Hey all! Quick question re: selling a house in 2025. Does anyone have any advice/insight into the state of the real estate market in the LA area going into next year? I'm looking to potentially put a house on the market in the Simi Valley area (4 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2000 sq ft, good curb appeal, would need an interior renovation). Similar houses have sold in the neighborhood recently for an average of $850K. Given a drop in interest rate forecasts and steady lack of supply, all signs seem to be pointing towards it being a sellers market for the next several years. Thoughts? Thanks!

Hi there. I'm in the process of getting a new roommate. My potential roommate, as per building regulations and city statute, filled out an application. But it's been six weeks, and the landlord still has yet to run it. I'm wondering if there is a specific regulation that defines a "good faith" amount of time? How long, legally, can my landlord stall or refuse to run the application?

I recently learned about LA County tax lien sales and wanted to know if I was going about it the right way and understood what I was getting into.

The county offers relatively cheap properties that are overdue on their taxes. There's a big list of maybe 600 properties, and separate lists of "special conditions" like overdue code enforcement tickets that the winning bidder would have to pay in addition to their winning bid. Most of these properties seem to only be a few thousand bucks but are out in the middle of nowhere. There's some more desirable lots with much larger bid minimums that will probably be fought over.

I take it that it's up to us to perform the following steps:

1. Plug each AIN into the Assessor's map website and see if it's anywhere close to where we want to be.
2. Plug that same AIN into the County Planning website to verify what zoning it is (in my case, I'm looking to build a house and looking for Residential).
3. Look up Department of Public Works maps and see if there's any water and sewer lines in the street to connect to.
4. Bid and pray.
5. If I win, there's still a chance for the original owners to claw it back in court within a year. So don't build anything on it until a full year passes.
6. Pay taxes on it in the meantime, about $60/month per $100k assessed.

Let me know if I'm on the right track with my understanding.

New L.A. County SFR, condo/townhome and listings under $1 million.

I’m here to help with any of your real estate needs—whether you're interested in buying, selling, or leasing. Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or for assistance with your next steps in real estate!

All new listings within the last week.

Two tabs on the spreadsheet, one for Single Family Homes, one for Condos/Townhomes.

Find more details on any listing by simply googling the info or you can copy the listing ID # (AKA: MLS#) and enter it into the search bar in a site like this one.

Meanwhile, need some work done around the house? Check out my list of recommended service providers for home appliance repair and purchase, landscaping, insurance and more.

Good luck and happy hunting, L.A.

I’m a broker here on the Westside. I have a new construction triplex for sale right next to Playa Vista without the HOA fees. Delivered vacant. Off market until January.

I also have an 8 unit for sale close by. Can add 1-4 ADUs. All units have tenants.

Also, 11 units West LA between Wilshire and Santa Monica Blvd. Can add 1-4 ADUs. All units have tenants.

Lastly, a value add duplex in Santa Monica. Delivered vacant, large lot and separate garage for 1 ADU.

Please reach out

Heading says it all 👆🏽

I love the west side, been living here over a decade. I like to bike to the beach and spend my time outdoors. We are looking to purchase on this side of town (del rey vicinity) but the homes that always get me excited are Westwood and east from there. It is so rare to see a Spanish home or Tudor or something with actual character around here, with the exception of the very expensive areas such as those gorgeous Santa Monica and Brentwood homes near the beach. Meanwhile in Hancock park and Carthay it is dripping with historic homes and quintessential LA vibes. Is it because old money built there first? Guess I have to sacrifice something regardless when buying a home but damn do I want a pretty LA home. (Budget ~2mil)

So let's say someone has purchased a plot of land, gotten their home plans drawn and stamped and approved by the city, and now they want to go ahead and build the house by themselves piece by piece. Is this something that is allowed?

For example, would I be allowed to rent excavation equipment, get some people together, build the slab. Another weekend we get together and do some framing. Of course electrical and mechanical work would be done by someone with the proper credentials. But is this a type of process that is allowed?

Or is this just aYouTube thing. I see people do this type of home building on YouTube but not sure of the legalities in LA county.

Is that true? Some Houses are listed for way lower prices than bought in 2021? Where do you guys think is this going?

Ive been looking around gotten both answers; yes, i need a license. No, i dont need a license… what now

Hey guys - I've met a few realestate agents in LA recently and am wondering how you guys recommend choosing one to work with? Or is it acceptable to work with multiple? I'm from the UK and we don't have this problem here - estate agents belong to the seller only, buyers are unsupported.

New L.A. County SFR, condo/townhome and l istings under $1 million.

I’m here to help with any of your real estate needs—whether you're interested in buying, selling, or leasing. Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or for assistance with your next steps in real estate!

All new listings within the last week.

Two tabs on the spreadsheet, one for Single Family Homes, one for Condos/Townhomes.

Find more details on any listing by simply googling the info or you can copy the listing ID # (AKA: MLS#) and enter it into the search bar in a site like this one.

Looking for rentals? Check out r/LARentals

Meanwhile, need some work done around the house? Check out my list of recommended service providers for home appliance repair and purchase, landscaping, insurance and more.

Good luck and happy hunting, L.A.

We heard buyers were sitting on the sidelines til after the election. Now we’re hearing they are on the sidelines til after the holidays. When do you think it will pick up for real? January? February? Or do you think this is a bigger slowdown (especially for condos)?

Hey guys

We're thinking of looking to buy in LA in the short to medium term and am wondering when the best time to buy is for maximum choice please? We're probably looking at either MCMs or something modern and 2000sqft+ if that makes a difference.

Curious what the range of buyer representation costs are in LA in Q4 2024. I've been quoted 2.25%, which feels mid-to-high, but want to gut check that assumption.

