SUN, SEP 28 @ 4:00PM The Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro, CA 90731
Part Two of our CD Retrospective! After a Sold Out show in February exploring the material on our award-winning CDs, we’re digging deeper into our catalog! Join us for this show full of favorite originals and deeper cuts! Tickets on sale at https://grandvision.org/event/andy-renee-hard-rain-3/
AUGUST IS GONNA BE ANOTHER FANTASTIC NIGHT OF ROOTS/AMERICANA MUSIC – FEATURING THE BLUESY/ROCKIN’ MASON SOUTH ( PHIL PARLAPIANO, DOUG HAMBLIN, LYNN COULTER) AND THEN ALL THE WAY FROM HAWAII IS THE COUNTRY FOLK SOUNDS OF THE DESERT HOLLOW DUO/GREAT HARMONIES TOO! ALL OF THESE FINE PLAYERS ARE MASTERS ON THEIR INSTRUMENTS, SING SOULFULLY AND WRITE GREAT SONGS! I’LL BE THERE PLAYING SOME TUNES AS WELL AND THEN JUST DIGGIN’ THE MUSIC AND THANKING MY LUCKY STARS THAT I GET TO MAKE MUSIC WITH MY PALS!
DON’T MISS THIS NIGHT! THESE TWO ACTS VERY RARELY PLAY ‘ROUND THESE PARTS! GET THERE EARLY TO GET A SEAT AND HOPE TO SEE YA AT THE DANCE!!
In July the South Bay real estate market made a valiant attempt to maintain a positive stance. It failed. Compared to June of this year, things looked better on the sales volume side, but June was already in the tank, so even the summer bump was only modest help. Looking back to July of last year gave a depressing picture. Overall sales for the south Bay were off by 1%. In itself that’s not a huge number, but considering the market started this year at well over 10%, it’s a big drop in sales.
Median price was an even greater disappointment. In January every area of the South Bay was in positive numbers. By July, every area except PV (which has been negative four out of seven months), was shrinking.
Year to date numbers have overall pointed in an equally negative direction. For the first seven months of the year the South Bay is looking at a 6% increase in homes sold. Compared to the 11% that started the year, one has to conclude the local real estate economy is trending down. The median price tells an even more down-trodden perspective with nearly all areas showing prices falling by 1% to 3% from the same period in 2024.
Beach: A One Month Jump?
The number of homes sold in the Beach cities during July jumped to 130 units, up 11% from June sales. Keep in mind, the increase follows a 4% drop in June, which followed a 2% drop in May. Month to month sales have been erratic at the Beach, while annual sales volume has been steeply up compared to 2024. July sales continued the trend with a 10% increase over the same month last year.
Median price is another matter. At the Beach the median came in at $1,844,000, down 3% from June. July was the sixth successive decline in month to month median prices for the Beach area. Annually the median has shown mixed results compared to 2024, ranging from a 32% increase in January to a 1% decline in July. This drop in July followed another 1% decline in June, continuing what looks like a year long slide in median price and in sales volume. While still higher than in 2024, July was the second lowest month this year in terms of homes sold.
Cumulative sales for 2025 were 23% higher than 2024, though still down 15% from 2019, the last normal year of business preceding the pandemic. For the same period, the median price is up 9% over last year, while coming in at 49% above the median in 2019.
Harbor: Volume and Median Down
July was not a positive month for the Harbor area. Compared to June, sales volume and median price both fell by 8%. The number of homes sold for the month fell to 307 units, while the median price dropped to $775,000. This was the steepest monthly drop seen at the Harbor in 2025.
Annual statistics weren’t any better. Looking back to July of 2024, shows sales volume declined by 3%, and the median price fell 9%, the largest annual drop this year. If the current trend continues for the balance of the year, Harbor area real estate may take a serious hit.
Year to date sales through July came in at 3%. While still positive, it’s important to note the Harbor started the year with sales volume at 10% and has been dropping all year. Similarly, the median price has gone from 1% up in January to 9% down in July, ending the first seven months falling by 1%.
A quick comparison to 2019, shows year to date sales volume still down 20% from pre-pandemic business. Median price is still 43% above the 2019 median.
Hill: Strikingly Good
The Palos Verdes Peninsula saw a strikingly good real estate market in July. Month over month sales climbed an astonishing 53%. Of course, it’s not so impressive when one notes that sales dropped 34% last month. Even at that, 75 homes were sold in July, well above the average sold in any month for 2024 and the highest number in yet this year. At $2,185,000, a 13% increase over June, the median price was likewise the highest month for 2025.
Though not as dramatic, the year over year statistics were also impressive with a 3% increase in the number of homes sold compared to July of 2024. Increasing at 8% over July of last year, made PV the only area with a positive median price this month.
Viewing 2025 versus 2024 year to date sales brought another increase of 2%, roughly on par with the rest of the South Bay. Then came the only negative on the Hill for July—a drop of 1% in the median price.
