
This house at Bestor and Whitfield is destroyed. The Christmas decorations out front are still there and are now joined by a red sign that says “UNSAFE. Do not enter or occupy.”
It seems like the body should be cold before you bury it and start splitting up the spoils. That’s not the case with the real estate in Pacific Palisades affected by the fire.
The Palisades Fire is only 59 percent contained as of 7 a.m. Monday, January 20. The fire destroyed 6,051 structures with at least 788 damaged – and possibly more.
Thousands of residents were evacuated and are now homeless. One resident wrote CTN on January 17, “The sharks are out. . .I just got my first call from an Indian call center asking if I wanted to sell my property.”
Anthony Marguleas, the founder of Amalfi Estates, is also frustrated. The media and newspapers are contacting realtors that do not understand the Palisades market.
Let’s just say the people who are on television are not always experts, such as Josh Altman on TMZ TV, who prophesied “I’m sensing a mass exodus from Pacific Palisades.” Actually, he is correct, about 28,000 people had to evacuate and are still waiting to get back into their homes.
It turns out that Altman is saying with great authority that people will not rebuild or come back to Pacific Palisades.
About Altman’s recent Instagram post, Marguleas said, “Most of what he says is inaccurate. People assume that he knows what he’s talking about because he is on a TV show.”
Altman, in his career, has sold 18 properties in the Palisades. “Of those six were condos,” said Marguleas, who also lost his home in the Alphabet Streets, during the Palisades Fire.
“Most of the people (and all the other realtors) I talk to say their clients want to rebuild,” Marguleas said. “His lies will exacerbate the situation as more developers and bottom feeders will come out of the woodwork thinking they can buy land for cheap.”
Altman, who has opened an office in Orange County, says in the same Instagram post that OC is the location where people are moving. Marguleas sees very few going to Orange County. Most are staying local to be near their support group of friends, schools and businesses.
Marguleas told CTN that last week on FOXBusiness Altman had incorrectly said that 100 percent of the Huntington Palisades had burned. This editor has been in the evacuation zone and large swaths of that neighborhood are still standing.
On Altmans Instagram post, Marguleas’ wife, Sue wrote “Josh Altman knows nothing about the Palisades. He has only sold a few homes here. It’s unfortunate he is speaking as an authority because people may believe him, and will think many sellers are desperate to sell. But, we’ve lived in Palisades 33 years. We’ve talked to hundreds of people. Josh Altman is an opportunist. Just because he is on TV does not mean he’s an expert.” (She already has 1000 likes on this post.)
Marguleas said, “I have been researching what land values did in the Woolsey and other major structure fires, so I can discuss what the Palisades can expect.”
THANK YOU for keeping us up on all things going on in our little corner of the world.
And for your sarcasm, always brings a chuckle.
When you’ve been in the area how have you been protecting yourself?
(googles? what type of mask? any other tips?)
THANK YOU,
from a going-to-rebuilt Bluff resident
I’ve been protecting myself with lip gloss.
Actually I was up there on Thursday and there were still fires burning and ashes everywhere – breathed the toxic smoky air–I was interviewed by one television crew and afterwards he gave me a mask. (I was still in shock and disbelief at the scene.)
Yesterday when I was there, it was sunny, no wind and the air was not smoky -I know there are small particles in the air, so I probably should have had a mask on yesterday, too.
The Red Cross was offering masks and water to people waiting in line to go look at properties.
When they finally let Alphabet Streets and Via bluffs in, which I’m guessing will be last, be aware there are nails everywhere on the properties and flat tires could be an immediate problem.
Sue