Weekend Opens (6/28-6/29)

Inventory's building again. Plenty of new options on the market, and several are debuting this weekend. We highlight a few below.

Click here for the complete list of opens published in the Beach Reporter, or at any time use the link in the right-hand column under "Prop. Search Tools."

As always, click any highlighted address below for more pics & details via Redfin.

Also, this week we're offering a new feature: the "re-list of the week."

Longtime readers know that a founding rationale for MBC was that MLS data fail to provide accurate DOM counts. We've crusaded on the issue our share, ruffled some feathers. (See "How to Hide the Truth About Your Listing.")

Earlier this year, we were briefly hopeful that Mr. MLS – the new system replacing the South Bay MLS – was going to solve the issue with its strict "data integrity" policies. No more free DOM resets without 60 days off.

But the new sheriff is a bust. Properties are being re-listed for all kinds of reasons, getting new DOM clocks in ways Mr. MLS said would never happen.

That doesn't make them bad properties, it just makes some of the marketing a lie. So this week we feature 3 "re-lists of the week" – one in each section – to highlight the issue.


Hill Section

913 8th (pictured) ain't much, stylewise, from the outside, but the home is warm, sizable (4br/3ba, 2925 sq. ft.) and has a comfortable 7200 sq. ft. lot with treetop & city views. Starts at $2.249m. Open Sun. 1-4pm.

234 Larsson requires special mention for a few reasons. First, it's not on Larsson, it's actually on 3rd near Sepulveda. Next, it's actually a detached TH, marketed as an SFR last year and this year. Third, someone paid $1.075m last May, and here it is, really spiffed up, a serious remodel job, at $1.5m. Didn't they used to call these "flips?" A word to the wise: Last time on the market, in less spiffy condition, this one lasted 271 days. Open Sun. 2-4pm.

Re-list of the week: The new, huge home at 218 N. Dianthus is now down $755k from its March 6 start, but it's not cheap at $5.995m. Open Sun. 1-4pm.


Sand Section

224 23rd Pl. (pictured) is a newer home west of Highland, albeit on an alley, with nice ocean views. Offers 3br/4ba and 1800 sq. ft. at a $999/PSF – $1.799m to start. Open Sun. 2-4pm.

No one has grabbed 225 Homer yet because the whole pro-con equation is so dicey. Location is great and the views are nice. But the spaces are too chopped up, the space weirdly used, and the original build reflects some bad compromises. No action at $2.1m? Probably time for another chop. Open Sat. & Sun. 1-4pm.

Re-list of the week: 317 5th, a contemporary on a corner lot on a walkstreet, was once a Mrs. MBC pick. A lot of folks thought it competitively priced at $3.2m. That was then. The South End walkstreet homes just seem not to sell. After a bogus re-list, this one's back $100k lighter at $3.1m. Open Sun. 1-4pm.


Tree Section

Mrs. MBC finds herself intrigued by 590 36th (pictured), a pre-ZORP, 5br/4ba, 4300 sq. ft. home just a few doors west of Blanche on a street-to-alley lot.

Maybe the big deal is the square footage. You might need room for mini-MBCs to run around, do homework, host band practice, etc. All that plus room for the out-of-towners.

At $1.989m, the PPSF to start is a modest $465, much lower than the PPSF for all but one other SFR listing west of Sepulveda.

The most direct comparison is nearby 561 35th, which, frankly, hung around for almost 2 years, but closed at $1.850m this February for 6br/5ba and 4350 sq. ft. ($425/PSF). This one is open pretty much the max this weekend, Sat. & Sun. 1-5pm.

700 35th is newer (2003) construction, offering 5br/4ba and 3675 sq. ft. Pretty lovely with some quirks. Has it appreciated since July 2006? Sellers paid $2.483m then, and now seek $2.689m (+$206k/+8%) to start 2 years later. Open Sun. 1-4pm.

Re-list of the week: 1412 Elm is back at $1.299m after a few weeks off. Open Sun. 1-4pm.

