Happy 2012!

There are only a couple of Manhattan Beach homes holding open houses this weekend and neither is a new listing. But here is something to get you going on the weekends in the new year -

MB Post Brunch Service Starting January 2nd


MB Post has established a reputation for delicious bacon cheddar buttermilk biscuits. Those biscuits will make wonderful Eggs Benedict as the dinner service is expanded to Saturday and Sunday brunch, 10:30-3:00. (The brunch debut on  January 2nd is actually a holiday Monday.) Look for other delights like ricotta-stuffed French toast and pecan sticky buns. Yum!
MB Post Link

Leave a comment to share your favorite menu item(s) from MB Post.

No Open Houses This Weekend

Manhattan Beach Homes Open This Weekend (December 17-18, 2011)

There is just one new listing having an open house this weekend, leaving you plenty of time to do some holiday shopping. The parking meters are bagged in Manhattan Beach to encourage local shopping. Avoid the crush at the mall and big box stores; shop small at our local merchants to pick up a unique gift.

If one open house is not enough for you this weekend, see the Open House Lists to the right for other Manhattan Beach homes that will be open.

416 Highland Ave. #1 OPEN SAT & SUN 2-4 ($1,669,000, 3br/3.5ba, 2144sf, listed by Sabine Birkenfeld – Real Estate West). This townhome has Saltillo-type tile floors throughout, including the stairs. Each bedroom has an attached bath. (Finishes for the full baths are not as nice as you would expect in a newer Sand Section home.) On the garage level there is a bedroom and a laundry room. A small rear patio is accessible from the bedroom. On the middle level there are two more bedrooms, each with a balcony. There are ocean peeks from the front bedroom and balcony. The living room, dining room, kitchen and a half bath are on the top level. Ocean views from the living room and third-floor balcony are significant. According to the listing, deed restrictions for the neighboring property somewhat preserve northwest views. In addition to the main stairs, the three levels are also connected by exterior stairs at the rear and by a 3-stop dumbwaiter.

The 2-car garage has a storage room, slatwall and storage cabinets. There is also a carport. This detached townhome is one of two on the 3334 square-foot lot, just a couple blocks to the beach.  The listing shows that there are no HOA dues. This one is the front unit, with garage access from Highland. These townhomes were built in built 1994 and the kitchen has been updated since. It last sold in 2003 for $1,175,000.

If you are looking for a home in Manhattan Beach or the neighboring South Bay cities, I’d be pleased to help you find the right one. Call Janie Sue Nagy, 310-707-8762.

Weekend Open Houses (December 10-11, 2011)

Two new listings are holding open houses this weekend. For a list of other open houses, click the Open House Lists links to the right.

2909 Bayview Dr. OPEN SAT & SUN 1-4 ($2,299,000, 3br/3.5ba, 2458sf, listed by Jack Gillespie – South Bay Brokers). This home was built in 1987 and has beautiful custom finishes. The single family home is on a 1,757 square-foot half-lot. The entry floor has a nicely crafted inlaid stone medallion. A curved staircase leads down a half-flight to a bedroom which also has an exterior entry. Each bedroom has an attached bathroom. Up a half-flight is the master bedroom. It currently has an ocean view, because the older home to the west is not built to the full allowable height. The walk-in closet is up 2 steps. Slightly further up the staircase is the third bedroom. The living room, dining room, kitchen and half bath are on the top level. There are unblockable ocean views from the top floor, especially from the large deck off the living room. The kitchen has Viking appliances with a grey finish rather than ubiquitous stainless steel. A 2-car garage plus a carport provides parking, but parking for visitors will be a challenge. It last sold in 2006 for $2,150,000. Go see this one, it is not your typical half-lot home.

3405 Pacific Ave. OPEN SUN 2-4 ($1,639,000, 4br/3.5ba, 3218sf, listed by Bryn Stroyke – Stroyke Properties). This Tree Section home was built in 2006. The living room is the only room on the entry level. It opens to a small, private side patio. The dining room, kitchen, great room, half-bath, and a bedroom with bath are a few steps up. There are hardwood floors in the living areas. The Cape Cod styling features wainscoting and Carrara marble. The home has custom finishes and Viking Pro kitchen appliances. The kitchen also has a prep sink and pot filler. Upstairs there are 3 more bedrooms and a hall bath. A large area at the top of the stairs has been left open, but could be enclosed to create a fifth bedroom. The laundry room has space for stackable units. There is a small backyard (all patio and perimeter landscaping). The MLS pictures appear to be from an earlier listing, because the interior looked different during brokers open. The location of the 4,483 square-foot lot on busy Pacific Avenue near the refinery is not so hot, but the home is beautiful and the rooms are large. Go see this one too. It has other goodies like a filtered water system, two heating systems, and dual tank-less water heaters

In addition to these two homes, if you are looking for a lot in El Porto you can drive by a new listing at 212 38^th Place. The 1-bedroom, 1-bath house was built in 1921. The property is listed at $750,000, basically the value of the 1,355 square-foot half-lot.

For help purchasing your home in Manhattan Beach or surrounding cities, call Janie SueNagy 310.707.8762.

