Malibu Showcase Homes

I count myself pretty lucky to sell high end homes in Malibu with a majority of my business being in the $3m to $20m range. I recently was asked to help some friend’s parents buy a vacation mobile home so they had a place to stay when visiting their grandchildren in Malibu when they traveled here from the Midwest. The deal goes down as being the lowest priced transaction I’ve ever been a part of and you know what?…. To me, it is always worth helping someone accomplish their goal to buy a home. I didn’t even stop to calculate the commission amount before saying yes to helping them. The way I looked at it was this…I’ll do a great job and if they leave me some reviews online, it will be worth the effort. So I found them a “55 and older” mobile home park over the canyon and negotiated the $69k asking price down to $65k and got a nice running car and house full of furniture thrown into the deal. Just the satisfaction of feeling like I won in the negotiation process was worth it to me. Some people get a rush at the poker table, I get one when I lay down my Royal Flush in the form of an aggressive counter offer followed by a polite, but persuasive call to the listing agent as to why he needs to get my counter accepted and signed. I just can’t help myself. It’s fun and why I’m hooked on the action, no matter how small the deal may be.

So this leads me to tell you about two Malibu “Micro” homes that could be next in my mobile home sales resume. Two really great Paradise Cove mobile homes are on the market and they both are under $275k! These could be lived in on a full time basis, but I suspect the buyer is going to use these more as a weekend beach house. It really is amazing to think that a few hundred yards down the beach from these two “single wides” is a property that just sold for more that $40m. You and that buyer will have something in common…you both share the same beach!
Request a current list of mobile homes for sale in Malibu

Email here @ Malibu Mobile Homes

Paradise Cove Mobile Home #52  $285,000
From the MLS    ”Professionally Designed Beach home in Paradise Cove. Year-round living or Vacation getaway. Nicely re-modeled 1 Bdrm, 1Bth, with hillside views, fenced in wrap around deck, tiled bathroom, wood floors, recessed lighting, dry-walled thru out. Built in couches and entertainment center made to fit, custom designed wooden front gate, up-graded appliances, slider from master to deck. Open patio with outside shower. Just steps to the beach! Move-in Ready for the summer.”

Paradise Cove Mobile Home #53 $265,000
From the MLS      ”Stylish Beach Bungalow in idyllic Paradise Cove. This decorator perfect bungalow is your paradisiacal weekend get-away. Includes nice wrap around deck, bonus room/office and modern styling. Roughly 1000 feet from the one of the most amazing beaches in southern California you will be hard pressed to find this kind of affordable beach living anywhere on the coast. Enjoy all of the amazing benefits the community of Paradise Cove has to offer. Private and gated neighborhood, community children’s park, basketball court, volleyball court, tennis court, ocean view bluff top seating areas and walking paths, and best of all a beautiful nature trail down to our community beach”

A new listing is being offered within the Malibu lease market and it has panoramc views of the entire Santa Monica Bay and Catalina Island. From the MLS…… Spectacular views from every room of this gorgeously romantic family home. Grand Living Room opening to terraces overlooking the ocean and the islands, perfect for entertaining or relaxing. Master wing is separate from the three other bedrooms. Spacious Library/office, Cooks kitchen, bistro style dining room and cozy family room. Beautifully landscaped grounds that include an organic orchard with over 30 fruit trees, raised vegetable beds for easy cultivation, and a grand lawn. There is also a strategically placed hot tub to enjoy the spectacular views day or night under the stars. 3 mile drive to Paradise Cove, less to Latigo Shores beach and surf point. Enjoy miles of walking at the beach from Escondido to Point Dume, or hike to the falls at Escondido and Solstice Canyon. What a magical place to live! Offered furnished or unfurnished.
Offered at $8,950 per month. Email me for a set up sheet or to request a list of all rentals Malibu Real Estate Email

Tags: malibu rentals, ocean view, vacation rental

A Point Dume property, known as “May’s Landing,” on Cliffside Drive, came on the market earlier this week. The home, built in 1949, was donated to the UCLA Board of Regents when the original owner passed away. Of all the properties I’ve seen over the years, this is the one that has the most potential to be developed into a property with a huge upside. I would estimate that a well done finished home could easily go into the mid $25m range when completed, especially with the recent market activity we’ve seen on the bluffs. A very similar property, with an original 1940′s home in even worse condition, sold for $16m back in 2009. In 2011, I sold a vacant lot a few doors down from this for almost $11m. It has a home being built on it now that, when complete, could easily be valued in the mid $25m range.

