So you have had a rough week and need a reminder of what life is all about. Why not catch a sunset on the Manhattan Beach Pier in Manhattan Beach, California! The Manhattan Beach Pier is beautifully located at the end of Manhattan Beach Boulevard in Manhattan Beach, California. The pier is 928-feet long and houses an octagonal Mediterranean style building which is known as the Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab & Aquarium. The Manhattan Beach Pier was built in 1922. It is a very popular place with the locals as well as tourists. Fishing is really popular on the pier as well as taking in a gorgeous sunset! The Manhattan Beach Pier is a haven for artists and photographers because of the beautiful sunsets that do not need any introductions! For more information regarding the Manhattan Beach ... 02/14/2011

    So you have had a rough week and need a reminder of what life is all about. Why not catch a sunset on the Manhattan Beach Pier in Manhattan Beach, California! The Manhattan Beach Pier is beautifully located at the end of Manhattan Beach Boulevard in Manhattan Beach, California. The pier is 928-feet long and houses an octagonal Mediterranean style building which is known as the Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab & Aquarium. The Manhattan Beach Pier was built in 1922. It is a very popular place with the locals as well as tourists. Fishing is really popular on the pier as well as taking in a gorgeous sunset! The Manhattan Beach Pier is a haven for artists and photographers because of the beautiful sunsets that do not need any introductions! For more information regarding the Manhattan Beac... 02/10/2011

With the slow down of the luxury home market over the past 12 months, homes on The Strand, the beachfront strip of land, continue to come on the market offering a tremendous opportunity. Currently there are 6 homes listed on the Manhattan Beach Strand ranging from $6,900,000 for the home 3 bedroom home at 3112 The Strand to $30,000,000 for the sale of neighboring homes and lots located at 2016 and 2020 The Strand offering two fantastic homes or the potential ability to build something incredibly unique in Southern California with beachfront land at such a premium. In addition there are currently 2 multi-unit beach front properties on the market.  Visit our Beach Front Real Estate and Strand Homes website for more information.  In addition there are 6 oceanfront homes listed in Hermosa B... 02/01/2011

Manhattan Beach: Tale of a Sale.. Appraisals..it's not always about price   A lot of buyers are looking for "fixer uppers" in the Beach Cities. Many buyers believe they can purchase these homes at a low price, put a little money and work into them and wind up with a great deal. Sometimes it works out better then expected. However as with all aspects of the real estate market the more you think you know the more you really need to know.Last year I closed escrow on a home in East Manhattan Beach that was marketed and sold for land value. The house was small and had a lot of deferred maintenance. The lot was huge, 14,000 square feet, and sat at the crest of a hill.The home sold within 2 days of being on the MLS. The price accepted by the sellers was close to the list price and the buyers ... 01/23/2011

The market in Manhattan Village, the private gated community in Manhattan Beach CA, has continued to be quite active in the past few months, and early signs in 2011 seem to be showing a continuation of this activity.  Currently there is a very nice mix of floorplans and styles on the market with 4 courthomes, 2 townhomes, and 2 single family homes for sale.  Visit our Manhattan Village real estate site for more information, floorplans, and maps of beautiful community.  Click any property below for more information. Below is a chart of recent Manhattan Village home sales and prices as well as information on the homes currently in escrow. MLS# Status Type   Address  Price  Br/Ba Sqft Type R1005352 In Escrow TWNHS/A 3 LAGUNA CT   $                699,900 2/2.00 1474 REO 10476679 In Escrow ... 01/17/2011

Manhattan Beach is an absolutely ideal place to call home endless housing possibilities.  From oceanfront "Strand" homes to charming cottages in the tree section, Manhattan has the right home for everyone.  Within Manhattan Beach is the community of Manhattan Village.  Manhattan Village is truly a world of it's own and is ideal for those looking for a small community feel with quiet and safe streets.   Manhattan Village is a gated community that is ideally located near shopping, golf, the beach and a shorter commute than most of the South Bay.  The lush landscaping, multiple pools and proximity to the beach provides a safe and tranquil coastal living.   Manhattan Village offers three distinct type homes with varying square footage and layouts in each.  Court Homes- The Court Homes in Ma... 01/12/2011

Toilet Retrofit Certificates are required as of JANUARY 21, 2011. On December 21, 2010, the Manhattan Beach City Council approved the Toilet Retrofit Ordinance No. 2138, requiring that prior to transfer of ownership, dwellings meet specific water conserving standards for toilets. A plumbing permit is not required for this program; however, the owner may elect to obtain a permit and inspection for the retrofit. The provisions of the Ordinance apply to all residential buildings at the time of property sale, unless an exception is requested, and supporting documentation is provided. Toilet Retrofit Certificate includes a list of exceptions. For more information go to the Community Development web page. For facts on toilets check out this flyer from Water Sense. Please contact Carol Jacobso... 01/11/2011