Year to date sales compared to 2019 are still down by 11% , while the median price remains up by 44% from 2019.
Inland: Long Term Slowdown
July versus June numbers showed surprising strength for the Inland area. Those cities kicked the sales volume by 15%, with the number of homes sold climbing to 131 units. While boosting the median price 1%, to $979,000, the Inland area topped the market except for the highly volatile PV peninsula.
The monthly trend reversed with the annual statistics. July 2025 compared to July 2024 showed a 8% drop in the number of sales, accompanied by a 2% drop in the median sales price.
Year to date for the first seven months came with mixed results. Sales volume showed a 1% increase. For the same period, the median price dropped 3%, ending very much like all areas except the Beach, which continued to show positive results.
Once again looking back to 2019, before the real estate market was irremediably shaken by the Covid pandemic, current sales are down 15% and median prices are up 36%. With five months left in the year and economic forecasts leaning toward stagflation, this could well be a tipping point.
Beach=Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, El Segundo Harbor=Carson, Long Beach, San Pedro, Wilmington, Harbor City PV Hill=Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates Inland=Torrance, Lomita, Gardena
Investment property is typically thought of as something owned by people with significant amounts of wealth to throw around. While it’s true that investment by definition requires an upfront cost, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a big cost. Furthermore, it’s possible for your investment to be in a property you plan to live in as well, so you aren’t forced to buy multiple homes to invest.
Long-term investments, which rely on home values appreciating over time, don’t have to be costly at all, particularly if you plan to live there anyway. Foreclosures and auction sales are generally significantly lower price than the average home in any particular area. However, you should be careful about repair costs — homeowners whose homes are on foreclosure or auction typically couldn’t afford to keep their homes, which means they often also have deferred maintenance. You could also look in up-and-coming neighborhoods that aren’t pricey yet, but might be in the future.
Alternatively, there are strategies to reduce the upfront cost of purchasing a home. These include government programs to aid first time homebuyers, enlisting the help of other investors, or utilizing seller financing. Seller financing involves making monthly payments directly to the seller of a home instead of to a lender. Because it’s rarely advantageous for the seller and benefits greatly from knowledge of legal procedures, this is not a common financing method. But if the seller agrees to it, it can help to waive large down payment requirements, and possibly even grant a better interest rate. You might also choose not to purchase an entire home, but just part of one — a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) involves trading a percentage of a property on the stock exchange.
One of the most common strategies is actually quite simple. Just buy a home and rent out part of it, while living in it. This is called house hacking, and is usually done with multi-unit properties such as duplexes and triplexes. But if you can’t afford a multi-unit property, you can also buy a single-family residence and rent out specific rooms. This won’t generate as much income as renting out entire units, but frequently has a lower upfront cost.
When you start looking for a new home, some of the things that might jump out to you immediately are first impressions from the outside and the numerical square footage value. But these don’t tell you anything about what living in the home is like. For that, you’ll need to look at the rooms individually to see if they suit your needs.
The most important rooms are the rooms you’ll spend the most time in. For most people, these will include the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. It might include other rooms depending on your lifestyle, such as the living room if you plan to frequently host guests, or a home office if you work from home. The home you’re looking at might have a large dining area, but if you live alone and don’t frequently host, that could be taking space away that would be better used elsewhere. It’s possible you could convert rooms, but that may potentially make for an awkward floorplan. Space is limited, even if the square footage is high. Make sure the space is in the right places. Also, kitchens and bathrooms are some of the most expensive remodels. It might not be worth buying a home that needs all new bathrooms but otherwise looks fine.
If you want to know if a particular neighborhood is right for you to move to, you first need to know what to look for. Start by making a list of priorities. If you have kids or are planning to soon, you may want to research the local school district. But if you don’t have kids, perhaps a short work commute is more important. Maybe you want to live in a place with a vibrant community or plenty of local shops and entertainment, or maybe you just want a quiet neighborhood where you can feel relaxed. Regardless of what you’re looking for, make sure to be thorough in your search. Visit several times, at different times of the day. A neighborhood may feel nice in the afternoon, but have grueling rush hour traffic in the morning or feel dark and dangerous at night.
Regardless of where you rank your personal priorities, pretty much everyone wants to live in a safe area. Researching crime rates can help determine the level of a neighborhood’s safety. You can find this information online using crime maps or community forums, and also from local police department reports. Also, keep in mind that no community is entirely free of crime, some types of crime may be more or less prevalent than others depending on the area, and crime rates can shift over time. In addition, you may not think schools are relevant to you if you don’t have kids, but good local schools will also mean higher property values and better educated neighbors.
