With the South Bay housing market in a frenzy and so many “flipped” homes for sale, buyers need to be very cautious rushing into the purchase of a home based on the beautiful cosmetic updates. Flipped homes are often originally bank owned or distressed sales in very poor condition and it is usually purchased by investors looking to do the least amount of work to get the greatest return. Updates are often primarily cosmetic and it is absolutely in the buyers best interest to have a home inspection. The picture below was a recent home that I saw and in my eyes if they can’t even properly paint the outside this is a pretty good indication that this was done quickly and cheaply. Buyer beware!

This doesn’t mean that many flips were not done very well but heed the warning signs.










vibe. Nowhere is this more embodied than in the Seaside Ranchos area of South Torrance. The Seaside Ranchos neighborhood is often called Sleepy Hollow or the Christmas Lights area due to the annual show put on by the residents with lights strung across the Chinese Elm trees that line the streets. Sitting just North of Pacific Coast Highway as it turns inland near the Palos Valos Peninsula the neighborhood is a collection of beautiful homes on larger lots. The majority of the homes offer 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and due to the much larger lots than in most areas of Torrance often have fantastic backyards.


