Lauren Perreault

If you look at a map of Redondo Beach, you'll see that it is divided into two distinct areas, North Redondo and South Redondo, and they barely touch at a tiny constriction near 190th and PCH. These two areas have very distinct property types and price points, influenced mainly by the topography (North Redondo is pretty flat except for the Golden Hills area) whereas South Redondo has lots of ocean view hillsides, and by the proximity to the beach -- North Redondo does not touch the beach, being interrupted by Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach. Because of this, North Redondo tends to be less expensive than South. It also has better freeway access if you need to commute to your job.

Both parts of Redondo have excellent schools, restaurants, shopping, and strong resale values.

North Redondo has a lot of townhouse options as well as mostly smaller single family homes and the infamous "tall and skinny" single family homes on their 25 foot wide lots of the Golden Hills area. South Redondo also has lots of townhomes as well as single family homes in "the Avenues" (Avenue A through H) and many condominium projects, especially near the beach such as those on Catalina and the Esplanade. South Redondo also has some very affordable housing options such as the four "The Village" complexes (Seascapes I, II, and III plus the original 600 - 660 The Village) as well as Brookside Village, which is FHA approved and at the entry level of Redondo Beach homes.

Riviera Village shopping, "RAT' (Redondo And Torrance) Beach, and the King Harbor area all are wonderful places for recreation in the Redondo area.

I've sold lots of homes in Redondo -- let me put that expertise to work for you!

Lawndale has, I believe, the highest percentage of residential investment property in the South Bay, with many, many duplexes, triplexes and quadriplexes at affordable prices. Low purchase prices and high rents make this an investors paradise, with a possibility of good positive cash flow with 25 percent down. Local tenants tend to move in, pay cash, and stay for years, too, so you won't have a huge problem with turnover. The area is nestled right next to big beach powerhouse cities like Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach, so the area is close enough to the beach to probably see some huge appreciations once the recession issues have cleared. I have sold lots of these great little duplexes to investor clients -- let me show you what you can find there!

The South Bay's coastline is often called the Queen's Necklace because at night, it glistens with the lights along the curved coastline like a diamond necklace. Along that coast, Manhattan Beach has got to be the brightest gem of the beach!

Because of its' placement closer to LAX (but not TOO close) and to the Westside of Los Angeles and the freeways providing access to the rest of Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach residents have much less of a commute than other parts of the South Bay, especially for movie stars, star athletes, or financial/technology consulting "road warriors" who have to travel a lot. Anyone working downtown in our financial district or in Long Beach for the Pacific rim trade with Asia also finds MB very convenient for getting to where you're going.

Add Manhattan Beach's near-perfect weather (warm but not too hot), clean, smog free air due to beach breezes, and our award winning public school system (no more private school tuition!) and you really get why people are fighting to get to live here in our own little local piece of Paradise.

Manhattan Beach has 6 different "sections" or areas and these have distinct personalities and price points. The Sand Section gets its name from its obvious proximity to the beach, but all of the town is within biking distance and much within walking distance of the shore. In the Sand Section, lots are tiny (30 x 90 or even "half lots" of 30 x 45), homes are vertical, usually three stories, and you usually will only have a teeny tiny yard -- but hey, there's the beach, right there!

In the Tree Section, you have larger lots of typically 40 x 112 or 40 x 120 and larger homes up to about 3000 square feet. These streets are narrow and many times have no curbs or sidewalks. Separated from the Sand Section by the greenbelt or the Sand Dune Park, this area is mostly families and is much quieter than the busy, bustling Sand Section.

The Hill Section is the area where you are most likely to find large homes with large yards AND ocean views --- but you will also pay the price to live here. This area still has some tiny older homes, but these are rapidly being torn down in favor of 5000+ square foot homes. If you want it all, this is an excellent place to look!

East of Sepulveda, you have the gated community of Manhattan Village (perfect if you like privacy and uniformity of your neighborhood), the Manhattan Heights area and Liberty Village post war tract of smaller 3 bed/2 bath homes, and finally the Mira Costa section, named after the nearby high school, which has large, typically 7500 square foot lots together with a wide range of older smaller homes and large new 5 and 6 bedroom homes.

I've lived in Manhattan Beach since 1983 -- let me show you around and help you find which of these "sections" is the perfect one for you!