Palos Verdes is such a special place. I have lived here my entire life and I still have to catch my breathe sometimes when I look around at the beauty that surrounds me. I love how you can be on top of the Peninsula watching the surf at Portuguese Bend and staring off into the sunset over the Pacific one moment then the next moment be driving down the hill admiring the twinkling lights of downtown L.A. If you haven't gone on one of the amazing trails that Palos Verdes has to offer you should checkout the following link to see which ones might interest you: http://www.trails.com/city-trails.aspx?keyword=Palos+Verdes&state=CA   Enjoy! 04/24/2009

Today is APRIL 24TH. There are currently 298 homes for sale on the Peninsula. The average market time is 108 days on the market. The lowest priced home is listed for $725,000 and is located on Willow Wood in Rancho Palos Verdes. This is a new listing that just hit the market today. The highest priced home is still the property listed for $18,900,000 behind the gates in the city of Rolling Hills at 4 Pine Tree Lane. This home has been on the market now for a total of 571 days! Now is a fabulous time to break into the Palos Verdes Real Estate market. It was only a few years ago when you couldn't even imagine buying a home in Palos Verdes for under 1 million. It will only be a few more years until that is the case again.   For details about the Palos Verdes Real Estate Market contact Rache... 04/24/2009

There were 29 homes on the Palos Veres real estate Broker's Tour.  We currently have 328 active single family homes for sale in Palos Verdes ranging in price from $845,000 in Rancho Palos Verdes to $18,900,000 in Rolling Hills (the low in Eastview is $529,000).  There are 56 townhomes/condos for sale priced between $229,500 and $925,000.  My favorites were:  Click here to read more....      04/24/2009

    The Silver Spur area (also known as Grandview) is located in Rancho Palos Verdes.  The best thing about this neighborhood is its close proximaty to schools and shopping.   It is home to 3 award winning schools - Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, Silver Spur Elementary and Cornerstone Elementary.  Peninsula Shopping Center and The Promenade are at it's southern border. Click here to read more...... 04/22/2009

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as is the value of a view.  This is one of the great puzzles of selling view homes on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.  We have a plethora of views.  There are varying degrees of views, there are up close and personal views and there are some homes with pastoral views (some buyers consider this a non-view when compared with a panoramic view).  What's an agent to do when asked to place a value on a view? The Views of Palos Verdes:The Queen's Necklace view is one of the most sought after on the entire Palos Verdes Peninsula. Many residents of Palos Verdes Estates are fortunate to enjoy this amazing sight from the comfort and convenience of their home. It is a combination of Pacific Ocean meeting the encircling lights of the Beach Cities and beyond all the ... 04/21/2009

Members of the 55 and over club may be feeling a bit left out of the housing stimulus plan.  If you've owned your home for thirty years you certainly do not qualify for the $8,000 tax credit, but you may be eligible for the senior citizen's replacement dwelling benefit.  Yes, Proposition 60 and 90 allows seniors to keep their property taxes at the same rate they have paid for years. That's right, longevity counts on this one.  If you or your spouse that resides with you is age 55 or older, you may buy or construct a new home of equal or lesser value than your current home and transfer the base value to your new purchase.  The property tax demon can no longer hold you hostage in your cavernous home because you are reluctant to part with the owner-friendly annual property tax bill you enj... 04/21/2009

Well, it's back to work for me.  I took the weekend off for my daughter's wedding.  It was the perfect day all around.  The weather was a sunny 75 degrees, perfect for a garden wedding.  The bride and groom so happy and joyful - it was contagious.  There were so many family and friends to share in our joy.  It was a perfect day.  Click here to read more... 04/17/2009

The mortgage meltdown and huge volatility in the stock markets has obviously had a significant impact on the sale of homes. The average price per sq. ft. for homes sold in the first quarter 2009 compared to the first quarter 2008, has fallen much less in the South Bay beach cities, however, than in most markets in Southern California. We are just now getting some news reports indicating that prices are beginning to stabilize in Southern California.   Location 2009 1st Qtr. Sales 2009 1st Qtr. Sales   %Change 1st Qtr. 2008      % Change 1st Qtr. 2008        Sales Price Per Sq. Ft. # of Houses Sales Price Per Sq. Ft. Sales Volume   Days on Market     Months Inventory     Palos Verdes Estates                      $560                   18   ( 14% )                        29%            66 ... 04/17/2009

