Palos Verdes Coastal Homes 310-493-8333: November 2011

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Palos Verdes Farmer's Market--Fresh, Fun and Fantastic Food

After my hike at Trump National, I decided to stop by the Palos Verdes Farmer's Market. I picked up some great hummus and Pita Bread and a few pear apples ( hybrids are all the rage in fruits as well as autos these days) and the most delicious barbecued chicken and rice with diced pineapples for a quick lunch before I headed to the carwash. Needless to say Sunday morning was active, productive and tasty!

If you've never shopped at the Palos Verdes Farmer's Market you are in for a treat. Stall after stall is filled with fresh from the earth goodness (vegetables and fruits galore) and beauty (fresh cut flowers and plants) plus there is music, entertainment and delicous street food. If you're looking for 'Made in America' this shopping extravaganza still has local soil clinging to the roots of many of the veggies.

Enjoy some local flavor and check out the Palos Verdes Famer's Market. Make sure you have room in your refrigerator as I'm sure you will come home with several bags of home grown goodness.

Norma Toering & Team RE/MAX Palos Verdes Realty
(310) 493-8333 / Office Phone: (310) 831-0800
PalosVerdesLifestyle- Nominated by Relocation.com as one of the top ten Los Angeles area real estate blogs. Chosen by MovingCost.com as one of the best Los Angeles realty blogs. Awarded 5 out of 5 stars by Lender411 blog review. Ranked by Technorati in the top 1% of all blogs. As seen in the Daily Breeze newspaper.
South Bay Los Angeles cities I sell real estate, property, houses and homes in: Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Long Beach, Torrance, Lomita, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach. Based on information from the Association of REALTORS®/Multiple Listing as of the initial date of this article/blog publication and /or other sources. Display of MLS data is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by the MLS. The Broker/Agent providing the information contained herein may or may not have been the Listing and/or Selling Agent.

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Palos Verdes Sellers, Your Home Is Needed Now

Yesterday, a fellow agent remarked, "I have three PV buyers and nothing to show them."

Her words may have been a bit of an exaggeration to drive home the point of extremely low inventory on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. There are currently only 247 single family homes for sale in the four cities that make up the Palos Verdes Peninsula--Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills and Rolling Hills Estates. Market conditions are lining up to signal it's a good time to sell.

If you're planning to list your property next spring you may want to reconsider the timing. Market conditions and personal choice determine timing not calendar month. The market is signaling now may be the most opportune time of the year to sell a Palos Verdes property. Local market statistics confirm my observation. There are currently 99 single family homes in escrow. At the current rate of absorption, and no new listings, inventory will be depleted in less than three months.

Timing may be the most underrated component of a successful sale. Location has long been touted as the kingpin. Price must be in line with market conditions. Preparation and presentation play a key role in attracting buyers. Timing the market is an art aspired to by many. It is tough and involves luck as well as skill. There will be always be unknown components, but having less competition for qualified buyers certainly tips the scales in favor of the seller.

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There's a View Waiting for You in Palos Verdes CA

As my tour bus snaked its way along the Amalfi Coast in Italy I listened to the other passengers ooh and aww over the amazing views, I thought to myself, reminds me of Palos Verdes. The Italian verison may be a little more dramatic with steeper hills and one-way roads with hairpin curves, but the high bluffs with blue water below share undeniable similarities.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as is the value of a view. This is one of the great puzzles of selling view homes on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. We have a plethora of views. There are varying degrees of views, there are up close and personal views and there are some homes with pastoral views (some buyers consider this a non-view when compared with a panoramic view). What's an agent to do when asked to place a value on a view?

The Views of Palos Verdes:The Queen's Necklace view is one of the most sought after on the entire Palos Verdes Peninsula. Many residents of Palos Verdes Estates are fortunate to enjoy this amazing sight from the comfort and convenience of their home. It is a combination of Pacific Ocean meeting the encircling lights of the Beach Cities and beyond all the way to Malibu. Toss in snow capped mountain in the background on a clear day and few would disagree this is a million dollar view.

The Blue Pacific and Catalina Island is another very popular view in Palos Verdes. A drive along Palos Verdes South will soon reveal why Lowe's chose to build one of the most spectacular resorts in Southern California overlooking this view. Terranea Resort adds a much needed hotel to the Palos Verdes Peninsula and the views are incredible and inspiring. Donald Trump's golf course is located nearby and enjoys similar breathtaking views.

City lights is an undeniably romantic view. The lights of the Los Angeles Basin and Los Angeles Harbor sparkle throughout the night and twinkle like millions of strands of holiday lights. Palos Verdes is affectionately referred to as "The Hill" by locals and nowhere is this more evident than when you are looking down at the glittering lights of the night.

Other views include coastline, whitewater, bluffs, hills, park, bridge and so much more. Some are from atop "The Hill" and others are so close you can almost dip your toes in the water or hear the surf. There is no doubt views add value to Palos Verdes Property. It also adds beauty, serenity and joy. Those intangibles may be one of the greatest gifts of owning property on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Norma Toering & Team RE/MAX Palos Verdes Realty
(310) 493-8333 / Office Phone: (310) 831-0800
PalosVerdesLifestyle- Nominated by Relocation.com as one of the top ten Los Angeles area real estate blogs. Chosen by MovingCost.com as one of the best Los Angeles realty blogs. Awarded 5 out of 5 stars by Lender411 blog review. Ranked by Technorati in the top 1% of all blogs. As seen in the Daily Breeze newspaper.

