Tagged : san clemente real estate

San Clemente is a seasonal beach town with a wide variety of vacation rental homes throughout the city.  The key to success with a vacation rental home is having a great location.  Most renters who will be visiting for a short time want to stay in a spot that is close to the beach and local attractions.  In San Clemente, this means being close to the beach and the downtown shopping area.  One of the popular spots for these vacation homes is at the top of the bluff front street known as "Buena Vista."  Homes located on the ocean side of the street have oceanfront views and is considered a great location here in San Clemente. 

Of course the San Clemente Pier area is the most sought after locations due to it's prime location near the beach and the

San Clemente ocean view townhouses rarely come on the market as many of the residential properties in San Clemente tend to be either traditional single family homes or one story condos.  The large majority of townhouses that offer views of the ocean can be found in the central downtown area of San Clemente.  A large majority of these properties are concentrated near the San Clemente Pier area as pictured below.

Townhouses in San Clemente currently start at $449,000 for a two bedroom, two bath condo that offers 1,550 square feet of living space.  Popular places to find these lower priced townhouses will be the Rancho San Clemente area, Presidential Heights and the Talega area.  Talega has a high concentration of townhouses but will be very limited on the

The Southeast San Clemente area is a great place to find ocean view homes in San Clemente, California.  Most San Clemente buyers typically want to live near the beach but soon learn that real estate prices are normally very high and have limited ocean views.  They soon find that the best value for the money is often found in the hills of San Clemente where you will find panoramic views and large square footage houses for the same prices that you would find a small beach cottage by the beach.  This area in the hills in commonly referred to as the "Southeast San Clemente" area and is a popular choice for those looking for panoramic ocean views.

The below photo was taken from a home in this area and is a good sample of the kind of ocean view that you can

The Vista Pacifica condo complex is one of the most affordable places to find ocean view condos in the San Clemente, California area.  The condos located here often start in the low $200,000 and typically go as high as the mid $300,000 range.  Not all units in this complex will have views of the Pacific Ocean as those are reserved for the condos located on the front and second row buildings. 

Currently, there are four condos for sale in Vista Pacifica which range from $224,000 for a one bedroom, one bath unit to $334,000 for a two bedroom, two bath unit.  Only one of the four condos for sale here has an ocean view as that condo is listed for sale at $232,900 and features one bedroom and one bath with 500 square feet of living space.  The condo is

The 1960's were a popular time when a lot of homes were built in the San Clemente area.   Popular neighborhoods like Shorecliffs and the Broadmoor area where predominately built during this time frame.  Even senior housing communities like Bay Cliff Village and Colony Cove were established in the 1960's and featured bluff front cottages that have stunning ocean front views.  Many have coined the phrase for mid-century homes that were built in the 1950's but this architectural style has continued into the early 1960's homes that offer their own unique style and personality.

One great example is the Shorecliffs San Clemente community.  The photos showcased here were taken from a home in the Shorecliffs area.  The home was built in 1960 and has been

Ole Hanson was the founder of San Clemente and was the person who had the vision of many of the older Spanish homes from the early 1920's and 30's that you see today in San Clemente.  During the 1960 and 70's many of these homes were torn down in pursuit of building larger homes and condo buildings.  Luckily, many of these homes were preserved and have become the rich heritage that San Clemente is proud to be associated with.  These homes can be found in the older sections of town which are the Southwest San Clemente, San Clemente Central and San Clemente north neighborhoods.

The homes tend to be on the smaller side with two to three bedrooms and range anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 square feet of living space.  Many of these properties rarely come onto

The Southwest San Clemente area is well known for being a quality neighborhood with beautiful custom homes located within walking distance to the beach.  Some of the best ocean front homes can also be found in this community and are located on the steep cliffs that overlook the Pacific Ocean.   There are several places to look in SW San Clemente area and here is your guide to find them.

