June 2012 
There are 18 blog entries for June 2012.
Sometimes You Need to Cut
Friday, June 29th, 2012 at 4:40pm. 203 Views, 0 Comments.
In a market with so many quick deals, you could almost excuse some sellers for being shocked, shocked that they didn't make one, too.
It's commonplace now to go see properties at their brokers' debuts (mainly Fridays) and hear a matter-of-fact description that the sellers will look at offers on the ensuing Monday. It's expected that there will be several.
But if there are no offers, sellers may have to be more patient. Maybe even make a price cut or two, even if it's a smallish one. Maybe the market isn't there for the home, or maybe the start price overshot.
Here are a few recent cuts:
1821 3rd (3br/2ba, 1475 sq. ft.) is in a pretty nice cul-de-sac location despite the 1800s address near Aviation. Full-size lot, nice kitchen, plenty of living space –…
It's commonplace now to go see properties at their brokers' debuts (mainly Fridays) and hear a matter-of-fact description that the sellers will look at offers on the ensuing Monday. It's expected that there will be several.
But if there are no offers, sellers may have to be more patient. Maybe even make a price cut or two, even if it's a smallish one. Maybe the market isn't there for the home, or maybe the start price overshot.
Here are a few recent cuts:
1821 3rd (3br/2ba, 1475 sq. ft.) is in a pretty nice cul-de-sac location despite the 1800s address near Aviation. Full-size lot, nice kitchen, plenty of living space –…East MB Sale Crosses $2.5m
Tuesday, June 26th, 2012 at 8:50pm. 265 Views, 0 Comments.
If you blinked, you may have missed 1544 Voorhees this Spring. But take note, because last week's sale at Voorhees has just raised the bar, lifted the boats, bumped up the comps – however you want to say it.
It could be a bullish sign for East MB after a few years without sales in the mid-to-high 2's.
The huge, lovingly crafted custom house at Voorhees (6br/6ba, 5135 sq. ft.) on a standard lot (7500 sq. ft.) just sold for $2.6m. It was informally offered for some time at an asking price of $2.7m, hit the public market at that number in late March and had a deal within 2 weeks.
We knew there was really no recent precedent for that sale (as an appraiser surely noted), but we decided to dig deeper and find out just how long it has been since East MB saw sales…
The Cup's HB/MB Tour
Monday, June 25th, 2012 at 9:39pm. 302 Views, 0 Comments.
Monday, Hermosa hosted the first big public South Bay rally with the Stanley Cup. Someone guesstimated the crowd at 10,000 before the Cup made its way to MB for an unannounced, closed celebration ceremony with dignitaries.
How did this get started? Hermosa as the place for the great, unwashed masses, and MB as the place for the suits?
We can drum up a pretty good unwashed mass here if you let us!
Our pics from Monday are below, but first...
Before Monday's events, the Cup made a nice little tour of MB on Sunday.
We're hearing that the Cup dropped in at the 900 Club midday Sunday, and we actually stumbled across the Cup later at the Strand House. (This is Dave's pic, snapped right before the heavy-breathing…
How did this get started? Hermosa as the place for the great, unwashed masses, and MB as the place for the suits?
We can drum up a pretty good unwashed mass here if you let us!
Our pics from Monday are below, but first...
|
| Stanley Cup at The Strand House • 6/24/12 |
We're hearing that the Cup dropped in at the 900 Club midday Sunday, and we actually stumbled across the Cup later at the Strand House. (This is Dave's pic, snapped right before the heavy-breathing…
Weekend Opens (6/22-6/23)
Saturday, June 23rd, 2012 at 6:02pm. 215 Views, 0 Comments.
The kids are done with school, maybe you're thinking "getaway time," but the real estate market here in MB is saying, "No, no, don't go."
There's a full crop of new listings to look at, family homes mostly in the Trees and East MB, but don't miss the unusual party megaplex at 3305 Pine this weekend; that kind of offering doesn't come along often.
Saturday morn we enjoyed the Manhattan Beach 5K, a wet sand run starting at the pier, now in its 11th year. It's a quiet little race, a great if unsung Summer Solstice tradition. Just another cool local run, just another reason to love MB.