You might take for granted that certain types of indispensable locations –such as grocery stores and hospitals — exist in an area, but even if they’re accessible, they may not be close by. For less mandatory amenities such as entertainment venues, parks, and even libraries, there may not be any at all. Some towns also don’t have easy access to freeways, which could considerably increase commute times even if the linear distance doesn’t seem that far. However, some of these may already be in the works — make sure to check local news and city planning websites. If everything else about the community seems great, you may just have to live without for a while until construction is complete.
Imagine you’ve been searching for a new property, and you happen across a low priced home that seems to fit all your criteria. Is the deal too good to be true? Well, maybe, maybe not. It’s possible that you’ve come across a hidden gem, but it’s also possible that you’re missing some key factors.
You may have just gotten lucky with your timing — in which case, congratulations. The market fluctuates all the time, and it could be that home prices in the area you’re looking at are currently at or near a trough. If you aren’t sure, an agent can help you figure out local market trends.
Speaking of the local market, you should also ask your agent about the surrounding community. Maybe it has a high crime rate, low rated schools, or a weak job market, in which case a higher priced home in a better area may be preferable. In addition, if the home is in a low priced neighborhood, it’s entirely possible that all the homes in the area are cheap, and this one isn’t an exception — it may even be priced too high.
But if you didn’t simply get lucky or end up in a low priced area, there may be something about the property that you’re not seeing. The home may look fine at a casual glance, but there could be hidden problems with the property’s condition. Sellers are supposed to disclose issues that they’re aware of, and they probably know something if they’re choosing to list low, but they may not know everything. An inspection can help you uncover these. It’s also possible the home price itself is reasonable, but you aren’t accounting for additional costs such as property taxes, insurance costs, or homeowners association fees.
You may be inclined to think that if a property isn’t listed, it’s not for sale. Most of the time that’s true, but there are exceptions. Homes for sale that aren’t listed publicly may be called off-market properties, pocket listings, or quiet listings. There are multiple reasons for this, but regardless of the reason, finding these properties quickly can earn you an advantage when trying to buy.
The easiest way to find these properties is with someone else’s help — usually an agent, but investors and builders likely have connections as well. Someone with connections in the industry might know of an opportunity for you already without any searching. Even if they don’t, they can help you search. Agents can search for properties that are “coming soon” — ones that aren’t officially on the market yet, but will be once the listing is finalized. They can also help you find probate sales, pre-foreclosures, and inherited homes. Some agents even specialize in helping clients navigate the legal intricacies of these types of sales.
Sometimes you want to talk to the homeowner directly — though an agent can still help you with this. Agents with a client who is looking to buy will frequently send out letters to owners of properties that fit the buyer’s specifications. Homeowners might be considering selling but either haven’t decided yet or don’t want to list publicly. These letters help to find homeowners in this type of situation. You might also come across a home that is For Sale By Owner, commonly abbreviated FSBO. This means that the homeowner is planning to sell without the assistance of an agent, or sometimes is an agent themself. These properties probably won’t be listed on an agent’s listing service, but an agent can still help you with the transaction if you’re able to discover one.
TUESDAYS, 5:30PM — 7:30PM The Lighthouse Cafe, 30 Pier Avenue Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 310 376-9833
Andy & Renee-Banana Leaf
THURSDAYS, 6:30PM — 9:00PM Banana Leaf & Beach Cities Social, 1408 S Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach, CA
Andy & Renee-Brews Hall
FRI, JUL 11 & 25, 7:00PM — 10:00PM Brews Hall Del Amo, 21770 Del Amo Circle East, Torrance, CA 90503
Andy & Renee- Terranea Lobby Bar
FRI, JUL 18, 7:00PM — 11:00PM Terranea Lobby Bar, 100 Terranea Way, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
Andy & Renee & Marty Rifkin-House Concert
FRI, AUG 8, 6:00PM
Special House Concert honoring August Birthdays! All are welcome. Show is in Hermosa Beach, hosted by Jean Merl. Special Guest Marty Rifkin. $30. BYOB and a snack. Doors 6pm, Show 7pm. Get tickets at our Store Page. Address given upon purchase of ticket.
Marimba Magic – Workshop and Show with Grita Marimba and Masanga Marimba
Learn to play Marimba with award-winning teachers, then enjoy a show with Sonoma County’s Grita Marimba and LA’s own Masanga Marimba.
Come join us at The Grand Annex Music Hall for a day filled with marimba magic! Our event includes a hands-on workshop where you can learn to play this beautiful instrument from talented musicians. Afterward, sit back and enjoy a mesmerizing show featuring marimba performances that will leave you in awe. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a curious beginner, this event is perfect for anyone looking to experience the joy of music in a unique way. Don’t miss out on this Marimba Madness – it’s going to be an unforgettable day!
Join us for three nights of live Cumbia music and dancing as SoCal bands put their own twists on the irresistibly fun Columbian genre that blends indigenous, African, and European rhythms. It’s impossible not to move! Check back soon for more information!
Like Simon & Garfunkel with a touch of Willie Nelson, twins Adam and David Moss dress up their well-crafted lyrics with vocals, fiddle and a splash of twang.
