Manhattan Beach Open Houses (October 29-30, 2011)

If you can tear yourself away from the Pumpkin Races this Sunday, there are a few new listings hosting an open house. This week the newly-listed open houses are dominated by townhomes. The homes reviewed below are recent listings that will be open to the public this weekend. To see a list of other open houses in Manhattan Beach, click the Open House Lists links to the right. 

To see the Multiple Listing descriptions and additional pictures for the homes below, click this link.

224 21st St. Open SUN 2-4 ($1,399,000, 3br/2.5ba, 1647sf, listed by Kathleen Markowski – South Bay Brokers).  This attached, two-on-a-lot townhome is just west of Highland. It was built in 1984. Exposed beam ceilings, arched doorways, and painted tiles carry the Mission Style throughout the home. The bottom floor has a 3-car garage, laundry room, and bonus room. On the entry (middle) level there are 3 bedrooms. There is an ocean peek from the balcony off the master bedroom. The top floor has an open living room, dining room and eat-in kitchen. The small balcony off the living room has ocean views to the northwest. It is just a block and a half to the beach and a short walk to downtown Manhattan Beach. HOA fees are $1400 per year. The attached townhome that faces 20^th Place sold as a short sale for $1,312,000 last April.

1 Evergreen Ln. Open SUN 1-4 ($1,249,000, 4br/2.5ba, 2400sf, listed by Leah Abraham – Beach City Brokers).  This Plan 8F townhome has a great location on the corner of Evergreen Lane and Village Circle Drive. The open frontage along Village Circle gives it a feel more like a single family home than a townhome. The mature trees give it privacy. The home was built in 1985 and has been remodeled with a designer’s touch using high quality materials and appliances. For this floor plan, a master bedroom suite is on the ground floor. Both the master bedroom and family room have French doors to the patio. The private flagstone patio area is beautifully landscaped.  Upstairs there are 3 more bedrooms and an office. HOA dues are $475 per month and include Manhattan Village community amenities. Another Plan 8F townhome sold in May for $1,240,000. It was on the golf course, but the interior design was not as tasteful as in this home.

330 41st St. #G Open SUN 2-5 ($849,000, 2br/2.5ba, 1230sf, listed by Margaret Gazey – Re/Max Execs Santa Monica). This El Porto townhome was built in 1986. It is one of 8 units in the development. This one is an end unit on the corner of Highland Ave. and Kelp St. There are 2 bedrooms, each with an attached bath on the entry level. The entry and first floor hall are Italian marble. The washer and dryer are in individual closets across the hall from each other. The Master bedroom at the front of the building has ocean views. On the second level, there are ocean views from the living area and deck. The dining area and open kitchen have hardwood floors and are a few steps up from the living room. It is move-in ready and just two blocks to the beach.

Entrance to the shared, gated parking garage is off Highland. This unit is allocated 3 spaces. There are 4 guest parking spaces shared by the townhomes on Crest. HOA dues are $223 per month. This unit last sold in 2006 for $875,000. Unit #D, a similar unit, sold over list price in just 15 days for $815,000 this past July.

1319 Manhattan Beach Blvd. Open SAT & SUN 1-4 ($749,000, 3br/2.5ba, 1971sf, listed by Mike Baker – Re/Max Beach Cities).   This townhome is the middle unit of a 3-unit building that was built in 1993. It has an attached 2-car garage plus a single-car garage and space for another car in front of the garage. The bedrooms are up a few steps from the entry on the middle level. The master and another bedroom have shared access to a balcony. Living areas on the top floor have a view to the East. There is an entertaining bar area that is open to the living room with access to another balcony. A dumbwaiter connects the garage level to the kitchen. The home has been nicely updated with granite counters and hardwood floors. HOA fees are $155 per month.

