Browsing Tag

Via Valmonte

Real Estate Market, Valmonte Homes

Mid February Valmonte update: New listing, closed sale, accepted offer, and price drops

February 24, 2016
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4208 Via Valmonte – Asking $1,140,000

We’re over halfway through February and Valmonte is slowly waking from a winter slumber.  This past week one new listing came on the market – 4208 Via Valmonte, a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, in 1625 square feet and priced at $1,140,000 ($702/foot).  This is a well kept house with pleasant low maintenance landscaping. The house sits back from the street and once inside offers a welcoming floorplan.  The house is mostly original so a new buyer would likely want to spend some money on updates, but the house is move-in ready as it stands.  I expect this to sell quickly and at or over the asking price.

Price drops – Of the remaining 5 homes still on the market (and 2 accepting back-up offers), 2 recently saw price drops.  4240 Via Alondra dropped $100k to $1.399m.  This is a nice home with beautiful canyon views and 2,700 square feet.  4256 Via Alondra, an updated home a few doors away dropped to $1,715,000.  This too features a peaceful setting on the canyon and is updated throughout.  Why aren’t these selling?  Homes on Via Alondra, particularly on the canyon side of the street, don’t have backyards.  With the large number of families looking to move to Valmonte, these homes are at a serious disadvantage.  However, the views and price per foot are attractive and I’m sure a buyer will eventually step forward.

Accepted offer – after less than 2 weeks on the market 2544 Via Anita has an accepted offer.  It’s still contingent on inspections, but it shows a nicely updated home with over 2,700′ with 4 bedrooms on a nice lot has wide appeal at $1.795m. Assuming this closes at or near asking, this represents a nice ROI since this house last sold in November 2013 for $1.399.  After selling costs, that’s over a $200k return for a little less than 2 1/2 years.  Not bad!

300 Alcance

300 Via Alcance – Sold $1,609,000

What sold?  300 Via Alcance, after 208 days on the market, finally has a new family.  Originally sold in September of 2014 for $1.1m, the home was thoroughly updated, the master bedroom enlarged, and came back on the market at $1.899m in June 2015.  While the updates were high end, the $1.899m for 2300′ square feet was pushing the upper limits for a 3 bedroom house in Valmonte on an average sized lot.  After lots of patience and several significant price drops, it finally sold for $1.609m last week.

What’s Next?  We should see another cluster of Via la Selva homes close in the next month or so with 3025 PV Drive North and 2544 Via Anita closing soon after.  This should give us enough data to get an idea of how prices are looking, but so far 2016 is looking to be another good year for Valmonte real estate.  Now if we can just get a few more on the market . . . call me!

 Just for fun – It’s interesting to note the unusual groupings of homes on the market.  Currently, there are 3 homes on Via Anita, 2 on Via Alondra, and 1 on Via Valmonte.  (Via la Selva is so long, there always seems to be a couple there).  While mostly circumstantial, I have noticed a common occurrence that homes sell in bunches on the same street in a short period of time.  In late 2014, 6 came on the market on Via Solano.  In 2015, there was only one new listing.  I wonder what street will be the busy one this year?

Real Estate Market, Valmonte Homes

Say what? This one sold grossly under market!

February 4, 2016
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4033 Via Valmonte sold for $1.12m in January

You’ve heard me say it before, 2015 was a great year in real estate in Valmonte.  Prices were up and the number of sales was the best in nearly 20 years.  So with all this great news, how did a move-in ready home with views sell for $1850/foot under the average price?  The story gets even more interesting when I add the fact that when I contacted the agent on behalf of my client, he informed me there were multiple offers within the first two weeks of being on the market.  Yes it was over the holidays, but how do you sell for $1.12m a 2,367 square foot 4 bedroom, 3 bath  home with mountain views and a nicely landscaped backyard, when a similar sized, albeit more updated, home sold less than 3 weeks prior for $1.625m?  This just smells fishy.  I know I sound like I’m whining, but I have a point.  The agent was not a local agent, and the sales price reflects this.  I hate to see good people get ripped off.  This house should have sold over asking and a lot closer to $1.4 million.  So if you are thinking of selling, please, I beg you, interview a local expert before you fall victim to an agent that doesn’t have his/her client’s best interests in mind.  Okay, I’m off my soapbox.

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View from the second floor balcony looking towards the Hollywood Hills

Real Estate Market, Valmonte Homes

The best Valmonte buys of 2015

January 11, 2016
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2015 went down as one of the better seller’s markets in the last 20 years, and despite conditions being more favorable to sellers, there were still some great buys for some savvy home buyers this year.  Let’s take a look at 3 homes that represent the best buys of the year.  To establish a baseline,  here are some of the averages for Valmonte homes sold in 2015.

  • Average Sales Price: $1,536,483
  • Average Price/Foot: $657/foot
  • Average square footage/lot size: 2,374’/ 9,218′
  • Homes sold: 56 in 2015

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3353 Via La Selva – $1,300,000  This one was a personal favorite.  In general, this home is pretty average, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1900 square feet on over a 10,000′ lot.  But what makes this one special is the A plus location on one of the best streets in Valmonte, the large backyard with a pool and entertaining space, trail access out the back gate, and the utility line easement.  In other words, this large lot has location and privacy and a house with options.  The house itself needs some updating, and the new owners look like they are busy making interior improvements, but overall, this house sold at a great price compared to comps.  If it were on the market it today, $1,450,000 would be a reasonable place to start, and I have no doubt that it would see lots of activity.

 

4112 Via Larga Vista – $1,495,000  Purchased by SUMTER PROPERTIES LLC for $1.495m in October, this was a great buy when you consider price per square foot.  Anyone that’s tried to remodel a house in PV Estates knows that it’s no easy feat, having to get Art Jury, Neighborhood, and Planning approval. Since the sale closed escrow, there’s lots of work going on over there.  Given that it was purchased and set up as an LLC, my guess is we’ll see this on the market again later in 2016, Probably at a price closer to $2 million, and maybe more.

4309 Via Valmonte – $799,000  This house certainly had limited appeal based on it’s size and condition, but anytime you can pay $799,000 for a house in Palos Verdes Estates, it’s pretty hard to lose.  This little steal has only 2 bedrooms and 1 bath in just under 1,200, and the lot is just a bit over 7,000, but it’s a great entry point into Valmonte, and with a little work, this one is sure to build equity in no time.  With a little love, this can easily be a $1,000,000 plus home.

What’s on the horizon?  2016 should be interesting.  So far inventory is starting off pretty low; currently there are only 6 homes on the market compared to 13 last January.  The homes on the market are priced between $1.495 and $2.999m, which certainly doesn’t appeal to all buyers.  As far as the economy goes, interest rates and how home buyers react will be the wildcard that we’ll need keep an eye on.  And supply will continue to be the other significant factor to consider.  Prices can be the great motivator, and as prices continue to rise, typically more folks will consider selling in 2016.  My prediction is that if the greater US economy can continue to hold steady, we will continue to see modest gains in home values, probably in the 5% range.  However, if supply remains tight, then we may see values grow in the 7-10% range with multiple offer and overbids being more of the norm until supply balances with demand.

Cheers to a prosperous 2016!