Real Estate in the Beach Cities: August 2009

Just listed, priced to sell, and will be open for brokers on Tuesday September 1st from 11-1.

Keith Kyle | www.KeithKyleHomes.com | South Bay Brokers | 310-546-7611 100 Spindrift Dr, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA Perfect beach home in a guarded communty with endless ocean and Catalina views! 2BR/1BA Single Family House in the Portuguese Bend Club   Priced to sell at $1,069,000 Year Built 1954 Sq Footage 810 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 1 full Floors Single level with storage underneath Parking 2 Covered spaces Lot Size 4,600 sqft HOA/Maint $300 per month DESCRIPTION Imagine going to sleep to the sounds of the waves crashing just outside and waking up to a view of the endless blue of the Pacific Ocean. Located in the almost secret gated community of the Portuguese Bend Club, the home offers unblockable views from the living room and kitchen and the potential to add an ocean view balcony or plenty of yard to build your future dream home. If you are looking for a quiet place to sit and enjoy endless views of the ocean and Catalina, or a perfect weekend beach home offering privacy, security and tranquility. The PBC has it's own beach club with palapas, playgrounds, tennis courts and even a lifeguard. Come and take a look at this amazing opportunity   see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES - Central heat - Fireplace - Living room - Dishwasher - Refrigerator - Stove/Oven - Microwave - Laundry area - garage - Yard COMMUNITY FEATURES - Paddle Tennis court(s) - Guard gated community - Private beach   OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES - Panoramic ocean views - Private Beach - Guard gated community - Paddle tennis, volleyball courts, playground and more   ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Endless views of Catalina, the beach and the ocean Only a few homes in this secluded neighborhood Beautiful updated fireplace and open beamed ceilings Room to expand for future deck or  dream home Spacious kitchen with fantastic ocean views Private beach with palapas and paddle tennis Contact info:   Keith Kyle South Bay Brokers 310-546-7611 info@KeithKyleHomes.com Equal Opportunity Housing Posted: Aug 30, 2009, 8:13pm PDT

I just received an email this morning from a potential client that had contacted me earlier in the year about the value of his home and he wanted to let me know he had decided to sell it himself.  He asked if I knew of any real estate companies that served only to put the home on the MLS and functioned to help FSBOs. 

While I normally have a sinking feeling when I hear that a listing has gone to another company or realtor.....I just didn't have that feeling this time.  Why?  While I wish him the best, I'm fairly confident that I'll be hearing from them again in the not too distant future.  There are certain times and markets in which selling a home yourself may seem to make sense but this truly isn't one of them.  I realize that we, as Realtors, spend a great deal of time justifying our commissions and for some of us we earn our money and some probably don't (I've worked with a few of them lately) but I honestly believe that I, and other professional realtors, bring quite a bit to the table.   Much of what we do is behind the scenes and if you're marketing the property to the fullest extent there is continual work to be done, but somehow many sellers out there still think that you simply put a sign in the ground and the buyers will line up.  Hopefully my potential client will determine that selling a home yourself just isn't quite as easy as some would lead him to believe.

Keith Kyle is a licensed Realtor and e-Pro with South Bay Brokers in Manhattan Beach.  He serves his clients throughout the South Bay and his websites KeithKyleHomes.com and FindYourSouthBayHome.com offer the most comprehensive real estate websites in the South Bay with free MLS access, current home listings, open houses, recent home sales information and more.  Keith can be reached at 310-251-2344 or by email at info@KeithKyleHomes.com

One of the many reasons I live and work in Hermosa Beach is that I just love the beach.  Hermosa Beach offers a wonderful smaller town feel in the middle of the big city with plenty of parks, beautiful weather and a beach that's wide enough to accomodate everyone....even on the busiest days.

Now I love summer with longer days, warmer weather (other than June gloom) and a little more time to spend with friends and family, but there's just something nice about the calmness that returns every September.  It's hard not to sound like a snobby local, and the beach is for everyone to enjoy.....but it sure is nice to get it back once everyone goes back home. 

Keith Kyle is a licensed Realtor and e-Pro with South Bay Brokers in Manhattan Beach and a longtime resident of Hermosa Beach.  He serves his clients throughout the South Bay and his websites KeithKyleHomes.com and FindYourSouthBayHome.com offer the most comprehensive real estate websites in the South Bay with free MLS access, current home listings, open houses, recent home sales information and more.  Keith can be reached at 310-251-2344 or by email at info@KeithKyleHomes.com

I often write about things that I really just don't understand or things that realtors do that often don't make sense.  I recently posted a blog "Why when the listing status says don't call for status it's usually wrong?" and I just ran into another classic example of this. 

I have a client that's interested in viewing a Torrance home and the listing notes state "MLS updated daily - don't call for availability. Offers due via EMAIL by Wed., Aug 19, 5pm."

...That's fantastic so I won't bother you, but the problem is I'm pulling this up on August 24th so obviously this isn't updated daily.  Either that or the realtors strategy of trying to create some urgency just didn't work....either way the realtor is making it more difficult to want to show the home.  I realize that it can sometimes be overwhelming when you have a well priced listing and you just can't seem to manage the calls, but if you show that the status is updated daily.....do your clients a favor and update it daily.

