Red Square Homes | high-torque real estate sales and marketing

New to Hermosa Beach? Phone list of top Service providers here

Ever wonder where to find a quick list of Local Service Provides for things like electricity, cable tv, trash etc., in Hermosa Beach, 90254?

Click here to be linked to the City of Hermosa Beach's website. It has the what you're looking for! <<-- click here 

New to Redondo Beach? Phone list of top Service providers

Ever wonder where to find a quick list of Local Service Provides for things like electricity, cable tv, trash etc., in Redondo Beach, 90277 and 90278?

Click here to be linked to the City of Redondo Beach's website. It has the what you're looking for! <<-- click here

Contemporary, Bold and Beautiful HB Home | Hermosa Beach, CA | Coming Winter 2009

 

Coming  winter of 2009 to the hills of Hermosa Beach, this contemporary style home that will be one of the few, if not the only new construction, single family projects available in the area. If you are looking for lots of square-footage, an amazing and open floor-plan, and something that's not another cookie-cutter spec home, 1120 8th Street is what you're looking for.

1120 8th Street, Hermosa Beach, California 90254

Features*:

• Soft Contemporary style that is designed to maximize natural light. Curved exterior section  will be finished in teak or a similar hard wood.
• Huge Great Room with wrap-around balcony  
• 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths 
• 4 bedrooms on the first level, one guest suite on the second 
• Large roof deck
• Top quality throughout
• Large bedrooms and master suite with spa like bath
• Ocean views
• rear yard 
• Over 3,600 sqft of living living space
• Price: $1,700,000 (estimated)
• Completion date: Winter 2009

If you'd like more information on this project, or any other upcoming new construction in the South Bay, Please give us a call. 

*subject to change without notice

Current as of 06/29/2009

People talking about their Realtors, the video

I am not a lead

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World—what's your home really worth?

Whether or not there's little sprouts of greenery growing out there on the economic horizon, today's real estate market is a difficult beast to tame. If you are considering selling, or simply want an estimated selling value of your home, please allow Diana and me the opportunity to provide you with a comprehensive pricing report for your evaluation. Your home's resale value maybe higher than you are being led to believe. 

Roommate wanted in Manhattan Beach | $1,150

$1,150 Gets you the perfect location - Beach House 2 blocks from beach and downtown!  

Room available in beautiful, very clean and cozy 2 Bedroom Home in Manhattan Beach. 

Easy going female, looking for a professional to share 2 bed apt on Highland Avenue, 2 blocks from the beach and 5 mins from Manhattan pier. 

Great location, walking distance to to cafes, bars, restaurants and shops. 

Hopefully you'll occasionally be up for a glass of wine and a chat on the sunny terrace :O) 

Apartment consists of open living room, dining area, kitchen, bathroom, washer & dryer, terrace and 2 bedrooms. Private parking! 

Bedroom available (pictured below) is unfurnished has medium size walk in closet. If you have other furniture such as couches or dining this can also be accommodated. 

Rent includes water, electricity, parking, gas, free washer and dryer & Direct TV!   

 

Available July 1, 2009  (1 yr lease) 

Please call Helena @ 310-465 9970 or email me at HForsel@aol.com

 

Tax Knowledge: Is a Roth IRA Better than a traditional IRA? | By Stacey Gordon

The traditional IRA is a tax-deferred retirement product that permits individuals to set aside money each year, with earnings tax-deferred until withdrawals begin at age 59½ or later (or earlier, with a 10 percent penalty). The Roth IRA was introduced in 1997 as a variation of the traditional IRA that allows for after-tax contributions, but the earnings would generally be received on a tax-free basis when distributed.

Each product was designed with a specific purpose in mind, so it is important to understand what your end goal is and which product best suits your individual needs.  A Roth IRA may be a better choice for those who will have a higher income tax rate in retirement or who will want the flexibility to accumulate retirement funds on a tax-favored basis without mandatory distributions. 

For tax-free distributions from a Roth IRA, the account must be open for five tax years, and the distribution must be made for one of the following reasons:

• Upon reaching age 59½;
• Upon the death or disablement of the owner; or 
• Upon the purchase of a first home ($10,000 lifetime maximum)

In addition, Roth IRAs are not subject to the required minimum distribution rules while the owner is alive.  As a result, the Roth IRA can be used more flexibly, on a tax-favored basis, for retirement and wealth transfer purposes.

