All Blog Entries by Dave Fratello

If you know what's perennially pleasing to Tree Section buyers, then there's only one question about 1417 Elm.

Six years ago, the then-owners tried, but could not sell it.

Why not?

It's artfully done. A close walk to school on a nice block. A familiar floorplan.

In 2011, priced at $2.099M and then down to $2.049M, they couldn't make a deal. Three months came and went, and the listing simply shut down. They rented out the house instead of selling.

Was the community of potential buyers still too bruised and battered and skeptical way-back-when, unsure about values, unsure where the market was going? Were people unsure whether to believe that restaurants like the then-fledgling MB Post were really going to be a part of a true downtown

The Craftsman style for homes is a western phenomenon, but an American classic nonetheless. If you love homes and/or art, you probably find it easy to love Craftsman homes. ("Craftsmen?")

In Manhattan Beach, homes styled with the Craftsman look are fairly rare. And getting rarer.

In a way, that rarity is too bad. We're running out of viable home styles in this market, with Mediterranean on life support, "Plantation" at risk of overexposure and variants of the shingled Cape Cod look being just about the only reliable crowd-pleasers besides moderns. (Spanish style has a chance for a bigger role, but you don't hear people demanding it.)

Instead of seeing more proud Craftsman style homes out there today, though, we see homes that are being restyled…

If we missed you out there in the mist early Saturday, well, sorry for you!

But this Summer's MB5K (sponsored by MB Confidential) was a hit in just the kind of weather runners wish for: Cool, lightly foggy and with a minimal breeze.

Most of the winners' "medals" - baked by Becker's - have already been eaten.

This is always a fun event, but don't despair. We're up again in December for the Yuletide 5K. That means you have almost 6 months to train!

In local real estate, though it's not a brand-new listing, Dave's listing of a Classical Beauty at 2100 Pine is open Sunday 1-4pm after a price cut to $3.250M. Come by if you can!

Our look at new listings this week includes several on video that aren't publicly open, including a couple that aren't…

This is neither the time of year nor the time in our market when a lot of homes are selling quickly.

Time of year... it's Summer, and things often slow down for 2 months or so now.

Time in the market... we're at least 5 years into an upcycle, with prices rising and the total number of sales growing a bit each year. It seems that buyers are just being cautious, taking time to size up a listing and decide how they value it before making a move.

Compelling prices can change that dynamic, though. 

Look at 2204 Oak (3br/3ba, 3235 sqft.).

Here's a 1980s original with some very bold, personal colors on the walls, wanting updates and TLC, and possibly held back by that #1 factor for any real estate: Location.

2204 Oak in on the commercial side…