Palos Verdes has a reputation for being expensive, and it has earned it. But when Jason Lanzarini asks for numbers on the Cadê Brazil · Brasileiros em South Bay LA episode about the peninsula, realtor Dina Silveira shows that the reality is more varied. Each of the four cities has a very different market, and there are ways in that few people imagine. The figures below are the ones Dina presented on the episode, based on sales charts from the previous 12 to 13 months.

"Sometimes the prices scare you. We talked about very high-end homes, but there are condos starting at 750, 800 thousand, with two, three bedrooms. And you get to live in this beautiful place." — Dina Silveira, on the episode

Palos Verdes Estates: average close to $3 million

In the most upscale and most sought-after area of the peninsula, the average sale price during the period was about $3 million. Almost everything there is a single-family home, and many are custom homes, designed one at a time rather than built in series. There are very few condos.

At the time of recording, there were 68 homes for sale in the city, and 12 had sold in the previous month. In other words, even at that price level the market moves. Buyers there pay for the view, the proximity to the ocean, the schools and the peace and quiet, and they also accept the city's architecture rules, which control the style and height of buildings.

Rancho Palos Verdes: the peninsula's entry point

In Rancho Palos Verdes, the largest of the four cities, the average price was around $1.75 million. The average is lower for a simple reason: besides houses, there are condos and townhomes. These smaller units pull the average down and make it possible to get onto the peninsula without paying the price of the most exclusive homes.

The ranges Dina describes:

• condos and townhomes with two or three bedrooms starting at about $750,000 to $800,000;
• houses starting at about $1.4 million to $1.5 million;
• view homes on large lots that can go above $10 million, depending on location, view and size.

Dina adds an important caveat: in Rancho Palos Verdes, a smaller lot does not necessarily mean a cheaper house. What matters most is the view and the location. And on the city's southern coast, geology matters too: the Portuguese Bend landslide area has its own price dynamics, explained in another story in this paper.

Rolling Hills: almost nobody sells

Rolling Hills, the gated city, has just over 600 properties in total. On the chart Dina showed, there were only 15 homes for sale and no sales recorded in the period analyzed. Her explanation is direct: "everybody wants to get in, nobody wants to leave." In a market like that, buying depends heavily on being ready when an opportunity comes up.

Rolling Hills Estates: horses at close to $1.8 million

In Rolling Hills Estates, the city of stables and riding trails, the average price during the period was about $1.8 million, with more inventory than its gated neighbor and six homes sold in the window presented. It is an option for those who want a bigger lot and a "country" lifestyle close to Torrance.

Why the average is misleading

An average price is a starting point, not the price of the house you are going to buy. In Palos Verdes that gap is even wider, for three reasons that come up on the episode:

• Housing mix. A city with many condos (Rancho Palos Verdes) will always have a lower average than one with only houses (Palos Verdes Estates), and that says little about any specific home.
• View. Two houses of the same size on the same street can have very different prices because only one of them sees the ocean.
• Lot and geology. Lot size, slope and soil history change the value from one address to the next.

That is also why Dina recommends caution with the automated estimates on real estate websites in this area. They do not capture these details well.

What goes into the math besides the price

In California, property tax starts at about 1% of the purchase price per year under Proposition 13, plus local assessments approved by voters. On a $1.5 million home, that means something in the range of $15,000 a year or more. Condos and townhomes also charge a monthly homeowners association (HOA) fee, and homes on hillsides or near the coast may have more expensive insurance, or insurance that is harder to get. It is worth running the full numbers before choosing between one city and another.

Figures cited on the episode, recorded in November 2026, based on market data presented by Dina Silveira. Prices change quickly and vary a lot by street, view and condition of the home.

Sources and verification

• Episode of the Cadê Brazil · Brasileiros em South Bay LA podcast on Palos Verdes, with Dina Silveira and Jason Lanzarini (November 2026): average prices, inventory and sales by city.
• California State Board of Equalization: Proposition 13 and the 1% property tax base.
• Los Angeles County Assessor: property tax calculation and local assessments.
• City of Rolling Hills: number of properties and gated access.