Offers will be submitted in sealed envelopes and opened on May 21, 2013, with the highest bidder winning the property. Call for an immediate showing. 310 699 8428

From the MLS…”MAY’S LANDING. AN HISTORIC PROPERTY SITUATED ON ONE OF MALIBU’S GREATEST BLUFF LOTS. UNIVERSITY OWNED AND NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY YEARS. LOCATED AT THE COVETED EAST END OF PRESTIGIOUS CLIFFSIDE DR., AND PERCHED ON A PROMONTORY OVER THE OUTER MOST POINT OF LITTLE DUME. A PRIVATE 1.3 ACRE PARADISE COMPLETE WITH VINTAGE SEASIDE COTTAGE, DEEDED BEACH RIGHTS, MATURE TREES, MEANDERING GARDENS AND WALKWAYS. OFFERING ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING OCEAN VIEWS – LOOKING STRAIGHT DOWN INTO THE WAVES AT LITTLE DUME AND ACROSS THE ENTIRE SANTA MONICA BAY TO THE TWINKLING CITY LIGHTS BEYOND. THIS IS THE TYPE OF PROPERTY THAT RARELY COMES ALONG, AND WHEN IT DOES, IT OFFERS UP THE UNIQUE INGREDIENTS TO CREATE SOMETHING TRULY SPECIAL AND EXTRAORDINARY…LIKE ONE OF WORLD’S ELITE BLUFF ESTATES.”

Check out the video below where I talk a bit more about the unique views this home has.

Courtesy of Mark Gruskin WEA

For weeks now a resident of a Malibu beach house has been looking for a tenant with some homemade signs on PCH. It started with a simple for rent sign then the campaign got serious with some hand written signs erected on top of wood stakes in the back of a truck. It appears the ad campaign may not be working so well  as it been a few weeks BUT I have to give credit  this latest attempt. Reminds me of when homeless guys hold signs that say “I ain’t gonna lie, I need money for beer!”

Gotta love the spelling!

Summer lease season is near and March is the month Malibu beach home owners and their business managers start figuring out how to put their assets to work. A lot of Malibu beach homes are second residences so it makes sense to rent them out if they are not going to be in use for the summer. Many of these home have high maintenance bills and have property taxes in the six figures. A few months of renting can cover a large portion of these costs.

I always hear people remark, “Who would pay that amount?” when hearing that a house is $250k per month. It sounds like a lot but break it down in to a daily rate then go look at what the best suites are going for at Shutters in Santa Monica or at the Beverly Hills hotel. The $5k to $8k per night starts to make sense considering you are getting a whole house on the sand.

For a showing at any of these homes call 310 699 8428.

Here are the Top 3 Most Expensive Beach Homes For Rent In Malibu

1)$250k in the Malibu Colony From the MLS…..”Ultimate Malibu Colony estate on rare double lot Lease available for Summer 2013. Prime oceanfront home offering the best in luxury beach living. Designed for entertaining and lounging, this exauisitely furnished 5 bedroom, 6 bath masterpiece boasts an open patio with spa, outdoor kitchen with BBQ, bar and fire pit, steps from the sundeck to the white sand beach. Exceptional great room and gourmet kitchen with hardwood floors, sumptuous oceanfront master with office, hugh closet and deck. Detached 2-room guest suite, lush courtyard and deluxe media system thru-out. 3 car garage.”

