While many of the ocean front homes that had sold in 2011 now find themselves as construction sites, the market seems to have cooled a bit with many of the same homes on The Strand still active on the MLS.  There are currently 7 ocean front properties currently for sale, not including the hotel condo offerings at The Beach House Hermosa, with the average days on market over 238 days.  This is a pretty astounding number given the activity level of the market in Manhattan Beach.  While other areas of Manhattan Beach have seen tremendous activity, the ultra luxury real estate market in Manhattan Beach has been slow since the fall of 2011, but much of that has more to do with the prices of the current homes. Of the ocean front homes for sale on The Strand, all but one are in Manhattan Beach... 04/19/2012

    The 10.7 critical steps to successful Real Estate marketing You’re selling your home. The Real Estate market is appearing to show signs of stabilization. Is it safe to just throw a sign in the front lawn and an ad in the paper? Well this isn’t 2005 anymore. It is 2012 and real estate values are significant enough to affect the net worth of many homeowners. Making sure your home is marketed effectively to maximize your bottom line is most likely very important to you. Over the next few blog posts I will elaborate on a few of the points in the list overall, so stay tuned. . . Let's start with the following: 1. Exposure 2. Preparing the property for sale 3. Access to the property     EXPOSURE Exposure is the key to realizing market value. The true value of any asset is what the buyer w... 04/09/2012

March was a good month for high-end luxury home sales in Manhattan Beach, CA.  Seven single family homes priced over $2,000,000 in this coastal city closed escrow.  The prices ranged from $2,300,000 for a walk street contemporary in the Sand Section of Manhattan Beach, to $10,500,000 for a home on The Strand built in 2008 in a prime location on this sought after stretch of ocean front beach property in the Sand Section.   An ocean view lot sold for $2,050,000 in the Hill Section of Manhattan Beach. One condo (on The Strand) and one townhouse also sold over $2,000,000.   Insider Tip:  If you're searching for a contemporary style home Manhattan Beach is a good place to concentrate your home search.  Six of the ten luxury sales in Manhattan Beach last month were contemporary in design and... 04/02/2012

Whether it is just a temporary blip in the market or the beginning of the long awaited turn around is yet to be determined but the market activity since the beginning of the year has been a dramatic change from the end of 2011. Manhattan Beach real estatehas always remained strong, from a pricing perspective, compared with most of California, but recently we've scene numerous sales with multiple offers, over askin price offers and very brief days on market. The chart above says everything....with a huge jump in pending home sales not seen in years. As of March 16th there are 86 pending home sales in Manhattan Beach which is truly an unbelievable number. With median home prices around 1.3M, there are few lower priced options in the area and homes sales have remained strong in the luxury ... 03/16/2012

Manhattan Beach was the only one of the beach cities to post luxury home sales during the month of February 2012. Redondo and Hermosa did not break the $2,000,000 barrier with any sale during the month.   Property One, located on a walk street and close to the water, sold for $3,000,000. The 3-bedroom, 3-bath 1,980 square ft. home claimed 3,605 square ft. of prime Manhattan Beach land. The property was on the market for 26 days and original list price was $3,399,000. The $1500 plus a sq. ft. sale price drives home the old adage: Location matters. Property Two, located in the Tree Section of Manhattan Beach, sold for $2,100,000. The 4-bedroom, 5-bath 3,893 sq. ft. home was built in 2000 on a 5,020 sq. ft. lot. The property was on the market 379 days and original list price was $2,299,00... 03/09/2012

Where the 2012 Manhattan Beach Real Estate market is headed  . . . Ed's "State of The Market" Address When analyzing the real estate market, how do you know when it has really changed for the better?  Headlines.  Just reading headlines in the news can give you a clue where things may be headed. Real Estate trends are based more upon consumer confidence levels, than almost anything else. Of course there are significant driving factors which include the overall economy, the mortgage meltdown and other global factors, but it is you and your neighbors that really create the effect of any significant movement in real estate prices.    Take a look at this week's headlines... Warren Buffet on CNBC: I'd Buy UP 'A Couple Hundred Thousand' Single-Family Homes If I Could. DS News: Housing Crisis t... 03/05/2012

The LA Times reported on a research paper looking in to the long term changes that could occur to our local Los Angeles beaches from rising sea levels.  The paper concluded that sandy beaches may face increased erosion and that many smaller beaches may shrink to the point that tourists no longer use them. The overall economic impact was studied for loss of tourism dollars in a meter rise of sea level and the Times article ranked "winner/loser" areas over the 100 year timescale.  For the Southbay, Manhattan Beach was expected to gain tourist money at an $8 million gain, though it suggested Redondo Beach would drop in income by $10 million. "Using models to project how climate change would alter the width of the sand, attendance and visitor spending at 51 public beaches in Los Angeles and... 03/04/2012

