Every month I post both the Recent South Bay Home Sales as well as the Median Home Prices for the various cities that I work and specialize in.  I try my hardest to explain that the year over year change, when only looking at a specific month, doesn't necessarily paint an accurate picture.  As an example Hermosa Beachhas so few monthly sales when compared to a city such as Torrance or Long Beach, that something as simple as a Strand sale can alter the numbers significantly.  It's a valuable piece of information that can help track what is going on in the market over time, but as it's such a brief period, it needs to be looked at in context.  In the 2 years I've been pulling this information and the noticeable decline in most South Bay cities over the past 8 months I've never seen a down... 10/02/2008

  One of the key pieces of advice all Home Stagers impart on home-sellers is to pack early.  A clean, clutter free house is the starting point for Home Staging. By packing up seldom used items, cleaning out storage areas, closets, cabinets and garages you create open spaces that home buyers are seeking.  By packing early, you are better prepared for your upcoming move.  There is so much to do when buying and selling your home, it can be very stressful; but, you don't have to do it alone.  Home Sweet Home is a packing and unpacking service available throughout California and other states. They offer professional and customized packing and unpacking services.  They take the stress out of moving by doing the hard work for you.      Home Sweet Home services include: •·         Packing mate... 10/01/2008

August 2008 Redondo Beach homes sales    Average Redondo Beach CA home price was $698,943 compared with $906,709 a year ago, a 29.7% price drop.  It took on average 64 days to sell a house - 31 days longer than in August 07.  Total of 72 homes sold compared with 88 that sold a year ago and compared to 58 sold in July '08.  Pick up in sales volume was noticable - Buyers were scooping up bargains! Highest priced home sold for $1,215,000 while the lowest one sold at $337,000.  IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BUY!  Prices have gone down and interest rates are low - contact me and I'll help you find your dream home! Curious about home sales in your neighborhood?  Click here!   Visit http://www.ISellSouthBay.com to search South Bay MLS Free! Wondering what your home's worth? Visit http://www.SouthBayHou... 09/27/2008

I had a listing about a year ago for a very nice townhome in Inglewood, California.   I knew I had a challenge ahead when I pulled up the street to meet the owner and saw at least 15 for sale signs, many of which had "bank owned" or "foreclosure" on them.  As I have written in prior articles, in terms of real estate the South Bay is not one large community, but a number of very different towns with values and demand basically increasing as you get towards the beach. The cities within couldn't be more different and factors that impact one area, such as in Inglewood, may not play any role in some of the areas such as Manhattan Beach.  I've noticed lately that the market slowdown, economic crisis, financing difficulty may be starting to make their way towards the beach.  While the market i... 09/26/2008

09/24/2008

Needless to say that much of the appeal to the South Bay has to do with it's proximity to the ocean and all that it entails.  Beautiful views, dazzling sunsets, warmer winters and cooler summers and outdoor activities of every variety.  One of the cities most often thought of, especially for those relocating from other parts of the country, is Redondo Beach.  Redondo Beach is the largest of the "Beach Cities" (Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beachand Redondo Beach) and has the greatest number of housing options.  Everything from a studio condo in the $300K range, to oceanfront estateswell into the millions.  If your searching for that dream of living oceanfront, you really only have a few options and almost all are on the street known as the Esplanade.  The Esplanade is in the area known as So... 09/17/2008

                             The Riviera Garden Club is pleased to announce the upcoming garden event, Beyond the Garden Gate, Saturday, October 18, 2008, from 10 am to 4 pm. The self-guided tour of 8 special private gardens in the beautiful Hollywood Riviera area will include a hospitality house with education booths and refreshments. The eight tour gardens were chosen for their uniqueness and variety. Take a peek behind the gates of a lush Mediterranean garden with an unusual sand-ring firepit;  a designer's dream at a seaside hacienda with impeccable landscaping and terraced gardens to the Pacific; an original Red tiled roof historic home, part of the original Hollywood Riviera seaside development of the 1930's; bone up on water-wise gardening at the newly remodeled environmental hom... 09/09/2008

As many of my clients are from out of the area or out of state, they seem to have a notion that the South Bay is simply one big city and there aren't all that many differences between Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beachand Redondo Beach.  The reality is that even within these cities the individual neighborhoods vary quite a bit.  Due to the sheer size of the city, Redondo Beach is one of the more varied communities in the South Bay in terms of types of housing, size and age, and price.  The area just east of Hermosa and just South of Manhattan (see Golden Hills Map)is a hilly section of Redondo Beach known as the Golden Hills.  Knowing the areas pros and cons is an important step in determining whether the Golden Hills is the right area for you.  The homes in the area have a not entirely fla... 09/08/2008