Selling your home as-is means listing it in its current condition without making repairs or upgrades. This approach isn’t for everyone, but it can save you time, reduce your up-front costs and speed up the selling process. That said, it’s important to know that you’ll likely need to accept a lower price and potentially a smaller pool of buyers. Here are a few ways to help make the process easier.
Before listing your home, make sure you and the prospective buyers know exactly the condition of your home and have a good idea of its value. For most sales, a home inspection only occurs after an offer is made. However, you should consider a pre-listing inspection. It gives potential buyers a clear understanding of the home’s condition, which builds trust and can lead to quicker offers. This also helps you to disclose any known issues up front to avoid legal issues later. Buyers will also appreciate the honesty, and serious ones are more likely to stick around.
You should also work with a good agent to determine a fair price based on market conditions and the home’s condition before listing the property. Listing a home at one price and significantly altering it later can look like either dishonest or shoddy work. You and your agent can also collaborate to highlight your home’s best attributes. Does your home have a fantastic location, rustic charm or positive quirks? Make sure those positives shine in your listing.
Another tip is that even if you don’t make full repairs,small improvements go a long way. Clean thoroughly, declutter, and consider a fresh coat of paint to help your home make the best impression. As-is means as it was when listed, not as it was when you decided you wanted to list. Don’t feel like you can’t improve anything in the meantime. Besides, new paint is a plus that can be added to your listing description.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR LIVE MUSIC! WE AS MUSIC MAKERS CANNOT DO WHAT WE LOVE TO DO, PLAY LIVE SHOWS, WITHOUT YOU ALL SHOWING UP NIGHT AFTER NIGHT!
SPEAKING OF SHOWING UP, LAST MONTH’S ALL PRO SONGWRITER SHOW WAS OFF THE CHAIN INCREDIBLE, PACKED TO THE RAFTERS FROM BEGINNING TILL THE END TO HEAR TWO OF THE BEST SWAMPY, BLUESY, ROOTS TRIO’S ANYWHERE! SCROLL DOWN FOR SOME PICTURES – THANK YOU RICK HOLMSTROM, GREGORY BOAZ, STEVE MUGALIAN (FROM MAVIS STAPLES BAND), AND THE MOJO MONKEYS; DAVID RAVEN, TARAS PROANIUK AND BILLY WATTS! IT WAS BADASS! IF YOU WERE THERE, YOU KNOW!
THAT’S WHY YOU DON’T WANNA MISS ANOTHER SMOKING NIGHT AHEAD; TUESDAY, JULY 15, 2025 AT 7PM, WITH LA’S FAVORITE SONS; JOEY DELGADO AND THE DELGADO BROTHERS! IF YOU’RE A ROOTS,BLUES, LATIN/SOUL FAN, WITH AN AWARD WINNING GUITAR PLAYER AND GREAT SONGS, AND WHO ISN’T BE THERE! I’LL BE THERE TOO DOING MY THING; AND I’M SO HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO DO SO! PLUS I’M A BIG FAN OF THESE GUYS SO I’LL BE LOVING IT TOO!
As 2025 rolls by the real estate market in the Los Angeles South Bay continues to slide downward. January started the year with 11% more homes sold than in 2024. Now, with June in the books, the difference is 0% growth in sales across the South Bay. From month to month the numbers are up and down, but the end result is down.
With the exception of the Beach cities, the same thing is true for the median price. The four areas of the South Bay are distinguished from each other by the basic appeal of each area to potential home owners. Comparing real estate from 2024 to 2025 shows a distinct difference between the Beach cities and the other three areas.
Consider the sales volume, for example. Across the South Bay the cumulative change in the number of homes sold for the first half of each year, shows a 7% increase. However, the Beach area measured in at a 26% increase. The Harbor area was 4%, Palos Verdes peninsula was 2%, and the Inland cities were 3%. Different South Bay buyers are definitely viewing things differently.
Looking at the median price shows a similar story. In the same order, Beach was 11%, Harbor was 1%, Palos Verdes was -1% and Inland was -1%.
Clearly, buyers in the Beach cities have a different perspective than those in the rest of the South Bay. It would take some serious research to study the various purchases, what type of buyer was involved, how the property is currently being used, and how big of a premium the buyer was willing to place on the property, etc., in order to understand the motivations. An early guess is speculation. Buyers with sufficient available resources are speculating that the value will continue to go up without interruption. There might also be some number of those buyers who believe short term rentals will help defray the carrying costs. And probably a few who just want to live at the beach.
The key tying them all together though, is speculation. Those Beach area buyers believe the economy is going to hold and their purchases are going to further advance in value. That opinion appears to be changing though. The June median results for the Beach shifted from positive to negative in what may be an indication of the direction of our economy. We’ll be back next month with an update.
