Huntington Beach, CA Real Estate

They don’t call it “Surf City USA” for nothing! Huntington Beach is known for its long 8-and-a-half-mile-beach, mild climate, and excellent surfing. The waves are a unique natural effect caused in part by Catalina Island. Because of the curve of the coastline at Huntington Beach, the local beach actually faces southwest. In summer, beach often has very strong surf generally referred to as a "south swell".

In the 1930’s to drum up sales, an encyclopedia company bought some cheap land in Huntington Beach and gave it away, a few square inches at a time (“Free California Land!!!”) with the purchase of a whole set. That was Huntington Beaches’ first land boom! The lucky buyers got more than they had bargained for later when oil was discovered! Though many of the old wells are empty, and the price of land for housing has pushed many of the rigs off the landscape, oil pumps can still be found to dot the city.

In 1925, Duke Kahanamoku brought the sport of surfing to Huntington Beach. The city’s first surf shop, Gordie’s Surf Boards, opened in 1953. Six years later, the first U.S. Surfing Championships were held here. In 2005, the USA Surf Team adopted Huntington Beach as its official home.

Tourism and technology are the leading industries in Huntington Beach today – it’s home to more than 650 industrial businesses, including a major Boeing facility. Surf clothing manufacturer Quicksilver has its world-wide corporate headquarters in the city.

Beyond the beach, the city boasts top-class restaurants, shopping, hotels, resorts, spas and a thriving downtown district which includes an active art center, an eclectic shopping district, and the International Surfing Museum. Check out the Sugar Shack Café on Main for the best breakfast in town!

Huntington Beach offers residents a diverse range of high quality residential options. The City offers everything from one-of-a-kind waterfront homes with private boat slips to neighborhoods of single-family residences on tree-lined streets to multi-family rental units. About 60% of the available housing was built after 1980.

Downtown residents enjoy neighborhoods that are in direct contrast to each other. There is an eclectic mix of single, two, and three story single-family homes and multi-story town homes. It is not uncommon to find a towering custom, three-level beach "row" home next to a 1930's Craftsman cottage next to a 1950's style bungalow. Sprinkled throughout the downtown area are "Ozzie and Harriett" neighborhoods such as the Lake Park District.

Independent homebuilders are continuously leveling homes on double-wide lots and building three-story, generally Mediterranean designed homes. There are two tract-home neighborhoods, Ocean Pointe and Pacific Bay. Plaza Almeria is the latest Downtown development that includes a mix of commercial, retail and residential penthouses. Some of the single-family giants and town homes enjoy panoramic ocean views.

Nestled into gently rolling hills is the exclusive community known as Edwards Hill. Residents enjoy living adjacent to the Equestrian Center, where riders and their horses are a common sight on the riding trails that weave throughout this community.
Pacific Ranch is a guard-gated community is located east of Main Street off Yorktown and offers expansive floor plans and impressive Mediterranean architecture.

The master planned community of Huntington-Sea Cliff includes neighborhoods such as Sea Gage, Peninsula Park, Sea Cliff on the Greens, and The Boardwalk, as well as the Sea Cliff Country Club.

Summerlane is an intimate coastal community with 313 single family homes -- there are four neighborhoods located throughout this master planned community located in the north end of Huntington Beach about one mile from the coast.

Huntington Harbour in the northern portion of the city and encompasses five manmade islands bounded by a network of boat channels and the land surrounding them. Its waterways are lined with beautiful multi-million dollar homes and boat docks. The development includes several shopping centers, numerous restaurants, hotels, Peter's Landing Marina, Sunset Aquatic and Huntington Harbour launch ramps, plus schools, apartments, condominiums, homes and fabulous estates.

Huntington Beach is the home of Golden West College. Huntington Beach is in the Huntington Beach Union High School District, which includes Edison High School, Huntington Beach High School, Marina High School, and Ocean View High School in the city. The district also has an alternative school, Valley Vista High School, and an independent study school, Coast High School. The city has two elementary school districts: Huntington Beach City with 9 schools and Ocean View with 15.