                   Good eating has come to the Hollywood Riviera's "Riviera Village."  Dolce Vita is a wonderful new addition for the breakfast and lunch crowds.  They are actually a german deli and sandwich shoppe with more of an italian name.  Ripe w/ european flavors, Dolce Vita offers homemade quiche, flatbreads paired w/ fresh green salads, pasta & veggie salads, sandwiches on baquettes, delicious lattes and cappucino's to top of the meal.  A certain return visit for me - especially since they actually had terrific customer service - a true bonus today.  I also enjoyed sitting outdoors - they have a great set-up with plenty of tables & chairs with eye-catching red umbrellas.   Village Pizza has opened and has a super charming feel with table and chairs out on the sidewalk for a lit... 08/26/2008

In reading a few great articles this week regarding "loving your house again," I find myself smiling.  Let me share:  Chris Ayres of the LA Times wrote this greatopinion piece about "forgetting the doom and gloom about the tanking market.  You made a smart investment."   He makes so many great points for the many of us that bought houses in the last few years during the "real estate boom."  We find ourselves stuck reading so much doom and gloom lately, but here's someone who has taken the time to break things down and make it all not seem so bad.  I'm always looking for some good news in the media...(check my blog from August 6th)  He makes great points about what a great investment time period it was - the interest rates most people got during those times are amazing!  A good interest ... 08/20/2008

Hollywood Riviera is a terrific community in the heart of South Torrance....a lot of it has a Redondo Beach P.O. Box address, but it is all part of South Torrance.  It butts up to the bottom of the hills of Palos Verdes and sits just south of Redondo Beach.  Many of the homes have some of the most magnificent views to be found anywhere...views of the ocean, city, mountains - truly stunning on a clear day.  The Hollywood Riviera has a neat little shopping district called the Riviera Village.  It is abundant with cute boutiques, salons, coffee shops, Trader Joes, Jamba Juice, etc...  As of today, August 12, 2008, there are only 29 single family homes for sale - they range from $689,000 for a small house on the Torrance side of the Riviera on the Pacific Coast Hwy service street to a newly... 08/12/2008

Currently there are six newly built homes for sale on the Esplanade. Le Beau homes built two of them. 1724 #a and #b.   1724 #A is 1790 square feet with three bedrooms three full baths and one half bath $2,100,000 1724 #B is 1953 square feet  with three bedrooms three full baths and one half as well $2,200,000 The other homes are brand New Construction. Oceanfront Townhomes built by Saradakis Construction on the Esplanade. Featuring 4 beds + den, 4 1/2 baths. 707 #A $3,599,900 707 #B $3,599,900 707 #C $4,990,000 705 #A $3,790,000 For more details please contact Rachel your South Redondo Beach Realtor   rachelmtyndall@gmail.com 08/08/2008

Welcome to one of my real estate sites! My job is to inform you about today's real estate market sotogether we can find you the perfect home or investment. As of today there are 41 condos for sale in South Redondo. The prices range from $339,900 to $1,775,000. Averaging a list price of $733,227. The current market time for these listings is 92 days before going into escrow. There are 12 condos on the market in Brookside Village which consists of 385 condos located on the corner of Camino Real and Prospect. There are 8 condos for sale in the Village complex located along Catalina and the beach. 11 conods are for sale along the Esplanade. 5 are for sale on Cataliana and 1 on Opal, 1 on Camino De la costa and two in the development on Beryl. The lowest priced condo as of today is a ocean v... 08/07/2008

The 13th annual Lobster Festival is coming on September 26-28. Located at the Seaside Lagoon (200 Portofino way) Redondo Beach. Enjoy delicious lobster, live music, and more. http://www.lobsterfestival.com/   Your South Bay Realtor Rachelmtyndall@gmail.com   08/07/2008

Redondo Pier Featured In The upcoming Redondo Pier Chalk Art Festival was featured in The New York Times Travel section this week. Here's what the article had to say... REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA In the movie - and now Broadway musical -"Xanadu," Sonny, a struggling artist/entrepreneur, inspires a Greek muse to visit him through his chalk mural on the Venice Beach boardwalk. Imagine what a group effort could bring. The Sixth Annual Chalk Art Festival and Live Music is scheduled to take place on Aug. 23 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Redondo Beach Pier. Free chalk will be given to the first 150 registrants, but whoever wants to participate can do so, including children. The awards ceremony, at which the $500 grand prize will be awarded, will feature live drumming and blues music. The theme f... 08/07/2008

