About Manhattan Beach's Hill Section

Manhattan Beach Hill Section – If you are a millionaire (or lucky enough to be a billionaire), you want to live in Manhattan Beach, and if having your neighbors a mere six feet away from you in the Sand Section is not your idea of comfortable living, then the Hill Section is most likely your destination. The Hill Section obtained is name from the simple fact that it is on a hill; many might say one of the most aesthetically astonishing and residentially desirable hills in the World. That is, of course, if you based your opinion on some of the following criteria:

The Climate-- A Mediterranean-type climate with mild temperatures, year round. Even when temperatures reach over one hundred degrees in Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach can easily stay a comfortable eighty degrees.

The Schools-- Manhattan Beach recently ranked first overall by Forbes Magazine as the best school district in an area where housing prices exceed $800,000, and ranked sixth overall in the country.

Accessibility—Located just a few miles from LAX, the area is an easy commute to the business district of Downtown Los Angeles and Century City. Also conveniently located nearby are the training facilities of the Los Angeles Lakers, L.A. Kings and Clippers, as well as the many business parks related to the aerospace industry. Business executives, athletes or anyone looking to effortlessly venture outside of the area all find this area an ideal place to live.

Proximity-- A walk or stroll to the beach is an absolute breeze, and a good portion of the Hill Section is in close proximity to the great shops and restaurants in downtown Manhattan Beach, providing outings on evenings and weekends that truly offer a small town feel.

Views --When you are situated on the West side of the hill, you will enjoy sweeping views of the ocean from Palos Verdes to Malibu and beyond. If you find yourself on the North or East side, you can often have incredible views of the glimmering lights of Downtown Los Angeles as well as even the Hollywood sign (if you’re partial to squinting).

The area is bordered by Pacific Coast Highway to the East, Ardmore Avenue to the West, Manhattan Beach Blvd to the North and the City of Hermosa Beach to the South. Street parking is not a problem here due to the ample lot sizes, which allow for more curb space. There are no elementary schools situated in the Hill section, however Robinson Elementary is close by in the Sand Section, and Pacific Elementary is just North in the Tree Section. The area is deemed principally as residential zoning, other than the border streets, which are zoned commercial.

Map of Manhattan Beach's Hill Section

The area was developed primarily in the 1950s, but most of those homes have long since been razed for newer, more modern homes to fit the demands of today's wealthy citizens. The lot sizes range from just under 4,000 square feet to some that are well over 15,000 square feet. The average lot is probably closer to 7,000 square feet, allowing for an ample-size home to be built conforming to the needs of a large family; there is plenty of room for a yard and a little more distance from your neighbors than the smaller lots found in the Sand Section.

Prices in this area are almost all over $1,000,000 and have reached as high as $10,000,000. Although many local experts know there are homes that easily exceed that value, the owners have never opted to sell – and why would they if they are living their dream? Obviously prices fluctuate based on the market and economy, however price retention in this area have fared very well in the downturn compared to other hard hit markets in the country. Furthermore, when the market is moving up, you could stand to make millions by just sitting in your living room watching your equity rise. If you are one of the lucky ones living in the Hill Section, holding power is the name of the game. Hold on as long as you can and enjoy it, as you may be living in one of the most desirable locations in the country.

Catalina Island as seen from Manhattan Beach's Hill Section

To learn more about available homes for sale in the Hill Section or to track current home values and sales trends in the neighborhood, visit www.HillSectionEd.com

Toilet Retrofit Certificates are required as of JANUARY 21, 2011.

On December 21, 2010, the Manhattan Beach City Council approved the Toilet Retrofit Ordinance No. 2138, requiring that prior to transfer of ownership, dwellings meet specific water conserving standards for toilets. A plumbing permit is not required for this program; however, the owner may elect to obtain a permit and inspection for the retrofit.

The provisions of the Ordinance apply to all residential buildings at the time of property sale, unless an exception is requested, and supporting documentation is provided. Toilet Retrofit Certificate includes a list of exceptions.

For more information go to the Community Development web page. For facts on toilets check out this flyer from Water Sense.

Please contact Carol Jacobson, Building Official at (310) 802-5525 or via email for further questions.

Manhattan Beach Hill Section Home Sales in 2009

There are two sub-areas of the South Bay that really stand out when it comes to exclusivity based on home values. Rolling Hills is one of them as it has been the most expensive area to buy for the vast majority of the past 10 years. The other one, the Hill section of Manhattan Beach, has been gaining ground with higher appreciation rates over the years and had even enjoyed one year at the top of the most expensive area to buy list. This past year they essentially had the same median sales price. The Hill section, however, appears to have greater momentum moving into 2010 and may very well see sales prices recover to their peak of a few years ago a year or two before Rolling Hills does.

Sales in both areas have halved from the stellar year of 2002, when most sub-areas in the South Bay had record numbers of units sold. These areas also both saw their sales rise by about 50 percent from the rock-bottom year of 2008. They are two of only a handful or so of the 34 South Bay sub-areas that have had both an increase in number of homes and median sales price this past year.

A big difference between the two areas is that the Hill section of Manhattan Beach has attracted much more investment in the form of remodel dollars. This past year, about one in five homes sold in the Hill section were built in 2008 or in 2009. Not a single home in Rolling Hills was new. In fact, we see a similar pattern at the beginning of the decade as well. There were no new homes sold in Rolling Hills that year, while in the Hill section, 20 percent of the homes were new. This may very well explain why the Hill section has seen median sales prices grow more rapidly over the course of the decade.

By the numbers, in 2008 the median sales price in the Hill section was $2.3 M and climbed to just under $2.5 M last year. The number of sales of single family homes rose from 17 to 26 over the same period.

Visit us at Beachtime Realty

Search Manhattan Beach Homes