Santa Monica Real Estate
Santa Monica offers homeowners the perfect balance of residential communities mixed with urban life. In this highly desirable area of the Westside, you’ll find single family homes with pockets of apartments and some high-rise buildings along the bluff. This compact city is situated within about 8 square miles and residents enjoy this pedestrian-friendly location year-round with its mild climate, fresh air and breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean.
For people who gravitate to the conveniences and energy of city life, Santa Monica is a location where there’s something for everyone! Santa Monica is home to several “districts” each one with its own character and unique blend of living, shopping and dining experiences. The districts are Main Street, Montana Avenue, Downtown & Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica Pier & Ocean Avenue, Ocean Park and Pico Boulevard.
Some of California’s famous attractions referenced in movies and in literature are found in these districts, such as MTV headquarters, Santa Monica Pier, The Stairs, Outdoor Antique Market at the Santa Monica Airport, Third Street Promenade, the Bluff, Bergamot Station Arts Center and Shutters Hotel.
The education options in Santa Monica are numerous. In addition to the many private and religious schools in the area, the public system is run by Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. Santa Monica Community College is located in the middle of the city. Santa Monica maintains its own parks and recreation services and has one of the best public library systems in the country. Santa Monica also runs most of its municipal services, including police, fire, cable television, street maintenance, refuse collection and recycling, and provides water and sewer utilities.
Santa Monica has quick access to major freeways (Santa Monica 10, San Diego 405 and Pacific Coast Highway 1) and its own bus system, the Big Blue Bus, which operates daily with its fleet of over 200 buses and shuttles.
There are 5 zip codes in Santa Monica. The June 11, 2007 issue of Los Angeles Business Journal reported that 90402 in Santa Monica was the most expensive zip code in LA county based on home sales in May 2007.
As of June 2008, single family homes for sale in Santa Monica range from a 2-bedroom, 1-bath home at $1,095,000 to a 5-bedroom, 8-bath Santa Monica canyon home at $12.5 Million. According to the Multiple Listing Services, the median price for a single family home sold in the first 6 months of 2008 was $2,457,500 and the most expensive home sale reported was $10,850,000.
Prices of condos on the market as of June 2008, range from $360,000 for a studio apartment to $6,695,000 for a 3-bedroom, 3-bath 2-story condo with views of the Santa Monica to Malibu coastline. The most expensive condo sale reported year-to-date was $4,255,000.
Residential leases range from $1,795 per month for a 1-bedroom, 1-bath apartment to a furnished 2-bedroom, 3-bath contemporary oceanfront home on Palisades Beach Rd. for $50,000 per month.