Torrance homes for sale

How Do I find Off Market and Pocket Listings in Torrance CA?

In this incredibly competitive real estate environment many homes are notOld Torrance homes for sale even making it to the market.   So how do you find out about these homes?  First it’s important to understand just what we’re talking about.

What does off market or a pocket listing mean?

It can actually mean a few different things but in general, when we refer to homes sold off market or pocket listings these are homes that are never put on the MLS and therefore unknown to most buyers and many realtors.  That means that searching the Redfins and Zillows of the world may mean that you’re not aware of these types of opportunities.

Why would a Torrance homeseller want to sell the home off market?

In general it’s not a great idea.  Fewer buyers that know about the home usually means less competition and ultimately a lower sales price.  That’s certainly not always the case but usually accurate to some extent.  Sellers have many reasons for not wanting to put their home on the market.  It may be due to privacy reasons such as not wanting the neighbor or even the tenant know that the home is for sale.  It may be that they don’t want to deal with some of the hassles that come along with listing a home…..buyer’s and agents that want to show the home at all hours, open houses on the weekends and more people simply curious with few legitimate buyers.  Whatever the reason it does limit the exposure and again usually limits the price.

That’s why it can be a good opportunity for buyers….less competition, fewer bidding wars which generally leads to a lower sales price.

How do I find out about these homes?

Unlike the MLS listings, off market, upcoming and pocket listings are much more elusive.  The key is to work with an agent that has deep connections in the Torrance real estate market and community.  Some of the top realtors in certain areas may share information on these hard to find opportunities and the larger or more numerous the seller and agent networks, the more information the agent can obtain.

We are happy to help you find off market homes in Torrance but this requires a good deal of work, considerable communication with sellers and agents and a readiness to act should the right home come available.  If you would like us to help find off market opportunities and are not currently working with a realtor please feel free to text us at 310-251-2344 or email us with the details of your home search.

Torrance Home Sales and Median Home Prices for June 2017

June was a big month for home sales in Torrance CA with a fairly huge number of homes selling.  The summer months are always an active market and this year was no different with 184 homes selling..  Thats well above the normal number of Torrance homes selling in a month.  Median home prices were up just a bit over June of the previous year with the median home in Torrance selling at $673,000.  Click here to track all of the important real estate trends for Torrance CA.

City Homes Sold June 2017 Median June 2016 Median Year over Year % Change%
Carson 61 $445,000 $450,000 -1.1%
El Segundo 15 $800,000 $1,135,000 -29%
Gardena 70 $461,000 $430,000 7.2%
Harbor City 19 $465,000 $547,000 -15%
Hawthorne 45 $592,000 $624,000 -5.1%
Hermosa Beach 26 $1,718,000 $1,274,500 34.8
Lawndale 12 $535,000 $519,000 3.1%
Lomita 18 $565,000 $555,000 1.8%
Long Beach 419 $523,000 $470,000 11.2%
Manhattan Beach 57 $2,467,000 $1,924,000 28.2%
Marina Del Rey 34 $968,000 $900,000 7.6%
Palos Verdes Estates 46 $1,679,000 $1,533,000 9.5%
Playa Del Rey 34 $683,000 $603,000 13.3%
Rancho Palos Verdes 75 $1,240,000 $1,200,000 3.3%
Redondo Beach 117 $969,000 $945,000 2.5%
San Pedro 82 $510,000 $500,000 1.9%
Torrance 184 $673,000 $635,000 5.9%
Westchester 42 $1,090,000 $1,050,000 3.8%
Gated community of Breakers at Plaza Del Amo Torrance

See Torrance CA Home Prices for May 2017

Torrance saw a big increase in the monthly number of home sales in May 2017 with 140 homes closing escrow.  The median home price was an impressive $690,000 for the month.  See the Torrance CA real estate market trends and statistics here.  To see the homes that sold in Torrance CA for May visit our home sales page.

City Homes
Sold
May 2017 Median May 2016 Median Year over Year % Change%
Carson 41 $458,000 $453,000 1.2%
El Segundo 8 $880,000 $803,000 9.7%
Gardena 65 $523,000 $425,000 23.1%
Harbor City 14 $503,000 $439,000 14.5%
Hawthorne 46 $610,000 $485,000 25.8%
Hermosa Beach 26 $1,738,000 $1,285,000 35.3%
Lawndale 16 $485,000 $455,000 6.5%
Lomita 18 $653,000 $488,000 33.7%
Long Beach 356 $472,000 $485,000 -2.6%
Manhattan Beach 46 $2,175,000 $1,875,000 16%
Marina Del Rey 32 $933,000 $925,000 0.8%
Palos Verdes Estates 47 $1,650,000 $1,499,000 10.1%
Playa Del Rey 31 $720,000 $560,000 28.6%
Rancho Palos Verdes 51 $1,275,000 $1,060,000 20.3%
Redondo Beach 87 $1,054,000 $950,000 10.9%
San Pedro 63 $620,000 $489,000 26.8%
Torrance 140 $690,000 $593,000 16.4%
Westchester 44 $965,000 $1,130,000 -14.6%

When Days on Market Doesn’t Necessarily Represent the Days on Market

By Keith Kyle

I’m sure most MLS systems are different but here in the South Bay the days on market on the CRMLS can be a bit misleading.  Many buyer and agents use days on market as a negotiating tool….the longer the home has been on the market, the more leverage the buyer has to come in low or negotiate other favorable terms.

