Things To Do In Palos Verdes – Remembering Arbor Day April 27th
0 Comments Published by Elaine Carlson April 19th, 2012 in Community Information, Palos Verdes, Things To Do In Palos Verdes. by Elaine Carlson
For Palos Verde homes owners in honor of Arbor Day, here is an excellent article written by Brad Broberg, Realtor Magazine about the value of trees:
Plant Trees To Save Energy and Grow Value
By: Brad Broberg, Published: September 12, 2009
Plant a tree to add value to your home and have a positive impact on the local environment.
But every year, 3.2 million acres of forest are cut down, according to the Nature Conservancy. Several million more acres are lost to fire, storm, and disease. That’s why planting new trees and protecting the ones we have is so important. You can do your part by
Caring for the trees in your yard
Supporting tree-planting activities in your community
Donating to organizations, such as The Nature Conservancy, which works to preserve the world’s trees and forests, and American Forests, which offers a unique way to take action. First, use its online Climate Change Calculator to determine your carbon footprint. Then, make up for your emissions by donating to a forest restoration project.
Why should you care about trees? Bankable benefits
The most tangible bang from your bark comes from energy savings. Three properly placed trees could save you between $100 and $250 a year in energy costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Trees save energy two main ways. Their shade cuts cooling costs in the summer. In winter, they serve as windbreak and help hold down heating costs.
The National Tree Calculator estimates that a 12-inch elm in an Omaha yard can save $32.43 a year on your energy bills; the same tree in Atlanta would save you $11.89 annually. The calculator also breaks down other dollars and cents benefits of your tree, like decreasing storm water runoff, removing carbon dioxide from the air, and increasing property values.
In our elm example, the 12-inch tree adds $40.23 to the Omaha home’s value and a $57.33 to the one in Atlanta. And as trees grow larger, they can add even more value.
A 2002 study by the USDA Forest Service pegs the value a single tree adds to a property of about $630. Of course, tree value depends on size, species, location, and condition.
Adds Frank Lucco, a real estate appraiser with IRR-Residential in Houston, “On a $100,000 home [in my market], as much as $10,000 of its value could be associated with mature trees.”
That’s peanuts compared with the role trees play as the lungs of the planet. A report by the Trust for Public Land estimated that one mature tree takes 48 pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere each year and returns enough oxygen for two human beings.
Plant your tree in the right spot
To get the full benefits from your trees, choose the right one and put it in the right location. Planting a deciduous tree on the west side of a house provides cooling shade in the summer. In winter, after it loses its leaves, the same tree lets in sunlight that cuts heating and lighting bills. On the other hand, an evergreen on the west side blocks sun all year long, making a home colder and darker in winter. Rather plant evergreens, a great choice for blocking icy winter winds, on the north side of your home.
If you’re planting a new tree, think about its fully grown size and shape before you dig. Branches from a tree located below power lines can cause outages as it grows. Roots from a tree located too close to a home can damage the foundation or block sewer lines. The wrong tree in the wrong place could actually lower your home’s appraised value if it’s deemed hazardous, says Frank Lucco, a real estate appraiser with IRR-Residential in Houston.
Tree costs
Expect to pay $50 to $100 for a 6- to 7-foot deciduous tree, such as a katsura or evergreen. The same tree at 15 feet will cost $100 to $200, according to Brad Swank of Molbak’s Nursery in Woodinville, Wash. The Arbor Day Foundation sells saplings for as little as $8-$15, or less if you’re a member.
Since trees cost money, be cautious about any home construction work. “Tree failure can happen seven to 10 years after construction, primarily because the root system fails when the soil is compacted,” says Thomas Hanson, a member of the American Society of Consulting Arborists from Kirkland, Wash. Also watch for diseases or pests that can threaten trees in your yard and community.
Become a tree advocate
Ensuring that your community has lots of healthy trees doesn’t have to be more complicated than a trip to the nursery and a hole in your backyard. Dig it twice as wide as deep. Let kids push in the dirt and help water weekly until the tree is two years old. The Arbor Day Foundation will tell you how to select the right tree for your needs and climate, where to plant it, and how to maintain it.
The foundation also is a great place to look for community and educational programs.
Its Tree City USA initiative provides expert advice and national recognition to cities and towns that want to establish tree-management plans.
Its Arbor Day Poster Contest for fifth-graders gives teachers a fun way to help students learn the importance of trees.
Its nationwide list of volunteer organizations lets you search for tree care opportunities in your state.
Considering everything trees do for you, it’s the least you can do for them.