Beach: Mostly Down
Compared to May the Beach cities real estate performance was a bust. June is the second “down” month in succession for the Beach. At 117 units sold, monthly sales volume dropped 4%, after dropping 2% in May. Median prices in the Beach area have been negative since February. The median for June was a mere $5000 below last month’s $1.9M, leaving a statistically insignificant 0% drop.
In year over year sales volume, the Beach did much better, with a 30% increase in the number of homes sold over June of 2024. However, median price took a nosedive from June of 2024, falling from positive 9% in May to a negative 1% in June this year.
Contrasting the first six months of 2025 to the first half of 2024 lends the Beach cities a win. While the South Bay as a whole saw an increase of 7% in the number of homes sold over those sold in 2024, the Beach area jumped by 26%. For the same period of time, Beach prices climbed by 11%, far better than any of the other three areas.
As a point of reference, the number of Beach homes sold in the first half of 2025 is 17% below the number of sales in 2019, the last “normal” business year before the pandemic. Over the same time frame, median prices have increased 54%.
Harbor: Mostly Up
Real estate in the Harbor area showed surprising resilience in June. With 335 homes sold, sales volume was up 14%. At the same time, the monthly median price of $838,000 at the Harbor was up 3% from the prior month.
In the only decline for the Harbor in June, the annual sales volume slipped slightly with a 2% decline. This was offset by a 5% increase in the median price over the same month last year.
Year to date statistics brought even more positive news for the Harbor area. Sales volume for the first six months of the year was up 4% over sales in 2024. The median price was also up, with a modest increase of 1%.
Much like the Beach cities, when looking back to pre-pandemic real estate, the sales volume is 18% below that of 2019 while the median price is up 46%.
Hill: More Down
On the Palos Verdes Peninsula, the only positive number for June was the median price, which rose from $1.85M in May to $1.94M in June, for a 5% increase. Heading the opposite direction, monthly home sales dropped by 34%, ending the month with 49 sales.
In comparison to 2024, PV cities lost ground in sales and in prices. The number of homes sold fell by 18%, while the median price lost 4%.
With the first half of 2025 in history, homes on the Hill appear to have settled in with modest sales volume increases accompanied by small decreases in price. As of June, homes sales are up by 2% and the median is down 1%.
Compared to the first six months of 2019, Palos Verdes volume is off by 9%. For the same period, the median is up 44%.
Inland: And More Down
After four months of sales growth this year the Inland area flipped with a 20% drop from last year. Running the opposite direction from the sales decline, the median price jumped by 11%, coming in at $965,000.
Year over year statistics likewise ended with a drop in the number of homes sold and an increase in the median price. Compared to 2024 sales volume was down 7%, while the median climbed 1%.
At mid-point in the year, the Inland area is posting a 3% increase in sales over 2024 business. That number seems quite reasonable, especially when compared to the monthly sales which range from 18% increase to 20% decrease. While the total number of sales is down, the median price for the first half of the year is up 1%.
Continuing the year to date comparison with pre-pandemic activity, the Inland area is showing sales at 14% less than 2019, combined with a median price at 38% higher than then.
Beach=Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, El Segundo Harbor=Carson, Long Beach, San Pedro, Wilmington, Harbor City PV Hill=Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates Inland=Torrance, Lomita, Gardena
The real estate market in the Los Angeles South Bay kicked off 2025 with an 11% increase in the number of residences sold for January. That increase in sales volume was accompanied by median price bumps that ranged from 0% in the Inland area to 32% in the Beach cities.
Fast forward to May, almost halfway through the year, and the sales volume has dropped to a 7% increase over May of last year. With the number of homes selling declining, the median prices have likewise moved from the positive side to the negative. Comparing the median prices to May of last year shows prices falling in three of the four South Bay areas. Only the Beach cities managed to stay positive with a 9% increase, albeit compared to 32% in January. The other three areas dropped by as much as 8%. (See below for more detail.)
This South Bay Market Snapshot shows where the market is shifting and by how much. It’s designed to help clients understand the direction of the market. Those who watch the market trend will see increasing larger chunks of real estate market are sliding toward recession either in the number of homes sold for a given period, or correspondingly dropping in median price. The mid-year report next month should provide a more definitive comment on the future of local real estate.
Beach: Still Up, but …?
May was not a good month for real estate in the Beach cities, but it was better than last May. The month over month statistics are red ink, with the number of homes sold dropping by 2% and the median price falling 3% from April. Sales volume came in at 122 units, compared to 125 in April. The median price was $1,900,000 down from $1,955,000 last month.
Annual sales volume was more impressive at 11% increase in the number of homes sold. Similarly, the median price at the Beach escalated by a relatively high 9%, compared to the other areas of the South Bay.
