Ben Lee Properties — January 2022 Newsletter
This Month's Article
By Ben Lee H appy New Year! Here we are, beginning another trip around the sun together.
I hope you had fun and festive holidays last month and are gearing up for a happy and fruitful 2022.
Our December was subdued which was actually a nice change from the usual chaos and heightened tension of battling LAX to go anywhere.
We stayed home this year due to the fact that my father-in-law has been ill and we wanted to spend as much time as possible with him.
Also, our eldest son is in the thick of college applications and if any of you have been through this journey with your own children, you’ll remember that while you may be more desperate than ever to get out of town (and maybe leave them behind), Winter Break is prime time to get those supplemental essays wrapped up and ready to ship.
But our holiday time wasn’t all work and no play.
We saw some friends, ate healthy amounts of unhealthy foods and visited festive spots around the neighborhood.
One thing I did that I’m excited about was performing in a Playing for Change video that aired during an online event called: “Peace through Music.” Playing for Change, an organization co-founded in 2002 by director Mark Johnson and producer Whitney Kroenke, has a mission to connect the entire world through music.
The videos take musicians from all across the globe; some street performers, others world-renowned, and stich together footage of these artists from every imaginable culture, playing the same song on a variety of instruments.
One of my oldest friends, Sebastian Robertson, was tasked with co-directing their latest video.
Seb and I met in elementary school. In high school we formed a band and played music together off and on for years.
As adults, we found ourselves living in the same neighborhood with sons of similar ages on the same little league baseball team at Rancho Park.
So, when this lifelong friend needed a serious and soulful harmonica player, I was excited that he called on me to do the honors.
Not only would I be featured with such esteemed musicians as John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), Steven Perkins (Jane’s Addiction), Derek Trucks, and Susan Tedeschi (Tedeschi Trucks Band) but we’d be playing, “When the Levee Breaks,” a tune from one of my favorite bands of all time, Led Zeppelin.
It was truly a thrill of a lifetime to pull out my old harp, practice for weeks to get it just right, and then roll into Venice Beach to film my segment.
The video premiered on the Playing for Change YouTube channel last month and dozens of environmental charities benefited from donations made during the program.
You can see it here: BenLeeProperties.com/ Playing-For-Change and I make my appearance at about 20 minutes in.
So, not only did I enjoy participating in this special project, it felt great knowing that I played a small part helping the environment in a creative, collaborative way.
It was equally fulfilling flexing my musical muscle for the first time in years.
I’ve tried of late to make more time for activities that used to bring me great joy.
It’s so easy, especially when you’re just starting out professionally or in the early days of starting a family, to be all consumed with that which keeps either endeavor going.
You can be myopic in your focus on acquiring the most clients, closing the most deals, being available at every hour of the day for whoever is having an emergency at that exact second.
You can be so competitive not just with yourself but with colleagues, too.
Back when I was first starting out in this business, I was relentless in my pursuit of every possible opportunity that came my way.
It became such that I resisted ever leaving town because if I did, I’d either lose out on potential deals or spend the bulk of the time on the phone handling problems that would spring up from problematic transactions I had left behind.
Thank goodness that with the benefit of time, hard work and practical experience, I now know that living and working that way is not sustainable.
These days, I surround myself with the expertise and professionalism of a fabulous support staff that help me in countless ways.
They assist with the intricacies and details that make all the difference between a deal that runs smoothly and one that is fraught with headaches.
I’m still competitive but have worked hard on not taking rejection personally.
My skin has thickened significantly over the years and now if a potential client chooses other representation, I may be disappointed and think it’s a regrettable decision, but I won’t take it as personally as I might have in the past.
And, most notably, I’ve managed to strike a balance between work, family, health and fun.
Sometimes all four miraculously converge at once but usually that’s not the case.
It takes some extra effort to make time for each thing in the spirit of achieving a happy, well-rounded life.
