If your idea of a relaxing weekend is spending it with thousands upon thousands of beachgoers all dressed as if it were Halloween, then the Manhattan Beach Surfest volleyball tournament is for you.  Starting Saturday August 1st Manhattan Beach is invaded by an endless parade of oddly dressed volleyball players and spectators.  How can you beat high level volleyball with matchups such as the LA Lakers (with Sasha in the front row) vs team Magnum PI (Hawaiian shirts, mustaches, and Detroit Tiger hats required)....or the pro wrestling team (they bring their own wrestling ring) with Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant battling against the Irish water polo team.  What makes this tournament unique isn't the costumes or the crowds, but those factors combined with the level of volleyball with the to... 07/31/2009

Parking in Manhattan Beach Parking in Manhattan Beach can be difficult to find, However, the monthly parking passes are on sale at the city hall.  Monthly permits for the downtown Manhattan Beach parking lot are available for purchase at city Hall. If you need information about this topic or others please email me at Champagne_Mora@hotmail.com  Under a new program permits for the lower level of lot M- between Valley and Mornignside drives, 13th astreet and Manhattan Beach Bloulevard cost 27 per month. Purchase the permit between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Monday through Friday at the City Hall's cashier office  located at 1400 Highland Ave. This should make parking in Manhattan Beach a better experience. If you want to find out about Events and activies in Manhattan Beach click on h... 07/25/2009

Schools in Manhattan Beach and their ratings  Schools in Manhattan Beach and their ratings, test scores &  API and other details, is very important if your, if your thinking of moving into the area.  Or you may want to sell your home, and want more accurate information to market your home. School ratings in manhattan beach are perhaps one of several questions you will have, call me for more information or send me an email to Champagne_Mora@hotmail.com Below is an example of how you will see the info on Schools in Manhattan Beach and their ratings.   For all other schools in Manhattan Beach and their test scores & API please see link at bottom of this page. Mira Costa High701 South Peck Ave.Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 School Type: High School District: Manhattan Beach Unified Ranking compa... 07/24/2009

Events and Activities in Hermosa Beach CA                       Check out the video link http://www.fiestahermosa.com/video.html As a Realtor that works this area of Hermosa, I'm often asked "what is there to do in Hermosa?"So many Events and Activities in Hermosa, like the annual Labor Day weekend of festivities. They take place in downtown Hermosa along Hermosa Avenue, Pier Avenue and Pier Plaza. The three-day event, organized by the Chamber of Commerce, will include over three hundred vendors, food booths, children's rides, entertainment stages and a beer garden. For more information, please contact 310.376-0951 or visit the website at www.fiestahermosa.com Beer Garden will have live band entertainment. You can enjoy live entertainment and get a cold one, while supporting your local ... 07/24/2009

Events and Activities in Manhattan Beach, CA I have sold many client homes in Manhattan Beach, CA and it always suprises me when they ask, "what is there to do around here?" There are alot of Events and Activities in Manhattan Beach, CA. I thought I would just put it out there......Saturday nights! Go to your local PARK! Polliwog Park has Concerts in the Park. One of my favorites is ........Backbeat - Beatles Tribute Date: 8/16/2009 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Cost: Free Location: Polliwog Park1601 Manhattan Beach BoulevardManhattan Beach, California 90266 There are many Events and Activities in Manhattan Beach, CA such as, Concerts in the Park series is an annual, summer-long event held each year at Polliwog Park. It runs from the last week in June through Labor Day weekend and has featured such... 07/24/2009

While it's fairly uncommon for single family homes to come on the market in Manhattan Village, it's even rarer for the homes to stay on the market for much time.  If you're interested in a single family home in this gated community now may be your opportunity with 5 homes currently on the market with 3 active listings for sale and 2 currently in escrow.  Click here to see the Manhattan Village estate home floor plans  Keith Kyle is a licensed Realtor and e-Pro with South Bay Brokers in Manhattan Beach.  He serves his clients throughout the South Bay and his websites KeithKyleHomes.com and FindYourSouthBayHome.com offer the most comprehensive real estate websites in the South Bay with free MLS access, current home listings, open houses, recent home sales information and more.  Keith can ... 07/22/2009