Weekend Opens (6/14-6/15)

After seeing how much ink Easter and Mother's Day got in the Beach Reporter RE ads recently, please understand a certain peevishness on the part of your blog author now.

It's like Father's Day doesn't exist.

Just one ad offers "Happy Father's Day" wishes, and just one more suggests that a person might purchase a home for a dad in recognition of this Hallmark holiday. By contrast, in recent years, all kinds of routine ads suggested you should buy a home for mom on Mother's Day.

Surely there are lots of "kept men" around MB who would very much like for their wives to buy them new ocean-adjacent homes to accentuate their leisure lifestyles. But the wishes and desires of these people are completely ignored in a pedestrian round of RE ads. Thanks for nothing.

It's not like agents aren't aware of the holiday. Many open houses are only open Saturday, and it's not because of a conflict with the Laker game (cue deflated, depressed feelings – sorry), but out of respect for the paternal elders.

Click here for the complete list of opens published in the Beach Reporter, or at any time use the link in the right-hand column under "Prop. Search Tools."

As always, click any highlighted address below for more pics & details via Redfin.


Hill Section

808 Highview gives you most of what you could ask of a Hill Section estate: newer construction (2002), a good-sized house (5br/5ba, 4100 sq. ft.) and nice views in a quiet location.

You'll need $5.250m to move in. Open Sat. 1-4pm.

You might amble down the road to 619 9th, between Highview and Ardmore, which now sports a new price: $3.969m – down $226k from start. Sweet, a bit dated and flawed. Open Sat. 12-3pm.


Sand Section

She doesn't want to be predictable – no one does – but Mrs. MBC is picking another South End walkstreet home this week, 532 6th.

It's for good reason. This home, with 4br/4ba and 2700 sq. ft., was briefly offered last year around Thanksgiving, and she was taken by it.

You might have to see it to see what Mrs. MBC sees. On paper, it's a stark contemporary backing up on Valley. The exterior pics may be a turnoff.

But inside, the spaces flow very nicely, the home is warm despite the modern touches, and the master is a retreat with treetop views. The home felt clean and efficient, not "modern" in the imposing, stylistic way that neighboring 528 6th did. (That one had the same architect; it recently quit the market.)

532 6th is up at $2.350m this time, having tried for a couple weeks at $2.7m last year. The sellers purchased it for $1.818m in March 2005. If you like numbers, here's a coincidence – 532 6th is now priced $532k higher than the purchase price – that's 29% over 3 years. Open Sat. 1-4pm.


Tree Section

Oh, Santa, say it ain't so. 633 15th has become a bit of a local treasure because, at Christmastime, the owner goes all-out – no, wait, way above all-out with neon – with a bright display and life-sized characters and a beach theme and... all of that will end if he sells the house, as he apparently intends to do.

Some harsh initial reviews for this $5.495m home – the style ain't special, the spaces are just inflated, the kitchen a low-end mismatch, the furniture forgettable. Surely there are redeeming qualities to a 6br, 6000 sq. ft. home on a double-plus lot (12,500 sq. ft.) near Martyrs. Open Sat. 2-4pm.

No doubt 737 36th is going to draw interest this weekend for the first time in months. As MBC noted a couple of days ago (see "Surrender on 36th"), the home has been on the market almost continuously for 21 months, but always at preposterous prices. Frankly we can't recall seeing it posted as open.

Now it's down $240k from its last price to $1.299m. With 4br/4ba and almost 3000 sq. ft. (including the guest quarters), 36th appears to be the cheapest home by price-per-square-foot ($435/PSF) in all of MB. That will help. Open Sat. & Sun. 2-5pm.

Just as we liked 532 6th in the Sand, we found 560 36th to be a warm version of a new contemporary. This one began at $2.999m, slashed to $2.499m, and is finally open again. Worth a look. Open Sat. 12-2pm. (Yes, 12-2pm.)

Weekend Opens (6/7-6/8)

The best news possible for the local RE market – the Laker game Sunday is a nite game (6pm). Plenty of time to finish up your shopping and still whip up some guacamole and cook up the carne asada.

