In 2006 Joe Ferrara and Rudy Bachraty , when blogging was just beginning, decided to name the Top 10 Women Real Estate Bloggers for 2006.  In 2007  and 2008 the list grew to 12 Women.  These women are chosen from all over the United States.  It is an amazing honor to be part of this special group of women. 

This year I am very excited to be among the 12 Top Women Real Estate Bloggers in the United States.   I am still stunned and amazed and thrilled to be chosen along with  these 11 amazing Women Real Estate Bloggers:

 Colleen Kulikowski Buffalo New York 

 Mary Pope-Handy in the Sillicon Valley

 Dru Bloomfield from Scottsdale AZ

 Diane Guercio founder of The TwitterQueens,

Amy Chorew truly a Tech Queen

 Jessica Riffle Edwards from Wilmington North Carolina

Susie Blackmon another North Carolina blogger with some great insights

Elaine Reese from Central Ohio has lots of sweet information  

Gena Riede  The Sacramento  Real Estate Voice of experience, 

 Kim Wood from Philadelphia loves photography,

 Monika McGillicuddy from New Hampshire has amazing photos.

 Kaye Thomas Manhattan Beach CA

 I am fortuante to be friends with many of these women and know others by their wonderful blogs.  All of us are actively working in some part of the real estate market. Most of us are actively engaged in sales while others are finding ways to make real estate more user friendly for both consumers and agents.  Blogging has allowed us to be more interactive  within  our communities and offer consumers a more intimate view of our local real estate markets.

 Happy Halloween... See you at the Pumpkin Race!                                      

Fall has proven to be  busier then usual for real estate sales in the Beach Cities.   Since October 1, 2009 there have been 142 homes and townhomes listed for sale,  130 homes and townhomes entered escrow and 96 have closed escrow.  Of the 96 closed escrows, 8 were in El Segundo, 25 in Manhattan Beach, 12 in Hermosa, 31 in North Redondo and 20 in South Redondo... and there is still another week left in the month.

On another note it seems that Hermosa Beach  was the only South Bay-Beach City to make the CNN list of USA towns where residents make over 6 figures.  Hermosa was listed with a median income of $137,941 and a median home price of $1,135,000.  Guess there won't be many more jokes about poor Hermosa!

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold September 2009

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold August 2009 

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold July 2009

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold May 2009    

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold April 2009

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold March 2009

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold February 2009

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold January 2009

South Bay-Beach cities: Sold December 2008

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold November 2008

South Bay-Beach cities: Sold October 2008

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold September 2008 

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold August 2008  

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold July 2008 

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold June 2008 

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold May 2008 

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold April 2008 

South Bay-Beach Cities: SOLD March 2008  

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold February 2008  

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold January 2008  

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold November 2007  

South Bay-Beach Cities: October SOLD 2007 

South Bay-Beach Cities: September SOLD 2007 

South Bay-Beach Cities: August SOLD 2007 

South Bay- Beach Cities: July Sold 2007 

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold June 2007 

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold May 2007 

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold April 2007 

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold March 2007 

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold February 2007 

South Bay-Beach Cities: Sold January 2007 

 Redondo Beach Pier

  Click to take of tour of Redondo Beach  

If Manhattan Beach is the sharp Sophisticate  and Hermosa Beach is the Adorable younger sister then Redondo Beach is surely the Gorgeous older sister of the beach cities.   While the wind still blew over the empty dunes that would someday become Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach .. Redondo was the West Coast Resort town at he turn of the century.  People came from all over the country to the wonderful place that was Redondo Beach.  Most South Bay residents don't realize what a colorful history the City of Redondo has had over th e years.

Redondo Beach got its start because it has a deep seabed close to the shoreline.  In the late 1880's Los Angeles needed a port to handle shipping. Redondo Beach seemed an ideal spot.  By 1888 the city had  a  wharf and the Santa Fe was running a  line from downtown Los Angeles to Redondo numerous times a day.  By 1903 the city would boast 3 wharves and  was a major port...   although it would soon lose out to San Pedro.

In 1890 a grand resort  The Hotel Redondo had been built where Veterans Park now stands.  The hotel had 225 luxurious rooms with an 18 hole golf course, tennis courts and gorgeous landscaped grounds.  If you couldn't afford to stay in the hotel there was a Tent City nearby  where you could rent a tent with electric lights for $3.00 by the week or $10.00 by the month.  There was also the world's largest salt water plunge close to where the Seaside Lagoon is today. There was even a beach that was piled high with Moonstones between Diamond Street and Herondo in Hermosa.

