Bixby Knolls Real Estate offers Buyers Options

For those who aren't familiar with bixby knolls there are multiple different communities within bixby knolls and you can find those over at http://www.lovelybixbyknollshomes.com/. Let's look at what is available in this area located just north of the 405 freeway via Long Beach Blvd.

What kind of home choices does a buyer have in Bixby Knolls?

It is always nice to have choices and in the case of someone looking to buy in Bixby Knolls a buyer has a choice of homes well over 1 million and even one above 2 million and a chance at a fixer upper below 300K.

Let's look at the facts to see what we have here.

• 91 - Properties Available for Purchase
• 42 - Properties in some stage of escrow (pending or backup)

Things are moving in Bixby Knolls. In fact if you look at what is being sold that is only a little more than 2 months supply of properties. Does this mean it is a sellers market in Bixby Knolls? It looks that way from the data but the average days on market is 96 days which is above the rest of the city average at 79 days.

What is happening though is properties are selling from motivated sellers and motivated buyers. If you want to see some of these 91 properties that are for sale check out our FREE MLS on the blog here and see what you can get.

In a future report we will talk about the condos that are available in Bixby Knolls so you can see there are properties for all levels of buyers and sellers.

Bixby Knolls Real Estate Update for May 2008

How many people have driven through Bixby Knolls lately? If you haven't you may have missed some of the changes that have been happening. New commercial developments (like the one at Carson & Atlantic) have been finished, first Friday of the month activities (for businesses in and near bixby knolls), and improvements to building facades (check out the corner of Long Beach Blvd and 36th). It is an exciting time in Bixby Knolls so you may want to take a look around. If you are coming from the 405 the easiest way to get there is head north off of the Long Beach Blvd or Atlantic exits to see what is happening.

So how does this affect the real estate in Bixby Knolls? Well let's look at what is going on in real time in the area to find out.

Bixby Knolls Real Estate Report for May 2008

We of course normally do these reports at the very beginning of the month or at the end but I thought we would go over what is happening today so everyone doesn't miss out on anything.

• Active Properties - 130 - All residential properties for sale
• In Escrow - 37 (Backup and Pending)
• Months Supply - 3.5

So what does this mean. Well as we have covered in the past under 6 months of supply of property is a "sellers market". We have a very low 3.5 months so is Bixby a sellers market? Well in some cases it is. There are some fantastic opportunities for condos and a few homes that are worth checking out. Take a look at through the FREE Long Beach MLS on the site to check current properties. Homes and condos that are priced under the last sales are getting multiple offers and selling within days not weeks or months. It does require sellers to be aggressive in their pricing and selling a home right now in Bixby Knolls may not be right for all sellers so make sure you know the actual value of what your home would sell for before you put it on the market. If you want to know what your home would sell for in todays market get a free home evaluation from your real estate professional.

Finding information on Long Beach real estate can sometimes be challenging. With Long Beach being the 5th Largest city in the state of California there is alot to learn about the many different neighborhoods that are available. In fact SoCal MLS (the MLS system that covers Long Beach) being the 2nd largest MLS in the country stated that Long Beach has the most neighborhood definitions! So where do you find information on the different neigborhoods?

The website of Lovely Long Beach Homes has been re-designed and more neighborhood content has been added to help everyone find the area in Long Beach that is right for them. From historic craftsman homes in Belmont Heights to the Virginia Country Club we have documented the city so you can your new home. We have also upgraded the property search feature so you can search the Long Beach MLS without having to sign in!

Here are some of the information you can find:

• Belmont Heights - From learning about the craftsman homes in the area, to finding out where the historic district is located you can get the information you need to find the place in Belmont Heights that is right for you.
• Bixby Knolls - Many people don't know there are 9 neighborhoods within Bixby Knolls. Take the time to learn about Virginia Country Club, Bixby Highlands and more.
• Free Long Beach MLS - If you are tired of websites that mandate you sign-in in order to search for homes in Long Beach, you have come to the right place. Search the properties that are available from every real estate broker and you can even save your search if you want to be updated on the latest inventory!

Have fun learning more about Long Beach or just dig right in to search for that home you have been wanting!

Bixby Knolls Real Estate October Update

Long Beach has many different areas of the city and truly each area is unique and has it's own character. Every Friday we will be doing an update not only in writing but a video update of either an area of the city or the entire real estate market in the city of Long Beach so make sure to tune in every Friday to see what area has been highlighted. This Friday we are highlighting the area of Bixby Knolls and the Virginia Country club.