Year to date, 541 homes have sold in the Beach area, 25% greater than the first five months of 2024. At $2,000,000 the median price surprises, since the median month to month is only $1,900,000. How could the median for the year to date, be higher? Well, looking at the past few months shows Beach area prices started the year much higher than they are now. In fact, the median in January was $2,355,000—almost $400,000 higher than May. Beach area median prices have been falling every month this year.
Harbor: Sales Slipping, Prices Down
Month over month, sales volume in the Harbor area dropped by 5%, from 310 homes in April to 293 in May. Surprisingly, the median price climbed from $785,000 to $815,000, for a boost of 4%.
Comparing this May to the same month last year gives similarly mixed results, though in reverse. While monthly home sales found May lower than April, annual sales were up 2% from May of 2024. In the same time frame, median prices fell 4% across the year.
For January through May of 2025 the number of home sold rose 6% from last year, for a total of 1373 properties closing escrow. During the same period of time the median price rose 1%, ending at $785,000.
Hill: Sales Solid, Prices Down
Home sales on the Palos Verdes Peninsula for the month of May delivered an increase of 1%, totaling 74 homes. In May, the median price likewise went up, reaching $1,850,000, or 4% more than those sold in April.
Looking at sales volume year over year shows a more varied picture. Last month compared to May of 2024 offers a 12% increase in the number of homes sold. At the same time, the median price tumbled by 5%. One should always be cautioned that with the small number of transactions in peninsula homes, percentages often seem exaggerated, thus it’s important to look at the year to date statistics, too.
For the first five months of 2025 275 homes were sold on the Hill, boosting sales volume by 7% over that of 2024. While the volume came up, the median price went down. At $1,897,000 the median dropped by 2%. It would seem a correction was in the making, though that’s based on memory of other financial “compressions” in recent years.
Inland: Median Prices Continue Down
Monthly sales statistics brought a 12% jump in homes sold in the Inland area. This increase is easily the steepest in the South Bay for May. The next closest rise in sales was the Palos Verdes area with a 1% bump over April volume. The 143 homes sold at a median price of $870,000, a 1% drop from the April median.
The Inland area joined the Hill in yearly sales increases. Both areas registered a 12% jump in volume, coming in at the top, with the South Bay as a whole rising by only 7%. Continuing a trend started in March, Inland median prices once again fell, this time registering the steepest drop across the South Bay, falling 8% below last year’s May numbers.
As the calendar barrels toward mid-year Inland sales volume for the year to date has climbed 5% over 2024 to 575 homes sold. Median prices for the same period rose a very modest $10, settling at $900,000, effectively a 0% increase.
Beach=Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, El Segundo Harbor=Carson, Long Beach, San Pedro, Wilmington, Harbor City PV Hill=Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates Inland=Torrance, Lomita, Gardena
TUESDAYS @ 5:30PM — 7:30PM (except July 1st) The Lighthouse Cafe, 30 Pier Avenue Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 310 376-9833
Andy & Renee-Banana Leaf
THURSDAYS @6:30PM — 9:00PM Banana Leaf & Beach Cities Social, 1408 S Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach, CA
Andy & Renee & Hard Rain-The Grand Annex SOLD OUT
FRI, JUN 27, 2025 @ 8:00PM The Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro, CA 90731.
Featuring the music of Jackson Browne and Lucinda Williams. Tickets
Andy & Renee-Canada Day Celebration
TUE, JUL 1, 6pm. Fundraiser for Community’s Child. Hosted by Athen Paquette and Tom Cormier.
All Canadian Music! Drinks, Poutine, Canadian snacks included! Price also includes a donation to Community’s Child. We’ll have a quiz w/prizes. Blankets provided if it gets chilly! $40. Show is in Palos Verdes…Address provided upon purchase of a ticket. Tickets
Andy & Renee & Hard Rain-Torrance Summer Concert Series
SAT, JUL 5, 2025 5:00PM Wilson Park, 2200 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance, CA 90501
Andy & Renee & Hard Rain-Malaga Cove Library Park Concert
WED, JUL 9 @ 6:30-7:30PM Malaga Cove Library Park, 2400 Via Campesina, Palos Verdes Estates, CA
Andy & Renee-Brews Hall Del Amo
Fridays, July 11 & 25 @ 7:00PM — 10:00PM Brews Hall Del Amo, 21770 Del Amo Circle East, Torrance, CA 90503
Andy & Renee- Terranea Lobby Bar
FRI, JUL 18 @ 7:00PM — 11:00PM Terranea Lobby Bar, 100 Terranea Way, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
Two shows! Friday, June 20 at 8 PM – Sold Out Saturday, June 21 – Sold Out Tickets The Grand Annex 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro CA 90731 (310) 833-4813 Grand Vision
Back by popular demand! Premier tribute to Linda Ronstadt featuring Shannon Rae brings you the songs you love from this legendary artist.
Shannon Rae and her band brought the house down with their fall 2021 concert at the Grand Annex. On stage, their show does justice to the music and the intensity of Ronstadt’s songs. Hear “You’re No Good,” “Blue Bayou,” “When Will I Be Loved,” “Tracks of My Tears” and more.
