The real estate business in Long Beach remained robust for another year; one of the few sectors that has largely escaped the economic downturns of COVID-19. In fact, Realtors were amazed at the speed of houses being snapped up in 2021, especially in the $600,000-$800,000 range, often selling at prices far exceeding their listing price, with anxious buyers feverishly courting sellers and eschewing such things as home inspections and offering cash instead of going through escrow.
At the top end of the market, houses did continue to sell at multi-million-dollar marks, though at that level it wasn’t quite as strong of a seller’s market. In this year’s list of the most expensive homes sold, nine of the 10 properties sold for below listing price.
No home sales reached historic highs for the city in 2021, although the price for getting into the top 10 increased from $3.2 million to $3.75 million. If that seems like a lot, consider that in Los Angeles, the buy-in for the high-end in 2021 was $26 million.
In Long Beach, not surprisingly, the priciest homes all have views of the water: Alamitos Bay, Naples’ canals or the shimmering blue Pacific Ocean. Shut out this year were homes around Country Club Drive, Park Estates and Belmont Shore/Heights—all areas that have occasionally snuck into the top 10 in past years.
Here are the priciest homes sold in Long Beach in 2021:
No. 10: 6819 Ocean Blvd., $3,750,000, listed by Keith Muirhead. This former duplex has been converted to a single-family home with six bedrooms and five baths. It’s on the bay side of the Peninsula with a nice beach (and no sidewalk) in front of the house. If the buyers find themselves overextended, they can easily convert it back to a duplex to earn a little walking-around money.
No. 9: 220 Rivo Alto Canal, $3,802,500, listed by Keith Muirhead. Just one of many great Naples locations, this four-bed, four-bath has great views of Alamitos Bay and is protected from the inevitable by a new seawall. It’s a no-hassle house for a boat owner with its dock and direct access to open water; no bridges to navigate.
No. 8: 182 Rivo Alto Canal, $4.25 million, listed by Nancy Conger. This three-story Italianate home was recently renovated with four new baths, a new kitchen, new herringbone porcelain floors in the kitchen, nook and great room, while the bedrooms have bamboo floors and walk-in closets. The master suite is 564 square feet with access to a balcony.
No. 7: 5488 The Toledo, $4.3 million, listed by Joyce Riviere. Do I have to keep saying these houses have a great location and terrific views? No, let’s just stipulate that they all do. This five-bed, three-bath home on the main channel of Alamitos Bay has wall-to-wall glass facing the bay, the Peninsula, the Pacific and on a good day, Catalina. This is the only home in the top 10 that sold above its listing price of $3.9 million.
No. 6 (tie): 7023 Seaside Walk, $4.4 million, listed by Shannon Jones. This striking three-story home on the tip of the Peninsula, which squeaked into the top 10 with a Dec. 15 closing, features water views from almost every room. Its modern architecture gives it a clean and sharp exterior look with a breezy interior. The home has easy vertical access with its two staircases and one elevator. It has five bedrooms, four baths and parking for five vehicles.
No. 6 (tie): 5679 Corso Di Napoli, $4.4 million, listed by Spencer Snyder. This mid-modern Treasure Island home is a repeat on the top-10 chart, clocking in at No. 4 back in 2018 when it sold for $4.3 million. The eye-catching Treasure Island home has three bedrooms and three baths on a 3,486 square-foot wraparound corner lot.
No. 4: 5601 Seaside Walk, $4.8 million, listed by Spencer Snyder. The second Seaside Walk residence on this year’s list, this five-bedroom, seven-bath Mediterranean mansion, as its address should tell you, sits just a couple of feet from the beach on The Peninsula. The huge, 5,697-square foot home features a master retreat with spectacular ocean views and a private balcony overlooking the Pacific.
No. 3: 5565 Naples Canal, $5.405 million, listed by Amy Conrad. OK, now we’re starting to talk real money. Mediterranean appears to have overtaken Spanish Revival as the favored Euro-influenced style as evidenced by this 5,000-square foot estate on open water in Naples, with a 40-foot dock and views of the canal and the bay. The home’s formal dining room mixes distressed wood with travertine flooring leading to a stone fireplace. There is also a full-size elevator to the second level, a three-car garage with a workshop and a half-bath.
No. 2: 20 Ocean Manor Place, $5.5 million, listed by Miguel Nunez. The former home of developer and perhaps overly enthusiastic Ferrari fan Tony Shooshani is a sprawling 6,000-square-foot oceanfront property with private beach access in a gated enclave consisting of just two homes. Each of its six bedrooms, as well as its grand room, have ocean views. An attached two-bedroom guest house can be rented out or used to house relatives or friends.
No. 1: 6068 Lido Lane, $6.6 million, listed by Kimberley Robinson. Your top-dollar 2021 winner is on the open water on Naples’ Gold Coast, Corso De Oro. Designed by famed Long Beach architect Kollin Altomare, who has created ultra-luxurious hotels and residences all over the country and the world. The three-story home has an elevator, three bedrooms, an office (or fourth bedroom and five baths. There is a fireplace on each floor. The residence is feature-packed, with invisible Stealth Acoustics speakers, Crestron smart-home system, heated flooring, two laundry rooms, central vacuum, a wine room and a spacious bar.