It isn’t always doable and most days I’m lucky if I can make time for a little exercise or a healthy meal in addition to the work commitments that come my way.
But here’s the truth: no matter how busy I am, I’ll drop everything for the chance to play music alongside some of my idols.
So, if you happen to meet Paul McCartney or Mick Jagger, please put in a good word for your friend and neighbor Ben Lee.
Whether they’re looking for a house or a harmonica player, please let them know I’m their guy!
Featured Listings
Santa Monica - FOR LEASE! 141 Hollister Ave for lease at $35,000/month 5 Beds/6 Baths 5,000 Sq. Ft. S teps from Prime Santa Monica Beach! Gorgeous new 2020 construction, state-of-the-art masterpiece mere moments from the beach. Approx. 5,000 sq. ft. open floor plan allows an easy flow from Great Room to formal dining to magnificent entertainer’s kitchen that includes top tier Wolf and Subzero appliances and over-sized island. The kitchen opens to the sophisticated and drought-resistant landscaped backyard. There are sliding pocket doors that completely open to an outdoor side deck dining area, ideal for parties al fresco. This ground level of the home also has a guest room and powder room. Downstairs features guest room, laundry room, gym/media room, kitchenette, an enormous storage room and access to the 3-car subterranean garage. Second floor with 3 en suite bedrooms + laundry rm. Luxe master has treetop views, walk-in closet and 5-star bath. 900 sq. ft. rooftop deck with firepit and hot tub.
Miracle Mile - IN ESCROW! 1230 Hi Point St. $1,939,000 Duplex with 3 Beds/2 Bath Each 3,818 Sq. Ft., 6,520 Sq. Ft. Lot A Spanish style duplex in a residential neighborhood conveniently located near the mid-city/Pico-Robertson area, these homes embody the integrity of their era without sacrificing ease of modern living. Original details include: hard wood floors, thick adobe walls, coved ceilings, crystal fixtures and doorknobs, and oversized windows. Situated in a pleasing location mere steps from shops and restaurants of Pico, these homes are city living at its finest.
Beverly Hills - SOLD! 514 N Camden Dr $6,995,000 3 Beds/3 Baths 2,639 Sq. Ft., 12,859 Sq. Ft. Lot S eize this rare opportunity to create your dream home on one of the most enviable streets in Beverly Hills. The jewel of the crown is the land: a vast 12,859 square foot flat lot with a world of limitless potential. With creativity, vision and the power of artistic architectural imagination, your fantasy of designing and building a state-of-the-art home in the most luxury zip code in America can soon become a reality
Cheviot Hills - NEW LISTING! 3029 Motor Ave $2,999,000 5 Beds/5 Bath 3,010 Sq. Ft., 6,985 Sq. Ft. Lot S eize the unique opportunity to be the second owners of this luxurious home that is less than a decade old. State-of-the-art craftsmanship and fine attention to detail created this stately 5 bedroom/5 bath exquisite estate in Cheviot Hills. A healthy mix of formal and casual gives this Traditional style home it’s personality. Hardwood floors, crown moldings, fireplace in the formal living room and formal dining room lead to the high-end chef’s kitchen. Stainless, top-tier appliances, an abundance of storage, enormous island and Caesarstone countertops provide the ideal area for cooks and party guests. The kitchen overlooks the den, the perfect spot to lounge by the TV. Glass doors open to the backyard where you’ll find a newly built swimming pool as well as patio and entertaining space. Surrounded by lush foliage and totally private, this immaculate home in the highly coveted Overland Avenue School District must be seen to be believed! A re you a member of the community with a business, service or charitable organization? Please drop me or my wife a note and tell us about it! We’d love to know how long you’ve lived in the community (or if you recently moved, what brought you to the neighborhood?) and write a bit about what you do. We will try and feature it in this space in an upcoming issue of the newsletter! Just send an email to: ben@benleeproperties.com or lillijlee@yahoo. com and we’ll be happy to spread the word and help get you some business! COMMUNITY SERVICE! K eep an eye out on this space of the newsletter where each month we will bring you a brief description of a property that may fit the needs of buyers I have. Maybe you have been thinking of selling but weren’t sure if your home fits the bill. I probably have a buyer who is in the market for a house exactly like yours. If you see a description of something a buyer is looking for, that could be a win/win situation for everyone involved. We’ll roll out that feature of the newsletter starting next month. BUYERS’ NEEDS!