Make sure Monday's Stanley Cup rally in Hermosa is on your calendar. At 11:00am they'll drive the Cup down Pier Ave. toward the Pier Plaza for a rally…
There's a full crop of new listings to look at, family homes mostly in the Trees and East MB, but don't miss the unusual party megaplex at 3305 Pine this weekend; that kind of offering doesn't come along often.
|
| Manhattan Beach 5k |
Make sure Monday's Stanley Cup rally in Hermosa is on your calendar. At 11:00am they'll drive the Cup down Pier Ave. toward the Pier Plaza for a rally…
Stanley Cup Rally Near MB Monday
Friday, June 22nd, 2012 at 5:55pm. 173 Views, 0 Comments.
While the city of MB and residents have pushed for an event here in town (including via our online petition), the first chance for beach cities residents to see the Stanley Cup in a public event will be this coming Monday, June 25, in Hermosa.
At 11:00am they'll drive the Cup down Pier Ave. toward (what else) the Pier Plaza, for a rally starting around 11:15am. (Here's the press release from the Hermosa Chamber of Commerce.)
At about 11:45am they'll drive the Cup up The Strand toward MB.
That's a cool photo op... ice hockey icon at the beach in Summer.
Worth crossing the border for, wouldn't you say?
Congrats to the Kings, thanks to all of you who signed the online petition and thanks to our co-sponsor on the petition, OurSouthBay.com!
We know your petition…
At 11:00am they'll drive the Cup down Pier Ave. toward (what else) the Pier Plaza, for a rally starting around 11:15am. (Here's the press release from the Hermosa Chamber of Commerce.)
At about 11:45am they'll drive the Cup up The Strand toward MB.That's a cool photo op... ice hockey icon at the beach in Summer.
Worth crossing the border for, wouldn't you say?
Congrats to the Kings, thanks to all of you who signed the online petition and thanks to our co-sponsor on the petition, OurSouthBay.com!
We know your petition…
Reversing Fortunes in 2012?
Thursday, June 21st, 2012 at 9:45pm. 200 Views, 0 Comments.
Not quite 2 weeks ago, we saw 
2800 Palm post a deal, and it seemed like one of those cases of 2012 being a lot kinder to listings than past years.
Let's look at that one and a couple other offerings to ask: Will 2012 see a reversal of fortune for all of them?
First up is that big home at 2800 Palm (6br/6ba, 4225 sq. ft.). Last August we opined that "this one is primed to be forgotten and left by the wayside if someone doesn't have a real conversation about value with the sellers. They're now asking $2.420m for an early-90s home that lacks 'wow' factors and needs a great deal of help."
Pretty reasonable (and easy) prediction, that was. The home is peculiar and lacks an accessible yard. The listing lingered 7 months and quit in March.
But, boom boom, in…
2800 Palm post a deal, and it seemed like one of those cases of 2012 being a lot kinder to listings than past years.Let's look at that one and a couple other offerings to ask: Will 2012 see a reversal of fortune for all of them?
First up is that big home at 2800 Palm (6br/6ba, 4225 sq. ft.). Last August we opined that "this one is primed to be forgotten and left by the wayside if someone doesn't have a real conversation about value with the sellers. They're now asking $2.420m for an early-90s home that lacks 'wow' factors and needs a great deal of help."
Pretty reasonable (and easy) prediction, that was. The home is peculiar and lacks an accessible yard. The listing lingered 7 months and quit in March.
But, boom boom, in…
Rockets in the Trees
Tuesday, June 19th, 2012 at 3:56pm. 224 Views, 0 Comments.
The new normal for the mid-tier of Tree Section listings is being redefined as we speak.
Roughly speaking, there's a $1.2m-$1.5m range where plenty of buyers are looking. Within that range, we've seen 3 recent listings come and draw multiple offers, which drives prices up.
3005 Palm (4br/3ba, 2075 sq. ft.) did not have a lot going for it. Location pretty far north of Valley is maybe a B-, the home is recognizably of a late-60s vintage, and a very recent flipper's remodel is uneven.
The re-do is snazzy in parts (high-end kitchen), but leaves several dated features intact – old rock details inside and out, a separate sauna building in the backyard, etc. That's how flippers do things. (Remember flippers?)
