The Buyer’s Guide is meant to provide a current market snapshot of their local area of business in the state of California as seen from the perspective of a buyer. Click below:

REDONDO BEACH

HERMOSA BEACH

MANHATTAN BEACH

# Homes for Sale: Number of active listings or homes available for sale during the month.

Median Price: The median price of Single-Family Residence (SFR) homes and Condos with a status of “Active” during the month by product type (1br, 2br, 3br, 4+br).

Median Days on Market: The median of the number of days properties were on the market before going Pending.

Monthly Payment: The estimated monthly mortgage payment assuming a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) at the current interest rate. Payment also includes an assumption of 1.38% for property taxes and insurance.

Down Payment: The amount in USD $ necessary to cover the required 3% or 20% down payment in order to purchase the median priced home by product type (1br, 2br, 3br, 4+br).

Interest Rates: The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) charged for borrowing a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage according to Freddie Mac.

Looking to purchase a new home in Redondo Beach?

Thomas James Homes is building TEN brand-new two-on-a-lot townhomes in North Redondo Beach.

Each townhome features:
– Farmhouse Architecture
– 4 bedrooms
– 4 bathrooms
– 2,400 square feet
– indoor-outdoor living
– high-end appliances
– high ceilings, and;
– expansive kitchens.

The units are all currently under construction; should you purchase a unit today, you can potentially have direct input on finishings and design features!

All units are offered at $1,550,000.

1907 Plant Ave Unit A & B
2017 Plant Ave Unit A & B
1927 Nelson Ave Unit A & B
2005 Curtis Ave Unit A & B
2420 Huntington Ave Unit A & B

Call me today at (310) 595-6774 and get in front of the line!

New construction in Redondo Beach has been moving quickly!

Living Back to Nature

‘Back to Nature’ is a strong trend in all aspects of our modern times and it clearly shows in home architecture and design. A house in the suburbs is a hot commodity on the real estate markets nowadays because it offers more opportunities to enjoy open spaces and natural environments, without compromising on modern amenities. More and more homeowners tend to introduce original seamless indoor-outdoor transition options in search of a closer connection with nature. 

Old or new, every house, with even a small plot of land, provides various interior-exterior connection opportunities. Building a transitional space between the outside and inside of the house may seem a professional designer-only job, yet there are a few tricks that can be easily implemented to achieve a beautiful and functional seamless indoor-outdoor transition. 

If you find yourself less than motivated to be in your outdoor space or it’s not screaming impromptu BBQs or intimate dinner parties with family and friends, think about improving or adding a patio, porch, or deck. By using the most basic architectural devices—columns, rafters, walls, and floor planes—these indoor-outdoor buffer zones can be designed to feel every bit a part of the architecture. From the tightly controlled, like an enclosed courtyard to the minimal, like a deck covered by a pergola or canvas sails, there are a multitude of approaches to designing transition spaces that successfully unite inside and out. 

Once the inside-outside borders have been eliminated, there are a few design tricks you can use in order to produce a seamless transition between spaces. 

One of them is to repeat or echo interior design elements in the exterior and vice versa. This will create the same mood, feeling and ambiance on both sides of the ‘border’ and will eventually create one whole continuous comfortable and cozy place instead of two separate ones. The same wall cladding, continuous or matching flooring, furniture of the same or matching design—these are but a few of the design elements which can be shared between both spaces. 

In addition, the inside-outside design transition can be successfully and beautifully achieved through introducing decorative elements common for both inside and outside areas, such as vases with fresh flowers from the garden, same or matching style coffee tables and chairs, plush puffs, throw pillows, carpets and rugs and draperies of matching patterns and colors. 

In addition to making it a more welcoming spot to enjoy family and friends in, transforming an outdoor space into an extension of your home is a great way to also add to your home’s resale value.

Summer Inspiration for Your Home

The invigorating brightness and sun-kissed opulence of summer is here. If you’re looking at the knitwear-throw draped over the back of your couch and thinking how less and less likely it is to be unfolded with each passing day, it may be time to brighten the place up a bit with a summer overhaul. 

You needn’t spend a fortune to make a significant difference, using these ideas:

• Lighten the overall look and feel to something more airy and breezy. One of the easiest ways to do this is by adding pops of color and swapping in graphic paintings, fresh flowers or vibrant dishes for the fastest possible makeover.
• Restyle your tablescapes by peppering your coffee tables and bedside nooks with natural decor, like a bouquet of garden roses or beach-combing treasures.
• Replace dark wood accessories with white or light wood ones, which invites more light into a room.
• Take down those heavy drapes and hang some gauzy panels. It provides an airy look and also lets more light in.
• An easy summer refresh may have you wanting to book a staycation this year!