1716 Marine Ave. Open SUN 1-4 ($725,000, 3br/1.5ba, 1157sf, listed by Ross Cohan – Shorewood Realtors).  If you’d like to have a backyard, go see this single family home in Liberty Village. The 5,066 square-foot lot includes both front and back yards with grass. This section of Marine is a busy, divided street and the home is across from Marine Avenue Park and youth sports fields. Some of the single-level, 1954 home is original, like the eat-in kitchen, but the baths have been remodeled and the home has been maintained over the years. It has new carpet and paint, with wood floors under the carpet.

Planning to buy or sell a home in the South Bay? Please consider using Janie Sue Nagy as your agent.

How not to sell a house

If you don’t really want to sell your home, here are the steps to go through the motions of listing the home, without really trying to entice anyone to buy it:

1. Don’t provide any pictures. However, the Multiple Listing Service requires at least one exterior shot. So, take a blurry picture of the whole neighborhood, that way buyers can’t really tell what the home looks like.

2. Don’t let anyone tour the home until their offer is accepted: no broker opens, no open houses, and no showing appointments. (To a certain extent, this is understandable when the property is tenant-occupied, but not so much when the sellers live there.)

3. Make potential buyers jump through hoops to submit an offer, by documenting their financial worthiness with a cover page, pre-approval letter, proof of funds, FICO scores, and a copy of their deposit check in the prescribed format.

4. Make it a short sale, so buyers have no idea if and when it will ever close, and under what terms. Plus it discourages the buyers’ agent with the prospect of a reduced commission.

5. Hire an agent from out of the area. A well-connected local agent might encourage their colleagues to promote the home to their buyers.

6. Do not list at a discounted price and do not lower the price. If it was a real deal, someone might bother to actually submit an offer.

We are not naming names, but take a peek at the listing for 29 Village Circle in Manhattan Village (ML# 11540667). This plan did not work perfectly and there was an accepted offer in August. But it is back on the market.

If any of you potential buyers think the price is compelling and you are willing to deal with the uncertainty of a short sale, by all means make the effort to talk your way through the guarded community gate to drive by and maybe get a peek at the exterior and neighborhood. If you like what you see, go ahead and get your financial résumé  ready. If the sellers like what they see and accept your offer (subject to lender approval of course), then you can continue the game and see the interior. If you don’t really want to buy as much as they don’t really want to sell, it could be fun.

Pumpkin Races & Pier To Pier Walk This Sunday

Enjoy the thrills and spills of the 21st Annual World Famous Pumpkin Race at the Manhattan Beach Pumpkin Race Festival on Sunday, October 30, 2011 from noon to 6:00pm at the pier in Manhattan Beach, CA.

Invented in Manhattan Beach in 1990, this national award-winning event brings families and communities together for a celebration of creativity, ingenuity, diversity and fair play.

For the celebration, the Manhattan Beach Pier area will be transformed into a Halloween Fall Harvest setting called Pumpkinrace Land. Come in costume (or not) and bring your best racing pumpkin. But you've got to follow the official rules for making your own Pumpkin Race car posted at http://www.pumpkinrace.com/. Cheaters never prosper!

The events of the day begin with the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk, which benefits The Friendship Circle, Manhattan Beach Educational Foundation, Torrance Educational Foundation, El Segundo Educational Foundation, Hermosa Beach Educational Foundation, Peninsula Educational Foundation, and Redondo Beach Educational Foundation. You can choose which organization receives your contribution.


SKECHERS Pier to Pier Friendship Walk
• 8:00am Pier To Pier Walk Check-in and Registration Exhibitions and Fun Zone

• 9:00am Opening Ceremonies and Pier To Pier Walk Begins


World Famous Pumpkin Race
• 12:00pm - 4:00pm Pumpkin Race Qualifying Races (Open to everyone. No registration needed.)

• 2:30pm - 2:45pm Pumpkin Race Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

• 3:00pm - 4:00pm Kids Costume Parade

• 4:00pm - 6:00pm Pumpkin Race Finals

Stanley Cup winner Oleg Tverdovsky sold his Manhattan Beach house

As of October 20, 2011, Oleg Tverdovsky is a former Manhattan Beach homeowner. His house at 3104 Maple Avenue sold for $2,050,954 (according to tax records). He purchased the newly built, 5-bedroom, 4-bath home in 2007 for $2,490,000.

