Ben Lee Properties — November 2018 Newsletter

Issue: November 2018  |  Cheviot Hills & Beverlywood, Los Angeles

This Month's Article

By Ben Lee O n one day in one month out of the entire year we are reminded to take a deep breath and give thanks for all the good we are blessed to have.

I wish I could do this more often than just on Thanksgiving and like many of us, I’m trying to really be in the moment more and appreciate all the little, meaningful events that precede and follow this one day a year.

When my kids go to bed or get off their devices without a struggle, I say a silent ‘thank you.’ When I can take a few hours off midday and take a guitar lesson or hit the beach with my surfboard, I’m grateful for that, too.

I have a lot to be thankful for. The health of my family is for sure number one on a very long list of good fortunes.

After watching my mom suffer through a prolonged illness a few years back, I’ll never take the good health of family members for granted again.

I’m grateful for my business but more so than that, it’s the people I have met through my business that really make me feel lucky.

I don’t know any other career I could have chosen that would allow for so many relationships to have blossomed from what was once a business transaction.

But even within the real estate milieu, I feel like the friendships I’ve fostered with clients are something special.

Some of our closest friends started out as clients and now, looking back, I barely remember them in that role.

They’ve jumped into a whole other category in our lives.

Our kids have grown up together; we celebrate milestones with one another, travel together, even share holidays with each other’s families.

I honestly don’t know of another realtor working today who can say that about former clients and I’m very grateful for the fact that I can.

real estate office in the world, Beverly Hills North.

It was a pinnacle achievement in a long career and no one was more aware than I that it was an accomplishment that could not have been done alone.

So, the party was a way for me to show thanks to those who helped, whether it was entrusting me with listings when I was first getting started to using my services multiple times over the years.

It felt truly fulfilling to welcome so many people into our family home and get to thank them in person in a relaxed and festive setting.

And as the night wore on and the handful of revelers who had snuck into the den to catch game seven of the Dodgers vs.

Brewers showdown were joined by more and more people, the party practically exploded with excitement when our hometown team won the game, cementing their place in the World Series.

I’m grateful that what may have been a rather conservative and buttoned up ‘client relations party’ took on a whole new boisterous level of fun and merriment where we were all cheering and toasting and celebrating together.

This Thanksgiving, I hope you can carve out some moments (after carving up the turkey, of course) where you can relish all that you are grateful for, too.

It’s a goal, of course, to do this throughout the year and not just on one food-filled day, but certainly giving thanks on Thanksgiving is a theme worth honoring.

There are so many fleeting flashes of brilliance in our lives- sometimes all you have to do is take a breath and appreciate it while it’s happening.

Easier said than done, I know. But every marathon starts with the first step and I for one am thankful to at least be in a position to try.

Gratitude Every year at least one or two people call for the recipe we published years ago: my wife’s homemade pecan pie.

It’s what I look forward to most every Thanksgiving and I hope you enjoy it, too!

Featured Listings

Community & More

By Michael Harris I t is a ways up the coast about 120 miles from the Westside, but a visit to Solvang and Buellton will not disappoint.

Of course the two must restaurants to visit are the Hitching Post and AJ Spurs which were both made famous because the delightful movie “Sideways” was filmed up there.

But it is not only the wine tasting and the restaurants, Solvang and Los Olivos are the small charming towns in the San Ynez Valley which are worth a visit as well.

Solvang has at least two first class antique stores and all the Danish themed shops to visit as well.

The town of Solvang was founded in 1911 by Danish church people and it still has a bust of Hans Christian Anderson and a replica of the little mermaid.

There is a miniature horse farm where one can acquire a pet tiny horse or just see them frolic.

The movie Sideways as directed by Alexander Payne may have put the area on the map, but it is worth the trip to visit the wineries, the antique stores and the great restaurants.

There is also an outsized casino for those who do not want to ride as far as Las Vegas and the Santa Ynez mission would be a worthwhile stop also.

Beverlywood happenings Westside Places By Ben Lee W e always love seeing photos of raffle winners enjoying their prizes!

Here’s a shot of our dear friend Marci Sandell looking glamorous at the gala/grand opening for Culver City’s newest performing arts venue: the Robert Frost Theater.

Marci won free tickets in September to attend and looks like she had a great time.

Thank you to everyone who entered October’s raffle to win $50 dollars to Gyu-Kaku Japanese restaurant on Pico.

Congratulations to Luchi Pernia. You are the lucky winner this month!

To all those who entered but didn’t win the raffle, don’t be too sad.

If you live in Rancho Park, Beverlywood or Cheviot Hills, you’ll be getting a little something to give you a hand during the busy holiday season.

or ben@benleeproperties.com We love our raffle winners!

If you enjoy reading these vignettes each month, you may want to check out my father-in-law’s book, Westside Stories.

It’s a memoir/history of growing up on the Westside of Los Angeles in the 1940s and 1950s with great photos, anecdotes and stories.

Perfect for the history buff/enthusiast in your family!

It’s available for purchase on Amazon, search Westside Stories by Michael Harris.

By Ben Lee I f you are over 18 and registered, it’s time to exercise your right and VOTE!

I always like voting. It’s fun to see and chat with fellow neighbors waiting in line as well as those volunteering their time working at the polling places.

I like showing my sons how to fill out the ballot and remind them that we are lucky to live in a country in which every vote matters.

We may not always see our vote result in what we want but it still beats the alternative.

If you or someone you know doesn’t have a ride to your local polling place, Lyft, Uber and the metro are all offering free rides on November 6.

You are also welcome to call my office and one of us could always help out, too.

If you have any questions as to where to go to vote, you can go to the website: https://www.lavote. net/locatorbyaddress or call the Registrar/County Clerk: (800) 8152666 Option #4.

And don’t forget to bring your ID just in case.

Most of the time you’re not asked to show it but if you’ve never voted before or have recently changed your address or register information, you may be asked for some form of identification.

Finally, one more tip: if you usually vote by absentee ballot but this time want to vote in person, be sure and bring your absentee ballot with you to the polling place.

You need to exchange it in order to receive a new ballot.

And after all that, go ahead and wear your ‘I Voted!’ sticker with pride.

Evidence of the part you’ve played in democracy is an accessory that never goes out of style!

VOTE! Los Angeles’ Official Mass Notification System During Disasters Residents can receive text messages, calls to cell phones and emails by signing up for NotifyLa. org.

Landline phones are already included. Registration is FREE.