Good thing, with lots of opens again this weekend. Click here for the complete list of opens published in the Beach Reporter, or at any time use the link in the right-hand column under "Prop. Search Tools."

As always, click any highlighted address below for more pics & details via Redfin.



Hill Section

755 11th offers 5br/5ba and 5200 sq. ft. on an ocean-view lot with a sports court. The "Georgian" style on the exterior gets points for uniqueness.

The 80s interior requires a deduction. A start of $3.399m doesn't seem too bad. Open Sun. 1-4pm.

Meanwhile, it's flat pricing 2 years later at 408 N. Dianthus, a 3br/3ba, 2200 sq. ft. cottage, completely remodeled. Sellers paid $1.7m in March 2006, and now start at $1.799m. Open Sat. & Sun., 1-4pm.

953 9th debuted last week but is open for the first time this week. Offers 5br/4ba and 4100 sq. ft. for $2.650m. Near Dianthus and Sepulveda, but worth a look Sun. 1-4pm.

Not open, but worth a drive-by: 900 Pacific, MB's new highest-priced home at $10.9m. It's perched nicely atop one of MBC's "Great Streets."


Sand Section

Nestled behind abundant trees on a South End walkstreet is Mrs. MBC's pick, 500 7th. (Golly, how she swoons for these walkstreet listings. Now, if only one would sell.)

Wouldn't you know it, MBC just called 7th a "Great Street," too.

The style of this home is listed as "French," and, like with the "Georgian" at 755 11th, we're starting to appreciate that there are more than 3 styles for MB homes.

7th has nice big airy contemporary spaces (ca. 1991) and a nice kitchen. The corner lot is sweet.

But, back to that circa 1991 factor. Are the sunburst divided windows, and other artifacts of the vintage, deal-killers? For some. Starts at $3.195m for 4br/4ba and 3100 sq. ft. Open both Sat. & Sun., 1-4pm.

221 31st is a fairly new home (2002) with plenty of space (4br/4ba, 4600 sq. ft.) on one of those great ocean-view walkstreets west of Highland.

This must have been a steal in late 2002 for $2.175m; now at $5.395m. Open for the first time we've seen, Sun. 1-4pm.





Tree Section

Do not judge 3600 Flournoy by its curb. They've turned lemons into lemonade with a very tasteful update and nice interior spaces for an older 4br, 2350 sq. ft. remodel. (Click to see pics.) Starts at $1.425m. Open Sun. 1-4pm.

2825 Valley joins the chorus of listings on busier streets in our subject region's north-easternmost quadrant. (Valley and Pacific have tons of listings these days.)

It's a little cottage (4br/2ba, 1400 sq. ft.) sandwiched between larger homes, nicely updated with a large lot for the area (5000 sq. ft.). Starts at a low $1.129m. Open Sun. 2-5pm.

Weekend Opens (5/31-6/1)

We're getting back to normal, or above-normal, with lots of opens this weekend. Our weekly feature mainly looks at new offerings, but click here for the complete list of opens published in the Beach Reporter, or at any time use the link in the right-hand column under "Prop. Search Tools."

As always, click any highlighted address below for more pics & details via Redfin.


Hill Section

If you're a regular reader, you know they just don't give us many new Hill Section listings in a given week, and even fewer new opens.

953 9th is a new listing, but not posted as open. Offers 5br/4ba and 4100 sq. ft. for $2.650m. It's on the same street as Mrs. MBC's pick 2 weeks ago, 619 9th, which is open (Sun. 1-4pm) and which will run you $4.195m. Can we get really micro for a moment? 619 is west of Highview, and 953 is one door west of Dianthus. That means one's near downtown, and one's near Sepulveda. That's part of why you've got a $1.5m gap between them.

Meanwhile, this week's bogus re-list is intended to make you think 923 1st is a "new" listing; it's not, it's just got another price cut. (See "Call Off the Bump.") They're celebrating with another sunset open house, 2 hours before sunset – Open Sun. 5-6pm.