For more information, see the L.A. Times article. But note, that article has an incorrent sale price. It appears to attribute the sale price of another home sold in September by the same listing agent to Tverdovsky's home.

What are those lines of triangles on Manhattan Beach Boulevard?

Have you noticed the line of white triangles painted across Manhattan Beach Boulevard near Harkness Street? These were added not too long ago. I had not seen this type of street marking before and inquiring minds just NEED to know about such things.


According to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), it is called a “Yield Line.” They are used to alert drivers to exercise caution in areas where they may need to yield the right-of-way, such as a non-intersection pedestrian crossing, like we have at Harkness. I guess the signs about yielding to pedestrians were not enough.

Newly Listed Open Houses (October 22-23, 2011)

New listings usually slow and inventory tends to shrink toward the end of the year, but we are still seeing homes come to the market. These homes below are recent listings that will be open to the public this weekend. To see a list of other open houses in Manhattan Beach, click the Open House Lists links to the right.

To see the Multiple Listing descriptions and additional pictures for the homes below, click this link.

2800 Palm Ave Open SAT 2-4 ($2,299,000, 6br/4.5ba, 4225sf, listed by Rosemarie Cerda-Jones – Shorewood Realtors). This Tree Section property has been on the market about two and a half months, but this is its first public open house. It is down from a debut price of $2,420,000.

The home was built in 1991 when you could still build a huge home on a 4638 square-foot lot. There are about 500 square-feet of additional space in a non-permitted bonus room and half bath. The main (middle) level offers spacious entertaining areas, both formal and informal. A large balcony off the living room at the front of the house provides nice outdoor space to take in the sunset. The modern kitchen comes with Viking and Sub Zero appliances. With 6 bedrooms there is plenty of space for an office, library, project room, guest/nanny/in-law room, you-name-it room. On the upper level, the master bedroom has an adjoining sitting room with a shared fireplace. The back yard is paved with perimeter landscaping. If you are looking for a big, 3-level Tree Section home, this could be the one for you.

1601 Pine Ave. Open SAT & SUN 1-4 ($1,799,000, 5br/4.5ba, 3000sf, listed by Raju Chhabria – Shorewood Realtors). Another of the new 2011 Tree Section homes will be open for viewing. This one is the colonial style model on a 4,200 square-foot lot. This one and its neighbor at 1605 are about 200sf smaller than the others and you can feel it in the living room. If you are looking for a brand new home, go see this one. For those of you keeping track of these new homes with very similar floor plans, here is the current status:

• 1601 Pine $1.799M 3000sf Colonial home / 4200sf lot
• 1605 Pine $1.799M 3000sf Mediterranean home / 4200sf lot
• 2610 Maple $1.899M 3200sf Mediterranean home / 4640sf lot
• 3613 Maple $1.599M 3xxxsf Mediterranean home / 4643sf lot
• 2600 Pine $1.899M 3200sf Colonial home / 4480sf lot
• 2516 Pine $1.899M 3200sf Mediterranean home / 4480sf lot – accepting back-up offers

1832 8th St. Open SAT & SUN 1-4 ($1,795,000, 5br/4.5ba, 4284sf, listed by Carol Olney – Keller Williams Beach Cities). This Mira Costa Section home is very big. Perhaps the size is accentuated by the light walls throughout, but it feels huge. The ceilings are high on both levels and the rooms are large. The home was custom built in 2004. There is a butler’s pantry connecting the dining room and gourmet kitchen. One of the bedrooms is downstairs and has an attached full bath.

The 7503 square-foot lot provides a big grassy back yard too. The garage holds 3 cars, including one tandem spot. The location, about a half block west of Aviation Blvd, allows you to have the big lot and big, newer home for much less than the other large home on Palm (above). Except for some buckled carpet that will need attention, it is move-in ready.

