Palos Verdes Lifestyle - Norma Toering's PV Real Estate Blog

For the past few days I've been dealing with a client who is struggling with moving her life to the next level. She wants to buy a condo, she's qualified to buy one, but fear is holding her back. With all due respect, the world has thrown her more than one curve ball and she decided to take a long time-out. But now she can't get off the bench. It feels good to be safely shielded from the hot spots of life and the glaring demands it makes. She's sitting and watching, and too fearful of a long list of "what ifs" to venture back into the game.

She's a woman alone and filled with desire to own a home, but held back by fear. Life is coming at her way too fast for comfort. Divorce, children leaving the nest, new job and new residence all occurred during the past two years. Now she needs to move from her temporary rental and purchase a condo. She's fighting this on every level, because she is not ready to accept the singularity of her new life.

It is difficult to move to the next level if you are lugging all the baggage from your past. Lighten the load and the ascent will be easier. The children no longer need their own rooms when they come home from college. The over-sized dining room set from the house in the suburbs needs to stay in the burbs.  In order to move on some things must be left behind.

The loan is approved, the condo is identified, but she can't bring herself to sign the contract. So tomorrow we will look at more condos and postpone the decision once again. She wants to make sure the one she has chosen is the right one. But do we ever know for sure it, whatever your it may be, is the right one? I don't think so.  You narrow it down, roll the dice and go for it.

Years ago I had a similar conversation with a street smart friend, except that time I was the one hovering in an indecisive state. I was weighing the pros and cons of a major life change. Each side of the balance sheet was weighted with credible justification to choose that particular path. My friend listened and watched as I circled around the decision for days. Finally, one evening when the topic came up for the umpteenth time he cut me off with a comment I shall remember as long as I live. With a chuckle, to soften the finality of his words I suspect, he said, "Sometimes you just have to drop your pants and slide on the ice."

Norma Toering & Team RE/MAX Palos Verdes Realty
(310) 493-8333 / Office Phone: (310) 831-0800

South Bay Los Angeles cities I sell real estate and homes in: Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Long Beach, Torrance, Lomita, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.

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If you enjoy following the trends in Rancho Palos Verdes real estate, check out the chart below for number of sales, days on market and existing inventory. 

For a personalized market report on your neighborhood call Norma Toering.

Norma Toering & Team RE/MAX Palos Verdes Realty
(310) 493-8333 / Office Phone: (310) 831-0800

South Bay Los Angeles cities I sell real estate and homes in: Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Long Beach, Torrance, Lomita, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.

Find Norma on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn - Email Norma

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The numbers are in for Palos Verdes Estates real estate activity for the past 15 months.  Check out the chart below for price per square foot, number of days on market and other pertinent Palos Verdes Estates real estate information.

Norma Toering & Team RE/MAX Palos Verdes Realty
(310) 493-8333 / Office Phone: (310) 831-0800

South Bay Los Angeles cities I sell real estate and homes in: Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Long Beach, Torrance, Lomita, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.

Find Norma on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn - Email Norma

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If you enjoy tracking the Rolling Hills Estates real estate activity these numbers are for you!  Here's a great overview of the real estate market for the past 15 months.

Rolling Hills Estates inventory is down to 11 homes from a high of 29 homes for sale in Oct. 2006. 

 For more information on Rolling Hills Estates properties currently for sale or for a personalized market report on your property, please contact Norma Toering.

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If you love to follow the Rolling Hills real estate market, these numbers are for you! 

 December 2007 posted 3 sales in Rolling Hills with an average price per square foot of $982.  December 2007 also posted the highest sale price ever for a single family property in Rolling Hills:  $12,900,000.  

Based on closed sales, Rolling Hills currently has approximately 6 months of inventory. 

Norma Toering & Team RE/MAX Palos Verdes Realty
(310) 493-8333 / Office Phone: (310) 831-0800

South Bay Los Angeles cities I sell real estate and homes in: Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Long Beach, Torrance, Lomita, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.