IRAs are powerful financial tools. If you think an IRA might make sense for you, contact a qualified financial professional.

Provided courtesy of Prudential. For more information, contact Stacey A. Gordon, MBA, (CA  insurance license #0F94638), a Representative with The Prudential Insurance Company of America's Greater Los Angeles agency located in El Segundo, CA.  Stacey can be reached at 2121 Rosecrans Avenue, #1300, El Segundo, CA 90245 and (310) 414-4111 Ext. 7240. http://www.prudential.com/us/stacey.gordon. 

Travel Agents vs. Realtors (death of the service sector)

Without fail, the real estate community is often paralleled to the travel agent industry, more succinctly, the demise of travel agents. 

See this story about how Virgin says no money for airlines this year <<click here

I believe that without travel agents, the business of running a passenger airline will continue to be a money losing proposition. When travel agents were pulled from the equation, the airlines were hoping to recapture the 10% commission they were paying, but what they saw was a reduction in overall seats filled. Why? Because travel agents were always "up selling," trying to make sure that their clients had an exceptional, complete experience. Today, people who use online travel sites like Travelocity and Sidestep, typically purchase just what they think they need, and their primary search criterion is price. 

I'm always shocked to hear people say that thy don't need travel agents and that they organize their own trips, both business and pleasure. I've said it before, I hate using the internet to plan my own trips. I never remember which airlines has the tv's in the headrest, and I'm always chasing the cheapest fare. 

The internet is a great information resource, but it is not a solution for every problem. As my father used to tell me:

...just because I have a garage full of tools doesn't make me a master mechanic. 

Yet, net travelers believe themselves to be masters of all information found online. Expert travel planners, expert insurance planners, and now, expert real estate agents. Humans and face-to-face interactions cannot be mirrored online. Using technology to take the human element out of the equation is guaranteed to deliver one thing: a less efficient business model. 

If you agree with me that travel agents served as a sales catalyst and not as an expense center, airlines should have looked in other directions to cut their cost. Travel agents added tremendous value to the airline industry by sharing their travel experience with their clients, which included knowledge of best routes, best airline perks, best hotels, best destinations, etc. 

And how does this even begin to compare to real estate? Well, it doesn't. But, the comparison seems to be everlasting (like comparing apples to oranges). Realtors bring exceptional local knowledge to a transaction that can't be found online. I continue to be surprised when I read that a buyer used an online broker and saved $10,000, which they got in the from of a rebate. Okay fine, but what if they overpaid for the property by $30,000. By thinking that an online agent/broker is equal to a local agent, you might be costing yourself a lot of money. 

If you're buying or selling a home, your scope of experience will be based on the sales you've done on your own properties. Compare this to top producing Realtors who have hundreds, if not thousands of transactions under their belts. You can read a book, research every detail, but you're still new to the process and unless you continue to buy and sell homes, your gained knowledge quickly fades. 

Industries that the web can impact

And what about Lawyers? I used Legalzoom recently, ended up hiring a real lawyer, though. Overtime, maybe once we get to Web 5.0, the internet will be sophisticated enough to address all of my life needs. Lawyers, I'll do it online for all but the most sophisticated issues. 

Doctors, they'll be gone too. Someday soon, I'll sit at my computer and be diagnosed by a doctor in India named Stan, he'll refer my case to a doctor in Nebraska and they'll automatically send my medications by Fedex. Okay, surgery will still be local, but all of the diagnostic process can happen from the desktop. 

Waiters, gone. I'll order online and pick up my meal. Or, maybe a small terminal at my table will be my direct connection to the kitchen

Socialiogist and other data experts, gone too. Google will become our primary tool for monitoring trends, illnesses, human interests, and pop culture

Newspapers, gone. This story is already playing out. Instead of having trusted news outlets, we're quickly becoming a society story tellers and opinion mongers. The product view I just wanted on youtube was pretty good. Should I trust what a 15 year old has to say about technology?

TV Networks, going: Either they evolve, or they're gone too. Everyone is becoming a content producer. Whoever has the best content wins. 