1622 10th St. Open SAT & SUN 1-4 ($1,525,000, 4br/3.5ba, 3489sf, listed by Sheri Fejeran & Julie Lyon – RE/MAX – Beach Cities). Another Mira Costa Section home on a 7500 square-foot lot, this home was built in 1985 and has been updated since. The foyer features a granite waterfall. The location of the stairs requires a bridge to reach the second floor rooms. Upstairs at the front of the house there is a large family or game room with balcony access. The master and two other bedrooms are also upstairs. The placement of the tub in the master bath is unusual. You enter from the narrow end, since the longer side abuts the glass wall of the shower.

One of the bedrooms is on the first floor. The remodeled kitchen has Viking & Sub Zero appliances, a prep sink and a large walk-in pantry. Off the family room, there is a separate open, step-down room with a wet bar. The home is comprised of an assortment of design styles, but overall it is attractive.

The large back yard is equally divided between a paved area (with above ground spa and fire pit) and a grassy area (with mature lemon and lime trees). The patio includes a built-in barbecue and refrigerator.

1601 Wendy Way Open SUN 2-4 ($899,000, 3br/2ba, 1362 sf, listed by Colleen & Tim McGuire – RE/MAX Beach Cities). The original home was built in 1950 with 3 bedrooms and a hall bath. Over the years a family room has been added and a ¾ bath. The home has been nicely updated with designer paint colors, crown molding, refinished hardwood floors, a remodeled kitchen and baths, newer forced air heating and air conditioning (rare for the South Bay). This cute starter home is move-in ready. The 5406 square-foot lot leaves room for the fenced front yard, a rear patio and grassy area, and a detached 2-car garage. It is on the “good side” of Wendy Way. Go see it.

Planning to buy or sell a South Bay home? Contact Janie Sue Nagy to represent your interests.

Manhattan Beach Open Houses (New Listings) October 15-16, 2011

These newly-listed Manhattan Beach homes will be open to the public this weekend. To see additional Manhattan Beach open houses, use the links to the right.

For more pictures and information about the homes below, click this MLS link. If you visit these homes, we'd love to know what you think. Please share your opinion as a comment.

510 N. Poinsettia Ave. Open SAT & SUN 1-4 ($3,499,000, 5br/4.5ba, 4305sf, listed by Stan Liosis & Darryl Rosen – Shorewood Realtors). This Hill Section home was custom built in 2002 on the 6,501 square-foot lot. You can see the ocean from the living areas and balcony on the second floor. Four bedrooms are on the entry level. A guest bedroom with attached bath is upstairs. There is a main staircase in the front of the house and a second staircase at the back. The 3-car garage has one tandem space. In the kitchen, a double door Sub-Zero refrigerator is concealed behind cabinet panels. The home has many fine finishes, some of which are featured in the MLS photos. Both front and rear yards are beautifully landscaped. Payment has already been made for placing the utilities underground in this area. This one is gorgeous - go see it.

88 Manhattan Ave. Open SUN 1-4 ($1,899,000, 3br/3.5ba, 2157sf, listed by Giovanni Altamura – South Bay Brokers). This home was last offered for sale about this time last year. Not much has changed (except the price is up $100K), so I’m recycling my review from last year. This contemporary townhome, just a couple blocks from the beach, has white water views as well as panoramic ocean views. It is a detached, 2-on-a-lot townhome, designed by architect Pat Killen and built in 1996. The two-story waterfall in the entry makes a strong design statement. The remodeled kitchen has top-of-the-line stainless appliances and lots of counter/storage space. Each of the 3 bedrooms on the entry level has its own bath. There are cedar-lined closets and a dumbwaiter. The laundry room is on the garage level. The shared space between the townhomes is separated into individual patio areas by fences. There are no HOA dues. This home last sold in 2007 for $2.2 million. This is the fourth time it has been listed for sale since March 2009. It is a very nice home in a desirable location - definitely worth a visit.