Mikaela Kai Flamenco SPAIN Sueño de Libertad
Saturday, June 22, 2025, 2:00pm Tickets The Grand Annex 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro CA 90731 (310) 833-4813 Grand Vision
You can’t miss the outstanding performance of Barcelona native flamenco artists, Paco Arroyo and Yolanda Arroyo. Paco’s virtuoso playing guitar, Yolanda’s heart-moving dance, singing and transcendental technique in castanets will surely fascinate all audiences with a standing ovation. Three talented local flamenco dancers and MKF’s dancers and musicians, will also be featured in the show.
The theme of this year’s event is “Spain”. Flamenco is a folk art form that originated in the Andalusia region of southern Spain, and the Romani, a migratory people, played a major role in its history and development. As an art form created by wandering peoples through a fusion of various music and rhythms, it resonates with a diverse range of people, bringing familiarity, nostalgia, and melancholy; in 2010, it was included in UNESCO’s list of Spain’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. We are honored to be able to present this wonderful culture to you on stage through the art of flamenco, an art we feel passionately about. You will be able to enjoy a wide range of flamenco performances, from brilliant dances with castanets, fans, and mantons, which are typical flamenco accessories, to cante and guitar performances! I hope that through this recital, you will enjoy a dreamy moment to immerse yourself in the passion of flamenco and free your spirit.
Andy & Renee & Hard Rain: Jackson Browne & Lucinda Williams Tribute
Saturday, June 27, 2025, 8:00pm Tickets The Grand Annex 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro CA 90731 (310) 833-4813 Grand Vision
One of SoCal’s most versatile folk-rock bands pays tribute to the music of Jackson Browne and Lucinda Williams.
With 17 CDs and 3 DVDs in their pocket, Andy & Renee have won countless awards, including Americana Group of the Year by the LA Music Awards, Best Duo/Group at the International Acoustic Music Awards and a Regional Emmy for their PBS concert special “Black Box Opens – Andy & Renee.” Their relatable lyrics, unforgettable melodic content and tightly crafted arrangements have brought together fiercely loyal audiences up and down the West Coast in the US and Canada.
The Grand Annex 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro CA 90731 (310) 833-4813 Grand Vision
Back by popular demand! With spot-on timing and a passion for the Golden Age of film, local comedian Fred Crawford delivers a hilarious and clean one-man comedy show spoofing Hollywood’s classic stars with side-splitting impressions, slapstick and even a little tap dance. Not to be missed!
One cost that many new homebuyers forget to factor into their budget is moving costs. It may seem like a drop in the bucket compared to the purchase price of a house, but it shouldn’t be overlooked. Between packaging, transportation, and potentially needing to take unpaid time off work, the expenses can add up. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce those costs.
Individually, boxes aren’t very expensive. However, when you’re moving everything in your house, you may need dozens of them. Try to pack up everything you won’t be using anytime soon in advance, to have a better gauge of how many boxes you’ll need. This also gives you time to look for used boxes — most people don’t need their boxes anymore after moving and end up recycling them, but some will put them up on places such as Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. In addition, even new, buying them in bulk is generally cheaper per unit. Another tip is that grocery stores and retailers often don’t have a use for the boxes their products ship in, and may even be willing to give them up for free.
Some moving companies will offer packing services, but this can ramp up the labor costs. And if you’re packing ahead of time, you’ll need to have your own packing materials. Luckily, you probably already have packing materials and don’t know it. Packing peanuts aren’t actually any more effective than soft clothing, towels, or blankets. Using them as packaging material instead of packing them separately also means you’ll be using fewer boxes. For fragile objects, wrap them in newspaper –if you still subscribe to any print newspapers, despite many newspapers now being online-only.
The biggest cost is often transportation. Renting a moving truck is expensive by itself, and you will also likely need to pay the labor costs for bringing your boxes into and out of the truck, as well as gas costs. Ask friends or family members if you can borrow their truck. You should probably still offer to pay for gas and food, but it would still be a small fraction of the cost.
Having a roof over your head is important, but that’s certainly not the only benefit to homeownership. While renting may be cheaper in the short term, it’s certainly more expensive in the long term. That doesn’t even get into tax advantages and equity building, which are further financial benefits of owning a home. There are also non-financial benefits. When you’re a homeowner, changes you make to your living space don’t need to be approved by a landlord, and you can bring whoever you want into your home, including pets. Owning a home is also less stressful because you don’t have to worry about getting evicted or priced out of your home because the owner decided to sell it.
Fortunately for those of you looking to achieve homeownership, there are resources available. The HUD, the National Association of REALTORS®, and Habitat for Humanity all offer programs for first-time buyers as well as low-income buyers. In addition, local communities and real estate professionals share resources and host events to educate prospective homebuyers. Such events are also more common during the month of June, because it is National Homeownership Month.