2) $200k on Malibu Road…If Tony Stark ever decided to really live in Malibu, this would be a likely spot for his Iron Man house! You’d be surprised how many people search “Tony Stark House” in google everyday. …From the MLS….. “This architectural designed house is situated on a double lot with over 110 feet of beach frontage. This spectacular home has an open floor plan with high ceilings and walls of glass with 180 degree views. A beautiful, spacious master bedroom occupies the entire lower level, along with 3 additional bedrooms. A media room, elevator, spa, extensive decks, and a round glass guest house, completes this jewel of a beach front home.”

Listed with C. Cortazzo CB Malibu

3) $175k Malibu Colony From the MLS……”The most amazing new construction inside the Colony Gates! Classic Contemporary on a large lot, perfection for those who want the best. Green yard on the ocean front, spa on the beach front deck! Enjoy the 4th of July this year in the Colony where everyone wants to be! 24 hour guard and gated community. First time ever offered for lease.”

Listed with Arete Estates

Go here for the most recent article on The Malibu Real Estate Blog

UPDATE! March 11 The bank will be reviewing offers on Tuesday. You have today and tomorrow to call me and figure out if you want to write an offer.310 699 8428.

UPDATE! March 16 Six offers were submitted. Winning bid went over $1.4m

A Point Dume home for sale hit the market yesterday at roughly $1.2m and is listed as bank owned. This one should sell fast so don’t delay in trying to figure out if you should make a run at it. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths with roughly  2,373 sq. ft. I’ve been in the home several times and can tell you the good and the bad.

The good thing about this home is the price as its extremely rare to hear of anything under $1.6 on Point Dume. The house comes with beach rights and a beach key. It has good ocean views and has always been easy to rent out. Past rental prices have been between $6k and $7k but likely lower right now…maybe around $4500 in the current condition. The “bones” are good and it would be easy to remodel this in to a modern design.

The bad…The home sits on a flag lot with a shared driveway and has two  more homes below it. The is basically no yard  but does have some deck, hardscape, and small planting areas. The house is dated with an original kitchen and a sunken living room. It will need a remodel if a higher rent price is desired.

From the MLS…. BANK FORECLOSED ! POINT DUME HOME WITH RIVIERA 3 BEACH RIGHTS !STUNNING OCEAN AND CITY LIGHT VIEWS FROM MOST ROOMS ! OPEN FLOOR PLAN WITH HIGH CEILINGS THROUGHOUT. SUNKEN LIVING ROOM WITH WET BAR AND FIREPLACE. LARGE OCEAN VIEW MASTER BEDROOM WITH WALK-IN CLOSET.SPACIOUS KITCHEN WITH CENTER ISLAND EASY TO SHOW WITH LOCK-BOX ON FRONT DOOR – SEE PRIVATE REMARKS FOR LOCK-BOX COMBINATION. FOR SELLER FINANCING INCENTIVES, AGENTS AND THEIR BUYERS ARE REQUESTED TO CONTACT OUR DESIGNATED CHASE LOAN OFFICER.

Call me for a showing at 310 699 8428 .

Listing courtesy Coldwell Banker.

The Caravan for Malibu real estate agents is every Thursday. One week it’s on the west end of town, then the next on the east end with Latigo Road acting as our Mason-Dixon Line.  It’s a time to see the new Malibu real estate inventory and occasionally grab a great bite to eat when agents entice other agents with attention grabbing headlines on the caravan sheet. I’ll admit that it works rather well, as I’ve been known to grab a yellow highlighter and mark the properties that have the words “catered,” “buffet,” “brunch,” or ” Monus’s Bonus’s cookies” in the descriptions. I’ll make a point to see those properties first. The ones that say “M and M’s (really),” “snacks,” and “lotto tickets” usually end up at the end of my list.

Check out the new video post today where I discuss why it’s important for realtors to get out on caravan!