Sand Section

117 7th is a newer home close to the Strand, on a walkstreet near downtown. What could be better? Well, for $4m, you might want more than 2br and 2350 sq. ft.

The issue here is that the home is on a half lot (a bit bigger at 1500 sq. ft.), unusual in these parts. The more we look at that price, the more we say "hmmmm..." Open Sat. & Sun. 2-5pm.

4419 Highland pulled a re-list this week – it's got a new agent. That's 3 agents now, for those scoring at home. New price: $1.265m. New money quote in the listing: "effortless access to all local services." We assume they mean not only the Chevron station, but also the snack shop. Open Sun. 2-4pm.


Tree Section

Mrs. MBC is often taken by the sweet $3-4m homes. You know, the South End walkstreets, Hill Section paradises, etc. But those are for the few. We've still got plenty of spiffy, traditional family homes in MB that are perfectly good choices for regular folk.

Mrs. MBC's pick this week, 2907 Pacific, is an example. It's got 3br/2ba and 1900 sq. ft. There's nothing about the home that will blow you away, but it's sweet, updated, flows nicely and is priced as if the sellers mean to make a deal at $1.199m. Did you notice that decent homes are rapidly approaching $1m?

2907 Pacific is open Sat. & Sun., 2-4pm. If you drop by, be sure to tell them Mrs. MBC sent you. They do want to know.

We just have to mention 3119 Valley, the lowest-priced home west of Hwy. 1, a small cottage (2br/1ba, 850 sq. ft.) on one of those little slivers of a lot (2500 sq. ft.) you see on this stretch of Valley. It's dominated by bigger homes – including one under construction – on either side. Get into MB, reduce your carbon footprint, own for just $799k. Open Sun. 2-5pm.

Another week, more new construction coming online. 664 33rd offers 5br/5ba, 3550 sq. ft., and – well, you've heard this before – this one is so much better than the rest, it needs to start near $2.7m ($2.689m).

That means it's the highest-priced Tree Section newbie except one at $4.4m. It's blue, it's different and it's described as "Coastal Plantation" in style. Hey, did MB once have plantations? Open Sat. & Sun. 1-4pm.

Weekend Opens (5/24-5/25)

May and June may be great selling months, in general, but Memorial Day weekend is a time for car races, barbeques and beach time, not new listings or open houses.

Literally 1 new SFR listing west of Sepulveda has come on since last week, and that's a $6m+ Sand Section home (2719 Manhattan Ave.) that isn't open this weekend. So we'll pick out listings worth special attention for one reason or another.

The way the weather is shaping up this weekend, don a parka if you dare to trod from open to open.

Click here for the complete list of opens published in the Beach Reporter, or at any time use the link in the right-hand column under "Prop. Search Tools."

As always, click any highlighted address below for more pics & details via Redfin.


Hill Section

Everyone talks about the big money and even bigger estates in the Hills, but regular folks live there, too. They snatch up houses like 511 N. Dianthus (open Sat. 1-4pm) and 1100 John (open Sun. 1-4pm) and then make it a point to be overheard in crowded restaurants talking about their "home up in the Hill Section."


Sand Section

We've said it before, we'll say it again – 332 20th (pictured), up at the top of the 20th St. walkstreet above Highland, is splendid, plush, unique and offers great ocean views, plus back-door access to Live Oak Park. You would think it'd be taken by Summer, but that's just around the corner. Currently at $4.495m. Open Sat. & Sun., 1-4pm.

Another wower is at 228 29th Place, which we've urged readers to drop in on previously.

The fall from great heights would seem to be nearly complete – this one began at $3.049m last year and now stands (after a legit re-list) at $2.499m. Contemporary, custom, big views and 4 levels, if memory serves – seems like 6. Open Sun. 1-4pm.



Tree Section

560 36th is a new home that's really trying to move. After just 2 months on market, the price is down $500k/17%. The listing screams "please submit all reasonable offers!"