October 2007 for Bixby Knolls and the Virginia Country Club

1. New Listings - 35 (22 single family homes, 13 condos)
2. In Escrow - 5 - (Pending 4, 1 Backup)
3. Total Active Properties as of Today - 190

Our Video Update highlights the area of the Virginia Country Club.

Discover the Areas of Bixby Knolls to find your Home

If you drive north along Atlantic Blvd, past the 405 Freeway, it won't be long until you see a nice sign that states you are entering Bixby Knolls. New visitors to the area will drive down the tranquil tree lined streets and try to find just that right home in Bixby Knolls. The problem with only looking for Bixby Knolls is that there are actually 9 different areas this area, so you will want to do some research to find out which area is right for you. Each area has their own personality and different characteristics of properties so have some fun to see which is the best fit. After you have learned a bit about the areas, look at the Long Beach MLS so you can see what is available!

In the effort to continue to document Long Beach so families and individuals can learn more about Long Beach real estate, here are some of the areas within Bixby Knolls:

• Virginia Country Club
• New Bixby
• Bixby Highlands
• Los Cerritos
• California Heights

Some of the areas have larger concentrations of Craftsman and Spanish Style (like California Heights) while other areas are known for larger square footage properties (like that of Virginia Country Club). Each area has it's own charm so find the best fit for your goals.

Bixby Knolls Real Estate Update for September 2007

Ok so with all of the rate changes and everyone talking about the end of the world for real estate what happened in Bixby Knolls Long Beach for September.

As usual all information comes from the real estate system that covers the area of Long Beach which is SoCalMLS.

September 2007 Real Estate Statistics for Bixby Knolls

• Active (as of the end of September) - 105
• In Escrow - 8 - (Pending 6, Backup - 2)
• New Listings - 17
• Number of Active Condos (out of the 105) - 26
• Number of Sales of Condos (out of the 8) - 1

Now this is interesting. We have a nice area like Bixby Knolls and it has just over 13 months of active inventory available. The prices are not spiraling downward in this area they are just holding steady for the most part. Now the condos are providing opportunity for buyers to get into a great area of Long Beach at an affordable price if they are using the first time home buyer programs. Agents in the area have been cooperating well and helping buyers and sellers accomplish their goals.

Top 5 Things to Consider when Renting in Long Beach

There are some wonderful areas to rent within Long Beach. With so many great neighborhoods in Long Beach to choose from, you will be able to pick from park like settings to the Ocean! If you are renting though you need to know that each city has it's own rules. Here are some items to be aware of:

1. Rent Control - Long Beach has no rent control, like portions of Los Angeles so your rent can get raised more than you might expect. Rent can be increased up to 10% every 60 days.
2. Housing Authority - Long Beach does have a local office to support Section 8 renting here in teh city. There are income limits and currently a waiting list, but they have some great resources on their website.
3. Notice to Vacate - Long Beach updated it's rental policy this year in support of renters. Tenants must now be given 60 days notice to vacate their properties.
4. Rental Resources - Although your local Long Beach realtor, can provide you with rental resources, we have found that if you want to do some leg work, you can find some places that might not me listed in the Long Beach MLS. Try CraigsList , Grunion Gazette, and Press Telegram to find those rentals listed by owners.
5. Rental Deposits - Rental deposits can be a maximum of 2 months of the rent if the unit is unfurnished. 3 months maximum of the unit is furnished.

Consider these items when renting in Long Beach. There are so many great areas to choose from pick the right neighborhood for you. Whether it is Bixby Knolls or in Alamitos Beach there are some wonderful locations to rent throughout the city.

Bixby Knolls Realestate - What happened in July 2007?

If you own a bixby knolls home or condo and had it on the market for sale it appeared to be a slower month than normal. Things aren't always what they seem if you look at the number of homes and condos in bixby knolls that went into escrow. It wasn't the best month of the year though. If it makes you feel any better it was a slow month for most of the city of Long Beach. If you haven't had the chance to see homes or condos in bixby knolls you are missing out on a wonderful area of Long Beach. Bixby Knolls has a variety of homes that range in size from below 1,000 square feet to well over 3,000 square feet at the Country Club.
Today we are going to let everyone know the sales figures for the month of July in Bixby Knolls.

As usual all sales figures come from the MLS and represent residential sales only.

Bixby Knolls Real Estate Values for July 2007

• Active (as of the end of July) -111
• In Escrow ( Pending & Backup) - 24 (12 pending & 12 backup)
• Closed - 1
• Expired - 18

When you look at it it was a decent month in comparison to the rest of Long Beach it was a pretty good month. Let us know how things are going with your sale in Bixby Knolls.