THE SOUTH BAY BUYER'S GUIDE
A BHAUS EIGHT REAL ESTATE & LIFESTYLE EDITORIAL
FIND YOUR PLACE.
FIND YOUR LIFESTYLE.
A modern guide to buying a home in the South Bay.
Manhattan Beach • Hermosa Beach • Redondo Beach • Palos Verdes
BUYING A HOME ISN'T JUST ABOUT THE HOUSE.
It's about the life that happens around it.
Morning coffee on the patio.
A walk to the beach.
Dinner around the corner.
A backyard where everyone gathers.
A neighborhood that feels like your own.
At Bhaus Eight, we believe the right home begins with understanding the lifestyle you want to live.
And that's where your South Bay search begins.
FIRST: FIND YOUR SOUTH BAY
FOUR COMMUNITIES.
FOUR DIFFERENT WAYS TO LIVE.
MANHATTAN BEACH: https://www.bhauseight.com/moving-to-manhattan-beach
Beach towns, walk streets, boutiques, restaurants and distinct neighborhoods.
HERMOSA BEACH: https://www.bhauseight.com/hermosabeach-1
Casual, energetic and effortlessly coastal.
REDONDO BEACH: https://www.bhauseight.com/living-in-redondo-beach
Space, variety, community and a range of coastal lifestyles.
PALOS VERDES
Views, privacy, nature and a more residential pace.
BEFORE YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH A HOUSE...
KNOW YOUR NUMBERS.
Buying a home should feel exciting — not financially mysterious.
Before you begin touring, understand the bigger picture:
PURCHASE PRICE
What price range actually fits your lifestyle?
DOWN PAYMENT
How much do you want to put down?
MONTHLY PAYMENT
What feels comfortable month after month?
CLOSING COSTS
What additional expenses should you anticipate?
INSPECTIONS & DUE DILIGENCE
What will you need to investigate before moving forward?
IMPROVEMENTS
Does the house need work now — or later?
BHAUS EIGHT TIP
Your maximum approval isn't necessarily your ideal budget.
We encourage buyers to think about the life they want to live after they buy the house.
YOUR HOME SEARCH
DON'T JUST LOOK AT THE HOUSE.
LOOK AT THE LIFE.
WHAT MATTERS TO YOU?
BEACH ACCESS
How close do you want to be to the sand?
WALKABILITY
Could you walk to coffee, dinner or the market?
OUTDOOR LIVING
How important is your yard, patio or deck?
SPACE
Do you need room for family, guests or a home office?
SCHOOLS
What school considerations matter to your household?
COMMUTE
How does the location work with your everyday life?
COMMUNITY
What kind of neighborhood feels right?
FUTURE
Could this home work for the next chapter, too?
THE BHAUS EIGHT APPROACH
WE LOOK BEYOND THE LISTING.
A beautiful kitchen can sell a house.
But we want to know:
How does the home live?
Where does the morning light come in?
Does the floor plan actually work?
Is there enough outdoor space?
What would you change?
What might that change cost?
What are you compromising on?
And perhaps most importantly:
"Can you see yourself living here?"
THE NUMBERS ARE ONLY THE BEGINNING.
WHAT TO LOOK AT WHEN TOURING A HOME
LOCATION
The things you can't change.
LOT
Orientation, size, privacy, outdoor potential.
FLOOR PLAN
How the home actually functions.
CONDITION
Turnkey, cosmetic updates or a major project?
NATURAL LIGHT
How does the house feel throughout the day?
OUTDOOR SPACE
Especially important in the South Bay.
POTENTIAL
Could you expand, remodel or reconfigure?
RESALE
What characteristics could matter to a future buyer?
THE SOUTH BAY HOME TOUR
TAKE US HOUSE HUNTING.
THE BEACH HOUSE
Manhattan Beach • Sand Section
THE GARDEN HOUSE
Redondo Beach • North Redondo
THE VIEW HOUSE
Palos Verdes
THE WALK-TO-EVERYTHING HOUSE
Hermosa Beach
WHEN YOU FIND "THE ONE"
THEN THE STRATEGY BEGINS.
Finding the right home is only half the journey.
The next step is understanding the opportunity.
We look at:
PRICE
How does the asking price compare with relevant recent sales and current competition?
TERMS
What combination of price, contingencies, timing and other terms makes sense?
PROPERTY
What do the disclosures and inspections tell us?
MARKET
How much competition is there?
SELLER
What can we learn about the circumstances surrounding the sale?
THERE ISN'T ONE PERFECT OFFER.
There is an offer that makes sense for this property, in this market, for you.
UNDER CONTRACT
THE HOUSE MAY BE YOURS.
BUT THERE'S STILL WORK TO DO.
This is the part where details matter.
INVESTIGATE
Inspections, disclosures, reports and property information.
REVIEW
Understand the documents and information surrounding the property.
FINANCE
Complete lender requirements and work toward loan approval.
APPRAISE
When applicable, complete the appraisal process.
COORDINATE
Escrow, title, lender, agents, inspections and other professionals.
CLOSE
Sign, fund, record — and get those keys.
BUYER REPRESENTATION
KNOW WHO IS IN YOUR CORNER.
A buyer's agent can help you:
SEARCH
Find and evaluate properties.
ANALYZE
Understand pricing and market conditions.
NEGOTIATE
Structure and negotiate your offer.
NAVIGATE
Coordinate the transaction from offer through closing.
COMMUNICATE
Keep the many moving parts connected.
CLOSE
Help keep the transaction on track.
TRANSPARENCY MATTERS.
Before working together, we'll explain our buyer representation agreement, the services we provide and how compensation works.
You'll know what you're agreeing to before you begin.
A LITTLE BHAUS EIGHT REALITY CHECK
THE MOST EXPENSIVE HOUSE
ISN'T ALWAYS THE MOST EXPENSIVE HOUSE.
A lower purchase price can come with:
A major remodel
Deferred maintenance
Higher insurance costs
HOA expenses
An awkward floor plan
Location compromises
And a more expensive home may sometimes require less immediate work.
LOOK AT THE WHOLE PICTURE.
Purchase price + monthly costs + improvements + location + lifestyle.
That's where the real value starts to become clear.
THE BHAUS EIGHT DIFFERENCE
REAL ESTATE IS WHAT WE DO.
LIFESTYLE IS WHY WE DO IT.
We know the South Bay.
Not just the neighborhoods.
The streets.
The restaurants.
The beaches.
The architecture.
The little pockets you don't always find on a map.
And after 20 years in real estate, we know that finding the right property is about more than checking boxes.
It's about finding the place where your life makes sense.
READY TO FIND YOUR PLACE?
LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
Tell us a little about your search and we'll help you start narrowing down the possibilities. Click below so we can start a conversation: