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. 

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 Beach Foodie Lifestyle Cost...

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
• ...

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...

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:

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...

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. 

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 ...

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.

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 ...

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 1^st) 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

With the New Year in full swing, we’re bringing you some of the most expensive and affordable sales during the first few weeks of the year. The market has been relatively quiet over the holidays so we're anxiously waiting for new inventory to pick up. 

911 Duncan St. 

After sitting on the market for eight months, this beauty was finally sold earlier this month. One of the most expensive sales in January, it was originally listed for $3,750,000 and sold for $250,000 under asking price. With 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms and 3,766 square feet of living space, the home sits on a 4,683 square foot lot. The home has a modern design with imported and exotic finishes. With all of its unique finishes, it’s no wonder this property took a while to be found by the perfect buyer.  The three level elevator and large media room truly set this home apart from the rest. 911 Duncan is one of the most expensive sales since the New Year.

200 S. Poinsettia Ave. 

Also sold for well under asking, 200 S. Poinsettia Ave recently closed after sitting on the market for over four months. With panoramic ocean views, this Hill Section home in Manhattan Beach has a breathtaking three-story spiral staircase that cascades down to the entryway. The home was listed for $3,995,000 but sold for $3,500,000 a whopping $495,000 under asking.

2113 Chestnut Ave. 

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In the early 1960’s, the Detective Bureau and Administration staff of police departments throughout the country saw an increase in homicides, robberies and narcotics. In 1963, here in Manhattan Beach, crime was escalating, and the police department was faced with its first bank robbery. Narcotics and hallucinatory pills had become alarmingly prevalent and law enforcement was doing all it could to make the community aware of the dangers of drug use.

Drug raids were carried out by the Manhattan Beach Police Department, resulting in hundreds of both local and outsider arrests. One such raid where thousands of dollars worth of drugs were seized, involved the El Segundo Police Department, along with the Federal Narcotics Bureau. However, it would be the case of George Jung that brought the community into the national limelight.

Inspiration for "BLOW" by Bruce Porter

During the summer of 1967, 25-year-old George Jung arrived in Manhattan Beach. On the surface, this seaside city might have appeared to many as a quiet, low profile community, for officers however, it was labeled as the reigning party town of California’s southern coast. It was a little wonder that this drug taking young man thought he had found paradise. George wanted wealth, and in the temper of the times, what better way than to get into the distribution of drugs. To George, Manhattan Beach was the place: close to the Los Angeles International Airport and close to the Mexican border.

The Manhattan Beach Police Department had only one narcotics officer, 31 year old Fred McKewen, who had no budget for launching undercover operations. Being easily recognized by...