Brad Broberg is a freelance writer from Federal Way, Wash. A former newspaper reporter and editor, he writes about business, health care, and real estate for REALTOR Magazine, the Puget Sound Business Journal, and Seattle Children’s Hospital, among others. He’s lived in the same home for 22 years—a home he shares with seven towering Douglas firs.
Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.
Photo courtesy of Arvin Design
Palos Verdes Homes Top Tuesday Tour Tips – 4/17/2012
0 Comments Published by Elaine Carlson April 17th, 2012 in Buyer Advice, Finding A Home, Palos Verdes, Seller Advice, Tuesday Tour Tips. by Elaine CarlsonThere were 32 homes on the April 17, 2012, Palos Verdes real estate Broker’s Tour. We currently have 175 single family Palos Verdes homes for sale ranging in price from $280,000 in Rancho Palos Verdes 90275 (This is a 663 square foot commercial building on a 1312 square foot residential lot) to $12,950,000 in Rolling Hills 90274 (the low in Eastview is $529,000). There are 52 Palos Verdes townhomes for sale priced between $200,000 and $2,695,000. My favorite Palos Verdes homes today are:
Chris Adlam’s (Peninsula Sotheby’s Int’l Realty) 2825 Via La Selva, Palos Verdes Estates 90274 (above left) is a 5 bedroom, 7 bath, 6,565 square foot home for $3,499,000. This fabulous Valmonte home, built in 2003, features an amazing kitchen with 2 islands, an 8,000 bottle temperature controlled wine cellar, and a 3-car garage with natural gas fueling station. Christopher Russell’s (RE/MAX Palos Verdes Realty) 16 Harbor Sight Drive, Rancho Palos Verdes 90275 (above right). This gated Palos Verdes Drive East estate features a gourmet kitchen, vaulted ceilings, and walls of glass showing city lights/mountain views.
Charlene Phelps’ (RE/MAX Palos Verdes Realty) 68 Sea Breeze Avenue, Rancho Palos Verdes 90275 (above left) is a 4 bedroom, 4 bath, 3,727 square foot home for $1,749,000. This beautiful one-level La Cresta home features ocean views, a gorgeous master suite w/fireplace and a scenic yard with koi pond. Gayle Probst’s 30317 Rhone Drive, Rancho Palos Verdes 90275 (above right) is a 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 3,683 square foot home for $1,675,000. This cul-de-sac Country Club home features ocean/Catalina/Malibu views from nearly every room, a large master suite and huge family room.
Photos courtesy of CRMLS
Palos Verdes Real Estate Palos Verdes Drive East Neighborhood Update
0 Comments Published by Elaine Carlson April 16th, 2012 in Buyer Advice, Community Information, Finding A Home, Neighborhoods, Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Drive East, Rancho Palos Verdes, Seller Advice. by Elaine Carlson
2011 Palos Verdes homes sales for the Palos Verdes Drive East neighborhood increased to 58 homes sold compared to 36 in 2010 – a 61% increase. Price per square foot for Palos Verdes Drive East houses that sold in 2011 was $385 compared to $394 in 2010. However, average sales price for Palos Verdes Drive East homes sold in 2011 was $1,082,247 compared to $1,056,658 – a slight increase.
Currently, Palos Verdes Drive East has 19 active Palos Verdes homes for sale. They range from $280,000 for a 0 bedroom, 1 bath, 663 square foot building on a 1,312 square foot lot (originally built as a commercial office which now is on a residential zoned lot) to $4,295,000 for a 6 bedroom, 9 bath, 10,000 square foot home on a 43,902 square foot lot.
For background and history on Palos Verdes Drive East Multiple Listing Area 167, please click here to read my prior article on this neighborhood.
To view current Palos Verdes real estate statistics for the entire Peninsula, click here or on the Statistics tab above.
Photo above is night view of Harbor which can be seen from many properties in this neighborhood
Palos Verdes Peninsula Bike Ride Benifits Habitat For Humanity
0 Comments Published by Elaine Carlson April 13th, 2012 in Community Events, Community Information, Palos Verdes, Things To Do In Palos Verdes. by Elaine Carlson
On Saturday, April 21, 2012, the Palos Verdes Ride for Habitat will hold its inaugural ride to help raise money for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles. Participating Habitat advanced riders will begin this 34 mile ride through Rancho Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates and Rolling Hills Estates, at 7:30 a.m. Intermediate riders will begin their 17 mile non-hilly ride at 8:30 a.m.
The rides will all start and finish at the five star Terranea Resort. Registration is a must and is limited to 200 riders who are encouraged to get additional pledges from friends/family. Members of the public may also register to support a rider. Go to www.regonline.com/rideforhabitat for registration and pledges. The conclusion for this event will offer live jazz music, personal massages, a buffet and door prizes.
