"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....

Rancho Palos Verdes was the last city on the Peninsula to incorporate in 1973. The city has 7.5 miles of coastline and 12.3 square miles of land. Rancho Palos Verdes is the largest city on the Peninsula. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the estimated population in the year 2003 was 42,265. Current real estate prices for single family residences are between $619,000 (for a 2 bedroom, 1 bath,...

Palos Verdes Estates was the first city on the Peninsula to incorporate in 1939. The city has 4.5 miles of coastline. Twenty-eight percent of city land is permanently deeded as parkland and maintained as dedicated open space. According to Palos Verdes Estates Resident Handbook, the population in the year 2000 was approximately 13,572. Most homes are custom built and one can only find multiple...

Palos Verdes Peninsula is actually composed of 4 different cities - Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills and Rolling Hills Estates (and 2 Los Angeles County areas known as Westfield and Academy Hills). They are all part of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District. This is the first of 5 posts which will describe the unique qualities of each of the cities from...

With the first day of Spring our thoughts go to nature and real estate. The flowers are blooming and there is life in Palos Verdes real estate too. Today, there are 223 active single family residences for sale compared to 216 last month. March 1st to date, there are 74 Pending transactions for March compared to 32 last month. March 1st to date, there are 18 sold or closed transactions compared...

Real Estate is like baking cookies because: 1. Research is key. 2. You must gather all information (ingredients) before you begin. 3. Care (measuring) must be taken during all steps. 4. You must be patient and attentive during the escrow (baking) process. 5. You get to enjoy the fruits of your labor for many years (days). photo courtesy of John...

The answer seems to change daily. I checked with a lender today and a 30-year fixed conforming loan (now $729,750 for Palos Verdes Peninsula/South Bay real estate) is 5 3/8% with one loan point while a jumbo loan is 6 1/2% with one loan point. On a jumbo loan, lenders are requiring a minimum of 25% down payment (this is new). A HUGE caveat on the conforming loans is that if the loan exceeds the...

The Cherry Blossoms are blooming at South Coast Botanic Garden. It is so magical to see the blossoms "rain" down onto the ground. This is the perfect time for a visit as the cherry, plum and peach trees are in full bloom. South Coast Botanic Garden is one of Palos Verdes' best-kept secrets. It is never crowded. One is free to amble for hours through 87 acres of beautiful settings. There is...