 This is a Post about discovering Cupcakes Couture of Manhattan Beach, CA. Please allow me to tell you the story of how we discovered this great place in a roundabout way. Today I decided to take a day off from Real Estate, so Diane and I drove to the Blue Water Grill in Redondo Beach, CA.  Some of you know about this great Seafood Restaurant. If not please check it out next time you are in the neighborhood.  So a late lunch or early dinner was on order.(See my post about it:  http://endre.activerain.com/post/1706032/the-blue-water-grill-redondo-beach-ca ) We did not eat desert and I mentioned to Diane about stopping somewhere on the way home, maybe the Cheesecake Factory and pick up some desert. So on the way home to Marina Del Rey, CA I decided to drive thru one of my favorite Beach C... 01/09/2011

I have many clients contact me about "foreclosures" in Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach and I often have to go into the details of what this means and that foreclosures generally can mean anything from notice of defaults filed, to short sales listed on the MLS, to bank auctions, to actual REOs or bank owned homes.  Each have their own challenges but most of the time they're primarily looking for bank owned homes.  Although short sales have gotten much easier and quicker in most cases, bank owned homes are a much more straightforward transaction as most of the unknowns, as to what the lender will actually do if anything, are not a question.  They have their own set of unique challenges but they are much closer to a traditional sale than short sales.  In the past two years we've seen an ... 01/05/2011

Trends Complete Real Estate Report for Beach Cities Detached Homes by Month 2009 vs. 2010. Median Sold Price, Median For Sale vs. Median Sold and More. Properties from Manhattan Beach to Hermosa Beach and Coastal Redondo Beach (November Update). Prepared by Realty Source, South Bay - Palos Verdes, Kim Jones. For more detailed city specific reports visit www.SoBayRealtySource.com #ManhattanBeach #HermosaBeach #RedondoBeach #BusinessDownload this Report Beach Cities Detached Home Trends                                           Download this Report 12/21/2010

With the holidays upon us the weekend open house are slowly starting to diminish and the weekend of December 11th and 12th probably offer the last big rush of open houses until mid January when the South Bay real estate market generally picks up steam again.  View below for this weeks open house and if you happen to be reading this after this weekend visit our Manhattan Beach open house this weekend website for updated open house days and times.  Visit our Manhattan Beach luxury home list for current listings by price, neighborhood or style. Day Hours Address Descriptions Price Sun. 1-4 1450 Man. Bch. Blvd. #C 2 BD, 2 BA,2 car garage $539,000 Sun. 1-4 1450 Man. Bch. Blvd. #D 2 BD, 2 BA,views $549,000 Sun. 1-4 21 Marin Ct. 2 BD, Plus Den,Remodeled $799,000 Sat. & Sun. 1-4 1501 3rd St. 2 ... 12/10/2010

Despite some opposition from real estate professionals this week, the Manhattan Beach council votes to require that non compliant toilets be replaced with water efficient ones when a home is sold.  Full Article By Ellis Song Manhattan Beach Patch My questions are: Will more south bay cities follow Manhattan Beach's lead on this requirement? Each toilet will cost a minimum of $250. to replace. How do you feel about the government in your bathroom?    Photo: Kim Jones 11/21/2010

Manhattan Beach: Point of sale retrofits are on the way!   On Tuesday, November 16, 2010,  the City of Manhattan Beach will decide whether or not they are going to require point of sale retrofits for toilets.  What this means for residents is that when you sell your home you would have to either prove that you have installed a new low flush toilet ( 1.28 gallons vs current 1.6-3.5 gallons per flush)by showing a signed permit from the city or if you have not installed a new low flush toilet you would need to do so before the property closes escrow. The interesting thing about the proposed ordinance is that the City may not be making a new toilet a requirement if you remodel a home only if you sell... which doesn't make a lot of sense.  If the goal is greater conservation of water then it... 11/11/2010

  The South-Bay Daily On the Front Page: Shoring up the aquarium in Manhattan Beach  Volunteers hope not only to raise enough money to keep the Roundhouse Aquarium afloat and all its classes intact, but also to establish permanent, annual fundraising drives to ensure the learning center will sit at the end of the city's pier for years to come. And the first event to be organized is a fundraiser at 6 p.m. Thursday at Elleni Couture with a silent auction featuring donations from local eateries, designer stores and the Los Angeles Lakers. All proceeds will benefit the aquarium. The small center was opened in 1981 and consists of several displays, including a 3,500-gallon saltwater tank stocked with sharks and eels. Smaller tanks serve as homes for mollusks, sea stars and the official saltw... 11/09/2010

