The Malibu Real Estate Blog

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On Monday mornings we have our office meeting to discuss various aspects of the Malibu real estate market. One question we always throw around is, “What was the best thing on caravan?” About half the agents, including me, thought the new listing on Birdview was the nicest house for sale. The home has a distinctly Asian feel with the kiln-fired and blue glazed tile roof, an Indonesian/Bali feel with the tropical landscape, and a zen/Craftsman interior that smartly leaves the Japanese feel at the door. The shared feeling by many agents was “what a pleasant surprise” and “this house has a great feel.” The house, in fact, was so unique and special, that the $11m asking price seemed to be a side note. This is the type of home someone will walk into and just “want it” because of the emotional connection.
From the MLS “SEASIDE BLUFFTOP ESTATE- PRIVATE PATH LEADS TO SANDY SHORELINE- ROMANTIC AND PRIVATE SETTING- LUSH LANDSCAPING ENVELOPES YOU IN A TROPICAL PARADISE- INCREDIBLE OCEAN VIEWS SPAN THE PRISTINE COASTLINE- OPEN & FREE FLOWING FLOOR PLAN 6 BEDROOMS- MEDIA ROOM, OFFICE, GOURMET KITCHEN AND EXQUISITE MASTER BATH- SEPARATE GUEST HOUSE BY LAGOON POOL WITH ADDITIONAL BEDROOM, BATH AND GYM- SPACIOUS PATIOS WITH OCEAN VIEW DINING AND ENTERTAINING SPACE- NO NEED TO VACATION ON A TROPICAL ISLE, HERE, YOU HAVE YOUR OWN FANTASY RETREAT.”
Listed with Chris Cortazzo and Bobette Halverson

Listed with Chris Cortazzo and Bobette Halverson

Check out the new google map showing all the homes for sale on Point Dume.

Quick note…A Point Dume home came on at $1.6 this week and went in to escrow the same day. It was a “fixer”, to be kind, but had a beach key and a big lot. One day and it was gone! if you were on my list you would have known about it! I even “Tweeted” about it minutes after it was listed!
Info is moving really fast. Are you in the loop?

The seller of this Malibu home is no longer the seller! Once listed as high at $20,000,000 an Encinal bluff house has now been listed at $14,950,000 with the bank being the seller. The bank owned home may be the most expensive piece of real estate for sale that comes under the “distressed” category in of Malibu. I showed the luxury home to a client  back when the price was closer to $18m and though the home was great with a huge bonus pad located above that has build out potential for another home. The house has expansive decks, large partition doors the lend to an indoor outdoor flow, and is located above a private beach with stair access from the lowest deck.”It feels like you are on vacation at Lake Como, Italy,” one agent commented at a showing. The homes can be seen by calling Mike Gardner @ 310 699 8428.

A whopper of a new listing hit the Malibu less than an hour ago and is testing the upper limits of the real estate market at $49,950,000! The home is fit for Saudi royalty, Social Media Tycoons, Jay Diddy’s, and anyone up for an award next week with 9 bedrooms, 12 baths, and room for a serious car collection. The Doug Burdge designed Continue Reading »

Just listed in the MLS this week! One of the finest homes ever to be offered in Malibu for sale. This home has 180 degree views of the Santa Monica Bay and whitewater views of Point Dume. Follow the house on Twitter for updates about showings, TV show air dates, etc. $13,950,000 with ~14,000 sq.ft. on ~20 acres with room for a large vineyard. Shown to qualified buyers, 310 699 8428 Follow here

Seeing that there were over 1000 page views on the blog today I’m going to break a story that I was trying to hold off on. I’ve got a new listing in Malibu, maybe, one of the nicest homes ever to be offered on the market. I’m working on the website now but will show a pic below. Here’s the news…The listing was given to myself and David Findley of Partners Trust because we absolutely understand, no, live, breathe, eat, and preach the real estate marketing revolution that is taking place online. We have 20-30 “new school” ideas, web marketing methods, and social media tools that separate us from the Realtorsaurus types mentioned here. One tool is Twitter. Not going to reveal too much here but if you want to watch what we will be doing, I’m going to invite you right now to follow the listing @villacascata. Watch, learn, and understand how Twitter is more than just a few words about what kind of coffee you are drinking.

The Los Angeles Times has mentioned the Malibu Real Estate Blog in the online addition and will be in print this weekend. The article is about how the high-end market has shifted and why sellers need to rethink the way their homes are priced. I look at the positive side of this article in that buyers can pick up some great deals that a few years ago were out of reach.
I was referenced in a section about “chasing the market”. The article says it’s when a seller continually lowers the price of a home until a buyer is found. It is that but more. Chasing the market is when a seller has the price a little to high while the market is falling and when they lower the price it’s always a bit to late. The cycle repeats. Often, offers they said no to, end up being more than  to what they lowered the price to. I have seen this happen numerous times in this market when the tides started to turn. Check out the link here.
For the “Low Down on the High End” in Malibu subscribe via the RSS feed button on the right or here.
For seriously straight talk about actually buying a home and living in Malibu, call me on my cell at 310 699 8428.

There’s a skit on SNL/Hulu that we watch called “What Up With Dat”. It’s silly and doesn’t make a ton of sense but the catch phrase get’s so stuck in your head you to will be saying it to your spouse like I do. My wife will say, “The dog just jumped on the bed with dirty feet!” and I’ll reply, Continue Reading »

No, it does not have Asanti Diamond “Dubs” on the axles. No, there are no oil reserves underneath, and you don’t even own the land. What you do get is an incredible ocean view on Point Dume, Malibu and the security knowing that tornados Continue Reading »

Some plain ol’ number for you all.

If you spend time listening to the doom and gloomers there’s a good chance that you might believe that nothing is going on with the Malibu real estate market. Well, let me say that a lot has been going on. 24 properties have closed in Malibu within the last 60 days. Let’s go over just a few of them so that you won’t be mislead into believing that no one is buying. When is the last time you heard a news report describing all the multi million dollar homes that have sold?
30553 MORNING VIEW DR $14,995,000
31950 1/2 PACIFIC COAST HWY$6,300,000 Continue Reading »

Attention Real Estate Agents! The Malibu Real Estate Blog is having a contest! I’m going to be giving away a free property website like this www.lacostabeachcottage.com and a bonus Youtube video (see below) to push traffic back to it. The site will include a custom domain, 12 mos hosting, the website, and instructions on how to drop the template on to Craigslist AND how to direct search traffic out of Craigslist and to your own MLS search. It will have your contact info on it and be distributed to tons of portals. You’ll need to provide photos and I’ll even photoshop them!
Here’s what you need to do to enter……Just place this link on your website or blog http://themaliburealestateblog.com and if you want , use anchor text Malibu Real Estate. Send me the link showing that you’ve done it and you’ll be entered to win. Drawing will be done with an online program picking someone at random. Email Me

If you are in the market to buy a home for sale in Calabassas, Agoura, or Thousand Oaks, you may want to venture up Kanan to see this amazing deal on a new luxury home in the development known as Vintage at Hidden Park. This is the last built home available and it just had a major price reduction minutes ago. Continue Reading »

There are several condos on the Malibu real estate market that are heading into the  ”half off” sale category so take note of these deals!

Deal numero uno…

28266 Rey De Copas Lane, Malibu

Top row remodeled unit with ocean views and twice the parking as any other unit. Exceptional finishes make it look like a swanky hotel room at a high end resort. Once listed at $1,075,000 now at $659,000. Here is the MLS description and pictures… Continue Reading »

Not as dramatic as last year’s lightning photo, but always fun to watch lightning strike over Santa Monica bay.