Manhattan Beach Real Estate Blog

Exploring the Enchanting Manhattan Beach: How Long Is The Strand?

Manhattan Beach is a coastal paradise known for its captivating shoreline, vibrant community, and real estate market that's as enticing as the ocean views. In this blog, we will delve into the allure of Manhattan Beach's famous "Strand," its length, and its impact on the city's real estate market. Whether you're a potential homeowner, a visitor, or simply curious about this coastal gem, join us as we explore the unique features of Manhattan Beach.

The Strand's Length

The Strand, also known as the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, is the crown jewel of Manhattan Beach. This picturesque beachfront pathway stretches for approximately 2.1 miles, offering an uninterrupted panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean. Whether you're walking, jogging, or biking, the Strand provides an idyllic escape where the sound of waves and the gentle sea breeze create a serene atmosphere.

Real Estate Along The Strand

One of the most coveted real estate markets in Manhattan Beach is the properties lining The Strand. Living in these oceanfront homes offers an unparalleled lifestyle with direct access to the beach and stunning ocean vistas. These homes range from luxurious modern mansions to charming beachfront cottages, each with its unique charm.

The demand for Strand properties is consistently high, and the competition can be fierce. If you're considering purchasing a home along The Strand, it's crucial to work with an experienced local real estate agent who can navigate the nuances of this market. Prices for...

North-Facing vs. South-Facing Sand Section Homes

North-Facing vs. South-Facing Sand Section Homes

Manhattan Beach’s Sand Section is undeniably one of the best places in the world. With shops, restaurants, and long stretches of white sand beaches, it’s easy to understand why Sand Section boasts South Bay’s most sought-after homes.

But even the most beautiful home with sub-optimal orientation affects comfort and lifestyle and can be costly. Choosing a North-facing vs. South-facing home can be an important decision when purchasing a home.

So, do you look for North or South-facing homes when looking for a house in the Sand Section of Manhattan Beach?

Beach-Facing Homes

For some people, North vs. South is a trick question because the answer is “Beach.” If you can purchase a Sand Section home along The Strand or that faces the Pacific Ocean, which is West, then that is your ideal option. It’s hard to go wrong with a gorgeous home in the Sand Section with an ocean view.

But if your ideal home doesn’t have a beach or ocean view, you may want to consider the impacts of having a North or South facing home.

Pros of North-Facing Homes

  • Homes will experience natural light throughout the day due to indirect sunlight for much of the day.
  • Most effective placement for comfort, as homes naturally ward off the heat from the summer sun. During hot weather and heat waves, North-facing homes have an advantage.
  • Landscaping is easier to maintain, as it requires less water and protection from the sun.

Cons of North-Facing Homes

  • Receive less direct sunlight, resulting in homes that are naturally darker and less inviting; however, intelligent designs can avoid this.
  • Less solar energy potential, as solar panels do not absorb as much sun when...

What is The Strand in Manhattan Beach?

What is The Strand in Manhattan Beach?

The Strand is more than a stroll without an umbrella on the street bordering the Pacific Ocean—it’s Manhattan Beach's ultimate oceanfront neighborhood. The Strand is the street that runs alongside Manhattan Beach, with beachfront homes mere steps from the sand and surf.

The Strand offers the good life of beach living, with near-perfect weather, an endless beach, ocean views, and luxury homes, making it the finest example of luxury coastal living. If you want to indulge in beachside living, you can’t get any closer than The Strand.

Real Estate In The Strand

The Strand homes are some of the nation’s most exclusive properties. They typically sell for $5,000,000 to $15,000,000, while $30,000,000 price points are not unheard of.

Most homes in The Strand are modern-looking two to three-story mansions. While many homes are newer luxury builds or feature extensive remodeling, some original bungalows remain throughout the neighborhood.

Discover The Strand Lifestyle

Despite its multimillion-dollar real estate, The Strand still fits into the beach community mentality. The smell of the sea and the waves crashing are a fixture for those who crave gorgeous beachside living.

As a resident of the Strand community, you might spend your days catching the sun’s rays, watching the ocean, and waving to sports enthusiasts of popular beach volleyball. Most Strand community residents are middle-aged professionals who live in Manhattan Beach to enjoy its superior location and remain within easy driving distance of the Los Angeles International Airport and downtown Los Angeles.