The event proceeds will benefit Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles which helps hardworking, low income families and individuals obtain simple, sustainable and affordable housing.
For additional information, contact pvride4habitat@gmail.com. Terranea Resort is located at 100 Terranea Way, Rancho Palos Verdes.
Photo courtesy of Terranea Resort
Things To Do In Palos Verdes – Enjoy the Chandler Preserve Nature Walk
0 Comments Published by Elaine Carlson April 12th, 2012 in Community Information, Palos Verdes, Things To Do In Palos Verdes, Trails and Hikes. by Elaine Carlson
On Saturday, April 14, 2012, the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy will be having a nature walk at the Chandler Preserve from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. The preserve is 28 acres and is a critical part of the natural environment in Rolling Hills Estates; it is jointly owned by the City of Rolling Hills Estates and the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy. Intensive restoration has added native wildflowers which include the golden star lilies, coastal sage scrub plants and shrubs to the hillsides. Living throughout this rare habitat are many different animals, including the threatened California Gnatcatcher and Palos Verdes blue butterflies – so you will want to bring your binoculars. This is an easily accessible walk with a loop trail of .9 miles and is considered to be easy to moderate. While you are walking the trail remember not to drink any water from the streams since they are not considered fit for human consumption.
Parking for the event will be in Rolling Hills Estates off Rolling Hills Road - turn into Empty Saddle Club parking lot located at 39 Empty Saddle Club Road.
For more information go to www.pvplc.org, or call (310) 541-7613.
Photo courtesy of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
Palos Verdes Real Estate Outlook March 2012 For Palos Verdes Homes
0 Comments Published by Elaine Carlson April 11th, 2012 in Buyer Advice, Palos Verdes, Real Estate Outlook, Seller Advice. by Elaine Carlson
March 2012 Palos Verdes real estate statistics show significant increases both in Palos Verdes homes sold and pending sales compared to February. 51 Palos Verdes houses sold in March compared to 38 homes in February. There was a large increase in March pending sales – 76 homes compared to 54 in February. The number of active Palos Verdes homes for sale in March was just about the same as in February, 180 compared to 179 homes. We still have not seen an increase in the number of homes for sale as we go into the Spring selling season. We are at historic lows for inventory of active Palos Verdes homes for sale which makes it more of a balanced market between buyers and sellers. As you can see from the chart above, we have 36% less inventory in March 2012 compared to March 2011 and and 49% more pending sales March 2012 compared to March 2011 – definitely a tighter market for buyers. It indicates a high demand for the Palos Verdes area.
Average sales price for Palos Verdes homes sold in March was $1,208,000 compared to $1,043,000 in February (25 out of the 38 homes sold in February were under $1,000,000 – that is 65.8%). Price per square foot for Palos Verdes houses that sold/closed escrow in March was $439 which decreased slightly from $447 in February. Average days on market in March was 111 days which was less than the 155 days in February for properties sold that month. Months of inventory (months it would take to sell existing inventory at the current rate of sale) fell to 3.5 months for March compared to 4.7 months in February. A “normal” market is considered 6 months of inventory – so we are experiencing better than normal in this area. Entire charts can be accessed by clicking here or on the “Statistics” tab above.
Currently, there are 172 single family Palos Verdes homes for sale. 126 Palos Verdes houses are in escrow (67 homes have pending sales and 59 homes are accepting backup offers). Additionally, 16 homes have sold/closed escrow in the first 11 days of March with the average sales price of $1,313,016.
Chart courtesy of Trendgraphix, Inc.
Palos Verdes Homes Top Tuesday Tour Tips – 4/10/2012
0 Comments Published by Elaine Carlson April 10th, 2012 in Buyer Advice, Finding A Home, Palos Verdes, Seller Advice, Tuesday Tour Tips. by Elaine CarlsonWhat a beautiful day in Palos Verdes today! The ocean was a deep blue and the trees a vibrant green. It made touring the open houses even more spectacular. There were 16 homes on the April 10, 2012, Palos Verdes real estate Broker’s Tour. We currently have 175 single family Palos Verdes homes for sale ranging in price from $280,000 in Rancho Palos Verdes 90275 (Yes, $280,000 is correct; there is a new listing of a 663 square foot commercial building on a 1312 square foot residential lot) to $12,950,000 in Rolling Hills 90274 (the low in Eastview is $529,000). There are 46 Palos Verdes townhomes for sale priced between $200,000 and $2,595,000. My favorite Palos Verdes homes today are:
Gerard Bisagnano’s (Peninsula Sotheby’s Int’l Realty) 1 East Packsaddle Road, Rolling Hills 90274 (above left) is a 5 bedroom, 7 bath, 8,610 square foot home for $6,495,000. This fabulous Rolling Hills equestrian estate built in 2000 features expansive ocean views, a library, a huge kitchen, and lushly landscaped grounds with pool/spa and paddock/stables. Janet Stearns’ (RE/MAX Palos Verdes Realty) 32325 Sea Raven Drive, Rancho Palos Verdes 90275 (above right) is a 4 bedroom, 2 bath, 2,054 square foot home for $1,100,000. This turn key Ladera Linda home features a completely remodeled kitchen, remodeled bathrooms and panoramic ocean views.