1623 6th St. Open SAT & SUN 2-5 ($1,859,000, 6br/4ba, 4964sf, listed by Marie Gemma – Coldwell Banker-PV/Beach Cities). If you need a BIG house, this is the one for you. As the other homes on this block, it was built in 1990 on land that used to be Manhattan Heights Elementary School. This home last sold in 2007 for $1,675,000. Since then, carpeting up the stairs and on the second level has been replaced with hardwood flooring. Upstairs there is a huge master bedroom (32’x25’) with a corner carved out for a balcony. Another full-sized bedroom next to the master has an adjoining door and would work well as an office or nursery. At the other end of the hall there are 3 more bedrooms. One has an attached bath. The other 2 share a hall bath. Part of the upper hall is widened and is used currently as a game area. On the first level there is another bedroom and guest bathroom. The bathrooms, fireplaces and banisters are vintage 1990 and several of the closets have had their doors removed. A central area on the first floor is configured as an entertaining bar, like a mini-kitchen or wraparound wet bar. It is open to the sunken living room and connects to the kitchen. The living room, dining room and family room are all oversized. Even the kitchen has a large eating area. There are fireplaces in the living room, family room and master bedroom. The laundry room is on the first floor. There is direct access to the 3-car garage from the home. The backyard has a large grassy area, a patio with built-in barbecue, and fruit trees. Best of all, the entry gate requires a key, so you can keep all those pesky solicitors from your door.

3 Nantucket Pl. Open SUN 1-4 ($1,169,000, 3br/3ba, 1820sf, listed by Nina Michaels – South Bay Brokers). This Manhattan Village Plan 6 townhome is nicer than most. The kitchen, master bath, fireplace and floors throughout have been updated to a more recent aesthetic. The master and another bedroom with its own bath are on the second level. On the first floor, there is a guest bedroom, which has been converted to an office with a wall of built-ins. There is also a full bath on the first floor. The kitchen has been redone with marble counters and high-end stainless appliances. A private patio at the back provides outdoor space. This townhome last sold in 2008 for $1,140,000. HOA fees are $475 per month. Go see this one – just tell the guard at the gate you are there to see the open house and then follow the signs.

1228 11th St. Open SAT 2-4 & SUN 1-4 ($1,099,950, 4br/3ba, 2486 sf, listed by David Keller – Shorewood Realtors). This home was not available to preview, so I’ve excerpted the description from the MLS. “Originally built in 1951 as a duplex - remodeled and converted to a SFR in 1975 then 1000 sqft added in back and 2nd story in 1980 plus a new oversized garage at that time. … The back yard has plenty of room for kids and dogs (there is already a "vintage clubhouse" think our gang) and a host of fruit trees. … The Family Room is HUGE … and leads to the back yard. The upstairs Master suite is also equally HUGE as its above the Family Room. Fam Rm has a gas log stove and the front living room has a wood and gas burning fireplace. … The Roof was replaced in 2005 and a new Furnace in 2004 The rear balcony was rebuilt just this year.” It is next door to 1220 11th St. which sold for $836,000 in August. That represents the dirt value for the 7500 square-foot lot.

1460 6th St. Open SUN 2-5 ($1,069,000, 3br/2ba, 1938sf, listed by Ben Vicini – Shorewood Realtors). This property has a nice large, 7500 square-foot lot with a pool and in-ground spa. But a buyer will need to love the adobe and exposed beam construction or be willing to build something new. The home was built in 1948 and all the walls are painted brick, both inside and out. Almost every room has an exterior door, though there is no true “front door.” French doors (with etched glass panes) lead from the driveway to the dining area and the living room. The master bedroom is off the living room at the front of the house. It has a walk-in closet and ¾ bath. At the back of the house, past the kitchen and dining area are two more bedrooms and a hall bath. The hall bath has a tiled tub. Each rear bedroom has a rounded corner fireplace (see MLS pictures). Laundry hook-ups are in the closet of one of the rear bedrooms. The landscaping needs attention, but it has potential. Behind the gated entrance, large concrete squares form the driveway to a 2-car garage at the back of the property.