There were 25 homes on the Palos Verdes real estate Broker's Tour.  We currently have 302 active single family homes for sale in Palos Verdes ranging in price from $800,000 in Rolling Hills Estates to $18,900,000 in Rolling Hills (the low in Eastview is $529,000).  There are 49 townhomes/condos for sale priced between $229,500 and $925,000. My favorites were:  Click here to read more....      04/17/2009

The 22nd Annual Palos Verdes Street Fair and Music Festival, presented by Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance will take place this year on Saturday June 6th from 10 am to 10 pm and Sunday June 7th from 10 am to 9 pm. In addition, new this year is a Friday evening event "Friday Teen Fun Night" opening the carnival rides on Friday June 5th from 6 pm to 10 pm. The location for the Fair is Crossfield Drive and Silver Spur Road in Rolling Hills Estates. Activites will include more than 200 arts and craft booths, carnival rides for all ages, continuous live entertainment on two stages, an International Food Court and Beer Garden, a children's petting zoo, and train rides. Carnival rides will include a Ferris Wheel, bumper cars, Twister and many others. All day ride wrist... 04/16/2009

Some prospective buyers enjoy the thrill of the unassisted house hunt.  It is their sport of choice for a Sunday afternoon.  They plan and plot their route with the closest attention to details.  They check the Internet sites for advertised open houses, pour over newspaper ads, route their chosen path and wait for the appointed hour the doors will open.  Armed with a full tank of gas and a GPS the adventure begins. There is something primal about the hunt for shelter.  The drive is strong and hopes are high.  I know, I've been on a few of those hunts myself. In my pre-real estate days I was an open house junkie.  A full-on addict.  I looked at open houses when I was not remotely in the market to buy; I even bought a house when I was not in the market to buy. Pssst.  Here's an insider ti... 04/15/2009

  Carol Quan, Special Assistant, Los Angeles Tax Assessor, spoke at our Palos Verdes real estate Remax office meeting and gave us an update on property tax reassessment.  Before June, the Tax Assessor's Office will pro-actively review 400,000 Los Angeles County single family residences, townhomes and condos purchased between July 1, 2003 and June 30, 2008 to ascertain if there has been a decline in value.  Click here to read more...... 04/13/2009

If you're contemplating selling your house, I don't need to tell you this is not the same sizzling real estate market we had in 2006.  The cyclical nature of the real estate market did not end when it reached the pinnacle--it peaked, and moved to the downside of the cycle.  Are properties still selling?  Yes.  Can you place a sign in the front yard and expect multiple offers?  No.  Those days are but a fond memory.   There is no magical secret formula to selling a property in a slower market.  It requires: 1)  Nailing the listing price from day one. 2)  Preparing the property prior to listing it. 3)  Presenting the property to prospective buyers dressed for success.   Think of your home as a work of art about to be auctioned off to the highest bidder.  If it is priced outrageously high ... 04/09/2009

One of my morning yoga meditations refers to "A Kind Heart" as the Jewel of the Universe.  I've listened to the CD many times, but this morning the words reverberated through my mind as an absolute truism.  In trying times kindness goes a long way. When my son was in Iraq he said what he and his fellow Marines looked forward to most were letters from home. Home was not necessarily correspondence from friends and family.  Often a letter was simply address "Soldier" or "To a Marine."  A few kind and caring words from a complete stranger brightened their day. After a nightmarish day in the field, mail call was a time of joy.  A letter from home reminded them in many places of the world life was still full of hope for the future.  War zones are not filled with kindness, but those letters ce... 04/08/2009

