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Blake and Diana are affiliated with Shorewood Realtors, one of the top real estate brokerages in the US. The Roberts and Shorewood uphold equal housing opportunity practices and are members of both the National and California Associations of Realtors.
About Us
Our geographic focus is Los Angeles' South Bay, which includes: Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, and Hermosa Beach.
We are Realtors and licensed brokers in California. Our DRE Broker numbers are: 01455276 and 01405276.
Of the agents you meet, approximately 1 in 5 will be a licensed broker. However, it is extremely rare to find a husband and wife team who are both brokers—this is one of our many advantages.
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Looking for a new home? Want to know the value of your home? Just ask.
This blog and website is focused on local real estate trends, news and information coving the Beach Cities of Los Angeles' South Bay. Although we often write about topics that are of national interest, our primary markets include residential real estate in Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach Redondo Beach, El Segundo and Torrance. We also have expertise coving Los Angeles' Westside, including Santa Monica. Our specialization is residential real estate for buyers and investors who are looking for condominiums, town homes, single family homes and investment opportunities. For sellers, we are professional marketers who have the skills and knowledge needed to get your home sold quickly and for top dollar.
Blake and Diana Homes, a real estate sales and marketing company
Check the link below to see the current foreclosure activity for Manhattan Beach, 90266. The data comes directly from public tax records, but please note that this information has been inaccurate in the past.
This chart shows the 31 active short sale listings in the three beach cities of Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach. The data comes from the South Bay MLS, is Realtor/Agent entered, and as such is prone to input error. For example, some agents don't complete the MLS forms correctly and list their listings status in the agent notes section of the listing, which won't show up here.
Other data point: 382 total active listings.
There are an additional 12 homes that have the word "short" in their MLS agent notes. Two of these are actual short sales incorrectly listed as standard sales. Additionally, I'm sort of surprised to find agents describing their listings as "NOT a short sale or foreclosure." If your home is currently listed and it's not a short sale, make sure your agent isn't describing your home as not being a short sale—can't speak for other agents, but this wording would definitely have me looking for a financial issue associated with your home's sale (translation: you're going to get lower offers.)
For the public property description, which is the information John and Jane Q. Public can see, there are 32 homes listed that include the word short. Most of these are not short sales and are commonly describing the walking distance one would take to the beach, etc.
549 21st Street, Manhattan Beach, California. Listed for $1,699,999
Can you spot the five minor differences between these two pictures of 549 21st Street's living room? The property is listed with Northwest Realty's Lauren Forbes, who can be reached at 310.901.8512 for additional information about this home. BTW, the top picture is the real Mccoy.
Super Cool New listing from Northwest Realty's Lauren Forbes, 310.901.8512, is definitely one of our top picks for location, style, vibe and price. Listed at $1,699,999, if you'd like your new Manhattan Beach home to have a more contemporary feel than not, you need to check out this great listing. The Green Door pretty much sets the tone for what you'll find on the inside. Loads of walnut hardwood floors, built-ins, exciting designer colors, white Carrera marble in the baths and limestone counters in the kitchen.
Basic Features of this home:
Square feet: 2,600
Lot square feet: 2,730
4 bedrooms
4 full baths
Built-ins and closet organizers throughout
A+ location, less than 5 minute walk to downtown Manhattan Beach, just a few short blocks to the beach
Major remodel within the last 5 years
On the Blake and Diana Brick Scale, we give this home a 9 out of 10 rating for Value, Condition, Location, Desirability and overall Uberness.
A+, West of PCH location. This newer, detached townhome was completed in late 2005 and is located in one of South Redondo Beach’s most desirable neighborhoods. This three bedroom home has an oversized master suite with fireplace, vaulted ceilings and a spa-like bath with Jacuzzi style tub. On the ground floor are two large bedrooms with a full bath, 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 a great room with a three sided fireplace, which leads to a large, west facing balcony with gas and water services. On the third level is a loft with its own balcony, an ideal location for an office, play area or media den. Just one short block to the beach and a 10 minute walk to Riviera Village. Building features and materials include: granite counters, travertine floors, GE Monogram appliances, wrote iron rails, plus vaulted ceilings. The unit is wired for technology and surround sound.
Asking Price: $989,000
Built: late 2005
3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths
2,380 square feet of living space
Detached, front unit. Feels like a single family home. Only two units in project
624 Catalina, Unit A. South Redondo Beach, 90277. 1 to 4 pm
AND...
1120 8th Street, The Contemporary on 8th in Hermosa Beach will be held open this Sunday from 1 pm to 4 pm. This is the ONLY new construction project available in Hermosa Beach that is listed under $4,500,000. For both Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach, 1120 8th Street is priced $400,000 less than the nearest (price) competing property. And before any of you call foul, the 2008 built home in East Manhattan that's lingered on the market forever is rumored to have an accepted offer.