The problem is that days on market doesn’t always indicate just how long the home has been available and is not necessarily indicative of “active” status.  As realtors when our clients accept an offer we have the option of changing the status to “pending” or “active under contract”.  Pending stops the days on market from accruing, but active under contract does not.  A home can go into escrow on day one, change the status to active under contract (again meaning it’s in escrow) and if it falls out of escrow 20 days later the days on market for the home will show 20.  It’s very misleading as the home has not been available for those 20 days and now puts the seller and listing agent at a disadvantage…..even though it sold the first day.

The other aspect that leads to misinformation is that with this days on market accruing on many home, it does not allow for an accurate picture of the market.  For instance a certain area of town or city itself may show an average days on market for a certain month to be one thing….when many of those homes were not actually available.  It may show days on market at 45 when the reality is that the homes in the community actually go into escrow after 30.

It’s a problem that needs to be addressed as it can change perceptions….both on an individual home and the market in general.

Torrance Home Sales and Housing Prices for November 2016

By Keith Kyle

Torrance, CA posted some solid home sales numbers in November 2015 with a very healthy 112 homes selling at a median price of $656,000 which was up considerably over November of the previous year.  To see the home sales in Torrance click here.  Torrance is one of the largest cities in the South Bay with a very diverse housing market.

City Homes
Sold
November
2016 Median
November
2015 Median
Year
over Year % Change%
Carson 54 $450,000 $420,000 7%
El Segundo 14 $816,000 $1,171,000 -30.3%
Gardena 44 $504,000 $413,000 22%
Harbor City 9 $523,000 $404,000 29.5%
Hawthorne 37 $575,000 $520,000 10.6%
Hermosa Beach 17 $1,380,000 $1,625,000 -15%
Lawndale 8 $393,000 $521,000 -24.6%
Lomita 6 $473,000 $535,000 -11.6%
Long Beach 298 $490,000 $435,000 12.6%
Manhattan Beach 38 $1,863,000 $1,831,000 1.7%
Marina Del Rey 21 $955,000 $945,000 1.1%
Palos Verdes Estates 25 $1,550,000 $1,675,000 -7.5%
Playa Del Rey 20 $658,000 $612,000 7.5%
Rancho Palos Verdes 47 $1,088,000 $945,000 15.1%
Redondo Beach 75 $900,000 $855,000 5.3%
San Pedro 58 $515,000 $485,000 6.3%
Torrance 112 $656,000 $585,000 12.1%
Westchester 32 $943,000 $892,000 5.7%
Park Plaza in Plaza Del Amo Torrance

Home Sales and Median Home Prices in Torrance for August 2016

By Keith Kylepark-plaza-plaza-del-amo-sign

August 2016 saw another strong month for homes throughout the South Bay and Torrance.  Torrance, CA reached a 179 homes sold in the month of August with a median home price of $645,000.  As of October 18th 2016 there are 151 active homes and income properties for sale in Redondo Beach and 173 homes currently in escrow.  The lowest price of the month was a one bedroom condo in a 55+ building at $215,000 with the highest sale a $1,225,000 for a single family home in the Southwood community of Torrance.  Of all the homes sold only one was a short sale or foreclosure showing just how much of a non factor short sales are becoming in Torrance.   View the current homes for sale in Torrance, CA or view a list of the homes sold in Redondo Beach and the South Bay in August.

City Homes Sold August 2016 Median August 2015 Median Yearover Year % Change%
Carson 56 $450,000 $430,000 4.7%
El Segundo 15 $1,075,000 $780,000 37.8%
Gardena 43 $470,000 $399,000 17.8%
Harbor City 24 $523,000 $450,000 16.1%
Hawthorne 47 $575,000 $493,000 16.8%
Hermosa Beach 22 $1,723,000 $1,389,000 24.%
Lawndale real estate 16 $498,000 $437,000 13.8%
Lomita 23 $619,000 $510,000 21.4%
Long Beach 348 $463,000 $459,000 .8%
Manhattan Beach 36 $1,800,000 $1,923,000 -6.4%
Marina Del Rey 24 $1,059,000 $928,000 14.1%
Palos Verdes Estates 42 $1,412,000 $1,815,000 -22.2%
Playa Del Rey 16 $623,000 $560,000 11.2%
Rancho Palos Verdes 57 $1,065,000 $1,155,000 -7.8%
Redondo Beach 100 $968,000 $842,000 15%
San Pedro 70 $481,000 $475,000 1.3%
Torrance 179 $645,000 $585,000 10.3%
Westchester 44 $1,093,000 $890,000 22.7%