During this slow season around the holidays, our CEO, Michael Repka, and I flew the DeLeon turbo-prop airplane around the western United States to meet top agents in some of the destinations our clients are moving to the most, such as Austin, San Antonio, Santa Fe, and Scottsdale. Through research, personally interviewing the top agents, and spending time in these cities, we can give our clients informed and unbiased recommendations to the best agent in each area for their particular needs. While I have enjoyed learning about different regions’ housing markets and how much tax savings one would enjoy when moving there, I still think that my favorite region in the world, and where I will eventually retire, is the Carmel/Pebble Beach area. This region, where I have happily owned a beach house for over ten years, provides an unbeatable combination of stunning natural beauty with the proximity of being only a short drive away from everything Silicon Valley has to offer.  

I would love to introduce my clients and readers to the many benefits of living in the Carmel/Pebble Beach area, which is an ideal second-home location and eventually a great place to retire. The many reasons to purchase a home in this area include its unparalleled natural beauty, vibrant art scene, its many diverse and enjoyable festivals and events, and a renowned cuisine culture. Plus, buying a vacation home long before one is ready to retire gives years of appreciation and the probability of significant property tax savings thanks to Prop 13. 

The relaxing natural beauty of this region belies the multitude of events and offerings this area provides. The area plays host to the  PGA’s Pebble Beach Pro-Am tournament where pros, local amateurs, and celebrities play together on the legendary Pebble Beach golf course, ranked the best public golf course in America for the last 50 years. Pebble Beach is also host to Concours d’Elegance, my favorite event in the Bay Area and arguably the best car show in the world, featuring century-old classics showcased by the ocean. Other annual attractions include the Monterey Jazz Festival and Pebble Beach Food & Wine, a delight for epicureans who can also dine at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Carmel. 
‍

Carmel

California arguably enjoys the most natural beauty of any of the continental states, and within California, Carmel is the town with the most untrammeled beachfront beauty. Condé Nast agrees, recently ranking Carmel as one of the most beautiful towns in America and the only town in California to make the short list. Carmel is a stunning hybrid of the raw, natural beauty of Big Sur intersecting with a very charming downtown brimming with quaint, European architecture lined with galleries and boutiques. The expansive Carmel Beach, fittingly located at the end of Ocean Avenue, is both a beachgoer’s and dog lover’s paradise. The wide stretch of sand and beautiful blue-green waters provide a stunning vista to enjoy while walking on the path along the appropriately named Scenic Avenue. The beachfront homes are a delightful mix of distinct styles ranging from contemporary homes with walls of glass, to Frank Lloyd Wright’s only oceanfront house, which is designed like a ship; in fact, its prow literally breaks the waves during high tide. 

Carmel’s  lifestyle attracts many celebrities, including former Mayor Clint Eastwood, and Brad Pitt, who just paid $40 million to buy a historic oceanfront home. Carmel and Big Sur have a strong literary and artistic history, with authors including Jack London, Robert Louis Stevenson, Sinclair Lewis, and Henry Miller, as well as artists such as Ansel Adams, Salvador Dali and more recently, Thomas Kinkade, the famed “Painter of Light," all having spent time there.

Carmel Valley

Although not as famous as Carmel or Pebble Beach, Carmel Valley provides an ideally balmy Mediterranean climate where Carmel’s coastal fog burns off and residents enjoy a great lifestyle, sans ocean views, at a relatively affordable price. At less than half the cost of Carmel, a beautiful home can be purchased in the Valley with relaxing views of a golf course for $2-3 million. Carmel Valley has a charming downtown, while the wineries dotted throughout the Valley provide enjoyable and intimate tastings reminiscent of Napa 20 years ago. 
‍

Pebble Beach

Perhaps the crown jewel of the Monterey Peninsula, these estates allow you to get a large home and acre lot with ocean views at prices that have appreciated greatly since the pandemic, yet still sell for two-thirds of what Palo Alto homes sell for on a dollar per square foot basis ($1,947 per square foot for Palo Alto homes on small lots, $1,337 per square foot for Pebble Beach homes on an acre-plus lot). The only negatives of Pebble Beach are that it has a foggier microclimate than Carmel and it is not as pedestrian-friendly, as walking paths are limited. 
‍

Appreciation Projections

Second homes have become good investments, and there are many reasons to purchase one. From enjoying it with your family (I can personally attest to the enjoyment my 4 kids and I have had on Carmel’s beaches), to locking in Prop 13 benefits if you keep it as a retirement home, owning a second home makes more sense than ever. 

If you’d like to learn more about Carmel and Pebble Beach, please reach out to me or my wife, Alexandra, who attended high school in Pebble Beach and knows the market well. It’s a small piece of paradise right here in California – so close to Silicon Valley, yet a world away!
‍