Hello! I just received a counter offer where the owner is requesting to live in the house for 5 days without paying rent in order to move out their stuff. I am not interested in renting the home for free, so that is a no. Outside of charging a daily fee, what do I need to do in order to ensure our property is safe during this period? What's important to include in the contract. How is it normal to do a closing walkthrough while they will still have possession of the house? How do I protect the home? What if damages occur after closing walkthrough? What if they don't leave? Sorry, first time home buyer, and I'm hoping to get additional input outside of my RA. Thank you in advance.

I’m seeing a lot of houses in areas like Tujunga, North Altadena, and other areas where the fire risk is considered severe, selling for upwards of 1.4m. Are people not concerned about the significant fire risk of these areas? The potential difficulties of getting insurance that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg? I get that every area has its own environmental risks, but if you’ve lived in LA for more than 5 years, you’ll remember how terrifying and devastating the fire seasons were.

Are people just ok with that risk in order to have a nice house in the hills?

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1951-Wagner-St-Pasadena-CA-91107/20873822_zpid/

Do you think $100,000 would be enough?

I'm planning a remodel of a multifamily property in Los Angeles County and aim to maximize its potential within the RD1.5 zoning limits. The property currently has five existing units and is located in a TOC Tier 2 area due to its proximity to transit.

I'm exploring the best way to add units by reconfiguring the existing square footage. I understand there are several routes I could take—such as utilizing the Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) program, adding Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), or other density bonus programs—but I'm unsure which option is the most practical from a time and investment standpoint.

For those with experience in similar projects:

• What are the pros and cons of using the TOC program versus other density bonus programs?
• How have you approached adding units through reconfiguration or additions?
• Which route would you recommend to optimize both time efficiency and return on investment?

Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated. My goal is to increase the property's value while contributing positively to the community.

Thank you!

I got a new job, and my starting salary is 90k and my husband makes about 57k a year. We are interested in buying a home in OC CA. Is that within a reach? Or are we just dreaming?

I live in San Jose and I'm applying for a job in Culver City. I have a young family and need to live in a neighborhood with good schools but my budget for a home is around $1 million. Any suggestions within an hour-ish commute of Culver City would be greatly appreciated.

I posted this in another sub, just realized this is the right place to ask this question.

We are looking for a place with a good school district and so far we love El Segundo, but there aren’t a lot of single family homes listed, mostly condos and multi family properties. Also price is pretty expensive. Those who are familiar with the area, is it worth living in that area? Any regrets? We aren’t familiar with south bay area, we are from mid Wilshire area.

Thank you for your response!!

https://preview.redd.it/ftdtz6bymp0e1.jpg?width=862&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8b2ebb4afa9f5c43872b60ecb1a4b97eefd09c5a

Any surprises? This is standardized for SFH, 2000-5000sqft homes, 5000-8000 sq foot lots.

Thought it was interesting

Hey friends,

I wonder if there is an organization here in LA County to contact when the landlord on the move-out said we are all good but then did some "fixes" without discussing with us and trying to hold onto the security deposit and ask for more for regular wear and tear fixes. I need a consultation or help before going to the small claims court and BBB route.

Thank you

New L.A. County SFR, condo/townhome and l istings under $1 million.

I’m here to help with any of your real estate needs—whether you're interested in buying, selling, or leasing. Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or for assistance with your next steps in real estate!

All new listings within the last week.

Two tabs on the spreadsheet, one for Single Family Homes, one for Condos/Townhomes.

Find more details on any listing by simply googling the info or you can copy the listing ID # (AKA: MLS#) and enter it into the search bar in a site like this one.

Meanwhile, need some work done around the house? Check out my list of recommended service providers for home appliance repair and purchase, landscaping, insurance and more.

Good luck and happy hunting, L.A.

My fiancee and I bought a $1.5M condo in Brentwood last year. I had a very lucky year in which a $30K investment I made in a private company in 2021 turned into $300K in 2023 after the company was sold. A combination of LA friends who would spew over and over again that "LA real estate only goes up" as well as a recent engagement that year probably led to a hasty decision to buy our current home (we toured 5 places and bid on one). Now, I can't help but think we made a dumb decision which is going to be hard to sell to a pool of limited buyers.

Don't get me wrong - we fell in love with our unit the minute we toured it, and lucked out in that we haven't really had any of the HOA issues most complain about. The dues are affordable, the roof and elevator was replaced the year before we bought, and our neighbors are very nice people and a good mix of young families and elderly people who bought in the 1990s or 2000s. We've already started major and minor renovations, which has been fun as we start to make this place our home. I don't think it'll be an issue for us to stay 5+ years especially as we start a family. However, when I think about this place as an investment, I start to scratch my head. I felt like I was in a lucky / almost random circumstance. If I could do it over again, I think I would have told myself to hold onto that money and wait a few more years to just jump straight into a SFH which feels like a much simpler investment story. Most of the pros of condos that I read about online seem to concern smaller condos that are <$1M or <2 bedroom or fancy high rises with amenities (ours is a <30 unit complex), but when I think about the segment of the condo market that we are in, I can only think of cons given the price. I can't help but to wonder if this was an idiotic purchase especially seeing where we are in the current housing cycle and how prices have inflated the last few years. I also creep on Redfin often and will see similar units in our neighborhood renting for $5-8K vs. our mortgage being $10K+, and at the end of the day, it's not like anyone would know we own vs. rent our own unit anyways. I mean, other than myself which feels like a unique situation, why would anyone ever buy one of these units?

I’m looking for a property management job with housing included. In the Los Angeles/South Bay Area. Relevant experience with excellent references.