Community & More
Beverlywood happenings By Ben Lee W e highlighted so many local businesses via raffles last year and happily rewarded many gift cards to all the lucky winners who entered!
Please feel free to suggest fun, new places to try that may have escaped our view so far.
We’re starting 2022 off with a bang (of calories) by raffling off a $50 dollar gift card to Chocolate Bash on Pico in Westwood!
Featuring a wide selection of crepes, cakes and strawberries dipped in (what else?) chocolate, you’ll be sure to find something sweet and delicious to treat your Valentine or yourself to something special.
To enter, simply send an email to: ben@ benleeproperties.com and write “CHOCOLATE” in the subject line.
That’s it! We’ll pick a winner at random at the end of the month.
Good luck! RAFFLE By Michael Harris I n the early 1950’s I was a very inadequate trombone player but nonetheless qualified for my Stanford University marching band.
It dawned on me as a band member that the uniforms we were required to wear which included a military brass tunic topped with a large hat and feather on top were inappropriate.
I complained that we were not a Prussian military organization which the band in its uniform seemed to emulate.
I told the band management that I thought uniforms more appropriate to a California school of general humanism would benefit from what I suggested to be a uniform of slacks and blazers.
It was a few years later that the Stanford band abandoned the look of a middle European military organization.
Although now the laissez faire Stanford Band may have gone a little far overboard as they appear to be completely unstructured.
However, the uniforms of the local high schools and colleges should be addressed as they contrive to suggest an unjustified military history.
Band Uniforms IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ MORE OF MICHAEL HARRIS’S OBSERVATIONS ON LOS ANGELES AND ITS ENVIRONS, PLEASE ORDER HIS NEW BOOK, WESTSIDE STORIES TOO, FROM HIS PUBLISHER AT 310 476 6374 OR FROM AMAZON .
HIS FIRST BOOK, WESTSIDE STORIES, IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AS WELL.
By Ben Lee O ne Beverlywood mother, Juli Shamash, has turned the unimaginable tragedy of losing her son Tyler into a tireless pursuit of activism to make sure everyone is aware of the horrors of an accidental Fentanyl overdose.
Tyler died when he was only 19 years old and living in a sober living house.
According to the CDC, Fentanyl is now involved in more deaths of those aged 15-24 than all other drugs combined.
Fentanyl, considered 80-100 times stronger than morphine, extremely cheap and highly addictive, is currently being slipped into everything from pills to heroin, cocaine and even marijuana.
Dealers are targeting our children on Snapchat, Instagram, Craig’s List and are so brazen they are often coming to our homes to deliver in person.
Through community outreach and her nonprofit organization MomsAgainstDrugs. com, Juli is hoping to make parents aware that this insidious and harmful drug is easily accessible and to caution them to be extra vigilant to prevent another tragedy from happening.
She suggests parents follow their kids on social media, money exchanging sites (Venmo, ApplePay) and have access to their phones/devices.
The only way Juli was able to hunt down and get her son’s dealer arrested and sentenced to federal prison was because she had the passcode to Tyler’s phone.
Juli didn’t think her child would accidentally overdose and steadfastly believes that if it could happen to her, it can happen to anyone.
She implores you to talk to your friends and children about the danger of this sneaky, highly addictive and lethal drug.
Juli never would’ve imagined her life would have taken this turn but if sharing what happened to Tyler can help prevent another parent from losing his/her child, it doesn’t take away her tremendous pain but it does mean something positive can come from such a terrible tragedy.