 If you're searching for this weeks public open house list in Manhattan Beach see below for this weekends schedule.  Visit our Manhattan Beach Open House page for the upcoming and updated open house list. Day Time Address Description Price Sat. & Sun. 1-4 1420 12th St. #3 3 BD, 2.5 BA, Twnhm,Just listed, Upgrades $680,000 Sun. 2-4 656 Rosecrans Ave. 2 BD, + Den, Private Home $739,000 Sun. 2-4 1619 Artesia Blvd. #B 3 BD, 2.5 BA,New construction $839,000 Sun. 1-4 1310 12th St. 3 BD, 3.5 BA,New construction $915,000 Sat. & Sun. 1-4 38 Sausalito Cir. 3 BD, 3 BA, gorgeous,Remodeled kitchen $1,049,000 Sun. 2-4 2100 Poinsettia 2 BD, 1 BA, Charming $1,059,000 Sat. & Sun. 2-4 3520 Alma Ave. 3 BD, New Ocn. Vu's,Listing on corner lot $1,185,000 Sun. 1-4 4216-D Highland 3 BD, 3 BD $1,235,000 Sun. 1... 07/09/2009

  I am so excited about the new Open Sesame location in Manhattan Beach! It is located in the Manhattan Beach village near the Olive Garden. I am hoping they will continue to open locations in the South Bay. Maybe Redondo next? Or maybe Palos Verdes. We need more yummy restaurants on the hill :)   If you haven't already been to this restaurant I highly recommend it. It is tasty!! I first went to the Long Beach location in Belmont Shores. That restaurant is a bit different inside. It is much more quaint.   I have yet to try something on the menu that I didn't like. The service at both the Manhattan Beach and Belmont Shores location was exceptional. Each item is bursting with flavor. Check it out! http://www.opensesamegrill.com/index.html 06/25/2009

When is a lease option a better idea than putting your home up for sale in the usual manner?Like most financial questions, the answer to this one will vary widely between different scenarios.  Really the underlying question is should the seller sell now or lease then sell later.  I have an actual case that I am currently working on that deals with this, but before I talk about that example I want to clarify a few things about, what I will call, a Lease Option Buy (LOB) transaction.  1)      There are three separate agreements associated with this transaction. a.       A residential lease agreement (CAR FORM LR)b.      An option agreement (CAR FORM AO)c.       A purchase agreement (CAR FORM RPA)2)      The lease agreement must be executed, but the option and purchase agreement may or may... 05/21/2009

I recently got a call from a client/ developer who was upset because he spent $1.4 million on abeautiful house that is now worth about $1 million.  The property is currently rented and earning $4,500 per month.  This is a client with a lot of cash and generally doesn't require many loans.  He asked me for advice and I told him the following: "I don't recommend you even think about the costs that went into the property.  That is a completely sunk cost which should have no bearing on future decisions.  Instead, the ONLY question you should ask your self should be, 'can I get a better return on the $1 if I take it out of this property and put it into something else?"  I would argue that the answer is most definitely"YES"; you can get better returns by taking your money out of Westlawn and ... 05/15/2009

According to a recent new Law by the Federal Reserve Board, the appraisal market has been hit with lower fees and new appraisal rulings.1.Appraisal Fees that the Banks are charged have been reduced from $400.00 to $200.00. Which means that the Quality Appraisers are leaving the market since they will not reduce their income by 50%. 2. If an appraisal comes in low by an appraiser the bank can only have 2 appraisals and they have to take the lower one.The result is that the banks do not have enough appraisers to process the current loans so we are being advised to Lengthen our contingency times to 25 days since no closings are happening prior to 45 days and if you have a low appraisal from an inexperienced appraiser you must go and apply with a new bank to get a new appraisal.Which since ... 05/13/2009

We have buyers looking, maybe it's your home they're after   We are working with several buyers who are not finding the home they are looking for, but they are all extremely motivated, non the less. Because this blog is visited by as many real estate agents as it is by sellers and buyers, I thought I'd broadcast a few of our current client wants and needs. If you are a home owner or agent and have something coming to market that is a near fit to any of the following descriptions, please let me know asap. click here to send me an email <<--   Number One | The Smith's  Looking for something with a modern and/or architectual flair. An example home they liked is 560 36th in Manhattan Beach. The Smith's would prefer to buy something that doesn't require too much work, but they care more abo... 05/08/2009

Just moving to Manhattan Beach or long time resident, the following link is provided by the city and should do a really good job of helping to answer most of your questions related to establish services such as: water  electricity  gas  cable TV  telephone  trash pick up city sewer service  Want to reach your Manhattan Beach utility, cable or other service provider, <<---click here  05/06/2009

