SOUTH BAY DIGS | Digital Edition Online

ED'S VIEW | ROCKET BAY | WEEK 3 OF 16 IF YOU JUST MADE $20 MILLION, WHERE SHOULD YOU BUY? With $5 million to $10 million to spend on a South Bay home, the real question is how you want to live. "It is your money, your family and your life." $20M LIQUID ASSETS OUR HYPOTHETICAL $5-10M HOME BUDGET ALREADY DECIDED 1 SOUTH BAY MANY WAYS TO LIVE 3 MUST-HAVES START WITH YOURS BY ED KAMINSKY | THE RIGHT NEIGHBORHOOD STARTS WITH THE LIFE YOU WANT Let's say you suddenly have $20 million in liquid assets, and you have decided to spend $5 million to $10 million on a home. Where should you buy? I'm not suggesting that is the right amount to spend. For this conversation, assume you have already worked out the budget. Now comes the part I find interesting: deciding what you actually want that money to do for your life. After selling South Bay real estate since 1987, I don't begin by telling someone which neighborhood is best. I ask how they want to live. Ocean views? A backyard? Privacy? A walk to dinner? Those answers can send us in very different directions. THE SAND SECTION: BUY THE FEELING One of my favorite moments is driving west on Manhattan Beach Boulevard, cresting the hill and seeing the ocean. Even after all these years, I still have that thought: Wow. We get to live here. That is the draw of the Sand Section. The beach becomes part of your routine. Depending on the location, so do the shops and restaurants downtown or in the North End. But the feeling comes with tradeoffs. Homes can sit close together. Parking and outdoor space can be limited. A bigger view, a different street or newer construction can change the price considerably. If being near the water makes your day better, that trade may be easy. If you want a big backyard and distance from your neighbors, we should keep looking. I also want to know whether you need to see the ocean from your living room or simply reach the sand on foot. Those are two different searches. THE TREES, THE HILL OR THE EAST SIDE? The Tree Section offers a different balance. You still feel connected to Manhattan Beach, but I often find a little more breathing room: landscaping, a driveway, some yard space and a neighborhood feel. There are important differences within the Trees, too. A particular block, lot or walk to downtown can matter as much as the section's name. I would rather show you those differences than tell you every home west of a certain street is automatically the right choice. The Hill Section is where the wish list can become especially ambitious: ocean views, a substantial home, land and proximity to downtown. The challenge is finding all of that together within the budget. Even $10 million does not mean every combination is available. Then there is East Manhattan Beach. In my experience, this is often where buyers find more house and yard for the money. If you picture coming home, opening the back door and having room to barbecue, garden or spread out, it deserves a serious look. The tradeoff is beach proximity. That may matter every day to one buyer and hardly at all to another. A larger home is not automatically a better home if it puts you farther from the life you enjoy. HERMOSA AND REDONDO DESERVE A LOOK I would not stop the search at the Manhattan Beach city line. Hermosa has its own coastal personality, and I often find it worth exploring with buyers who love the beach lifestyle but are open to a different setting. North Hermosa can be a natural part of that conversation. Elsewhere in the city, the mix of homes and neighborhood character changes. The point is to experience the actual streets, not make the decision from a city name. South Redondo and the Hollywood Riviera add another set of possibilities. For someone who values ocean views and access to shops and restaurants around Riviera Village, I would absolutely include them in the search. Again, there is a tradeoff. You are farther south. Try the drives you will actually make and the walks you expect to take. A beautiful house should work on an ordinary Tuesday, not just on the afternoon you tour it. PALOS VERDES: CHANGE THE PACE If land, privacy, views and a sense of retreat are high on your list, I want to show you the Peninsula. I sometimes describe driving into Palos Verdes as feeling your blood pressure drop. Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills and Rolling Hills Estates offer different versions of that life. Rolling Hills adds a gated, equestrian setting. Elsewhere, the draw may be a neighborhood, a view or simply more room around the house. My daughter chose Valmonte, and I love the sense of community I see there. Other buyers may be drawn to Malaga Cove, Lunada Bay or Monte Malaga. This is why I want people to explore before deciding. The tradeoff is often convenience. The drive and walkability deserve as much attention as the living room. A home can be spectacular and still be the wrong fit for your routine. Within each area, I still look at usable outdoor space, layout and the actual view. The neighborhood name does not tell the whole story. SO, WHERE SHOULD YOU BUY? Start with the three things you do not want to give up. Then decide where you can compromise. It is your money, your family and your life. Now let's go shopping. Which South Bay homes would make my shortlist with $5 million to $10 million to spend? See my favorites and what makes each one worth a look in the extended article. BEFORE WE TOUR A HOUSE 1 Choose your three must-haves. 2 Name the tradeoff you can accept. 3 Picture an ordinary Tuesday. MY $5-$10 MILLION PICKS Scan the QR code for homes, photos and why they made my list. P A L O S V E R D E S R E D O N D O B E A C H H E R M O S A B E A C H M A N H A T T A N B E A C H T O R R A N C E B R O K E R E D B Y E D K A M I N S K Y | 3 1 0 . 3 0 7 . 2 2 2 4 | I T Z S O L D . C O M #1 REAL ESTATE AGENT IN THE SOUTH BAY | TOP 15 IN THE NATION (REAL TRENDS) | OVER $4 BILLION SOLD

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