Then we have the Marvin Braude Bike Trail that runs the length of The Strand in Manhattan, providing a leisurely commuting path throughout the community.

The Manhattan Beach Pier is a 928-foot-long fishing pier recognized...

Is Living In Manhattan Beach Expensive?

Do you want to live at the Beach? Is living in Manhattan Beach expensive? Well, as most coastal residents know or find out once they take the leap of faith over to the shoreline, you get what you pay for in Manhattan Beach. 

A rooftop patio view from a luxury home in Manhattan Beach

Manhattan Beach is one of the top choices in the country when it comes to Beach Cities to hold residence in and the price tag is much more flexible than popularly assumed. Higher than average yet, subtly affordable. Although you may pay more for housing expenses compared to other beach cities like Long Beach, local amenities and utilities tend to run almost identical in pricing.

Comparison Highlights
- Overall, Long Beach, California is 58.4% cheaper than Manhattan Beach, California
- Median Home Cost is the biggest factor in the cost of living difference.
- Median Home Cost is 73% cheaper in Long Beach. 

One of the best things about living in a place like Manhattan Beach is that you have choices when it comes to how lavish you would like your lifestyle to be.

Manhattan Beach Housing Cost

Have you always dreamt of that Strand house, with a rooftop deck and a jacuzzi hot tub? In that case, you may be looking at a house expense anywhere from $5,000,000 up to $30,000,000 for the best of the best in coastal living construction and design.

On the other end of the spectrum Manhattan Beach can be as affordable as $1,500,000 for a charmingly typical three bedroom, two bathroom home that would keep almost anyone happy being close in proximity to the ocean no matter where you decide to set up digs.

Rental prices range from the mid $2,000’s for a one to two bedroom, and on up depending on style and exact location.

...

Manhattan Village | Floorplans

Located within an award winning school district, as well as in close proximity to the ocean, Manhattan Village is a true gem nestled in South Bay’s most coveted, desirable, and highly sought-after city, Manhattan Beach.

A planned community perched next to the Manhattan Beach Country Club, Manhattan Village features a 24/7 guarded entry gate, tree lined private streets, professionally landscaped parkways, and a scenic central pool besides 5 spa pools throughout the complex. The community consists of approximately 400 townhomes and courthomes, and 122 estate homes.

Check out the Manhattan Village Floor Plans and Manhattan Village Map for more context on this wonderful dwelling.

ESTATE HOMES - SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE

MANHATTAN VILLAGE ESTATE HOME – PLAN 1

  • Single Story
  • 3 Bed & 2 Bath
  • 2,026 Sq. Ft.

MANHATTAN VILLAGE ESTATE HOME – PLAN 2

  • 2 Level
  • 3 Bed & 2 Bath
  • 2,445 Sq....

Sand Section Walkthrough

Check out this beautifully upgraded ocean view townhouse. Located at 225 Rosecrans Place in the Sand Section of Manhattan Beach, this spacious home is the perfect beach house. Our walkthrough technology lets you experience every nook and cranny. For the best experience, view the video on your iPad, tablet or mobile device. If you know anyone who might be interested, please share this with them.

Perfectly situated just steps from the beach and right around the corner from all the shopping, dining, and fabulous community amenities that line Highland Avenue, the beautifully upgraded townhouse at 225 Rosecrans Place presents potential home buyers with a wonderful opportunity that doesn’t come along very often.

As part of the Sand Section of Manhattan Beach, this spacious beach home offers quintessential Manhattan Beach living with upscale designer-interiors to match. Built back in 1996, 225 Rosencrans Place features a roomy three-bedroom, three-bathroom layout thats feel chic and contemporary without sacrificing comfort. The impressive entry-way boasts stunning Italian porcelain tile, while the spa-quality bathrooms, huge master-suite with bamboo flooring, and wide open layout in the main living area are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to appeal and desirability all throughout the home.

The two-car garage provides ample storage space and there’s even a guest parking space included as well, which is ideal if you’re someone who’s always hosting house guests. Priced to sell, we don’t expect this one to last long. For a closer look at 225 Rosecrans Place, check out our state-of-the-art walkthrough technology above...