  Come bring your friends and family and enjoy the rest of summer while it is still here. FREE Summer of Music @ Redondo Pier The FREE bi-weekly concerts on the Redondo Beach Pier are for all ages. Every show will bring new vibes to the pier as concertgoers enjoy music from the 50's, Big Band, Blues, Country, Drum Circles, Island, Latin, Pop, Classic Rock and Surf. Bring your own beach chair for better enjoyment of the concerts. The Redondo Beach Pier offers a wide array of dining, shopping & fun for the entire family. Free To Be Me :: Thursday, August 7th - 6-8 PM August 7th 6:00 - 8:00 PM Free To Be Me August 9th 6:00 - 8:00 PM Zola Moon August 14th 6:00 - 8:00 PM Panjive August 16th 6:00 - 8:00 PM Boomer McLennan, The Rhythm Rangers August 21st 6:00 - 8:00 PM Flight August 23rd 6:00 ... 08/07/2008

This prestigious area of South Redondo Beach known as "The Avenues" is named for its "alphabet" streets, for example, Avenue A, Avenue B, Avenue C, etc. These avenues are filled with both classic, restored beach homes as well as completely rebuilt mutli-storied view homes. Each avenue ends at the Pacific Ocean, so real estate here is valuable, boasting gorgeous sunset views and walking distance to the beach. Close proximity to trendy Riviera Village and great Redondo Beach schools are added attractions. Call me for a detailed property search. Mary Walker, The Real Estate Group (310) 508-8507 08/04/2008

South Redondo Beach is arguably the finest place to live in the entire Southbay. With it's beautiful Pacific Ocean beaches, mild climate, and abundance of beautiful homes, life doesn't get much better than this. The schools are superlative, and the adjacent Riviera Village is a wonderful bonus with its charming shops and restaurants. Call me for a detailed property search. Mary Walker, The Real Estate Group (310) 508-8507   08/04/2008

  Date 4/07 5/07 6/07 7/07 8/07 9/07 10/07 11/07 12/07 1/08 2/08 3/08 4/08 5/08 6/08 For Sale 26 30 34 32 28 27 33 30 22 24 24 21 28 33 34 Sold 11 9 8 12 12 8 3 3 4 7 4 3 5 6 4 Pended 10 3 13 9 8 2 3 6 5 4 3 9 4 5 5 Months of Inventory based on Closed Sales 2.4 3.3 4.3 2.7 2.3 3.4 11.0 10.0 5.5 3.4 6.0 7.0 5.6 5.5 8.5 Months of Inventory based on Pended Sales 2.6 10.0 2.6 3.6 3.5 13.5 11.0 5.0 4.4 6.0 8.0 2.3 7.0 6.6 6.8 Avg. Active Price 1314 1330 1245 1429 1327 1323 1414 1393 1308 1270 1213 1293 1250 1334 1301 Avg. Sld Price 1228 1112 1071 1275 1131 1124 1000 983 1134 1134 1128 1286 1221 1216 952 Avg. Sq. Ft. Price 565 531 587 577 579 719 614 553 563 548 615 613 576 577 540 Sold/List Diff. % 99 97 98 100 99 98 98 96 95 97 98 94 94 99 98 Days on Market 19 48 43 19 28 25 110 74 88 54 2... 07/25/2008

Google your listings agents! Todays blog by Jeff Dowler set me on a google flurry. This is newer in a mixture of homes mostly older with one newer than this listing. There is an amazing Historic home on Broadway. I have showed it and wish my buyer was ready to buy but didn't. There is a new townhome on Broadway and the prices range from 1.7M to 785K...That one is mine. Eight are for sale.  Want to live in a million dollar neighborhood?  Check it out! ML# S Type St# St Name City Area TG# L/S Price Br/Ba YrBlt Sqft LSqft DOM/CDOM V P SOC Date Z08028083 A SFR/A 429 N Broadway REDO 156 762H4 $1,050,000 3/4.00 1981 1,463 3,079 140/140 Y N 3.000 02/25/08 ****S08092303A TWNHS/A 515 S Broadway #B REDO 157 762J6 $785,000 2/3.00 1981 1,630 2,147 19/19 N N 3.000 06/25/08 V956810 A TWNHS/A 704 S B... 07/14/2008