Yes, I'm the barefoot blogger! I like to blog early before my day fills up with appointments and my mind is preoccupied with other demands and details that must be handled. My real estate blogging career began in 2007, and I've written more than 4000 articles about real estate in the South Bay of Los Angeles.  I do it for future, present and past clients, but Josh and I find it an excellent way to keep our fingers on the pulse of the local real estate market.Josh and I maintain several niche blogs as well as our website and our oldest blog, Palos Verdes Lifestyle.  Is it a lot of work?  Yes, it requires hours of research and writing to stay abreast of the ever-changing local real estate market.We blog about neighborhood sales and listings.  We blog about the ins and outs of buying and s... 05/17/2015

There are 36 homes homes listed for sale in the City of Palos Verdes Estates at the end of April, which is 23% less than this time a year ago. The number of homes sold over the last 3 months, averaging 15 sales per month, is up 15% compared to the same period last year . This equates to about 2 months of inventory, based on the average sales per month over the last 3 months, historically very low. There are 22  homes in escrow at the end of April. Properly priced homes are often receiving multiple offers in this market.        The following is a list of the 17 homes sold in the City of Palos Verdes Estates during the month of April 2015:   The average price per square foot over the last 3 months has been $630 per sq. ft.   The average days on market for homes sold during last 3 months ... 05/14/2015

Fresh lemonade and blueberry scones on a patio table  As active member of the real estate community Josh and I are always opening and closing real estate transactions.  We often look back and reminiscence about our past sales.  Fortunately, we can often laugh at the potential deal breaker moments after the fact.  Buying or selling a house is similar to many other big moments in life--you usually don't make it through the journey without a few moments of stress, stalemate and even thoughts of calling it quits. Often a fortuitous event will have an inauspicious moment or two involved.  It is easy to ignore the overall achievement and focus on the angst, the problems, the wrangling and the hindsight of shoulda, woulda, coulda.  The dark moments can overshadow the accomplishment if the spo... 05/08/2015

This may be the most sought-after view on the entire Palos Verdes Peninsula.  It certainly "has it all" with the blue Pacific Ocean lapping the sand, mountains in the background and the sparkle of city lights at night. The photo was taken while touring a home in the hills above Malaga Cove neighborhood in Palos Verdes Estates. For more information about Palos Verdes view homes contact Norma or Josh Toering at Charlemagne Int'l Properties at 310 493 8333 or 310 525 9440.  You may also email us at ToeringandTeam@gmail.com. 04/25/2015

There isn’t a week, and sometimes a day, when I don’t learn something in this business.  Often it’s a lesson learned directly from a client.  That’s one of the great things about my business; I benefit from meeting folks from all walks of life and all professions.  It’s really quite remarkable and every transaction is different.  It’s what has made serving my clientele since 1980, truly a rewarding experience.Even though, the lessons learned are sometimes learned the hard way. Let’s take for example the lesson I learned this week.  We’ve all heard the expression, “… when you ‘assume’ something, you make an a** out of ‘u’ and ‘me’” So true.  I made assumptions this week about what a client of mine knew and didn’t know and those assumptions led to my client not getting a home they really ... 04/23/2015

The Valmonte area of Palos Verdes Estates ( Area 164 in map below ) had the following real estate market activity for single family residences during the 1st Quarter of 2015: Properties Sold: 12 ( A significant increase over the 4 homes sold during the 1st Quarter last year)       Average Sales Price of homes sold during 1st quarter:$ 1.4 million Properties for Sale as of 3/31/2015: 10. Based on average sales per month for the 1st quarter of 4 home sold, equal to between 2 and 3 months inventory. There are 5 properties in escrow as of the end of March.    Average List Price at 3/31/2015: $ 1.6 million Average Price per Sq. Ft. for Properties Sold during 1st Qtr: $ 639 per sq. ft.   Properties Sold for an average of 93% or original List Price    For more Palos Verdes real estate market r... 04/21/2015

The Malaga Cove area of Palos Verdes Estates (area 163 in map below) had the following real estate activity for single family residences during the 1st Quarter of 2015: Properties Sold: 1 Address                    Sales Price Bd Bth Sqft    $/Sq    Yr.Built ML#        Sold Date CDOM  2920 Via Campesina $3,225,000 5 6.00 3,873 $832.69 1959 PV14224811 2/13/15 116  Malaga Cove Homes Number of Properties Listed for sale as of 3/31/2015: 4 (4 months inventory based on the average monthly sales of 1 homes during the first quarter).      Average List Price at 03/31/2015: $3.3 million   Average Price per Sq. Ft. for Properties Sold during 1st quarter: $833 per sq. ft., however due to the small number of sales, the price per sq. ft. of homes sold fluctuates widely.              Properties sold ... 04/21/2015

