The Journal

Local Knowledge, Written Down

The conversations I have with buyers and sellers every week. Area guides, schools, land, views, and the South Bay market.

Buying · November 2026 · 7 min read

Buying a Home in the California Coastal Zone

If the home sits within about a thousand yards of the Pacific, a second layer of land use law probably applies to the lot. Here is what it shapes, with the law behind each point.

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Tools · November 2026 · 5 min read

MLS Area Codes in Los Angeles and Orange County, Explained

Every listing in both counties carries an area code that agents treat like a second address. Here is how the system works and where the lines fall.

Buying · November 2026 · 6 min read

HOAs on the Palos Verdes Peninsula: Who Has One and What It Means

Four cities, one hill, and four very different answers to the question buyers ask first. A plain guide to the Peninsula's associations.

Area Guides · November 2026 · 5 min read

Monaco and Country Club: Rancho Palos Verdes, MLS Area 171

The streets between Hawthorne Boulevard and the golf course are some of the most livable on the hill. I sold here this year, and this is the neighborhood as I know it.

Lifestyle · November 2026 · 6 min read

The Rancho Palos Verdes Coast, Landmark by Landmark

From the lighthouse to White Point, the south coast of the hill is a string of places that set the price of the homes above them. A drive along it, with footage.

Lifestyle · November 2026 · 5 min read

Where the Peninsula Shops: Golden Cove, the Promenade, Peninsula Center and Malaga Cove Plaza

There is no main street on the hill. There are five centers, and which one is yours says a lot about where you live.

Area Guides · November 2026 · 5 min read

South Redondo Beach: MLS Areas 155, 156 and 157

South Redondo is three MLS areas and three different lives, from the bluff on the Esplanade to the quiet streets east of PCH. Here is how to read them.

Buying · September 2026 · 6 min read

Is Cypress a Good Place to Buy a Home in 2026?

Short answer: yes, for a specific kind of buyer. Here is who that is, what it costs, and what I learned selling a Fairway Park pool home this summer.

Buying · September 2026 · 7 min read

Palos Verdes or Manhattan Beach: Which Coast Fits You?

Both are on the water, both have schools people move for, and they could not be more different to live in. A plain comparison for buyers deciding between the hill and the sand.

Area Guides · July 2026 · 7 min read

Palos Verdes MLS Areas, Explained: A Local's Guide to 160 Through 186

Every Palos Verdes listing carries an area number that locals treat like a second address. Here is what each one actually tells you.

Schools · July 2026 · 6 min read

PVPUSD Schools: A Neighborhood by Neighborhood Guide

For many families, the school decides the neighborhood. A practical guide to the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District for house hunters.

Lifestyle · July 2026 · 4 min read

The Queen's Necklace: Why Malaga Cove Views Command a Premium

At night, the coastline from Malaga Cove curves toward Malibu in a string of lights locals call the Queen's Necklace. It changes how homes here are valued.

Buying · June 2026 · 6 min read

Buying Land in Palos Verdes: What to Know Before You Build

Vacant coastal land is the rarest commodity on the Peninsula, and the most misunderstood. What smart buyers investigate before they fall in love with a lot.

Tools · November 2026 · 5 min read

Inside the Map: Every MLS Area, HOA and Landmark in Los Angeles and Orange County

The map I work from with clients lives on this site, and it now covers both counties. Here is what is on it, where the lines come from, and how to use it.

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