I took a business call at 9:30 last night.  I answered it because I wanted to.  This particular client works in the medical field and is not available to take calls during the work day.  We could exchange messages with each other in the never ending game of phone tag, but that is a slow way to receive the answer to pressing questions.     The back and forth exchanges of real time conversation conveys more than an answer to a question; it sends the message of responsiveness, sincerity and that the contractual verbiage of "Time is of the Essence" carries weight and meaning.  Important decisions are being made.  Financial commitments are on the line.  Business often extends beyond traditional business hours.    I took the call, and because of our conversation I will be able to move the tra... 04/08/2009

The annual Palos Verdes Homes Tour Extraordinaire, sponsored by the Palos Verdes Arts Center, will be held on April 17th and 18th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The tour benefits the arts programs sponsored by the Palos Verdes Arts Center. This years self driven tour " includes a charming farmhouse with a French flair in Rolling Hills; a contemporary European villa with all the amenities of resort living in Rancho Palos Verdes; and a bluff-top Tuscan epitomizing Old World elegance, also in Rancho Palos Verdes." A contemporary European villa in Rancho Palos Verdes is one of three estates to be featured in the April 17-18 Peninsula homes tour to benefit the Palos Verde Art Center. This event makes for a fabulous day and is really a fun way to spend some time with friends.  It also provides som... 04/06/2009

Blogging for business is why most of the Active Rain members are here, but the side benefits are perhaps even more powerful.  To be honest, I did not feel the need to begin blogging when my son suggested it two years ago.  I was too busy selling real estate to write stories about it on the Internet.  I had lots of questions such as who would find my posts and how on earth would that help my business?     I have a closet full of tapes and books purchased to ignite my real estate career, and I've paid thousands of dollars to attend seminars from Buffini to Ferry.  They were good, but Active Rain is a revolution in the making.  It is defeating to be on the wrong side of an industry revolution. I'm pleased to be lined up with the trendsetters on the cutting edge.    2008 was a pivotal year ... 04/04/2009

Several pieces of information have been released over the last day or two that at least can be considered good news for the economy: 1) In a recent Gallup Poll, 41% of those polled believed that the "Country was headed in the right direction", compared to only 8% last October. This measure of consumer optimism may indicate that people are starting to believe that the worst may be over. 2) There was a 1.8% increae in U.S. factory orders in February, the first increase in seven months. Analysts had been expecting another decline. The stock market went up almost 3% on the news. 3) The Financial Accounting Standards Board announced on Thursday a relaxation in the rules for accounting for troubled mortgage assets of banks. The Board voted unanimously to let banks exercise more judgment in us... 04/03/2009

The following are general levels of interest rates for various loan terms for both conforming and Jumbo loans as provided by Al Hermann at al@american-california.com . Conforming 30 Yr Fixed up to $417,000 4.875% Rate 5.015% APR Pricing based on 740 credit score, 65% Debt to Income Ratio, 80% Loan to Value Ratio, $417000 Loan Amount, 30 Lock Days, Qualified Borrowers Only. When Mortgage Insurance is applicable, it is not calculated in the APR   Conforming 30 Yr Fixed $417,001 - $625,500 5.250% Rate 5.385% APR Pricing based on 740 credit score, 45% Debt to Income Ratio, 80% Loan to Value Ratio, $625500 Loan Amount, 30 Lock Days, Qualified Borrowers Only. When Mortgage Insurance is applicable, it is not calculated in the APR   Jumbo 7 Year ARM 5.625% Rate 5.714% APR Pricing based on 740 c... 04/03/2009

As Published in Celebrity Spouse:  WHERE TO START WHEN IT'S TIME TO RELOCATE -- TIPS & ADVICE               As a celebrity spouse, a sudden relocation to another city may seem like an overwhelming, daunting task -- and one usually left to them to coordinate.  For peace of mind during this major life change, make your first call to a trusted Real Estate Professional & Relocation Specialist who can become your partner through this complex move.              "A Relocation Specialist will become your advisor & confidante and can help facilitate a smooth, seamless transition.  They will relieve you of a lot of stress, anxiety and logistics that comes with coordinating a move to a new city," commented Elaine Mallon, Broker Associate with Coldwell Banker, Certified Relocation Specialist and Me... 04/02/2009