A little morning back-scratching...

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Hello, L.A. Landers. While our blogger Peter is away for some much-deserved R&R, I will humbly attempt to fill his awesome shoes. Regular readers of The Times may know me as a real estate and business reporter. But I’m also a lifelong Southern Californian and a homeowner. (And now, a fair subject for ridicule for posting my own photo!)

As my first order of business, I want to call your attention to a terrific article by our friend Peter that appears this month on Portfolio.com. Who knew that architecturally significant homes are often sold at bargain -- by California standards -- prices? Check it out.

Questions? Comments? Makeover tips? Please e-mail me at annette.haddad@latimes.com