Interest rates for buying a home on the Palos Verdes Peninsula remained steady this week..The following are excerpts from the newsletter on interest rates published by HSH Associates : "In an April valley between the market-moving monthly employment report (out on the first Friday of each month) and the next Federal Reserve Open Market Committee meeting (28th and 29th of this month) mortgage rates have been mostly listless and held fairly steady at 2015 or greater lows this week. In a period where each report continues to paint a picture of an economy in a muted growth pattern at best have come additional clues that the Fed remains undecided about making any change to policy anytime soon.  In March, the Fed dropped the use of the word "patient" when loosely describing the period of time... 04/18/2015

The Monte Malaga area of Palos Verdes Estates (area 162 in map below )had the following real estate market activity for single family residences during the 1st Quarter of 2015:   Properties Sold: 6 Average Sales Price of homes sold during 1st quarter: $4.7 million   Properties for Sale as of 3/31/2015: 13 ( Equal to about 6 months inventory based upon the first quarters average of 2 sales per month ). There are no properties in escrow as of the end of March 2015.      Average List Price at 3/31/2015: $4.9 million Average Price per Sq. Ft. for Properties Sold during 1st Qtr: $ 1,075 per sq. ft.due to one abnormally large sale in January.         Properties sold at an average of 95% of List Price and were on average on the market for approx. 3 to 5 months  For more Palos Verdes real estat... 04/14/2015

The Lunada Bay area of Palos Verdes Estates (area 160 in map below) had the following real estate market activity for single family residences during the 1st Quarter of 2015: Properties Sold: 16   Average Sales Price of homes sold during 1st quarter: $2.2 million Properties for Sale as of 3/31/15: 17 (equal to just over a 3 month inventory based upon average monthly sales of 5 for the 1st quarter). The number of homes for sale is down approx. 6% from a year ago          Average List Price at 3/31/15: $2.5 million Average Price per Sq. Ft. for Properties Sold during 1st quarter: $ 684 per sq. ft. ( an approx. 5% increase from the comparable period last year )       Properties sold at an average of 93% of List Price and took an average of 3-5 months to sell during the 1st Quarter.    Lun... 04/13/2015

Valmonte real estate and home sales report for Palos Verdes Estates during April 2015. View more articles on Valmonte, Palos Verdes Estates homes.Valmonte is famous for its tree-lined streets and sense of neighborhood. The location offers easy access to Torrance Beach and all the amenities of the beach cities of Redondo, Hermosa and Manhattan Beach. This Palos Verdes Estates neighborhood is great for walking and biking as the terrain is not as hilly as many Palos Verdes neighborhoods.Homes for sale in Valmonte, Palos Verdes Estates: (More houses for sale in Palos Verdes Estates)[idx-listings linkid="232394" count="45" showlargerphotos="true"]Homes currently in escrow in Valmonte:Homes that sold in the last year in Valmonte:Palos Verdes Housing Market Indicator - April 2015 04/11/2015

Malaga Cove real estate and home sales report for Palos Verdes Estates for April 2015. View more articles on Malaga Cove, Palos Verdes Estates homes.Malaga Cove is wonderful, luxury neighborhood in Palos Verdes Estates. It is one of the most historic areas of Palos Verdes with many buildings dating back to the original development in the 1920's. Homes in Malaga are sought after for the neighborhood character, proximity to the Beach Cities and the amazing views of the Pacific Ocean, the South Bay of Los Angeles and beyond.Homes for sale in Malaga Cove, PVE: (Show all Palos Verdes Estates homes for sale)[idx-listings linkid="232393" count="45" showlargerphotos="true"]Homes currently in escrow in Malaga Cove:Homes that sold in the last year in Malaga Cove:Palos Verdes Housing Market Indica... 04/11/2015

Monte Malaga real estate and home sales report for Palos Verdes Estates during April 2015. View more articles on Monte Malaga, Palos Verdes Estates homes.Monte Malaga is home to some of the most exquisite estates on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Although this Palos Verdes Estates neighborhood does not have ocean frontage it does command sweeping views from its location high amid the hills of Palos Verdes. The area is home to some of the most expensive homes on the hill.Homes for sale in Monte Malaga, Palos Verdes Estates: (See all homes for sale in Palos Verdes Estates CA)[idx-listings linkid="232392" count="45" showlargerphotos="true"]Homes currently in escrow in Monte Malaga:Homes that sold in the last year in Monte Malaga:Palos Verdes Housing Market Indicator - April 2015 04/11/2015