36th is surprisingly warm for a concrete-glass-and-steel modern home. It's new construction with 4br/4ba, 4000 sq. ft. and a different flavor – not what you expect in the neighborhood and not the sort of stark, soulless contemporary that you might find elsewhere. (The listing has pics but they don't do it much justice.) Overall, the project is pretty daring for a speckie and for this location – steps from the armory and Sand Dune Park. That's why it's down already to $2.499m. Open Sun. 2-5pm.

2812 Elm recently crossed a shocking threshold – 600 days on market. It began Sept. 13, 2006, and if it has taken 7 total days off market since then, we've got monkeys for nephews.

When the listing urged buyers, in January, to "Hurry, this home will not last!" MBC said, "Really, Don't Hurry," because we thought they must be kidding.

But now, partly with Mrs. MBC's urging, we're changing our tune completely. It's a weekend must-see.

The sad part about this case is that it's a very charming house, great curb, nice kitchen, and yet challenged by a layout that is just too hard to swallow, with 2 of the 4 bedrooms in awkward places downstairs.

Homes that haven't sold have a way of not selling, so this one's been stuck in a feedback loop for months. The first problem was that shoot-the-moon start price 600+ days ago: $1.769m. Current price of $1.599m means the sellers lose something if they make a deal – they paid just $15k less in June 2005.

It's time folks, it's time. First, drop by, even if it's just for moral support. Give the layout and location and other charms a serious thought. Somebody, please make an offer. Have some holiday spirit. Open Sun. 1-4pm.

Weekend Opens (5/17-5/18)

Lakers are off for the weekend, so do your duty and drop in on a few opens. Who knows when your next break might be?

Click here for the complete list of opens published in the Beach Reporter, or at any time use the link in the right-hand column under "Prop. Search Tools."

As always, click any highlighted address below for more pics & details via Redfin.


Hill Section

Mrs. MBC doesn't pick many Hill Section listings, but an interesting option presents itself this week – 619 9th.

The home is comfortably large at 4br/4ba and about 3800 sq. ft. (BTV – public records say closer to 3400) on a nice, large lot – almost 10,000 sq. ft. It's attractively landscaped (includes a "meditation garden") with a pool. A sweet great room, but you must like brick. And if you find some of the décor a bit frumpy, remember that stuff is easy to change.

619 9th is close to downtown, not a view home. The buzz is that it's high at $4.195m, but the first question is: Could it be a great home? Mrs. MBC thinks it could be. Open Sat. & Sun. 1-4pm.


Sand Section

Folks have been too busy buying and selling in the Sand (7 sales in the first half of May) to open up anything new this week. Retread time.

There's that attractive downtown walkstreet home, 341 10th – a bit of a head-scratcher because a chunk of the living space is tied up in a rental unit. It gets another mention this week because it's now down 10% from its ambitious $3.3m start in March. Can anyone explain why the walkstreet homes aren't moving? Now $2.999m. Open Sun. 1-4pm.

Another walkstreet home not moving yet: 317 5th, still at $3.2m, which seemed pretty aggressive (we mean low, not absurd) when it began. Open Sun. 1-4pm.

There's a contemporary (90s) home in El Norte that's actually located on El Porto St. – they haven't changed that yet? – but hasn't had any takers after a few months. 125 El Porto offers 3br/4ba and 2000 sq. ft. It has squeeked down just a bit to $1.599m. Open Sun. 1-4pm.


Tree Section

721 36th is a newer Cape Cod with 5br/5ba and 3450 sq. ft. It was purchased last year, in March 2007, for $2.327m. The markup after a year: +$172k/+7% to $2.499m.

Did we mention that this is 36th St.? And 2008? Good luck with that. Open Sun. 1-4pm.

Worth another mention this week is 621 Marine, a newer home (2002) that – get this – was also purchased in March 2007 (for $2.436m). The "rustic Spanish" home offers 5br/4ba, 3100 sq. ft., but it is now priced below last year's purchase price. Now $2.419m. Open Sun. 1-4pm.