Entrepreneur Henry Huntington  realized what an attraction Redondo was and established the Red Car Service that ran from downtown through Beverly Hills and along the coast through Manhattan and Hermosa to the boardwalk in Redondo.  Huntington decided that Redondo needed another draw and in 1907 or so he hired George Freeth. George was a tall good looking Hawaiian -Irish  kid who knew how to surf.  Huntington billed him as the "man who could walk on water" and soon thousands came to Redondo to see George hit the shoreline on his 8 foot redwood surfboard.  George quickly became not only the first surfer on the California coast  but the Father of California surfing.  

 In 1892 the residents  decided it was time to become a city and with a vote of 177-10 the deed was done. As the city continued to grow  the pier as a port  became less and less important.  By the late 1920's storms had destroyed two of the wharves and in 1926 Wharf #3 was demolished.. along with the grand Hotel Redondo.  The fabulous resort had been done in by the Volstead Act or prohibition as it was popularly know as by the local folk.

During the Depression years until 1940 Redondo was home to the Gambling Ships complete with bad guys, mob guys, alcohol and gorgeous gals.. This was the stuff of movies. With the advent of World War II the gamblers were gone and the city settled down.  The  Monstad Pier was enlarged and soon restaurants and shops were built over the water.  Although storms and fires have destroyed major portions of the pier over the years today it still remains a part of life in Redondo Beach.

In the late 1960's the City of Redondo made a tragic mistake and agreed to tear down the original downtown area and turn the area over to developers.  Fortunately Riviera Village is still a gem in South Redondo but losing an historic place like the original town was a terrible thing for the city to let happen.   Over the years the city has not evidenced a great deal of support for the history of Redondo and many of its buildings of historic value have been demolished.   The Redondo Beach Historical Society has a yearly tour of some of the homes that have survived.  There are not many left and this is a way to see some of the beautiful homes that are part of Redondo's heritage.

Redondo Beach is home to The Civic Light Opera of The South Bay.  The CLOSB has come a long way since it first began and has won a number of Ovation Awards for best show right under the nose of the Dorothy Chandler and Pantages theaters. The Ovation Awards are LA's version of the Tony's on Broadway.  Season tickets are reasonably priced and make a great gift.  The Lobster Festival in May is a must...there are pots  of lobster and corn for thousands.  The annual Super Bowl 10K on Super Bowl Sunday  brings out the best runners in town.  The Redondo Beach Pier is  a great place to visit.  There are fresh fish markets where you can take fish home or have it cooked to order.  There are  some wonderful restaurants you don't want to miss..  Old Tony's  has best view in town.   There is a new restaurant on the site of Tony's Fish market.. Maison Riz.  It is upscale and  features French/Japanese cuisine.   Kincaids is another upscale  restaurant on the north end of the pier.   In the middle is the El Torito Grill and an Irish Pub Kilkenny's.

Over the years a number of single family homes have been torn down and replaced by townhome style condos in both North and South Redondo.  There are only a few neighborhoods in the city that remain as strictly single family areas.  The TRW tract in North Redondo is one and  the upper avenues in South Redondo is the other. There are parts of the  streets east of PCH and south of Torrance Blvd that are also single family neighborhoods.  An interesting note is that the Lady Streets (Gertruda, Irena, Juanita, Lucia, Maria, Guadalupe, Francisca) were supposedly named after the daughters of the owner of Rancho Redondo.  I don't know if it's true ...but it should be as it makes a great story. 

Redondo is the largest of the Beach Cities and over the years has been divided between North Redondo and South Redondo with 190th street as the informal boundary.  The demographics  from the 2000 census  say the city is 6.3 square miles, with the population fairly evenly divided between renters and home owners.  I believe that number has changed in the last few years with a higher number of homeowners.  The median income was $69,173.  In 1900 the population was 885 in 2005 the population was estimated at 62,000 with slightly more males then females.  The city has definitely grown some over the years.  

 Search North Redondo Homes for sale.

Search North Redondo Townhomes/condos for sale

Search North Redondo Income Property for sale

Search South Redondo Homes for sale

Search South Redondo Townhomes/Condos  for sale (West of PCH)

Search  South Redondo Townhomes/Condos for sale (East of PCH)

Search South Redondo Income Property for sale

 
School District

There are 8 elementary schools... 5 in North Redondo and 3 in South Redondo.

There are 2 middle schools one in North Redondo and one in South Redondo.

The High School  is Redondo Union in South Redondo.