Find Norma on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn - Email Norma

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The front page of today's Wall Street Journal featured the following headlines:

Largest Bold Text:  Bill Gates Issues Call for Kinder Capitalism (positive)

Large Bold Text:  Stocks Reverse Early Losses, Close Up 2.5%  (positive)

Large Bold Text:  Developing Economies Face Reckoning as U.S. Stumbles (U.S. still the powerhouse)

Top of the Page Teasers:  Is It Too Late To Resuscitate the Economy? (wait and see)

                                      Not Buying It: Downturn Hits Upscale Retail  (negative)

                                      Housing Bust Makes a Move to More Places  (negative)

At the bottom of page one under TODAY'S AGENDA a small article appeared with the following headline:  For Existing-Home Sales, A Slight Fall is Good News.  The tiny article went on to state existing-home sales are expected to have fallen slightly in December after a rise in November....Realtors have been encouraged by relatively stable sales in recent months.

That's good news, but the consumer has to read past a lot of negative headlines to find it.

Norma Toering & Team RE/MAX Palos Verdes Realty
(310) 493-8333 / Office Phone: (310) 831-0800

South Bay Los Angeles cities I sell real estate and homes in: Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Long Beach, Torrance, Lomita, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.

Find Norma on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn - Email Norma

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McMansions are mushrooming up throughout the hills of the coastal community I live and work in. As I walk through the limestone laden hallways and cavernous bedroom suites I can't help but wonder what it is in our human nature that compels us to build 10,000 square foot homes for a family of four. Mother Nature can't be happy with this turn of events!  I'm sure she doesn't think this trend is good for her health.

I understand the nesting urge. I raised four little "birdies" myself in homes from Maine to Florida and across the country to California. Some of those homes were healthier than others. The older homes had mold and moisture issues. The new homes had paint, varnish and new carpet odors to deal with. As the mother of children with asthma these were ongoing challenges.


When I moved to California nearly twenty years ago my first priority was to find the cleanest air available in a city notorious for its smog. The style and size of the house were secondary concerns. However, even then there was an emerging trend that bigger was better. This obsession with the obese house is outpacing the expanding waistline of Americans. How much longer can Earth sustain this never ending appetite of conspicuous consumption?

Perhaps it is because many home buyers today are of a younger generation, but I've noticed a tilt toward greener desires. Quality over quantity seems to be rearing its logical head. Perhaps this new wave of real estate seekers will redefine the meaning of home in America.

Enter Living Homes--Nature made. Factory built. These modern homes are designed by world class architects and offer great price values. The homes are made with natural non-toxic (cork floors and cedar ceilings) and sustainably-derived materials. These healthier homes have dramatically smaller ecological footprints than most new homes. Living Homes combine healthy materials and efficient systems with a resource-saving modular fabrication process which contributes to cleaner air, water and soil. Kudos to this company for giving consumers a greener housing choice.

I'm intrigued, although I have not yet seen one of their designs except online. I look forward to watching these more ecologically friendly homes sprout up throughout the local landscape and squash the multiplication of the McMansion frenzy. 

Check out LivingHomes at http://www.livinghomes.net/welcome.html

Norma Toering & Team RE/MAX Palos Verdes Realty
(310) 493-8333 / Office Phone: (310) 831-0800

South Bay Los Angeles cities I sell real estate and homes in: Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Long Beach, Torrance, Lomita, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.

Find Norma on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn - Email Norma

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Yesterday a fellow agent invited me to see an upcoming listing.  She wanted an opinion on what the price should be.  It is a custom one-of-a-kind, although dated, house.  In other words, there are no comparable sales in the neighborhood, and no comparable actives currently on the market.