Manhattan Confidential, our local consumer blog, posted an article today about the decline in sales in Manhattan Beach and the Beach Cities. The post points out two things... the number of sales began to decline in 2002- 2003 ( higher prices mean fewer sales) and 2006 was when buyers started saying no and the market started cooling. Fast forward to 2009 and we have a real estate market that is trying to recover from a lousy economy and a tough lending market. Yet with all the chaos of the last few years prices, with a few exceptions, are still on the high side.The issue for many Beach Cities' buyers is that while prices have fallen a lot in Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo; they don't seem to be down as much as many believe they should be. Every news source is telling potential buyers tha... 05/05/2009

Gone are the days in which homes on The Strand would sell before ever hitting the market.  Even these oceanfront homes, the epitome of South Bay living, have been impacted by the real estate slowdown.  There are currently13 oceanfront homes on the market with another home currently in escrow and one new construction "off market" home located at 3516 in Manhattan Beach with over 5600 square feet and scheduled for completion this summer.  With inventories of prime oceanfront properties so high, there are opportunities in both Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.  These homes are the very best in South Bay living.  To keep updated on the current inventory visit www.SouthBayOceanfront.com or contact us at oceanfront@KeithKyleHomes.com.  Keith Kyle is a licensed Realtor and e-Pro with South Ba... 04/21/2009

Wouldn't you know it.. just as the California real estate market starts to show a few signs of stabilizing... the Feds throw a wrench in the works. Fannie and Freddie, in their infinite wisdom, have made some major Mortgage loan changes for townhome/condominium buyers who are looking at properties with loans under $729,750. In the South Bay- Beach Cities that means entry level properties in Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach and El Segundo. It will hit buyers of 55+ units in Redondo, Torrance and Palos Verdes who are looking for a loan. It will affect people buying entry level ( $725,750 or less) townhomes/condominiums in all the South Bay. Want to buy a small unit as a vacation property along the Esplanade... it will cost you more. How much more depends on a number of facto... 04/20/2009

While the media argues about where the California real estate market is headed and rumors of massive foreclosures are whispered about on blogs; there are actually a few folks who are buying homes. Over the last few weeks in all the South Bay-Beach Cities escrows have been opened and sales have closed. Two factors are fueling the slight rise in sales... price and interest rates. In 2006 a lot of folks dropped out of the Beach Cities housing market and have been quietly sitting on the sidelines waiting for the market to turn. Others sold homes a year or two years ago and have been renting. Some are tired of renting and want a home of their own. Others got married, divorced or had a new addition to the family. Contrary to popular opinion they have excellent credit and they didn't lose a l... 04/18/2009

With prices in the South Bay becoming more affordable and interest rates at historic lows, more buyers are deciding that the time is now to purchase a home.  In the current market many buyers are more focused on finding a "deal" than finding a great home.  They approach me hoping to find these  bargains that they've heard about and are concentrating solely on the foreclosure market.   It's understandable as the news and headlines (as well as some sales pitches from realtors, internet companies, etc) are all touting finding these homes as a simple process and a get rich quick scenario. They make it sound simple to find a home and buy a home that's way below market value.  So is this the best approach and is this the reality in the South Bay?    While searching for distressed homes can be... 04/16/2009

While the South Bay-Beach Cities have managed to stay above water better then other parts of the state there are a number of homeowners who are finding themselves in trouble and need some help with their home loan. Not all of us paid cash for an ocean view home in Manhattan, Hermosa or South Redondo. Many folks looking at the troubled California housing market feel as if they are jumping from the frying pan into the fire when considering their options. However there may just be a little help from the FEDS. There are a number of homeowners who bought with 10%-15% down in Redondo, El Segundo, Torrance and other South Bay communities who now find themselves owing more then the value of the property as prices have declined over the last 3 years. Job losses along with the normal problems fol... 03/19/2009

If you are thinking of buying a property or refinancing your South Bay-Beach Cities home there are 6 things you should know about the current financial market. While almost everyone knows that lenders have tightened their rules about making loans; most people really don't quite understand what that means when they are shopping a loan for a purchase or a refinance. If the only real estate loans you have obtained have been within the last 7 years... you may be in for a shock. The rules have changed drastically from a few years ago. The Beach Cities have seen conforming loan limits raised to $729,750 but these loans, known as conforming Jumbo loans, have a higher rate then loans under $417,000. If you want a jumbo loan (over $729,750) you will need a big down payment along with excellent ... 02/25/2009