Real Estate in Mar Vista

Real estate in Mar Vista  has always been a popular alternative to owning a home in more expensive Westside neighborhoods like Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades , Brentwood or Venice.  Why?  Where else can a first time home buyer find a single family home, in a quiet neighborhood that is about 3 miles from Santa Monica Bay for under $650,000!

Real estate in Mar Vista offers the home buyer a wide range of housing options, despite its small size.  It is located west of the San Diego freeway, east of Walgrove, south of the Santa Monica airport and north of Jefferson Blvd.  Depending on the location, a single family  home  ( 5000 sq. foot lot/ 1,000 to 1,200 sq ft) can be found for anywhere between $500,000 and $650,000.  In the more expensive areas (Mar Vista Hills/Trousdale), larger homes, many custom built with  tree-top or ocean views have an average price just under a million, with average sq. footage of 2400/square feet .

Real estate in Mar Vista Hills, located between Centinela/Sawtelle and north of Venice Blvd, offers custom-built homes and ocean views.  Although some of the newer homes have sold for over $2 million, the average price is $927,000, with an average sq. footage of 2,475 square feet.  A second Mar Vista hill is south of Palms, where the average 3 br/1.5 bath/1,200 sq foot beauty sells between $650,000-$750,000.  These homes are far less expensive than equivalent homes in Santa Monica, even those without a view located within blocks of Mar Vista.

No matter what your budget, real estate in Mar Vista is a family oriented community where joggers, dog-walkers and baby strollers are part of the daily scene. Local elementary schools are some of the best in Los Angeles; Mar Vista Elementary scored 913 out of 1000 on the 2007 Academic Performance Index, with Beethoven St. School scoring 859 and Walgrove Ave. 736.  Venice High School has a several  magnet schools within its campus and there are also some charter school alternatives (inc. Ocean Charter Middle School at Walgrove).   Families can also participate in  fantastic sports programs in soccer/basketball/tennis offered at Penmar and MarVista parks;  There’s also a 9-hole public golf course as well as access to 3 different  weekly farmer’s markets.

Real estate in Mar Vista is for home buyers in all price ranges who are looking for a great investment.  Now is a great time to choose real estate in Mar Vista since prices are down and interest rates under 5% keep the mortgage payment lower than you might expect for such a nice neighborhood.

Don’t think you need to settle for a condo in order to live in a quiet, safe neighborhood just because Santa Monica is out of reach.  Real estate in Mar Vista offers an opportunity to get ocean breezes and a Westside location and stay within your budget.   Check out Mar vista Realtor or ask for my free weekly list of “best buys and foreclosure properties” of real estate in Mar Vista by emailing ArtToye@gmail.com.