Seller’s Side: Insurance-Friendly Features Can Help Sell Your Home

In some cases, insurance risks can drive up the overall cost of a home. Features such as pools or outdated or damaged roofs can result in higher premiums. Since many lenders roll home insurance premiums into monthly mortgage payments, that can be a stumbling block for some buyers. Conversely, some home features can save buyers in the long run because they can result in lower home insurance premiums. Learning about such savings could be just what a hesitant buyer needs to hear. If your home has these features, be sure potential buyers understand the beneficial impact they can have on lowering insurance costs: 

Location isn’t just important to your buyer, it’s also important to insurance carriers. How close is the home to a fire department? How far away is it from a risky flood plain? These are a few things you’ll want to point out to a buyer because they will lower the cost of insurance.

Security systems are an added bonus in any home because they make the home a safer environment. Items such as burglar alarms, deadbolt locks and smoke alarms can lessen the likelihood that your home and family will suffer a damaging claim. Another plus? These security items can earn discounts of up to 10% or more on home insurance. 

Green homes aren’t just earth-friendly, they also can be insurance friendly. Some insurance providers offer discounts for LEED-certified homes because they are considered to be safer and more sustainable than traditional homes. Qualities such as sturdy aluminum or steel roofs and low-flow plumbing considered during the quote process, again because they lower the risk of hail, wind, and water damage. It’s not bad to point out that while your buyer is reducing his or her carbon footprint, he or she also could qualify for lower home insurance premiums.

Take Advantage of Heat from the Sun

• Open curtains on your south-facing windows during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat your home, and close them at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.

Cover Drafty Windows

• Use a heavy-duty, clear plastic sheet on a frame or tape clear plastic film to the inside of your window frames during the cold winter months. Make sure the plastic is sealed tightly to the frame to help reduce infiltration.
• Install tight-fitting, insulating drapes or shades on windows that feel drafty after weatherizing.
• Find out about other window treatments and coverings that can improve energy efficiency.

Adjust the Temperature

• When you are home and awake, set your thermostat as low as is comfortable.
• When you are asleep or out of the house, turn your thermostat back 10° to 15° for eight hours and save around 10% a year on your heating and cooling bills. A smart or programmable thermostat can make it easy to set back your temperature. 
• If you have a heat pump, maintain a moderate setting or use a programmable thermostat specially designed for use with heat pumps.

Find and Seal Leaks

• Seal the air leaks around utility cut-throughs for pipes (“plumbing penetrations”), gaps around chimneys and recessed lights in insulated ceilings, and unfinished spaces behind cupboards and closets.
  • Find out how to detect air leaks.
  • Learn more about air sealing new and existing homes.
• Add caulk or weatherstripping to seal air leaks around leaky doors and windows.
  • Find out how to select and apply the appropriate caulk and weatherstripping.

Maintain Your Heating Systems

• Schedule service for your heating system.
• Furnaces and heat pumps: Replace your filter once a month or as needed. Find out more about maintaining furnaces or boilers and heat pumps.
• Wood- and Pellet-Burning Heaters: Clean the flue vent regularly and clean the inside of the appliance with a wire brush periodically to ensure that your home is heated efficiently. Find other maintenance recommendations for wood- and pellet-burning appliances.

Reduce Heat Loss from the Fireplace

• Keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning. Keeping the damper open is like keeping a window wide open during the winter; it allows warm air to go right up the chimney.
• When you use the fireplace, reduce heat loss by opening dampers in the bottom of the firebox (if provided) or open the nearest window slightly–approximately 1 inch–and close doors leading into the room. Lower the thermostat setting to between 50° and 55°F.
• If you never use your fireplace, plug and seal the chimney flue.
• If you do use the fireplace, install tempered glass doors and a heat-air exchange system that blows warmed air back into the room.
• Check the seal on the fireplace flue damper and make it as snug as possible.
• Purchase grates made of C-shaped metal tubes to draw cool room air into the fireplace and circulate warm air back into the room.
• Add caulking around the fireplace hearth. Find out more techniques to improve your fireplace or wood-burning appliance’s efficiency. Learn tips for safe and efficient fireplace installation and wood burning.

Lower Your Water Heating Costs

• Turn down the temperature of your water heater to the warm setting (120°F). You’ll not only save energy, you’ll avoid scalding your hands.
  Find other strategies for energy-efficient water heating.

Lower Your Holiday Lighting Costs

• Use light-emitting diode — or “LED” — holiday light strings to reduce the cost of decorating your home for the winter holidays.
  Learn about the advantages and potential cost savings of LED holiday light strings.
  Find manufacturers and brands of ENERGY STAR® certified decorative light strings.