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May 2012

Portuguese Bend Beach in Rancho Palos Verdes

By | May 31st, 2012|Palos Verdes Drive South, Rancho Palos Verdes|

    Portuguese Bend Beach is not readily accessible; entrance is either through the private gated community of the Portuguese Bend Beach Club with a 24 hr. guard, or a hike from Trump National Golf Course that includes traversing down a rather steep bluff.  Once there, you will be enchanted with this little strip of sandy beach.  The waves are strong and wash ashore rocks, driftwood and other treasures from the sea.  Seashells are far and few in between, but once in a while you will be gifted with a beauty. The true wonder is found in the assault on the senses.  The sound of the waves, [...]

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I Have Cash but Can’t Find a House

By | May 30th, 2012|Buyer Tip|

"I have cash but can't find a house?"  I encounter this problem twice in the past five days--one buyer has cash and is searching for an ocean view home up to 1.5M, and the other is pre-approved with a large down payment. Unfortunately, the inventory is so depleted one buyer planned to spend the entire day viewing homes last Sunday but we were finished in less than two hours and that included a tour of Palos Verdes. OK, Palos Verdes is not a megalopolis, but still there were only a few homes matching the buyer's criteria.  What's a buyer to do when the competition is [...]

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Mid 2012 Finds the Housing Market Smouldering

By | May 30th, 2012|Beach Cities, Favorite Photos - Beach Cities, Front Page, Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates, Palos Verdes Luxury Homes, Rancho Palos Verdes, Real Estate News, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates|

A few years ago when the real estate market was sizzling hot, buyers were happy to find a house they could afford, and with prices spiraling upward, almost any house would do.   Today, buyers are faced with low inventory and keen competition from other buyers.  It seems the real estate market always offers challenges and difficult choices, and it is a smart decision to build a team to help navigate your way through the purchase maze. Whether this is your first home or your fifth, it pays to have a professional team on your side.   Here are my Simple [...]

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RAT Beach–a Palos Verdes Treasure

By | May 29th, 2012|Favorite Photos - Palos Verdes, Front Page, Malaga Cove, Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates|

  Located in lower Malaga Cove, and at the southern tip of Torrance Beach, RAT Beach is a favorite of young and old, and all the in-between beach-goers in Palos Verdes.  The waves are gentle, the water is shallow, and the sand is ample.  You'll  see surfers of all abilities and lots of splashers.  There are walkers and sandcastle builders.  Picnickers and sun-worshippers dot the landscape. It is off the beaten path and not visible from the street.  The locals consider it one of many treasures on the Palos Verdes Peninsula still largely undiscovered by the the beach-going masses.

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Local Beaches Receive High Marks

By | May 25th, 2012|Beach Cities, Favorite Photos - Beach Cities, Front Page, Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach|

School will soon be out and local students will flock to the beach to enjoy another one of Southern California's famous 'endless' summers.  It's nice to know while they are frolicking amid the surf the water will not make them sick according to the lastest local beach report cards. Some beaches rank higher than others.  See the full report here.

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Palos Verdes–Discover the Appeal of Southern California’s Best Kept Secret Luxury Location

By | May 19th, 2012|Favorite Photos - Palos Verdes, Featured Posts, Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates, Palos Verdes Peninsula, Palos Verdes View Homes, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates|

Many Southern California communities enjoy worldwide recognition. Is there anyone in the USA who has not heard of Beverly Hills or Malibu? However, it is not unusual for people to stare with no sign of familiarity when I mention the Palos Verdes Peninsula. It's quiet here. We don't have street lights. You can see stars instead of neon at night. Around 'The Hill'  our street signs are small and kept to a minimum. There is nothing showy about the area, unless you consider panoramic ocean views, soaring hills dotted with coastal homes and a stellar school system entitles us to bragging [...]

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Confucius Conversation with Sellers and Buyers

By | May 18th, 2012|An Agent's Life, Los Angeles, Palos Verdes|

Maybe the recycling post mode I find myself in is an attempt to share old, but timeless, wisdom.  Maybe, and perhaps more likely, it is because I'm busy helping sellers and buyers realize their real estate goals and there is no time in the day (or night) to write something new and witty--old wisdom will have do for the moment.  Besides, I rather enjoyed reading it again and I hope you do too. (original post written 2008) Real estate manners are always in style even if the market is always in transition. I'm not one for studying tea leaves, but today I did [...]

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The Pike in Long Beach is Restaurant Row

By | May 18th, 2012|Front Page, Long Beach, Palos Verdes|

I admit the Palos Verdes Peninsula is a bit short on great places to dine, but my best advise is cross over the bridge.  The Vincent Thomas Bridge that is, and hit The Pike in Long Beach.  The choices are varied and the scene is both 'beachy' and urban.  Whether you select to dine on slow cooking or something  faster, decadent or light, there are many restaurants waiting for the opportunity to delight your taste buds. Earlier this week while celebrating a friend's birthday we considered dining at P F Chang's, checked out a Japanese restaurant but settled on Gladstone's.  The halibut [...]

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Is Your House Talking Behind Your Back?

By | May 5th, 2012|Front Page, Linkedin, Palos Verdes Luxury Homes, Palos Verdes View Homes, Seller Tip|

You bet it is!  Buyers make an  intellectual and financial decision to look at properties based on location, price and square footage.  They want their new home to be where they want to live, the price they can afford to pay and a size that fits their needs.  Those are the basics and where every search begins.   With those requirements satisfied,  the search for a new home moves into the more subtle nuances of home buying.  The psychological factors come into play.  Past history and experiences of the buyer bring forth new requirements and the elimination process is underway.  It [...]

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Simple Luxuries of Coastal Living

By | May 4th, 2012|Beach Cities, Favorite Photos - Palos Verdes, Front Page, Hermosa Beach, Inspiration, Linkedin, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates, Palos Verdes Luxury Homes, Palos Verdes Peninsula, Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills|

The bright lights of the big city are within easy reach of the coastal cities of Los Angeles.  It is nice to know one can indulge in world-class dining, museums, symphonies and such when the desire strikes, but it's the little daily pleasures that accumulate into the huge benefit of living the coastal lifestyle in Southern California.  From early morning to lights out at night we are gifted with coastal influences. Take the weather--the ocean influence keeps us from suffering the extreme heat of summer and the frigid winter temperatures endured by our inland friends.  If you want to experience some extreme [...]

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