Afternoon Tea at Trump National in Rancho Palos Verdes is a relaxing event and can be followed by a walk on the ocean bluffs.

Buyers may need 5% more down payment to buy homes that are designated to be in a declining market. By the way, the entire state of California (including real estate in Palos Verdes) is considered a "soft market" by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Kenneth R. Harney of the Washington Post wrote an excellent article on April 26, 2008, entitled "Declining Markets and Self-Fulfilling Prophecies(which was...

Rolling Hills Estates is the 3rd largest city on the Peninsula both in size (4.18 miles) and population (7,676) according the the Residence Handbook. Their are 30 neighborhood areas within the community, each with its own special character. Overall, the city has tried to maintain it's rural residential atmosphere and many lots are 1/2 acre or more and many are zoned equestrian. The city has 178...

Today's Los Angeles Times Real Estate Section reported the ten Southern California cities with the highest increase in sales prices for single family residences for the first quarter of 2008 compared with the same period last year. Both zip codes on the Palos Verdes Peninsula were on this list. Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills and Rolling Hills Estates (zip 90274) showed an increase in median...

I can only imagine how the public feels regarding real estate in the Palos Verdes and South Bay areas with the news media's seemingly conflicting reporting . Yesterday's LA Times Business section headline, "March a cruel month - Foreclosures take over..." is only 8 days after the LA Times Business section headline, "Home prices staying afloat at the beach" (see my post "Now You're Talking" April 8,...

I just returned from a weekend yoga retreat and it was such a "treat". I spent the weekend in yoga classes, meditation, hiking and sharing stories with 15 fabulous other students. It was such a sense of family. I met a woman who is the editor of Enjoy Positive Magazine (a magazine devoted to positive news - I can get behind that). We all went on a fantastic hike/walk lead by Nancy Cohee of...

This is an open letter to Buyers. If you are looking for foreclosures or REOs (bank owned real estate) in Palos Verdes or the South Bay, here are some ideas to help you... One for the Money -You must have your finances ready. The Bank-Seller has already experienced shaky finances from the prior owner. Get pre-approved from your lender and have them pull your current FICO scores. You will also...

"Home prices staying afloat at the beach" is today's headline in theLos Angeles Times Business Section. They researched 18 zip codes "excluding such spend-happy areas as Malibu, Palos Verdes and Newport Beach" inferring that real estate in those 3 cities are doing even better. Kudos to the LA Times for writing a balanced article with information that is specific to our South Bay area. We are...

Rolling Hills is a private, gated, equestrian community located atop the scenic hills of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The city was incorporated in 1957 and is 3 square miles. This is the smallest city on the Peninsula and the most private. In 2002, there were 690 homes with a population of 1,906 residents. The city has 26 miles of private roads and 23 miles of equestrian trails. Current real...

Tuesday night, Barbara Walters had a fascinating ABC-TV Special entitled, "Live to be 150 - Can you do it?" There are more than 84,000 centenarians (100+) living in the United States with a projection of over 1,000,000 by the year 2050. Many are choosing to stay in their own homes. This is an important demographic that will change many industries, including real estate. According the 2000 U.S....