One of the big concerns parents have when moving is whether their children will be able to make new friends. For children, though, making friends typically comes naturally as they meet classmates or neighbors their age, whether they have anything in common or not. There’s often a bigger struggle for adults, as routines and commitments can get in the way, and adults usually aren’t exposed to as many people every day. So when you find yourself in a new place, it can be difficult to make new friends with the alacrity one could as a child. Adults have to make a conscious effort to find new friends. Here are some tips to help make that happen.
Find interest-based meetups. Whatever your hobbies or interests, if you live in a city, you can bet that there’ll be a public meetup group where like-minded folk can mingle. Whether it’s birdwatching, fantasy movies or trainspotting, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll find others following the same pursuits.
Volunteer for causes you’re passionate about. If you believe strongly in a cause, volunteering in that field will bring you into contact with others who share your passion. Working as a team to evoke change in any environment will bring you into contact with people you share common ground with.
Use your current friend network. If you already get on well with someone, it’s pretty likely that you’ll get along with other people in their circle. Ask a friend for recommendations for new people you can hang out with. Be specific: for example, ask if they know anyone you could play tennis with.
Join classes. If dancing is your thing, find a local dance class. If you’re a fitness fanatic, join a spin class. If you feel your culinary skills are rusty, find a cookery class. Think about things you’ve always wanted to try but never had the chance to; most adult classes will usually have some kind of social element.
The first two months of 2025 looked generally good. Not necessarily strong, but sales were more or less pluses compared to 2024. By the time March rolled around things were starting to look less positive. Sales were dropping in most neighborhoods and double digit increases were pretty much a thing of the past. With April the number of homes closing escrow actually increased, except for the Inland area.
Median price is another story. While prices have continued to escalate at the Beach, they have flattened in the Harbor area and dropped into negative territory everywhere else. The year to date statistics for median price are still ok, but beginning to look like a recession in the making.
Like the rest of the world’s economy, South Bay real estate in 2025 is volatile. From one month to the next there is hardly any continuity. Looking across the year to date activity is seems clear both sales volume and prices are sliding.
Sales volume is expected to remain below prior years for some time. This is a reaction to the extremely low interest rates attached to homes purchased during the pandemic. Those owners are holding on to those properties and rates for as long as possible. Compared to 2019, the last year before pandemic influenced real estate, sales volume has consistently been 5% to 15% lower.
On the other hand, median prices have jumped consistently. South Bay median prices are anywhere from 40% to 70% higher than in 2019. That inflation appears to have begun receding in the Harbor and Inland areas. It has slowed but not reversed at the Beach or on the Peninsula.
Beach: Starting to Weaken
The number of homes sold in the Beach cities during April increased to 125 units, or 3% over March. Looking at year of year sales volume, 6% more were sold in April of 2025 as were in the same month of 2024.
Median prices were mixed, coming in at $1,955,000, 2% below March of this year. Annually, the April median was 12% above April of last year.
Year to date for the first four months of the year, 419 homes have sold for a 30% increase over sales in 2024. The median price of $2,090,000 represents a 17% lift from last year.
Harbor: Sharply Slower
April sales volume in the Harbor area jumped by 23% above March, ending at 310 homes sold. Annually, that came in at a 17% increase above April of 2024.
Like the Beach, Harbor area median prices dropped 2% from March sales, registering at $785,000. Comparing that to the median in April of 2024 showed an increase of 1%.
Looking at the longer perspective, 1080 homes sold in the Harbor area year to date through April, for a increase of 7%. For the same period of time, the median price was flat at $772,500.
Hill: Prices Negative
On the Palos Verdes peninsula 73 homes were sold in April, an increase of 46% over March. That monthly increase far over-shadowed the year over year increase of 14%. It’s important to remember that activity on the PV Hill is lower than any of the other areas measured here, and is subject to some rather dramatic statistical swings.
While the number of sales increased monthly and annually, the median price dropped in both categories. At $1,783,560, April’s median price was 10% below that of March. April of 2025 came in 7% below the same month in 2024.
The first four months of the year saw 5% sales increase with 201 homes sold. For the same period, the median price rose 4% to $1,935,000.
Inland: Mostly Down
Monthly, sales in the Inland area climbed to 128 homes, for a 12% increase. At the same time the year to year sales volume fell 5% from April of last year.
The median price in April was $877,500, a drop of 4% from March while remaining the same as April of 2024.
Year to date sales of 432 homes was a 3% improvement over the first four months of 2024. For the same period, the median price of $900,000 represented a 1% increase.
Beach=Manhattan Beach, Hermosa772,500 Beach, Redondo Beach, El Segundo Harbor=Carson, Long Beach, San Pedro, Wilmington, Harbor City PV Hill=Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates Inland=Torrance, Lomita, Gardena
