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4109 Via Picaposte – $1.035m – ALL CASH!

January 8, 2013

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What a way to ring in the new year!  Of my four readers, one of you may have noticed the real estate sign outside of 4109 Via Picaposte over the last couple of months.  Well, it closed last Friday for a sweet $1.035 M in cold hard cash.  Rumor has it and the cash usually shows it, that we may see this one on the market again soon – but not without a few construction trucks coming and going.  As long as the economy remains status quo, my guess is that we’re going to see some moderate price gains in our beloved Valmonte this year.  Given the fact that there are only 4 homes currently on the market here, and two of the four have offers, there certainly isn’t much supply for the demand.  And I’m sure all four of you know that that means one thing in economics – rising prices.  And in the biz, we like to call that a seller’s market.

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Inspired by Del Aire Park

January 7, 2013

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I’m starting to notice a pretty awesome movement underway.  For lack of a better description, I’ll call it refarming our cities.  Yesterday, Del Aire Park in unincorporated LA County, just reopened after a $4 million renovation.  Sure, the gym, community center, and general park facilities were all updated and improved, which is great.  But two other great things took place during this renovation – California’s first public fruit orchard was opened and the park is being dedicated to the life of a fallen soldier, U.S. Army Specialist Daniel Patrick Cagle.

With the assistance of the community group Fallen Fruit (www.fallenfruit.org), the local community now has a public fruit orchard.  While Del Aire Park is a long bike ride from Valmonte, I am reminded of the joint efforts by Enrich LA and the PVUSD in creating the Valmonte Farm and Nature Garden at Valmonte Elementary.  These efforts to bring the farm back to the city, while certainly not a new concept, are much needed links to having a better appreciation of where our food comes from.  When you look around the entire LA Area, especially here on the Peninsula, you can trace our roots back to LA’s farming past, and find inspiration in the historic local food movement.  It’s about time we get back to supplementing our food sources with our own backyard gardens, fruit trees, and simply sharing with our neighbors.  

Finally, what a great way to celebrate the life of one of our fallen soldiers, by dedicating the very park that he grew up in to his honor.

(Special thanks to the Daily Breeze for reporting on the dedication of the Del Aire Park).

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4125 Via Largavista on the market

December 19, 2012

If you gage the real estate market by walking around a neighborhood, you would certainly call Valmonte sleepy based on the general absence of for sale signs in the front yards.  This reality can be seen a few ways.  Maybe you can call it the Holiday calm; who wants to have people touring your home while you’re trying to enjoy the special time that is the holiday season?  It could be that everyone loves Valmonte and no one wants to sell.  Or, it may just be that the market isn’t signaling that it’s ready to roll and sellers are hesitant to sell.  I like to think it’s a combination of all of these factors.  Valmonte is a popular place these days (you can argue that it has been for many decades), and there certainly are many families looking to move to this great neighborhood.  However, qualifying for a home is a challenge, and prices here aren’t exactly low.  And after 6 years of a bearish real estate market, sellers ARE slow to accept that the ball is back in their court.  But facts are facts, and in 2012, of the 40 homes that sold in the Valmonte area, the average home sold in approximately 3 months at 97% of the asking price.  Not bad when only a few years ago the sky was falling and chicken little was running around with his head in his hands.  

So seeing a new listing hit the market is a welcome sight and 4125 Via Largavista listed at roughly $1.649m by Raju Chhabria of Shorewood Realtors is one to watch.  Located on one of the best streets in Valmonte this 3 bed, 3 bath 2400′ home on a 9400′ lot was extensively updated in 2006.  The house last sold in 2004 for $1.425m and if you know the neighborhood, not too many come up for sale on this family friendly street.  My guess for 2013 is that we will continue to see demand outpace supply but prices are going to be challenged by buyer’s ability to qualify for loans at continued low rates.  It’s certainly getting better, but we’re not out of the woods just yet.

Happy Holidays!

 

 

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What happened on PV Drive North this past weekend?

November 14, 2012

According to the PVE Police Department, on Thursday, November 8th, at approximately 9:15 PM, a water main broke under the dirt embankment in front of 2525 Palos Verdes Drive North. The flow of water caused a large amount of dirt / mud from the embankment to slide on to Palos Verdes Drive North, which obstructed the entire roadway. In addition, a nearby utility pole nearly fell because it was no longer supported by the dirt.

PVE PD advises that the upper frontage road of Palos Verdes Drive North will remain closed while work crews are present and should be re-opened during night time hours. Thank you for your patience.

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New Bike Lane Coming to PV

October 20, 2012

Palos Verdes approves new bike lane!

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Bill

Congratulations to the Rolling Hills City Council for final construction approval for a 1.3 mile, 2-way bike lanes.

The project calls for widening the roadway to include bike lanes in both directions, construction of rolled curbs and gutters, sidewalks, raised medians and islands, intersection enhancements, improved crosswalks and equestrian crossings, a multiuse path, traffic signal modifications, street resurfacing and landscaping.

via South Bay Bicycle Coalition.