Hmmm, this was no easy call.  She told me she gave the sellers (two siblings from out of the area) a list price, but she was beginning to second guess herself, and wanted an opinion from someone she could trust.  Okay, flattery is a good way to get me to give up a couple of hours of my time to keep my name on the short list of agents she can trust.  Besides, she did not give me the list price she suggested, and being a competitive character I accepted the challenge.

Know the Neighborhood:  In an area with 19 homes on the market I've seen 17 of them.  This helps--no, this is essential.

Know the Recent Sales:  Out of 18 sales in 2007, only four properties could be considered as possible comparisons, and they all varied significantly from the subject property.  Fortunately, I saw or showed all four of those houses and sold one of them.

Know the Local Market:  This particular area is weathering the market slow down well.  The number of days on the market is increasing, but the prices are holding with only minor fluctuations.  A quick visit to Trend Graphics confirmed and updated me on the ups and downs of the local real estate scene.

Explain the Anomalies of the Market:  There was a recent price reduction of gigantic proportions.  Fortunately, I  knew this had nothing to do with the market, but was a personal situation and not a true indicator of a future price slide.

Know the Seller's Motivation:  The agent offered up this information in our initial conversation.  They're heirs.  They're motivated.

The other agent is good.  She should not have doubted herself.  Our suggested listing prices were less than 2% apart.  She left the property feeling more confident, and I couldn't wait to get back to my database to search for a possible buyer.

Norma Toering & Team RE/MAX Palos Verdes Realty
(310) 493-8333 / Office Phone: (310) 831-0800

South Bay Los Angeles cities I sell real estate and homes in: Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Long Beach, Torrance, Lomita, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.

Find Norma on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn - Email Norma

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With the 400 additional acres acquired in 2005 in the Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve, the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy has a lot more planting, weeding, trail maintenance and beautification projects to do.  The nonprofit organization is looking for a few good men and women to lighten the load.

Nearly every Saturday of the year the organization hosts a volunteer event.  Team Leaders direct and assist volunteers with the project for the day.  The Land Conservancy continues to look for Team Leaders who are members of the community and at least 16 years old with a desire to learn new skills while interacting with the environment. 

Team Leaders are trained at full day workshops. The workshop includes various aspects of ecological restoration, plant identification, trail work maintenance, leadership and how to assist with a Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy Volunteer Day.

Norma Toering & Team RE/MAX Palos Verdes Realty
(310) 493-8333 / Office Phone: (310) 831-0800

South Bay Los Angeles cities I sell real estate and homes in: Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Long Beach, Torrance, Lomita, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.

Find Norma on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn - Email Norma

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I was recently asked by a soon-to-be resident what I like best about living in Palos Verdes.  My answer was not as concise and to the point as I would have liked.  Later, I found myself thinking about the very legitimate question and here's my list:

1. The Coastal Location:  I have a need to be close to the ocean.  A long walk along a beach is one of my favorite indulgences, and I partake often. It's a quality of life decision for me. It's also called location.

2.  The Outstanding School District:  Hands down this is why I moved to Palos Verdes 19 years ago.  It remains the main draw for many new residents.

3. The Country Setting in an Urban County:  Los Angeles is one of the most densely populated counties in the country, but upon entering Palos Verdes you are immediately struck by the open space.

4. The Breathtaking Views:  You do not have to own a view property to enjoy the spectacular vistas.  A drive around the Palos Verdes Peninsula offers views of Catalina Island, a couple of lighthouses, sweeping coastline views, Los Angeles Harbor views, and dazzling city lights views.

5. The Low Profile Attitude:  This is not Hollywood or even Beverly Hills.  It's quiet here. 

Norma Toering & Team RE/MAX Palos Verdes Realty
(310) 493-8333 / Office Phone: (310) 831-0800

South Bay Los Angeles cities I sell real estate and homes in: Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Long Beach, Torrance, Lomita, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.

Find Norma on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn - Email Norma

Palos Verdes Real Estate Blog - Palos Verdes Real Estate Website
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