My wife and I moved to Venice thirteen years ago because she insited (against all reason,) that we live close to the beach. She was right, I was wrong... don't make the same mistake!
Though Marina del Rey and Venice both have a reputation for being expensive, nothing could be farther from the truth. Sure, there are plenty of waterfront homes and luxury condominiums with hefty asking prices, but these beach communities are a bargain compared to Santa Monica (and the beach towns of South Bay which are a lot farther from L.A. proper.). Most folks looking for more 'reasonable' homes in L.A. and the Westside are missing out on a great opportunity to catch a piece of the California dream because they think they've been priced out of the market.
Home buyers will usually find that there are only a hand full of homes in Santa Monica for under a million dollars, while plenty of properties can routinely be found for considerably less in Venice and around the Marina... occasionally for less than a half-million. This includes great properties west of Lincoln Blvd., the traditional threshhold for 'Beach Prices.'
Marina del Rey in particular is generally perceived as being a bit more chic and higher-end. While this is true in some respects, the market here has been comparatively slow when you consider that the Venice market has been booming and proven remarkably resilient over the last few years. You can actually get great properties in and around the Marina for not much more than you'd pay anywhere else on the Westside.
There are also a number of real bargains available usually in the form of funky little places on small lots in Venice and smaller post-war tract homes available throughout the area. And you get bonus points when you invest in these areas as well. All of these properties are all covered under L.A. Rent Stabilization Laws which allows owners to set the rents on vacant properties (as opposed to the more Draconian Santa Monica Rent Control ordinances.)
Take a chance, live the life.
See Complete, Categorized, Up-to-Date MLS Listing for all Properties Available in Venice, Marina del Rey and the Rest of L.A.'s Beach Cities at AJonesREALTOR's Website:
http://www.labeachcitieshomes.com/venice-beach-real-estate.html
http://www.labeachcitieshomes.com/marina-del-rey-real-estate.html
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