Heights/Liberty Village Sales in January & February 2010

1808 Wendy Way ($750,000 3br/2ba 1082 sq ft)


Sold for $750,000 or 7% over the listing price of $699,900 after just nine days. This sale turned out to be a successful quick flip (see earlier post – Liberty Village Flip Flop Flip) for the second ("buy-it-cheap") flipper who picked it up for $540,000 in December 2009 as the result of a foreclosure. The original ("fix-it up") flipper lost the home after chasing the market down beginning in 2006. So if you can pay cash and know your way around the foreclosure market, there are bargains to be had in Manhattan Beach.

1700 Manzanita Lane ($999,000 4br/2ba 1,790 sq ft)

Sold for the list price of $999,000. This older home has been remodeled and well maintained. The assessor’s records show 3br/1ba so there were some unrecorded additions even before the previous sale. This home last sold in August 2004 for $925,000. The owners tried to sell in 2006 for $1,175,000 and cancelled after 44 days. They tried again in mid December 2008 for $1,065,000 and again cancelled after 34 days. The third time was the charm. After finally getting the price right, they got an offer that stuck five days after listing it.

1344 23rd Street ($1,105,000 3br/2ba 2121 sq ft + 1br/1ba 536 sq ft)

Sold for 96% of the original listing price at $1,105,000 after 122 days on market. This property is considered a duplex because it includes a separate 1br/1ba guest house. The main house has 3br/2ba. It is an older home that has been updated and well maintained. It is situated on the south side of 23rd Street, so it does not back up to the traffic on Marine Avenue. It had not been sold since 1973.

2104 Manzanita Lane ($1,400,000 5br/4ba 3556 sq ft)

This house sold for either $1,384,000 or $1,400,000 depending on whether you believe the listing agent’s MLS update or the recorded transfer value. I’m going to call it based on the recorded value, basically it sold at the listing price. This home last sold for $975,000 in 2001.

1208 Magnolia Avenue ($1,500,000 5br/5ba 3419 sq ft)

The most recent listing for this “new” 2006 home ran 184 days. It was first offered at $2,099,000 in September 2006 and has been chasing the market down since then. The price was reduced to $1,999,000 in May 2007, to $1,899,000 in September 2008, to $1,749,000 in June 2009 and found a buyer for $1,500,000 in January 2010. There was a long enough break in listings between when it was withdrawn from the market in January 2009 and relisted in June 2009 to reset the cumulative days on market. The developers bought this property for $899,000 in May 2005.

Curb Your Art

Over the years enterprising curb painters have convinced Manhattan Beach homeowners that having their address stenciled on the curb in plain old black and white is so “inland.” Why display your address on the curb in easy-to-read black and white, when you can make an artistic statement?

In Manhattan Beach, painted curb themes feature the beach. Palm trees and the Manhattan Beach Pier are frequently included, along with dolphins, surfers, sunsets, and volleyball nets. Some include what I’m guessing is Catalina Island.

You can have your own curb masterpiece personalized to include dogs or cats or even school affiliation.

I thought these next-door neighbors from rival schools were interesting.

The painting does not even have to be on your curb. Some homes put them on the wall.

In the Tree Section, where some streets don’t have curbs, it can be a challenge to artfully display your address.

Personally, I favor the Cottage Plates from Balboa Island.

Dueling Townhomes

I am waiting to see how things unfold for two Manhattan Beach townhomes on 12th Street in East MB. Both were offered at $669,000 and are only a couple blocks apart. They were built within a year of each other and each has 2 bedrooms, 3 baths and an attached 2-car garage. Both are listed by highly qualified agents from good companies. At first glance, they seem roughly identical. But the difference must be in the details, because one seller accepted an offer after 9 days and the other has been on the market for awhile.


In my opinion, the less desirable one sold first. I’d love to hear what others think about these two.

1304 12th Street, Unit A (1179sf) was listed on January 28 and went to pending status on February 6. The one plus I see in this unit is that it has ground-floor patio space, that would be a better play area for small children. The kitchen is smaller and more dated than the competitor down the street. It has a subterranean garage with an entrance off busy Meadows Avenue. This unit is at the front of the building, right on 12th Street across from Meadows school. That has the advantage of not facing another home, but brings with it school traffic and noise.

1421 12th Street, Unit 4 (1337sf) was listed most recently on November 17. It was first offered last April at $749,500, came down to $734,900 in June, and went off the market from July until it was relisted in November. The adjacent unit (#3) sold for $685,000 in December, but it had additional improvements.


This block of 12th Street, between Peck and Rowell, is lined with multi-unit buildings on both sides and has a lot of local residential traffic. However, there always seems to be parking available on the street. This townhome is farther back from the street and likely to be quieter. The garage has been converted to a bonus room, which could be either a plus or minus depending on the needs of the new owner. It could easily be returned to a garage by removing the carpet. There is one additional parking space in front of the garage, which may be adequate for some buyers. The unit is slightly larger, the master bath has been upgraded and the HOA dues are $100 per month less.

So if you missed your chance to buy 1304 12th #A no worries, 1421 #4 is still available and in my opinion the better value anyway. Currently there are only two lower-priced townhomes available in Manhattan Beach: 1525 Artesia Boulevard # B (3br/3ba, 1422sf) at $599,000 and an older neighbor at 1320 12th Street #4 (2br/2ba, 1257sf) for $634,900.

Contact Janie Sue Nagy at Janie.Nagy@shorewood.com to help you find your new home in Manhattan Beach or the surrounding areas.