The home was easy to identify as a copy of 3601 Elm…
Roughly speaking, there's a $1.2m-$1.5m range where plenty of buyers are looking. Within that range, we've seen 3 recent listings come and draw multiple offers, which drives prices up.
3005 Palm (4br/3ba, 2075 sq. ft.) did not have a lot going for it. Location pretty far north of Valley is maybe a B-, the home is recognizably of a late-60s vintage, and a very recent flipper's remodel is uneven.The re-do is snazzy in parts (high-end kitchen), but leaves several dated features intact – old rock details inside and out, a separate sauna building in the backyard, etc. That's how flippers do things. (Remember flippers?)
The home was easy to identify as a copy of 3601 Elm…
Weekend Opens (6/16-6/17)
Saturday, June 16th, 2012 at 2:49pm. 230 Views, 0 Comments.
What are you doing with your weekend?
First, you will sign this online petition to bring the Stanley Cup to MB, yes?
Don't even go out for bagels before you do that.
And after that – well, have you noticed that true Summer has dawned?
Sure, the kids have a few more lollygagging days of school left, but these mornings... grey but oddly warm, occasional misty sprinkles, the 2pm burnoff... Sunny, windy, sometimes-chilly Summer is here.
We passed the busy firepits at Dockweiller Friday night, and both smelled it and felt it.
New open houses in MB are limited this weekend – they're trying to avoid a Father's Day conflict, which we'll take as a sign of respect that dads don't always get, real-estate-wise.
But there are some compelling options regardless.
To plan your…
First, you will sign this online petition to bring the Stanley Cup to MB, yes?Don't even go out for bagels before you do that.
And after that – well, have you noticed that true Summer has dawned?
Sure, the kids have a few more lollygagging days of school left, but these mornings... grey but oddly warm, occasional misty sprinkles, the 2pm burnoff... Sunny, windy, sometimes-chilly Summer is here.
We passed the busy firepits at Dockweiller Friday night, and both smelled it and felt it.
New open houses in MB are limited this weekend – they're trying to avoid a Father's Day conflict, which we'll take as a sign of respect that dads don't always get, real-estate-wise.
But there are some compelling options regardless.
To plan your…
Sign the Petition: Bring Stanley Cup to MB
Friday, June 15th, 2012 at 5:02pm. 334 Views, 0 Comments.
The LA Kings aren't just the new Stanley Cup champs. Many are our friends and neighbors here in Manhattan Beach.Current and former players, team execs, on-air voices, and others connected to the team live here. So MB is a natural landing spot for the Cup.
We agree with city councilman Richard Montgomery's push to get the Kings to set up an MB-specific event for residents.
Please sign this online petition to help create an MB event for the Cup. It's an easy, quick signature with Facebook or just by typing in your name.
And pass along this post or the link below direct to the petition:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/cup-to-mb/
If you'd like to be added as a "sponsor" to the petition, just email Dave / address: MBWatcher [ at ] gmail.com.
We'll keep the…
128 5th Closes Under $6m
Friday, June 15th, 2012 at 4:35am. 315 Views, 0 Comments.
A couple of weeks ago MBC noted that "[t]he priciest non-Strand home in MB" had made a deal.
We wondered if 128 5th "could become a new record sale for the type."
It was listed for $6.799m, fully furnished, customized, outfitted, never lived in, ready to go. (It's a pretty smashing property; see our review from late April.)
But now it's closed with a nearly $1m discount: $5.850m.
That's very impressive, but we have to look at a couple of markers.
First, the markup over the property's initial condition when new – but nearly blank – in May 2011.
The nice but not-so-wonderful new build in 2011 sold for $5.250m last Spring. It's now up by $600k on resale.
We've heard loose talk that the customization, furniturization and general outfitting of the place…
|
| 128 5th |
It was listed for $6.799m, fully furnished, customized, outfitted, never lived in, ready to go. (It's a pretty smashing property; see our review from late April.)
But now it's closed with a nearly $1m discount: $5.850m.
That's very impressive, but we have to look at a couple of markers.
First, the markup over the property's initial condition when new – but nearly blank – in May 2011.
The nice but not-so-wonderful new build in 2011 sold for $5.250m last Spring. It's now up by $600k on resale.
We've heard loose talk that the customization, furniturization and general outfitting of the place…