There are plenty of old beach houses for sale on Malibu Road but I’ve never come across one like this where it truly would be a shame to see it remodeled or torn down. This Mid Century Modern beach house is likely the best preserved example of a style that is very rare to find in Malibu. It’s truly charming and also located on one of the most sandy sections of Malibu Road. From the MLS…THIS CLASSIC MID-CENTURY MODERN HOME HAS BEEN COMPLETELY RENOVATED. LOCATED ON MALIBU ROAD’S BEST DRY-SAND BEACH IN FRONT OF THE VOLCANIC “PELICAN ROCK” AND IS ONE OF THE LAST BEACH-LEVEL HOMES. ENJOY THE EYE-LEVEL VIEWS FROM INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE EVER-CHANGING OCEAN, DAILY SUNSET, GLIDING PELICANS, LEAPING DOLPHIN, SUNBATHING SEALS, AND BREACHING GRAY WHALES. OPEN FLOOR PLAN, MAIN HOUSE FEATURES 2 BEDROOMS AND A DEN W/SLEEPER SOFA, 2 BATHROOMS AND OUTDOOR HOT SHOWER, LIVING ROOM W/FIREPLACE, KITCHEN AND DINING AREA. THE MASTER BEDROOM HAS AN OCEAN VIEW WITH PRIVATE DECK. PLUS THIRD BEDROOM IS A DETACHED 1 BEDROOM, 1 BATH GUEST HOUSE WITH KITCHENETTE AND FIREPLACE. PROPERTY IS ZONED A LEGAL DUPLEX, RENOVATIONS SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE APPROPRIATE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES (I.E. CITY OF MALIBU, COASTAL COMMISSION, ETC…) NEIGHBORS HOUSE ALSO FOR SALE, OWN 100 FT OF BEACH, EACH LOT HAS 50FT FRONTAGE. LEASE RATE $20K SHORT TERM AND $40K/MO SUMMER RATE. Call for a showing and bring a martini glass. 310 699 8428

Offered at $8,499,000

I always get asked if anyone is getting any great deals on Malibu beach houses or, from the real hustlers, if I see anything that can be purchased at “wholesale” then flipped. The answer is yes, but as we leave 2012 behind, those opportunities will be less and less.

Every morning I do a few things before heading out the door. First, I start up the Nespresso Machine and kickstart the morning with two capsules of high octane espresso. Then I check out the Drudge Report to see if the world is going to make it just one more day, check the weather, and then I dive in to the MLS. There I check to see what has changed in the Malibu real estate market in the last 24 hours. I check the new listings, solds, withdrawn, etc so I can figure out who I need to update about the market.

I do this because at any given time, I have somewhere between 10 and 20 people that are looking for something in Malibu. I also know that in this business one of the best commodities is information and those that get it early have a better shot at closing a deal.

Since I get to see asking price and close price in a simple spread sheet, one caught my eye right away. A beach house on Carbon beach asking $12,500,000 closed for $7,000,000! I did some quick research to see if this was something on the market since the peak of 2008 with a bunch of price reductions….nope, listed for 167 days with no reductions.

Here is the low down on this deal.

The home was built in 1970 and never updated. The private remarks point to the deal needing the approval of a life estate. From the Malibu MLS…. “First time on the market in 42 years. Unique opportunity on Carbon Beach. This 3 story contemporary home was built prior to the current height restrictions and enjoys unobstructed views from the third floor up and down the beach. Expansive Chef’s kitchen. Walk on sandy Carbon Beach to the new restaurants which are scheduled to open in August. Formal dining room and at least one large public room on every floor make this home easy to enjoy. This home is being sold subject to a life estate.”

What do you think? Great buy? Would you have considered stepping up with an opening offer of $6M?

Scott Gillen designs homes people “want”,  not “need”…..as in “I want that house”….Let me explain. There are houses for sale in Malibu that people need; ones that have enough bedrooms for the kids or because they make a morning commute shorter. I would say that most buyers who consider a buying a Scott Gillen designed home don’t go through that kind of rational thinking process. Scott knows how to appeal to the emotional side of a buyer.

The home is being offered at $15,500,000

For a showing before it is completed please call 310 699 8428

Below is my first attempt at a weekly video blog I plan on doing while on caravan. Enjoy!

Scott Gillen Unvarnished

Listed with I. Palmer, CB Malibu