The Hoffman Murphy Team loves to help students in our area achieve their dreams. Mira Costa High School needs your help. From March 21-24, talented students from the Mira Costa High School Orchestra will be competing in Atlanta, GA against other schools across the country. In order to qualify for this competition, Mira Costa High School successfully competed against 80 other schools. This competition is a privilege, and it’s not the first time that Mira Costa High School has competed – they’ve played at the Walt Disney World Concert Hall and Carnegie. To raise over $12,000 for this year’s competition in Atlanta, they are asking for your help. If you are a local business or individual, you can help them raise some of their funds for this year’s competition; simply visit the website for ... 02/27/2012

If you’re searching for the Southern California beach lifestyle but need to be close to LAX, LA and other Greater Los Angeles urban destinations, Manhattan Beach should be added to your home search menu.  Flip flops, shorts, shades and other markers of the casual lifestyle are evident, but so are movie studios, high-priced ocean front homes on The Strand and you may even spot a celebrity or two. In 2011 eight Manhattan Beach single family homes sold in excess of $5,000,000 with the highest price clocking in at $10,900,000.  Five of the eight homes sold were located on The Strand. There are currently four homes for sale in Manhattan Beach priced over $5,000,000.  Three of the four homes for sale in this lofty price range (the highest price property’s asking price is $24,900,000) are loca... 02/19/2012

  How to Eye a Real Catch In The Real Estate Market   (inspired by all the love in the air this week . . .) You’re on a mission to find your dream home. It’s the one you have thought about for years. The timing feels right. You’ve saved for your down payment. The Real Estate market is showing signs of a future recovery; so how do you know if the home you have your eye on, is really “the one”?  There are occasions albeit rare ones, when a buyer walks into a home and is overcome by love at first sight; where they open the door and say, “WOW! This is it! This is exactly what I have been looking for my whole life! Mr. Agent, write up the contract now, I’ve got to have this house.” The harsh reality is that most buyers are more methodical about their search, especially in a flat or down tren... 02/15/2012

Manhattan Beach Real Estate--Quick Guide So, you’ve decided to take up roots in Manhattan Beach. Whether it is considered a permanent residence or a 2nd home get-away spot, the choices of homes and locations here are as varied as there are fish in the sea. However, Manhattan Beach does have many niche locations and something that is unique about each one. We will take you on a brief insider’s tour of each area in an effort to help you decide which neighborhood best suits your needs and wants. We will start with the most expensive area, and move eastward from there. (Note: all Manhattan Beach elementary schools feed into the same middle and High School; Manhattan Beach Middle School and Mira Costa High School.) The Strand- You could call it Billionaire’s Row.  Though you don’t necessaril... 02/10/2012

It was only a few weeks ago when the inventory of distressed homes hovered at around 10 and it's been that way for the past 6 months with any short sales or bank owned homes in Manhattan Beach being quickly replaced by a new listing.  That's certainly changed with only 2 current distressed active MLS listings and now 9 pending home sales which is absolutely an amazing turn of events.  Below is a list of the current "active" distressed MLS listings in Manhattan Beach along with a list of the current pending home sales. Status MLS# Type   Address Price Br/Ba Year Sqft Sale Type Active S12017741 TWNHS/A 748 Manhattan Beach BL #B $750,000 3/3.00 1977/ASR 1407 SPAY Active S11159462 TWNHS/A 4 Bermuda CT $649,000 2/2.00 1987/ASR 1465 SPAY                     In Escrow S11133847 TWNHS/A 3101 Vi... 02/10/2012

  All of us at Hoffman Murphy love to let our youth know of upcoming events as well. If you are a middle or high school student in Manhattan Beach, this is only for you! The City of Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation Teen Center invites all middle and high school students to join them on upcoming snowboarding trips to Bear Mountain! Middle and high school students who live in Manhattan Beach, attend the schools, or who have a parent working there are eligible to join us! The Teen Center will be taking kids to Bear Mountain on February 4 & 18, and also on March 3. The deadline to sign up and join the fun is four days prior to each trip – be sure to sign up early so you don’t miss out on a great time! Please feel free to bookmark this page, so you can keep up to date with everything hap... 01/31/2012

  Where do buyers really come from?                 So you are thinking of selling. You hire your favorite real estate agent and what comes next? Where do the buyers come from? Well, most assume if you hire Joe Agent, they must have a bucket full of buyers that they know and they will simply bring them over and sell the home: a pretty simple process, right? If it’s so simple, then why does it sometimes seem to take so long to sell a home? Why does your agent never seem to show up with a buyer who actually buys your home? Why do buyers show up and say they won't buy your home because it only has 3 bedrooms and they need 4 bedrooms? Can’t they read?  If there are so many open houses on my home why hasn't a buyer walked in and bought it already? Anyone that has been in the real estate busi... 01/24/2012

