sand section

They've just closed an above-asking deal at 2417 Crest (3br/4ba, 2300 sq. ft.), a rear-unit TH with great ocean views.

This is a bigger-than-standard TH at 2300 sq. ft., and they sought a bigger-than-standard $1,090/PSF when they first put a sticker on the home.

But those views, and the distinctive stlying, brought many suitors. And when that happens, prices jump.

In this case, from $2.499M to $2.575M, with an enhanced PPSF of $1,123/PSF.

This home, a 2002 build, got a thorough re-do with panache in 2009, and it's got several signature elements that stick with you.

Two unique features jump out: The long (14' long) built-in, modern dining table stretching from the kitchen – a bold statement that defines the home as an entertaining space.

To say that 217 9th St. has been offered for sale for a long time might miss the point.

It came to market in February 2012, hoping to strike while last Spring's market was just starting to heat up.

But at $3M, this little 3br/3ba, 1700-odd sq. ft. modern on a half lot did not look like a deal. It began at $1,701/PSF, much higher than you'd find on The Strand.

The listing limped through Summer last year and only made a big, bold cut when a new agent took over in October.

That cut dropped the asking to $2.500M. Still steep.

Another 6 months passed, but now the little modern city house has closed for $2.250M. Officially, 309 DOM tolled for the property from Feb. 2012 through April this year.

Sure, that sale was 24% off the start price, but

Since our redesign here at MBC, we've been publishing spreadsheets of our market updates. But this time, we wanted to try one of our update posts like from the olden days, with a discussion of market action during this period, broken down by section of MB. It takes a little longer to produce these "Comings & Goings" reports, but here's hoping you enjoy.

First, here's the quick overview on active inventory:

• 38 active listings as of 4/30/13 (+3 from mid-month)
• 34 SFRs (+5 from mid-month)
• 4 THs (-2)

Active listings by region of Manhattan Beach:

• Tree Section: 8 actives
• Sand Section: 16 actives
• Hill Section: 0 actives (nothing, truly nothing)
• East MB: 14 actives

You can see the complete report on active listings, with

We've already got the 2 big (current) college football coaches in Manhattan Beach.

Now the Lakers' (current) coach, Mike D'Antoni, has come to town.

As the LA Times reports this morning, the coach purchased an MB walkstreet home for $6.9M, and that would have to be this one.

In a recent post on "New 100-Block Heights" we mentioned this home:

[This is] a bigger-than normal home thanks to subterranean space, with 5br/5ba and 5000 sq. ft.

Location? Nearly at The Strand, with a walkstreet on one side, the corner at Ocean Ave. (no neighbor to west, in other words) and a fully built Strand house across the way that seems "low" and affords even better views from the top level of 116 25th.

And oh, what a top level that is – very high

So many new listings, but still many new sales.

Inventory dropped from late March through mid-month.

Here's the quick overview on active inventory:

• 35 active listings as of 4/15/13
• 29 SFRs
• 6 THs

This is a drop in inventory by 7 homes from the end of March. New listings are simply being absorbed.

(Update: Inventory is at 41 total as of Friday morning.)

Active listings by region of Manhattan Beach:

• Tree Section: 8 actives
• Sand Section: 13 actives
• Hill Section: 1 actives
• East MB: 10 actives

You can see the complete report on active listings, with live links to every property, in this single post on our data blog: "MB Inventory as of 4/15/13."

It's worth noting that Sand Section listings dropped the most,

It's been a long time since $5.6M for a 100-block house by the beach seemed like a peak never to be reached again.

The new peak is more like $6.6M, a million-dollar difference in just 5 years. And most of those 5 years weren't "good" years for Manhattan Beach real estate.

That first peak was marked out in March 2008 at 200 19th St. (5br/5ba, 4200 sq. ft.) a spectacular new Cape Cod on one of the great "teen streets" near downtown. (We call it a "100-block" house because it would be 136 19th if the city didn't re-order the addresses to the 200s starting there; with no Manhattan Ave. cutting through the teen streets, a lower 200 is as good as a 100.)

200 19th sold new for $5.6M, and then the world collapsed. (If you'll allow us some dramatic

The Manhattan Beach real estate market remains active. Spring has sprung in a big way.

Turns out that April Fool's day "moratorium" proposal was a nonstarter. (You did know it was April Fool's, right? Like our past posts about Obama regulating house prices and Robert Shiller leaving "fusty" and "damn cold" Yale for USC and a nice MB walkstreet, among others.)

Back to business, though. It's time our twice-monthly Manhattan Beach market updates.

Here's the quick overview on active inventory:

• 42 active listings as of 3/15/13
• 38 SFRs
• 4 THs

This is a drop in inventory by 4 homes total, very surprising to see given that we saw 29 new listings post just between March 16-31. New listings are simply being absorbed, and quickly.

Active

Modern architecture in Manhattan Beach got a nice little plug in the LA Times recently, in a Saturday section feature about a privately commissioned new construction project.

"Cool, not cold," the headline proclaimed – thereby expressing the liability of the "modern" style (cold) and the hope people have for something clean, livable and great (cool) when approaching a home crafted in the style.

Devotees of moderns have had a good run of choices on the market here in MB recently.

Right in front of you every day here on MBC for a couple of weeks has been 700 27th St., a modern crafted by an architect for her family, offered at $2.250M (listed by Dave). Tonight we're ready to review offers, and we can report for now, at least, that the interest has

Sometimes people might wonder: Why, Dave, do you spend so much effort rushing to review all the public open houses?

Last week, we wrote about 9 new listings in our "Weekend Opens" post, and that wasn't even all the new inventory.

One answer is: We're not sure we'll have a second chance to mention these homes if we don't get to them right away, as they come out.

Consider: Of the 9 we wrote about last week, 7 already have deals. Buyers positively raided the Tree Section:

585 31st (6br/7ba, 3500 sq. ft.) is new construction on a street-to-alley lot west of Blanche, with a pleasing Cape Cod-inspired style, white and bright all around.

We loved the great room in back, with wide-open spaces, high ceilings, dark flooring, a vast and modern kitchen

It was a little bit of a surprise, 18 months ago or so ago, to see 112 The Strand get knocked down.

It had been a completely livable, large 1988-built home, and it went for a price you'd think should maybe come with a house: $7.334M (May 2010).

But that turned out to be how someone valued the dirt alone.

They knew what they wanted: A South End lot on The Strand to build on. They took what was available and paid what they needed to pay. And then they got under way. The project has gone on a while, with a vast, deep basement carved out before the current 3-story structure sprouted. It'll be huge.

That $7M+ sale marked out a new high end for South End Strand lot values, but the question was: Would that sort of number be hit again at a time when