Library

 Redondo Beach has two libraries.. one in North Redondo ( under construction until June 2010) and the main library at the corner of PCH and Diamond.

City of Redondo Beach

MEETINGS:
City Council:First and third Tuesday at 6:30 PM
Planning Commission: Third Thursday at 7:00PM
Harbor Commission: Second Monday at 7:00 PM
Public Safety: third Monday at 7:00 PM
Library Commission: First Monday at 7:00 PM

Manhattan Beach, California

   Please take a walk with me in my lovely city by the sea......

Manhattan Beach is located on the Pacific Ocean about 3.5 miles south of Los Angeles International Airport.

Manhattan Beach was incorporated on  December 7, 1912 after some whispers in the ears of the husbands of the ladies of the Neptunian Woman's club.  These special women also started the first library and the first school in our city.  The current Pier was completed in 1920 and is  the oldest cement pier on the west coast. 

In the beginning the city consisted of a few small beach cottages on huge sand dunes that dotted the landscape.  There was no Strand walkway along the beach.  The Santa Fe Railroad ran along the coast through Manhattan  to the Wharf in Redondo at about where the Strand is today. The higher part of the Strand that runs through Manhattan Beach owes much  to the sand dunes that used to make up the beach front and the old Railroad tracks.  Manhattan Beach had so much sand  from the dunes that in the 1920's Kuhn Bros. construction and the territory of Hawaii made a deal where the sand from Manhattan Beach was shipped to Waikiki. 

In Polliwog Park  one of the original homes, built in  1905, has been preserved.  The home is open on weekends and is staffed by a member of the historical society.   More information on the history on Manhattan Beach can be found at  the Historical Society site.

Manhattan Beach is ideally located.  We are close to Santa Monica on the Westside, Century City financial offices and about 20 miles from downtown Los Angeles.  The 405, 105 and 91 Freeways are just minutes from Manhattan Beach.

The city is 3.88 miles square with 2.1 miles of coastline.  Approximately half of the city land is devoted to residential use. The 2000 census put the population close to 34,000.  Our population is a diverse mixture.  We have new people moving to our town each day and older residents who have lived here all their lives.   We have the downtown area with casual beach shops, restaurants and the new Metlox Center. The Manhattan Mall shopping center with theatres and major chain stores is located on Sepulveda.  Along Rosecrans Ave there are restaurants,offices, stores and a new Shopping center at the corner of Rosecrans and Sepulveda.  Technically all building on the north side of Rosecrans is in El Segundo. 

Manhattan Beach Schools are some of the best in California.  The high test scores have brought many families to our community.  We have five elementary schools, one Intermediate School and one High School.   We are proud of our students and teachers and their consistent high levels of scholarship.

Manhattan Beach is the most expensive of the Beach Cities that make up our South Bay Community.   There is almost no vacant land left in the city.  Most new homes are built on property where an older home was torn down.  The city is made up of 5 neighborhoods:

The Sand Section (MLS area 142)  Search for Homes and townhomes/condos

This includes El Porto and runs south to Hermosa Bbeach and is west of Valley drive

The Tree Section ( MLS area 143) Search for homes and townhomes/condos

The Tree section is south of Rosecrans to Manhattan Beach Blvd and is east of Valley Drive and west of Sepulveda

The Hill Section (MLS area 144) Search for homes and townhomes/condos

The Hill Section is west of Sepulveda, South of Manhattan Beach Blvd, North of Longfellow and east of Valley Drive

Manhattan Village (MLS area 145) Search for homes and townhomes/condos

This is the gated housing area between Marine and Rosecrans behind the Manhattan Beach Mall

Manhattan Heights (MLS area 146)  Search for homes and townhomes/condos

Manhattan Heights is  south of Marine, north of Manhattan Beach Blvd, east of Sepulveda and west of Aviation

Mira Costa (MLS area 147)  Search for homes and townhomes/condos

Mira Costa is south of Manhattan Beach Blvd., north of Artesia, west of Sepulveda and west of Aviation.

The value of many older and smaller homes in Manhattan Beach is in the land.  Manhattan Beach is built out with almost no vacant land available for new homes.  There is often not much difference in value between a tear down home and an entry level home because of the lack of land.   Most homes in the sand section near the water are on small lots usually 30x90 .  In the tree section the lots vary in size from 40x 135  to 40x112 and  the average size which is 40x116.  In East Manhattan Beach   most of the lots are 50x150 .. in Manhattan Heights there are a number of lots that are 50x 100.. Most of these are east of Redondo Ave in the Liberty Village neighborhood.  Condos and townhomes are more affordable then single family homes due to the high cost of land in our city.

