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THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2009
11
CELEBRATION
Morgan Genser news@smdp.com Members of the Santa Monica High School boys baseball team celebrate after centerfielder Vince Lawrence scored the winning run in 9th inning at Samohi on Wednesday. The Vikings hosted Taft High School in a non-conference, CIF game in which Samohi won 6-5 in nine innings. The Vikings scored two runs in the 7th inning to tie the game at four and force extra innings. Taft scored one run in the 8th and 9th and Samohi scored one run in the 8th and then scored two more in the 9th inning to win the game. With this win Samohi improves its record to 3-0.
Rents in Santa Monica still higher than in other municipalities FROM RENTS PAGE 1 higher. “Owners should lower prices more,” he said. “We have owners sitting on (units) for six months.” “They’ve got to lower their price.” While the presence of vacancies might prompt some prospective tenants to negotiate their rent, Verge warns that any bargaining should be approached only after they visit the apartment and meet the landlord. Bill Dawson, who is the vice president of Sullivan-Dituri, a property management company in Santa Monica, said that he has seen not only an increased number of vacancies but units that are staying on the market longer. The company owns and manages approximately 200 properties in the city. The result is better value rent wise for tenants, he said. “I think in general owners are trying to make their units as competitive as possible with the market,” Dawson, who is also the president of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, said. Bob Kronovet, a member of the Rent Control Board and owner of Kronovet Realty Co., said the current situation also
favors tenants looking to upgrade their existing unit because landlords are trying to keep their renters. “It’s now a wonderful time for existing tenants who want to move to ask owners for upgrades,” he said. “A lot of owners are motivated to maintain and keep their tenants in place.” Thought she’s amassed a list of prospective homes, Peterson said she is hoping to negotiate a rent reduction with her current landlord. She adds that in a strange way, it’s been even more difficult to select an apartment because there are too many options. “Before it was easier because there were not that many in my price range so I didn’t have that many to choose from,” she said. “Looking on Craigslist and Westside Rentals a couple of times a day, there are more (listings) popping up all the time.” While there are more vacancies, the rental market in Santa Monica is faring better than in other cities. “The Inland Empire is getting crushed,” said Verge, whose company covers cities from San Diego to Santa Barbara. “We’re fortunate to be in Santa Monica.” melodyh@smdp.com
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