Mike Diamond and Rick Edler’s (Sotheby’s Int’l Realty) 2532 Via Anita, Palos Verdes Estates 90274 (above left) is a 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 3,044 square foot home for $1,649,000. This completely remodeled Valmonte home features vaulted ceilings, 8 skylights, plank oak flooring, a magnificent limestone fireplace and natural stone floors & counters. Young Ok Lee’s (Keller Williams Palos Verdes) 6823 Faircove, Rancho Palos Verdes 90275 (above right) is a 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 2,875 square foot home for $1,199,000. This beautiful Los Verdes home features a remodeled kitchen, ocean views and a pool.
Photos courtesy of CRMLS
Palos Verdes Real Estate Rolling Hills Neighborhood Update
0 Comments Published by Elaine Carlson April 9th, 2012 in Buyer Advice, Community Information, Neighborhoods, Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills, Seller Advice. by Elaine Carlson
2011 Palos Verdes Home sales for the Rolling Hills neighborhood stayed the same with 18 single family homes sold in both 2011 and in 2010. Price per square foot for Rolling Hills houses that sold in 2011 was $660 compared to $604 in 2010. Average sales price for Rolling Hills homes sold in 2011 was $3,112,778 compared to $2,036,336 – a substantial increase.
Currently, as of 4/09/2012, Rolling Hills has only 13 active Palos Verdes homes for sale. They range from $1,395,000 for a 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 2,965 square foot home to $12,950,000 for a 7 bedroom, 10 bath, 14,374 square foot home.
To view current Palos Verdes real estate statistics for the entire Peninsula, please click here on on the Statistics tab above.
Photo courtesy of the City of Rolling Hills
Things To Do In Palos Verdes – Celebrate Earth Day
0 Comments Published by Elaine Carlson April 6th, 2012 in Community Events, Community Information, Palos Verdes, Things To Do In Palos Verdes. by Elaine Carlson
Although Earth Day is actually on Sunday, April 22, 2012, Palos Verdes homes owners will have the opportunity to celebrate Earth Day on Saturday, April 21st. We have been celebrating Earth Day in this country since 1970. According to the City of Palos Verdes Estates April Newsletter, “The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Act.”
The Promenade on the Peninsula will be hosting a celebration April 21st from noon to 4:00 p.m. with exhibits, food and entertainment. The Promenade is located at 550 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hills Estates 90274.
The White Point Nature Preserve will also be celebrating Earth Day on Saturday April 21, 2012, from 9:00 a.m. to noon beginning with volunteer work in the area, and then educational and art activities for the whole family. White Point Nature Preserve is located at 1600 W. Paseo del Mar, San Pedro 90731.
Take a moment to enjoy nature on Earth Day and be grateful for the beauty that surrounds us.
Photo courtesy of the Promenade on the Peninsula
City Statistics For Palos Verdes Homes Buyers
0 Comments Published by Elaine Carlson April 5th, 2012 in Buyer Advice, Community Information, Palos Verdes. by Elaine Carlson
Do you know which city on the Palos Verdes Peninsula has the largest population, largest area, least density, highest elevation or the lowest rate of crime? Did you know the total population of the Peninsula is 65,008?
FUN FACTS
Here are some statistics (courtesy of WolframAlpha) comparing the four cities that make up the Palos Verdes Peninsula:
|
Population |
Area Square Miles |
Population Density Per Square Mile |
Elevation In Feet |
Rate Of Violent Crime (x national average) |
Rate Of Property Crime (x national average) |
|
| Palos Verdes Estates |
13,438 |
4.77 |
2,815 |
210 |
.12 |
.23 |
| Rancho Palos Verdes |
41,643 |
13.46 |
3,093 |
220 |
.24 |
.31 |
| Rolling Hills |
1,860 |
2.99 |
622 |
1,276 |
0 |
.31 |
| Rolling Hills Estates |
8,067 |
3.569 |
2,260 |
469 |
1.0 |
.68 |