While the South Bay market contines to slow, there's no shortage of open houses to visit.  The weekend of October 20th and 21st is no exception with everything from bank owned townhomes in Manhattan Village to 7 bedroom estates available and open to see.  For other neighboring cities and if you're seeing this post on a different weekend visit our South Bay and Manhattan Beach open house site.   Day Hours Address Description Price Sat. 1-4 1450 Man. Bch. Blvd. #C 2 BD, 2 BA, Views $549,000 Sat. 1-4 1450 Man. Bch. Blvd. #D 2 BD, 2 BA, Views $567,000 Sun. 1-4 1529 Artesia Blvd. #B 3 BD, 2.25 BA,Lowest Price in MB $639,000 Sun. 2-4 3 Laguna Ct. 2 BD, 2 BA,Bank Owned Home $713,900 Sat. 2-4 21 Marin Ct. 2 BD, New listing $799,000 Sat. & Sun. 1-4 1641 21st St. 3 BD, 1 BA, Remodeled $839,000 Sa... 10/21/2010

Interest Rate Update - 10/10/10 Mortgage interest rates continue to provide affordable opportunities for buyers. 30-year fixed conforming loans are at 4.25%. If you are in a position to pay off your home within 15 years, then it is just outstanding with rates available at 3.625%. Adjustable Rate Loans actually have a "2" in front of them!! Once again, the common theme here is "IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BUY" I'm still shooting for buying property in Hawaii!!  With rates like this, who knows? Here's a chart of where average rates are at: Los Angeles Homes For Sale Los Angeles Condos For Sale Los Angeles Townhomes For Sale 10/10/2010

Manhattan Beach Real Estate Facts / How to Buy and Sell   Adjustable Rate Loans for Manhattan Beach ARMS may be called by various names including, variable-rate loans, adjustable rate loans or adjustable mortgage loans for your Manhattan Beach home. They all feature an interest rate that can vary over the rate of the loan.Advantages: The monthly payment on a typical ARM is lower in the early stages than the fixed rate loan. This may make it easier for the buyer to afford the Manhattan Beachhome.Disadvantages: As interest rates increase, your monthly payment may increase or the amount of your payment applied to the principle may decrease which means that you must gamble on property appreciation to offset this increase in your indebtedness. Manhattan Beach Homeownsers Insurance Bundle you... 10/04/2010

While many reports tout the dire situation in the housing market it's often assumed that the luxury real estate market in higher end cities such as Manhattan Beach certainly must be slow to non existent.  Surprisingly that's simply not the case.  Since August 1, 2010 9 homes have sold for over $2,000,000 with an additional 6 homes in escrow.  While the numbers are certainly lower than during the peak of the market, they are far different from the perception that nothing is selling in the luxury market.  The demand for Manhattan Beach luxury real estate has remained strong despite the challenges that the jumbo mortgage market presents.  Click to view current Manhattan Beach real estate listings by price or view recent Manhattan Beach home sales. Below are the homes sold since August 1st ... 09/20/2010

These week's open houses in Manhattan Beach has something for everyone with Manhattan Village court homes starting at $725,000 to beautiful private estates up to $7,000,000.  Visit our Manhattan Beach real estate website to view any of these current Manhattan Beach homes for sale   Days Hours Address Description and Details Price Sat. & Sun. 1-4 5 Coronado Ct. 2 BD, 2 BA,Steps to the pool and spa $725,000 Sun. 1-4 3 Laguna Ct. 2 BD, 2 BA,Bank Owned $728,900 Sat. & Sun. 1-4 325 11th St. #C 2 BD, 2 BA, walkstreet condominium $849,000 Sun. 2-4 1412 Faymont Ave. 3 BD, 1 BA, Starter inLiberty Village $875,000 Sun. 2-4 3515 Vista Dr. 2 BD, New listing,Cool Beach Pad $899,000 Sun. 1-4 3521 Pacific Ave. 2 BD, Plus Studio,Tree Section Charmer $915,000 Sun. 2-4 944 Rosecrans Ave. 3 BD, 1 BA, Huge... 09/16/2010

Manhattan Villageis a gated community in the heart of Manhattan Beach.  Offering 24 hour security and all the amenities of a resort, the community offers housing options ranging from multi level "court" homes, to more traditional townhomes, to beautiful estate homes enjoying the very best of beach living.  The real estate market in Manhattan Village continues to remain fairly strong but the inventory is at very high levels with homes of every type and price currently on the market. Visit our Manhattan Village real estatewebsite to see the current listings, floorplans areas map or to contact us about any of the homes currently for sale. 09/11/2010