest income people happy by subsidizing their low rent because they don't have to move to another low rent area? Everyone has to move for one reason or another. It's a good thing for everyone overall. FTR I'm not a property owner. I've had to move to lower rent areas. I understand.

Instead of complaining these people need to move to another area with low rents if they want their rent to stay the same. That’s why some Los Angeles artists moved to Santa Ana, Anaheim and Long Beach industrial areas. They’re cheaper than LA. Many people moved out of California for this reason. If they want to forever pay low rents they’ll have to ride the real estate cycle. They could also increase job skills and seek out higher paying jobs. I realize not everyone can do this but it's an option for some. If they really want to take advantage of this cycle, those that can, can work hard, save money, buy property in dilapidated areas and ride the wave as values increase. If they want to rent out their properties for $1 to people with less income, they can do that and lose money.

Commercial, retail, industrial tenants have also had their rents raised or buildings razed. They move to a cheaper area. They don’t yell “gentrification” and break the windows of coffee shops. They're business people who know it’s purely economics and move.

As stated earlier people who are pushed out of more expensive areas move to lower cost areas. It's not just in California. It's all over the nation and the world. This has been happening forever, since time immemorial. Right now people are leaving expensive California and going to Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Montana. Relative to California those places are "cheap." This has caused home prices and rents to rise in those other states. They're not yelling "gentrification" even though it's the same economic process at play. It's basic economics.

All that said we desperately need affordable housing in Los Angeles. It’s a separate issue from revitalization. The main reason some poorer people can’t afford rent is there aren’t enough units. It’s supply and demand. NIMBYs and red tape has made construction almost impossible in LA over the last 30-40 years. We are years behind the number of units we need. Another big reason is that poorer people’s income hasn’t risen along with rents. This is caused by big business and government keeping lower income people’s wages low. This is caused by the upper 1% using their money and lobbyists to get bills passed which hurt lower to middle income people. I’m talking about Walmart, Walgreens paying poverty wages. These are the real reasons why poor to middle income people can’t afford rent in LA.

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit

Mary Cummins

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Eminent domain in Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico and the border wall - Mary Cummins real estate appraiser

Eminent domain, Texas, lawyer, attorney, commission, hearing, appeal, real estate appraisal, Dallas, Mary Cummins, real estate appraiser, Biersdorf & Associate

No need to reinvent the wheel. Here is an explanation of the process from an eminent domain attorney in Texas. This is the same process we have in California. In California you can be compensated for up to $5,000 for an appraisal. You can also have some or all of your legal fees covered. Check with an attorney first.

The Eminent Domain Process from Biersdorf & Associate. "The majority of eminent domain cases in Texas meet the requirements for public use and necessity. Examples of cases that meet this criteria are the acquisition of private property for a road expansion project; the acquisition of property for a school expansion project or installation of new sewer lines.

If the taking of your property meets the requirements for public use and necessity, then continue reading to learn more about the eminent domain process in Texas. Please note there are extended explanations for all of the numbered sections in the flowchart. We will be adding additional information on each item in the flow chart in the near future. Please be aware that the flow chart is simply an overview of the process and should not be used as a tool to take matters into your own hands.

http://www.condemnation-law.com/texas-eminent-domain-attorney/process/

Extended Flow Chart Information:

1. Government Announces Project and Properties Affected
2. Property Owner Hires an Attorney
3. Government Inspects and Values Property
4. Government Makes Offer to Property Owner
5. Attorney Evaluates Offer
6. Determine Negotiation Strategy
7. Select Appraiser to Determine True Property Value
8. Property Owner Settles with Government
9. Deed is Transferred
10. Owner’s Case is Done
11. Property Owner Does Not Settle With the Government
12. Government Initiates Eminent Domain Proceeding
13. Commissioners Appointed
14. Commissioners Hearing
15. Government Pays or Deposits Award, Takes Possession
16. Owner Accepts Commissioners Award as Final
17. Owner Appeals Commissioners Award
18. Trial on Compensation

If you have questions regarding the eminent domain process in Texas, contact us for more information. The eminent domain process in the state of Texas is complicated, and if you are undergoing eminent domain and want to make sure you are justly compensated, you should speak to an eminent domain attorney. Speaking to an eminent domain attorney regarding your case will keep you informed of your rights, the eminent domain process, and whether or not your attorney’s fees will be paid for by the state of Texas."

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the
Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Mary Cummins

Mary Cummins, Real Estate Appraiser, Animal Advocates, Los Angeles, California

Sunday, October 15, 2017

Thomas Brothers map Los Angeles, California, page, grid by Mary Cummins Real Estate Appraiser

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Real estate cycle Gentrification, Revitalization by Mary Cummins Real Estate Appraiser Los Angeles

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Eminent domain in Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico and the border wall - Mary Cummins real estate appraiser