Laguna Beach Real Estate Blog

Buying a lot and building your own custom home is a dream for many who want to put their own stamp on where they live.  With the high real estate prices in Laguna Beach it sometimes does make financial sense to buy a lot and build your dream home.  Like many coastal cities in Southern California the process of designing and preparing to build the home can take the most time and energy.  This is especially true for the city of Laguna Beach which has some of the toughest planning rules and regulations that must be followed before getting the final approval.  There are many rules that are unique to Laguna Beach which makes it tough for outsiders to quickly build a home.  First, there is view protection which allows surrounding neighbors to petition if they

What a record year for home sales in Laguna Beach this year.  With a strong economy and comes record sales for ocean front properties with 3 home sales over $30 million dollars this year.  The 3 sales occurred in the communities of Irvine Cove and Victoria Beach.  The three properties are not new to the market as they have been on the market at previous times but what makes this unique is that all 3 homes sold in the same calendar year for record prices, all with commanding ocean front views.  2018 was a great year for real estate in Laguna Beach and here is a quick recap of the most expensive homes sold in Laguna Beach.

Two of the three sales occurred in the Irvine Cove community.  First, 2471 Riviera Drive sold for $35,820,000 after being on the

Finding a home under $700,000 in Laguna Beach can be tricky but it's still possible in certain neighborhoods.  The Terraces community in Laguna Beach is the first place we always recommend to look when someone wants to find a home in this price range.  Technically located in Laguna Beach but really more like being in the city of Aliso Viejo is a community situated near the 73 freeway off the Laguna Canyon road.  Living her gets you a Laguna Beach address which is very valuable for many as children get to attend schools in the Laguna Beach school district.  It's still a bit of a commute everyday to the downtown area of Laguna Beach so if you are looking for something in the heart of the city then the Terraces may not be the right community for you.  A lot

The Laguna Ocean View condo complex offers buyers a unique opportunity to buy condos that are within walking distance to the beach and can offer beautiful ocean views.  In the last couple of years 5 condos have sold in this complex ranging from $630,000 for a two bedroom, one bath condo to $1,390,000 for a three bedroom, two and a half bath condo.  Upon reviewing the listings in this community it came across our attention that this community is under a land lease that was reported that the "Land Lease runs until March 31, 2058."  Another listing goes on to say that the "Land lease amount of $22 is included in monthly HOA fee of $450.00."  We continued to confirm this amount and several listings from different real estate brokerages have noted in their

A brand new listing has just hit the market today in the Mystic Hills community.  Listed by Scott Lytle and John McMonigle of the McMoingle Group, the four bedroom, seven bath home features an expansive 7,855 square feet of living space and located on nearly a 1/3 acre Ultra Contemporary home offers panoramic ocean and Catalina Island views.  This section of Mystic Hills tends to be private and remote with only a few select properties located at the top of the hillside.  

The home itself has a lot of history and was designed by Brion Jeanette, a top local architect that is well known for upscale Contemporary and Modern homes.  Some of the Contemporary features include two story walls of glass with a 30 foot ceiling height that is complemented by a huge

The Laguna Village area is one of the closest neighborhoods to the beach in the downtown area.  Many of the homes were first built here starting in the early 1900's and slowly built up through the mid 1950's through 1970's.  There has been a trend lately to tear down some of the original homes and build newer construction homes in place of them.  This is happening all throughout Laguna Beach and the Village area is starting to see several of these homes come on the market for sale.

From a re-sale prospective these homes will always hold it's value due to the close proximity to the beach and the downtown area.  If you have ever been to the downtown area you know that it's always very busy with many tourists visiting the beach, downtown shopping and

The Mystic Hills Laguna Beach community is a neighborhood filled with beautiful homes that often sell between $2 to $10 million dollars. For those looking to rent a home in the Mystic Hills neighborhood there are many stunning properties that are currently available for long term leases.  With many visitors coming to town each summer looking for vacation rental properties it's important to note that many of the rental property owners are wanting a long term 12 month lease.  With that being said there are a few homes that are available a month to month basis and have negotiable lease terms.  During the summer months rental prices due go up so the rental prices often listed online are normally winter rates so expect rates to go up during the months from

It's pretty common that most real estate agents don't like sharing who they like to use as a real estate photographer since they want to keep the best kept secret to themselves.  Real Estate is very competitive in Laguna Beach as in any other market that sells high end luxury homes.  Photography can give that extra competitive edge over another agent and allow them to get a listing.  This can result in the thousands of dollars so it's no wonder that real estate agents would not want to share this list.  

There is actually a good selection of quality real estate photographers in today's market so It's good to know what kind of photographer to use for an actual property.  Some photographers are very good at interior shots while other doing amazing

Laguna Beach is a unique city that has many small neighborhoods that offer private cul-de-sac locations where homes can be offered for sale.  Real Estate prices will vary a lot depending on where the home is located.  Some of these factors include the proximity to the beach, having an ocean view or not and the proximity to the downtown Village area.  Homes located at the southern end of the Laguna Beach will most likely be more affordable than those located north of downtown.  

Starting in South Laguna area several cul-de-sac neighborhoods like Coast Royal that are located just above Coast Highway and have incredible ocean views.  These homes have close proximity to West street beach, the Montage resort and the Monarch Beach area.  Other notable

The real estate market in Laguna Beach continues to thrive with the combination of low inventory and a high number of buyers in the marketplace. We are working with a number of buyers who want to jump into the market but unable to find the right property at the right price.  With that being said there are a number of properties that are getting a lot of attention and have the potential for being a good deal for the right buyer.

The #1 most viewed property in Laguna Beach is an ocean view three bedroom home listed for $240,000.  What's the catch?  First, the home is located in the Laguna Terrace community which is a small neighborhood located by the Montage Oceanfront Resort that is filled with cute manufactured homes.  The distance to the beach is just