In a relatively slow year for real estate, it's hard to find a street that's been busier than 13th St. just above Ardmore.
Just the 500-600 block of 13th has seen multiple listings, sales and leases this year.
And there is certainly more to come. (Hint, hint!)
UPDATE: We were 1 day away from listing 601 13th when this post went live. Enjoy!
It's a street that is part of a neighborhood that's incredibly close to downtown, yet the streets are quiet, with little traffic besides neighbors walking dogs.
We'd venture that many Manhattan Beach residents and visitors have no idea what the area is like, up 12th or 13th Streets, while even fewer know there is a Fisher Ave. between them, or that Highview extends from the Hill Section to the Trees.
The charm of the area doesn't explain why there has been so much real estate activity all of a sudden. You need willing sellers and properties coming vacant for lease. Here's a look at 2023's activity along 13th.
Pending and Closed Sales
We'll start with the Big Kahuna on the block, 1215 Fisher (5br/6ba, 5400 sqft.), on a corner at 13th.
This 2019 custom-built home was up at $7.999M and made a deal in less than 3 weeks. (It's currently in escrow.)
(1215 Fisher is listed by Jennifer Caskey of Compass.)
The home takes full advantage of this neighborhood pocket's special zoning. While the area is adjacent to and included within the Tree Section, a 2-block-by-3-block area here has, effectively, Sand Section zoning, allowing for 3-story and 30' high buildings, in part because the lots are cut smaller – more like Sand Section lots – with a typical 30' width to them.
The zoning change allowing 3 stories was made in the last days of the 90s, and virtually all new homes in the area since have been built to 3 stories, reshaping the feel of the area for sure. (There continues to be new construction in the area to "fill in" lots that hadn't yet been maxed out.)
1215 Fisher gets nearly 180-degree ocean views due to its favorable position at the top of the 500-block. Yes, ocean views from the Tree Section!
Meantime, just across the street...
533 13th (2br/2ba, 1194 sqft.) is nearby, but at the opposite end of the spectrum.
This darling, 104-year-old vintage beach cottage was one of our own office's sales this year, and one about which we're super happy.
That's because the buyers wanted to keep the house, and they have done some remodeling to preserve it and keep it right there for years to come.
You rarely see preservation win out. It was even less likely with perhaps the last 1-story house (without a garage!) in this district, which is otherwise being overhauled with new builds.
This sale closed in March at $2.255M.
Just a couple of doors up is 605 13th (3br/3ba, 1698 sqft.).
This is a beachy 2-story with an early-1960s build date, but recent remodeling. The sold listing stated:
"Recent upgrades include the addition of a full bath on the lower floor and a balcony on the front of the house off of the family room. Hardwood floors throughout, all 3 bathrooms have been remodeled. Cute, bright and in great condition."
An off-market sale of the property closed for $2.600M in August. It was the "sidecar" referenced in this post, a property purchased at the same time as 604 14th (5br/8ba, 6114 sqft.), which went for $10.775M.
Just keep walking up the same side of the street a little bit, and you come across 641 13th (4br/3ba, 1803 sqft.).
This early-1970s home was clean, but wanting a refresh.
It also took some time to find a buyer, beginning in October 2022, taking some time off during the holidays, and finally closing this year in March at $2.599M. (It had begun asking $2.900M.)
Although 641 13th is the second-highest on the hill that we'll discuss here today, it did not really have views, partly because it wasn't built to take advantage, and partly because it's just lined up in a row of homes that more or less block each other.
665 13th (3br/2ba, 2448 sqft.) is another early-1970s house up near the peak of the hill, but this one has been refreshed, with a new kitchen, baths and flooring, among other things.
When it first emerged in August at $2.999M, a deal came in within 2 weeks. But it didn't stick, the property came back, and it made a cut last week that seemed to help inspire a new offer. It went under contract on Monday, last at $2.899M.
(665 13th is listed by Vincent Serhan, Vista Sotheby's International Realty.)
So, hey, that's 5 sales in a little stretch of street within the calendar year.
And there could be another. (Stay tuned.)
Leases
If you know anyone who, like your blog author here, works full-time in local real estate, you know we've been handling a higher-than-normal number of leases in 2023.
Well, 524 13th (4br/3ba, 2280 sqft.) is a property that we've literally leased twice within this year.
This home is one that our client bought 10 years ago in original condition, then they radically remodeled and transformed it into a high-end beach house.
While they intended to use it themselves, as life rolled on, the home became a rental property that we've handled several times since the work was completed.
Early this year, we found a new tenant at $13,000/mo., but within a few months, an unexpected job promotion led those tenants to depart, so we just leased it again to new people at the same rate.
Not too far away, across the street, is 531 13th (3br/2ba, 1925 sqft.), which leased out at the end of 2022 at $10,500/mo., and since then we have seen listed off and on at a comparable rate as a shorter-term rental.
This is a story about 13th St., but it's also worth a brief mention that nearby 616 12th St. (5br/5ba, 4300 sqft.) sold in September for $6.925M, and that we handled (yet) another lease listing at 528 12th (4br/2ba, 2008 sqft.) at $11,000/mo.
There is, as we noted, more to come. Watch this space!
