Category Archives: Uncategorized

Manhattan Beach Tree Section Home Coming Soon!

3 bedrooms, 2 baths, master suite, totally renovated, and UNDER $1 million.

Contact Us for more details.

On the minds of Seniors and Boomers everywhere is:  Where will I live?  Can I continue to live in my home when I am less mobile?  What if I need to move? Where would I go and still be a part of my community?

Well, WOW. . . we just saw the Perfect House for someone who has accessibility issues or simply wants to plan for the future – 2222 Hermosa Avenue, Hermosa Beach.

This is a beautiful home by Architect Louis Tomaro that has been substantially and tastefully remodeled for wheelchair accommodation.  The halls are wide, the bathrooms have walk in showers and plenty of space and there is a four-stop elevator, and the doors slide open and shut. The first floor bedroom has some unique customized handicapped features like a barrier-free ceiling lift that wraps around the king-sized bed, and around the entire master bath (see photo below).

photo credit: MLS

photo credit: MLS

One thing is for sure: the photos do not do this property justice! You must go and check out this remarkable home for yourself. The public open house is this weekend, Sunday, January 8, from 2-4pm.

Everyone loves a great surprise and Dave and I were treated to one last Friday night at Annette Gallardo’s South Bay School of Cooking.   It was a One Year Anniversary Celebration of her new location in Redondo Beach.  Her school has been open and serving up amazing cooking classes for over seven years, but she desperately needed a new, larger location.  Ok, I have to brag a little… I negotiated the lease for on this great spot and her business has just soared since then!!!  We love Annette and no surprise this was an evening filled with wonderful dishes, great friends, and good humor.  Sign up for one of her classes today – you will love it!

photo credit: South Bay School of Cooking

photo credit: South Bay School of Cooking & Scott Varley/Staff Photographer, Daily Breeze

Watch the video below to meet Annette! And be sure to visit her website for more information: www.southbayschoolofcooking.com

By the way, they’ve moved!  Their new location is:
South Bay School of Cooking
1951 Artesia Blvd.
Redondo Beach, CA  90278  

I love great architecture.  There is something amazing about exploring a home that has been beautifully designed and not just built.  Even if you are not particularly crazy about the style or decor of the home, you can still feel great design:  The structure has Life.  In Manhattan Beach, and the surrounding Beach Cities, it can be difficult to create original design that fits on our tiny lots.  A Sand Section home is typically 30′ x 90′ with only 6′ between you and your neighbors on each side; each home struggling to get in 3+ garage spaces, at least 3 bedrooms and 3 baths, a great kitchen, open family room and, of course, working in windows and/or decks anywhere you can get a glimpse of the ocean.  Fitting all of this into three stories with a stairwell and possibly an elevator and constrained by Code requirements seems to defy creativity.  However, it can be done with the vision of an amazing architect– to my mind they are artists – engineers – social ecologist all rolled into one.   The attached article caught my attention today as we near the end of 2011.  I look forward to what is in store for 2012 and what beautiful designs lay ahead. I look back at 2011 to several homes that sold this past year that have Life.

See the Wall Street Journal article on Local Architects and a few examples of our South Bay architecture below

Just got back from Friday’s Brokers’ Open House tour.  It was a short tour as there are very few new listings.  We have buyers backed up waiting for that great house to pop up on the market, but new listings are coming out at a trickle pace.  However, there were several new gems featured on the open house tour.  The one we think is a real find is in the  “Mira Costa area.”  One of the major benefits of this neighborhood is the large lots, many of which are 50′ wide and 150′ deep.  The result is a very nice size home and a yard – a feature you don’t often get in the “Sand”‘ or “Tree Section.” Also, if you have kids in, or soon to attend, Mira Costa High School, it is great to be within walking distance.

So why feature this house?  It is a unique design, which is a refreshing change from the standard issue 3,000-3,500 square foot homes built over the last 10 years. The vaulted ceilings and the stone fireplace in the living room set the tone from the moment you walk in the door.  The interior is reminiscent of The Ahwahnee Hotel with a bookcase crammed with good reads and large leather chairs perfect for a good curl up.  The kitchen is rich in finishes and well placed and there is a wonderful office/den space off the kitchen and family room area. Yard? Yep, a big one.  Upstairs the master bedroom is truly a retreat with two additional large bedrooms.  At $1,525,000 we think it is a value.  Take a look – you might be surprised, but you won’t be disappointed!

At a business related social event last week, I was speaking with a Mom of a 2 1/2-year-old. She found out that I live in Manhattan Beach and she immediately started quizzing me on the different neighborhoods, schools, community, etc.  Why?  She had been to Noah’s Bagels in downtown Manhattan Beach on a Saturday and could not believe the number of families and kids swarming around the downtown area. To a Mom of a very busy toddler this was playdate Heaven and she wants to move here!

She is not alone, Manhattan Beach is ranked 3rd in the State for K-12 schools based on the Star Testing. Forbes rated the Manhattan Beach #1 in its article The Best Schools for Your Real Estate Buck.  The School District is strongly supported by the Manhattan Beach Ed Foundation.  Also the Community, at large, is hugely supportive of the schools.  Just this month our local TEDx-Manhattan Beach organization is holding a day of Transforming Learning on October 22, 2011 – featuring 20 speakers at the forefront of thought leadership in Education-Tickets on sale now!

If that is not enough, the City of Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation Department offers an overwhelming number of classes for kids of all ages.  The City holds great family community events.  This month checkout The World Famous Pumpkin Race held each year at the Manhattan Beach Pier!

All this bundled with beautiful beaches, amazingly friendly people and incredible homes – for all family sizes!

Interested in learning more?  Give us a call or post a comment! OR Grab a pumpkin and we’ll see you at the races!