Looking for something on the more affordable end of the spectrum? Suck up the busy street and you can have 2905 Valley for $1.239m. It's got 3br/2ba and 1500 sq. ft. The listing calls it "sophisticated." Remember, there are no regulations on the use of that word to promote real estate. It's a comfy, clean cottage. Open Sat. 2:30-5pm, Sun. 3-5pm.

2901 Oak is a new home with perhaps the most defensive – no, we'll say "proactive" – listing language we can recall. It begins with:

This property is situated on a very quite [sic] part of oak st. There is no ingress off sepulveda at 30th st.

They're right, it's not a terrible part of Oak. Home is essentially Spanish, 5br/5ba and 3250 sq. ft. Starts a hair below $2m at $1.995m. Open Sun. 1-4pm.

Weekend Opens (5/10-5/11)

If you want to do right by mom this weekend, you're probably not doing much in the way of open-house visiting. Well, maybe Saturday.

There are fewer "new" opens this weekend than most, reflecting the holiday. But this is one of those weeks where a few of the ads in the Beach Reporter semi-comically strain to draw in a reference to the occasion. (Remember "Hop On Over!" in all the Easter ads?):

• "Give the Gift of Home for Mother's Day!"
• "Gourmet Kitchen for Mom"
• "Remodeled Tree Section Home 4 Mom"

That's right, if you didn't get a card, why not a new mortgage?

Click here for the complete list of opens published in the Beach Reporter, or at any time use the link in the right-hand column under "Prop. Search Tools."

As always, click any highlighted address below for more pics & details via Redfin.


Hill Section

Mom had better not be looking in the Hill Section, for there are but two posted opens:

930 John, a new home we've made mention of several times, priced at $4.995m. Open Sat. & Sun. 1-4pm.

511 N. Dianthus, Kaye Thomas' "entry-level" offering at $1.479m, which we featured last week. Open Sun. 1-4pm.


Sand Section

2319 Grandview is a townhome (detached), we know, but it's one of the classier new opens of the weekend. This one offers 3br/4ba and 2300 sq. ft. and is just a year old. The ad copy notes its "unrivaled, unblockable, panoramic" views of the Tree Section. Not noted: Grandview School across the street. Starts at $1.950m, a tick above its purchase price in Spring 2007. Open Sat. 1-4pm.

448 27th is a fairly nice & different remodel (don't judge a book by its cover) with the surprising feature of just 2 bedrooms spread out among 2650 sq. ft. A former bedroom was converted to a terrific family room in front, over the garage. It would be a crime to convert it back, but it would also be unusual to share your master with the kids. (Question for mom: At what age, again, is "co-sleeping" supposed to end?) Now at $1.899m. Open Sat. & Sun. 1-4pm.


Tree Section

Mrs. MBC is drawn in totally by the promise of 2504 Poinsettia's pitch – "Not your typical cookie-cutter home!" Finally?!?

The profile is typical – 4br/4ba and 3200 sq. ft., but they're promising a "one-of-a-kind design & floor plan," plus all kinds of nice details. (We'll be honest, the listing writeup is one of the most literate and imaginative we've seen in months. Check it out.)

Now, don't disappoint Mrs. MBC on Mother's Day weekend. Starts at $2.499m. Open Sat. 1-4pm.

Also new this week is 769 33rd, a 5000 sq. ft. home (6br/5ba) on a nearly double-size lot. A beauty with a Spanish flair that starts at $4.4m. The listing pitches an 11oo-sq.-ft. master (no "green" home here) and it once pitched the 2500-sq. -ft. yard. Here's hoping this one works out better than 3305 Laurel. Open Sun. 2-4pm.

Now, we're not going to pretend that 1829 Poinsettia is a "new" listing, as the newest agents seem to insist, but it does have a new price, and that's been like pulling teeth over there. The listing began 51 weeks ago at $1.785m, shocking even in those go-go days for a tricked-out cottage with 3br/2ba, 1450 sq. ft. and virtually no yard. Now it's at $1.475m (-$310k/-17%) and perhaps creeping toward reality. Perhaps. Open Sun. 1-4pm.