Our lifestyle is Beach Casual.  Many of the things residents enjoy have to do with our close proximity to the ocean.  Walking downtown and strolling along the Strand is a favorite week end activity.  Surfing is a passion for young and old.  Riding the waves is still a great sport no matter what your age.  Volleyball is played along the beach from El Segundo to South Redondo.  The Hometown Fair is in October and starts with a 10K race that runs through the city. The Fair is adult and kid friendly. If you stroll through the Fair you  eventually will  everyone you know.  The Marine Lab at the end of the Pier offers residents and visitors a chance to become familiar with the various life forms that populate our oceans.   The Manhattan Beach Mall on Sepulveda  has  a number restaurants, shops, Macys, Ralphs Supermarket and CVS Drug store.  

School District

The  public schools in Manhattan Beach are some of the best in the state. There are 5 elementary schools, 1 intermediate and 1 high school in Manhattan Beach.  Test scores are are consistently high and most of our graduates go to a University or College.  

Library

The library is conveniently located in downtown Manhattan Beach next to City Hall and the Fire Department in the Civic Center.  The library is scheduled to be upgraded as soon as funds become available.  The Neptunian Woman's Club has taken on the task of raising funds for the renovation of the library.

City of Manhattan Beach
MEETINGS:
City Council: First and third Tuesday at 6:30 PM
Planning Commission: Second and fourth Wednesday at 6:30 PM
Parks and Recreation: fourth Thursday at 6:30 PM
Cultural Arts Commission: Second Tuesday at 6:00PM Library Commission: Second Monday at 6:30 PM
Parking and Public Improvement: Fourth Thursday at 6:30 PM

Why closing escrow on your South Bay-Beach City home may have gotten tougher.....

It seems that the folks in D.C. are still very busy trying to close the barn door ... long after the barn has burned down. While I give them marks on one hand for trying to fix a number of problems within the home lending sector ... you have to wonder if they actually give much thought to how changes in laws will affect real people. You also have to wonder why they don't fix the biggest problem in the industry... the lack of regulation of the fees charged by lenders to borrowers. While there has been lots of talk over the years about regulation nothing ever seems to make it out of committee.

The Mortgage Disclosure Improvement Act contains some major changes that may affect your escrow closing date on all loans that are covered under RESPA related to an owner occupied residence. The second change covers new regulations concerning the financial information you provide to your lender if you are obtaining a conforming loan.

Changes to Truth in Lending:

Starting on July 30, 2009 the following changes will be implemented:

1. Within 3 business days a lender must provide a borrower an initial good faith estimate of the terms of the loan and the lenders charges.... however a lender must now wait a minimum of 7 business days after the initial disclosure is sent to close the loan.

2. If the initial good faith estimate changes because... the interest rate goes up or down by more then 0.125% or there is a change in the fees the borrower is charged by $100 or more... then a new disclosure must be given to the borrower and the escrow can't close until at least 3 business days after the borrower has received the revised disclosure. There are a number of items that can trigger either of the above situations and extend the escrow period by 5-6 days.

This may not seem like a big deal... but if you have locked in a specific loan rate and your lock is set to expire and you suddenly have to do a new disclosure it could be very expensive if you have to extend the rate. This could also raise some issues if you are buying a home that is part of an exchange... the rules are very specific about closing dates and a late closing could create tax consequences for a seller.

I expect that what will happen is that buyers and sellers are going to have to make some major compromises on closing dates and taking possession if there is even a hint that the original estimate might be changed.

Income and asset documentation changes:

The second change will go into effect on September 1, 2009. The changes will affect credit scores, income calculations, income from stocks bonds and mutual funds, asset documentation, retirement assets and trailing spouse income. There will also be major changes in the requirements on owner occupied 2 unit properties. You will need more money down and higher FICO scores.

Here are a few highlights:

1. Credit, income and asset documentation can't be older then 90 days. So if you got qualified in March you would need to submit new information by July.

2. Lenders now must compare your filed Federal tax return to the income you are stating. Pay stubs will not be enough by themselves.

3. If your spouse is a trailing spouse and doesn't have verifiable new employment on the date you move you can't count the expected income until the spouse actually has a job.

4. You can now only use 70% of the value of your Stocks, bonds and mutual funds assets... previously you could use 100% of the value.

5. If you are retired then you can only count 60% of your retirement assets rather then 70%.

While many of the changes being enacted by Congress are meant to curb previous excesses as we saw with the change in Appraisal rules... sometimes good intentions are not enough.