CPAs and accountants, gone: The web cloud is coming. Sophisticated web tools for unsophisticated users to manage the financial side of their business will be the norm.

Death of the Service Sector

At the rate we're going with the advancement of society, technology will completely destroy the service sector, which most of us white color workers are part of. So, I may be mistaken, but if we don't need travel agents, who else can be replaced? Pretty soon we're all outmoded by the web—millions of jobs, gone.

What I See

Computers and the internet haven't made my life better. In fact, I'd say that technology has made my life more complicated and less satisfying. I think of the untold hours I've spent trying to find information online. I think of the computers I've had that died and erased everything I'd been working on. I think of the hours I've spent learning to use a new piece of software—hours I'll never recapture. 

What I Want

I'd love to go back to an gone by era. An era in which teams included administrators, receptionist, typist, travel agents, 40 hour weeks, and cell phones that were too big to carry in your pocket. Actually, lets take it a step further back—no cell phones. 

Mortgage News: Jumbo Rate Reductions By Jonathan O'Donnell

While there are still many concerns with housing and the economy, the one upside is low interest rates.  Until recently, the low rates were primarily associated with conforming loans (mortgages up to $729,750), but in the past 2 weeks we have seen significant improvement with jumbo loans too.  For example, a local South Bay lender has dropped their rates to the low 4’s on short term fixed programs like the 3-Year and 5-Year Fixed ARMs up to $2 million.  For those looking for an additional incentive to buy or refinance, this could be it.  Feel free to call me for details.

Contact Jonathan O'Donnell for all of your Mortgage related needs

Jonathan O'Donnell

Coast Capital Group
P (310) 798-5507
F (310) 798-5527

email: jonathan@coastcapitalgroup.com

www.CoastCapitalGroup.com

Open House 3 | 408 26th Street, Manhattan Beach Sand Section | This Weekend

This is the newest Sand Section Townhome to come to market—and it's the best, no doubt about it. 

Built by the South Bay's own top developer, Matt Morris, this townhome is as wonderful and beautiful as they come. I will add information and pictures here shortly. Property to be added to the MLS by Friday, the estimated listing price is: $2,049,000

For now, please plan and stopping by this introduction weekend. Diana will be holding this home open both Saturday and Sunday between 2 and 4 pm. 

Key Features:

• Open floor plan on the third level
• Large bedrooms 
• 4 beds 
• Ocean views 
• City views 
• A+ quality 
• A+ location 
• Best value for a Matt Morris built home.  

Open House 2 | 717 Poinsettia, Manhattan Beach. This Saturday Only!

Come see 717 Poinsettia in Manhattan Beach's Hill Section this Saturday, 2 to 4 pm. The home will not be open on Sunday.

Key Features

• A+ Hill Section Location
• Large corner lot, over 11,000 square feet 
• Large front and rear yards 
• Asking price: $3,449,000 

Open House 1 | 624 Catalina, Redondo Beach. This Weekend

624 South Catalina, South Redondo Beach, will be held open this weekend, both Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday: 1:30 to 4:00

Sunday: 11:30 to 2:30

About the Home:

A+, south of PCH location. This newer beach townhome was completed in late 2005 and is located in one of South Redondo Beach's most desirable neighborhoods. Not typical by any means, this three bedroom home has a large master suite with fireplace, a spa-like master bath with Jacuzzi style tub, plus a wonderful and open floor plan. On the ground floor are two large bedrooms, laundry area and two car garage with storage. The master suite is on the second floor along with the chef's kitchen, formal dining area and large family space, which leads to a nice and open balcony. On the third level is a loft space with its own balcony, it's an ideal location for an office, play area or media den. 

KEY FEATURES OF THIS HOME INCLUDE: 

• Three bedrooms, large master suite with spa-like master bath
• 20 foot ceilings above kitchen, dining area and part of living room 
• Travertine floors
• Granite counters
• Blue water ocean view 
• Alder cabinets
• GE Monogram appliances
• Artisan wrote-iron rail work throughout
• A super cool loft/office area
• Smooth stucco exterior finish
• Two car garage with three storage lockers 

ADVANTAGES OF THIS HOME:

• Great location
• Newer construction
• Easy beach access
• Detached townhome
• Walking distance to Redondo Beach pier, Riviera Village, restaurants and shops

PRICING and OTHER INFORMATION

• Attractively priced at $1,049,000 
• For more pictures and additional info, view this property via the South 

Twitter'sTrending topics more relevent than Google's trends

Comparing Google trends (www.google.com/trends)  to Twiiter's trending topics reveals that people using twitter, as a group, are possibly more pop culture conscious. Further, the topics that reveal themselves in Twitter trends seem more relevant.

