Keith Kyle

The Fusion South Bay townhome complex in Hawthorne, just east of Manhattan Beach continues to offer some great opportunities for buyers priced out of some of the nearby communities of El Segundo, Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach. There are currently 4 units on the market with various layouts and sizes available. 2 of the homes are short sales priced at $399,000 which makes for a great opportunity to get a home in this 2006 built community. Both have multiple offers but haven't received approval from the banks and are still potentially available.

See our updated Fusion South Bay blog post for June 2009

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.comoffer 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

If you're like most people in the South Bay, the ultimate in beach living would be a home on the famous "Strand". The Strand is the oceanfront strip in both Hermosa and Manhattan Beach. Home offer panoramic views, ocean breezes, the sounds of crashing waves, and the beach as your front yard. The drawback is, of course, the price. Hermosa Beach Strand homes generally sell for the mid $4.0Ms for a tear down and can run over $10M for new construction on a larger lot.

Is there a way to enjoy oceanfront living for less?

The answer may lie in the "condo-hotel" known as The Beach House just off pier plaza. All 96 units are individually owned and can be used by the owner for up to 90 days a year. The on site management company uses them as rental hotel rooms for the rest of the year providing the owner with rental income to offset costs. The units are 439 feet and are located in one of two buildings. The original building is primarily oceanfront units with panoramic views of the beach, ocean, Palos Verdes and the pier. The other building is located just off of the Strand but enjoys an excellent location. The units are all fully furnished and offer an efficiency kitchen, 2 TVs, CD player/receiver, fireplace, living room with a pull out queen sofa sleeper, king bed, desk area, bath with soaking tub and separate shower.

There are very rarely units for sale but as of November 20 there are 3 units for sale. Visit www.SouthBayOceanFront.com to see all current Hermosa Beach Strand Homes and Beach House Strand Home.

Keith Kyle - Realtor, e-Pro - South Bay Brokers - 2501 N Sepulveda Blvd - Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 -310-251-2344

For real estate information, open houses, and FREE MLS access visit www.KeithKyleHomes.com

If you are a home buyer looking in Hermosa Beach you can visit our South Bay public open houses page for helpful information on dates, times and locations. Open houses are generally held from 1-4 on Saturdays and Sundays with new listings often open both days. The open house list is updated weekly and offers days and times for open houses in the sand section, Hermosa Valley, the Hermosa Hills (east of Sepulveda) and surrounding neighborhoods of Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach as well as the current Hermosa Beach home prices.

Keith Kyle - Realtor, e-Pro - South Bay Brokers- 2501 N Sepulveda Blvd Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 - 310-251-2344 - Keith.Kyle@SouthBayBrokers.com

For real estate information, open houses, and FREE MLS access visit www.KeithKyleHomes.com

For many people the South Bay and the town of Hermosa Beach conjure images of beautiful beaches, sunny days, and an active lifestyle. Those images are right on the mark and Hermosa Beach is a fantastic place to call home. If you are considering moving to the area and are looking for that ideal vacation home with panoramic views, dazzling sunsets and can't afford Strand prices, the condos/townhomes of Seaview Villas might be a great option. These homes have that true resort living feel where all it takes to unwind is a look outside the windows to enjoy stunning views and cool ocean breezes.

View from one of the homes in Seaview Villas

The location is towards the top of the area known as Hermosa Valley and the actual buildings are located at 736 Gould (see map). From the street the Seaview Villas aren't overly exciting, but walk through the door of one of the homes and you'll see what makes it so special.. The complex was built in 1980 with most of the units being extensively upgrades. The units are 2 and 3 bedrooms and range from about 1400 feet to over 1800 feet and most offer high ceilings, plenty of light, good sized kitchens....and that view.

For addtional information or to see what's currently for sale in the Seaview Villas contact me at:

Keith Kyle - Realtor, e-Pro - South Bay Brokers - 2501 N Sepulveda Blvd Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 - 310-251-2344 - Keith.Kyle@SouthBayBrokers.com

For real estate information, open houses, and FREE South Bay MLS access visit www.KeithKyleHomes.com

As many of my clients are from out of the area or out of state, they seem to have a notion that the South Bay is simply one big city and there aren't all that many differences between Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beachand Redondo Beach. The reality is that even within these cities the individual neighborhoods vary quite a bit. Due to the sheer size of the city, Redondo Beach is one of the more varied communities in the South Bay in terms of types of housing, size and age, and price.

The area just east of Hermosa and just South of Manhattan (see Golden Hills Map)is a hilly section of Redondo Beach known as the Golden Hills. Knowing the areas pros and cons is an important step in determining whether the Golden Hills is the right area for you. The homes in the area have a not entirely flattering nickname and are called "tall and skinnies". Drive down any street in the area and you'll see why. When the homes were originally built the area was subdivided into 25x100 foot lots. With no alleys in the rear, this means that the frontage of the home required a 2 car garage and as you'll notice, the homes look somewhat similar. So here's the pros and cons of the area.

Pros:

1. You get a bigger house for a lower price. Many of the homes in the area are in the 1700+ square foot range with spacious living rooms, open kitchens and good sized bedrooms.
2. Prices for these 1700+ square foot houses generally start in the high $600k range and newer, larger homes can sell for over $1,000,000.
3. Location is excellent. Being just east of Hermosa Beach, means that the Golden Hills is very close to the beach. Saying it's a walk or bike ride is a bit of a reach, but it's not far off. Being this close to the beach means cooler summers and warmer winters......and who doesn't like that.
4. Upgrades. Many of the homes in the area have been very nicely upgraded and well taken care of. Those that haven't can be purchased for an even greater discount.
5. Price. Look just west in Hermosa and the price jumps considerably. Try to find a home this size in other parts of Redondo and expect to pay $100k more.

Cons:

1. The biggest complaint that I get to the area is the bedroom configuration. With a 25 foot wide lot there's only so many options the original builders had. The general layout is living room (often with vaulted ceilings), kitchen and master bedroom upstairs, and garage and 2 bedrooms downstairs. The master on one level with the other bedrooms downstairs is often an obstacle with families with small kids or expectant parents.
2. Proximity to your neighbors. Again with lots 25 feet wide, and front doors usually needing to be on the side of the house due to the garage, don't generally mean much room between you and your neighbor.
3. Lack of street parking. With 2 car wide driveways in front of every 25 foot wide lot, it doesn't leave much room for curbs. On the other hand a two car garage plus 2 driveway spaces may make that a non factor.
4. Small yards. Generally these homes have a small yard in the rear without a front yard to speak of. Again this can be a positive or a negative, depending on your situation.

Overall the Golden Hills offers a great opportunity to own a good sized home, at a good price and just a short drive to the beach. See Recent Golden Hills home sales.

For more information on the area of Golden Hills or other neighborhoods in the South Bay, feel free to contact me.

Keith Kyle - Realtor, e-Pro - South Bay Brokers- 2501 N Sepulveda Blvd Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 310-251-2344 - Keith.Kyle@SouthBayBrokers.com

For real estate information, open houses, and FREE MLS access visit www.KeithKyleHomes.com