 Lunada Bay real estate and home sales report for Palos Verdes Estates during April 2015. View more articles on Lunada Bay, Palos Verdes Estates homes.Lunada Bay is a lovely coastal community in Palos Verdes Estates. It runs along the western ocean bluffs of the Pacific Ocean. The neighborhood is divided into two neighborhood by Palos Verdes Drive West. The area below and west of PVDW is known as lower Lunada Bay. The area is know for its charming tree-lined streets just a short stroll to the trails along the ocean, and for being one of the few neighborhoods in Palos Verdes with neighborhood schools within walking distance for most students. Palos Verdes High School and Lunada Bay Elementary are both located in lower Lunada Bay.Homes for sale in Lunada Bay, Palos Verdes Estates: (See al... 04/11/2015

The Palos Verdes Estates real estate market continues to be relatively strong. The number of homes listed for sale at the end of March of 42 is a 2% increase over this time last year. The average number of homes sold per month during the first quarter 2015 increased 9% compared to last year's first quarter, averaging 12 sales per month. This equates to about 3-4 months of inventory. The number of homes in escrow at the end of March is 18 homes.             The average price per square foot over the last 3 months has been $784 per sq. ft., an increase of approx. 19% over the comparable period last year. There was a significant bump in the price per sq. ft. of the 9 homes sold in January to $1,143 psf, which has now declined to $627 psf in March.   The average days on market for homes so... 04/10/2015

One of my clients asked me yesterday about whether or not I thought we were in another “price appreciation bubble” for Palos Verdes Estates home prices. Let’s get one thing clear here, I have no crystal ball and as they say, "past performance is no guaranty of future results"However, one of the benefits you have of choosing me as your broker is my experience and knowledge of the market based on facts. Here's an example of the kind of data at my finger tips that I use for my clients' benefitPalos Verdes Home PricesIf you look carefully, you will see that since the early 90s there have been 2 downturns in the market. And the appreciation cycles have been about 7-8 years or so. The up cycle we're in now is only 2 or 3 years young. What's even better is the supply side of the picture.Go to ... 04/08/2015

If you're searching for a Palos Verdes neighborhood filled with lots of trees, winding streets, storybook homes and yes, even a white picket fence, perhaps your house hunting efforts would be best spent in the Valmonte neighborhood in Palos Verdes Estates.   Every Tuesday Josh and I spend at least a couple hours touring new listings in Palos Verdes.  As we were leaving this Valmonte home, Josh snapped a photo that perfectly embodies the "spirit" of the Valmonte area.   If you're interested in selling or buying a home in the Valmonte neighborhood we would consider it an honor to help you realize your real estate goals.  You may reach us at 310.493.8333 or email us at ToeringandTeam@gmail.com.  Let's get started! 04/05/2015

I have a thing for windows with a view and this one did not disappoint!  It's even better if the window is open, like this one in a Malaga Cove home located in Palos Verdes Estates, CA. If you'd like to look through a window like this and see a similar view Josh and I can help you realize that real estate goal.  Email us at ToeringandTeam@gmail.com or call Charlemagne Int'l Properties at 310.493.8333.   04/04/2015

Some of the most elegant and expensive homes in Palos Verdes are located in the Monte Malaga neighborhood of Palos Verdes Estates. This photo shows the view from the New York Hill area of Monte Malaga. The Monte Malaga neighborhood is located high on the Palos Verdes Peninsula and overlooks the Malaga Cove neighborhood also located in Palos Verdes Estates.  Price range for homes in Monte Malaga currently range from $1,499,000 for a remodeled 3-bedroom house to $8,695,000 for a view estate located on Paseo La Cresta. Josh and I have ample opportunities to capture photos from all Palos Verdes neighborhoods when we are touring new listings.  Often, a photo is better than words when trying to describe features of a home or neighborhood. 04/03/2015

If you look closely you can see the layers of rock on the cliff in this photo taken in the Lunada Bay coastal community of Palos Verdes Estates, CA.  Those layers sometimes crumble and fall from moisture or weight, and is the reason there are warning signs not to venture too close to the edge of any of the cliffs and bluffs that tower above the Pacific Ocean as you circle the Palos Verdes Peninsula on Palos Verdes Drive.   The cliffs of Palos Verdes are an integral part of this coastal peninsula.  They add beauty, drama and danger to the area where land meets sea.  We may not have many beaches, but boy are we blessed with a plethora of bluffs!   If you're in the market to sell or buy a Palos Verdes home whether on the bluffs or not, contact Charlemagne Int'l Properties at 310. 493. 833... 04/01/2015