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Manhattan Beach, CA Real Estate News

By Lisa Marie Flenoury, "Lisa The Broker" - Making Dreams Come True
("Lisa The Broker")
For the past month I have changed my exercise routine from 100% cardio to Hot Yoga.  It is yoga in a 105 degree room with 40% humidity.  The warmth of the room causes profuse sweating allowing the body to release toxins and increase its flexability.  There are 26 postures of deep stretching, 2 breathing exercises and the class is 90 minutes.  I am so addicted!  The Instructors at the Manhattan Beach Studio are "THE BEST". I have been going every other day and have immediately recognized a change.   I am a newbie, please share your experience. Are you familiar? have you tried it? What do you think?  
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By Keith Kyle, Top Producing Agent
(Vista Sotheby's International)
The number of short sales and bank owned homescontinue to rise in January with 12 homes now active on the MLS.  The homes are almost all single family with the townhome at 311 Aviation Place being the exception.  While Manhattan and Hermosa have been fairly immune to the foreclosure market in the past the difficulty of obtaining jumbo loans has made for a slow market and price reductions.  See below to view the current distressed properties in Manhattan Beach.   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.comoffer the most comprehensive real estate websites in the South Bay with free MLS access, current home listings, open houses, recent ...
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By Mary Thomas BH,MB,HB, PV, Estates LA+, Mary C. Thomas Your Agent around the Globe
( Remax Estates Properties)
My Clients are and how. My clients are leaving me much needed gratuity in this market and that makes the long days and grueling hours more bearable. Unfortunately, our personal life and families are suffering right now but this is the life if you want to make ends meet. I am finally seeing a light in the end of the tunnel. The trick is finding a niche in this market that my fellow realtors is just luck and law of persistence. How many times have you heard the saying lately that you have to work 5 times harder in this market to make the same money? I said it and then I was shocked to hear it this week 3 more times. So what do you do? Well, anyone who is a buyer/seller or Landlord/Tenant these days see how hard we are working for them. I have never had more thank you's and compliments abo...
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By Mori Biener
(South Bay Brokers)
So I'm on brokers open houses this past Friday and it's time to have a looksee at a $10 mil house in the ritzy Hill Section of Manhattan Beach...my favorite fantasy dream house...and this house was great!; large, modern indoor/outdoor living with panoramic views of the Pacific to dye for. I'm walking around in my socks (shouldn't streak that gorgeous expensive wood floor), stuffing my face with a gourmet sandwich, imagining my being the suave head of the house. That sandwich is melting in my mouth as I walk down the wooden steps, WHEN NEXT THING I KNOW I'm sliding down stair after wooden stair on my side and landing flat on my ass with the sandwich extending upright in my mouth. You OK?, everybody's asking. Wawawawa, I say because I'm in shock and just lying there frozen with that damne...
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By Kaye Thomas, e-PRO, Manhattan Beach CA
(Real Estate West)
Will $15K make a difference to home sales in the South Bay-Beach Cities of Los Angeles County? The U.S. Senate in an effort to customize their version of the Bailout Bill and add a few more perks the House missed, voted to give home buyers a credit of 10% of the sale price or a maximum of $15,000 on a home purchase. Of course the bill is not actually a done deal... It has to go back to The House and then be signed by The President before it takes effect. Right now I'm guessing the bill will be changed along the way and won't be ready for consumers anytime soon... if ever. Unlike the previous version of a $7500 tax credit that must be paid back..the new bill will not require buyers to reimburse the government...ie taxpayers... for the money. I understand the idea behind the bill but onc...
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By Kaye Thomas, e-PRO, Manhattan Beach CA
(Real Estate West)
If you caught the LA Times article about Million Dollar home sales in CA you know that in 2008 Manhattan Beach had more home sales over one million then any other community in the state. There were 296 sales in Manhattan Beach of homes above $1M in 2008 . While that probably makes most Manhattan Beach homeowners happy as an indication that values didn't take a complete nosedive... the information also points out that 2008 numbers were down considerably from the 403 homes that sold in 2007. So far this year that trend seems to be continuing with closed sales in January 2009 of 7 homes and 2 townhomes...ouch! None of this information is surprising if you are buying or selling a home in Manhattan Beach or any of the Beach Cities. Sellers are trying to figure out the magic number that will...
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Leadership Manhattan Beach Now Recruiting Class of 2011!! Leadership Manhattan Beach Now Recruiting Class of 2011! Leadership Manhattan Beach is the premier leadership training program in the region for mid-level and high-level professionals. It provides comprehensive training through interaction with the community's top leadership, experiential learning opportunities and community-service team projects. The nine-month program identifies people of promise, familiarizes them with community issues and services and develops their leadership skills to prepare them for prominent business, cultural and political roles. The 2011 class will begin in September '10 and end in May '11.  Sessions include history, civic identity and the arts; government; education; quality of life; business and econ...
