How much do you think this house is worth?

This little green house is worth MILLIONS...It's just a matter of how many millions...All commenters are welcomed to guess... Pay particular attention to the lower right hand portion of the photo and note the sand...

IS THIS COMPANY ROLLING THE DICE? OR, ARE THEY AHEAD OF THE MARKET?

Is this a dice roll for the company that is so heavily invested in this current project in Palos Verdes Estates? Most people who are closely following today's real estate market would say that taking on a project of this magnitude could be career suicide...Here you see two homes side by side on one of the busiest thoroughfares in all of Palos Verdes, Via del Monte. The home on top is in early construction, and the one on the bottom just went on the market as a finished product. They owner/construction company wants $2.4 million for the one currently listed, and is thinking of asking $2.6 million for the house in early construction.

Time will tell as far as what they actually fetch in the open market, however it goes to show that there are investors out there that are still gambling on the market holding in a higher end area such as this. Many of the writers out there really sensationalize the instability of the market and make it seem as if the sky is falling. In reality, the numbers are holding much better in coastal and higher end areas. The inventory isn't there because most people aren't selling right now unless that have to...

The view will always be there

Coastal properties have a leg up on the rest of the country as far as desirability. People are always going to want to be close to the ocean. That being said, the real estate prices in Palos Verdes and the beach cities haven't plummeted like values in other areas of the country. The number of overall transactions is down, true, but that can be attributed to the nervousness of the market and the tightening that has taken place in the mortgage industry.

The property featured in this post is a tear-down/fixer upper. The owner plans to expand the house by 1000 square feet and give it a complete makeover...One thing is for sure...the view will not go anywhere...and neither will home values in this neighborhood.

1950 Miles Northeast of Los Angeles

The market is a bit different in Grand Forks, North Dakota, home of Engelstad arena and the University of North Dakota. I recently attended the graduation commencement for the class of 2008 and paid particular attention to the way of life out there in comparison to mine here in Los Angeles.

Let's start with prices! This is a $250,000 For Sale By Owner listing which is a rock throw away from the highly acclaimed Engelstad arena, home of the UND Fighting Sioux. So I am thinking that if I am a solid buyer, I might be able to grab this thing so something close to $200,000...

The point is, there aren't a ton of people that want to live way out in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Don't get me wrong...I thinking the town is great...I think the University is first class...But there isn't an ocean for almost 2,000 miles in either direction! Location, Location, Location!!!

The real estate market may be in the toilet in certain, if not many parts of the country...But, Palos Verdes and the Beach cities stretching from Malibu all the way to Laguna Beach and Dana Point aren't as affected. High end areas are holding up better in this market. Read through the BOLD PRINT of this real estate media blitz!