If you're looking for new construction, 1120 8th is the best value in the South Bay.
Hermosa Beach Advantages:
Great schools, shares high school with Manhattan Beach School District (Mira Costa)
Smaller and intimate beach city
Advantages of 1120 8th Street:
New, 2010 construction
Contemporary style with soft curves and loads of wood
At the Corner of 8th and Prospect in the Hills of Hermosa Beach
The Corner lot 1120 8th Street in Hermosa Beach is now complete and listed on the MLS for sale. Ground has been broken on the two interior lots, which will also share an 8th Street address.
The basic specs, and these are subject to change without notice, are:
Modern, contemporary homes
One will have some sort of bright color stucco work, one will have stone accents
Approximately 3,200 square feet of living space
Large great rooms
5 bedrooms, 4 full baths
Each lot is just under 4,000 square feet
Roof decks
Ocean views from the main living space
Hardwood and porcelain tile floors
CaesarStone/SileStone countertops
Estimated price: $1,525,000
The middle home will be completed next and will hit the MLS sometime in late summer of 2010. Each property may be purchased during the construction phase, should you be interested.
Whether you're installing new bathroom or kitchen counters, you're probably looking into granite or marble as your primary choice of building materail. However, there are synthetic (man-made) stone products that are definitely worth your consideration. Although there are many brand names for these synthetic countertop products, the two best known names are www.CaesarStone.com and www.SileStone.com. Nearly identical in composition, both products are manufactured using two ingredients, Quartz and Advanced Polymer Resins (how it's made video <<-- click here). The chemical mix is 90% (or higher) quartz and the balance being resin. In general, we don't like the look of man-made products when they are designed to mimic mother nature. But, we're willing to make an exception here. With these synthetic quartz surfaces, the look is 100% about design and color choice.
Unlike granite or natural stone products, which are porous, quartz/resin countertops are resistant to staining, heat and discoloration. But, they are not Superman strong and definitely have several forms of Kryptonite that can damage and degrade their look.
For ALL countertops, it's best to always use cutting boards and trivets to keep your counters looking their best. If you don't head this warning, you new counters will, over time, become damaged. For a designer look, we love the simplicity of silicon trivets and Epicurean cutting boards, you will too.
While digging around the internet I found the following comments regarding synthetic countertop products:
If you bang on them with a hammer, they may chip or show damage
Hard water may discolor the stone around the sink
Using an abrasive cleanser will make your counters look horrible
Why would someone choose a synthetic stone over marble or granite?
It's all about the style or look you're going for. Because synthetic stone is man-made, it can be produced in a huge selection of colors, thicknesses and textures that aren't available in natural products. If Diana and I were building a house or remodeling a kitchen today, there's no question that we'd pick a synthetic stone. 15 years from now, who knows.
What about CaesarStone vs. SileStone?
From what we've researched, SileStone seems to have a wider selection of colors than CaesarStone, so most many will mix and match products to meet their design needs.
What about Corian?
What might be one of the ugliest countertops ever made, Corian is probably the reason most people are afraid of both CaesarStone and SileStone products. With Dupont in the lineage, what good can come? On the market for over 40 years, some of the worst, most outdated kitchens I've ever witnessed were clad in Corian. Maybe Corian is great. Maybe it's even better than all the synthetic stone competition combined, but to me, the brand is damaged by the product's longevity and that I've seen the product at the end of its life cycle.Lastly, unlike SileStone and CaesarStone, Corian is an acrylic based product that can be easily damaged by heat.
And now, CaesarStone, the movie
How to take care of a CaesarStone or SileStone Hard Surface
2303 Palm, Manhattan Beach, California. Listed for $3,000,000
Can you spot the four minor differences between these two pictures of 2303 Palm's wonderful kitchen? The property is listed with Shorewood's David Caskey, who can be reached at 310.376.8824 for additional information about this jaw droopingly beautiful home. BTW, the top picture is the real Mccoy.
There's not a lot of specific methodology that sits behind our top Manhattan Beach Home Sales of 2009, these are simply the deals that either represent a terrific value, or caught our fancy for one reason or an other. Of course, what we see as a value may not add-up for you. Overall, each of these homes had something special to offer their buyer, be it price, location, quality, or configuration. Our 19 top Manhattan Beach homes have been selected from the 355 closed transactions listed on the South Bay MLS. In no specific order of perference, here's our list for 2009:
502 24th Street. Big, modern, totally unique for the area, this architectural home was given away for $2,300,000. The property's three biggest pitfalls were location (too close to Grandview for most), no views, and a nearly $5,000,000 original listing price. But, at $2,300,000, wow!
224 7th Street. Built by MB local Dennis Moloney, this may be one of the best new construction, mass appeal, properties we've seen in the South Bay. Dennis doesn't just build, he overbuilds. Every detail is really well thought-out, and all of his homes are super livable. 224 7th is no exception and after 141 days on the market, the property sold for $4,900,000. Yes, the sold price still speaks to rich of the rich, but it is on one of the best walk streets in MB.