Things to Consider When Pricing Your Manhattan Beach Home

Every home seller has specific goals in mind when putting a home on the market. But prior to listing your home, perhaps the most important element in the entire home selling process is pricing it correctly right out of the gate. As an experienced Manhattan Beach real estate agent who fully understands the importance of getting the highest possible return on your home investment, we also understand that in order to drive possible home buyers, an accurate listing price that reflects current market conditions is an essential component to reaching, and perhaps even exceeding all your home selling goals. So although consulting with us prior to making any decisions is highly recommended, here’s a look at just some of the factors we’ll consider when calculating your home’s current value:

Tips For Pricing Your Manhattan Beach Home

Comparable Prices Already on the Market

Looking at active Manhattan Beach homes for sale is a great way to gauge where the market is at, and how your home might fare should you decide to list. First, if your home is priced well above many other comparable homes currently on the market, chances are you won’t get the same kind of attention as other lower-priced homes. Second, it’s also worth noting that just because a home is listed for a certain price, that doesn't necessarily mean that’s the final selling price—which is also another key component we’ll transition into now.

Comparable Recently Sold Properties...

4 Essential Steps to Take When Selling Your Manhattan Beach Home

Selling a home can be a headache and goes far beyond just hiring the right listing agent. There are steps every home seller can take to be successful in today’s super competitive Manhattan Beach real estate market, ensuring you get the price you want in the timeframe you need. And with inventory around the Manhattan Beach area still tight and mortgage rates expected to rise sometime in the near future, many home buyers will spend the first part of 2016 scrambling to find a new home before housing costs get more expensive, making it critical for any and all home sellers to be ready for what should be a busy start to the new year. 

Sell Your Manhattan Beach Home

Thinking of selling your Manhattan Beach home in 2016? Although there are many different steps you can take to ensure your home sells, here's a look at 4 of the most essential steps you can take during the home selling process:

Step #1: Price Your Home Right From The Beginning

It sounds easy enough but all too often home sellers demand a certain price that's above market value, ultimately leaving their home on the market longer than expected, or worse, not being able to sell it at all. Hire an experienced Manhattan Beach real estate professional ...

5 Tips For Manhattan Beach House Hunters

Searching for homes in Manhattan Beach can be pretty stressful at times. When there's very little inventory to choose from and when it seems like 1/3 of the Manhattan Beach real estate deals are happening off-market, one really needs to step up their game. Here are 5 useful tips to help you get your ducks in a row so when you find the right one, you'll be ready to pull the trigger.

5 Tips for Manhattan Beach House Hunters

Tip #1 - Identify Your Needs

It may sound simple, but narrowing down what you need in a new home, as opposed to what you want, can save you a whole lot of time and energy during the house hunting process. Chances are you'll never find a home that checks off all the boxes on your wish list, so understanding what you NEED is a great first step in finding a place you can be happy with! 

Tip #2 - Know The Manhattan Beach Market

As one of the top beach cities in Southern California, Manhattan Beach features a variety of housing styles and locations that all offer something different. So before beginning your house hunt, get to know all the different Manhattan Beach neighborhoods or narrow down your options by using our ...

Expanded Downtown Valet Service!

The Manhattan Beach downtown is close to perfect. Upbeat modern restaurants, cafes, and businesses are only of fantastic part of what makes Manhattan Beach downtown so special.  Within an hour of downtown LA you get white sand, blue ocean waves, perfect cooling ocean breezes… and very very little parking. As close to perfect as Manhattan Beach downtown might be, we have suffered severe parking shortages in the South Bay and Manhattan Beach is definitely among the worst examples. Spending twenty minutes driving in circles for a spot is not how anyone to start an afternoon at the beachside.

Well the city of Manhattan Beach realizes this and is making changes to solve the parking problems downtown by expanding the valet service to create approximately 110 more parking spaces in downtown Manhattan Beach! The City seems to have checked the “all of the above” box for improvements to the downtown valet service. Starting this Saturday (August 1st) there will be four valet locations, expanded hours through the weekdays, and valet hours on Saturdays and Sundays.

These minor upgrades to the valet system are the perfect out-of-the-box solution to downtown parking shortages and show that the City is committed to only improving the downtown experience.

Find out more at downtownmanhattanbeah.com/mapparking

  Poster for downtown valet service 

...