Not much has changed in terms of current foreclosure and short sale listings in Hermosa Beach since last month with just a few homes going into escrow or being pulled from the market.  There are currently 7 "distressed" homes on the market with all but one being a single family homes.  The current average days on market is 140 which isn't unusual as often short sale listings are kept on the market long after they receive their initial offer.  The prices vary from $585,000 for the one condo on the market up to $1,150,000 with the average being around $875,000.  See below for pictures and details of the current listings and click the properties to visit our Hermosa Beach short sale and foreclosures website.

Keith Kyle is a licensed Realtor and e-Pro with South Bay Brokers in Manhattan Beach.  He serves his clients throughout the South Bay and his websites KeithKyleHomes.com and FindYourSouthBayHome.com offer the most comprehensive real estate websites in the South Bay with free MLS access, current home listings, open houses, recent home sales information and more.  Keith can be reached at 310-251-2344 or by email at info@KeithKyleHomes.com

As I often do, I typed in an address of a property I'll be selling on Google today and one of the higher ranked results was that of Zillow and their Zestimate.  I'm often asked about Zillow and unlike most realtors I think that Zillow has a place in the world and try to use them as a tool instead of seeing them as the enemy as so many realtors do. 

Unfortunately one of the key features of Zillow is their Zestimate which gives buyers and sellers an estimate of the value of homes.  While this might work in neighborhoods in which every home is similar or the same, this just doesn't make sense in a market like the South Bay in which the variables in value are endless and prices can vary drastically just by crossing the street.

In this case I typed in the address of a home in the Portuguese Bend area of Rancho Palos Verdes.  The home has panoramic ocean views and is located in a gated community with a private beach, tennis courts, and is one of only a few homes in the area.  On the side of the screen (see green circle) they have they have a "Similar For Sale Homes". Now without sounding only like a listing agent touting the benefits of my listing.......this home couldn't be less similar.  The home that they mention is in Torrance which is far less valuable than Rancho Palos Verdes, it is nowhere near the ocean, and happens to be on the busiest street in South Torrance.  I don't know if these homes that show up as "similar" have paid placement there, but Zillow is doing a disservice to their users, misleading buyers unfamiliar with the area, and making their Zestimate values useless.

Keith Kyle is a licensed Realtor and e-Pro with South Bay Brokers in Manhattan Beach.  He serves his clients throughout the South Bay and his websites KeithKyleHomes.com and FindYourSouthBayHome.com offer the most comprehensive real estate websites in the South Bay with free MLS access, current home listings, open houses, recent home sales information and more.  Keith can be reached at 310-251-2344 or by email at info@KeithKyleHomes.com

I recently sold a home in the Victoria Knolls neighborhood of Torrance and was very surprised at just how few South Bay residents even knew it existed.  Victoria Knolls is actually in the Walteria area of Torrance but has a very different feel due to the fact that it's so isolated and it's actually up on the hills of the Palos Verdes peninsula (see Victoria Knolls Map).  The only way in and out is on a street named Crest, off of Crenshaw, which certainly gives it a sense of privacy and security.    It's a fantastic area with a real neighborhood feel and might be an ideal place for buyers looking to live in a more unique area with some great new homes as well as numerous one story original homes.  As it's up on the hill, many of the homes offer great views of the city and mountains and most homes are located on quiet, tree-lined streets.   While the lack of peoples awareness of the area make for a bit more difficult situation when selling a house in the area, it makes for quiet and safe streets, and tranquility that's hard to find in the South Bay.  Great schools, nearby Alta Loma Park, and well kept houses make it an ideal place to call home.

Keith Kyle is a licensed Realtor and e-Pro with South Bay Brokers in Manhattan Beach.  He serves his clients throughout the South Bay and his websites KeithKyleHomes.com and FindYourSouthBayHome.com offer the most comprehensive real estate websites in the South Bay with free MLS access, current home listings, open houses, recent home sales information and more.  Keith can be reached at 310-251-2344 or by email at info@KeithKyleHomes.com

There are many reasons we live in the South Bay and Hermosa Beach.  Wonderful weather, a beautiful ocean, great schools and friendly people.  One of the summer events that epitomizes the beach culture is the AVP Hermosa Open.  Qualifier matches start on Thursday with main draw matches beginning Friday morning next to the Hermosa Beach pier.  If you're looking for a slight variation on a day at the beach....this is a good way to spend the day.

Keith Kyle is a licensed Realtor and e-Pro with South Bay Brokers in Manhattan Beach.  He serves his clients throughout the South Bay and his websites KeithKyleHomes.com and FindYourSouthBayHome.com offer the most comprehensive real estate websites in the South Bay with free MLS access, current home listings, open houses, recent home sales information and more.  Keith can be reached at 310-251-2344 or by email at info@KeithKyleHomes.com

From the pet peeve department......One thing that drives me crazy is when I see a listing that states...."if it shows active, it is.  Please do not call for update or status".  Now I have a number of listings and do often struggle to keep up with the volume of calls that I receive asking if the home is still for sale so I do sympathize, especially for those doing REOs or bulk short sales with more listings then they can keep track of.  But here's the problem....If you're going to put in the listing "don't call, listing status continually updated" then continually update it.  In my experience, especially with bank owned homes....if it shows active it isn't.

Keith Kyle is a licensed Realtor and e-Pro with South Bay Brokers in Manhattan Beach.  He serves his clients throughout the South Bay and his websites KeithKyleHomes.com and FindYourSouthBayHome.com offer the most comprehensive real estate websites in the South Bay with free MLS access, current home listings, open houses, recent home sales information and more.  Keith can be reached at 310-251-2344 or by email at info@KeithKyleHomes.com