South Bay Los Angeles cities I sell real estate, property, houses and homes in: Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Long Beach, Torrance, Lomita, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach. Based on information from the Association of REALTORS®/Multiple Listing as of the initial date of this article/blog publication and /or other sources. Display of MLS data is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by the MLS. The Broker/Agent providing the information contained herein may or may not have been the Listing and/or Selling Agent.

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Selling Smart in a Soft Housing Market

There's a buyer waiting in the wings for every property. The catch is the property must be presented in a manner that will lure the prospective buyers out of shadows and convert them into a bonafide buyer, not a looker, not a tire kicker, but an actual offer-writing serious I-want-that-house committed consumer. To paraphrase Bette Davis, buying a house is not for sissies, quitters or the faint of heart.

Sellers, you are faced with a monumental task when the decision to sell is made. You have the commodity but it's up to you to make it enticing and irresistible enough for a buyer to part with his cash and commit to a monthly mortgage for the next thirty years that will consume a large portion of his family's discretionary income. A house is a big ticket purchase with inherent risks. If your property doesn't embed itself in their hearts and minds buyers will avoid making such a large life-altering decision.

How can a seller make his property the one that lingers in the buyer's mind long after the showing? Like cream, it must rise to the top. It can do this in many ways--some singular, but often by combining several buyer hot-buttons:

Does your house stand out or blend in with all the other homes for sale?

1) Price: There in no better way to grab buyers' attention than to offer the best price in the neighborhood. Every buyer wants outstanding value and your price does not need to be the lowest, but it must offer the best value.

2) Buzz: Every property needs it. Maybe it is a new razzle-dazzle kitchen, or new hardwood floors throughout or it could be a fantastic outdoor living area. Make sure to focus attention on what makes your property special and unique. Give buyers a reason to linger a bit longer and absorb the intangible as well as the tangible attributes of the home.

3) Leave the Lights On: Let buyers know they are welcome in your home. After all, you want them to think of it as potentially their home. Prepare for each showing as if a special guest is coming to visit. Fresh towels, spotless counters and all traces of felines and canines banished to a gated area or special "holding" room shows respect for prospective buyers.

4) Remove the Roadblocks: If your house is too difficult to show, you will miss showings and potential sales. Keep it simple with no elaborate alarm codes or "security" dogs--ask your agent to handle those tasks before the buyers arrive.

5) Let Your Motivation Show: It's okay for buyers to know you are motivated and not simply testing the market. Nothing turns a buyer off faster than hearing the seller doesn't have to sell unless he gets his way--meaning his price. Bullying tactics are a sure-fire way to get buyers to walk away. No one expects you to give your property away, but a little cooperation goes a long way on the road to sold, and that is the common goal shared by the buyer and the seller.

Selling a home need not be warfare. The goal is a peaceful exchange of the keys to the kingdom.

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Norma Toering's Malaga Cove Home Sales Report - Sept. 2011 - Palos Verdes Estates

Malaga Cove neighborhood real estate and home sales report for Palos Verdes Estates, CA in September 2011.
Norma Toering's Malaga Cove Neighborhood Insider's Tip: This neighborhood is home to RAT Beach, one of the most popular beaches with the locals.
Homes for sale: 12 Homes are listed for sale priced from $1,799,000 to $3,950,000.
Pending sales: 2 Houses are in escrow priced at $1,299,000 and $1,399,000.
September sales: 2 Homes sold in Sept. 2011:

Address	Sale Price	Bed/Bath	Sq. Feet.	Lot	Year Built	Days Listed
1625 Via Lazo	$1,125,000	4/2	1920	5472	1951	39
364 PV Drive West	$2,850,000	5/5	3900	6925	2010	262

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Life in Ladera Linda Neighborhood High Above Trump Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes

Located on the south side of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Ladera Linda enjoys one of the most favorable climates on "The Hill" and definitely some of the best panoramic ocean views. The Palos Verdes Drive South corridor has become the resort side of the Peninsula with the addition of Terranea Resort. Once known as the remote side, it is now the recreational and resort playground of Southern Los Angeles County.

Coastline taken from Ladera Linda Neighborhood

You'll be so busy checking out the panoramic ocean views and Trump National Golf Course you may miss the Ladera Linda neighborhood laced into the hillside high above Palos Verdes Drive South. You're not alone, many people new to the area are not familiar with the neighborhood since it has no through streets and all heads are usually turned toward the ocean on a drive through the neighborhood.

I've saved the best for last--even with its prime location it is still one of the most affordable areas on the south side of the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Check out these statistics for 2011 sales(YTD) in the Ladera Linda Neighborhood of Ranch Palos Verdes:
Heroic Drive: $715,00
Sea Raven Drive: $828,000
Vigilance Drive: $995,000
Sea Raven Drive: $1,050,000

Two homes are currently for sale in the Ladera Linda Neighborhood--listed for $900,000 and $919,000. Both homes have four bedrooms and two bathrooms. For more information contact Norma Toering & Team.

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