Please welcome Josh Williams, who is recapping Season 4 of Bravo's Million Dollar Listing. And off he goes: Smiles everyone. Smiles! This time around, the million-dollar housing market woes are just a thing of the past and the gilded age has returned. There are crappy Los Angeles-area McMansions to be had! Old friends Madison Hildebrand and Josh Flagg are back, and we're introduced to Josh Altman. Let's get to it.
Josh Flagg, having completely given up on the million-dollar listing premise of the show, begins this week's episode in Hollywood by attending TigerHeat, the weekly gay dance night at Avalon. But Josh isn't there to play—he's there to do business as best as he knows how. Josh meets with transexual performance artist Candis Cayne and her business partners to discuss finding a restaurant space in West Hollywood. Their goals are simple—they want a long-term lease not to exceed $20K per month and they need to have space for Candis to perform. Due to the god-awful economy, Josh sees this as doable.
Using his extensive list of connections (named LoopNet and CoStar), Josh finds a few places in West Hollywood's gay strip that might work. First, Mexico y Barra Restaurant at the corner of La Cienega and Santa Monica, which failed to make it past the two-year mark. The owners are asking only $15K per month, but Josh tells Candis et. al. that it is negotiable. The downside is that the space will need a bit of work, mostly paint to cover the hideous pink.
Josh's second suggestion is the former Java Detour space located just a few drunken steps away from The Abbey. Leasing for the tiny space is $20K per month, mostly due to its prime location.
Candis and her partners agree that despite some drawbacks, including the need for extensive renovations and a higher lease price, they want to go after the Java Detour space. If Josh is able to negotiate a reduced lease price, they will snap it up. Josh sets up a meeting with Ed, the leasing agent for both the Java Detour and Mexico Restaurant spaces. At the meeting, Josh offers Ed a deal of $10K for a five-year lease due to the improvements required and the fact that everything that goes in that space dies. Ed responds, "You know that’s outlandish and unacceptable." Brutal! Ed is unwilling to budge on the price and Josh is rightly rejected. Josh then asks about the Mexico property. The space is being leased for $15K, but Josh offers $12K. Ed, realizing he's in some bizarre fantasy TV world, plays along and counters with $14.5K just to humor Josh. Josh makes the case that the clients will be there for many years, therefore a reduced price is appropriate. He negotiates a deal for $13.5K for 5 years. It's a workable deal for everyone. Later, Josh, Candis and the others celebrate the Mexico lease with a drink. They announce that they will dub the place Villa Tequila.. And... scene. Per our sister site Eater LA, here's the latest we have on that whole Mexico Restaurant storyline. And here's a current listing for the space, back on LoopNet.
Head to million-dollar-listing land Curbed LA to see what happens next. >>
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