Saved Searches

---

Trending Topics for today

• #jonasparanoid
• Dollhouse
• Star Trek
• #Ecoshoppe
• Angels & Demons
• #wolframalpha
• Wolfram|Alpha
• Grey's Anatomy
• Follow Friday
• Prison Break

Today's Most Popular Google Search Terms

Ever wonder what the most popular searches are on Google? Using the web address www.google.com/trends you'll get a current snapshot of the terms people are searching for, give or take 20 minutes. I find it interesting that the search trends for today did not include finanace or housing entries. The most topical item that I see is item 46. And item 9, I really don't understand item 9.

1.    leta cordes
2.    mom demands do over for yearbook
3.    ninnyhammer
4.    yearbook crotch photo
5.    sickles high school yearbook photo
6.    blink 182 tour dates
7.    exposure in yearbook
8.    farrah fawcett documentary
9.    purple pee
10.    wayman tisdale
11.    florida yearbook picture
12.    fetchdog.com
13.    yearbook flap
14.    puppies behind bars
15.    andrews air force base air show
16.    booster gold
17.    westchester community college
18.    nemenhah band
19.    tv9 live streaming
20.    mary jo eustace
21.    eugenia volodina
22.    torcido clothing
23.    denver nuggets tickets
24.    joint services open house 2009
25.    yearbook picture no panties
26.    wildflower festival
27.    carrie prejean underwear photos
28.    preakness stakes 2009
29.    prince albert in a can
30.    joshua brandon norris
31.    good morning america jon and kate plus 8
32.    gm dealer closing list
33.    mother lover snl justin timberlake and andy samberg
34.    strawberry festival
35.    kris medlen
36.    india election results 2009
37.    liam hemsworth
38.    georgy girl
39.    bay to breakers
40.    i got the hook up
41.    florida student yearbook photo
42.    hurricane chris
43.    ashworth college
44.    the game season finale
45.    see jane date
46.    list of gm dealership closures
47.    lita ford
48.    bourne supremacy
49.    farrah fawcett tv special
50.    pimlico racetrack
51.    heath miller
52.    farrah s story
53.    general motors dealerships closing
54.    kirotv.com
55.    spy update
56.    june 4th incident
57.    you only live twice
58.    country justice
59.    preakness odds
60.    benchwarmers
61.    tila tequila pregnant
62.    kansas city weather
63.    verizonwireless.com
64.    watch videos
65.    bruce smith
66.    ashworth university
67.    tv9 telugu news channel
68.    the patrick henry caucus
69.    lisa tucker
70.    why are flags at half mast today
71.    the wayans family
72.    angels and demons movie review
73.    nicky catsouras
74.    the game tv show
75.    super karoshi walkthrough
76.    world of death
77.    disney vacation club
78.    truecar
79.    charles curtis
80.    sandbar jersey city
81.    wayne tisdale
82.    kctv5 weather
83.    ncaa softball
84.    sneha tv
85.    pauper s grave
86.    acute esophagitis
87.    cracked screen
88.    smoking candy
89.    yearbook scandal
90.    kane county cougars
91.    queen kong
92.    management movie
93.    stotesbury cup regatta 2009
94.    jsoh
95.    grey s anatomy full episodes
96.    worst movies ever
97.    california bar exam results
98.    corey mcintyre
99.    mayfest tulsa
100.  jura capresso super automatic espresso machine

Daily South Bay Hot Picks | May 15, 2009

As new homes come to the market in the South Bay, I'll try and pick my favorites of the day. As this is my first entry, I've included homes that have been on the market since the first of the month. Moving forward, My Daily hot picks will be limited to 5 or fewer homes.

Click the link below to see a group of homes that have caught my attention based on several factors including price/value, location, style and features.

Daily South Bay Hot Picks <<-- Click here