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By Mori Biener
(South Bay Brokers)
So this morning I'm sitting there in a room full of fellow Realtors in our Manhattan Beach office conference room trying to keep up with this sharp, fast talking loan broker holding court about the ins and outs of present day loans. He says that generally most banks want a tremendous amount of documentation, need to see a years worth of mortgage payments in the bank and these days they pick appraisers from some list instead of local, more appropriate appraisers. Being the social animal that I am I chime in, these days appraisals are not a problem. That’s all I said. You could hear a pin drop for what seemed like several hours and the broker turns to me with this quizzical look. I’m terrified, something’s wrong! I look around to see an uncomfortable smile slowly forming on my fellow Real...
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By Mori Biener
(South Bay Brokers)
The Jews, of which I am one, developed this weird language in late 1800's Europe called Yiddish, which is spoken in a strange dialect of German but written in Hebrew. It is such an expressive language that many of its words have made it into the American lexicon, propagated mainly by Jewish comedians. So when I say this buyer had real "chutzpah" I mean he had the gull or the audacity to low ball me that much! The house is listed for 2mil, he originally made an offer for 1.7 and was ooched up to 1.75 but my seller held out for 1.775. He walked away. About 2 weeks later I get an offer for 1.75 from another buyer and my seller is tired of the game and is ready to be real. So I call the first buyer's agent and tell him about the offer and that the seller is ready to swim and maybe his buyer...
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By Ed Kaminsky, Ed Kaminsky
(Kaminsky Real Estate Group/Shorewood Realtors)
IMMEDIATE RELEASE! Seeking seasoned agents (30-50 deals experience) for multiple positions available in both the regular real estate & auction divisions within our company. Looking for mutliple Real Estate agents, currently licensed & with experience (at least 30-50 transactions closed), for different positions within my regular real estate division operating under Shorewood Realtors ( http://www.ItzSold.com ) and/or my auction division (http://Premiere Estates Auction Company), both based in Manhattan Beach, CA. Interested parties should contact me via email and should provide a current resume, including transaction history. EK@ itzsold.com or fax to 310-798-8883.
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By Keith Kyle, Top Producing Agent
(Vista Sotheby's International)
It wasn't long ago that homes on The Strand never even made it to market.  They would often sell before actually being listed as the demand has always been so high and the supply is certainly limited.  The Strand is the ocean front strip of homes that stretches from El Porto in North Manhattan Beach to the very end of Hermosa.  As ocean front land is always at such a premium there are rarely homes for sale.  That has certainly changed in recent months.  At the moment there are 13 homes for sale with 8 being single family homes, 1 townhome, 3 hotel condo rooms at the Beach House, and one multi unit income property.  In addition there are 3 homes currently for sale that have not been brought onto the market at this point.  The most expensive home (on market) is $13.9M with the lowest bein...
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By Hady Chahine
(HHC South Bay Realtors)
Results for December put a cap on what was a very tough year for home sellers in Manhattan Beach. According to the South Bay Association of Realtor there were only 14 home sales (single family homes, condos/townhomes, and residential income) for the month of December the exact same number of homes sold in January. Despite the overall tough market December did show some signs of life. The average price of a sold home actually increased .6% from the start of the year. More telling the percentage of sale price to original list price increased from 91% in January to 96% in December. For the complete Manhattan Beach market analyis go to Manhattan Beach Real Estate Market Recap for 2008.
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By Rachel Martiens and Kathy Tyndall = The Tyndall Team, Love Living In The South Bay
(RE/MAX ESTATE PROPERTIES)
Today is January 13th. There are currently 5 homes for sale in the Manhattan Village. Here is what the market has been doing in Manhattan Village over the last year:   Date 10/07 11/07 12/07 1/08 2/08 3/08 4/08 5/08 6/08 7/08 8/08 9/08 10/08 11/08 12/08 For Sale 5 4 6 7 6 5 8 9 8 12 10 11 9 7 5 Sold 3 4 2 0 1 2 3 2 2 0 0 2 1 0 0 Pended 4 2 0 1 3 2 0 4 0 0 1 2 0 2 0 Months of Inventory based on Closed Sales 1.7 1.0 3.0 n/a 6.0 2.5 2.7 4.5 4.0 n/a n/a 5.5 9.0 n/a n/a Months of Inventory based on Pended Sales 1.3 2.0 n/a 7.0 2.0 2.5 n/a 2.3 n/a n/a 10.0 5.5 n/a 3.5 n/a Avg. Active Price 1506 1074 1266 1192 1356 1347 1226 1321 1318 1133 1086 1128 1080 965 954 Avg. Sld Price 1620 1304 1010 0 1350 1380 1481 1305 1092 0 0 814 1240 0 0 Avg. Sq. Ft. Price 638 684 579 0 570 675 659 647 528 0 0 55...
