6521 Via Baron, Rancho Palos Verdes: a Vista Pacifica house beside Terranea, sold at asking in seven days

Sold

The south side of the Peninsula sells on the strength of its associations as much as its views, and Vista Pacifica, the community on the bluff beside Terranea, is one of its established associations. 6521 Via Baron is a 3,890 square foot house from 1984 at the end of a cul-de-sac there, with four en suite bedrooms, three of them on the main level, tall ceilings, skylights, a remodeled kitchen, owned solar panels and a Tesla wall charger, and a glimpse of the ocean from the living room and the primary bedroom. We listed it at $2,250,000 in the summer of 2023, it was in contract in seven days, and it closed at the full asking price on August 4, at $578 per square foot. The community’s two pools and two tennis courts come with dues of $390 a month.

What was the house?

A two-level house with the unusual arrangement of three en suite bedrooms on the main floor and a fourth suite downstairs, which suits a household that wants the bedrooms on one level and a separate suite for guests or extended family. The primary suite has a private balcony, a fireplace, two walk-in closets and a bath with a shower, a tub and dual sinks. The kitchen, remodeled, and the family room open to a rebuilt backyard with a fire pit, a barbecue and a spa. Recessed LED lighting, updated floors and multiple skylights run through the house, with air conditioning, two new heating units, fully owned solar panels, a Tesla wall charger, a three-car garage and a large bonus storage room. The community keeps two pools and two tennis courts for residents, and the Terranea grounds and the bluff trails are a short walk.

What was the goal?

A fast, full-price sale to a buyer who valued the layout and the community together. The stakes for a house in an association on the south side are the association itself: a buyer wants to know the dues, the reserves and the rules before committing, and a listing that cannot answer on the first weekend loses the week. The strategy was to price at $2,250,000, at the number the community’s recent sales supported, to have the association package in the disclosures from the first day, and to lead with the main-level suites and the owned solar, which are the two features a buyer here cannot easily add.

The house was in contract in seven days and closed at $2,250,000 on August 4, 2023. Pricing at the market rather than above it is what produced the speed; the seller gave up nothing for it.

What does the sale say about the south side?

That a well-kept house in a community with amenities near Terranea trades at a per-foot figure well below the north side of the Peninsula, which is the south side’s argument for buyers who want space and an association over a view, and that a layout with the bedrooms on one level is worth leading with. See Rancho Palos Verdes for the city, Palos Verdes Drive South for this stretch of the coast, and Homes by Type for how planned-community houses compare with the rest of the hill.

Update: sold

If you own in Vista Pacifica or another south-side community and want a fast, full-price sale, the association package is part of the marketing. Send Neil the address and we will tell you what the community’s recent sales support. The Sellers page describes how we prepare a listing in an association.

Sources

• California Regional MLS listing record, SB23113287; closing figures as reported to the MLS
• Rancho Palos Verdes; Palos Verdes Drive South

Written June 2023; updated August 4, 2023. Property facts, list price and days on market are from the California Regional MLS listing record (SB23113287); the sale price and closing date are public record. Represented by Neil Chhabria, Chhabria Real Estate Company. This article is general real estate information about one sale, not tax, legal, lending or investment advice, and not a statement about the value of any other property.

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