Annual Manhattan Beach Fireworks December 11th 7pm

This Sunday evening, December 11, bring your blanket and beach chair to occupy your spot on Manhattan Beach Boulevard. The 99% who love the annual Holiday Fireworks are planning to attend. The fireworks show will be choreographed to seasonal music, there will be no need for a human mic. Get there early, it is a popular event and good viewing spots are hard to find.

Activities begin with a Santa Claus float and the opening of the Snow Park at 4:00pm. Bring a picnic dinner (or get takeout from a local restaurant) and enjoy the music from 5:00pm until the fireworks start at 7:00pm.

Read more at >> http://www.mbfireworks.com/

2610 Pacific Sells After More Than A Year

After looking for a buyer for over a year, 2610 Pacific Avenue finally sold for $1,499,000. That is 28.6% lower than the 2005 sale price of $2,100,000. It was listed in July 2009 at that same 2005 price of $2,100,000. But the post-bubble market was not going for it. Regular reductions since then yielded a buyer in late October and the sale just closed.

The home was built in 2003 by Bill Paulsen on the 4,816 square-foot lot, it has the standard things you would expect of a newer Tree Section home. In addition, a few special items include the octagonal bedroom, a frosted stairway window, and the built-in barbecue. The small, low-maintenance back yard also features artificial turf. 

Weekend Open Houses (December 2-3, 2011)

If you don’t have enough to do this weekend and still need to find that unique holiday gift, Master Ceramist Frank Matranga is holding an open house studio pottery sale at his Manhattan Beach home:  118 N. Ardmore Ave (at the corner of 2nd Street), Saturday & Sunday 10am-4pm.

For the full list of Manhattan Beach homes holding open houses this weekend see the Open House Lists to the right. Several of the new listings, which will be open, are described below. These won’t be decorated like the homes on the Sandpipers HolidayHome Tour this weekend, but then tickets are not required either. The first two home were not open for brokers to preview, so you'll get the first chance to see them today. To view MLS data for the homes below, click this link. 

125 10th St. Open SAT 1:30-4:30 ($3,199,999, 6br/4ba (triplex), 3215sf, listed by Monique Pancake – Real Estate West). The listing includes lots of exterior photographs. Interior pictures are absent because the two lower units (2br/1ba each) are rented and the owner’s penthouse unit (2br/2ba) is still being sorted through. It was built in 1967 and is a trust sale.

Each rental unit has a balcony and the owner’s unit has two. There are panoramic ocean views from the top level. The open kitchen has been remodeled. Another room could be used as a third bedroom. The location is ideal, just a block to the beach and right downtown. The walk street-to-alley lot is 2,690 square feet. Parking issues are solved by a 7-car garage.

Properties like this are not available very often. But to put this one in perspective, a similar property at 133 6^th St. was offered for $3.75M and sold last July for $3.1M.

228 33rd St. Open SAT & SUN 2-4 ($1,750,000, 3br/2.5ba, 1825sf, listed by Jane Sager – Shorewood Realtors). This single family home was custom built in 1999. It is on a 1,353 square-foot half-lot near the top of a hill, providing white water views which are unobstructed by utility lines. Features include ocean view balconies, stainless appliances, stone & granite, steam shower, built-in office cabinets and an outdoor shower. Minimal landscaping maintenance is needed and it is just a few blocks to North Manhattan Beach shops and restaurants. This home last sold in 2005 for $1,630,000.

1202 Tennyson #1 Open SUN 2-4 ($769,000, 3br/2.5ba, 1755sf, listed by Mary Donahoe – South Bay Brokers).  This townhome was the model unit. It still shows like a model with designer paint colors, crown molding, hardwood floors and granite counters and it is move-in ready. Living areas are on the middle level with bedrooms on the top floor. Being the front unit, it shares just one wall with the adjacent townhome. Views from balconies on two levels are to the north and face single family residences, rather than the apartments and townhomes on either side. An alley behind the property provides access to the 3-car garage which is directly connected to the unit. The laundry room is on the garage level.

The eight-unit building was constructed in 2005 and is part of the 16-unit Tennyson Townhome HOA. This listing does not show HOA dues, but recent listings for other units indicate HOA dues of $186 per month. This unit last sold in 2007 for $915,000. Standard sales of other units in the building during the last year have been between $755,000 and $759,000.

9 Laguna Court Open SUN 1-4 ($749,000, 2br/2.5ba, 1557sf, listed by Amy Hackman – Coldwell Banker Residential). This Manhattan Village Plan 2 townhouse has been updated to sell. Some original 1984 features remain, but it has new carpet, fresh paint, brand new stainless steel appliances, and the original oak cabinets have been given a more contemporary dark stain. Carpet in the bathroom seems impractical, but at least it’s new. This townhome is move-in ready.  The private patio off the living room provides nice outdoor space. The 2-car garage is directly accessible. HOA dues are $475 per month and cover community recreational amenities and 24-hour community security.

If you’d like to buy a home and “Occupy Manhattan Beach” call Janie Sue Nagy, 310-707-8762.