Look for the street named "Calle De Los Alamos" which is located on the bluff front.  This is not a big street in the Southwest area but has beautiful ocean front streets that often overlook the San Clemente Pier and Pacific Ocean.  Many investors and developers in recent years have bought homes on this street that are located on large lots and subdivided the land with

The Coast District is one of the few communities that most home buyers moving to San Clemente are unaware about.  The neighborhood is located just east of the 5 freeway which is the non ocean side away from the beach.  Here is a combination of 9 communities that offer a wide variety of single family homes with a large number of them offering some kind of a view.  Some of the best deals can be found in this community as ocean view homes are often priced slightly lower than other neighboring areas of San Clemente.  It's not uncommon to find an ocean view home for under $1 million that offers over 3,500 square feet of living space with four plus bedrooms and a three car garage!

Many of the homes are also located on quiet cul-de-sac streets which makes it a

The Driftwood Bluffs condo building is located across the valley from the SW San Clemente area and just down the street from the San Clemente Pier.  The complex is extremely popular with owners rarely putting their condos up for sale.  The last time we saw a condo come up in here was well over 3 years ago and the 3 bedroom ocean view condo quickly sold for $1,655,000.  The building has a very unique and ideal location with unobstructed views down the valley and overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  A new ocean view condo just came on the market for $1,795,000 and features three bedrooms, three baths with a total of 2,011 square feet.

These ocean view condos often feature large view balconies and gated parking.  Association dues currently run $750.00 a month

Pacifica Summit is a luxury community located in the Talega area of San Clemente.  This was one of the first luxury neighborhoods built in the Talega area between 2001 - 2002 with large scale homes that range in size from 2,673 to 4,372 square feet.  The community is not located directly on the Talega golf course but is positioned high enough to enjoy very nice golf course views.  Many of the floor plans in this community will feature a main floor bedroom and full bath with the remainder of bedrooms located upstairs.

Even though the homes were built over 10 years ago the modern finishes still appear fresh and up to date with granite kitchen counters, center islands, custom niches and a combination of wood and stone flooring that was often used when

The San Clemente North area is a mixture of homes located on both the east and ocean side of the 5 freeway.  Some of the best ocean view properties on the west side of the freeway can be found in the Shorecliffs area.  This is one of the older communities in San Clemente which often have a view of the golf course or the Pacific Ocean.  One thing to keep in mind about this neighborhood is that some real estate prices may be too good to be true.  Sometimes these low priced ocean view homes are priced low because this area is pronned to land shifting.  Not all homes have been effected by this but it's always best to do your due diligence when looking at ocean view homes in this area.

Another popular spot for ocean view homes in the San Clemente north area

San Rafael was one of the very first communities built in the Talega area of San Clemente and is highly regarded as a great place to find a large two story single family home under the million dollar price point.  These are large properties that are normally around 3,600 square feet that offer main floor bedrooms and open floor plans.  Normally, the first level of the home is built for entertaining with a gourmet kitchen, dining room and large living room area.  Often times these floor plans provide for a butler's pantry and a great room with high vaulted ceilings and custom fireplaces.  Upstairs often offers a large Master suite with multiple walk-in closets, custom fireplace and dual Master bath sinks.

Many of the homes are located on large lots that

The Reserve South community is one of the best places to find ocean view homes in the San Clemente for under $1 million dollars.  This price tag may seem expensive to some but compared to other similar ocean view homes in the area the homes in the Reserve South have a lot to offer.  First, the location is really ideal.  Situated on a ridge in the Forster Ranch area, the homes have panoramic views of the ocean through the valley.  Second, the homes are large for the area and often have over 2,600 square feet of living space and are much larges that other similar ocean view homes in San Clemente.  Finally, the homes are still considered newer construction with homes built in 2003 and have modern amenities and well designed floor plans.