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By Kaye Thomas, e-PRO, Manhattan Beach CA
(Real Estate West)
In just a few hours 2008 will be gone. I don't think many will be sad to see it go. No one has escaped unscathed from the financial and economic turmoil of 2008. Our local Manhattan Beach-Beach Cities real estate market has certainly been adversely affected by the disruption to the economy. While we have fared better then other communities in Southern California we have not escaped the problems that affect California real estate. In our little slice of Paradise prices are down in all the Beach Cities and sales volume is lower then last year at this time. Interest rates have dropped, but jumbo loans( $625,000+), with few exceptions, are still at high interest rates when compared to overall rates. This is a real problem in our Manhattan Beach-Beach Cities real estate market with median p...
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While the real estate market around the country may be taking a hit, home values along the coast of the South Bay is almost as stable as ever.  The "sand" section of Manhattan Beach has remained particularly strong as oceanview and oceanfront homes that are walkable to the beach are always in demand.  Home prices in the sand section (see map) are reaching unbelievable highs with full lot walkstreets in the 3-6 million dollar range, depending on age, condition and view.                       Typical 1/2 Lot El Porto Home                                             Some Stunning Ocean Views While these homes are out of reach for most South Bay buyers, there is an area of Manhattan Beach that offers far more reasonable prices.  The area is known as "north" Manhattan, although it's more fam...
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By Keith Kyle, Top Producing Agent
(Vista Sotheby's International)
The real estate market in Manhattan Beach remains very strong compared with some surrounding areas, but it appears as though the number of short sales and notice of default filings has been rising and there are now 10 distressed homes listed on the South Bay MLS.  This increase in bank owned and short sale homes should provide some opportunities for home buyers in the area. Click on the links below to see pictures and descriptions.  MLS # Type Address Price Br/Ba Year Sqft Lot Sqft F1792864 Short Sale 432 24TH St $1,199,888 2/2.00 1995 1768 1350 S08087696 Short Sale 465 30th St $2,200,000 5/6.00 2002 3357 2700 S08161735 Short Sale 1733 Elm Av $850,000 3/2.00 1950 1323 4480 S08142361 Short Sale 3109 Laurel Av $1,199,000 2/2.00 1953 1024 4322 S08119772 Short Sale 1608 Poinsettia Av $1,699...
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By Leah Pollack
(REALTOR, DRE#01805569, CA, Licensed Broker)
Holiday Lights and Spectacular fireworks! Thank you to the community of Manhattan Beach for such a great evening out! The Manhattan Beach Holiday Fireworks Festival is held at the Pier every year in December. This year they had the Skechers Snow Park which was set to a wonderful backdrop of the Pacific Ocean and a Decadent sunset. From a penthouse patio we stood awe-struck under the full glory of magestic fireworks! By the light of the display we could see the white-cresting waves, other onlookers with their neon light glow sticks and a sail boat. Ah! Winter by the Beach. We attended a Holiday Party hosted by the Panache Team http://www.panachetech.com/ With our gracious host we shared some cheer from Vino 100! Visit http://www.vino100valencia.com/To learn more about Manhattan Beach htt...
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As the parent of two here in Hermosa Beach, I'm always on the lookout for new and healthy activities in the Beach Cities and always happy to pass along information for kids activities.  We had the chance to get a free session at Dawn Barnes Karate Kids back in 2006 in Redondo Beach.  Our daughter seemed to enjoy it so we enrolled in the age appropriate class and were happy....for a while.  We quickly realized that the original tuition quickly becomes so much more.  Our one day a week class soon turned into two as our daughter got a bit older, and along with it our tuition doubled.....OK more classes more money...I get it.  As we had our first "belt test" I realized that the costs of this were starting to become a bit daunting.  In this "belt test" she performed the same moves she had in...
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By Rachel Martiens and Kathy Tyndall = The Tyndall Team, Love Living In The South Bay
(RE/MAX ESTATE PROPERTIES)
This Sunday  December 14Th Manhattan Beach will be having their traditional holiday fireworks show off the pier. The show starts at 6:30p.m.. There will be activities for the kids starting at 4p.m. including a snow and bounce park, and holiday singalong.  Admission is free however, a new unwrapped toy, canned food and cash donations are suggested. Also, the M.B. firefighters will be serving a spaghetti dinner all you can eat for $5 a plate from 3-6 at the fire station. All proceeds will go to benefit Officer Mark Vasquez fund. http://www.ci.manhattan-beach.ca.us/Index.aspx?page=1566  
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By Keith Kyle, Top Producing Agent
(Vista Sotheby's International)
Whether you are buying or selling a home in the South Bay and Manhattan Beach, it's important to understand the local real estate market and to see what is selling.  The market in Manhattan Beach continued to cool a bit with only 8 closed sales recorded at this point.  The average days on market for the recorded sales was 109 and the average sales price was $1,272,000.  Only one new construction home sold and was located in East Manhattan Beach and sold for $1,790,000. Click below to view: November 2008 Manhattan Beach home prices and home sales All South Bay cities closed homes sales for November 2008 Current Manhattan Beach homes for sale Keith Kyle - Realtor, e-Pro - South Bay Brokers- 2501 N Sepulveda Blvd Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 - 310-251-2344 - Keith.Kyle@SouthBayBrokers.com  Fo...
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