Manhattan Beach-Beach Cities: 2012 Real Estate Market .. The year ahead   For the last few years I have shared my thoughts about where I thought the market was headed each year... and this year is no exception.   Making predictions is easy, the difficult part is finding out close your ideas were to reality.  Last year I thought the market would be very similar to the one in 2009 and I was  fairly accurate.  Truthfully I don't see much change in 2012.  I believe sales will continue to be slow but steady and prices will be flat with a few sub markets markets declining and a few showing increases in value.  . Nationally the economy appears to be growing.  The final numbers won't be available for a few more weeks.  Retailers and others are counting on a strong surge in spending in recent we... 01/23/2012

Manhattan Village, Manhattan Beach While the Manhattan Village real estate market has experienced a slow decline during 2011, especially in the court home real estate market, due to increased number of short sales and REOs, the market seems to be be picking up a bit of steam in 2012.  Currently there are two properties in escrow, one a court home and the other a single family home, and 6 active listings.  The lowest priced home currently for sale is $649,000 for a short sale plan 1 court home at 4 Bermuda Court.   Click to see photos and details of the current Manhattan Village MLS listings. MLS#   Type Address  Price  Br/Ba Sq Feet S11098261 In Escrow TWNHS/A 11 Cordoba CT   $ 799,000 3/3.00 1916 S11125419 In Escrow SFR/D 19 Chatham   $ 1,420,000 4/3.00 2972               S11112167 Sol... 01/11/2012

Looking for a luxury home for sale in Manhattan Beach, or perhaps just curious?  Here's a look at this weeks open houses in Manhattan Beach and Manhattan Village.   Days Hours Address Description Price Sat. & Sun. 1-4 644 Manhattan Bch. Blvd. 2 BD, 2 BA, Condo,Priced to Sell.  Sand Section $599,000 Sun. 1-4 4 Bermuda Court 2 BD, 2 BA, Manhattan Village Townhome $649,000 Sat. & Sun. 1-4 4 Bermuda Court 2 BD, 2 BA, MB Village Townhome $649,000 Sat. 1-3 2600 Oak Ave. 2 BD, 1 BA, 792 sf, manhattan beach tree section $724,900 Sun. 1-4 303 Larsson 3 BD, 2 BA,  hill section $1,000,000 Sun. 1-4 432 23rd Pl. 3 BD, 3.5 BA, great sand section Location,Reduced Price $1,149,000 Sat. 2-4 Sun. 1-4 1450 9th St. 4 BD, 3 BA, Big Views $1,289,000 Sun. 2-4 416 Highland Ave. 3 BD, 3.5 BA,Ocean View Townhome... 01/11/2012

                         Is giving away 2 tickets to TONIGHT'S Game! L.A. Kings vs. Washington Capitols 7:30 pm at the Staples Center   Winner will receive 2 tickets to TONIGHT'S Game (Jan. 9, 2012) Premiere Seating Level, PR 13, Row 7, Seats 1 & 2 PLUS a free parking pass!   TO WIN 2 V.I.P. Tickets to the game CONTACT ED  with the correct answer to the following question:   How Many L.A.Kings players has Ed Kaminsky helped with their Real Estate & Relocation needs? A)  2 B) 10 C) 16 D) 27 E) 29   Those who submit the correct answer will be entered into a drawing for the pair of tickets to TONIGHT'S game.   GOOD LUCK!!       Ed Kaminsky regularly supports Luc Robitaille's charity: Echoes of Hope   Be sure to check out our exclusiveSouth Bay Real Estate Guidefor great insider's informati... 01/09/2012

  Here's one big change coming in 2012 for many South Bay residents . . .       Did you know that in July 2008, our neighbors in Manhattan Beach passed an ordinance banning the distribution of plastic bags at the point-of-sale for all retail establishments in the City of  Manhattan Beach?  The City's plastic bag ordinance will begin implementation on January 14, 2012 with plans to have the ban in full effect, city wide, by July 2012.   We know that citizens in Manhattan Beach and surrounding cities have already made the personal decision to adopt the use of re-usable bags, and we support this effort! We look forward to future endeavors throughout the South Bay that encourage the switch, especially since we are a beach community, and many plastic bags ultimately do harm to local marine l... 01/04/2012

Holiday Greetings From Sunny The Southern California Beaches Just For Fun! Surfing Santa- Vince Ray gets some great rides and wipe-outs at the beaches of Hermosa and Manhattan in Los Angeles California. Check out the shot where Santa is surfing with dolphins. It is very common to see dolphins hanging out and catching waves with surfers.  Free List of Homes For Sale in the South Bay! Palos Verdes Peninsula Homes for SaleHomes Close to Where You WorkSo Bay Coastal Beach Home SearchFree List of Foreclosed Homes For SaleHow Much is My Home Worth?How May We Assist You?Kim JonesRealty Source - South Bay, Palos Verdes310-295-1856Kim@SoBayRealtySource.com 12/22/2011