Nearby, 1821 Walnut isn't new, either, but it's back after a blown escrow with a new price: $2.399m. It began at $2.750m a full 50 weeks ago. Open Sun. 2-4pm.

Sunday Opens (4/27)

Here's the dilemma, and we invite you to play along at home.

Let's say you want to publish a weekly list of what's new and worth a look among local RE listings. And then, all at once, the mass of local sellers and agents refuses to provide fodder, er, subjects. There are literally zero new listings in the Hill Section or Sand Section that are posted as open in the Beach Reporter's online listings. So, what do you do?

At MBC, first, we shut down the "Weekend" version of the open house listings. We have a "Sunday" version instead, still an ample guide. Then we bit the bullet and re-listed (!) a few homes we've noted before. Finally, we partway wrote up a house for the Hills that's new but not open. Only the Tree Section offers truly new stuff.

It's strange to be confronted with this problem at a time that our tracking shows inventory higher than MBC has ever recorded in a year-plus of public tracking – 104 SFRs west of Sepulveda on Saturday, a figure deemed reliable but not guaranteed.


Hill Section

Don't forget to drop in on 815 2nd, subject of our weekend pricing poll. Open Sun. 2-4pm.

The only new listing in the Hills this week is 864 11th (pictured), but, lo, they have decided to keep the public at bay. It will be by-appt.-only to view this one.

Still it's worth a mention – 11th is a large (5br/5ba, 3775 sq. ft.) family home on a lot of nearly 8000 sq. ft. Pluses: Nice great room, updated kitchen & master bath, a garage in the back corner of the property, a decent yard. Start price seems quite high at $3.35m, considering that a somewhat comparable, yet larger (by 700 sq. ft.), home at 916 9th recently went into escrow priced at $2.895m (and that took several months of trying).


Sand Section

Hey, did we mention that 221 34th (pictured) – which debuted last week – is stunning, cool, clean, modern, and features world-class ocean, PV & pier views?

OK, now we have. Must see. Asking $5.4m. Open Sun. 1-4pm.

Also up there at the high end, someone reported last week on their astonishment at 332 20th, a large and luxurious new home at the top of the 20th St. walkstreet.

That was a good reminder of a home we liked when it first came on. It's got style and commanding views. Kind of amazing it has lasted almost 90 days, but that $4.795m pricetag does limit the buyer pool. 332 20th is open Sun. 2-4pm.

When, oh when, will someone love 516 24th (pictured) like we do? Sure, it's close to the school and has no yard, but it's a tight, completely charming modern beach cottage with surprising views from the master. It's down a tad again, now at $2.349m. Open Sun. 1-4pm.

Let's look at the other end – have you seen 131 Kelp, one of the least-pricey El Porto listings? It's a little place (2br/2ba, 1400 sq. ft.) surrounded by larger buildings, but cute and, we imagined, not long for the open market at $1.095m. Well, it's been 70 days now, not forever. A steal at $900k. Open Sun. 1-4pm.


Tree Section

In the past week, it seems that all the new listings are in the Tree Section at $2m+.

616 29th (pictured) is a 3-year-old Craftsman with 4br/5ba and 3500 sq. ft. We cringe a bit at the exterior styling – it just doesn't feel authentic. But many of the interior spaces are sweet and spacious.

Now, about that price – if $2.475m seems high for today's market, where more new homes are selling below $2m, well, what do you say to the folks who bought this home for $2.425m almost 3 years ago, in Aug. 2005? You can't get out flat? Open Sun. 1-4pm.

1820 Elm is a new Craftsman (we're just reporting what they say here) with 5br/4ba and a bit more than 3000 sq. ft. Starts at $2.349m. Open Sun. 1-4pm.