3528 Poinsettia Ave. Open SAT & SUN 1-4 ($975,000, 3br/1ba, 1203sf, listed by Kurt Allen & Judy D’Angelo – South Bay Brokers). The main home has 2 bedrooms and a hall bath. The detached, 2-car garage has been converted to a guest room (aka third bedroom) with a refrigerator and laundry hook-ups in the closet. The converted garage gets lots of light from the large west-facing windows and doors. The kitchen has been nicely remodeled. The hall bath has also been updated, but still has the original tub. The hall linen closet is also original to the home, which was built in 1952. The hardwood floors have been refinished and look good. About half of the back yard is paved with bricks. It includes an outdoor shower, built-in barbecue and an above ground spa. The spa is offered in “as-is” condition, without warranty. The 4,640 sf lot slopes up toward the back. The upper area of the back yard, extending behind the garage is covered by an older type of artificial grass. This home last sold in 2007 for $1,260,000.

If you’d like help finding and purchasing your home in Manhattan Beach (or surrounding cities) please contact Janie Sue Nagy.

Weekend Open Houses October 8-9, 2011

The homes featured below are new listings that will be open this weekend. The Open House Lists to the right include other Manhattan Beach homes that will be open to the public this weekend.

For additional pictures and information about the homes below, click this MLS link. We’d love to hear what you think of these homes. Feel free to leave a comment.

636 30th St. Open SAT & SUN 1-4 ($1,699,000, 4br/3.5ba, 3540sf, listed by Jack Gillespie – South Bay Brokers). This home was custom built by the current owners in 1992. The lot is 4,805 square feet. The back yard has a grassy area as well as a large patio area and outdoor bar with a built-in barbecue. The nicely landscaped back yard includes a fountain. The covered portion of the patio has a fireplace and flat screen TV. Inside, the large gourmet kitchen has a breakfast area and opens to the family room. The dining room has recessed, glass-fronted shelves. A half bath on the main level has been remodeled with a vessel sink. New hardwood floors have been added on the main level in the last 2 years. Stairs lead up to a loft office area. Toward the front of the house there is a bedroom with attached bath. Past the office, toward the back of the house are two more bedrooms, each has a built-in desk and upper cabinets. There is a hall bath. At the back of the house, the master bedroom has a fireplace, balcony and large walk-in closet. The master also has a raised area of floor beneath the bed.

1451 5th St. Open SUN 2-5 ($1,639,000, 5br/4ba, 3750sf, listed by Dennis Moloney – Shorewood Realtors). This spec home was built in 1992 and has had just one owner since then. It is on a large (7500sf), flat lot. The back yard has a big grassy area plus a pool and spa. The 3-car garage can be accessed directly. Upstairs the very large master bedroom has his and hers walk-in closets and a balcony overlooking the back yard. There are two more bedrooms, an office and two full baths upstairs, off the hall. There is another bedroom and a ¾ bath on the main level. The home has three fireplaces: in the living room, family room and master bedroom. The kitchen has been upgraded, but the baths appear to have the original tile.

1420 12th St. #2 Open SUN 2-4 ($645,500, 3br/2.5ba, 1408sf, listed Colleen McGuire – RE/MAX Beach Cities). This townhome is one of 4 attached units built in 1984. HOA fees are $300/month. The laundry area is in the attached 2-car garage. The kitchen and open dining/living areas are on the second level. There are also 2 balconies on the second level, a large one off the kitchen and another off the dining area. The top level has 3 bedrooms. The master has an attached bath and there is a hall bath. New windows and maple floors have been added. It also has air conditioning and a wood-burning fireplace.

Maybe this one will have better luck than Unit 1, which was listed at $699,000 in November 2010. Unit 1 was reduced to $679,000 in April 2011 and taken off the market without selling in August 2011. Unit 3 sold in 2009 for $675,000.

If you are thinking about buying or selling a home in Manhattan Beach, please consider using Janie Sue Nagy as your agent.