All Blog Entries by Sam Smith

One of the most common requests that we get from clients looking to buy in Dana Point is wanting to be able to walk to restaurants, shopping and the beach.  While most people first think about living near the beach in the downtown area they are soon shocked to learn how expensive this can be.  One of the great alternatives that we like to explain to our clients is the area around the Ocean Ranch shopping center which sits on the border of the city limits of Dana Point and Laguna Niguel.  The Ocean Ranch shopping center is home to large brand name retail stores like Trader Joe's, Starbucks's, 24 hour fitness, Cinepolis USA luxury movie theater, Wells Fargo and Ralph's grocery store.  There are also many smaller boutique style retail stores and quality

We are currently working with one real estate buyer who is looking to purchase a condo in the Dana Point area.  His price range is under $600,000 and wants to know what options he has available to him.  This time of the year listings are still hard to come by as most seller's tend to not list their homes during the holidays.  As we get closer to February the inventory of condos available will increase and he will have more options to choose from.  These are the condo buildings that we explained to him will have the best opportunities.

First, our go-to condo building when someone is looking in the $400,000 to $500,000 range are the units located in the gated Ritz Pointe community known as "Monarch Hills" condos.  These are probably the best value when

The first chance to see the brand new construction townhouses in the beach close community of "South Cove" will officially start this week.  Located at the corner of Coast Highway and Del Obispo street behind a small shopping center in Dana Point at 34202 Del Obispo Street in Dana Point.  Real Estate agents have the opportunity to view these homes by invitation only on Thursday December 7th from 4pm to 7pm.  On Friday, December 8th the sales office will be open to the general public to start taking reservations for the following condos being released for sale.

The Zephyr home builder has released 9 units on there websites ranging from 1,324 to 2,038 square feet.  The condos come in 3 different floorpans that are currently called "Aliso," "Trestles,"

The Grand Monarch started building a total of 34 homes back in 2016 and has successfully sold 27 of these homes to date.  There are a total of 7 remaining homes available which include one model home priced at just under $4.5 million which includes all the furnishings with nice ocean and golf course views.  Located next to the former St. Regis Hotel, now called the "Monarch Beach Resort" is a new gated community with luxury condos and townhouses that share the same amenities as if you were a hotel guest.  Once you purchase a home in this community you get a membership card that can be used for all the Monarch Beach Resort amenities as well as the Monarch Bay Club and the Monarch Beach golf links.  The cards can be used for 20% off all the restaurants and

Niguel Shores is one of the premier neighborhoods in Dana Point that spans all the way from Niguel Road to the north and Selva Road to the south.  It also spans from the ocean front all the way inland to Stonehill Drive with Pacific Coast Highway going through the middle of the community.  Homes located on the beach side of Coast Highway are considered the most desirable and include a mixture of ocean front, ocean view and beach close homes.  These homes currently start at just under $1.6 million for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home with 1,700 square feet and go up to $5.3 for a 3 bedroom, 3 bath home with 3,947 square feet.  The beach side of the community has a large community park that overlooks the ocean with direct steps down to Strands Beach.  There is

The Dana Point area is filled with a wide range of properties from beach front, ocean view and properties located in upscale gated communities.  One of the more desirable locations in Dana Point is the bluff front that overlooks the Dana Point Harbor and the many ships and yachts located in the small body of water that leads out to the Pacific Ocean.  The bluff that overlooks the Harbor is actually very small with only a small section of properties that occupy this premier lot location.  The bluff occupies a mixture of residential homes and condo buildings so depending on your budget there may be the perfect property.  Here is a quick guide to the various neighborhoods located on the bluff.

The largest and most upscale condo complex located on the

Del Obipso Park is located just over one block to the beach and within walking distance to several condo neighborhoods.  One of the newest is the new South Cove community which sits just south of the park.  These are brand new construction condos and townhouses with model homes slated to be open in the next couple of months. Real Estate prices have been estimated to start in the mid $500,000 range for a few select until in the complex and go as high as $1.3 million for the largest units.  Final pricing has not been leased so these numbers can change at any time.  We have already received a large demand of buyers interested in this complex so please contact us to be put on a waiting list and we will notify you when they come available for sale.

Just

It's become the norm when looking for a home to ask how much are the association dues in this neighborhood.  The reality in Southern California is that if the home is located in a formal community there is most likely going to be a homeowners association with months dues.  This is especially true for newer construction homes in a master planned community.  Homeowners association dues can very from neighborhood to neighborhood and all based on what kind of amenities the community has to offer.  For basic amenities like a manual gated entrance then association dues can be as low as a couple hundred dollars a month.  For neighborhoods with a formal clubhouse, community pool and spa dues tend to be much higher.  If there is a 24 hour guard gate than expect

The South Cove community is well under construction as they build brand new condos near Doheny Beach in Dana Point.  South Cove will feature a total of 168 condos with three unique floor plans to choose from.  We have already received a large number of calls for interested buyers for this community.  One of the reasons it's for it's location and attractive price points.  The location is just one block away from Doheny Beach and the Dana Point Harbor.  Clients can cross over the Dana Point bridge that goes over Pacific Coast Highway which leads directly to the beach. A collection of 10 properties will offer a combination of work and living spaces as there will be commercial retail on the ground level facing Pacific Coast Highway.

The three floor plans

The original model homes that were first developed by the builder and used to show potential clients what upgrades could be achieved are now being offered for sale.  The Grand Monarch is a luxury gated community that is connected to the former St. Regis Monarch Beach Hotel which is now called the Monarch Beach Resort.  The community sits in front of the Monarch Beach golf links and does offer some ocean views from select units.  The model homes are being sold completely furnished which is ideal for those looking for a great vacation home.

The first model that is being offered for sale is Residence 1.  This was my favorite of all the models since it occupied two levels and had the feel of a traditional home.  One of the best features of the unit was the