Life is a Beach

December 7, 2007
by Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith The National Ledger

Malibu, the beachfront hideaway for California's rich and famous, has seen its share of hard times with the recent fires that caused a tremendous amount of destruction and left a number of people without homes. But top real estate agent and one of the stars of Bravo's "Million Dollar Listings," Madison Hildebrand, tells us it that hasn't dampened prospective buyers' enthusiasm for getting into the posh area. "After the first fire, I had clients scheduled to be seeing property all that week, and nobody canceled, which I found shocking. I thought I might need a new job, but it turns out I was extremely busy," says Hildebrand, who has been dubbed "The King of Malibu" due to his quick success in the business.

"It's a really resilient community. The people there say, 'It's my home. I love it. I'll rebuild.' It really is the truth, but it is sad to drive along the beach and see black for several miles. I just think about all of the people who lost their homes. It's tough. There are families who have been in hotels all this time, some of them were underinsured, some insurance companies aren't helping out as much as they thought. It's not fun," he adds, "but the other 350 days of the year in Malibu are amazing. That's why we live here."