305 20th Street. Big and contemporary/architectural, great location, lots of wonderful wood, and an amazing south facing life deck with view. This super beautiful home sold for $3,265,000 after 83 days on the market.
472 35th Street. For the contemporary and mid-century enthusiast hounds in the pack, this total remodel was packed to the beams with coolness. Although a little location challenged, the property sold for $1,195,000 after only 45 days on the market.
424 Marine Place. What can we say, location challenged, ally afflicted, neighbors garbage cans at the entrance, and an unattractive set of rental units that ran the full length of the property, and yet we really liked this 2008 built, new construction townhome. The builder did a great job keeping the quality and finish work tops, and although small, the floorplan really worked. For a final price of $1,299,000, this was the best new construction, sand section townhome deal of 2009.
321 21st Street. Pat Killen designed, loads of glass and light, modern and an A+ location. This extremely nice front unit townhome sold for $1,802,500 after just 18 days on the market.
3505 Pacific Avenue. Loads of charm, a large lot, nearly 3,000 square feet of living space, four bedrooms, and move-in ready condition made this home really attractive. A final selling price of $1,299,000 was had after just 11 days on the market.
560 36th Street. Also known as the East German bomb-shelter, this super modern home had so many things going against it that the project was a lost cause from the get go. Bad location, a super modern design that fought the norms of the neighborhood, and last but not least, a stratospheric original listing price of $2,999,000, all kept this home unsold for a total of 414 days. But, what this home did right, it did really well. Large bedrooms, super cool lines, a totally unique home with loads of square footage, we loved it. At a final selling price of a humbling $1,555,300, the buyers here got the best value available in MB's tree section.
3314 Laurel Avenue. Great remodel, great location and a really attractive selling price of $1,610,000.
3109 Oak Avenue. Finally a home with an open floor plan, a whisper of asian influence, and one of the best kitchens going. But, the Oak address was a deal breaker for most, which is why at the end of the day the home was had for a song at and anorexic price of $1,610,000. What a deal!
1555 Mathews Avenue. A Tommy Bahama inspired beach home best describes 1555 Mathews. Sold at $1,188,000, the buyers of this entertainers' home have themselves a great place to love, live and laugh.
1633 Gates. Sold in just 15 days, big house, big lot, little price. Final selling number $1,389,000
1555 Voorhees. Great value and location, and like 1633 Gates, big house, big lot and attractively priced at $1,567,125
1514 5th Street. 2006 new, this 4,557 square foot home on a standard 7,500 square foot East Manhattan lot was really well done, top quality and even had a pebble-tech lined pool. At a final selling price of $2,135,000, a whole lot of house for the money was purchased here.
1019 Duncan. So much of 2009 was about timing, which is especially true here. Built as the developers' dream home, everything was custom and high-end. But after a financial market that had hopes of a zig, but then realized a major zag, the dreams came crashing down. The home was listed at $3,899,000 and after 180 days on the MLS, it was sold for a giraffe-neck thin price of just $2,900,000. We're talking a lovely, 2009 built home, a Hill Section location with views—another deal for the buyer in 2009.
718 Poinsettia. Another Louie Tomaro masterpiece, this 2009 built home on a 6,500 square foot corner lot is beautiful inside and out. Barely making the 2009 cutoff, the home sold for $3,225,000 in late December of 2009. As recently as 2008, a $4,000,000 selling price wouldn't have raised an eyebrow. For the location, quality, blue chip architect and large hill section lot, another mega deal for the buyer was had here.
218 Dianthus. The home we called the New King of the Hill, was originally listed for $6,750,000 back in March of '08. Spectacular quality and scale, at 6,100 square feet of living space, made this an amazing value when it finally sold at $3,920,000 in July of 2009. Sure, people scratched there heads as to why the best views in the house were saved for the office and not the main living space, but a great villa non-the-less.
1613 Wendy Way. As cute as they come, Liberty Village charmer, updated, adorable, spent 197 on the market looking for it's real price and buyer. At a final number of $915,000, what a great value in a super family oriented neighborhood.
1401 3rd. This 2001 built home is one of the most expensive properties sold in East Manhattan in 2009, but it's beautiful. For those who need nearly 4,700 square feet of space to call home, this is it. Similar in spirit to 218 Dianthus, taking a little hop, skip and jump across Sepulveda saved the buyer $1,620,000
It's a short list of one, but we are continually impressed by Josh Cohen of Marcus and Millichap. If you are looking for a multi-unit investment opportunity in the South Bay, Josh is the commercial broker you should talk to.
Josh S. Cohen
Vice President Investments
Director, National Multi Housing Group
Director, Special Asset Services Group
Marcus & Millichap One World Trade Center Suite 2100 Long Beach, CA 90831 License: CA: 01346713