The Reserve South

Talega is one of the newest areas in San Clemente with homes being built on a continues basis in the last 15 years.  For those looking for brand new construction homes in this area should consider the Cazadero neighborhood.  This community was first built in 2005 and is home to the only new construction home for sale in Talega built in 2014.  15 Calle Loyola is a brand new home that is currently on the market for $1,152,787.  The five bedroom, six bath home just finished construction this year and features 3,949 square feet of living space.  Built by William Lyon, the residence features an open floor-plan with a large master suite, backyard and an attached 3 car garage.  The listing just came on the market 7 days ago and still currently available for

The Parkview Manor is located in the Southwest San Clemente area near the Calafia Beach Park area.  This is a prime location for a condo complex that looks directly down into the ocean.  The area is well known as the "Lobiero Loop" as the street does a circular one way loop starting on the street "Avenida Montalvo" which then turns into "Avenida Lobiero."  Just as you make your turn at the bottom of the loop, which is the very tip of the bluff front, the Parkview Manor condos will be on your right hand side.  The large majority of condos here are two bedroom, two bath units with a few three bedroom condos as well.  The building was built in the mid 1970's and has really maintained itself very well.

The large majority of condos are located in an "L"

The Mills Act is a federal organization located in the Western part of the United States that specifically helps protect historic homes from being improperly renovated or destroyed.  Mainly found in California and Arizona, the Mills Act works with the individual states in lowering the yearly tax base paid on these historic homes.  The savings can be significant and I have personally seen the taxes as low as 50% lower than what the normal tax rate should be.

Things to look for when looking for a historic home.  First, not all historic homes will be covered by the Mills Act.  Just because the home was built in the 1920's or 30's doesn't automatically qualify the home to be covered under the Mills Act.  It's worth asking the real estate agent and/or owner

The Shorecliffs area of San Clemente is well known for having wonderful ocean views by the beach.  Building a home in this area may be a great alternative than buying a re-sale home that are often priced in the $700,000 to $800,000 range.  Buying land in San Clemente can be difficult due to the shortage of inventory of quality lots for sale.  The highest concentrations of available ocean view lots can be found in the gated community of Sea Point Estates but real estate prices can easily be in the $300,000 to $400,000 range and up.  A great alternative in buying an ocean view lot is the Shorecliffs golf community.

The Shorecliffs area is one of the older areas of San Clemente and located just north of the new Marblehead development that is completed in

The Vizcaya community is located in one of the most premier spots in the Talega area of San Clemente.  The homes on the south side of the street "Corte Vizcaya" overlook the 5th hole of the Talega golf course and have panoramic golf course and valley views.  This neighborhood is amongst some of the most expensive real estate in Talega due to it's large scale estate homes that exist in this small community of only 14 residences.  Originally built in 2001, the homes offer large square footage floor plans that range anywhere from 4,689 to 5,746 square feet.  Beautiful curb appeal and stunning Mediterranean architectural design is what sets these homes apart from other properties found in the Talega area.

The Stella Mare Talega Community is one of my favorite communities.  This is a great neighborhood to find large Spanish style homes on over-sized lots.  The neighborhood has small pockets of individual cul-de-sac streets that offer a tight sense of community and a great place to raise a family.  These are large homes that are often over 3,400 square square feet with a few homes offering panoramic views of the hills and mountains.

For those looking for a home with a backyard pool this is a great place to look.  Many of the properties in Stella Mare have incorporated resort style pools with a select few offering a guest casita pool house as well!  The large majority of homes offer five bedrooms or more and are located in one of the most desirable

The Bay Cliff Village is one of three senior housing communities in San Clemente, California.  Located right next to the Shore Cliffs at the top of the hill lies a very small and intimate community called Bay Cliff Village.  The community was first built back in 1962 with the idea of providing single level homes for those older than 55 years of age.  There are approximately 108 homes in this community that have a central community clubhouse as pictured below.

Since there is such a low inventory of homes to start with and many love living here we rarely see homes come on the market here.  It's not uncommon to have only one to two properties come up for sale here at any given time.  The floor plans have a combination of one to two bedroom homes and are