3404 Pine boasts "hilltop" views from a neo-Spanish home. (We wrote that and then saw that the listing is calling it "Mediterranean," and yet we're sticking with Spanish.) It's the standard profile for a Tree Section newbie in some respects – 5br/5ba, 3250 sq. ft. Starts at $2.45m. Open Sun. 1-4pm.

Weekend Opens (4/19-4/20)

It should be a Sandy weekend if you're going out.

In the Hill Section, they refuse to replace the 3 recent sales with any new listings. In the Tree Section, the only new offering isn't totally new. But in the Sand, it's a storm. (See below.)

Click here for the complete list of opens published in the Beach Reporter, or at any time use the link in the right-hand column under "Prop. Search Tools."

As always, click any highlighted address below for more pics & details via Redfin.

And be sure to tell them MBC sent you.


Hill Section

There's nothing new in the Hills, again, but there's a noteworthy price reduction on 815 2nd. This one shaved $300k off the top and is now at $4.495m for a 5br/5ba, 4625-sq.-ft. new home. That cut has got them calling this the "best-priced new construction" in the Hills. (It's certainly the least expensive.)

We agree that the finishes and details on 2nd are above par, and the home seems surprisingly modest (in a good way) overall. The design favors lots of cozy, private spaces over the huge megarooms you would normally find in a Hill manse. And the views are better than expected, just a little bit up the hill off Ardmore. Check it out Sunday, 1-4pm.

By way of comparison, the new home at 930 John (mentioned a couple weeks ago) offers 5br/7ba, 5400 sq. ft. for $4.995m, now a full notch up over 815 2nd. Open Sat. & Sun. 1-4pm.

Also, 218 N. Dianthus is the 3rd of 4 new homes in the Hills, asking $6.75m for 5br/6ba, 5725 sq. ft. Open Sun. 1-4pm.


Sand Section

429 29th St. is Mrs. MBC's pick of the week. (Click address for pics and details; now up.) This one's further north and just about 180 degrees different in style from her contemporary walkstreet pick last week (317 5th). It's a little beach cottage (3br/2ba and about 1300 sq. ft. per the assessor) with an updated kitchen, yard (it's a full lot) and, they say, ocean views. (Really?) This one is not to be confused with 429 29th Pl., which just sold. Start price here: $1.579m. Open Sun. 1-4pm.

Also new on the plateau above Highland:

• 452 32nd, a new "French country" home that's larger than most in the area – 6br/4ba, 4600 sq. ft. Starts at a somewhat remarkable $2.999m ($667/PSF). It was offered from Oct. 2007-Feb. 2008 at $3.199m, pre-completion. Open Sun. 1-4pm.

• 444 33rd Pl., a smaller home on a double-wide, half-deep lot that amounts to a full 2700 sq. ft. For $1.289m you get a 2br/2ba, 900 sq. ft. home. No surprise that it's pitched as "perfect as a future building site." Open Sun. 3-5pm. (Unusual.)

• And, heck, why not make it a foursome up on the plateau? 448 27th is a new listing (also not on the MLS yet) that, tax records say, offers 3br/3ba and 2300 sq. ft. – the slug for the open says it's a "complete remodel" priced at $2.089m. Open Sun. 1-4pm.

The big, pricey debut of the week in the Sand is a sleek new home at 221 34th, maxed out with 5br/5ba and 4200 sq. ft.

Being west of Highland and a bit higher up, it's got those big ocean views. They're thinking a bit about 200 19th, the gorgeous new home that recently sold at $5.6m – here, the start price is $5.4m. Open Sun. 1-4pm.


Tree Section

There is very little new this week in the Trees.

Indeed, the freshest listing is one that flashed onto and off of the market last year: 500 14th (pictured below), which offers 3br/3ba and 2250 sq. ft.

The listing pitches the location, which is certainly close to downtown, but it's also partly on Ardmore. Cute for $1.849m. Wait – $1.849? Open Sun. 1-4pm.

Also, maybe take a second (or a first) look at 2310 John, a slightly out-of-place contemporary. It's not new, but it did take $100k off this week – now $2.099m. Open Sun. 1-4pm.